Ash content

bump.

I noticed the ash is high in Innova Evo too 12.38%.   I bet Solid Gold Bark at the Moon is high in ash as well, but there is no ash percentage on their website.

In looking for a canned cat food for my cat with UTI's, I noticed that Innova canned cat was the highest in ash.

I know what ash is, but I don't know why high protien/low carb foods would be high in ash.

jessies_mom wrote them and they replied and said the ash is 9.8% for Barking at the Moon.

Ash?  I guess I don't know what ash is...

This is what Papillon806 told me about ash:
(again, I hope she doesn't mind me posting this...)


"Ash content is very related to UTI's in dogs and cats that are genetically susceptible to them. Ash is the amount of minerals "left-over" after the kibble is incenerated. This is what is left for the kidney's to filter out. With a perfectly healthy dog, ash content should not cause any problems, although it is not a good idea to feed high ash to an older dog w/ already weakening kidneys (even if they were or are not genetically susceptible). I do not feel comfortable feeding high ash foods like EVO as the only food source because of the ash content and there is no way to tell if my dog is genetically prone or not. I wouldn't say there is a "perfect" ash content to look for, but definately nothing over 8%."

I know what ash is, but I don't know why high protien/low carb foods would be high in ash.

 
    [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=128345&mpage=1&key=ash%2CEVO%2Cmeat%2Cmeals🠐]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=128345&mpage=1&key=ash%2CEVO%2Cmeat%2Cmeals🠐[/link] ; 
 
           I *think* that EVO uses a more concentrated meat meal which is why it has a very high amount of ash (which is also probably why other companies won't use such dense meals
 
  
    I think it's a good idea that chewbecca started this thread because many members who feed the high protein foods may not be aware of their high ash content. Besides the dry foods, at least some of the 95% canned meat foods are also high in ash on a dry matter basis;      [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=135069&mpage=1&key=canned%2CEVO%2Cash𡇙]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=135069&mpage=1&key=canned%2CEVO%2Cash𡇙[/link];           
[blockquote]quote:

2.87%[/blockquote]
that's wet. If you convert it to dry weight, the ash in the canned EVO is 13% too

A high ash (mineral) content can also come from ground bone (or bone meal). It has actually been a real concern in cats for a long time and that is why it's been listed on the bags of cat food. Cats are very prone to FLUTD and also don't drink alot of water to help keep the kidneys flushed out of excess minerals. In recent times, more and more dogs have been showing up with CRF or other Kidney disease and ash is now taking the spotlight as a possible contributor to these problems.

I think I'm going to add this to my list of things not to worry about.  For my healthy dogs, of course.  Maggie, for instance, will be thirteen this December and has been on a mostly meat diet for almost half that time, and her kidneys look perfect.  Ditto my 15 year old BC who passed away a couple years ago, from a stroke.  I've never had a UTI in my group, ever, and I've had a heck of a lot of dogs and cats here.

This seems to support Papillion's proposal that ash should not be a problem for healthy dogs.

Well, should we be more concerned about feeding grains or high ash content? It's so hard it seems to find the "happy medium."
 

Well, should we be more concerned about feeding grains or high ash content? It's so hard it seems to find the "happy medium

 
  That's a good question. Maybe your vet would know what a safe level of ash is or if it should be a concern; Jessie gets the Nature's Variety canned in her rotation and it's also 95% meat so it may also be high in ash. I think I'll ask my vet about it. I wonder if a raw diet, which is what foods like EVO are supposed to imitate, are also high in ash.

A high ash content in canned foods (or raw) shouldn't be a concern as much because of the high levels of moisture already in the food.  The excess moisture helps the kidney's filter out the high ash content (in these cases).

ORIGINAL: papillon806

A high ash content in canned foods (or raw) shouldn't be a concern as much because of the high levels of moisture already in the food.  The excess moisture helps the kidney's filter out the high ash content (in these cases).

True, but Innova Evo Canned is very pasty and not very juicy.  By it's appearance, it doesn't look like it has much moisture in it.  Also, and this is a debated subject, I am always concerned about feeding high protien to an animal with urinary tract problems, because urinary tract problems often lead to kidney problems and, once again debated, a low protien diet is often recommended for animals with renal failure.

I believe that Innova Evo is great for an animal without urinary tract or kidney issues, but I definatly wouldn't recommend it if an animal had these issues already.

Jojo the Pogo-
 
Which flavor of EVO canned were you feeding that was pasty, or was it just regular EVO canned? I haven't fed that one yet, but...
 
All the cans I have gotten so far (95%: venison, rabbit, beef) have been really juicy! A good layer of water and juices in it along with the meat. Not only that, but even after being in the fridge a few days it still stays nice and wet and juicy! [] I would say the venison was the least juicy, but still juicy....

I decided to try the NV Raw Instinct.  I went online to find information on the ash this is what I found:
What is ash?  Should I be concerned about the ash content in pet food?
First of all, ash is the inorganic mineral portion of any substance.  When referring to dog and cat food, "ash content" is the mineral matter, including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and copper.  The ash analysis does not reveal the percentage of each mineral, therefore it does not tell much about the food.1  It also does not tell much about the food's contribution to urinary tract infections, such as Feline Urological Syndrome (FUS).  The latest findings show that urinary tract trouble occurs when the urine becomes too alkaline.  So, some commercial foods now add extra acid.  There are side effects from use of these acid formulations, however, and all they do is cover up the problem instead of curing it.2
 
NV seems to do a lot of research on the food they manufacture.  I'm not really understanding the big concern with a higer percentage of ash in a quality food like this one.