Rating: 
Dave’s Delicate Dinner dog food gets the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.
The Dave’s Delicate Dinner product line includes just one canned dog food, claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for growth and maintenance.
Dave's Delicate Dinner
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, water sufficient for processing, rice, zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), copper sulfate, selenium yeast, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, vitamin D2 supplement and ethylenediamine dihydriodide (source of iodine)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 6% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 41% | 27% | 24% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 31% | 51% | 18% |
The first item in this dog food lists chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The third item lists rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
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, this recipe also contains selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.
And lastly, 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.
Dave’s Delicate Dinner
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Dave’s Delicate Dinner looks like an above-average canned 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 41%, a fat level of 27% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 24%.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 66%.
Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this is the profile of a wet food containing a moderate amount of meat.
However, we would have preferred to seen the inclusion of chelated minerals in this recipe.
Bottom line?
Dave’s Delicate Dinner is a meat-based canned dog food using a moderate amount of chicken as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a another wet product with more protein may wish to visit our review of Dave’s 95% Premium Dog Food.
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.
Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.
Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 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.
In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.
To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.
Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
05/21/2010 Original review
12/21/2010 Review updated
09/16/2012 Last Update
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
