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Are you looking to try out the Eukanuba Lamb and Rice Dry Cat Food formula? The company claims that this formula provides your cat with essential proteins, fatty acids and supports the cat’s urinary system.
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).
Eukanuba Pet Food Recall History
Unfortunately, Eukanuba has been involved with several pet food recalls. As of this review (March 2014), the most recent recall was related to possible salmonella contamination. It is important to frequently check the FDA pet food recall website to make sure none of the products you have purchased in the past were recalled.
Ingredients in Eukanuba Lamb And Rice Dry Cat Formula
Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Corn Grits, Lamb, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Brewers Rice, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Sodium Bisulfate, Dried Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Fructooligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Salt, Rosemary Extract.
Top 5 Ingredients Analysis
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.
Corn Grits
Many forms of corn are found in pet foods including corn grits. About 85% of all corn grown in the United States is genetically modified (GMO). Since cats by nature are carnivores, this ingredient does not provide much nutritional value if any, although it does add calories to the food. Corn grits can be considered a very low quality ingredient.
Lamb
Lamb is a very high quality source of meat protein. Generally, this ingredient is more nutritious in canned formulas than dry formulas, but in either case, it is nice to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, about 80% of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process. That means, there actually isn’t much of this ingredient left once it has all been processed.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Eukanuba Lamb & Rice Cat Food
Choline Chloride
Like humans and many other species, cats require choline. Almost all commercial pet food blends will contain supplemental choline. This ingredient mostly helps with cell function.
Rosemary Extract
This ingredient is normally listed pretty low on the ingredients list, but is very common in pet foods, especially with higher end and “natural” pet foods. This ingredient has been mostly used as a taste enhancer and natural preservative. Recently, there have been some growing concerns that this ingredient may increase the risk of seizures in cats, but so far there is no conclusive evidence to substantiate these claims.
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.
Allergy Risks Associated With Eukanuba Lamb & Rice Cat Food
The Eukanuba Lamb and Rice Dry Cat Food formula contains corn and corn by-products. These are potentially allergy causing ingredients. Be wary of feeding this blend to cats with corn allergies or cats with sensitive stomaches.
Poor Quality Ingredients Commonly Found In Cat Food
Soy – Soy is another common food allergen for cats and is also known to cause gastric upset. This ingredient is considered a very low priced filler ingredient. While it will certainly help make your cat food more full, the full nutritional benefit in this ingredient is questionable at best. Many cat food brands will tell you the allergy risk is very low with soy, but it is one of the most well known food allergens that cats deal with in commercial pet food. Overall, this is a pretty low quality ingredient.
Gluten – This ingredient is associated with causing allergies in cats. It is also known to raise sugar levels in cats. Over time, this can lead to diabetes. Gluten refers to the proteins found in wheat endosperm which is a type of tissue produced in seeds that’s ground to make flour. Many pet food manufactures will use this ingredient to help boost the protein percentage of the food.
BHT and BHA – Both BHA & BHT are preservatives that have been banned in human foods in many countries due to cancer risks. However, they remain approved for use in pet foods. A growing number of pet owners are becoming aware of the potential dangers these ingredients bring and are shunning all foods containing BHA and BHT. BHA and BHT are extremely controversial ingredients in all forms of pet food.
Fortunately, none of these ingredients are found in the Eukanuba Lamb and Rice formula.
Conclusion
We are not all that excited about the Eukanuba Lamb & Rice dry cat food formula. Some of the meat sources are low quality and the fat source is unnamed. It is also not a good food for cats with digestion sensitivities or cats with corn allergies. Judging by the ingredients alone, we believe this is a below average cat food blend. Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to tell us what you think in the comments section below.
