What is actually in dog food
Plain explanations of the things you find on a label, from the obvious ones to the ones that sound like chemistry. No opinions about whether an ingredient is good or bad, just what it is and what it does in the bag.
Whole Grain Ground Corn
Whole corn kernels ground for digestibility, with the bran and germ left intact.
Whole Grain Oats
Oats with the bran and germ still on the grain rather than milled away.
Whole Grain Rye
Rye with the bran and germ still on the grain rather than milled away.
Whole Grain Sorghum
Sorghum grain with its bran and germ intact, a gluten-free cereal also known as milo.
Whole Grain Wheat
Wheat with the bran, germ and endosperm all left intact, rather than the refined endosperm alone.
Whole Green Lentils
Lentils of the green variety, which keep their skins and hold their shape when cooked.
Whole Green Peas
The immature green seed of the pea plant, used fresh or dried.
Whole Ground Barley
Whole grain barley ground for digestibility, with the bran and germ retained.
Whole Ground Flaxseed
The seed of the flax plant, used whole or ground.
Whole Ground Peas
The seed of the pea plant, used whole, split or dried as a carbohydrate and plant protein source.
Whole Ground Rye
Whole grain rye ground for digestibility, with the bran and germ retained.
Whole Ground Salmon
Whole salmon ground entire, including the frame, rather than fillet alone.
Whole Herring
Whole herring, used entire rather than as fillet alone.
Whole Herring Meal
A meal rendered from whole herring rather than trimmings.
Whole Mackerel
Whole mackerel, used entire rather than as fillet alone.
Whole Oats
Oats kept whole, with the bran and germ intact.
Whole Peas
The seed of the pea plant, used whole, split or dried as a carbohydrate and plant protein source.
Whole Potatoes
The tuber of the potato plant, cooked and used as a grain-free carbohydrate.
Whole Red Lentils
Lentils of the red variety, which are hulled and split so they cook down quickly.
Whole Redfish
Whole redfish, used entire rather than as fillet alone.
Whole Rice
Rice kept as a whole grain, with the bran and germ intact.
Whole Silver Hake
Whole silver hake, used entire rather than as fillet alone.
Whole Sorghum
Sorghum grain kept whole, with the bran and germ intact rather than milled away.
Whole Sweet Potatoes
The tuber of the sweet potato plant, cooked and used as a grain-free carbohydrate. Botanically unrelated to the…
Whole Wheat
Wheat with the bran, germ and endosperm left intact rather than refined to the endosperm alone.
Whole Wheat Flour
Flour milled from the whole wheat grain, with the bran and germ retained.
Wild Boar
Meat from wild boar, used as an uncommon red meat protein.
Wild Rice
The seed of an aquatic grass, not a true rice.
Wild Salmon
Salmon caught in the wild rather than farmed.
Wild Salmon Oil
Oil extracted from wild-caught salmon.
Xanthan
The common short name for xanthan gum, a fermentation-derived thickener.
Xanthan Gum
A thickener produced by bacterial fermentation of sugars.
Xylanase
An enzyme that breaks down xylan, a fiber in plant cell walls.
Yams
The tuber of the yam plant, distinct from the sweet potato.
Yeast
Single-celled fungi used as a nutritional ingredient, without the type being specified.
Yeast Culture
A dried yeast culture including the medium it was grown on, used as a natural source of B…