Rating: 
Victor Select dog food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.
The Victor Select product line includes ten dry dog foods, six claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and four for adult maintenance (High Energy, Performance Formula, Multi-Pro Maintenance and Senior/Healthy Weight .
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Victor Select High Energy
- Victor Select Hi Pro Plus (5 stars)
- Victor Select Ocean Fish Formula
- Victor Select Professional Formula
- Victor Select Performance Formula
- Victor Select Lamb Meal and Brown Rice
- Victor Select Multi-Pro Maintenance (3.5 stars)
- Victor Select Beef Meal and Brown Rice (3.5 stars)
- Victor Select Senior/Healthy Weight Formula (4.5 stars)
- Victor Select Chicken Meal and Brown Rice with Lamb Meal
Victor Select Professional Formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Victor Select Professional Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Beef meal, whole ground grain sorghum, chicken meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), whole ground millet, pork meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, flaxseed (source of omega 3 fatty acid), oat meal, potassium chloride, dried kelp, yeast culture, montmorillonite, monosodium phosphate, tomato pomace (source of lycopene), whole carrots, dried celery pomace, dried beet pomace, dried parsley pomace, dried lettuce pomace, dried watercress pomace, dried spinach pomace, l-lysine, Yucca schidigera extract, choline chloride, hydrolyzed yeast, taurine, dried chicory root, l-carnitine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin E supplement, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, selenium yeast, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin (vitamin B3), copper sulfate, d-calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), vitamin A supplement, copper amino acid chelate, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), biotin (vitamin B7), magnesium amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, calcium iodate, lecithin, folic acid (vitamin B9), oil of rosemary, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation product, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.2%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 18% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 20% | 44% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 24% | 40% | 36% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef meal. Beef meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh beef.
The second 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 third ingredient includes chicken meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The fourth 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.
The fifth 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 sixth ingredient includes pork meal, yet another high protein meat concentrate.
The seventh ingredient is alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.
The eighth ingredient is 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.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The ninth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
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 five notable exceptions…
First, montmorillonite clay is a naturally occurring compound rich in many trace minerals. Montmorillonite has been approved for use in USDA Organic Certified products.
Reported benefits include the binding of certain mold-based toxins and even controlling diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Next, 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.
In addition, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added to provide enzymes to aid the animal with digestion.
Next, 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.
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.
Victor Select Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Victor Select dog food looks like an above average dry 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 29%, a fat level of 20% and estimated carbohydrates of about 44%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 49% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 58%.
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
When you consider the protein-boosting effects of the alfalfa meal and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Victor Select dog food is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of various named meat meals as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.
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
11/30/2010 Original review
04/14/2011 Review updated
06/07/2011 Review updated
09/27/2011 Review updated
06/28/2012 Review updated
04/21/2012 Review updated
04/21/2013 Last Update
Pingback: victor dog food | All About Pets