Rating: 
Artemis Professional Formula Dog Food gets the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Artemis Professional Formula dry dog food has been designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for for all life stages.
Artemis Professional Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, millet, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, rice bran, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal, choline chloride, zinc proteinate, vitamin e supplement, iron proteinate, inulin (from chicory root), ascorbic acid (a source of vitamin C), zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, niacin supplement, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, calcium sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, d-biotin, riboflavin supplement, manganese sulfate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, sodium selenite, ethylenediamine dihydriodide
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third item is barley… 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.
The fourth item lists millet… gluten-free grains harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is hypoallergenic and naturally rich in B-vitamins and fiber… as well as other essential minerals.
The fifth ingredient is 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 sixth ingredient includes tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial item… a by-product left 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 seventh item is rice bran… a 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.
Flaxseed is 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.
After the natural chicken flavor, we find fish meal. Like chicken meal, fish meal is is another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The term “fish” does little to properly describe this ingredient. To make a more accurate evaluation of the value of this item, we would have preferred to have known the species.
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 find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
And lastly, we note this dog food also 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.
Artemis Professional Formula Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Artemis Professional Formula looks to be an above-average dog food.
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 26%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
Below-average protein. Average fat. And above-average carbs as 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 a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Artemis Professional Formula is a grain-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a better quality kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Artemis Osopure 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
- Artemis Customer Service, 10/25/2010 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.
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