Rating: 
PetWay Dog Food receives the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.
The PetWay Dog Food product line includes 9 kibbles, 2 claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance (Maintenance Chicken and Lean Canine), 1 for growth and 6 for all life stages.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- PetWay Holistic Sensitive Choice Salmon and Brown Rice
- PetWay Holistic Whole Life Lamb Meal and Brown Rice
- PetWay Maintenance Chicken and Brown Rice
- PetWay Holistic Lean Canine Blend (3 stars)
- PetWay Holistic Supreme Chicken and Rice
- PetWay Virginia Beach Canine Blend
- PetWay Chesapeake Canine Blend
- PetWay Holistic Choice Puppy
- PetWay Holistic Grain Free
PetWay Holistic Whole Life Lamb Meal and Brown Rice dry dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
PetWay Holistic Whole Life Lamb Meal & Brown Rice
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Lamb meal, brown rice, sorghum (milo), oat groats, canola oil, millet, fish meal, dried beet pulp, potato product, tomato pomace, natural flavor, flax seed, monosodium phosphate, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach, lecithin, chicken cartilage, dl methionine, potassium chloride, l-lysine, choline chloride, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated, cranberry, Yucca schidigera extract, Oligofructose, glucosamine hcl Kelp meal, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, vegetable oil, biotin, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, citric acid, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, potassium chloride, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 25% | 14% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 28% | 16% | 49% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 24% | 33% | 43% |
The first ingredient in this dog food lists lamb meal. Lamb meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh lamb.
The second ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.
Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.
The fourth ingredient includes oat groats, a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. So long as they are adequately cooked, groats are unusually high in nutritional value.
The fifth ingredient is canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.1
However, plant-based oils (like canola) are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.
The sixth ingredient is millet, a gluten-free grain harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is hypoallergenic and naturally rich in B-vitamins and fiber as well as other essential minerals.
The seventh ingredient is fish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item appears2 to be ethoxyquin-free.
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 potato product, a leftover of the potato processing industry containing about 71% carbohydrates.3 Potato product is commonly associated with cattle feeds.
Potato product is equal to corn in energy value yet contains 50% more protein.4
The tenth ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
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, 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.
Next, the company appears to have applied friendly microorganisms to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
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.
PetWay Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, PetWay Dog Food looks to be an above-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 28%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 49%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 51% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
PetWay Dog Food is a plant-based dry kibble using a moderate amount of named meat species as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Unfortunately, the apparently decreased meat content of the Lean Canine recipe causes us to downgrade that product to our next lower category.
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
11/03/2011 Original review
11/03/2011 Last Update
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
- Per comment, 11/18/2011 ↩
- Premier AG Resources ↩
- Dried Potato Product ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.