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Are you looking for weight control foods for your cat? If you are a cat owner, you probably can attest to the fact that it is quite hard to find a high quality and effective weight control cat food. This is because the cat food market is awash with products that hardly ever live up to their promise. In this review, we will take a look at the Eukanuba Adult Weight Control Cat Food blend and see if it could be a good solution for your overweight cat.
Eukanuba is owned by Procter & Gamble and uses a manufacturing plant in Leipsic, Ohio. 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 Weight Control
Corn meal, chicken by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), ground whole grain sorghum, chicken, ground whole grain barley, chicken flavor, dried beet pulp, dried egg product, brewers dried yeast, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, salt, caramel, dl-methionine, flax meal, choline chloride, minerals (zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate), calcium carbonate, dried chicken cartilage (natural source of glucosamine), vitamins (ascorbic acid, vitamin E supplement, vitamin A acetate, biotin, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), niacin, inositol, vitamin D3 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), folic acid), l-tryptophan, l-lysine monohydrochloride, l-carnitine, rosemary extract, citric acid.
A Detailed Overview Of The First Five Ingredients In The Formula
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.
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.
Sorghum
With hardly any nutritional value, sorghum is considered to be lower quality ingredient. It is typically used in as a feed for livestock, but has found its way into the pet food industry as well. It does provide some protein and calories for the food and boosts the iron and phosphorus levels, but in general, we feel the same about sorghum as we do about most other grains. It is simply a low quality and low priced filler ingredient used in place of higher quality meat protein ingredients. A growing number of cat owners are trying to avoid this ingredient all together.
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.
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.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Eukanuba Adult Weight Control Cat Food
Dried egg product
Derived from shell free eggs, this is a cheaper source of protein used in place of higher quality meat proteins. Normally, this ingredient is derived from waste products associated with the egg industry or egg products that have been deemed unfit for human consumption.
Organic Chicken Fat
Chicken fat is a quality source of essential fatty acids and an excellent source of energy. Fat has a positive effect on the immune system and plays a beneficial role in stress response. Essential fatty acids are required for proper growth, reproduction, normal skin structure and a healthy coat. Because chicken fat contains virtually no protein, it’s use does not cause allergic reactions associated with the use of fresh chicken or chicken meal which contain high amounts of protein. Many times, mixed tocopherols, which are a natural source of Vitamin E activity, are used as a natural preservative to maintain freshness. This is considered a higher quality fat source in pet food.
Allergy Risks Associated With Eukanuba Adult Weight Control Dry Cat Food
Unfortunately, this cat food blend contains many potentially allergy causing ingredients. Many of the ingredients used in this food are considered “filler ingredients” in order to help make your cat feel more full. However, those filler ingredients, such as the high level of corn found in this food, do not provide much nutritional value and can cause allergic reactions in some cats. Be cautious when switching to this food, especially if your cat has sensitivities to corn. In addition, some of the ingredients (again, we’re looking at the high corn content) may cause some cats to have digestion issues.
Conclusion
While the adult weight control cat food may work for controlling weight in cats, it contains known allergens, making it a risky formula for cats with food sensitivities. We note that the protein level in this food is boosted by corn, grains, and plant based protein sources. These protein sources are much more difficult for your cat to digest properly than meat based proteins and they don’t get near the nutritional value from plant based proteins, either. Many of the meat products used are by-products and we aren’t too excited about that, either. We always recommend you do your own research and speak to your veterinarian about the best diet for your cat, but judging by the ingredients alone, we think this is a below average quality cat food.
