Proper Toppers uses one main animal protein in each recipe: chicken, turkey, beef, or white fish and salmon with egg. Three recipes are dehydrated blends that follow the meat with dried apples, pumpkin, kale or blueberries. The Beef recipe is different. It starts with beef bone broth, then beef, sweet potato, pumpkin and coconut. All four are grain free, and none contains peas or lentils.
Protein runs from 46% to 58% as fed, with an average of 50%. That is far above the 18.4% average across the 266 toppers in our catalog. Estimated starch runs from 18% to 26% and averages 20.5%, which is above the catalog topper average of 11.1%. Fat ranges from 9% to 21%, and calories run from 3,600 to 4,580 kcal per kg.
The trade-off is that the fruit and vegetable base gives these toppers more estimated starch than a typical topper. The recipes also differ more than the shared name suggests. Chicken and Turkey are high in fat, while Beef and Fish are much lower. Every recipe is labeled for adult dogs.
| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Starch | Kcal / cup | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grain-Free Fish Recipe | 58% | 10% | 19% | 4,000 | Dehydrated White Fish, Dehydrated Salmon, Dehydrated Egg |
| Grain-Free Chicken Recipe | 48% | 21% | 18% | 4,580 | Dehydrated chicken, dried apples, dehydrated pumpkin |
| Grain-Free Turkey Recipe | 48% | 20% | 19% | 4,490 | Dehydrated Turkey, Dried Apples, Dehydrated Pumpkin |
| Grain-Free Beef Recipe | 46% | 9% | 26% | 3,600 | Beef bone broth, beef, sweet potato |
| Line average | 50% | 15% | 20.5% | 4,168 |
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.
58% protein · 10% fat · 19% starch · 4,000 kcal/kg · Adult
Built on white fish, salmon and egg, this is the line's highest-protein topper at 58% and the only one with fish or egg, with 10% fat and 4,000 kcal per kg. It suits owners who want a lean, protein-heavy topper for a dog that eats fish.
Full review of Grain-Free Fish Recipe48% protein · 21% fat · 18% starch · 4,580 kcal/kg · Adult
The only chicken topper in the line, it has the most fat at 21% and the most calories at 4,580 kcal per kg, plus the lowest estimated starch at 18%. It suits owners who want a calorie-dense chicken topper for an active adult dog.
Full review of Grain-Free Chicken Recipe48% protein · 20% fat · 19% starch · 4,490 kcal/kg · Adult
The only turkey topper here, it matches Chicken at 48% protein but carries a little less fat at 20% and 4,490 kcal per kg, with 19% estimated starch. It suits adult dogs that eat turkey well or owners rotating between poultry toppers.
Full review of Grain-Free Turkey Recipe46% protein · 9% fat · 26% starch · 3,600 kcal/kg · Adult
Led by beef bone broth, this is the only beef topper and has the line's lowest protein (46%), fat (9%) and calories (3,600 kcal per kg). It also has the most estimated starch at 26% and includes sweet potato, so it suits owners wanting a lighter beef topper.
Full review of Grain-Free Beef RecipeYes. All four Proper Toppers recipes are grain free, and none contains peas or lentils. The Grain-Free Beef Recipe does include sweet potato.
The Grain-Free Fish Recipe has the most protein at 58% as fed. The Grain-Free Chicken and Grain-Free Turkey Recipes each list 48%, and the Grain-Free Beef Recipe lists 46%.
The Grain-Free Beef Recipe is lowest at 9% fat, followed by the Grain-Free Fish Recipe at 10%. The Grain-Free Chicken (21%) and Grain-Free Turkey (20%) Recipes are much higher in fat.
Protein runs higher than the average topper we review (53.1% vs 45.2% on a dry matter basis).
Starch is higher than average, at 21% of the food as fed.
100% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).
100% 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.
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