Fueling Your Furry Friend s Adventures The Power of Ava Puppy Pet Food
AVA Dog Food Reviewed
How does AVA dog food stand up in a crowded market place? We take a close look at its nutritional value and value for money.
AVA dog food is available either online or through Pets at Home stores.
Although this brand isnt as widely sold in the UK as many of its rivals, it is, nevertheless, a popular brand that is continuing to expand and thrive.
The Pets at Home brand began in the early 1990s in Chester and has grown to encompass almost 450 stores across the country and Australia together with its own online eCommerce store.
It also bought out Petsmart UK and rebranded those stores to bring them under the same umbrella brand. However, the company was acquired by KKR, an American company, and in 2014 it was put up for public offering.
Like most other premium brands, the AVA pet food product range comprises a wide variety of options to suit dogs with a variety of needs, so theres sure to be a variant that meets your pets requirements.
From foods that are designed specifically for older dogs or those with special diets to puppy foods and standard products for adult dogs, you can find out more about whether this is the right food for your pet in this AVA dog food review.
Which Foods Are In The AVA Range?
AVA food comes in three different formats:
- Grain-free foods
- Canned wet food
- Dry kibble
Within these different formats, there are several different recipes to choose from.
The dry line has 16 different recipes while there are 30 different canned food recipes and 10 different grain-free options.
Recommended Article: Removing grains from the diet allows a smoother transition, and a far less odious output once the food has traveled through their system. See our top picks of grain free dog foods.
Does AVA Food Contain Beneficial Ingredients?
The AVA product range includes multiple different recipes that have been formulated to support pets that have a range of medical issues such as sensitive skin, allergies and weight control problems.
These foods have been made with quality ingredients including healthy proteins selected for their ability to support good health without making underlying conditions worse.
Some of the recipes are even grain-free so the chances of allergic reactions are minimised even further.
Recommended: Dont miss our Arden Grange dog food review.
The sources of protein chosen for AVAs food range are highly digestible and contain Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins that are known to support good skin health and improve the coats appearance.
Meanwhile, other quality ingredients like sweet potato have been included to ensure a consistent burn of energy between meals with less effect on blood sugar levels as well as a high level of fibre, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
The AVA range also includes a line of recipes that have been specially created for designer and pure breed dogs, containing the precise nutrition each breed requires.
All of these products contain +Imuvita, AVAs proprietary ingredient that supports dogs immune systems.
Made up of green tea, cranberry, pomegranate extracts and beta-glucans, all ingredients that are high in vitamins and antioxidants, +Imuvita speeds the process of healing while boosting immunity.
These foods are also hypoallergenic, containing no soy, wheat gluten, wheat or pork, so no unwanted allergic reactions should occur when feeding your pet this food.
Other beneficial ingredients can also be found in many of the recipes including joint supplements to promote good joint health something that is ideal for older pets who may suffer from arthritis.
Dont miss our separate AVA puppy food review.
Is AVA Food Good Value For Money?
AVA food products arent the cheapest by any means, but they are certainly high quality.
With a great choice of specialist products in their line, they represent good value for money, particularly if your pet requires a special diet due to allergies or other medical issues.
Are There Any Drawbacks To AVA Products?
Overall, AVA dog foods are a reliable and reputable choice for any dog owner, however, there are few considerations you may wish to bear in mind before you make a final decision about which products to buy for your pet.
Firstly, although AVA foods are primarily made up of premium quality ingredients that are rich in nutritious protein and vitamins to promote good health and well-being in your pet, there are some less high-quality ingredients used in many of their recipes.
For example, beet pulp is used in some of their foods. This is a lower quality filler ingredient which has sometimes been linked to health issues and allergic reactions in pets.
It has also been associated with increased bloating and gas in pets which may be undesirable in your dog.
Some of AVAs food products are also high in carbohydrates.
While these make your pet feel full and satisfied, they can contribute to weight gain which could be problematic for certain pets for example spayed bitches who are prone to excess weight gain that can put strain on your dogs heart and joints.
Recommended Reading:The Skinners food range encompasses a wide variety of products to suit the needs of all kinds of dogs.
Should I Buy AVA Pet Food?
If youre reading AVA dog food reviews youll be wondering whether or not to choose this range of dog foods as the right option for your four legged friend.
While, of course, the final decision must be yours, we can say that, overall, AVA pet food is a good choice for most pet owners.
Whether your dog has special dietary needs or youre just looking for a reliable and trustworthy brand that uses mostly quality ingredients in its product range, youll find AVAs food varieties a good option for your furry companion.
AVA is an especially good choice if youre looking for specialist food products to meet your pet breeds precise dietary requirements since this is something that this brand can offer that many others cannot.
Youll find that, although this food brand isnt the cheapest available these days, it is comparable in cost to other similar brands like Royal Canin and Wainwrights.
However, both of these are more widely available since they can be found in more stores than AVA, so if you dont have Pets at Home near your home, you may wish to opt for one of these alternatives instead.
Next Topic: Along with supplements, treats and chews, the range of foods available from Eden include both wet, dry and semi-moist food.
AVA DRY DOG FOOD REVIEW - Pets At Home Dog Food
AVA is a brand of dog food solely owned and sold by Pets at Home. We will be looking at different recipes to assess how good it is, and how it compares to other brands.
Two slight points to start with. First, irrespective of your dogs condition, you are always likely to be recommended AVA by default when you ask a member of customer service in Pets at Home. This is because they simply promote their food instead of others, not because they actually like it over others.
Second, they label themselves Veterinary approved. This is really frustrating, because every dog food company is paying vets off to label their food Veterinarian recommended, or something similar. The term means absolutely nothing.
For the purposes of the article, we have analysed:
Ava Medium Breed Adult,Ava Breed Health Cocker Spaniel Dry, Ava Sensitive Skin and Stomach Adult, Ava Weight Management Adult, Ava Breed Health Golden Retriever Dry and Wet/ AVA Veterinary Approved Optimum Health Adult Sensitive Dog Food Fish 395g
There are two main themes with this food: a good first half in terms of ingredients and a terrible second half.
The first ingredient for most recipes is a meat source, this is great! In pet food, we should really demand manufacturers put meat ingredients first, as its what our furry companions need the most.
They tend to use a mix of dry meat, fresh meat and chicken meal. At this price point we cannot expect them to use prime cuts of meat but residual meat or meat that isnt consumed by us humans.
Where we think this food goes horribly wrong is in the fillers they use. Virtually all recipes use maize, high amounts of rice (or tapioca for their grain free recipes), or white potato. These ingredients simply have no place in pet food.
The bag of food we found with the least amount of carbohydrates was 53%, and the most, 58.4%. This isn't good.
They are inflammatory, excessive, and detrimental to a dogs health. Remember your dog cannot chew food, only wolf it down. Hence why species appropriate ingredients must prevail over maize, rice or tapioca.=
Yes, due to its price point, sacrifices have to be made, but allocating one quarter of the bag to rice and another half to another filler makes you pay over 50% for maize and rice. Think about it, human rice is not that expensive.=
Irrespective of what different people tell you, you should feed your dog a high meat, carb limited food. Spend your money on good quality meat sources and avoid cheap fillers.
Most people will top up kibble with fresh chicken, beef, or wet food. Whilst its beneficial to add fresh meat and good quality wet food, money could be better spent upgrading to a better food free from rice, wheat, or high amounts of brewers yeast.
Ava Medium Breed Adult:
Chicken 44% (Chicken Meal 24%, Fresh Chicken 12.5%, Chicken Fat 5%, Chicken Gravy 2.5%), Brown Rice (23.5%), Maize (18%), Beet Pulp (7%), Salmon Oil, Brewers Yeast, Minerals, Whole Dried Egg, Pre-Biotic Fructooligosaccharide (1600mg/kg), Beta-Glucans, Pre-Biotic Mannanoligosaccharides (400mg/kg), Yucca Extract (200mg/kg), Glucosamine (200mg/kg), Chondroitin (150mg/kg), Yucca Extract (200mg/kg), Cranberry Extract, Green Tea Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Rosemary Extract.Ava Breed Health Cocker Spaniel Dry: Chicken Meal (20.8%), Chicken (18.8%), Brown Rice (18.8%), Maize (11.0%), Flaked Oats (8.5%), Beet Pulp (6.8%), Cellulose (3.8%), Brewers Yeast, Chicken Gravy (2.1%), Egg, Chicken Fat (1.7%), Salmon Oil, Minerals, Chicory Inulin (A Source of Prebiotic Fructooligosaccharides (2, 000mg/kg), Yeasts (1375mg/kg), Mint (440mg/kg), Yucca Schidigera Extract (250mg/kg), Cranberry Extract (180mg/kg), Glucosamine (170mg/kg), Chondroitin Sulphate (130mg/kg), Pomegranate Extract (90mg/kg), Green Tea Extract (90mg/kg).Ava Sensitive Skin and Stomach Adult:
Fish 42% (White Fishmeal 20.5%, Fresh White Fish 19%, Fish Stock 2.5%), Tapioca (20%), Sweet Potato (18.5%), Beet Pulp (6%), Chicken Fat, Brewers Yeast, Salmon Oil, Minerals, Pre-Biotic Fructooligosaccharide (1600mg/kg), Beta-Glucans, Pre-Biotic Mannanoligosaccharides (400mg/kg), Yucca Extract (200mgkg), Glucosamine (200mg/kg), Chondroitin (150mg/kg), Cranberry Extract, Green Tea Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Rosemary Extract.Ava Weight Management Adult :
Chicken 35% (Chicken Meal 26.5%, Fresh Chicken 5%, Chicken Gravy 3.5%), Brown Rice (25%), Whole Oats (17%), Beet Pulp (7%), Dried Alfalfa, Pea Starch, Brewers Yeast, Minerals, Whole Dried Egg, Salmon Oil, Pea Fibre, Pre-Biotic Fructooligosaccharide(1600mg/kg), Glucosamine(600mg/kg), Chondroitin(500mg/kg), Beta-Glucans, Pre-Biotic Mannanoligosaccharides(400mg/kg), Yucca Extract(200mg/kg), Cranberry Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract.Ava Breed Health Golden Retriever Dry:
Chicken Meal (22.5%), Sweet Potato (21.0%), Potato (21.0%), Chicken (17.3%), Chicken Fat (5.1%), Beet Pulp (3.5%), Salmon Oil, Brewers Yeast, Chicken Gravy (2.2%), Minerals, Egg, Potassium Chloride, Chicory Inulin (A Source of Prebiotic Fructooligosaccharides (2, 000mg/kg), Yeasts (1375mg/kg), Glucosamine (700mg/kg), Chondroitin Sulphate (500mg/kg), Yucca Schidigera Extract (250mg/kg), Cranberry Extract (180mg/kg), Pomegranate Extract (90mg/kg), Green Tea Extract (90mg/kg).
Wet/ AVA Veterinary Approved Optimum Health Adult Sensitive Dog Food Fish
Composition: White Fish (64%), Potato (14.5%), Sunflower Oil, Minerals, Beet Pulp, Whole Dried Egg, Chicory Root Extract (as a source of Prebiotic Fructooligosaccharide) (0.040%), Yeasts (as a source of Beta-glucans and Prebiotic Mannanoligosaccharide) (0.028%), Glucosamine (0.013%), Chondroitin (0.005%), Yucca Extract (0.005%), Cranberry Extract (0.002%), Green Tea Extract (0.001%), Pomegranate Extract (0.001%).
Its up to you how you feed your dog, raw, kibble & wetIn any case, you want their diet to be as wholesome as possible.
Buy Treats For Your Dog As always, we will be reading the ingredients list for good quality ingredients. We will aim for: High meat content (fresh chicken, free-run turkey, fresh beef, grass-fed lamb). Offal (liver, heart, tendons, cartilage). Bone (crucial for dental health, and part of their diet).
Also:
Avoid foods and treats filled with cheap fillers.
Account treats as part of their daily feed amount.
Use enrichment feeding to make them work more for their food. Its important that you trust how the food has been manufactured. Unfortunately, many dogs these days suffer from allergies derived from being exposed to bad ingredients, and once the dog develops allergies, it tends to cost a pretty penny in vet visits, skin rashes and worry.
We cannot emphasise the importance of reading labels and getting to know what is in the food you are feeding. You don't need years of studying to instantly see red flags. A packet can have all the great marketing it wants on the front, but the real information you need is in the ingredient list.
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