Rating: 
Joy Dog Food receives the Advisor’s bottom tier rating of 1 star.
The Joy Dog Food product line includes 11 kibbles. Because we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these products on the Joy website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.
- Joy Super Meal
- Joy Basic Blend
- Joy Puppy Food
- Joy Special Meal
- Joy Special Chunk
- Joy Maintenance Plus
- Joy Professional Adult Formula
- Joy Lamb Meal and Rice Formula
- Joy Professional High Energy Plus
- Joy High Performance Mini Chunks
- Joy Professional Performance Formula
Joy Special Meal Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Joy Special Meal
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Meat and bone meal, ground yellow corn, ground wheat, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), corn gluten feed, dried beet pulp, flaxseed meal, natural flavors, salt, calcium propionate (preservative), minerals (zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate monohydrate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), vitamins (vitamin A acetate, D-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3), vitamin E supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), choline chloride
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 12% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 13% | 50% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 26% | 29% | 45% |
The first item in this dog food lists meat and bone meal… a dry “rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents”.1
Meat and bone meal has a lower digestibility than most other meat meals.
Scientists believe this decreased protein quality may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.2
What’s worse, this particular item is anonymous. It doesn’t even specify the source animal.
Even though meat and bone meals are still considered protein-rich meat concentrates, we do not consider a generic ingredient like this a quality item.
The second ingredient 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 third ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another problematic grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).
The fourth ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower 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 fifth ingredient is soybean meal. Soybean meal is actually a useful by-product. It’s what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.
Soybean meal contains 48% protein. However, compared to meat, this item is considered an inferior plant-based protein providing a lower biological value.
The sixth item is animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.
Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere: restaurant grease, slaughterhouse waste, diseased cattle — even euthanized pets.
We do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient is corn gluten feed, a by-product from the manufacture of cornstarch and corn syrup. However, corn gluten feed should not be confused with corn gluten meal.
That’s because corn gluten feed contains just half the protein of corn gluten meal. And when compared to meat, all glutens are inferior plant-based proteins lower in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.
It’s unusual to find this feed item in a commercial dog food. As its name suggests, corn gluten feed is primarily used as an ingredient in cattle feeds.
The eighth ingredient is 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.
The ninth 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.
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 find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Next, 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.
And lastly, this Joy Dog Food product contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Joy Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Joy Dog Food appears to be a below-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 29%, a fat level of 13% 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 carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten and soybean meals, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Joy Dog Food is a corn-based kibble using only a modest amount of meat and bone meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand one star.
Not 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 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? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
02/16/2011 Original review
04/03/2011 Added 3 new recipes
11/24/2011 Review updated, no changes
11/24/2011 Last Update
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.