Carbohydrate Quality

  • Dogs
  • Cats
Scoring For:

Dogs

Carbohydrates are added to foods as an energy source, they vary in both digestibility and their overall effects on the body. Dogs use carbohydrate sources for a quick source of energy but require both slow releasing, complex carbohydrates for sustained energy and to a lesser extent readily available smaller sugars.

Contributes 20% to the ingredient score for dogs

Cats

Carbohydrates are added to foods as an energy source, they vary in both digestibility and their overall effects on the body. Cats find it hard to use carbohydrates unless they are heavily processed. Then can use carbohydrate sources for a quick source of energy but don’t rely on them. They can have both slow releasing, complex carbohydrates for sustained energy and to a lesser extent readily available smaller sugars.

Contributes 10% to the ingredient score for cats

1/5Points
Scored

Cereals

Cereals encompass a large range of ingredients which can be very indigestible and can contain known allergens.

2/5Points
Scored

Sorghum / Wheat / Barley

Sorghum, Wheat and Barley have been shown to cause allergic reactions and are poorly digested.

3/5Points
Scored

White Rice / Maize / Pumpkin

White Rice, Maize and Pumpkin are all good sources of carbohydrate with middle range glycaemic counts showing some slow release energy and some quick release energy. They are quite digestible.

4/5Points
Scored

Oats / Brown Rice / Yams
Lentils / Potatoes / Tapioca / Cassava

Oats, Brown Rice, Yams, Lentils, Potatoes, Tapioca and Cassava can all be digested more efficiently and have good glycaemic index scores showing they contribute lots of slow release energy to the diet.

5/5Points
Scored

Sweet potato / Butternut Squash

Sweet potato and Butternut Squash are both low on the glycaemic index showing great amounts of slow release energy which keeps energy levels constant and reduces the risk of diabetes. They are also both very digestible sources of carbohydrate.

Various sugars in food are taken up too quickly by the animals body and flood the blood with a lot of sugar which increases the chances of both hyperactivity and diabetes. This means that they reduce the quality of any carbohydrates score already found in the food.

4/10Points
Scored

Vegetables

Vegetables encompass a large range of ingredients which can often be added to foods for palatability or texture. For foods that contain only these sources in lieu of a specific carbohydrate ingredient, both their fibre content and carbohydrate content is analysed.

6/10Points
Scored

White Rice / Pumpkin

White Rice, Maize and Pumpkin are all good sources of carbohydrate with middle range glycaemic counts showing some slow release energy and some quick release energy. They are quite digestible.

8/10Points
Scored

Potato / Brown Rice / Swede

Potato, Oats, Brown Rice, Yams and Lentils can all be digested more efficiently and have good glycaemic index scores showing they contribute lots of slow release energy to the diet.

10/10Points
Scored

Sweet Potato / Butternut Squash

Sweet potato and Butternut Squash are both low on the glycaemic index showing great amounts of slow release energy which keeps energy levels constant and reduces the risk of diabetes. They are also both very digestible sources of carbohydrate.

Various sugars in food are taken up too quickly by the animals body and flood the blood with a lot of sugar which increases the chances of both hyperactivity and diabetes. This means that they reduce the quality of any carbohydrates score already found in the food.