Do dog food ingredients like pea flour, legumes, or egg really matter?

Question

Is pea flour and pea protein an ok ingredient in dog food? One thing I notice is that Fromm dog food uses these ingredients vs using whole legumes like Acana does. Does this make Acana slightly better or are they both equally as good? Why or why not? Also is whole fresh egg better than whole dried egg? One of the things I appreciate about Fromm is the smaller kibble size because I have a small dog who doesn't chew her food. Please explain your answer. Thanks! Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 5 years and 6 months old | 17 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Overall, the differences in the ingredients make little difference. They are likely somewhat equal, because they are both formulated foods that will have the adequate nutrients. Most importantly, neither are harmful. Where the nutrients come from makes little difference if any. The differences in ingredients and the claims by the companies usually amount to nothing more than marketing gimmicks. The truth about most of these foods is that their claims usually amount to nothing more than that of a fad diet (i.e. paleo or atkins) and are not supported by sufficient evidence (even though they will make it sound like it is). One of the things I vividly remember a veterinary nutritionist professor telling me was that he completely ignores the front of the bag of any pet food...it's all marketing. The most important thing on that bag is a tiny bit of writing under the guaranteed analysis called the AAFCO statement. This statement tells you what actual research went into making the product. Below is a link to an article that will help explain this more and give some other info about feeding your dog: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ I know the answer may still be somewhat vague, but if you stick to the basic principles of choosing the right food, then you should be successful in feeding a good and nutritious food to your dog. If your dog does better with the Fromm, then I see no reason not to feed it. I hope that helps. I put one more link to credible resource below if you are interested in researching more about the legal requirements of the formulated dog foods. https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/ucm047113.htm

Do dog food ingredients like pea flour, legumes, or egg really matter?

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