Rating: 
Go! canned dog food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.
The Go! product line includes 4 canned dog foods, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Go! Salmon and Vegetables
- Go! Chicken and Vegetables
- Go! Grain Free Freshwater Trout
- Go! Grain Free Chicken/Turkey/Duck
Go! 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, minerals (iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), carrageenan, tricalcium phosphate, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin), Yucca schidigera extract
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 empty. But because they add moisture to a dog food they’re 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. Eggs 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.
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, garlic can be a controversial item. Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1
However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic, especially in small amounts (as it is here).
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Go! Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredient quality alone, Go! looks to be an above-average 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%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 47% and a mean fat level of 28%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 17% for the overall product line.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And very low carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing generous amount 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! Grain Free “wet” an excellent choice.
Bottom line?
Go! canned dog food is a meat-based wet product using an abundance of poultry or fish as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 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
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 specific health benefits 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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
05/29/2010 Original review
12/29/2010 Review updated
11/22/2011 Review updated, name changes
- 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) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.