Dr. Clauder's cat food
Dr. Clauder's is a cat food brand from the renowned German brand Dr. Clauder GmbH & Co KG, with over 60 years of history. Production is located in Germany, ensuring compliance with European standards and strict quality control. Dr. Clauder's offers two classes of food: premium and super-premium. The validity of this distinction will become clear after a detailed review and analysis of the product ingredients.
Content
Dr. Clauder's product range
The Dr. Clauder's brand offers a wide range of nutritional products in various forms, quality levels, and, consequently, prices. Products are categorized based on age, taste, and other criteria.
Premium dry food
Premium products are labeled as Premium Cat Food. These include dry kibble designed for pets 6 weeks and older. A separate dry food called "Diet Meat" is available for pets who need to lose weight or restrict their calorie intake.
Dry kibble is available in 400g and 15kg packages (suitable for multiple pet owners); there is no medium size. The bags do not have a zip-lock, making storage a bit inconvenient.
Wet food
The wet food line includes diets in various volumes and packaging types:
- Canned food in 100g packaging in 3 flavor variations.
- 100g pouches in 7 flavor variations.
- Canned meat pieces in 415g tins in 9 flavor variations.
- Pates in 200g tins.
- Canned food in 200g tins – a therapeutic series for pets with special needs (those prone to allergies, with gastrointestinal diseases, requiring normalization of kidney function).
Wet food are produced on the basis of meat (chicken, game, rabbit), fish (salmon with tuna, shrimp) components and offal (kidneys, heart).
Super-premium dry food
In the super-premium segment, Dr. Clauder's offers dry kibble that can accommodate the various needs of pets. The Super Premium line consists of four types:
- for elderly and sterilized individuals;
- grain-free diet for individuals with sensitive digestion;
- universal for all breeds;
- special food for kittens, pregnant and lactating cats.
As befits a super-premium product, Dr. Clauder's offers a therapeutic line for various health conditions (gastrointestinal issues, normalizing kidney function, etc.). It offers complete nutrition in 400g and 2kg packages.
Note! Despite Dr. Clauder's wide range of diets, premium wet and dry foods are more popular on the Russian market. These are the ones most commonly found in brick-and-mortar and online stores, while super-premium products are only available in select retail locations.
Composition analysis
Dr. Clauder's cat food is available in several lines, each with significantly different compositions, so it's only fair to review samples of each separately. Traditionally, the quality of cat food is assessed based on the first five components, so we'll focus on those.
Premium dry food
Let's analyze the ingredients of the premium line using Dr. Clauder's complete dry food with salmon as an example. Ingredients listed on the packaging:
- Meat and meat products (chicken).
- Cereals.
- Fish and fish products (salmon).
- Chicken fat.
- Minerals and vitamins.
The first component is used as an animal protein source. However, firstly, the specific type and form of the raw material are not specified. Secondly, it seems at the very least odd that chicken is listed first in a salmon product, while the ingredient that gives it its name is only listed third. Despite the sufficient overall protein content, most of it likely comes from products of unknown quality (including slaughterhouse waste), rather than pure, fresh meat. The second component is grains, with no indication of the quantity or type. The source of fatty acids is a relatively inexpensive component—chicken fat.
Thus, the composition of a product marketed by the manufacturer as premium is comparable to that of an economy-class product. The ingredients are listed only in general terms; their percentages are not specified at all. Furthermore, the manufacturer does not use any additional plant extracts or additives intended to enrich the pet's body with beneficial substances.
Wet food
Let's analyze the composition of wet food using Dr. Clauder's game canned food as an example. The following ingredients are listed on the can:
- Meat and animal by-products (game min. 4%).
- Cereals.
- Plant protein extracts.
- Minerals.
- Sugar.
Judging by this composition, the only sign that a canned product is premium is the first indication of the animal protein source. However, the manufacturer remains silent about the specific parts and types of meat, as well as their percentages. Furthermore, the grains used and the obscure plant protein extracts remain a mystery to the buyer.
Sugar listed in the ingredients usually serves to improve the taste and appearance of canned food, giving it a brownish tint. However, it is harmful to cats, leading to arthritis, obesity, tooth decay, and diabetes.
Thus, the combination of these ingredients falls far short of premium quality. Despite the "Premium Cat Food" label on the can, it could fairly be considered economy-class.
Super-premium dry food
Let's analyze the composition of the super-premium line using the grain-free Dr. Clauder's Adult Grainfree as an example. The first five ingredients are:
- Chicken meat (18%).
- Potato flour.
- Chicken meal (15%).
- Potato flakes.
- Animal fats (beef and chicken).
The first listed source of animal protein is chicken, but no specific ingredients are specified. Potato flour and potato flakes are different forms of potato. Potato flour is a good source of complex carbohydrates and fiber, healthier for cats than allergenic grains. However, even its presence in large quantities is undesirable, and in Dr. Clauder's Adult Grainfree, it makes up two of the top five ingredients. Furthermore, potato flour is one of the cheapest potato alternatives, with minimal nutritional value, and should not be used in high-quality food.
Animal fats (beef and chicken) are used as sources of fatty acids, as well as lard, flaxseed, and fish oil. The product is also enriched with beneficial additives and plant extracts to support your cat's health.
Thus, Dr. Clauder's super-premium pretzels have a more balanced composition than other brand products. However, the large amount of potatoes present raises additional concerns.
Prices
Dr. Clauder dry and wet food has been available on the Russian market for several years. They are available in almost every major supermarket and pet store, or you can order them online. Prices vary depending on the product category and package size:
- Meat pates (200 g) – from 70 rubles.
- Pouches and canned food (100 g) – from 39 rubles.
- Canned food (400 g) – from 69 rubles.
- Canned food of the therapeutic series – from 165 rubles.
- Premium Cat Food rations (400 g and 15 kg) – from 85 and 2500 rubles, respectively.
- Super premium dry croquettes – from 485 rubles (400 g), from 1590 rubles (2 kg)
Online stores periodically hold sales and promotions that allow you to purchase Dr. Clouder products at even lower prices.
Veterinarian Reviews
Dr. Clauder's main cat food range is roughly in the same niche as Whiskas, KiteKat, and similar brands, so veterinarians are quite wary of this type of food and often recommend choosing more balanced and high-quality pet food. Veterinarians do not recommend feeding diets with unclear ingredients and low levels of animal protein to cats, much less using them on a regular basis.
Reviews from cat owners
Rita, owner of 10-month-old Tom:
“At first, I fed my mixed-breed pet Whiskas and KitKat, since I couldn’t afford more expensive food, and then I turned my attention to Dr. Clouder’s. It’s a little more expensive than the previous food, but I think it’s far from the worst option in the economy class, even though the packaging says Premium Cat "I don't see any health problems with the cat; he's always playful and full of energy."
Lydia, owner of a Siberian cat:
"Feeding your cat Dr. Clouder's is a surefire way to develop urolithiasis or other health problems. For me, it's an economy-class product, suitable only for emergencies, not for daily feeding. Even though the packaging says it's made in Germany, it's hard to believe the ingredients are genuine and contain real meat for that price. I once bought my cat some dry kibble, which she didn't touch at all the first day, and on the second, she only nibbled a little to satisfy her hunger. I had to give the leftovers to the stray cats."
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