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The AvoDerm pet food has received a series of mixed reviews from consumers. This is mainly because of the inclusion of Avocado and Avocado oil in the formulas. As a pet owner, it is normal to question the quality of this pet formula brand especially if you’re trying it out for the first time
The AvoDerm pet food is a product of the Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods, which is a branch company of the Central Garden and Pet Company. Breeder’s choice has been manufacturing pet formulas since 1982. The company’s headquarters is in Irwindale, California. Initially, Breeder’s Choice AvoDerm brand products were marketed as products used to treat pet related health complications. However, all this has changed over the years since pet owners now understand that they can feed their pets on AvoDerm products as daily meal formulas.
A popular product under the AvoDerm brand is the wild Caught Tuna and Prawns wet cat food. Made with wild caught oceanic tuna and prawns, this formula offers your adult cat all the necessary nutrition to ensure it continues to thrive. It is made from high quality ingredients for optimum nutrition.
Ingredients in Wild Caught Tuna And Prawns (Wet) Cat Formula
Tuna, Tuna Broth, Prawns, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Avocado Oil, Guar Gum, Vitamins & Minerals (Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity), Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Potassium Chloride, Natural Beta Carotene (Natural Color)Choline Chloride, Taurine.
Made with rich protein sources, this cat formula contains no grain.
Overview – First five ingredients in the formula
The first five ingredients in any cat or pet formula clearly depict the formula’s nutritional composition. It is, therefore, important to ensure you look through the pack for the first five ingredients.
The first five ingredients in this formula include:
Tuna – This ingredient is a well known saltwater fish. There is some debate about whether fish products should be included in cat food at all, because cats by nature do not eat much sea food. A lot of cat owners would rather see meat from other animals such as beef, chicken, turkey, or other meat sources. However, tuna does supply a good amount of protein and also contains an excellent amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Tuna broth – Like other types of broth in cat food, tuna broth is used as a flavor enhancer and source of moisture. It is considered to be a better ingredient to use than plain water. While not especially nutritious, your cat will probably appreciate the enhanced flavor and there are no known health risks associated with this ingredient.
Prawns – A prawn is a marine crustacean that resembles a large shrimp. Even though prawns are not part of a cats typical diet in the wild, this ingredient is considered to be a pretty healthy addition because it supplies protein and very healthy doses of fatty acids. It also has a high vitamin B12 content and contains fewer calories than many other ingredients normally used it its place. Unless your cat suffers from a unique food allergy, this is a safe ingredient.
Sunflower oil – Tomato pomace is an inexpensive by-product of tomato manufacturing. Effectively, it is what is left over after processing tomatoes for juice, ketchup, soup, etc. In all likelihood, this is the leftovers of what is cleaned off of the floors and other areas of plants that process tomatoes for other purposes. As such, this is probably used more as a flavor enhancer than for nutritional purposes.
Tricalcium phosphate – Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium. Unfortunately, this ingredient is a bit controversial as it has links to several health concerns including ulcers and inflammatory bowel diseases. There is also some concerns that this ingredient could contain lead. The toxic effect of this ingredient is a concern in both human foods and pet foods and even The American Cancer Society has listed Titanium Dioxide among the five most carcinogenic substances on the planet (more info here). This ingredient is mostly used for coloration and texture purposes. It is impossible for your cat to digest this ingredient or gain any nutritional benefit from it. We find it rather unfortunate this ingredient is included.
Ingredients of interest
Avocado oil – Avocado is a pear-shaped fruit that can sometimes be dangerous to pets if the pit is consumed. Obviously when used in cat food, the pit is removed completely. While avocado is toxic to some animals, in dogs and cats, we do not expect to see serious signs of illness. Cat food manufactures will tell you that avocados are nutrient-dense and high in crude fiber. This fruit also contains vitamins A, C and E as well as vitamin B6. Avocados certainly area nutritious, but since cats are obligate carnivores, the nutritional value will be a bit limited. The good news is there doesn’t appear to be any real harm to including avocado and it may even help make the food more palatable.
Folic acid – This is a vitamin of the B complex, found especially in leafy green vegetables, liver, and kidney. It is vital for red blood cells and for many other cells in the body. There are no known issues concerning this ingredient adversely effecting cats.
Is wild caught tuna and prawns cat food an allergy causing food?
From the ingredients used to create this pet formula, there is no presence of soy, wheat or corn. These three are the most common allergy causing ingredients. They may be present in other cat formulas, and so it is advisable to check before purchase.
Other ingredients to watch out for
By-products – By products are typically the “left overs” of human food production. For example, things that are swept up off the floor, conveyer belts, or products humans typically don’t want in their food such as organ meat. Not all by-products are bad. In fact, certain by-products such as organ meats are extremely nutritious for cats. However, the labeling is concerning because some by-products can legally contains some undesirable ingredients. Meat by-product can even contain what is known as 4D meat – that is, mean derived from animals that were dead, dying, diseased, or deformed prior to slaughter. These 4D meats are not allowed for human consumption, so they are often used in the pet industry instead.
Artificial coloring – We find it quite irresponsible to include artificial coloring in pet food since the health concerns about these added colors are so controversial. Your cat does not care what color their food is and the only reason artificial coloring is added to this product is for marketing purposes. It makes the food look better to you YOU, the human consumer. Of course, many cat food brands are very defensive about their use of food coloring. Here is an example of how the Purina brand defends their use of fool coloring. Notice how even in their explanation, there is no perceived benefit to these ingredients other than changing the color. There is also a growing amount of evidence to suggest food coloring may be linked to cancer in not just dogs and cats, but also humans. Here is an article that explains a bit further. In short, since there is some controversy surrounding this ingredient, we find it a bit strange that cat food companies would spend money adding this ingredient into a product when at best, it has zero nutritional value for your cat and only has marketing value. At worse, it could pose health risks. It just doesn’t seem like the risk of including this ingredient is worth it.
Corn syrup – Unfortunately, corn is a known allergen for many cats and cats do not receive much of any nutritional value at all from corn, even though corn helps to boost the overall protein percentage of the food. Syrup extracts usually aren’t harmful to cats, but they aren’t all that nutritious, either. In fact, many syrup extracts will contain quite a bit of sugar which can lead to weight gain. Since many adult cats have diabetes, it’s probably a safer bet to stay away from syrups.
The three ingredients are not present in the wild caught tuna and prawns wet cat food.
Conclusion
Judging from the ingredients and nutritional value, the wild caught tuna and prawns wet cat formula is a safe cat formula. It is not grain based meaning it causes no allergic reactions. The avocado oil is, however, debatable. Overall, the wild caught tuna and prawns cat food is an average cat food. If your cat is allergic to fish, keep off this formula.
