# Holy Ash!



## MarieLovesChis (Mar 25, 2014)

Wow so I've been trying to watch ash levels in my dog's food and was feeding Stella & Chewy's freeze dried with her kibble. She LOVES it but I think she's going to have to kiss it goodbye :frown: 

I emailed the company asking for their ash content and here's what I got:

Ash (%)
Stella’s Super Beef, FR
3.56
Stella’s Super Beef, FD
11.0
Chewy’s Chicken, FR
3.32
Chewy’s Chicken, FD
16.5
Duck Duck Goose, FR
3.93
Duck Duck Goose, FD
10.8
Dandy Lamb, FR
3.93
Dandy Lamb, FD
10.4
Surf ‘N Turf, FR
4.01
Surf ‘N Turf, FD
11.9
Simply Venison, FR
2.15
Simply Venison, FD
6.9
Absolutely Rabbit, FR
4.07
Absolutely Rabbit, FD
12.1
Phenomenal Pheasant, FR
5.10
Phenomenal Pheasant, FD
14.8

FD = Freeze Dried
FR = Frozen Raw

My god I have NEVER seen ash percentages that high in any food :shocked:. The raw percentages are on an as fed basis too, not dry matter. Is there a reason that I'm missing that would justify ash being this high in a FD food? My god are these levels even safe lol!?


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## Taser (Mar 14, 2013)

Don't have an answer for you, but I'm also very curious as to why FD would be so much higher.


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## AngelaPrimanti (Feb 24, 2014)

Just shows you that even with all the hoopla, the foods use low quality ingredients with a lot of bone. I wonder what the calcium and phosphorus are because they aren't on the website.

The ash is higher in the FD food because its dried and a bit drier than kibble, but still the numbers are very high and I wouldn't use those products other than for treats.

If you get the calcium and phosphorus numbers please post them.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Yeah the majority of those are obscene! LOL

Remember the cutesy marketing doesn't always = ideal nutrition.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I never felt comfortable with the fat in S & C's being so close to the protein (I've read fat should be approximately half the protein). I think I'm glad I never used it except for two bags.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 25, 2014)

Shamrockmommy said:


> Yeah the majority of those are obscene! LOL
> 
> Remember the cutesy marketing doesn't always = ideal nutrition.


Yea I learned a lot of this right here on this forum. I now factor in much more than just the ingredients 



InkedMarie said:


> I never felt comfortable with the fat in S & C's being so close to the protein (I've read fat should be approximately half the protein). I think I'm glad I never used it except for two bags.


Thankfully I only used three, but I really wish I didn't use it at all :/

What do you all like to use as toppers (if you do at all)? I'm mainly using a couple canned food brands now like Instinct and Petkind That's It. I mainly like to add them for extra moisture intake.


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## LProf (Nov 12, 2013)

MarieLovesChis said:


> Yea I learned a lot of this right here on this forum. I now factor in much more than just the ingredients
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Canine Caviar makes what I believe is a very good canned product. Grain free, and comes in Duck, Venison or Beaver. That is what I use as a topper on the kibble.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

MarieLovesChis;292954
Thankfully I only used three said:


> For my gal who eats kibble, she gets a variety of canned with her kibble. My other gal eats canned only and the other ground raw only


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

I use a variety of canned. Weruva, petguard, Kirkland, new mans own, natures recipe, etc 

I also make my own topper on occasion, based on Monica Segals enhancing commercial foods booklet. 
1 pound ground meat, 1/3 pound assorted veggies and fruit, 1 teaspoon Animal Essentials Sea Calcium. Throw in a little crock pot til cooked through, mash with a potato masher, stir in calcium and then package and refrigerate or freeze.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 25, 2014)

Shamrockmommy said:


> I use a variety of canned. Weruva, petguard, Kirkland, new mans own, natures recipe, etc
> 
> I also make my own topper on occasion, based on Monica Segals enhancing commercial foods booklet.
> 1 pound ground meat, 1/3 pound assorted veggies and fruit, 1 teaspoon Animal Essentials Sea Calcium. Throw in a little crock pot til cooked through, mash with a potato masher, stir in calcium and then package and refrigerate or freeze.


Mmm that sounds yummy! Haha I'll have to try something like that every now and then.

I still have quite a few cans to go through but Hound & Gatos is next to try on my list. They're coming out with some new flavors including Kangaroo and Goat, so that interests me!


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