Mulligan Stew Dog Food (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

Mulligan Stew canned dog food gets the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Mulligan Stew product line lists six canned dog foods. Since we’re unable to locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Mulligan Stew website, it’s impossible for us to report specific life stage recommendations for these recipes.

  • Mulligan Stew Beef Recipe
  • Mulligan Stew Duck Recipe
  • Mulligan Stew Turkey Recipe
  • Mulligan Stew Salmon Recipe
  • Mulligan Stew Chicken Recipe
  • Mulligan Stew Buffalo and Beef Recipe

Mulligan Chicken Stew Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Mulligan Stew Chicken Recipe

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 39% | Fat = 27% | Carbs = 26%

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) = 9.1%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis9%6%NA
Dry Matter Basis39%27%26%
Calorie Weighted Basis30%51%20%

The first ingredient included in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1

Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine 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 and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fifth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient is horseradish . Although horseradish is rich in certain minerals and is said to have an anti-bacterial effect, we’re not certain why this ingredient is used in this recipe.

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, although we find no mention of added vitamins or minerals on the ingredients list, we’re reassured to find a detailed list of naturally included nutrients on the company’s website.2

And lastly, this recipe also contains selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Mulligan Stew Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Mulligan Stew Dog Food looks to be a above-average canned product.

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 39%, a fat level of 27% and estimated carbohydrates of about 26%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 39% and a mean fat level of 27%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 26% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 71%.

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.2

Average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.

With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Mulligan Stew canned dog food is a meat-based wet product using a moderate amount of named meats as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a nice kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Mulligan Stew dry dog food.

Special Alert

Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

04/04/2010 Original review
11/04/2010 Review updated
08/04/2012 Last Update

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
  2. Mulligan Stew website, 4/3/2010 ↩
  3. Mulligan Stew website, 4/3/2010 ↩
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  • losul

    I don’t know what the size of the can has to do with it.

    I just opened a can of the mulligan stew today. All I can tell you is that it has a grey, probably plasticized, coating on the inside of the can. So I think probably they do have a lining containing BPA..

  • Pattyvaughn

    So far as we have been able to determine, yes. If you should happen to call the company and ask, if they say differently, we would love to know.

  • Debbie

    Can someone educate me on this? Do the cans of Mulligan Stew have BPA? Somewhere I read that any cans larger than 5.5 oz. all have BPA. Is that true?

  • losul

    O.K. thnx Jan.

    I just wanted to make sure I didn’t get something I wasn’t supposed to. Got a case of it.

    I was also expecting to smell the cabbage, but couldn’t myself. So far, no gas, lol.

    At least it looks better than the Tripett canned tripe. That stuff looks like greasy pureed gray

  • Jan_Mom2Cavs

    losul, I think it always smells like cabbage lol. It should be kinda orange in color, like you described. It should be a puree texture. My dogs love it! It has always fed well for mine.

  • losul

    I just opened a can of the turkey. It wasn’t what I expected at all. It has a pureed look to it, no chunks, strange color. The best I can describe it, as having the texture and color of canned pumpkin. Smells pretty good though, kind of like a can of human beef stew. I guess I expected it to look like Turkey stew. Turbo didn’t care about the texture and color, he chowed down on it.. Anyone have this experience? I mean is this the way it’s supposed to look?

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  • Jan_Mom2Cavs

    Mike S., yes it does make sense.  All I know is I tried Mulligan Stew (canned only) a while ago and it fed great and the dogs loved it.  But the store where I purchased it stopped carrying it.  I went on to other foods and kinda forgot about it.  But lately, I’ve been looking for a simpler food with moderate protein, lower fat and higher fiber for my oldest Cavalier.  I remembered Mulligan Stew and contacted the company.  So I’ve been diligently researching Mulligan Stew, hence the comments lol.  I’m very happy with the food.  I bought some dry and canned and although my Cavalier has been eating it for a short while her stomach seems to be doing better on it!  I like the fact that there are no Asian sourced ingredients at all and the vitamins come from whole food ingredients, and the ingredient panel is not that large.  I’m considering switching all the dogs to it.  Love the science behind it and the company’s philosophy.  Even though they don’t have their own plant, like Fromm, I still feel it’s a stellar company and food.  Great customer service is a plus, as well.
    Thanks for all your reviews and hard work, it’s appreciated!    

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi Jan,

    Our carb figures are never as accurate as those posted by the company itself.

    That’s because our percentages are only a mathematical estimate based upon the minimum protein and fat statistics printed on the label.

    Thanks for the tip.

  • Jan_Mom2Cavs

    Hi Mike S.!  The avg. carb percentage on a dry matter basis for the canned food (stated on a pamphlet from the company) is 19%.  Just an fyi….thanks. 

  • Jan_Mom2Cavs

    I still love Mulligan Stew for my dogs and so do they. It digests well.  I plan on trying some of the dry in the future for them, too.  

  • JANDBCAIRO

    How are your dogs doing on the Mulligan Stew?

  • JANDBCAIRO

    How are your dogs doing on the Mulligan Stew?

  • JANDBCAIRO

    Are you still feeding the Mulligan Stew and if so how do you like it?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Janice… Oops. Don’t know how I overlooked the brown rice. It’s fixed now. Thanks for the tip.

  • Janice D. McCollam

    Hi Mike, I just wanted to say that I have fed Mulligan’s Stew can food to my 4 dogs and they love it. I must say the smell is a little off-putting…smells just like cooked cabbage to me!
    But the dogs don’t seem to mind. I find they digest it very well, too. By the way, I did notice in your review, you mention it as being grainfree, but it isn’t. It does contain brown rice. Thanks for all your hard work. I recommend your site often!

  • Sharon

    I just left a comment on the Mulligan Stew Dry Formula since my dog Jazz eats mainly the kibble and is doing Great on it & loves it! However I do give jazz half a can of the wet food mixed in with his kibble for his dinner and he really Loves that! It’s true that it dosen’t have the greatest smell but to Jazz the smell is Wonderful! ( I think the smell may be because of the cabbage in it ) Regardless I think it’s an exceptional food. I do mix up that half a can of wet food at dinner with all the Mulligan flavors along with several of the Merrick can flavors.

  • Dj

    So far so good.. my dog loved Mulligans mixed with her regular dry food. I would definitely recommend it. Jennifer, have you ever smelled wet dog food before? It’s not supposed to smell appealing to humans! :)

  • http://mullins_jd@yahoo.com Jeff

    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.

  • Jennifer

    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.