Overview
Kibbles 'n Bits is made by Del Monte Foods in both wet (canned) and dry (bagged) formulations. The dry food (the kibble) also has pieces of semi-moist food in it (the bits). Although it claims to be a complete food for dogs, it is low in nutrition and high in sugar. Consequently, dogs love it, but it is the equivalent of feeding your dog a steady diet of junk food.
Top Ingredients
The top three listed ingredients in Kibbles 'n Bits dry dog food are corn, soybean meal and meat and bone meal. If your dog has a known food allergy or a chronic digestive problem such as colitis or irritable bowel syndrome, she needs to stay away from any food containing corn or soy. The sixth ingredient listed is corn syrup, a sweetener that piles on the calories and can also irritate dogs with food allergies or chronic digestive troubles.
Protein Sources
Kibbles 'n Bits has a high level of protein at 19 percent (The usual for dog food is 12 percent). But all that means is the listing of protein in a serving of food--but not if the protein is from a good, nutritious source or from questionable sources. There is no reassuring proof that Kibbles 'N'Bits actually uses meat. They do use animal fat and meat and bone meal (which are ground up parts of bones, tissues, hide, hair, hooves, manure or contents of the intestines and stomach.
Where Protein Ingredients Come From
Protein sources for pet food come from the same sources as meat for human food. Only the actual meat goes to people, while the rest of the animal is ground up to make dog food. These are often referred to as "sweepings" because they are literally swept off of the slaughterhouse floor. Although it technically has protein and calories in it, there isn't any of the nutrition that meat has.
Crude Fat
The crude fat in Kibbles n' Bits is not a firm number. It's listed as a minimum of 8 percent and a maximum of 12 percent. This is a high amount of fat for dog food, which is usually below 8 percent. This is far too high for owners of dogs battling obesity, pancreatitis or senior dogs that do not need as much exercise and calories as growing puppies. Del Monte does not list the sources of the crude fat.
Feces Production
Since Kibbles 'n Bits wet and dry food is not very nutritious, there's not much for your dog's digestive system to work on. Therefore, they will excrete more feces than on a higher-quality food made with real meat and vegetables.
Resources
