Rating: 
Whole Earth Farms canned dog food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.
The Whole Earth Farms product line includes three canned dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Whole Earth Farms Puppy Formula
- Whole Earth Farms Adult Formula
- Whole Earth Farms Senior Formula
Whole Earth Farms Adult Formula food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Whole Earth Farms Adult Formula
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, duck, buffalo, whitefish, fresh carrots, fresh sweet potato, peas, salmon meal (a natural source of omega-3 DHA docosahexaenoic acid)*, organic alfalfa suncured ground, dried egg, organic sunflower seed ground, dried tomato pomace, canola oil, cassia gum, carrageenan, guargum, salt, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, dried bluberry, dried cranberry, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, poultry seasoning (thyme, sage, rosemary), Yucca schidigera extract, marigold pot, cinnamon, lecithin, zinc amino acid complex, mixed tocopherols, iron amino acid complex, vitamin E supplement, manganese amino acid complex, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A acetate, copper amino acid complex, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3 supplement, niacin, riboflavin supplement, biotin, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient included in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient lists chicken broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The third ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat from a named species. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
The next three items are all good sources of animal protein…
- Duck
- Buffalo
- Whitefish
The seventh ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The eighth 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 subsequent three ingredients go on to list a series of nutrient-rich and fiber-filled vegetables…
The ninth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
The tenth ingredient is salmon meal. Salmon meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than even fresh salmon.
In addition, salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item2 appears to be ethoxyquin-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 three notable exceptions…
First, tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left 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.
Next, we note the inclusion of 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.3
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.
Whole Earth Farms Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Whole Earth Farms represents Merrick Pet Care’s value line of dog food. But you’d never know it to look at the quality of this list of ingredients.
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 41%, a fat level of 27% and estimated carbohydrates of about 24%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 41% and a mean fat level of 25%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 26% for the overall product line.
Near-average protein. Near-average fat fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing a notable amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Whole Earth Farms is a meat-based canned dog food using a significant amount of named poultry as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a good quality kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Whole Earth Farms dry 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
02/06/2010 Original review
09/12/2010 Review updated
04/12/2011 Review updated due to minor recipe change
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
- Merrick Customer Service, 8/17/2010 ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.