Rating: 
Eagle Pack dry dog food gets the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.
The Eagle Pack Dog Food product line lists nine kibbles… seven meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance and two for growth (puppy recipes).
- Eagle Pack Small Bites Original Adult Pork Meal & Chicken Meal
- Eagle Pack Original Adult Pork Meal & Chicken Meal
- Eagle Pack Adult Reduced Fat Formula (3 stars)
- Eagle Pack Original Adult Lamb Meal & Rice
- Eagle Pack Large & Giant Breed Puppy
- Eagle Pack Large & Giant Breed Adult
- Eagle Pack Power Adult
- Eagle Pack Senior
- Eagle Pack Puppy
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Adult Formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Adult
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, ground brown rice, ground white rice, ground yellow corn, chicken fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), dried beet pulp, pork meal, brewers dried yeast, anchovy & sardine meal, flaxseed, dried egg product, wheat germ meal, potassium chloride, dl-methionine, vitamins [vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, niacin supplement,mpyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), biotin], minerals [polysaccharide complexes of zinc, iron, manganese and copper, cobalt carbonate, potassium iodate, sodium selenite], choline chloride, dried kelp, lecithin, rosemary extract, glucosamine hydrochloride, Yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilus, Bacillus licheniformis, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger fermentation products, mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
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 item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third ingredient is white rice… a less nutritious form of brown rice in which the grain’s healthier outer layer has been removed.
The fourth item is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The fifth 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 sixth item lists dried beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
Two of the next three ingredients include animal-based proteins… pork meal plus anchovy and sardine meals. Like chicken meal, both of these items are also considered high-protein meat concentrates.
The eighth ingredient lists brewers dried yeast. Although it is a by-product of the beer making process, brewers yeast contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.
The tenth ingredient is 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.
The next ingredient is dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
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 three notable exceptions…
First, we note the inclusion of wheat germ meal… a mixture of nutritious by-products of the wheat milling process. Even though wheat germ meal contains at least 25% protein, this plant-based ingredient will likely have only minimal impact on the protein content of this dog food.
Next, 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 amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb.
Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Eagle Pack Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Eagle Pack appears to be a quality dry 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 27%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
Due to its apparently lower meat content, the Reduced Fat formula was downgraded to our next lower category.
If we disregard the Reduced Fat recipe, the remaining products feature an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 16%. 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.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Eagle Pack Dog Food is a grain-based dry kibble using a moderate amount of chicken, lamb or pork meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
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
02/25/2010 Original review
09/27/2010 Updated
09/04/2011 Updated (name changes, added Senior)
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.