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TruDog Dog Food Review (Freeze-Dried)

TruDog Dog Food Review

Review of TruDog Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Rating:

TruDog Dog Food receives the Advisor’s best rating of 5 stars.

The TruDog product line includes the 4 freeze-dried, raw recipes listed below.

Each formula includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product Rating AAFCO
TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza 5 A
TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Gourmet Gobbler 5 A
TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Truducken 5 A
TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Whitefish 5 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.


TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza

Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 48% | Fat = 36% | Carbs = 8%

Ingredients: Beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef lung, beef kidney, beef tripe, herring oil (source of omega-3), mixed tocopherol (preservative), vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.3%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis44%33%NA
Dry Matter Basis48%36%8%
Calorie Weighted Basis33%61%6%
Protein = 33% | Fat = 61% | Carbs = 6%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1

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

The second ingredient is beef heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to us humans, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.

The next ingredient is beef liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth item is beef lung. Beef lung is a protein-rich organ meat that’s also low in fat.

The fifth ingredient is beef kidney, which is also low in fat and rich in protein and essential minerals.

The sixth ingredient is beef tripe. Tripe usually consists of the first three chambers of a cud-chewing animal’s stomach. As unappetizing as it may seem to us humans, tripe is favored by dogs and sometimes even includes the stomach’s contents, too.

The seventh ingredient is herring oil. Herring oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, herring oil should be considered a commendable addition.

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 1 notable exception

This food 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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, TruDog Dog Food looks like an above-average raw product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 48%, a fat level of 36% and estimated carbohydrates of about 8%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 54% and a mean fat level of 29%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 10% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.

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

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a raw product containing an abundance of meat.

Our Rating of TruDog Dog Food

TruDog is a freeze-dried, grain-free raw dog food using a generous amount of named meats and organs as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.



TruDog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to TruDog through March 2024.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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A Final Word

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References

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials
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