Rating: 
Go Natural Dog Food (canned) earns the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.
Currently, the Go Natural product line lists four canned foods… each designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Go Natural Salmon and Vegetables
- Go Natural Chicken and Vegetables
- Go Natural Grain Free Freshwater Trout
- Go Natural Grain Free Chicken/Turkey/Duck
Go Natural Salmon and Vegetables was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Go Natural Salmon and Vegetables
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Salmon, salmon broth, chicken liver, brown rice, wild rice, potatoes, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, dried egg white, red peppers, apples, guar gum, flaxseed meal, sunflower oil, garlic, sea salt, dried kelp, Yucca schidigera extract, minerals and vitamins
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first item in this dog food is salmon. Salmon is a fatty marine and freshwater fish naturally high in protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids… essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is salmon broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The third ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
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 mentions wild rice. Wild rice is high in protein, nutrients and dietary fiber… and (like all rice) gluten free.
The sixth item lists potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are an excellent source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The list goes on to detail a number of nutrient-rich vegetables…
- Carrots
- Peas
- Sweet potatoes
- Red peppers
- Apples
- Kelp
Egg whites are another high protein ingredient. Eeggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
Guar gum is a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.
Flaxseed meal is one of the best plant-based sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax meal is particularly rich in soluble fiber.
Sunflower oil is high in linoleic acid… an essential omega-6 fatty acid needed by every dog to sustain life.
But the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in a food is nutritionally critical… and can vary significantly (depending on the quality of the source ingredient itself).
There are several different types of sunflower oil… some better than others. Without knowing more, it is impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.
Garlic is a controversial item. In rare cases, garlic has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1
Most of the professional literature we surveyed did not provide any conclusive warnings regarding the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).
Although we see no reason to be overly concerned, we do feel it is a mistake to include such controversial ingredients in any dog food product.
Yucca schidigera is a natural extract made from a flowering desert plant and is used in pet foods to control odor.
The vitamins and minerals added to this product are not detailed sufficiently here to permit us to judge their quality. However, the website does assure consumers these minerals are chelated.
Chelated minerals are minerals that have been chemically attached to proteins. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Go Natural Canned Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Based upon ingredient quality alone, Go Natural is an exceptional canned dog food.
But ingredient quality alone cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 46%, a fat level of 23% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 24%.
Featuring a brand average of 47%, protein numbers range from a low of 44% for the Chicken and Vegetables recipe to a whopping 55% for the Grain Free Chicken/Turkey/Duck formula.
Fat was an impressive 28% for the group. These figures suggest a notably low carbohydrate content of about 17%.
High protein. Above-average fat (normal with good meat content). And remarkably low carbohydrates… when compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no plant-based protein enhancers anywhere in sight, this is the profile of a wet food containing an abundance of meat.
Also noteworthy… two of the products are 100% grain-free. Those looking to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral diet will find Go Natural Grain Free “wet” an excellent choice.
Bottom line?
Go Natural Canned is primarily a meat-based wet dog food using a generous supply of poultry or fish as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand a well-deserved five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Looking for a quality kibble to go with this canned product? Check out our review of the Go Natural dry dog food product line.
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.
- Yamato et al, Heinz Body hemolytic anemia with eccentrocytosis from ingestion of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 41:68-73 (2005) ↩
