Rating: 
By Nature Goldleaf Selects gets the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the By Nature Goldleaf Selects product line includes four canned dog foods… all designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
- By Nature Goldleaf Selects Beef and Salmon au Jus
- By Nature Goldleaf Selects Simmered Duck Vegetable Medley
- By Nature Goldleaf Selects Steamed Chicken Vegetable Dinner
- By Nature Goldleaf Selects Steamed Lamb Sweet Potato Stew
By Nature Goldleaf Selects Simmered Duck with Vegetable Medley was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
By Nature Goldleaf Selects Simmered Duck with Vegetables Medley
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Duck, water, peas, carrots, potato, chicken liver, xanthan gum, vitamin A supplement, choline chloride, vitamin D3 supplement, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium iodate, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, sodium selenite, biotin
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is duck. Duck is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of duck”.1
Like most meats, duck is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is water… which (of course) adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The third ingredient lists peas. Peas are considered a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
What’s more, peas contain about 25% protein… protein that must be considered part of the total protein reported in this food.
The fourth ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The fifth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The sixth item is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
Xanthan gum is a food additive used here as a thickener to create gravy.
Also, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
By Nature Goldleaf Selects… the Bottom Line
The ingredients used to create this By Nature Goldleaf Selects dog food are certainly of good quality.
But ingredient quality only alone cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the likely amount of meat in this dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44%, a fat level of 6% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 42%.
The four products in the line feature an average protein content of 44% and a fat reading of just 6%.
Above-average protein. Low fat. And high carbohydrates compared to a typical canned dog food.
The low fat and high carb combination is suggestive of lower meat content… and probably due to the inclusion of the peas.
Just the same, this is the profile of a canned dog food containing a respectable amount of meat.
Bottom line?
By Nature Goldleaf Selects is primarily a meat-based canned dog food using a fair amount of beef, lamb or poultry as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand a four stars.
Highly recommended.
Some Final Advice
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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
- Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor from the official definition for chicken published by the American Association of Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition ↩
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I understand that at least the cat goldleaf selects are made in China. Any concerns? Thanks
Hi Lyn… I do not know where Goldleaf Selects is made. But I’m always a little queasy when it comes to Chinese ingredients due to their historical lack of quality standards.