Rating: 
Solid Gold Barking at the Moon dog Food earns the Advisor’s top rating of five stars.
According to the company, Solid Gold Barking at the Moon has been designed for performance dogs and meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
Solid Gold Barking at the Moon
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Ocean fish meal, beef, potatoes, pea protein, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried eggs, peas, tomato pomace, natural flavor, potassium chloride, choline chloride, salmon oil (source of DHA), dried chicory root, taurine, parsley flakes, pumpkin meal, almond oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sesame oil (preserved by mixed tocopherols), Yucca schidigera extract, thyme, blueberries, cranberries, carrots, broccoli, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, calcium panthothenate, riboflavin, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate, manganese sulfate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, folic acid, sodium selenite, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is ocean fish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
This particular item is anonymous. The term “ocean fish” does little to adequately describe this ingredient. We would prefer to have known the actual species.
We are pleased to note that, unlike most fish meals, this particular item1 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.
The second ingredient lists beef. Although it is a quality item, raw beef contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
The third ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The fourth item is pea protein… what’s left after removing the starchy part of peas.
Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
And this less costly plant-based item can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The fifth ingredient mentions 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.2
Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left over after the processing of 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.
After the natural flavoring, we find salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids… essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.
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 have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.
With three notable exceptions…
First, this dog food contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Next, chicory root is naturally rich in a substance called inulin… a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
And lastly, we find no evidence of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Solid Gold Barking at the Moon
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Solid Gold Barking at the Moon appears to be a quality dry dog food.
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 46%, a fat level of 22% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 24%.
Very high protein. High fat. And very low carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even allowing for the protein-boosting effect of the potato protein, this is the profile of a dry kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Solid Gold Barking at the Moon is a meat-based dry kibble using a significant amount of ethoxyquin-free fish meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a quality wet food made by the same company may wish to check out our review of Solid Gold Canned Dog Food.
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 a specific health benefit 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
02/07/2010 Original review
09/13/2010 Review updated
08/23/2011 Review updated (minor recipe change)
- About Solid Gold, 02/07/2010 ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005), retrieved 12/05/2009 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.
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