Weruva Human Style (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★★

Weruva Human Style Dog Food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.

The Weruva Human Style product line includes twelve canned dog foods… each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.1

  • Weruva Steak Frites
  • Weruva Amazon Liver
  • Weruva Wok the Dog
  • Weruva Funky Chunky
  • Weruva Marbella Paella
  • Weruva Peking Ducken
  • Weruva Jammin’ Salmon
  • Weruva Cirque de la Mer
  • Weruva Bed and Breakfast
  • Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken
  • Weruva Green Eggs and Chicken
  • Weruva Grandma’s Chicken Soup

Weruva Bed and Breakfast was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Weruva Human Style Bed and Breakfast

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 57% | Fat = 10% | Carbs = 25%

Ingredients: Chicken (boneless, skinless, white breast), water sufficient for processing, egg, pumpkin, sweet potato, ham, potato starch, sunflower seed oil, dicalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), nicotinic acid (vitamin B3), ferrous sulfate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, potassium iodide, manganese sulfate, vitamin D3 supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement (vitamin D2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.6%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis8%1%NA
Dry Matter Basis57%10%25%
Calorie Weighted Basis54%23%23%

The first ingredient in this dog food includes chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.2

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

But this isn’t just pet food grade chicken. This is hormone-free, antibiotic-free, boneless, skinless, free-range chicken breast.

Needless to say, this is a quality meat component.

The second ingredient lists water… which (of course) adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.

The third ingredient is whole eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

beef. Beef is another protein-rich item defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.2

The third ingredient is water… which (of course) adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.

The fourth ingredient is pumpkin. Pumpkin is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, beta-carotene and dietary fiber.

The fifth ingredient is 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 ingredient is ham. Pork can be defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered pork” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.4

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

The seventh ingredient is potato starch. Potato starch is a gluten-free carbohydrate used more for its thickening properties than its nutritional value.

The eighth ingredient is sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3′s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.

Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.

There are several different types of sunflower oil… some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.

The ninth ingredient is dicalcium phosphate… likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

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 one notable exception…

Unfortunately, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Weruva Human Style Dog Food
The Bottom Line

The ingredients used to make Weruva Human Style wet dog food appear to be of exceptional quality.

But ingredient quality alone cannot tell the whole story. It is also of critical importance to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 57%, a fat level of 10% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 25%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 61% and an average fat level of 10%. Together, these figures suggest an overall carbohydrate content of 22% for the full product line.

High protein. Low fat. And below-average carbohydrates when compared to a typical canned dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this is the profile of a wet food containing an abundance of meat.

For those looking to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral diet, Weruva Human Style makes an excellent choice.

Bottom line?

Weruva Human Style Dog Food is a meat-based grain-free wet product using a generous amount of high quality meats as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those looking for additional selections from the same company may wish to read our reviews of Weruva Kobe and Weruva Kurobuta dog foods.

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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

06/18/2010 Original review
01/18/2011 Updated
09/05/2011 Updated (new grain-free recipes)
09/05/2011 Last Update

  1. Weruva Customer Service via email dated 9/11/2011 ↩
  2. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
  3. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
  4. Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor from the official definition of meat by the Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • http://therealowner.com/shopping/what-is-in-your-dogs-food/ B Nelson

    I found this food when a person asked what was a good dog food available in Thailand, I must say I am very very impressed with this food. As mentioned standards for pet food in the USA are shamefully poor, this food is way better than most food in USA.

  • http://dogfoodadvisor.com Ruth Ann Strickland

    Hi Mike and Gordon,

    Weruva’s president responded our vet’s questions about nutrition and I am personally satisfied that Weruva is an outstanding product. I am proud to associate with Weruva and feed it to my dog. I am also very pleased that the president of the company took the time to write the following to my vet:

    AAFCO Feeding Trials – We conduct thorough feeding trials, however, we do not utilize AAFCO’s parameters. For our cat food, for instance, approximately 60 rescued cats are fed products from our brand as well as others produced by our manufacturing partner on a daily basis. They are fed a rotation of the ingredients used in our products. The feeding is ongoing, and the cats are monitored under veterinary supervision. I believe the AAFCO feeding trials only require a sampling of 8 cats (where 25% are allowed to drop out), and the requirement is that the cats eat the same food for every meal for six months. As a company, we do not believe feeding cats or dogs the same meal for every meal, every day, over the course of 6 months is healthy. We therefore do not conduct AAFCO feeding trials.

    Veterinary Nutritionist – We hire veterinarians on a consulting basis to help us develop formulas. There are also the aforementioned veterinarians at the place of manufacture as well as nutritionists. We do not, however, have a veterinary nutritionist on staff.

    Dry matter information – We do not have this information on hand, but I have attached information on our guaranteed analysis as well as actual analysis for cat. We do not believe too much in dry matter numbers. The inclusion of any filler can skew the data. For instance, in some of our chicken formulas, the dry matter of phosphorus is around 0.65%. If we added in 10% filler to the formulas (in the form of carbs, bones, etc.), we could slash this number to 0.43%. While we could achieve such a low number, we believe it is best to keep the fillers out. We instead urge a focus on actual numbers.

    I hope this is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions or comments.

    Best Regards,

    David Forman
    President and co-founder
    Weruva Because Weluvya!
    646-201-9404
    Fax: 646-688-6865
    http://www.weruva.com

  • Gordon

    Ahh OK, I misunderstood you Ruth. Actual field testing brands on pets, is what you meant. Anyway, this is also rare in Australia. I would never feed Hills, Purina, Iams, P&G, or Mars either Ruth.

  • http://dogfoodadvisor.com Ruth Ann Strickland

    Mike, I appreciate your constructive comments. I certainly will never choose Hills or Purina. And, I understand that field testing is rare. I love Weruva because my dog attacks it, consumes a 14 ounce can in under a minute and begs for more. She’s the apple of my eye and just like my human children, I want the very best. Vets apparently see the field testing as the end-all-be-all and maybe that’s because they receive so many freebies from the corporate pet food manufacturers or maybe it’s because they are scientists and trained to believe that scientific testing of a product is best. Field testing may be expensive but so is Weruva. I don’t know of many average families in America who can afford to spend $300+ on dog food. Many of those lower-to-middle class American families barely have that to spend on feeding themselves. I commend Weruva for its high quality ingredients and its high rating on dogfoodadvisor.com and my husband and I will most likely continue to purchase it. I still think an expensive brand of dog food that sells for $3+ a can should consider field testing. I realize that food of lesser quality meet the field testing requirements. What I’d like to see is the difference between meeting the basic field testing requirements (say a 2 or 3 on your rating scale) and exceeding those requirements (getting a 4 or 5 on your rating scale). Field testing by AAFCO would be more credible and meaningful if it were able to differentiate in this way. I’m not convinced that Weruva doesn’t have now or will not have (in the future) enough deep pockets to do the testing and to blow away the competition. It would be interesting to see the comparisons.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Ruth… Your point is certainly a reasonable one. However, by narrowing your choices to field tested products only, you’re limiting your dog’s choices to just a few. Hill’s. Purina. Iams. You may be eliminating more than 95% of the choices out there.

    Only the very largest pet food conglomerates can afford this kind of “testing”. As demonstrated by their labels, these “field tested” brands are some of the most cheaply made dog food products on the market. Mostly average to below average meat content and apparent ingredient quality.

    The fact a dog can survive on these field tested products doesn’t necessarily make them the best diets for your pet. There are many conscientious pet parents who feed their dogs raw, fresh-from-the-farm foods that have never been field tested. And the same for other commercial recipes, too.

    Yet most of these untested products still meet AAFCO nutrient standards for growth or maintenance. And many are very likely even superior to the human-engineered, factory-made, field-tested food pellets made by the likes of Hills or Purina. Or Royal Canin for that matter.

    Or whoever has the pockets deep enough to be able to afford such costly testing.

    As a consumer, you have the right to buy whatever you’d like. But by limiting your choices to the truly rare field-tested brands, you’d be shielding your dog from what many believe are some of the very best products and menus out there.

  • http://dogfoodadvisor.com Ruth Ann Strickland

    Mike, standards are good and meeting them means something. However, in scientific inquiry, testing is also good and if Weruva actually tested its products on dogs, I think this would be a higher indication of quality and would also remove any doubts about whether the product meets the strictest nutritional guidelines.

    It would be reassuring to know whether the good is easily digestible, it has a balance among or between the main nutrients (ex: between calcium and phosphorus), and it meets the upper food limits for some minerals and vitamins. Trial tests on actual dogs would be most useful in determining whether all the AAFCO criteria are met. Wouldn’t actual testing on real dogs be more accurate than simply analyzing the ingredients in a can of food?

  • http://dogfoodadvisor.com Ruth Ann Strickland

    My vet did not recommend Beneful or Pedigree. She did say that Royal Canin met the field test requirements by AAFCO. If my vet had recommended Beneful or Pedigree, I would have ignored any other advice she would have to offer. I like Weruva a lot. I spend over $300 a month on Weruva dog food (human grade products). Over the past year, I have been a loyal supporter of Weruva. With over a thousand dog food products on the market, it is hard to determine what is a market ploy and what is the truth. I only want the best for my dog–that’s it, no other hidden agenda, no malice intended.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Ruth… Your veterinarian seems to suggest field tested dog foods are the norm. However, very few dog foods sold in the US and Canada meet the AAFCO “field test requirements” you mention in your comment. In fact. dog foods undergoing actual field testing are the exception rather than the rule.

    Most Americans are not aware that some non-US manufacturing standards (such as European Union) are actually more stringent than our own. That is why our ratings are based upon the label information only. You may wish to check out my response to a similar question dated October 28, 2010 (right here in this comment thread).

    To learn more about this topic, please visit my article, “Understanding Dog Food Nutrient Profiles“. Hope this helps.

  • Gordon

    Ruth Ann Strickland – At the top of this review it states, “The Weruva Human Style product line includes twelve canned dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.” So I would assume that Mike, has confirmed this from Weruva’s website?

    At any rate, would your Vet recommend Pedigree or Beneful as a trusted dog food with adequate nutrition? Ask her that next time. I’d be interested in knowing what her answer is.

  • http://dogfoodadvisor.com Ruth Ann Strickland

    My question is: has Weruva met the AAFCO field test requirements specified below? My husband and I recently took our sheltie to a new vet and she raised questions about whether Weruva met the field test standards. She also warned that the Weruva may be using excellent marketing but the product itself may not be nutritionally sound. I read the AAFCO standards below and do not see the AAFCO label on Weruva. This concerns me greatly as my dog loves the food. I love junk food but I wouldn’t feed it to my dog. Please advise on Weruva’s status.

    The AAFCO as we all know gives practical guidelines to pet food manufacturers. They consider the following about pet food ingredients:
    • the digestibility of the ingredients;
    • the balance among or between the main nutrients (ex: between calcium and phosphorus),
    • upper limits food should meet for some minerals and vitamins.
    If a manufacturer that sells a pet food formulated by reference to the “AAFCO Nutrient Profile” for a designated life stage, it may mention this on the packaging. However, the the “AAFCO label ” is the best evidence of quality. This label is obtained by conducting appropriate feeding trials to corroborate nutritional adequacy. AAFCO has elaborated different protocols, corresponding to different life stages: maintenance, growth or reproduction. By submitting a food to these long-term protocols, a manufacturer can verify that the product really upholds its claims. Examples of AAFCO feeding protocols include:
    (1) AAFCO requires a minimum testing protocol for proving an adult maintenance claim for a dog/cat food.
    (2) The manufacturer must test a minimum of eight healthy adult dogs/cats (at least 1 year old) who are exclusively fed with the test diet. The test runs for a minimum of 26 weeks.
    (3) An individual physical examination takes place before and after the test. Each animal is evaluated to ascertain general health, body weight, and some blood parameters (including taurine in cats). Only small changes in these features are tolerated. The diet fails if any animal shows clinical or pathological signs of nutritional deficiency or excess.
    (4) AAFCO requires a minimum testing protocol for proving a growth claim for a dog/cat food.
    (5) Eight weaned puppies/kittens from three different bitches or queents are required to start the test. They must not be older than eight weeks of age, and an equal sex distribution is recommended. They are exclusively fed with the tested diet during ten weeks minimum. At the same time, eight puppies/kittens are selected according the same criteria to form a concurrent control group. This last group receives a diet that already demonstrated that it meets the growth requirements as determined by AAFCO protocols. The same observations that in the first example are recorded. The average body weight gain is compared to the growth of the control group.
    (6) AAFCO requires a minimum testing protocol for proving a gestation/lactation claim for a dog/cat food. A minimum of eight pregnant bitches/queens over one year old are required to start the test. (For dog breeding, the male must belong to the same breed as the female). A concurrent control group of eight pregnant females receives a diet that already passed successfully this specific AAFCO protocol. The feeding of the test diet starts at or before estrus, and is completed when the puppies are four weeks old, six weeks for kittens. For larger litters, puppies/kittens may be transferred to females with smaller litters. For example, a bitch under 13 kg should not suckle more than five puppies, and five kittens should be a maximum for a queen.
    - Observations concerning females: general health, food consumption, body weight evolution, blood parameters ;
    - Observations concerning the litters: litter size, stillbirths and congenital abnormalities, body weight gain and general health. Data are recorded for the control group are used as references to interpret the results of the test.
    (7) A manufacturer desiring to prove an unqualified claim for nutritional adequacy must use the litters obtained from performing the gestation/lactation protocol for the growth protocol. If both tests are positive, the diet is qualified as “complete and balanced for all stages of life”.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Rain… Many Weruva formulas have changed to grain free. However, it could be a while longer before I’m able to update them. Thanks for the reminder.

  • sandy

    They are all grain free now.

  • Rain

    If it’s not too much trouble, could you star the ones that are grain free?

  • Lorn

    My dog has been eating the paw lickin chicken canned food for a couple months. I noticed that there was a black substance in the food. It does not look like mold but I have emailed a picture to Weruva for further information. I was wondering if you ever came across this and know what it is. I am very concerned and hope it does not make my sensitive dog sick!

  • Glenda

    Our 4 year old Peekapoo has had digestive problems since we brought her home at six weeks and she has always been VERY finicky about food, even about her treats. Her doctor had previously suggested that we try special food for dogs with sensative stomachs, but she flatly refused to eat any of these we put before her. We finally tried Weruva about a year ago and we are so happy that we found a dog food that she loves! We’ve tried almost all of them, but Bed & Breakfast, Funky Chunky, Paw Lickin’ Chicken, and Wok the Dog are her preferences (she loves chicken). Best of all, this food doesn’t seem to cause digestive problems compared to other foods we’ve tried. Finding a store that sells Weruva is not convenient in our area, so we have to make special trips to stock up, but it’s always worth it to see how satisfied our little girl is!

  • Karen Gordon

    I also noticed in the video that Dr. Karen Becker was reading the ingredients from a can of Weruva Jammin Salmon yet she was talking about how important it was to buy a food that was made in the USA. I don’t understand this contradiction? Can you explain?

  • Mary Lou

    Mike ~ it appeared to me that Dr. Becker was looking at this wet food in her video. So, my question is, how important are chelated minerals in a wet food? Even though you rate it 5 stars, would this make it less preferable? Thanks, as always.

  • Karen

    I don’t understand why they don’t have the calories listed on the website. I need to know how many calories are in each can as my dog has a weight problem.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    HI Terri… I don’t see any reason at all to ignore your dog’s favorites. She’ll only love you more. By the way, smaller multiple daily feedings are always far healthier than one large one. Especially for little dogs and puppies. :)

  • Terri

    I just introduced my 6 month old toy poodle to Bed and Breakfast and she LOVES it! She gets fed twice a day but is always looking for more. I do keep a handful of her holistic dry food out during the day but would it be better to feed her smaller portions of the Weruva 3 times a day? Being a novice at puppy owership, I’d like to know if there are certain flavors I should avoid feeding her? Are there some that are preferable or should I just go by what she likes?

    Thanks.

  • Ruth Ann Strickland

    We recently introduced Weruva human grade to our Sheltie, a very picky eater. We’ve tried all sorts of high end dog food and eventually she refused to eat it. However, with Weruva (funky chunky, bed and breakfast and steak fricas), we hit the gold mine. She won’t eat pate-like foods (Newman, Wellness, even Korebuta) but she eats human grade as if I were feeding her treats. I was initially fearful about the food being manufactured in Thailand but since reading the analysis of its ingredients and seeing how our sheltie responds to it, I’m very enthusiastic about this food. My husband and I plan to buy additional flavors and will probably only feed our sheltie this food with the occasional use of Orijen as a snack. I hope Weruva continues to produce this high quality food and doesn’t allow its company to be merged or bought out by some large corporate entity.

  • Carol

    Here is some information David Forman, President of Weruva had written to me – perhaps of interest -

    At Weruva, we produce our pet food in a state of the art human food facility in Thailand, using the precise quality raw materials that are used to produce the human food. We also utilize the same production processes as that of the human side, including a system of quality control that exceeds the standards demanded by international markets. The end result– our pet food is not only human grade and safe for pets, it is fit and safe for humans just the same.

    The process begins with our rigorous quality control standards that include keeping the factory in a condition where it can pass approximately twenty annual inspections performed by international governmental agencies and third party auditors, each under the scrutiny of human consumption standards. Such inspections ensure that we abide by Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) regulations and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems, meeting the demands promulgated by the United States, European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan. Under the strict British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global standard, the factory earned an A-Grade European Food Safety Inspection Service (EFSIS) certificate.

    The factory also has certificates of accreditation by the International Organization For Standardization (ISO), HALAL and Orthodox Kosher. Additionally, under similar guidelines, several third party inspectors, including the leading provider of human food safety services, Cook and Thurber, examine the plant regularly throughout the year. And the factory, which is FDA approved and USDA registered, performs an internal audit every two months. The inspections cover everything from top to bottom, including examinations of pest control, food safety and heavy metal and histamine testing procedures. The audits also ensure environmental control, including such detailed assurances that all work stations are cleaned every four hours and that each employee’s hygiene meets the requisite standards.

    After ensuring quality control procedures within the factory, the process continues with a thorough examination of our suppliers, which includes outside audits of their facilities as well as an inspection of each arriving container of raw material. The incoming food is tested for pathogens and contaminants, the inspections including an antibiotic, heavy metal and pesticide analysis. Upon passing inspection, the food is then produced according to an internal Specific Quality Control Procedure HACCP system. After production, in order to import the food, we must notify the Thailand Department of Livestock Development (DLD) and meet their exportation requirements.

    During this entire process, the factory operates according to a Social Accountability International management system (SAI), SA8000, as per the Ethical Trading Initiative. Designed for independent third party certification, SA8000 is promoted as a voluntary, universal standard for companies interested in auditing and certifying labor practices in their facilities and those of their suppliers and vendors.

    Marking the final point of our quality control and safety procedures, our factory features a “cat house,” a place where dozens of rescued cats are fed and examined under veterinary supervision. This ensures the utmost safety for our pets, not to mention, unparalleled palatability.

    What makes us the best? Well, we do process our foods in a human food plant according to international human food processing standards. We also use ingredients that are actually and truly used in products for people, such as the aforementioned boneless, skinless chicken breast. The chicken is also free of added hormones and antibiotics. Cats and dogs are part of the carnivora family which means they are meat eaters. Calories for people and pets come from 3 places: protein, fat and carbohydrates. The first 2 are in meat…In that regard, dogs and cats need protein and fat, they do not need carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not metabolically necessary. All of our foods were formulated with this in mind, meaning carb content is quite low. In our “human style” formulas, we do not blend them into loaf style pate. It is a cliché, but “what you see is what you get”. You can read the ingredient statement, and see and identify everything we put into the can.

    We have never been affiliated with any recall.

    eruva sent to me – could be of interest.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sondra… Unfortunately, we do not review each recipe within a given product line. But you should be able to find the information you’re looking for on the Weruva company website. Hope this helps.

  • http://www.weruva.com/ Cathy

    It seems that all of the Weruva HUMAN STYLE cans are low in fat, according to their website: http://www.weruva.com/
    I’d go with the Grandma’s Chicken Soup which is grain-freee and is listed as 1.2% min fat. It looks like all of the HUMAN STYLE are 1.4% min fat or less.
    Weruva KOBE/KUROBUTA cans are higher in fat, although still superior quality.
    Weruva looks like an all around 5-star!

  • Sondra

    Can anyone tell me which can has the lowest fat percentage?

    Thanks!

  • Kathleen

    THANKS, Mike, for looking into this.
    I agree the quality is still high. IT is just that Weruva should have informed people, via their website info, what the actual ingredients of the food are and the facts on fats, protein, carbs, calories, etc. I was really researching this and even after emailing back and forth, I was never informed (until I complained about the 2nd order) that the formulas were now different. I am really glad I did not order 10 cases from the supplier I get my dog food! Particularly when you are dealing with any kind of health problem, it is really not good to not know what you are feeding your dogs. I am looking into using TIKI products as I like the ingredients, and if one does not object to a more varied diet with some starches (sweet potatoes) and grains (actually grains are still starches!) like brown rice with possibly a little bit of veges or fruits, they may very well be a super-high quality item.
    Here is the problem I am having in choosing TIKI – I emailed them last week via their website http://www.petropics.com and received no answer, so I emailed them again today asking for the actual as-fed and dry matter numbers of the fat & protein content of their foods. I hope to receive an answer. The problem with the minimums quoted on the cans/website is that the percentage could be 2 or 3 percentage points higher (or maybe more?) which could make a big difference.
    ANYWAY you could find this INFO from TIKI????
    I figured you calculated your dry matter percentages by using the published numbers on the cans/website – or did you contact the company?
    Any more info you could provide would be wonderful!
    I am hoping they are just on vacation or something & will get back to me.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kathleen… Weruva company president, David Forman, has provided us with his newest ingredient lists. However, to prevent confusion in the marketplace, we’ve decided to delay any update to these reviews until a good portion of the current retail stock of these products has been consumed (and once the Weruva website has been updated).

    In any case, from our standpoint, both the older and newer formulations still represent top-quality products.

    As with all recipe changes, our decision is designed to reflect the most accurate description of the products currently available to consumers. Hope this helps.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kathleen… Just received the following response from David Forman, president of Weruva:

    “We are currently going through some formula changes and we are also in the process of updating our website. We have changed all dog food formulas to be grain free. Some flavors had the change first and then other followed. Out in the market, there is likely the supply of both the old and new for most flavors. When the new website is complete, it will contain ingredients of all of the new formulations.”

    I’ve requested an update and will post a corrected review just as soon as I receive and can act on the updated information. Thanks again for the tip.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kathleen… Thanks to your comment, I’ve written to Weruva asking the company to confirm the accuracy of their website information. I’ll post my findings as soon as I receive a response. Thanks for the tip.

  • Kathleen

    WELL…another pothole in the road! The first case of Weruva Human Style Funky Chunky I purchased had white rice in it & the can was full of food & chunky as it states. A week later I purchased another case (from same store) – and the formula is WITHOUT rice & nearly half of the can was just liquid! I contacted Weruva and was told that I the first case must have been over a year old because they changed their formula about a year ago. NOW…their website does not reflect this – obviously, the ingredients, calories, and other percentages are not up-to-date and accurate. HOW IS ONE SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE from inaccurate information? Why does it take more than a year to up-date the info? I was also told that the rice and thickening starch had adsorbed the liquid in the can because the food was older – my expire date was October 2011. And that the second newer batch really still had the same amount of liquid!!?????? Yeah, but less actual food???? Am I really that dense that I don’t get it. There was not more chicken meat – the percentage of protein & fat had not changed???? Just very strange. Will have to find yet another food as they supposedly have taken all this line of food to NO GRAIN – have they just left out the additional food (such as rice) & not replaced it????
    Going to look into TIKI food – but then again maybe they are going to go all NO GRAIN. I do not believe it is necessary to make all their choices of foods all no grain! Dogs with very high lipids/digestive disorders are often put on a simple chicken/rice diet. Very sad that their food does not have more variety. Will be trying Weruva’s Cirque de la Mer with tuna meat & sweet potatoes (newest version) as soon as I can find it. And hopefully find a TIKI with very low fat and not 1/2 fluid.

  • Kathleen

    Here is the 2nd part of my post – a follow-up to what I found out and am doing about my schnauzers high lipids & prevention of pancreatitis. Will post again in a month on further results.
    I have decided to switch from Halo Spot’s Stew Original Chicken Formula to Weruva human style mixes, starting with Funky Chunky chicken and Jammin Salmon. The fat level is very low in the HUMAN STYLE versions of WERUVA canned dog foods. Many so-called low-fat canned dog foods are not nearly as low as these.
    I have only been mixing it in with Spots Stew for 6 days now – no problem so far. I am amazed at the quality of this food. I thought it was going to be really soupy by looking at the photos. The can is jam packed with solid food!! It is mostly chicken and these versions have the white rice which is really well cooked (which is great for dogs, especially with pancreatitis or digestive problems), and small chunks of carrots and more peas that I thought it would have. These foods are high protein (from animal flesh sources using chicken mainly and adding salmon, duck, beef and some mixes are tuna and mixed sea animals). The dogs are absolutely crazy about this food. ANd it is very low fat – which for dogs that need to watch their fat, this is great. You can always add more fat to the diet if you wanted to, or more carbs such as sweet potato, pumpkin, etc.
    NOTE: WERUVA’s KOBE versions are HIGHER FAT – more in the NORMAL RANGE of fats for dogs without problems with high fat.
    My cost is only a couple of bucks more per case of 12 cans than Spots Stew. I have come to the conclusion that Spots Stew is way overpriced – where is the meat & why so much noodles!!!?????
    Spots Stew ticked me off when I ordered my last 10 cases and was unaware that they had jumped the FAT PERCENTAGE from a dry matter basis for the canned food from ~12% to ~17%. That is a big jump. And they only increased the protein by 1%. THEIR PROTEIN IS JUST TOO LOW – I have often wondered where the meat is. And it appears to have more “noodles” in it! Don’t understand the need for so much wheat noodles!!! Except lowers cost drastically. I was mixing their food with Castor & Pollux Organix canned food – which is a high fat food & caused an overload of fat for my male 12 yr old schnauzer and he had a mild attack of pancreatitis (first one). So I had to read a lot – because I did not want to feed him the garbage that the “nutritionist” at the Univ. of TN wanted to feed him (you know, the sweepings off the floor). I learned that moderate protein & low fat & moderate carbs are good for recovery. (He recovered very quickly.) ANd then higher protein, low fat, low carbs are best. Schnauzers are prone to very high lipids in their bloodstream – not always resulting in pancreatitis, but pre-disposing them to it.
    Here is what “nutritionist” at university recommended – actually insisted upon:
    The food was Royal Canin Vet Diet – Digestive Low Fat LF (canned) – listen to what is in it – not that I am ignorant about this problem – but it never ceases to astound me as to their ignorance and/or greed!
    Water, Pork by-products, pork liver, corn grits, rice flour, chicken by-products, GELATIN BY-PRODUCTS, Powdered Cellulose, NATURAL FLAVORS, dried beet pulp, guar gum, fish oil, then the huge list of vitamins & supplements.
    P.S. I never knew there was such a thing as GELATIN BY-PRODUCTS – I thought it was a by-product!
    Most of your dog’s nutrition OR your own nutrition should come from FOOD!!! I know they have to add all these supplements to qualify for AAFCO label.
    So Goodbye to Spots Stew. They really need to improve their product – want to actually see the chicken & forget the noodles. If using carbs, use less & shoot for sweet potatoes maybe. But now, their food is too high fat for schnauzers anyhow. And the chicken is the lowest fat, the others are much higher.

    This is the 1st part I had posted under Spot’s Stew – gives you idea of problem I was having with my adopted schnauzers with high lipids (common in this breed). PLEASE ADOPT a SCHNAUZER if you want a schnauzer. They are in desparate need of homes. Best one I know of in Southeast is: http://schnauzerrescueofthecarolinas.com/ – We have two from them & SRC does wonderful work!
    WOWWEE! I am getting concerned about feeding Spot’s Stew. Thought perhaps if Ellen bought into it, the product would get better. They did change their formulation a bit, increasing the protein just a bit, but also increasing the fat. If this is true about Science Diet former exec now CEO of HALO – that could possibly be very bad. I wouldn’t feed Science Diet if it were free. And I certainly don’t want foods from China being fed to my dogs or anyone’s dogs or cats. My dog had a minor bout with pancreatitis – and at over 12 years had never had one before, but I was trying to switch from Spot’s Stew combined with Organix to Party Animal with a little bit of Organix & bang my schnauzer got sick – they cannot handle this much fat, even when fat is considered “normal amount.” But, I am concerned about Halo being too low protein & the protein sources. The wheat noodles are also contributing to the protein–possibly even more than the peas, as peas are actually low in protein and wheat noodles have a decent amount of protein. All plant foods have protein – question is how much, beans are as much as cattle flesh, and fruits have tiny amount. Many plant foods have ALL the amino acids necessary for HUMANS; I am still very unsure that true omnivores can digest the foods well enough to absorb these proteins (amino acids). (their digestive tracts from the mouth to the end product are very different from human animals) True carnivores must have their animal flesh.
    I have spent hours & hours on this subject & decided I will talk with the local nutritionist at the Univ.ofTN – even though I won’t feed from their recommended lists (of crap). I need to know if there is a certain level of protein that is just too high for these schnauzers (I have 2 adopted at ~12-1/4 yr old) – one has an enlarged heart with heart valve disease & other I have to watch for bladder infections (she has being doing great since I fired a vet 2 yr ago). My female also threw up when she ate the Party Animal canned dog food. There are some really low fat diets out there like Weruva & Tiki – but are they too high protein (very high) and possibly too low fat.
    And how do I then find out where anyone else gets all their ingredients??
    CHINA – HORRIBLE!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Joan… Because all foods (even human foods) contain varying amounts of moisture, we use dry matter basis to report the nutrient content of every dog food we review. This method mathematically removes all the water from a food. Be sure to read my article about how and why we do this. Hope this helps.

  • Joan McKibbin

    I have a 55 lb dog with a history of health problems. I am feeding Grain Free Paw Lickin’Chicken and Grain Free Funcky Chunky. While your review gives a protein content of 69% and a fat content of 9%, the cans say protein 10% and 8% respectively and fat 1.4% and 1.2% respectively. Is this because the grain free is not at all the same as the human style you’re reviewing, or is there something about these readings I don’t understand? Thanks. Your site is highly informative.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Ruth… In many ways, dogs are a lot like people. Each responds to a particular food in its own unique way. So, be sure to transition very slowly to any new diet with patience. Start with about 20-25% new food and gradually increase it to a full 100% over a 7 to 10 day period.

    Weruva is a very good product. But no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. If after giving your dog a reasonable amount of time to adjust to the new food you still notice the same symptoms, it may be necessary for you to consider switching. Unfortunately, choosing the right dog food still involves some trial and error. Hope this helps.

  • Ruth Crossgrove

    We have been feeding our dogs (8 and 23 lb) Weruva for two weeks without knowing anything about the company because they immediately loved Bed and Breakfast and Grandma’s Chicken Soup. I worried about the nutritional value, weight gain, and quality and am so pleased to find this site. The only problem is gas, which they have never had before. I’m hoping their digestive systems will adjust soon but am wondering whether we should do more than hope right away. They are 11 and 7 years old and a little over-weight.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sonya… The average protein in our database for canned foods is about 39%. This is not really high protein but rather a moderate level. If you feel you need a low protein dog food you may consider visiting my report, “Low Protein Dog Foods“. But please be aware, low protein (necessarily means high carbohydrate. Be sure to check with you vet. This principal is the same for every food (both human and dog). Hope this helps.

  • Sonya

    Hello,

    My little 2yrs old maltese recently had his annual blood work done. It turned out that all other tests except AST level (liver enzyme) were normal. His AST, however, is 550- 5 times the normal count. His vet has scheduled additional tests but in the meantime I researched and found out that I should give him a low protein (high quality protein at that) diet. The pet store owner has recommended Weruva but as I read your description it said high protein. Does that mean Weruva is not suitable for my baby?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi AJ… We find it nearly impossible to judge the quality of a product based solely upon the manufacturing location of a dog food. Some of the worst quality dog foods are made right here in North America.

    For example, Walmart boasts its Ol’ Roy Soft and Moist is 100% made in the USA. Whereas Weruva is produced in a human-grade Thai facility meeting the ultra-rigid quality control standards of the International Organization For Standardization (ISO9001).

    There’s simply no comparison between the apparent quality of these two brands.

    That’s why we try to stick to the only information we feel we can reliably trust: Government-regulated pet food labels.

    In any case, after reading a letter from Weruva posted on Tracie Hotchner’s Dog Talk blog, I only wish all dog foods were manufactured with such care as Weruva takes at its Thai facility. Please read this letter. If you’re like me, you’ll be favorably reassured. Hope this helps.

  • AJ

    Should there be any concern that this food is made in Thailand ? Our dog loves it also, I sometimes use a little bit as a “topper”, but I always am worried that is is made overseas.

  • Janice

    My two “picky” shelties have been eating Weruva (usually Paw-lickin’ Chicken or Amazon Liver) mixed with dry food (usually Innova, but recently using Orijen Six Fish) and they LOVE it. It has the best consistency I’ve found for mixing with dry — pretty expensive, though — I sometimes replace it with something a little less expensive like Merrick, but they are always THRILLED when the Weruva returns. An excellent product.

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