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Do you have an adult feline companion? This stage of their life can be the most difficult to maintain. This is where most cats are prone to developing medical issues since they are aging. Those medical issues can be difficult to determine and if your cat suffers from a food allergy, you may need to try a few different types of cat food before you get it “just right.”
Eukanuba is owned by Procter & Gamble and manufactured in their Leipsic, Ohio plant which makes both dog and cat food. In 1969, Paul Iams wanted to find a name to differentiate the new formula from other Iams pet food products. Iams chose to name this new formula “Eukanuba”, a term originated by jazz era personality Hoagy Carmichael, meaning “the tops” or “something supreme” (read more on Wikipedia).
Ingredients in Eukanuba Adult Salmon And Rice Dry Cat Food
Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Salmon, Brewers Rice, Corn Grits, Dried Egg Product, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Dried Beet Pulp, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Bisulfate, Fructooligosaccharides, Brewers Dried Yeast, DL-Methionine, Dried Apple Pomace, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Carrots, Dried Peas, Dried Spinach, Choline Chloride, Dried Tomatoes, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Niacin, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Inositol, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodide), Vitamin A Acetate, Rosemary Extract.
Top 5 Ingredients Analysis
Whenever you are reviewing a commercial cat food blend, it is good practice to pay special attention to the first 5 ingredients listed. These ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ingredients in this cat food.
Chicken
Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.
Chicken By-Product Meal
While this ingredient does provide a high amount of meat protein, this meat source is considered to be of lower quality than many other meat sources. Chicken By-Product Meal is produced through a process of cooking, drying and separation of fats and proteins from animal carcasses. It contains a dehydrated combination of meat (or cuts or parts) including lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, necks, undeveloped eggs and intestines. Usually, by-products are the “left overs” that can’t be used for human food consumption. The greatest fault of this ingredient is the same trait that makes it so affordable and so commonly found in pet foods. The unpredictability of what might (or might not) be included.
Corn Meal
Considered a low quality ingredient, corn meal is usually used as a “filler ingredient” but provides almost no nutritional value to cats. This ingredient is also a known allergy causing ingredient for many cats. We aren’t all that thrilled to see this ingredient listed.
Salmon
Salmon is an excellent source of high quality proteins for cats and is extremely rich in healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Some people worry about mercury levels in fish. It’s true that all fish contains some degree of mercury, the level in salmon is much lower than other types of fish and the FDA doesn’t believe it is cause for concern. Most salmon in cat food is farmed salmon, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural lakes and streams. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including salmon, is if the fish includes an antioxidant called ethoxyquin (EMQ). It is believe that ethoxyquin could be very harmful to cats and other animals. Always make sure you are using “Ethoxyquin free” cat food blends when they include fish ingredients. When in doubt, call the customer service number and ask.
Brewer’s Rice
Brewers rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. It is a processed rice product that is missing many of its nutrients, but does provide a source of carbohydrates. It is a by-product of rice milling and considered a lower quality filler ingredient usually used in lower priced cat food blends. Usually, brewers rice is used to make rice flour, but if the quality is too poor for rice flour, it will then be sold to pet food or dairy feed companies. For many cats, this ingredient can cause allergies or digestion issues. Most cats will not have any problems processing this food, but it’s not one of the better ingredients, either.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Eukanuba Adult Salmon And Rice Cat Food
Ground Whole Grain Barley
With barley being a starchy carbohydrate, it supplies healthy nutrients such as fiber to the cat. Barley also gives your cat sugar level stability. Ground or pearled barley is produced from whole barley seeds that have been scoured to remove the seed hull and bran. This is a common ingredient in weight control pet foods due to its slow digestibility, starch, and soluble fibers.
Dried Beet Pulp
Beet pulp is a by-product from the processing of sugar beet and is a source of fiber and energy. It is popular among many pet food companies due to its high availability and low price. The most common complaint about this ingredient is that it causes digestion problems, most commonly a very hard stool or diarrhea. It has also been known to cause bloat in some dogs and cats which can be very serious if left unchecked.
Brewers Dried Yeast
Brewers dried yeast is made from a single-celled fungus, called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is a very rich source of B vitamins and supplies minerals and amino acids. It is known to support a normal healthy coat. This is also an old remedy for flea and tick protection. This ingredient is generally a by-product of alcohol production and there are no major health risks associated with this ingredient.
Dried Apple Pomace
Dried apple pomace is included for its large carbohydrate value (sugars, pectins and fruity acids). It also helps to make the food taste better. While not of real nutritional importance, there is generally nothing wrong with this ingredient.
Allergy Risk Associated With Eukanuba Adult Salmon And Rice Cat Food
Unfortunately, Eukanuba Adult Salmon and Rice Cat Food contains some known allergy causing ingredients including corn, corn meal, and brewers rice. While most cats will not experience allergies with this food, it’s a bit disappointing to see so many potential allergens listed. If your cat has food allergies or digestion problems, this probably isn’t the best choice of cat food. Overall, this cat food does have some potential to bring about food allergies in cats that are sensitive to corn and grains.
Conclusion
Many cat owners report very good results with this cat food, however, we have some concerns. This food contains some potential allergy causing ingredients and we’re not all that thrilled with the inclusion of brewers rice, either. While chicken by-product isn’t necessarily unhealthy for your cat, we consider this to be a lower quality meat source. The inclusion of salmon and whole chicken, however, does give this food some points. Overall, we think this food is slightly below average in quality. What do you think? Have you had good or bad success with this cat food? Do you think our review was fair and accurate? Let us know in the comments box below. We’d love to hear from you!
