Ash in canned food?

Can someone explain "ash" in canned food?  Isnt lower % better?  I have checked all the ones i have and the better ones have a higher ash %.  One of my cats had recently had a Ut issue, so i read to look for foods under 3% ash.  The cheaper brands are lower, wear the better ones are higher.

Ash on a food label is a measure of the mineral content of the food. It is called 'ash' because it is what is left after the food has been burned at high temperature. Minerals don't burn at the temperature used.

I assume your cat was diagnosed with struvite crystals? You've probably been told to look for a low ash food in an attempt to prevent recurrence of the crystals by limiting the amount of minerals in the diet that the crystals are composed of. 

Not yet, but they suggested Science diet c/d food.His ph level is high and had a plug. I was reading about low ash food. It seemed some of the better foods had a higher ash %. The more I checked ash amounts the more expensive brands were even lower. i wish Nutro wasnt 3.5%. Merrick and wellness are about 2%. Fancy feast ranges from 3.0-3.5% How do you figure dry basis. His dry food is 7%.

Here's an online dry matter calculator:

http://fnae.org/dmb.html?inputboxm=15&inputboxi=7&button.x=121&button.y=14&button=Click

mschauer said:

 
Here's an online dry matter calculator:

http://fnae.org/dmb.html?inputboxm=15&inputboxi=7&button.x=121&button.y=14&button=Click

Click to expand...

I used that one. is it common for wet food to have more ash then dry? 

momof3b1g said:

 

mschauer said:

 
Here's an online dry matter calculator:

http://fnae.org/dmb.html?inputboxm=15&inputboxi=7&button.x=121&button.y=14&button=Click

Click to expand...

I used that one. is it common for wet food to have more ash then dry? 

Click to expand...

I don't know if it is common for them to be but there is no reason for wet food to be higher in ash than dry as far as AAFCO recommendations are concerned.

I've noticed that wet food is often higher in ash than dry. It may be because wet food contains more meat, which can include bones, and bones are made mostly of minerals. The grains or veggies used in larger amounts in dry food have lower amounts of minerals.

Ya that's to bed. Seeing low ash is supposedly better for cats with uti. But I also read ash isn't as important as magnesium.