Rating: 
Mulligan Stew Dog Food (canned) receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the Mulligan Stew product line includes six canned dog foods.
- Mulligan Beef Stew
- Mulligan Duck Stew
- Mulligan Turkey Stew
- Mulligan Salmon Stew
- Mulligan Chicken Stew
- Mulligan Jackson Hole Stew
Mulligan Chicken Stew Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Mulligan Chicken Stew
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, water sufficient for processing, cabbage, chicken liver, brown rice, horseradish, l-methionine, l-cysteine, beta-carotene, selenium yeast
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life. This is a quality ingredient.
The second ingredient is water… which (of course) adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a common finding in most canned dog foods.
The third item is cabbage. Like broccoli and cauliflower, cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable rich in protective anti-oxidants and fiber.
The fourth item lists 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 fifth ingredient is brown rice… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
Horseradish is another nutrient-rich cruciferous vegetable.
Unfortunately, based upon information provided on the company’s website, we are unable to confirm the presence (or absence) of any vitamin or mineral supplements in this product.
Mulligan Stew Dog Food… the Bottom Line
When you visit the company’s website, it’s hard not to notice the exceptional quality of the ingredients used to make this Mulligan Stew Dog Food.
But ingredient quality (by itself) cannot tell us how much of each ingredient is actually present. To answer that question, we must rely on the only clue we have available to us… the product’s nutrient profile.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 27% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 26%.
Moderate protein. Above-average fat. And average carbohydrates (when compared to a typical canned dog food).
These percentages were computed from an unusual set of numbers referred to by the company as “Typical Guaranteed Analysis”… and apparently some kind of average for the full product line.1
Yet the manufacturer generously publishes an actual (independent) laboratory analysis for each of its six canned formulas.
We were puzzled to find these dry matter protein statistics to be even lower (30.6%) than the “typical” figures (38.6%) reported by the company for the group.2
In fairness to the brand, we chose to feature the higher “typical” percentages in determining our final rating.
Bottom line?
Mulligan Stew Dog Food is primarily a meat-based canned product utilizing a variety of species in respectable amounts as sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand a worthy four stars.
Highly recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself?
Please feel free to share your comments below.
- Mulligan Stew Pet Food, 4/3/2010 ↩
- Dry matter basis computed by Dog Food Advisor ↩
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a 17 month old female black Lab and a 6 month old male fawn Doberman. The black Lab will eat just about anything and the Doberman is a little more discriminating. I bought different flavors of the canned versions to try them out and neither of my dogs liked it. Neither of them even came close to finishing their food that night. For me, the smell was atrocious and the consistency so thick that it made it very difficult to mix with their dry food. Quality is one thing but if your pets won’t eat it it’s money down the drain.
My 2 year old Maltese will eat the turkey just fine. It tool her a couple of days to get used to it. She has not been on the food long enough to see a difference. I have found on this web site better bands at the same cost so I may switch her, after she has finished what I have already.