Bison in Dog Food - Dog Nutrition DB

Bison is the read meat of North American buffalo. It is a rare ingredient used only in a handful of dog foods.

Contents

What is Bison?

Bison is a relatively rare protein source in commercial dog food, making it an interesting novel protein for manufacturers.

Bison meat is also leaner than beef. Along with domestic cattle, bison belongs to the bovine family.

According to the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) definition, only the terms “bison” or “North American buffalo” refer to the species Bison bison.

Bison are native to North America, while true buffalo are found in Asia and Africa. Some ingredient lists “buffalo” and mean bison. But technically, this refers to different species such as water buffalo.

When a dog food ingredient list declares bison, it is referring to fresh meat. More specifically, the term “bison” encompasses all skeletal muscle and striated muscles found in the diaphragm, esophagus, tongue, and heart^[1].

Bison meat used in dog food can only contain minimal fatty tissue, sinew, nerves, skin, or blood vessels attached to the clean flesh, but it can never include bone or other parts.

So bison is the same as “deboned bison”.

In summary, bison is a rare but nutritious protein source. It’s almost exclusively used in premium foods that try to offer a novel protein.

In general, consumers perceive bison as a “wild” and “free-roaming” species that provides “lean game meat”^[3]. However, most of this opinion is based on bison marketing, and few pet owners are truly familiar with the status of current bison production.

Since bison is more expensive than beef and cannot be produced on the same scale, it is marketed as a healthy, sustainable, premium and almost iconic North American product^[4].

Any industry produces by-products. Dog foods often include only a small amount of bison or opt to use bison meal or organ meats such as bison liver or kidney since bison meat can be quite costly.

Bison Nutrients

Bison meat is used in commercial dog foods because of its nutritional value and palatability. Bison meat is high in protein, essential amino acids, and other nutrients that dogs need.

Additionally, some dogs may find bison meat to be very flavorful.

According to the USDA, bison is quite rare compared to cattle and raised without antibiotics or growth hormones.

It is a red meat with a deeper color, fewer calories, and a richer flavor than beef. Bison is also a good source of multiple B vitamins and minerals, such as iron, phosphorus, and zinc.

Nutrients in 100g, raw^[1]	Bison	Beef^a
Water	71.6 g	58.1 g
Energy	146 kcal	293 kcal
Protein	20.2 g	15.8 g
Ash	0.91 g	0.77 g
Fat	7.21 g	25 g
Amino acids
Arginine	1.38 g	1.03 g
Histidine	0.742 g	0.512 g
Isoleucine	0.977 g	0.697 g
Leucine	1.74 g	1.23 g
Lysine	1.88 g	1.3 g
Methionine	0.547 g	0.405 g
Threonine	0.918 g	0.61 g
Phenylalanine	0.859 g	0.615 g
Tryptophan	0.153 g	0.08 g
Valine	1.09 g	0.774 g
Fatty acids
Saturated	2.92 g	9.57 g
Monounsaturated	2.75 g	11.4 g
Polyunsaturated	0.336 g	0.609 g
Cholesterol	55 mg	75 mg
Minerals
Calcium	11 mg	21 mg
Iron	2.78 mg	1.79 mg
Magnesium	21 mg	15 mg
Manganese	–	0.009 mg
Phosphorus	194 mg	145 mg
Potassium	328 mg	244 mg
Sodium	70 mg	66 mg
Zinc	4.59 mg	3.87 mg
Copper	0.14 mg	0.056 mg
Selenium	20 µg	14.3 µg
Vitamins
Vitamin K	1.2 µg	2.4 µg
Vitamin E	0.19 mg	0.17 mg
Thiamin	0.141 mg	0.044 mg
Riboflavin	0.246 mg	0.151 mg
Niacin	5.32 mg	3.8 mg
Pantothenic acid	–	0.446 mg
Vitamin B₆	0.383 mg	0.301 mg
Vitamin B₁₂	1.94 µg	2.11 µg
Folate	12 µg	8 µg
Choline	85.8 mg	51.6 mg
Betaine	12.6 mg	8.4 mg

^a75% lean meat, 25% fat

What is Bison?

Bison Nutrients

Further Reading