Eukanuba Naturally Wild (Dry)

Rating:

Eukanuba Naturally Wild Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.

Currently, the Eukanuba Naturally Wild product line includes three kibbles.

We found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy recommendations for these dog foods on the Eukanuba website.

• Eukanuba Naturally Wild Turkey and Multigrain
• Eukanuba Naturally Wild North Atlantic Salmon and Rice
• Eukanuba Naturally Wild North New Zealand Venison and Potato

Eukanuba Naturally Wild Turkey and Multigrain Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

The first ingredient in this dog food lists turkey. Although it is a quality item, raw turkey contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.

To reflect its lighter mass, this item should more accurately occupy a lower position on the list.

Which brings us to brewers rice… the second and (more likely) the dominant ingredient in this dog food. Brewers rice represents the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice.

This is a cheap cereal grain by-product and not a quality ingredient.

The third ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.

Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered a decent quality non-meat ingredient.

The fourth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

The fifth ingredient lists barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs. This is a quality grain ingredient.

The sixth ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

Fish meal is another high-protein meat concentrate.

Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The term “fish” does little to properly describe this ingredient. What species? What parts?

Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.

What’s more, the controversial chemical ethoxyquin is frequently used as a preservative in fish meals.

But because it’s usually added to the raw fish before processing, the chemical does not have to be reported to consumers.

We find no public assurances from the company this product is ethoxyquin-free.

Without knowing more, and based upon this fish meal’s location on the list of ingredients, we would expect to find at least a trace of ethoxyquin in this product.

The eighth ingredient is 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. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The ninth 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.

After chicken flavor, we find 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 have much of an effect on the overall quality of this product.

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.

Eukanuba Naturally Wild Dog Food… the Bottom Line

The ingredients used to make Eukanuba Naturally Wild Dog Food are certainly of above-average quality.

Just the same, ingredient quality alone does not tell the whole story of any dog food. We also need to estimate the amount of meat present before we determine a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 26%, a fat level of 16% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 51%.

By the way, all three products in the line reveal the same nutrient content as the turkey formula featured here.

Moderate protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.

With no sign of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Naturally Wild might just be Eukanuba’s best kibble. Yet we’re disappointed by the company’s decision to include lower quality brewers rice in its formula.

Bottom line?

Eukanuba Naturally Wild is primarily a grain-based dry kibble using a fair amount of turkey, venison or salmon as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.

Recommended.

Those looking for a comparable kibble from the same company may want to check out our review of Eukanuba Natural Dog Food.

A Final Word

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.

Notes and Updates

11/13/2009 Original review
06/11/2010 Review updated

Tagged as: adult, dry, maintenance