Eagle Holistic Feline Foods - Albert
S. Townshend, DVM - Staff Veterinarian, Eagle Pack Pet Foods, Inc.
Eagle Holistic Cat diets not only have a new package, but also the
ingredients have been enhanced significantly.As Eagle Pack Holistic
Select diets have gained significant brand recognition within the
holistic community and in particular, the holistic veterinary community,
there have been concerns as to why Eagle Pack Holistic Select feline
diets contain corn gluten meal. Much of the concern centers on unfounded
reports that certain glutens reduce digestibility, encourage constipation
and increase the risk of allergic reactions.
Traditionally, corn gluten meal is added to cat diets to keep the
protein level high, the magnesium level low and to encourage an acid
urine.The research below suggests that it is not an ideal protein
source for cats, as compared to meat meal and fishmeals.
Please note that while some ingredients have been eliminated and
some have been added. The order of ingredients has also changed so
as to maintain the same protein, fat and carbohydrate levels and stay
within acceptable magnesium limits as well as encourage an acid urine.
Also note that salt levels are comparable to some prescription foods
for FLUTD so as to encourage water consumption. (Chicken: 37%, Duck
0.38%, Fish 0.42%)
In order to make the advancements in the feline formulas, there
was a change in the magnesium level in the foods. Magnesium is slightly
higher than the guaranteed analysis of the previous ingredient panels.
This is only true in our Feline Holistic Select diets. Our core Eagle
Pack Feline Formulas have not been changed.
Comparison of corn gluten meal and meat meal as a protein source
in dry foods formulated for cats. - Am J Vet Res 63[9]:1247-51
2002 Sep
Funaba M, Matsumoto C, Matsuki K, Gotoh K, Kaneko M, Iriki T, Hatano
Y, Abe M
OBJECTIVE: To compare the nutritional value of corn gluten meal (CGM)
and meat meal (MM) as a dietary source of protein in dry food formulated
for adult cats.
ANIMALS: 8 healthy adult cats (4 males and 4 females).
PROCEDURE: Diets containing CGM or MM as the main protein source
were each fed for a 3-week period in a crossover study. Digestibility
and nutritional balance experiments were conducted during the last
7 days of each period. Furthermore, freshly voided urine was obtained
to measure urinary pH, struvite crystals, and sediment concentrations.
RESULTS: Daily food intake and dry-matter digestibility were significantly
higher for the MM diet. Fecal moisture content also was higher for
the MM diet. Apparent nitrogen (N) absorption and N retention were
higher for the MM diet, even when values were expressed as a percentage
to account for differences in N intake. Urinary pH, struvite activity
product, number of struvite crystals in urine, and urinary sediment
concentrations were not different between diets. Retention of calcium,
phosphorus, and magnesium was lower for the CGM diet, and cats lost
body calcium and magnesium when fed the CGM diet.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Meat meal was superior to CGM
as a protein source in dry foods formulated for cats, because dry-matter
digestibility and N utilization were higher for the MM diet. In addition,
net loss of body calcium and magnesium for the CGM diet suggests that
mineral requirements increase when CGM is used as a protein source.
Fishmeal vs. corn gluten meal as a protein source for dry cat food.
- J Vet Med Sci 63[12]:1355-7 2001 Dec Funaba M, Tanak T, Kaneko M,
Iriki T, Hatano Y, Abe M , Laboratory of Nutrition, Azabu University
School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara-shi, Japan.
To compare the effects of two dietary protein sources, fish meal (FM)
and corn gluten meal (CGM), fecal moisture content, nitrogen balance
and urinary excretion were examined in adult cats. The dietary protein
source did not cause a significant difference in daily food intake,
water intake, urine volume, dry matter digestibility or urinary nitrogen
excretion, but fecal moisture content was lower (P<0.02) in the
CGM group. The HCl-insoluble fraction of urinary sediment tended to
be higher in the CGM group (P<0.10), although urinary pH was similar
in the two groups. These results suggest that CGM is comparable with
FM in respect to nutritional value and the urine acidifying effect,
but FM may be preferable to CGM for the prevention of constipation
and struvite urolithiasis in cats.
The studies above would suggest that both meat meals and fish meals
are better sources of protein than corn gluten meal, with no significant
disadvantages, as long as the total diet is lower in magnesium and
encourages an acid urine.
NEW Eagle HOLISTIC CHICKEN/RICE
Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved
With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Anchovy & Sardine Meals,
Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor,
Menhaden Fish Oil, Carrots, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Peas, Dried Beet Pulp,
Salt, Potassium Chloride, Quinoa (Organic), Taurine, Inulin, Apples,
Blueberries, Choline Chloride, Cranberries, Beta-Carotene, Dehydrated
Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement,
Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement,
Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,
Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic
Acid, dl-Methionine, Inositol, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc,
Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite,
Calcium Carbonate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus
OLD
Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved
with Natural Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Corn Gluten Meal,
Pork Meal*, Chicken, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Menhaden Oil, Flaxseed, Sun-Cured
Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Brewers Dried Yeast,
Chicken Liver Meal, Anchovy & Sardine Meal, Air Dried Peas, Carrots,
Cheese Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Quinoa (Organic),
Dried Blueberries, Dehydrated Apples, Sweet Potato, Taurine, Dehydrated
Kelp, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Dandelion (organic), Dried Cranberries,
Inulin, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin
E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin
Supplement, Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine
Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic
Acid, dl-Methionine, Inositol, Polysaccharide Complexes (sequestered)
Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite,
Calcium Carbonate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus lichenformis, Bacillus
coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.
NEW
Feline HS Duck Meal and Oatmeal Formula:
Ingredients: Duck Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat
(Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Dried Egg Product,
Flaxseed, Tomato Pomace, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Chicken Flavor,
Carrots, Peas, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Quinoa
(Organic), Blueberries, Apples, Taurine, Inulin, Choline Chloride,
Cranberries, Dehydrated Kelp, Beta-Carotene, Yucca Schidigera Extract,
Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement,
Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement,
Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,
Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic
Acid, dl-Methionine, Inositol, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc,
Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite,
Calcium Carbonate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus
licheniformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus
niger.
OLD
Ingredients: Duck Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved
with Natural Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Oatmeal, Corn Gluten
Meal, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Air Dried Peas, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product,
Tomato Pomace, Dried Beet Pulp, Brewers Dried Yeast, Chicken Liver
Meal, Dried Carrots, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Menhaden Fish Oil,
Quinoa (Organic), Dried Blueberries, Dried Apples, Potato, Choline
Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Taurine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Inulin,
Dandelion (Organic), Kelp, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement,
Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement,
Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,
Thiamine, Mononitrate, Biotin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, dl-Methionine,
Inositol, Polysaccharide Complexes (sequestered) Zinc, Iron, Manganese,
Copper and Cobalt, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Carbonate,
Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus
faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus lichenformis, Bacillus coagulins,
Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.
NEW Feline HS Anchovy, Sardine and
Salmon Formula with Oatmeal:
.
Ingredients: Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meals, Ground Brown Rice,
Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Chicken
Meal, Oatmeal, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Dried Beet
Pulp, Natural Chicken Flavor, Carrots, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Peas, Salt,
Potassium Chloride, Quinoa (Organic), Taurine, Apples, Blueberries,
Inulin, Choline Chloride, Cranberries, Dehydrated Kelp, Beta-Carotene,
Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement,
Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement,
Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,
Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic
Acid, dl-Methionine, Inositol, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc,
Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite,
Calcium Carbonate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus
Magnesium and Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
- Magnesium is the third largest mineral constituent of bone, after
calcium and phosphorus.
- It is an essential mineral, necessary for many metabolic processes
as well as for normal neurological function.
- Deficiencies in magnesium have been studied in kittens#. Too little
magnesium results in a poor growth rate, overextention of the metacarpi,
muscular twitching and convulsions.
Magnesium deficiencies have been associated with a increased risk
of
calcium oxalate urolithiasis# #.
- Excess magnesium has not been known to cause toxicity. There is
ample, older evidence to sugest a relationship between excess comsumption
of magnesium and struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) urolithiasis#
# #. Most of these studies were preformed prior to learning that decreasing
urinary pH reduced or prevented the formation of struvite uroliths
and cats fed even low magnesium levels developed struvite uroliths
when urine pH was alkaline# #.
« It is now accepted that formulating cat foods to induce
a urinary pH of approximatly 6.1 to 6.6 is the most effective means
of preventing struvite urolithiasis in this species# »(Nutrient
Requirements of Dogs and Cats. National Academies Press 2006. pg 159.)
- As a result of the most recent information and research, it now
appears that dry
feline diets designed to encourage an acid urine with a pH between
6.1 and 6.6 are
effective in reducing the incidence or even preventing struvite urolithiasis.
Magnesium levels are no longer the primary concern.
- Research suggests that it is not essential to have magnesium
levels below 0.1% in order to reduce the incidence of struvite urolithiasis.
Excessively low levels of magnesium may in fact encourage the formation
of oxalate urolithiasis.
Other Factors Associated with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
(FLUTD)
Water Consumption: Cats are fundamentally desert animals. They have
the ability to go for periods without water, due to their capacity
to concentrate urine. This ability to concentrate urine may be a contributing
factor in FLUTD# #. "The degree of urine concentration or minerals
relative to their saturation points may affect their propensity to
crystallize and fall out of solution. Although other factors may play
a large role in the process (e.g.…urine pH), ensuring water intake
is adequate to prevent undue urine concentration appear prudent".#
- Cats that consume a diet that is predominantly dry food will consume
less total water than cats eating an all wet food formula. Therefore,
cats on an exclusively dry food diet are at greater risk of FLUTD#.
- Feeding a combination of canned and dry food or just a canned diet
will increase water consumption.
- Cats that have experienced FLUTD generally recover faster and with
fewer complications if fed canned food exclusively until completely
recovered.
Stress: Both physical (e.g.…concurrent disease) and mental (e.g.…anxiety)
stress can play a significant role in the incidence of FLUTD# # #.
- Stress can reduce water consumption and increase the need for water
by increasing metabolic rate.
- Overweight cats, cats living with another cat with which there is
conflict, anxiety, aggression and pain# # are but a few stresses that
can increase the risk of FLUTD.
Recommendations for Cats So As to Prevent and/or Reduce the Incidence
of Feline Lower Urinary Tract disease (FLUTD)
The suggestions below are based on all information, including the
most recent research concerning stress, water consumption and magnesium
level in the diet.
- Since there is an increased incidence of FLUTD in cats fed an exclusively
dry diet, feed a combination of canned and dry food. Cats that are
at greater risk (under stress, suffering from concurrent disease etc…)
should be fed exclusively canned food.
- Feed a diet designed to encourage an acid urine (pH between 6.1
and 6.6) that is lower in magnesium but not too low (0.1% magnesium
is no longer necessary as long as the food encourages an acid urine)
as that may increase the incidence of oxalate crystals.
- Feed several times a day.
- Make sure there is adequate excess to fresh clean water at all times.
A re-circulating water fountain has been shown to encourage water
consumption.
- Clean fresh litter boxes in convenient locations.
- Keep stress to a minimum
- Diets containing glucosamine may help protect the wall of the urinary
bladder from the irritation of excess crystals in the urine.
- Obese cats have an increased risk of FLUTD so avoid overfeeding.
ADVANTAGES OF HOLISTIC SELECT FELINE DIETS
· Three great dry food ingredient choices and five canned
flavors in two sizes.
- Increased variety to satisfy consumer preferences.
· Exceptional palatability.
- Increased variety to satisfy feline taste preferences.
· Quality Ingredients
- No By-Products, five most digestible animal proteins, no hormones
or
added antibiotics
- Naturally preserved animal fats
- Ideal Omega 6:3 Ratios and levels
HS Chicken Omega 6 = 4.0% Omega 3 = 0.87% 4.6:1
HS Duck Omega 6 = 4.05% Omega 3 = 0.58% 6.98:1
HS Fish Omega 6 = 3.48% Omega 3 = 0.49% 2.34:1
- Unique carbohydrates not grown with the aid of herbicides or pesticides
· Quality manufacturing – we make our own foods and have
exceptional quality control.
- Consistent diets made the same every time with the same specific
ingredients
· "Wellness for Life" Supplements
- There are many pet foods that add a few supplements, but few you
will
have to look hard to find a food like Eagle Pack that has as many
natural and holistic supplements
· State of the art "Holistic" diets.
- Natural, "whole body" nutrition
· Quality service to the distributor, retailer and consumer
- Customer service can’t be beat at Eagle
· Performance proven
- "Try us for a week and you pet will love us for life".
Take the time to understand the value of Eagle’s quality nutrition,
it’s worth the effort.
