Dog Chow is built around corn. Whole grain corn or ground yellow corn is the first ingredient in every kibble except Soft Bites Smoked Chicken, and meat and bone meal, by-product meals and corn gluten or corn protein meal show up again and again. All 12 recipes are made for adult dogs, and none is grain free.
Kibble protein runs from 20% to 27% as fed, and estimated starch runs from 29.5% to 46.5%. Chicken appears in 6 kibbles, beef in 5, lamb in 2 and turkey in 1. Only 3 of the 9 kibbles include peas or lentils. The 3 wet foods share the same 11% protein and 3% fat, and all of them list chicken.
Against the catalog, the kibbles average 23.8% protein versus 26.9%, 40.7% estimated starch versus 37.4%, and 412 kcal per cup versus 395. The three High Protein kibbles, at 27%, are the only ones above the catalog protein average. The wet foods average 11% protein against a catalog average of 8.3%. The trade-off is plain: the kibbles lean on corn and by-product proteins, while the wet foods give more protein than most canned food in the catalog.
| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Starch | Kcal / cup | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Protein Real Beef | 27% | 14% | 39% | 436 | Whole Grain Corn, Poultry By-Product Meal, Corn Protein Meal |
| High Protein Real Chicken | 27% | 14% | 39% | 431 | Whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal, corn protein meal |
| High Protein with Real Lamb | 27% | 12% | 39% | 424 | Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal |
| Natural Plus Vitamins & Minerals | 25% | 11% | 41.5% | 413 | Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal |
| Little Bites for Small Dogs | 25% | 12% | 40.5% | 402 | Whole grain corn, corn protein meal, meat and bone meal |
| Tender & Crunchy | 21% | 10% | 45% | 364 | Whole grain corn, whole grain wheat, meat and bone meal |
| Complete Adult with Real Chicken | 21% | 10% | 46.5% | 405 | Whole Grain Corn, Meat And Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal |
| Complete Adult with Real Beef | 21% | 10% | 46.5% | 421 | Whole Grain Corn, Poultry By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal |
| Soft Bites Smoked Chicken | 20% | 8.5% | 29.5% | -- | Beef by-product, soy flour, soy grits |
| Line average | 23.8% | 11.3% | 40.7% | 412 |
All figures as fed, from the guaranteed analysis on each label. Starch is our estimate, since no bag prints it. Highest in the line is marked in bold, lowest in italics.
27% protein · 14% fat · 39% starch · 436 kcal/cup · Adult
This beef kibble has the most calories in the line at 436 kcal per cup, with 27% protein and 14% fat, and it is the only recipe whose animal fat is preserved with TBHQ. It includes peas and suits active adults that need a calorie-dense kibble.
Full review of High Protein Real Beef27% protein · 14% fat · 39% starch · 431 kcal/cup · Adult
It matches the beef High Protein kibble at 27% protein and 14% fat but has the highest energy per kilogram in the line at 3678 kcal, with its animal fat preserved with mixed tocopherols. Chicken is the only animal protein listed, and peas are included.
Full review of High Protein Real Chicken27% protein · 12% fat · 39% starch · 424 kcal/cup · Adult
This lamb kibble has 27% protein like the other High Protein kibbles but less fat at 12% and 424 kcal per cup. Ground yellow corn and chicken by-product meal lead the list, and it includes peas.
Full review of High Protein with Real Lamb25% protein · 11% fat · 41.5% starch · 413 kcal/cup · Adult
This discontinued kibble has 25% protein, 11% fat and 413 kcal per cup, with chicken by-product meal second and beef fat preserved with mixed tocopherols. It suits owners who still have access to it and want a middle-of-the-line protein level.
We believe this recipe has been discontinued.
Full review of Natural Plus Vitamins & Minerals25% protein · 12% fat · 40.5% starch · 402 kcal/cup · Adult
This is the only kibble sold for small dogs, with 25% protein, 12% fat and 402 kcal per cup. Corn protein meal comes second and meat and bone meal third, and it lists both chicken and beef.
Full review of Little Bites for Small Dogs21% protein · 10% fat · 45% starch · 364 kcal/cup · Adult
With 364 kcal per cup, this kibble has the fewest calories in the line and is the only one with turkey, alongside lamb. Whole grain wheat is its second ingredient, and it suits owners who want a lower-calorie cup with mixed textures.
Full review of Tender & Crunchy21% protein · 10% fat · 46.5% starch · 405 kcal/cup · Adult
This chicken kibble ties for the most estimated starch in the line at 46.5%, with 21% protein, and has the lowest energy per kilogram at 3469 kcal. Meat and bone meal is the second ingredient, and it suits owners who want a basic adult kibble.
Full review of Complete Adult with Real Chicken21% protein · 10% fat · 46.5% starch · 421 kcal/cup · Adult
It shares 21% protein, 10% fat and 46.5% estimated starch with the Complete Adult chicken recipe but has more calories at 421 kcal per cup. Beef is the only animal protein listed, yet poultry by-product meal is the second ingredient.
Full review of Complete Adult with Real Beef20% protein · 8.5% fat · 29.5% starch · Adult
This soft kibble has 33% moisture and the least protein, fat and estimated starch in the line at 20%, 8.5% and 29.5%. Beef by-product comes first, followed by soy flour, soy grits and high fructose corn syrup, and no calorie figure is listed.
Full review of Soft Bites Smoked Chicken| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Moisture | Kcal / kg | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Protein with Real Chicken in Gravy | 11% | 3% | 78% | 983 | Water, chicken, wheat gluten |
| High Protein with Real Lamb in Gravy | 11% | 3% | 78% | 995 | Water, Chicken, Meat By-products |
| High Protein with Real Beef in Gravy | 11% | 3% | 78% | 983 | Water sufficient for processing, chicken, wheat gluten |
| Line average | 11% | 3% | 78% | 987 |
All figures as fed, from the guaranteed analysis on each label. Wet food is mostly water, so compare it with other wet food only. Highest in the line is marked in bold, lowest in italics.
11% protein · 3% fat · 363 kcal/cup · Adult
Chicken is the only animal protein listed in this wet food, with water, chicken and wheat gluten as the first ingredients. At 363 kcal per cup, it suits owners who want a canned chicken recipe without a second named meat.
Full review of High Protein with Real Chicken in Gravy11% protein · 3% fat · 995 kcal/kg · Adult
This is the only wet food in the line with lamb, but lamb is the fifth ingredient, behind chicken and meat by-products. It has the highest energy of the wet foods at 995 kcal per kilogram, so it fits owners who are fine with chicken.
Full review of High Protein with Real Lamb in Gravy11% protein · 3% fat · 362 kcal/can · Adult
This is the only wet food in the line with beef, though beef is not among its first five ingredients and chicken is second. It is the only wet recipe with a per-can figure, 362 kcal, which helps owners portioning by the can.
Full review of High Protein with Real Beef in GravyNo. None of the 12 Dog Chow recipes is grain free, and every kibble and wet food in the data contains grain, mostly corn in the kibbles and wheat gluten in the wet foods.
Among kibbles, High Protein Real Beef, High Protein Real Chicken and High Protein with Real Lamb tie at 27%. All 3 wet foods, including High Protein with Real Chicken in Gravy, list 11%.
Only 3 of the 9 kibbles include peas or lentils: High Protein Real Beef, High Protein Real Chicken and High Protein with Real Lamb. None of the 3 wet foods includes them.
Protein runs lower than the average kibble we review (27.7% vs 30.1% on a dry matter basis).
Starch is higher than average, at 41% of the food as fed.
8% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).
0% of recipes are grain-free.
this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review
Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out
Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.
These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.
EL Elemental dry dog food, two additional lots (expansion)
EL Elemental prescription dry dog food (8 lb, 20 lb)
PPVD EN Gastroenteric Low Fat wet dog food 13.4 oz cans (contained Purina ONE True Instinct Turkey & Venison)
Beneful Prepared Meals, Beneful Chopped Blends and Pro Plan Savory Meals 10 oz wet dog food tubs, Best Before Jun-Aug 2017
Purina ONE beyOnd Our White Meat Chicken & Whole Barley Recipe Adult dry dog food, limited bags
All Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch dog treats (chicken jerky) sold in US (market withdrawal)
We keep reviews of discontinued recipes online, each with suggested replacements, because bags stay on shelves and in pantries for months.
Ten everyday foods. Safe, In Moderation or Never. No googling, no second guesses. Then share your score with your friends, however embarrassing it turns out to be.
115 foods in the deck. Grapes are in there. So is cheese.
Ten foods, one at a time. Call each one Safe, In Moderation or Never, then flip the card to see if you had it right. The ones you miss are listed at the end.
Keys: 1 Safe 2 Moderation 3 Never Enter Next
Copied. Paste it anywhere your friends will see it.
Want the reason behind every answer? The 80-page e-book, $7.99
Now, is your dog's food any good?
Look it up: estimated starch, calories per cup and every ingredient, for 3,207 foods.
