Rating: 
Taste of the Wild dry dog food receives the Advisor’s top rating of five stars.
Currently, the Taste of the Wild product line lists three kibbles… each designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Taste of the Wild Wetlands Formula
- Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula
- Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Formula
Taste of the Wild Dog Food Wetlands Formula with Roasted Fowl was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Taste of the Wild Wetlands Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Duck, duck meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, roasted quail, roasted duck, smoked turkey, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, Yucca schidigera extract, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is duck. Although it is a quality item, raw duck contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to duck and chicken meals… the second, third and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredients in this dog food.
Poultry meals like these are considered meat concentrates… and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.
The fourth item is egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The fifth ingredient lists sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.
The sixth item lists peas. Peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
A little further down the list we find three more meat items…
- Roasted quail
- Roasted duck
- Smoked turkey
After the natural flavor, we find tomato pomace… a controversial 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 a cheap pet food filler laden with pesticides found on the skin of the tomato before processing.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
Ocean fish meal is yet another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular ingredient is anonymous. The phrase “ocean fish” does little to adequately describe this item. We always prefer to see a named fish species.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item1 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.
The manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
This dog food also 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.
Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Taste of the Wild dry dog food appears 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 36%, a fat level of 20% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 36%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 33% and an average fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate fraction of 40% for the full product line.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no evidence of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a kibble containing a generous amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Taste of the Wild dry dog food is a grain-free kibble supplying a significant amount of poultry, lamb or fish meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a quality grain-free wet food may wish to visit our review of Taste of the Wild canned dog food.
A Final Word
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
12/11/2009 Original review
07/21/2010 Review updated
- Taste of the Wild Customer Service, 07/21/2010 ↩
{ 57 comments… read them below or add one }
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I feed my 5 year old German working German Shepherd the Wild High Prairie Formula. He has done very well on this food and as long as he continues with his nice weight, coat condition and perfect formed stool, I will continue feeding this food. I’m very pleased with it AND it’s easy to get.
We have 5 dogs, 3 of them boston terriers. We searched the web looking for the highest rated food we can buy and are now feeding them Taste of the Wild. After going through 1 extra large bag, I have noticed the dogs, especially the Boston Terriers and the Pug have had constant diarrhea. I then changed their formula to 25% Taste of the Wild, and another lower rated dog food and it stopped within 1 day. To test the theory again, I changed back to Taste of the Wild and the diarrhea started again. I believe the protien content is way too high with TOTW for the smaller dogs. It is fine with the beagle we have. My advice…find a dog food that you dog likes and does well with and stick with it! My god…all this crap and nit-picking about what this site considers “high quality”. I’ve had dogs all my life and they all lived to be a ripe old age with the so called “garbage” dog food from years past, like Gains Burgers and Alpo. I don’t see any significant increase of life spans in recent decades since the advent of “5 star rated food”. I understand wanting to feed you pets quality food, and I definately do, but have yet to hear anything regarding this FACT.
FYI, the following has been posted on the TOTW website. I find it interesting they do not mention specifically that the fish meal ethoxyquin-free, as that is something very positive to advertise.
IS TASTE OF THE WILD MADE WITH NATURALLY PRESERVED FISH MEAL?
Yes, Taste of the Wild products are made with naturally preserved fish meal. Natural mixed tocopherols are vitamin E compounds that act as antioxidants, helping to keep the food fresh. Fish meals are used in all of the Taste of the Wild foods as quality sources of amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s are vital for a strong immune system, healthy skin and coat, controlling inflammation.
Hi Aaron… According to Diamond Pet, the manufacturer of TOTW, the fish meal is ethoxyquin-free. Another way to tell any fish meal is ethoxyquin free is when you see that it is naturally preserved (as it is here). Thanks for the tip.
Hi Mike, love the site! Thanks for the education.
I’m currently feeding my austrillian shepard mix blue buffalo large breed puppy but would like to switch to TOTW. What do you think about feeding a 6 month old large breed pup an all life stages food? I know that you say “no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage”. I like that it is grain free also.
Hi Justin… That is an excellent question. Quality-wise, I do like both BB Large Breed as well as TOTW. Small to medium dogs are considered adults at 6 months. But larger breeds aren’t officially adults until almost 12 months. Technically speaking, “all life stages” foods are supposed to be OK for puppies. But some recommend a special large breed formula.
So, I’m not sure of the better solution for your pet. I’d prefer to defer the answer to your important question to a vet or otherwise to a reputable breeder.
I got my Great Dane about a month & a half ago. She is now 11 mos. When I got her, the lady was feeding her Dad’s :p Upon a recommendation of a holistic pet food shop owner & a push from my fiance, we switched her to Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover’s Soul. Within acouple of weeks, there was a great improvement of her coat, but her stools were very loose. The owner of the holistic pet food shop suggested TOTW & after reading reviews, I decided to give it a try. After just 3 days of gradually adding TOTW Pacific Stream to the Chicken Soup she was eating, her stools look much better. Plus, she LOVES the new food! I think we may have found a keeper!
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