Do you use artificial flavourings or flavour enhancers?
No. None of our products contain any artificial flavourings or flavour enhancers.
If dogs like our products it’s all due to the good, natural ingredients they contain.
What does the term ‘animal derivatives’ mean in the list of ingredients?
When it comes to this designation, we adhere very strictly to the German Feed Regulation and the European Feed Law – as we do with all our declarations and with all ingredients used. According to these regulations, animal by-products are clearly defined for meat constituents that are not skeletal muscle such as fillet, chops or rump. We use high-quality animal by-products from the lungs, liver or kidneys that are available at every slaughterhouse. This not slaughterhouse waste, but feed components that for predators like dogs have always been part of their natural diet. Nowadays, these components are used as standard for raw feeding.
For example, our Fruity Menu only contains food-quality raw materials; animal-derived components that are suitable for human consumption. Pure muscle meat alone is not sufficient for a healthy, balanced diet for your dog. Dogs are carnivores that consume their prey in its entirety and also consume a varying amount of plant-based food. The offal contains vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are both vital for and extremely delicious to your dog. Furthermore, we do not use any waste from the bread-making industry.
What does ‘fish and fish derivatives’ mean?
The term ‘fish and fish derivatives’ is a group designation that is approved for the declaration of animal ingredients originating from fish according to the European Feed Law. This group designation comprises the various components of the fish. Fish contains a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, lots of easily digestible protein, and vitamin D and also has a good calcium-to-phosphorous ratio making it extremely nutritious for your dog. For our Fruity Menu, we only use cooked tuna or salmon.
You often hear warnings against giving fish to dogs. This is due to thiaminase, an enzyme in the fish that breaks down vitamin B1. However, this is prevented by the cooking process that our fish undergo. Therefore, there’s no harm in your four-legged friend enjoying our fish-based products.
Why do you use chicken and/or turkey in your poultry products?
Why not? We use high-quality meat meal of verifiable origin that is produced in Europe. We don’t see any reason not to make dog snacks from this raw material.
You say that you use ‘oils and fats’. What does that mean exactly?
We use pure vegetable oils. In our GimDog pastes these oils also contain a high percentage of linolenic acid, which has a positive influence on skin conditions. Animal nutritionists recommend a daily minimum intake of 50 mg of linolenic acid per kg of body weight.
Some of your products mention ‘derivatives of vegetable origin’. What does that mean exactly?
These are proteins, from peas for example. Here as well we adhere strictly to the requirements of the German Feed Regulation, even though the term ‘derivatives of vegetable origin’ is confusing for the people purchasing the product.
Some of your products say they contain ‘chemical additives’. What does that mean?
This includes vitamins and minerals that can be created synthetically and biologically. All of them are listed individually on both our packaging and on our website.
Why do some of your products contain cereals?
Without using cereals as a carrier material, it would not be possible to make some of our snacks, e.g., the small, bone-shaped Nutri Snacks. However, we do try to keep the use of cereals to a minimum. The amounts we use will not lead to food allergies in healthy dogs. Furthermore, none of our products have been reported to trigger allergies. It’s often reported that cereals are bad for your dog. That is incorrect. Many types of cereals and grains, such as wheat and rice, are good sources of energy and fibre for dogs. The carbohydrates in the grains provide your dog with essential energy to keep them fit and healthy. Fibre allows nutrients to be absorbed and regulates digestion. All macro nutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) are essential for a balanced, healthy diet. Cereals are some of the most important and healthy sources of carbohydrates. As long as your dog does not suffer from a grain allergy, you can feed them products containing cereals. Our Fruity Menu contains just 2–5% cereals. We don’t just use grains as a cheap filler as is often suspected.
Why is the declaration on your products not broken down more precisely?
The European Feed Law allows pet food manufacturers to decide whether they want to declare their formulas or if they prefer to protect their proprietary recipes by consolidating the individual ingredients into groups. This in no way absolves the manufacturer from complying with all the regulations and does not give them any special rights. When declaring our products, we adhere strictly to the requirements for group designations, which are defined in the feed regulation (No. 767/2009 Art. 17 Nr. 2c). The group designation combines various raw materials into one group. The definitions and names are regulated throughout the EU and are therefore comprehensible for everyone. For example, the 4% in the declaration of meat and animal derivatives on the Little Darling Fruity Menu relates only to the meat or fish components that are critical for taste and which are mentioned on the packaging, e.g. tuna. In actual fact, our Fruity Menus contain between 39.5% and 54% raw material of animal origin.