Help! Please review this cat food ingredients?

[Moi17]

Hi! I'm new to premium cat food. Other than no by-products I don't know what else to look for. Can you please check out the cat food ingredients in this cat food I was recommended at Global Pet Foods and tell me if it's good? I was told it is premium and quality but it is their store brand.

It's Nature's Harvest Natural Pet foods Adult/Kitten Dry. It says Holistic on the bag.

Here is the website for it: http://www.naturesharvest.ca/node/9

These are the ingredients listed on the website, what do you think? Is this good? Thank you so much for your help!!

Chicken meal, fresh salmon, brown rice, barley, rice protein, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), dried chicken, beet pulp, dehydrated tomato pomace, dehydrated whole eggs, whole flax seeds (a source of omega-3 fatty acids), yeast culture, natural flavor, lecithin, choline chloride, potassium chloride, calcium propionate, cheese meal, garlic powder, prebiotics (mannan-oligosaccharides), kelp meal, dried cranberries, dried apples, chicory roots, taurine, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, dried blueberries, Yucca schidigera extracts, zinc oxide, probiotics (dehydrated Lactobacillus acidophillus fermentation products, dehydrated Lactobacillus casei fermentation products, dehydrated Bifidobacterium bifidium fermentation products, dehydrated Streptococcus faecium fermentation products, dehydrated Aspergillus oryzae fermentation products), proteinates ( copper, zinc, manganese), Dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), nicotinic acid, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, vitamin B12 supplement, retinyl acetate (vitamin A), cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), calcium d-pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate, sodium selenite, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, folic acid, menadione nicotinamide bisulfite (vitamin K3).

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by Moi17

It's Nature's Harvest Natural Pet foods Adult/Kitten Dry. These are the ingredients listed on the website, what do you think? Is this good?

Chicken meal, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), dried chicken - Chicken is good. Fresh chicken would be better than chicken meal as less processing is better.
fresh salmon, dehydrated whole eggs - Good
brown rice, barley, rice protein - As far as grains go, rice is fairly gentle on the digestive system, but grain-free is better
beet pulp, dehydrated tomato pomace - Debatable. They help firm up kitty's stools, but can for the same reason cause constipation.
whole flax seeds (a source of omega-3 fatty acids) - Ground flax is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, whole flax seeds aren't a source of anything unless you are a bird. Expect to see these in the litter box.
yeast culture - don't know.
natural flavor - good
lecithin - would be nice if they mentioned where it came from as if it is soy lecithin, soy products are best avoided.
choline chloride, potassium chloride, calcium propionate, cheese meal, garlic powder, prebiotics (mannan-oligosaccharides), kelp meal, dried cranberries, dried apples, chicory roots, taurine, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, dried blueberries, Yucca schidigera extracts, zinc oxide, probiotics (dehydrated Lactobacillus acidophillus fermentation products, dehydrated Lactobacillus casei fermentation products, dehydrated Bifidobacterium bifidium fermentation products, dehydrated Streptococcus faecium fermentation products, dehydrated Aspergillus oryzae fermentation products), proteinates ( copper, zinc, manganese), Dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), nicotinic acid, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, vitamin B12 supplement, retinyl acetate (vitamin A), cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), calcium d-pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate, sodium selenite, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, folic acid, menadione nicotinamide bisulfite (vitamin K3). - some good, some neutral, but nothing strikes me in the list as a no-no.

Another thing people on this forum will tell you is that canned (or raw) is the way to go. The concern is that cats have a poor thirst reflex, don't drink enough water, and on a dry diet with water on the side tend towards chronic low-grade dehydration. Cost and convenience are on the side of dry.

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by SamIam

Another thing people on this forum will tell you is that canned (or raw) is the way to go.

Yep, that would be about right.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Moi17

These are the ingredients listed on the website, what do you think? Is this good? Thank you so much for your help!!

Chicken meal, fresh salmon, brown rice, barley, rice protein, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), dried chicken, beet pulp, dehydrated tomato pomace, dehydrated whole eggs, whole flax seeds (a source of omega-3 fatty acids), yeast culture, natural flavor, lecithin, choline chloride, potassium chloride, calcium propionate, cheese meal, garlic powder, prebiotics (mannan-oligosaccharides), kelp meal, dried cranberries, dried apples, chicory roots, taurine, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, dried blueberries, Yucca schidigera extracts, zinc oxide, probiotics (dehydrated Lactobacillus acidophillus fermentation products, dehydrated Lactobacillus casei fermentation products, dehydrated Bifidobacterium bifidium fermentation products, dehydrated Streptococcus faecium fermentation products, dehydrated Aspergillus oryzae fermentation products), proteinates ( copper, zinc, manganese), Dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), nicotinic acid, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, vitamin B12 supplement, retinyl acetate (vitamin A), cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), calcium d-pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate, sodium selenite, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, folic acid, menadione nicotinamide bisulfite (vitamin K3).

Rice protein - this ingredient was involved in the last big recall.

Dehydrated tomato pomace - skins could have pesticide residue.

Whole flax seeds - needs to be ground for any benefit an it is much better to have Salmon Oil provide the Omega 3's.

Yeast culture - poor quality ingredient in pet foods and doesn't have the nutritional value of higher quality yeast supplements. Also it can be a potential allergen for some dogs.

Natural flavour - can be just about anything and not necessary to add if premium ingredients are used.

Dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate - this is the synthetic version of Vitamin E and only about half as effective as natural vitamin E as it is not as easily absorbed in the body.

Menadione nicotinamide bisulfite (vitamin K3) - this is also the synthetic version of Vitamin K and thought to be a carcinogen. The natural form of Viamin K should be used in pet food instead which is Vitamin K1. There is lots of information about it on this website .....

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by rainbow

Yeast culture - poor quality ingredient in pet foods and doesn't have the nutritional value of higher quality yeast supplements. Also it can be a potential allergen for some dogs.

What would you see to call it a "higher quality yeast supplement?"

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by SamIam

What would you see to call it a "higher quality yeast supplement?"

I don't like to see yeast added period.

[14+kitties]

I have a great site for you to read. It's www.catinfo.org. Full of good information about feeding and the health of your cat. There is also a list of foods that would be good alternatives for your cat. Basically dry food is a convenience to us, the pet owners. It's fast and easy to feed. Not necessarily the best for your cats' health.

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by SamIam

Another thing people on this forum will tell you is that canned (or raw) is the way to go. The concern is that cats have a poor thirst reflex, don't drink enough water, and on a dry diet with water on the side tend towards chronic low-grade dehydration.

Mmmm, based on the number of posts you've racked up in a little more than a week I'd say you were well entrenched as a member of this forum as well. Good to know you are going to be advocating a canned or raw diet for cats.

[Moi17]

Wow, thanks so much everybody!!!! I spoke to someone at another pet shop and got some better advice, I ended up with Acana instead. I learned about grain-free. Hope that's good.

I do plan to add a good canned along with the dry but starting with the dry first because she's on cheap dry food from the previous owner and I'm weaning her off to something better.