Rating: 
Exclusive Dog Food earns the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.
The Exclusive Dog Food product line includes 8 kibbles… 6 claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance and 2 for all life stages (puppy formulas).
- Exclusive Lamb and Rice Adult
- Exclusive Chicken and Rice Adult
- Exclusive Chicken and Rice Senior
- Exclusive Chicken and Rice Puppy
- Exclusive Chicken and Rice Reduced Fat
- Exclusive Chicken and Rice Large Breed Adult
- Exclusive Chicken and Rice Large Breed Puppy
- Exclusive Chicken and Rice Performance Formula
Exclusive Chicken and Rice Large Breed Adult dog food was chosen to represent the others in the line for this review.
Exclusive Chicken and Rice Large Breed Adult
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal (a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin), cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, ground white rice, corn gluten meal, oatmeal, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols (a form of vitamin E), beet pulp, natural chicken flavor, egg product, flaxseed, fish meal, potassium chloride, salt, salmon oil (a source of DHA), choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, l-carnitine, Yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and more likely the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.
Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third 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.
The fourth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fifth ingredient is white rice… a less nutritious form of rice in which the grain’s healthier outer layer has been removed.
The sixth ingredient mentions corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins low in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, fiber and is also (unlike many other grains) gluten-free.
The eighth 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 ninth ingredient lists 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 the natural flavor, we find 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.
The next 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.
Fish meal is another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The generic term “fish” does little to adequately describe this ingredient.
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
However, we are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item appears1 to be ethoxyquin-free.
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, 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 dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Exclusive Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Judging by all but one of its ingredients alone, Exclusive Dog Food appears to be an above-average kibble.
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 28%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 50%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 47% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
In addition, when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
However, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include corn gluten meal to enhance the protein content in its recipes. For without this less costly meat substitute, we’d have been compelled to award this product our next higher rating.
Bottom line?
Exclusive Dog Food is a grain-based dry kibble using a moderate amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 3 stars.
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
03/15/2010 Original review
10/15/2010 Review updated
02/06/2011 Review updated (no changes)
- Exclusive Dog Food website, 10/15/2010 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.
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