Rating: 
AvoDerm Natural Dog Food (canned) earns the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the AvoDerm Natural product line includes six canned dog foods… one for puppies, four for adults and one for weight loss. All six formulas meet AAFCO1 guidelines “for all life stages”.2
- AvoDerm Natural Chicken and Rice Formula Puppy
- AvoDerm Natural Chicken and Rice Formula Adult
- AvoDerm Natural Lamb and Rice Formula Adult
- AvoDerm Natural Vegetarian Formula Adult (3 Stars)
- AvoDerm Natural Rice and Chicken Formula Lite (2 Stars)
- AvoDerm Natural Original Formula Adult
AvoDerm Natural Lamb and Rice Formula Adult Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
AvoDerm Natural Lamb and Rice Formula Adult
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Lamb, lamb broth, ground whole rice, lamb liver, dried eggs, flax seed, lecithin, guar gum, calcium carbonate, kelp, avocado oil, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B complex), niacin, calcium pantothenate, choline chloride, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin b1), biotin, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron carbonate, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper carbonate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this food is lamb. Lamb is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered (lamb)” and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.3
Like most meats, lamb is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life. A quality meat ingredient.
The second ingredient includes lamb broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add necessary moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The third ingredient mentions whole rice. Whole rice is a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fourth item is lamb liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, lamb liver is a beneficial component.
The fifth ingredient is dried egg… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary greatly. Lower grade egg products can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
The quality of this item all depends on the caliber of the ingredient purchased by AvoDerm (you get what you pay for).
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The sixth item lists flaxseed… one of the best vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids… essential to a dog’s life. And it is naturally rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.
However, we find it unusual to see flaxseed here in its whole seed form. Whole flax seeds are almost impossible to digest (at least for us humans) unless they are first ground to a usable powder before they are consumed.
We note that this product contains avocado oil. Avocado oils are naturally rich in monounsaturated fats… making them nutritionally similar to olive oil.
According to AvoDerm, avocado oil is added here to help support healthy skin and coat.
This dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to proteins. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
AvoDerm Natural Canned Dog Food… the Bottom Line
The ingredients contained in this AvoDerm Natural product typify the kind normally associated with a quality canned dog food.
But determining how much animal-based protein might be present here requires (at least) a glance at the product’s nutrient profile.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 36% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 17%.
High protein. High fat. And low carbohydrates (especially when you compare AvoDerm Natural to other canned dog foods).
By the way, this product and the puppy recipe are at the upper end of the protein content for the group. Excluding the Vegetarian and Lite formulas, the other two products tend to slightly depress the group’s overall rating.
Bottom line?
AvoDerm Natural is essentially an animal-based canned dog food using a variety of select meat ingredients as its primary source of protein… thus earning the brand a well-deserved four stars.
Highly recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
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