Molly
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We use only the finest human grade ingredients in all of our gourmet dog foods, with no added preservatives.
Protein is the building block of life. Protein is necessary for the growth, maintenance, and repair of every cell in the body. It is present in countless forms throughout the body-as part of enzymes, hormones, antibodies, oxygen carriers, bones, muscle, hair, and skin, to name a few. Unlike the fuel-providing carbohydrates, proteins are the building blocks that provide structure and perform vital functions. However, when needed, proteins can break down to provide energy.
Protein is one of the most important parts of dog food, as well as one of the least understood by the average dog owner. Most people have the misconception that the simple amount of protein the food contains is the important factor. However, it is the amount of the food's protein that can be used by the animal consuming it that matters most.To determine the amount of usable protein, we must first break protein down into its component parts, the amino acids. There are two classifications for amino acids of dietary protein:
(1) essential - those that the dog's own body cannot manufacture in sufficient quantities, and
(2) non-essential - those that the dog's own body can manufacture in sufficient quantities.
It is the presence, balance and quality of the essential amino acids that determines the bio-nutritive value (% of usable protein) of the protein in a dog's feeding program. All the amino acids, both essential and non-essential, have very specific nutritional jobs within the dog's body, such as the building of the muscle tissue, the regulation of antibodies within the immune system, and the transfer of nerve impulses etc. Proteins from Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Lamb, and Salmon are called complete proteins because they furnish all the amino acids needed for growth.The essential amino acids and some of their functions for a dog are:
Arginine - Stimulates immune responses to bacteria, viruses & tumor cells. It promotes wound healing, causes the release of growth hormones, and is considered crucial for optimal muscle growth and tissue repair.
Histidine - Releases histamines from body stores, is associated with pain control, is associated with arthritis, and widens small blood vessels, thus aiding early digestion by stimulating stomach acid secretion.
Isoleucine and Leucine - see Valine
Lysine - Promotes bone growth in puppies, stimulates secretion of gastric juices, and is found in abundance within muscle tissue, connective tissue, and collagen.
Methionine - A principle supplier of sulphur, which inactivates free radicals. Adequate methionine prevents disorders of the hair, skin and nails and helps lower cholesterol levels by increasing the liver's production of lecithin. It also reduces liver fat and protects the kidneys. It is a natural chelating agent for heavy metals and helps detoxify the body of these metals. It regulates the formation of ammonia and creates ammonia-free urine which reduces bladder irritation. It also influences hair follicles and prevents brittle hair.
Phenylalanine - Used by the brain to produce dopamine and norepinephrine, chemicals that promote alertness, elevate mood, decrease pain, aid in memory and learning, and reduce hunger and appetite.
Threonine - Regulates energy draw requirements, works with Phenylalanine in mood elevation or depression and skin pigmentation, manufactures adrenalin, and precurses the Thyroid hormone.
Tryptophan - Produces Serotonin that induces sleep, precurses the vitamin Niacin in treating and preventing pellagra (a clinical syndrome due to deficiency of niacin (nicotinic acid) characterized by diarrhea, dermatitis and dementia), and is a vasoconstrictor that appears to aid in blood clotting mechanisms. Studies indicate a lack of Tryptophan and Methionine together can cause hair loss.
Valine, Isoleucine and Leucine - These essential amino acids work together and are classified as "branched-chain" amino acids. The three combine to enhance energy, increase endurance, and aid in muscle tissue recovery and repair. This group also lowers elevated blood sugar levels and increases growth hormone production.
Listed above are the ten amino acids that are essential for a dog's dietary requirements. Humans only require eight essential amino acids in our dietary intake, and for this reason a dog could starve if given the same protein sufficient to sustain human life.
Excess dietary protein is a common problem. Excess protein taxes the body physiologically. Once it's digested and absorbed, end products of protein metabolism are excreted in the urine, so any excess places extra burden on the kidneys. Nor does excess protein build muscles. It is either burned as energy or stored - not as muscle, but as fat.
Brown rice contains nutrient rich bran layers which are an excellent source of beneficial fibre, complex carbohydrates, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals and, when cooked, closely resemble the intestinal contents of a wild dogs' prey. Some pet foods contain brewer's rice, which are the small fragments of rice that have had the bran layers removed. Koko's Gourmet Menus do not contain brewer's rice. Brown rice provides an abundant level of vitamin B complex and is a wonderful source of calcium, phosphorus and iron. It is our primary carbohydrate for short term energy.
You'll often hear people say "but dogs are carnivores, and carnivores need meat." However, this is a gross oversimplification. Scientific studies have described the "all meat disease syndrome" in which animals fed meat alone (without the addition of vitamins and minerals) develop soft bones, generally poor condition and sometimes die. The condition is attributed to lack of adequate calcium, iodine and vitamins A and B1, and to a poor calcium to phosphorus ratio. Meat is particularly deficient in calcium. The natural diet is far more varied. Wild dogs eat not only the meat but also the bones (rich in calcium), the organs, and the intestines containing assorted vegetable matter. Most vegetables are rich in vitamins A and C, potassium and fibre. Some vegetables provide appreciable amounts of B-complex vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iron, protein and carbohydrates.
Fruits are a rich source of vitamins (including Vitamin C), minerals and antioxidants. They also are a rich source of simple sugars such as fructose and sucrose. However, when you mix sugar with meat protein along with stomach acid, a fermentation process is started which will cause excessive production of gas and incomplete digestion of food. This can set the stage for chronic irritation of the stomach and intestines and result in upsets such as vomiting and diarrhea and can eventually lead to a disease process. For this reason we choose antioxidant rich vegetables, which are quite low in simple sugars and high in naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Found growing on the shores of the Atlantic as well as the Mediterranean, kelp is a brown sea vegetable (in the Laminaria genus) that has been used in various culinary and medicinal applications. It is a concentrated source of 60 minerals, 21 amino acids, and 12 vitamins that are necessary for a balanced diet, ensuring animal health and productivity. As a source of iodine it assists in making thyroid hormones which are necessary for maintaining normal metabolism in all cells of the body. The iron it provides is essential for blood cell function. Kelp heath benefits also include increasing metabolism and helping balance blood lipid concentrations, both of which can help overweight animals.
Calcium plays an important role in building healthy teeth and bones. But calcium is also vital to every cell of the body for muscle function, nerve transmission, blood clotting and many other uses. Insufficient calcium in the diet causes the body to deplete the calcium stored in its bones to supply the rest of the body. Hence, the bones suffer the consequences of a low-calcium diet and they become more susceptible to fractures.
Rich in linoleic acid (Omega 6) that helps to produce a healthy skin & coat. Fatty acids help keep your dog's fur and skin healthy by preventing dryness, itchiness, allergies, and fur loss. They also regulate normal glandular activity of the adrenal and thyroid glands, and are necessary for normal growth and healthy blood and nerves. Additionally, they strengthen the immune system and have been indicated to have anti-cancer properties, and may be therapeutic for heart disease, high cholesterol, arthritis and respiratory disorders.
Natural cod liver oil is highly recommended by veterinarians for its high vitamin A (4,500 IUs) and vitamin D (450 IUs) content per teaspoon and for the Omega-3 essential fatty acids availability to your pets.
Vitamin A is essential for a healthy immune system. Vitamin A also helps maintain healthy mucous membranes in the eyes and ears. It is also essential for proper operation of the gastrointestinal tract and urogenital tract.
Vitamin D is necessary for your pet to properly metabolize calcium for healthy bones.
Omega-3 fish oils are naturally in the form of EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). These are necessary and essential fatty acids. As fish oil, these essential fatty acids are ready-to-be-utilized by your pet for optimum effectiveness. Omega-3 fatty acids also help to counteract the negative effects of the excessive Omega 6 fatty acids found in many diets. (Omega-6 fatty acids are also necessary but when the proportion is not correct, or too lopsided, the Omega-6 fatty acids can have a negative and detrimental effect.)
The Omega 3 oil from plant sources, such as flaxseed, is in the form of Alpha-linolenic Acid (LNA). LNA needs to be converted to EPA and DHA in order to be utilized by your pet. This conversion, however, is extremely inefficient -- 10 grams of LNA are required to convert to just one gram of EPA. Plant sources of Omega 3 are an extremely inefficient means for your pet to receive the essential fatty acids that they need. No conversion is needed when using Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils.
Essential Fatty Acids, such as EPA & DHA, serve a number of major vital functions in the body. They are required for the transport and metabolism of both cholesterol and triglycerides. They are required for normal brain development and brain function. They are required in visual function (retina), brain and nerve function (synapses), and adrenal function. They are required in the structure of the membranes that surround each cell in our body. They stimulate metabolism, increase metabolic rate, increase oxygen uptake, and increase energy production. They slow the growth of cancer cells. EPA (from fish oil) also converts to series 3 prostaglandins, which have many benefits. They regulate inflammatory responses (Skin and Joint). They regulate immune function, which can help in fighting disease more effectively. They regulate platelet stickiness. They regulate arterial muscle tone, which involves blood pressure regulation.
Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid, ascorbic being Latin for "without scurvy". 18th century British sailors were plagued with scurvy until they added vitamin C-rich lime to their shipboard diets (and were henceforth called limeys). Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that promotes the growth and maintenance of bones, teeth, skin and red blood cells. It aids in the repair of tissues and the formation of collagen, plus it helps the body resist stress and infection. It increases the absorption of iron and calcium. Vitamin C is believed to prevent cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, fight allergies and asthma, aid symptoms of diabetes, prevent gallstones, prevent cancer, and prevent osteoporosis.
