Protein and Ash

by Danny Seymore
(Heber Springs,Arkansas,United States)

I am trying a dog food that came highly rated. The kibble is EVO. The protein is 43%.Do you think that is satisfactory? The ash level is over 11%,seems kinda high to me. What is a good % of ash in a dog food?

My Comment:

Hi Danny

43 percent protein in dry dog food is as much you can find today. So - yes this is OK.
About ash;
I have looked all over but not been able to find recommended value in ash.
But, I found about other important things.
I have always been thinking, that ash was the indigestible "stuff" in the food and could correlate with protein biological value.
Partly this is true, but not the whole truth.
As far as I have learnt now, ash can be simplified as kind of an index "how much bone" in the food.
This is very simplified, but OK to make this easier to understand.
The reason why ash level is important is two things.
One:In young dogs high levels of ash is no good as this often means high levels of Calcium and Phosphor. No good in fast growing dogs.
Two:Ash often correlates together with protein quality, not the digestibility (as I have been thinking) but mainly the amount of essential amino acids!!
High ash means lowered amount of essential amino acids.
This again would mean less biological value, but not because of its digestibility (only nutritional content)
Important, and so sorry I am

I did mis inform another dog owner some days agoe.

I can only encourage other readers to come forward if they have any information about the percentage of ash in dog food should be the optimum.

I have (sorry) not been able to find any numbers.

DVM Per Schonbeck