Monge dog food

Few breeders are familiar with this brand, but those who have tried feeding their dogs this brand's food agree that it's quite good and suitable for dogs of all breeds. So, what is this food, and how does it stand out from other brands?

The Monge company was founded in 1963 in Italy, thanks to the business acumen of Baldassare Monge. The family's business was raising chickens for supply to Italy's finest restaurants. To ensure the meat met the highest standards of elite establishments, the Monge family farm used only natural, organic poultry feed. The business grew and expanded, but Baldassare was troubled by one issue: after butchering the chickens, a large amount of meat, cartilage, and other by-products remained. It was a shame to throw away this raw material, and his intuition told him to somehow utilize these valuable resources. A solution was found: Monge dog food.

The first products were canned pet food. The concept of healthy food for dogs and cats implied that owners sincerely wanted their pets to live long, healthy lives, and therefore wanted to feed them exclusively natural and healthy nutrition. This is precisely what the food from the family-run Monge factory was.

Monge dry dog ​​food appeared much later. However, its formula still uses the same high-quality, natural meat. Today, the company continues to supply exclusive chicken to restaurants, but pet food production has become its core business. In addition to production, it also has an in-house research department that develops new formulas tailored to the specific needs of pets.

Monge dog food range

When it comes to the variety of food options, Monge's selection will satisfy even the most discerning and demanding customers. If you summarize all the information on the company's official website, you can conclude that breeders currently have access to 23 varieties of wet dog food and another 46 dry food options. This is an impressive number, making it easy for the uninitiated to get lost. However, upon closer inspection, everything becomes crystal clear: this entire array of food options is divided into six main lines of dry food and four additional lines of wet food. These, in turn, are categorized by breed size, age, and specific needs.

The wet food with which the company began is represented by four lines: Monteproteico (with one source of animal protein), Fruit (with the addition of fruit to the diet), Grill (with grilled meat), and Fresh (gluten-free diets for animals with allergies).

All dry foods are divided into:

• Daily Line is a dog food designed for everyday nutrition. The range includes food for puppies and adult dogs, divided by size. There's also special food for pregnant and nursing dogs, as well as senior dogs.
• Specialty Line is a line of food designed for all breeds and sizes of pets. We use a wide range of meats, including chicken, lamb, rabbit, pork, duck, and salmon. We offer Active, Light, and Hypo subclasses for active dogs and overweight dogs, respectively, as well as hypoallergenic food.
• Grainfree Line – grain-free dog food. It's based on duck and potatoes, or anchovies and potatoes.
• BWild Line is a line of foods that mimic natural nutrition. The formula is based on approximately 65% ​​meat ingredients, and also includes some unusual meats, such as wild boar, venison, and ostrich.
• Grainfree Veterinary is a grain-free diet developed specifically for animals with various health issues. This line includes eight diets designed to support the body during illness or recovery from injuries and surgeries.

With a huge selection, you can find the perfect food for your dog. But what's its base, and is it as healthy as the manufacturer claims? Let's take a closer look at the ingredients in Monge dog food.

Feed composition

For a detailed nutrient analysis, we selected a food from the Daily Line for adult medium-sized dogs. According to Monge, this is a complete, super-premium food suitable for daily feeding. Well, let's take a look at what it's made of.

Chicken meat tops the list, with 30% dehydrated chicken and 10% fresh chicken listed. Next are rice, corn, and animal fat. However, there's a note stating that this is 99.5% chicken fat, with added natural antioxidants. The next ingredients listed are dried beet pulp and brewer's yeast. These are followed by corn meal, hydrolyzed animal protein, and fish (dried salmon). Then comes fish oil (salmon oil), dried animal cartilage, dried crustaceans, methylsulfonylmethane, XOS and MOS, yucca schidigera, and spirulina.

Here's the composition. It's actually quite good for a super-premium food, which is why reviews of Monge dog food are generally positive. Let's take a look at the guaranteed content:

• Crude proteins: 26% (normal value);
• Fat: 14% (below average);
• Fiber: 2.2% (low);
• Ash content: 6.5% (within normal limits);
• Calcium: 1.2%;
• Phosphorus: 1%;
• Omega-6: 5.2%;
• Omega-3: 0.7%.

And everything here looks quite decent. Let's now take a closer look at what's hidden behind these numbers.

Squirrels

The protein sources listed in the food include chicken (30% dried + 10% fresh), hydrolyzed animal protein, and dried salmon. Chicken is an excellent ingredient, but it's important to remember that raw meat loses up to 70% of its mass as water during processing. The final result is 30% + 3%, which isn't quite as rosy, but still decent.

Hydrolyzed protein is a highly processed raw material, resulting in the substance providing no useful properties other than protein. It is most often used in pet foods to increase protein content.

Salmon is a very healthy ingredient, containing a wealth of beneficial nutrients. However, given that it's listed below the middle of the ingredient list, its amount in the food is low.

Fats

Antioxidant-preserved chicken fat and salmon-derived fish oil are named as lipid sources. Both are high-quality fat sources, highly beneficial for dogs.

Carbohydrates

The carbohydrate count isn't listed, but we can figure out what it contains. The list includes rice and corn, as well as cornmeal. None of these are particularly healthy for dogs, as grains are practically indigestible in a carnivore's body and are excreted, so to speak, in their original form. Essentially, they're simply fillers added to make the food cheaper.

Additional components

Beet pulp is a source of fiber. It's a controversial ingredient, as consuming it provides absolutely nothing to a dog other than formed stool.

Brewer's yeast is a beneficial supplement, a source of vitamins for your pet's coat and skin. However, the presence of yeast in food can cause allergies in some dogs.

Hydrolyzed cartilage and hydrolyzed crustaceans are definitely beneficial, and one might even say rare, nutrients. They are high-quality sources of chondroitin and glucosamine, essential substances that support joint health. A huge plus for this food.

Methylsulfonylmethane is a substance beneficial for skin, joints, and coat. It is derived from algae and pine bark. It is a good component for boosting animal immunity.

KOS and MOS are abbreviations for prebiotics that promote normal digestion and healthy intestinal microflora. A good component.

Yucca schidigera is a beneficial supplement because its antibacterial properties help reduce intestinal odor. It also has other beneficial effects, such as boosting the immune system, increasing energy, and more.

Spirulina is a beneficial supplement made from algae. However, during processing, a significant portion of its vitamins and minerals are lost.

Separately indicated are mineral and vitamin complexes containing all the necessary elements for the health of your pet.

Having analyzed the ingredients, we can conclude that, thanks to its high content of high-quality meat components and the inclusion of numerous beneficial additives, Monge pet food can confidently be classified as a super-premium product and is recommended for pet nutrition.

Reviews of Monge food

Because this brand of dry food is relatively new and its distribution in Russia is relatively poor, it's quite difficult to find reviews of Monge dog food. But, as the saying goes, it's not easy! So, after scouring relevant forums, we've found some of the most representative opinions for you:

Elena, husky breeder:

"We were feeding our pets Eukanuba, but the high price forced us to look for another food. Following advice on the forum, I bought a bag of Monge, and I wasn't disappointed. The dogs eat the food with obvious gusto, they feel great, and their coats are absolutely sparkling. I can confidently recommend it to everyone!"

Alexander, the spaniel's owner:

"My dog ​​isn't picky, but he won't eat everything either. I saw Monge food on an online store's website and decided to try it. Let's just say I'm happy. He's healthy and active, and that's all I need from his food."

Other reviews are essentially similar. Breeders generally recommend these foods, and only offer less-than-rosy opinions in cases of individual dog sensitivity.

As for veterinarian reviews of Monge food, we couldn't find any. Apparently, this is due to the limited data available, and expert opinions will become more widely available in the future.

Price of feed

We found several stores that sell this food and came up with the following average price for Monge dog food:

Grain Free with duck and potatoes:

• 2.5 kg – from 1850 rubles.
• 12 kg – from 5000 rub.

BWild with ostrich meat:

• 2 kg – from 1230 rub.
• 7.5 kg – from 3600 rub.

Specialty with pork, rice and potatoes:

• 2.5 kg – from 1220 rubles.
• 12 kg – from 3960 rub.

As we can see, the company's pricing policy is not draconian: the price of this food is in line with competitors, sometimes even with higher quality.

Read also:

• How to train a dog to eat dry food
• How to choose dog food
• Super-premium dog food