Rating: 
Artemis Osopure Dog Food receives the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.
The Artemis Osopure product line includes one dry dog food… Artemis Osopure Power Formula.
Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for this product on the Artemis website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.
Artemis Osopure Power Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, barley, brown rice, rice bran, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, flaxseed, brewers yeast, flavor enhancer, fish meal, methionine, choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, green tea extract, barley grass extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first item in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (most likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.
Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.
The fourth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fifth ingredient mentions rice bran… a healthy by-product of rice milling. Though not as nutritionally complete as whole grain rice, brans are still unusually rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
The sixth ingredient includes chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
The eighth ingredient is flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
The ninth ingredient is brewers dried yeast. Brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.
Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.
Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can be considered a nutritious additive.
After the flavor enhancer, we find fish meal. Fish meal is another high-proetin meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The term “fish” does little to properly describe this ingredient. Since various species contain different kinds of fat content, we would preferred to have known more about this ingredient.
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item appears1 to be ethoxyquin-free.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, we note this dog food contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
And lastly, we find no probiotics listed… friendly microorganisms applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Artemis Osopure Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Artemis Osopure Dog Food looks to be an above-average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 37%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbohydrates when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing generous amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Artemis Osopure Dog Food is a grain-based kibble using a generous amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a nice wet food to go with this kibble may wish to visit our review of Artemis Fresh Mix canned dog food.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
03/27/2010 Original review
10/27/2010 Review updated
09/28/2011 Updated (replaced 4 products with Power Formula, upgraded to 5 stars)
- Artemis Customer Service, 9/28/2011 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.