Salt and ash in treats Question

Does anyone know if there is salt added to pig's ears and tripe sticks? Typically I think the boxes say protein, oil (no idea what!), ash ...

Also - what is ash?

Thanks.

it is exactly what it sounds like....
Ash is the non-combustible part of pet food. High ash levels in pet foods are not only a reflection of how much bone is in the product but also the quality of the pet food. Ash is not absorbed by the body therfore lowering the digestibility of the food (also why there is more waste on kibble type diets compared with natural, which so much more is absorbed) When i mention 'bone' above, i mean the part of the bone that is left behind after all that rendering (heating to very high temps, detroying all the 'good' stuff which is needed by the body) this is the main reason for feeding naturally. Obviously waste that we see on a raw diet is undigestable - the body has taken what it needs. Well this undigestible stuff is what kibble in effect is - all the good stuff is destroyed by the rendering process.

Calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals make up a large part of ash which means high ash pet foods usually contain higher levels of calcium and phosphorus. While calcium and phosphorus are important for the health and maintenance of the skeletal system, they also have very important roles throughout the body including: blood coagulation, energy metabolism, transmission of nerve impulses, and cell membrane integrity to name a few.
Pet foods can contain such high levels of calcium and phosphorus so calcium and phosphorus deficiencies are not generally seen in pets fed commercial pet food. But, medical problems due to the excess added calcium and phosphorus do occur.... kidney problems and hip dysplasia are connected to this excess. Basically we dont know the precise ratio that should be given, giving too much calcium means that there is excess in the body which wants to 'bond' with phosphorus - so phosphorus is taken away from the bone, weakening it (this is the reason that people with osteoperosis (sp?) are not given calcium. Because of advertising we all think that 'calcium' is good for bones.... in fact there are many things that are, but in set amounts. As I said we dont know the ratio, it differs for every single animal. What we do know is that sticking as close as poss to a natural diet SHOULD help the body take what it needs.

i always thought that pigs ears were covered in molasses before being cooked, not sure if salt is addedtoo, sorry

Wow

I didnt know what the ash part was in kibble or treats, I always suspected but didnt give it a second thought if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the informative post, it'll certainly make me reconsider what I'm feeding my two !

Willow x

Really appreciate your post, Jess, thank you!