Rating: 
Before Grain Dog Food (dry) receives the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.
Currently, the Before Grain Dog Food product line includes three grain-free kibbles… designed to meet AAFCO1 guidelines “for all life stages”.2
- Before Grain Buffalo Dog Food
- Before Grain Chicken Dog Food
- Before Grain Salmon Dog Food
Before Grain Buffalo Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Before Grain Buffalo
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Buffalo deboned, chicken meal, potato dehydrated, turkey meal, canola oil, sweet potato dehydrated, (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of natural vitamin E and ascorbic acid, a source of vitamin C), yeast culture, natural dried chicken liver, dicalcium phosphate, lysine, guar gum, sea salt, alfalfa, salmon oil, choline chloride, acai berry freeze-dried, blueberry dried, yucca schidigera extract, dried venison broth, zinc amino acid complex,chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride, natural venison flavor, chicory root, marigold extract, rosemary extract, Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, natural celery flavor, iron amino acid complex, vitamin E supplement, manganese amino acid complex, natural color (tumeric), vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, copper amino acid complex, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3, niacin, lecithin, riboflavin supplement, biotin, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cobalt amino acid complex, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food includes buffalo. Raw buffalo contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
That’s what makes any uncooked meat a much smaller contributor to the overall protein content of a dry dog food than its equivalent and comparable meat meal.
So, don’t give much credence to buffalo’s “first ingredient” status here. To reflect its lighter weight, this item should more accurately occupy a much lower position on the list.
Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant ingredient in this dog food.
Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than even fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is dehydrated potato… a dried product made from potatoes and retaining most of the tuber’s healthy nutrients.
The fourth item is turkey meal. Like chicken meal, turkey meal is also considered a quality meat concentrate.
The fifth ingredient includes canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.3
Further down the list, we also find salmon oil… another quality ingredient also rich in omega 3 fatty acids.
The company also appears to have added back some of the live bacteria lost during the cooking process. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
This dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Before Grain Dry Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Judging from the fine ingredients, Before Grain Dog Food looks to be an impressive dry product.
But a fair evaluation cannot be considered complete without a good look at the product’s protein-fat-carb profile.
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 17% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 39%.
Fairly high protein. Moderate fat. And reasonably low carbohydrates (when compared to the typical dry kibble).
The nutrient gauges confirm our first impression… Before Grain Dry Dog Food is indeed a high-quality kibble.
Bottom line?
Before Grain is predominantly a meat-based dry dog food using a variety of superior animal ingredients as its primary source of protein… thus earning the brand a well-deserved five-star rating.
Enthusiastically 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.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself?
Please feel free to share your comments below.
- American Association of Feed Control Officials ↩
- Merrick Pet Care, 02/08/2010 ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005), retrieved 12/05/2009 ↩
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
where can i get to buy the Before Grain Buffalo dog food in columbus, ohio
Hi Yaw… Before Grain Dog Food (also called “BG”) is made by the folks who make Merrick dog food. Just go to the Merrick store locator and fill-in your location. That should present you with a list of stores in your area. Hope this helps.
Hello-I just wanted to say I put my dog on Before Grain’s chicken and we have also tried the Buffalo,she loves this product-her poops are good,her eyes shine,her hair is so soft and it just glows.I would highly recommend this product!!
Hi. Is this food suitable for large breed puppies?
Hi Rena… according to the company’s website, Before Grain dry kibble meets AAFCO nutrition profiles “for all life stages”… which (to me) implies it’s suitable for large breed puppies, too.
I’ve heard that high protein (over 30%) can cause diarrhea in dogs. This Merrick product looks very good to me, but I want to be sure that it will be well tolerated by my dog, who appears to have a rather sensitive GI tract.
Hi Jon… soft stools with high protein foods are usually more related to the lack of fiber than anything else. Remember, high meat content always means low grain content. Fiber is never found in any meat. It only comes from the cell walls of plants.
So, you may want to try a food with slightly less meat and a little more dietary fiber. As always, it all depends on what works for your dog. Hope this helps.
I have tried numerous other choices in dog food for my prior dogs and current dog; taste of the wild, california naturals, pure wellness core, blue buffalo, canidae, evo, and innova. None have compared to before grain. Having a grain intolerant dog, I had to become very knowledgeable very fast when it came to the ingredients in a dog food. I have had my dog on before grain salmon for about 10 months and he does beautifully on it. Though merrick’s is attempting to phase out their 100% tripe, I am still able to contract it from a few stores and that also adds to the health of my dog. He has a gorgeous coat and maintains a steady healthy weight, imperative for a show dog. I get compliments everywhere I go and fully accredit it to his food. I would highly recommend before grain to anyone looking for a high quality dog food.
I just started my 2 dogs (Chocolate Lab and Basset Hound) 3 weeks ago on B.G. they both are doing fabulous on this food! After reading the previous review I am a bit concerned what is the Merrick 100% tripe? I am not familiar with this. Are they trying to phase out the B.G. line? I hope not, the girls love this new find!
Hi Melissa… I agree, Before Grain is a fine dog food. However, I’m not aware of any plans for Merrick to discontinue this excellent product line.
The 100% tripe is a canned line of dog food merrick’s offers. They are phasing out the 100% tripe for a 95% tripe.
Hi Shenee… Thanks for the tip. We currently list 96% Tripe on the Merrick canned dog food review. Is this different from what you were referring to? Didn’t see anything new on the Before Grain website.
my chihuahua is on 2 medications for gastric reflux and was on a RX food for a long time…she was doing ok but I decided to try her on BG Buffalo some months ago. On her last vet visit the vet commented on how her fur felt like ” velvet and her muscle mass was right on target ” I am so pleased with this food…I have 3 dogs in total and they all love the BG ….
Hello,
I have had my dog on BC Buffalo and now changed to Salmon due to his age of 13 yrs. I also have a Yorkie who loves the food. But now, his uranalysis shows proteins of 3 and I think they will retest tomorrow, but I’m concerned that they will want him on a low protein diet, and will have to discontinue his love of his food. Do you have any brands for kidney health that is low protein and low grain, as he is allergic to wheat and other grains. Please help.
Jen
A LOYAL Customer
Hi Jen… there are many dog foods out there that are low in protein. But because they are so far from a “biologically appropriate” canine diet we never rate them very high.
Using a low protein diet to treat kidney disease is somewhat of a controversial issue.
Before you decide for sure you’d like your dogs on a low protein diet, I’d suggest you read the Orijen white paper published by Champion Petfoods of Canada. Be sure to read the sections that specifically address the controversial issue regarding kidney disease and the amount of protein in a dog’s diet.
I hope that excellent article will help you find the answer to your question. And don’t hesitate to discuss this critical subject with your dog’s veterinarian.
Our dog has been eating Before Grain since he was a puppy and his health is our reward for paying a little extra for a superior brand dog food. Our English Bulldog loves the Buffalo flavor.
I am currently feeding my pregnant bitch Before Grain Buffalo and Salmon (alternating). She loves it and is doing well on it. I am looking for a food for the puppies after they are weened. Do you recommend Before Grain for puppies or should I feed puppies a puppy food like Orijen?
Hi Kelly… Before Grain and Orijen are both excellent dog foods. Although Before Grain does not offer a dry puppy food, all its kibbles appear to be rated for “all life stages”. So, your puppies should be fine with either one.
I have two lhasa apsos, 4 and 5 years old, and the male has serious allergy problems. I am considering switching them to a grain free food to see if that helps his situation at all. Up until this point, they have both been on Science Diet’s Adult Formula.
I’ve read that some grain free options are too high protein and can cause problems for smaller dogs and dogs that live a quieter, less active, indoor lifestyle and I’d like to avoid that.
Would Before Grain be a good option to try or possibly Acana? Any others that you would recommend in my case?
Hi Sara… Since I’m not a veterinarian, I cannot make recommendations for treating or feeding your specific pet. Although I do review and rate dog foods, I cannot assure you a high protein food like Before Grain is the right choice for your pet.
However, my personal favorite explanation and justification for a high protein diet can be found in a white paper written by Champion Petfoods and entitled “The Biologically Appropriate Food Concept and the Dietary Needs of Dogs and Cats“. Hope this helps.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your response. I’ve spent a good bit of time researching dog foods (and cat foods) recently and it is tricky to find anyone who will make a firm recommendation for one food over another (except the vets, who recommend Science Diet and Iams)…
However, I’ve noticed one brand that seems to be more enthusiastically recommended on most sites than other brands, so we’re going to give Orijen a try.
Thanks again for your response and your site was very informative.
I have been giving my 5 yr. yorkie BG for about two years. He had developed allergies (we know it’s not the food at this date) and is gaining weight. I would like to know the number of calories in a cup of BG. Thanks for your help!
Hi Jan… Before Grain is made by Merrick Pet Foods in Amarillo, Texas. You should be able to get an answer to your question by calling Merrick Customer Service at 800-664-7387. Hope this helps.