AvoDerm Natural Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

AvoDerm Natural dry dog food earns the Advisor’s second-highest rating of 4 stars.

The AvoDerm Natural dog food product line includes 11 kibbles… five claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance, two for growth and four for all life stages.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

According to the company, AvoDerm Natural Lamb Meal and Brown Rice is designed for pets with sensitive stomachs.

AvoDerm Natural Chicken Meal and Brown Rice Large Breed Adult was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

AvoDerm Natural Large Breed Adult Formula

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 29% | Fat = 11% | Carbs = 52%

Ingredients: Chicken meal, ground whole brown rice, ground whole white rice, oatmeal, salmon meal, rice bran, avocado, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace (source of lycopene), flax seed (source of omega-3 fatty acid), alfalfa meal, chicken cartilage (natural source of chondroitin sulfate & glucosamine), natural flavor, egg product, salt, potassium chloride, kelp meal, vitamins (choline chloride, a-tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), niacin, calcium pantothenate, vitamin a supplement, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, folic acid), minerals (zinc sulfate, zinc amino acid chelate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, manganese amino acid chelate, copper sulfate, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), avocado oil, taurine, rosemary extract, sage extract, lecithin, pineapple stem (source of bromelain), papain, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis26%10%NA
Dry Matter Basis29%11%52%
Calorie Weighted Basis27%25%48%

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 ingredient includes brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient. It’s a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.

The third ingredient is white rice… a less nutritious form of rice in which the grain’s healthier outer layer has been removed.

The fourth item is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in fiber, B-vitamins and is (unlike many other grains) mostly gluten-free.

The fifth ingredient is salmon meal. Like chicken meal, salmon meal is another high-protein meat concentrate.

We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item1 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.

The sixth ingredient is 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 seventh ingredient is avocado. Avocado can be a controversial item.

Supporters claim the ingredient to be nutrient rich and beneficial to a dog’s skin and coat… while others worry over what are mostly unsubstantiated concerns over potential toxicity.

These fears appear to originate from a 1984 study in which goats (not dogs) consumed the leaves (not the fruit) of the Guatemalan (not the Mexican) avocado… and became sick.2

Based upon our own review of the literature, it is our opinion that the anxiety over avocado ingredients in dog food (in reasonable amounts, of course) is probably unjustified.

The eighth ingredient lists 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 ninth ingredient lists 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 tenth ingredient mentions 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.

However, plant-based oils (like flax) are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

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, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.

And lastly, this 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.

AvoDerm Natural Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, AvoDerm Natural Dry appears 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 29%, a fat level of 11% and estimated carbohydrates of about 52%.

However, due to their notably decreased meat content, the Senior, Lite and Vegetarian recipes have all been downgraded to a lower category.

If you eliminate the three lower-rated products from our analysis, the remaining group features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 15%.

Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 48% for the overall product line.

Average protein. Average fat. And 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 a moderate amount of meat.

In addition, it’s important to acknowledge the absence here of any critical Red Flag items.

Bottom line?

AvoDerm Natural is a grain-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of poultry or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a nice wet product from the same company may wish to visit our review of AvoDerm Natural 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 a specific health benefit 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

02/14/2010 Original review
08/30/2010 Review updated (ethoxyquin-free)
09/18/2010 Review updated
03/12/2011 Review updated (new recipes)
03/12/2011 Last Update

  1. AvoDerm Customer Service, 8/30/2010 ↩
  2. Craigmill AL, et al. Toxicity of avocado (Persea americana, Guatamalan variety) leaves: review and preliminary report, Vet Hum Toxicol 1984;26:381 ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Jonathan

    Jeremy, try adding Salmon Oil to your dog’s Blue. I started using Salmon oil (you can get it at most pet stores) with my Sadie dog, and after 5 days, I could already tell a difference in her coat. She even stopped shedding by about 60%. Not to mention she LOVES the taste!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jeremy… Our reviews are based strictly upon apparent ingredient quality and estimated meat content and not expected results. Unfortunately, due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, I cannot provide customized product recommendations for each reader. For more help, please check out my reviews and visit our FAQ page. Look for the topic, “Help Me Choose a Dog Food”. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers.

  • Jeremy B

    MIke,

    My dog has shown some weakness in her coat over the past 6 months and we are thinking that this could be related to her diet. She is currently eating Blue Buffalo. Everything is great with her except for her coat. Before we spend thousands of dollars trying to see if her coat can get any better from a vet, we wanted to try another food. I noticed that this food claims to have good results with skin and coat. Do you recommend this food for coat growth? If not, any other food that you would recommend us trying?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Connie… I’m sure your vet means well. However, based on ingredient quality and meat content, there are many better dog foods out there for you to choose from. Most (but not all) “senior” dog foods are notorious for being low in meat content and high in carbs. Just because a dog is less active as he ages and needs fewer calories, it’s hard to justify such high carb diets. You may wish to look through our higher-rated dog foods and simply feed less than the suggested amount. Hope this helps.

  • David G

    I’ve been feeding our 3 the Avoderm and TOTW and getting alot better results since i took them off the purina dog chow.
    If you started feeding any of the 3, 4, 5 star foods list here i’m sure you would see alot of good results as well.
    I have no complaints with the Avoderm and it may be a good starting point for you. Just make sure to transition the food over 1-3 weeks

  • http://divecatalina.net Connie Rae

    I have two dogs; one is 13 years old. The 13 year old is a llaso poodle mix who has been eating Science Diet matue dog food for years. It is all that my vet sells and although I’ve heard controversy over it, my vet says it’s one of the best. It has only a one star. Why shouldn’t I believe my vet? I am beginning to believe that he makes more money selling this and of course, at premium pricing I’d rather have a higher real meat contest like the holistic or Avoderm. What do you recommend?

  • Brandi

    Denise Rae – I am getting a 3/4 blue heeler, 1/4 Australian Shepherd mix this weekend and am looking at gradually switching her to AvoDerm Puppy (she’s on purina puppy now). It’s good to hear that your dogs are doing great on it. I am probably going to switch my older Shiba Inu (7yr, 4 mo) to the senior since she’s getting up there in age and will need some good food to keep up with Rami (the new puppy).

  • Melissa

    Lol..both Meagan and David. Its amazing what dogs will do and what they are capable of “knowing”. I adopted an Iggy that was fed Purina since the day he was rescued. He was a “total freak” and he came to me as a foster orginally, then permanent. The first day I figured to feed him his regular food that he was used to, and my dogs ate theirs. He sniffed at the crate door to see what they had and when I let him out 20 mins later, I discovered that not only had he not eaten, but he had pooped in the bowl atop the food. He went directly on “my dogs” food after that and now gleefully finishes every meal(prefers Canidae to Propac) topped with canned.

  • David G

    speaking of DROOL, stopped by the neighbors to visit and just so happens i’d just picked up a bag of TOTW HP.
    I’ve been discussing dog foods with them already, so thought what the heck, we’ll see what Ragen (8 month old German Shep 92 lbs) thinks of this stuff. So i open the bag, grab a small handful of food and proceed to let him eat a little at a time out of my hand. needless to say he devours it and as we continue our conversation, we turn around to see the dog sitting & staring at the back door of my car, he’d raise his head to peer thru the window to see that yellow bag. So we call him back to the garage and as he comes back to the garage we see this huge string of slobber hanging to the ground and of course the neighbors are just stunned!! and all i can say is ” See, he knows good food!” jaws dropped and still staring in awe at the dog they say ” think we’ll be switching foods now”. Of course, he then follows me around for the next 2 hrs sniffing and prancing and drooling for another handful of this food.
    The awful thing is Ragen has been fed Purina and now Bil-jac since he was a pup and they have been paying more for this food than what the TOTW cost. We’ll get them on the right track soon enough

  • Meagan

    Not sure if i would rather have them bark or drool. My catahoula starts dripping saliva when I am getting up the stairs before I even open the food container. I think he needs a bib. HA ha

  • David G

    LOL, My mini aussie Roamin’ has to bark for his bowl every morning. It’s just his routine.

  • Melissa

    Meagan–

    LOL..I have never had a single bag last that long, so I am amazed! : ) That is the idea of what I do- The “base” of my crews food right now is the ProPac with the Canidae mixed in. Since our food goes quickly, I mix it in a bin(keeping the bags) and there is not a concern of it going bad. I mix it in the bin at 2-1 favoring the Propac. To that, I add the smallest bag of a grainfree(right now its the Instinct) When that mix is gone, I repeat the bin mixing process but with a new grain free.(The Propac and the Canidae will remain the same for a few months, then the Propac goes(the oldest) then a few months later the Canidae etc)

    For those wondering about my rational or how I choose brands-Some of my dogs do best with the corn in the food, some do best with probiotics, and others get gas from the probiotics. It took a while, but I found this mix favors all the dogs(except the one who can only eat grainfree) As I rotate out foods, its replaced with a “like” food-for example, the ProPac has no probiotics and would be replaced with a food w.out Probiotics etc.

    I have been feeding based on the calories of the “main base”(propac) and all seem to have wonderful body weight now and coats. Some are actually getting a bit pudgy, so in another week or two I will cut those back until I find the “right” amounts.

    Since your food lasts so long Meagan, you could also just feed the normal amount of dry and use the 5 star as an added in topper(which we do with the better 5 star fish based products so that my bin doesn’t smell fishy!) When I do this, I just dish up their food, reach into the bag and sprinkle a handful on top of the “regular” mix. The only problem we have now is that the dogs bark their fool heads off at feeding time waiting for their bowls to hit the floor!

  • Meagan

    Melissa- I have a 40# bag of Diamond Naturals Beef and Rice that they have only been eating for about two weeks. That leaves about 2 months or more left of the bag.
    I would really like to buy another brand and start doing the “mix rotation” with that. Should I buy the smallest bag of a new brand (say Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural) and mix in little by little every day? and then when that small bag is gone buy a different brand? Thats the idea right..

  • Melissa

    David G-

    I have to say getting one food for all dogs can be a problem. lol, and that was one of the reasons I started mixing them together(and not being able to get one brand as often as I needed-we feed ALOT of dog food here) Just today called the petstore to order Propac and Canidae, and was told their warehouse is out-it will be 2 weeks to get it..sigh…

  • David G

    That was kinda my point as well Melissa about mixing 2 or more together. What one food may lack in nutrients, ingredients, proteins, or carbs etc. — another food may make up for.
    Denise, We have a Mini Aussie(2.5), Toy Aussie(3), and a Sheltie(7) that started out very well on the Avoderm.The Mini occasionally turns away from the Avoderm but eats the other kibble— this is why i am trying the mixed diet instead of the rotational diet, to see what kibbles they really go after and which ones they don’t care for. Also, i can buy the smaller bags to mix together more evenly and if one or the other dislikes a particular kibble then they have the other to fall back on. The goal here is to find the very best food that all 3 will do well on together.

  • Denise Rae

    I have one Australian Cattle Dog and one Australian Shepherd, I have been feeding Avo-Derm chicken adult for 3 years, and I fed the puppy for 2 years, my cattle dog will be 5 in June and I always have people comment on how clean and soft my dogs are even when they are dirty and I know they need a bath people always say how clean they are, I don’t brush them as often as I should, but they never have knots or tangles, they are doing great on this food and I believe they gave it four stars, I just give it to them dry, I don’t feed scraps or add anything to it. they love it, and when training I use it for treat rewards. They will do anything for it.

  • melissa

    Mike P-

    How would you be missing out on nutrients by mixing foods together? Isn;t a meal of chicken and fish more nutritious then just a meal of chicken? : ) Is your salad any “worse” for you if you are eating it as an appetizer than if you are eating it solo?

    Each food has the potential to be lacking in something, or “too high” in something. If you feed one food long term, you are increasing the chances of either deficits or toxic overload. The question becomes “how long equals too long?” to feed any one product. I have dogs that are sensitive to food change, and due to breed genetics, are more prone to developing certain conditions from food changes(IBD/Colitis and pancreatitis) . If I switched foods every bag, I would be paying a whole lot of vet bills.

    One thing I will tell you, is that I never alternate between same brands. My personal belief is that if something were to be lacking in a company’s product or excessive in a companys product, it will be across the board in product line-so I switch between brands, rather than protein source within a brand. I switch what I consider to be the “baseline” foods probably three times a year, and during that time often add a third food into the mix randomly to vary their diet and keep it exciting.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Mike P… You’d probably be getting an even more nutritious overall nutrient profile by using diet rotation. No mixture could be perfect. What in life is? But by diversifying the proteins, nutrients, etc. you are minimizing the shortcomings of each recipe. Good job.

  • Mike P

    Hey guys , my only question is … Are you missing out on nutrients by mixing two foods together ? I mean if you rotate every 3rd bag would you be getting max nutrents the way quality foods are designed to do ??

  • Meagan

    Melissa-Great idea! I have run into problems of food not being there when I need it. I think I may be able to afford to feed two at once. I was thinking of running through the earthborn holistic formulas with the diamond naturals.

  • melissa

    Meagan-

    that is what I do as well, except I only mix two drys at a time, not three. I started doing this several years ago as it was often a problem getting foods at the store(not the big box ones) and I did not want stomach issues as we ran into before..so now, if one is not available, there are no stomach issues simply switching 100percent to the other food if need be. Right now, for the time being, it looks like I will do Pro Pac and Canidae, then either pro pac or Canidae and a new one..each “cycle” I change out the “oldest’ one-

    Right now , they are eating Pro Pac and Annamaet, but the Annamaet did cause loose stool in some of them!

  • Meagan

    Ok cool! Makes perfect sense. I might try this with mine

  • Jonathan

    That’s right, Jackie… hey that’s my daughter’s name! :-) and my Jackie helps me do just that every morning. Sadie gets 3 cups a day, so in the morning, she gets 1 1/2 cups which is simply 1/2 cup of each of the three foods. Then we do that again at night. If I top her food at night with fat, oil, or canned, I just eliminate some of the kibble so that she’s not getting too many calories.

  • Jackie

    I suppose you could just put in even amounts. If your dog eats 3 cups of food a day, 1 cup of each. ;)

  • Meagan

    Jonathan- How do you mix them together evenly enough?

  • Jonathan

    Or, you could try what I do… I have three foods mixed evenly together all the time. When one bag runs out, a new third food is introduced. This routine I have Sadie on makes bringing in a new food simple, because each new food only replaces a 3rd of what she was eating. So far, I have not seen any stool problems. Right now she is eating Earthborn Primitive Natural, Core original, and Nutro Herring. The Nutro is almost gone, so I’m going to introduce a third grain-free food and try to keep rotating on 5-star foods only. Of course, when money is tight, I know I can always slip in a bag of Pro Pac or Perfectly Natural, which Sadie loves, and not feel bad about it.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi David… For your dog’s enjoyment, why not consider diet rotation rather than mixing the two together.

  • Mike P

    hi david, i use avoderm canned as a topper with merricks before grain . her coat is silky soft ..i also brush daily

  • David G

    Hi to everyone, I have been feeding our 3 dogs Avoderm chicken/rice for a few weeks now with some marked improvements in skin and coat.
    And the most notable improvement has been huge reduction in waste ( new meaning to “purina dog chow is literally crap!”)
    Anyway, I’m thinking about trying 2 different brands together and was curious how many others way be doing this as well???
    I’m thinking the Avoderm and TOTW together just for the added benefit of their respective ingredients together.
    Or, should i just stick to one and stay with it?

  • Meagan

    Jessica- (Jan 23) Avoderm has a cat formula that does not have corn in it. Its is the adult Salmon and Brown Rice.
    Ingredients
    Salmon, Salmon Meal, Ground Whole Brown Rice, Ground Whole White Rice, Egg Product, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols). Yay bout time they figured it out for the kitties.

  • Jonathan

    Sounds like a well-fed pup, CathyB! :-)

  • CathyB

    I want to thank Mike and all contributors for a great website. I had lots of trouble with my Multigen Labradoodle, who seemed to have only three modes when I first switched her diet away from Wellness Puppy when we got her because the lamb was causing allergic reactions in MY skin (I had found the same with our cat and his food, so at least I knew it wasn’t the dog, thank goodness). It seemed like no matter what i tried at first, she always had diarrhea, bad constipation, and anxiety scratching. After lots and lots of reading ingredient lists and trial and error two years later I have come up with a mix of three foods which have worked miracles for us: Avoderm Dry Chicken and Rice for the itch, and to loosen up some constipation, Evo Chicken dry, and Taste of the Wild Salmon because it’s apparently delicious. Plus my daughter shares meat and cheese when she’s snacking or gets full before her plate is empty, and when I’m preparing chicken for the family , I often ‘accidentally’ drop some on the floor. This way she doesn’t bother me at the table, but I feel like she’s getting a fair deal. She also gets Paul Newman’s Peanut Butter treats and Charlie bear cheese and egg treats occasionally, and she seems to be an incredibly healthy and happy dog.

  • Jackie

    Based on your review site (and the limited choices in West TX) I started feeding my mini poodle Avoderm Naturals. He loves it! I got him from a shelter where they fed Pedigree (which is much lower quality), so he is very pleased. I have been slowly transferring him from the Pedigree and he has been doing well, no bowel problems. Avoderm itself is just a much more appetizing food: it isn’t dusty or grainy; the packaging is airtight so it isn’t stale; and it is in small enough sizes that he has no trouble eating it (he is 15.4 lbs).
    Thanks Mr Sagman!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi John F… I’ll check on these recipes as soon as possible. We’ll also look into the grain free product line, too. Thanks for the update.

  • John F.

    Hi Mike, I left you a note before that the ingredient list had changed slightly with Avoderm… well, they’ve FINALLY updated their website to reflect the change: http://www.avodermnatural.com/Dog_Foods/adult_cr.htm

    Whenever you get around to it, I’d much appreciate an updated review. I understand you’re very busy, but I just thought I’d pass this along. And to echo what another commenter said, Avoderm is now making grain-free formulas.

    Thanks for all that you do!

  • Gail

    Hi, great website. I started my little dog on Avoderm canned dog food and he’s doing great on it. He used to smell bad and have awful smelling gas from Purina. Glad I switched! It’s not that expensive either for a much better dog food.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sue… Please be sure to read my comments and footnote about avocado included in this review. I summarize my narrative there with the following statement…

    “It is our opinion that the anxiety over avocado ingredients in dog food (in reasonable amounts, of course) is probably unjustified.”

    Hope this helps reassure you.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kathleen… Thanks to your suggestion, I’ve now added AvoDerm Grain Free to my To Do list. However, due to our current backlog of products for review, it could be a while longer before we get to it. Thanks again for the tip.

  • sue

    if Avacado is toxic to your dog why would you feed that.

  • Kathleen

    Avoderm has just come out with a grain free formula. beef and salmon options.

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