Rating: 
Darwin’s Natural Selections Dog Food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.
The Darwin’s Natural Selections product line lists five raw frozen dog foods, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review:
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Beef and Vegetable
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Duck and Vegetable
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Bison and Vegetables
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Turkey and Vegetable
- Darwin’s Natural Selections Chicken and Vegetable
Darwin’s Natural Selections Duck and Vegetable dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Darwin's Natural Selections Duck and Vegetable
Raw Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Ground duck meat (including bone), duck gizzards, duck hearts, duck livers, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, celery, romaine, parsley, apple cider vinegar (vegetables may vary based on seasonality), organic kelp meal, organic ground flax seed, sea salt, inulin (extract of chicory), zinc, copper and iron amino acid chelates, vitamin E
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 12% | 5% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 52% | 22% | 18% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 42% | 43% | 15% |
The first ingredient in this dog food lists duck. Duck is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of duck”.1
Duck is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
In addition, this particular item is inclusive of bone, which is, of course, an excellent source of natural calcium.
The second ingredient includes duck gizzard. The gizzard is a low-fat, meaty organ found in the digestive tract of birds and assists in grinding up a consumed food. This item is considered a canine dietary delicacy.
The third ingredient is duck heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to us humans, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.
The fourth ingredient is duck liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The fifth item lists carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The list goes on to include a number of other vegetables.
But since the company mentions “vegetables may vary based on seasonality”, we elected to exclude these items from this report.
However, we do note two important additions…
First, we note the inclusion of inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and typically sourced from chicory root.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
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.
Darwin’s Natural Selections Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Since this recipe contains a number of quality organic ingredients, we feel compelled to accord this line somewhat favored status as we consider its final rating.
That’s because organic ingredients must comply with notably more stringent government standards — standards which significantly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.
Just the same, we still need to evaluate the product’s protein, fat and carbohydrate content.
Judging by its ingredients alone, Darwin’s Natural Selections looks to be an above-average raw frozen 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 52%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 18%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 51% and a mean fat level of 27%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 15% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 52%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet dog food containing a generous amount of meat.
In addition, the company claims all Natural Selections products include free-range meats and organic vegetables.
For those looking to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral diet, Darwin’s makes an excellent choice.
Bottom line?
Darwin’s Natural Selections is a meat-based raw frozen dog food using a generous amount of beef, buffalo or poultry as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
For even more raw diet suggestions, be sure to visit the Advisor’s Recommended Raw Dog Foods summary page.
Special Alert
Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.
A Final Word
The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.
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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 analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.
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Notes and Updates
02/04/2011 Original review
09/14/2011 Updated (added Buffalo recipe)
11/10/2012 Last Update
- Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor from the official definition for chicken published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition ↩
