ZiwiPeak Daily Dog (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
Share

Rating: ★★★★★

ZiwiPeak Daily Dog canned dog food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The ZiwiPeak Daily Dog product line lists four canned dog foods… each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.

  • ZiwiPeak Lamb
  • ZiwiPeak Venison
  • ZiwiPeak Venison and Fish
  • ZiwiPeak Tripe, Lab and Venison

ZiwiPeak Tripe, Lamb and Venison canned dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

ZiwiPeak Tripe, Lamb and Venison

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 53% | Fat = 30% | Carbs = 9%

Ingredients: Lamb tripe, venison tripe, lamb and venison meat, green-lipped mussel, carrageenan, sodium tripolyphosphate, guar gum, flaxseed oil, minerals, vitamins

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.7%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first two items in this food are lamb tripe and venison tripe. Tripe typically consists of the first three chambers of a ruminant’s (cud-chewing animal’s) stomach. As repulsive as it may seem to us humans, tripe is nutritious and favored by dogs for its flavor.

Tripe frequently includes the contents of the stomach, too.

The third and fourth items list lamb and venison meat. Lamb and venison are considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered” the respective animals and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1

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

The fifth ingredient is green-lipped mussel. Mussels are clam-like animals notably rich in glucosamine and omega-3 fatty acids… compounds claimed to support long-term joint health.

The sixth ingredient lists carrageenan… a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Carrageenan has been safely used as a food additive for hundreds of years.

Guar gum is another gel-type thickener found in many canned pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.

Flaxseed oil is one of nature’s best non-fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids… essential to a dog’s life.

The vitamins and minerals added to this product are not detailed sufficiently here to permit us to judge their quality.

ZiwiPeak Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, ZiwiPeak canned dog food appears to be a quality wet 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 53%, a fat level of 30% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 9%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 50% and an average fat level of 31%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate portion size of 11% for the overall product line.

High protein. Above-average fat. And low carbohydrates… when compared to a typical canned dog food.

With no evidence of any plant-based protein concentrates, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing an abundance of meat.

For those desiring to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral diet, ZiwiPeak canned dog food makes an excellent choice.

Bottom line?

ZiwiPeak canned dog food is a meat-based wet product using an abundant amount of venison and lamb as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those looking for a quality dry product from the same company may wish to visit our review of ZiwiPeak dehydrated 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 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… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

07/30/2010 Original Review
07/09/2011 Review updated to reflect AAFCO info

  1. Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor and based upon the official definition for beef published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


Tagged as: , , , ,
  • Smithac3

    My Shihtzu loves the rabbit and lamb. She can’t have any chicken or grains. So glad I had her try it. She gobbled this stuff up.

  • Mary Lou

    Dave M ~ glad to hear you like this food. So far, I am quite impressed. I am using it in the AM, and Stella and Chewy’s Duck in the evening. When the Stella and Chewy’s is gone, I am thinking of going straight Ziwipeak for awhile to see further results. He is one happy boy! :)

  • Dave M

    Mary Lou I use the Ziwipeak air dried with ziwipeak canned for PM feeding – they absolutely love it. I still use kibble in am for convenience. I think Ziwipeak is one o the best foods out there for dogs.

  • Mary Lou

    For the past two weeks I have been feeding the Ziwipeak Lamb air-dried. I decided to add a little warm filtered water. It smells so good, and the pup loves it!! His coat is softer and fluffier than I think I have ever seen it. I began adding some of their canned lamb a few days ago. According to the label, there is NO flaxseed oil. He is in love with this food. My husband mentioned this morning that Dupree doesn’t seem to be scratching much at all. I think we have found a miracle food! :)

  • Layla

    Thank you Monkey! Don’t know how I missed it.

  • monkey

    http://www.ziwipeak.com/nzl/cuisinefamily.shtml

    scroll down a little and you will see “ZiwiPeak ‘Daily-Dog’ Moist Can Cuisine” with picture of the big dog cans under it. There they list the ingredients for their 4 canned formulas.

  • Layla

    Hi I was wondering how the heck you found the individual ingredient list to each flavor of this brand of canned food lol. I looked all over the Ziwipeak site and can’t seem to find the ingredient lists on any of their food. If you or someone else could post the link to this that would be great. Thanks.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Monkey… OK, thanks. Got it. I don’t know how I missed the Guaranteed Analysis when I checked it before. But I finally found it within the ingredients list for each product. I’ve added Original Pet Food Company to my To Do list. Thanks again for the help. :)

  • monkey

    Here you go Mike http://www.originalpetfood.com/products.htm

    The site is horrible.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Shano-o… Unfortunately, I’m unable to locate complete product information (complete nutrient information, Guaranteed Analysis) for this product on the link you included in your comment. So, I’m currently unable to review this brand. Wish I could be more help.

  • Shan-o

    I was wondering if someone can do a review on Original pet food’s products. http://www.originalpetfood.com/

  • Sasha L

    Gina K
    ZiwiPeak is made in New Zealand.

  • Gina K.

    Where is this product made? You should include that info on all of your reviews. Thank you very much!

  • Dave M

    The dogs really enjoy it Ziwipeak – I feed them Carna4 dry in am and I feed them high quality canned at dinner and Ziwipeak is on the rotation.

  • Gordon

    I have had my dogs try the canned venison Ziwi for dinner now, for the first time, and they licked their bowls squeaky clean. Their resultant stool was as good as always. I don’t find that its guar gum is any thicker than any other canned dog food I’ve seen in the past. Contrary to some having commented so.

  • Gordon

    I thought I’d post here that today, I purchased my first tray of 12 x cans of the Venison formula. After always thinking highly of this brand and formula, I can finally testify soon, whether in practice, smell, stool results etc etc, if it is as good as on paper. I went in store and was surprised to find it’s cheaper than getting on line. Woohoo. Another step to phase out kibble and compliment my raw feeding regime.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sharron… Other than my reviews and ratings, there’s not much more I can say about these products. If a manufacturer claims a dog food meets AAFCO profiles as complete and balanced for the specific life stage of your dog, then I would feel fairly comfortable to feed it every day.

    However, to learn why many experts recommend changing brands and recipes regularly, please be sure to visit my FAQ page and look for the topic, “Diet Rotation for Dogs”. Hope this helps.

  • Gordon

    sharron – If I may chime in. IMO, it sure is OK to feed your dog this food on a daily basis. It’s even better to alternate with other foods like raw, and raw meaty bones.

    I have not had my dogs try this food, but on paper and reputation, I personally believe this dog food to be the best canned brand in the western world.

  • sharron

    Hi Mike

    would it be ok to feed Ziwipeak canned dog food on a daily basis. Lexee is currently eating Addiction dehydrated. She simply refuses to eat dry. Also Addiction dehydrated is a decent food right?

    Thanks alot
    Sharron

  • natalie

    JJ

    the can we just had was venison. i know what you are talking about and i think u r right. we have had other canned food that had a little ljelly like substance. but this was extremley thick and it was in between the can and the food, from top to bottom. i am sure its fine, ziwi peak seems like a great company.

  • sandy

    Referring to the flax seed/oil a couple posts ago – the Orijen Paper starting at page 18 states that plant based omega 3′s are not as readily bioavailable for use in the canine body. Plant based omega 3′s are ALA (short chain fatty acids), and would need to be converted to DHA and EPA to be absorbed in dogs but dogs are not adapted to do this conversion in their bodies so it is just not useful or bioavailable. The best source for omega 3′s are from an animal source such as fish.

  • J.J.

    Natalie –
    In my experience, that is common with canned food. What protein source is the food? When chicken, turkey, etc. fat & juice cools above a certain temp (around room temp) the fat coagulates and resembles a jellylike substance. We always see some of that substance when we are cleaning up the thanksgiving turkey or a roasted chicken after the meal is over. I believe the substance you are referring to is similar.

  • natalie

    we got this last week and our boys love it. there is a pretty thick jelly like coating around the entire inside of the can, its basically wrapped around the food. i was wondering if mike or anyone knew if this is supposed to be eaten. maybe its the carrageenan?

    i am trying to get a hold of ziwi peak to find out.

  • Pingback: dog food yay or nay - Chihuahua Forum : Chihuahua Breed Dog Forums

  • Meagan

    Dawn-Thats what I figured, but I just wondered where her research is about it not being good. I love when people leave comments but do not tell us why or where they got it from. I to believe it makes my dogs coats beautiful. Thanks for researching it. :)

  • DAWN LEDER

    all i can say…its wrong! flax is excellent for dogs..my dogs would shed like crazy dry dull fur dandruff…i give them flaxseed meal and or oil and WOW gorgeous gorgeous coat skin and NO SCRATCHING AT ALL!
    Ive researched and researched (yes im a research addict sorry to say but I LOVE DOING IT) and no where does it say DO NOT GIVE TO DOGS! i would say over 85% of dog foods dry/wet have flax in it if it werent safe we would be having gazillion dogs very ill!….and our wonderful Mike here would state it was bad too! :O) My beagle eat raw….i give flaxseed oil right on their raw bones and raw frozen food they love it!!

  • Meagan In Iowa

    Geneva- Where do you get that information about flax seed? Thanks

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Bruno… I’m not aware of any issues with warming the contents of a canned product in a microwave. Just be sure not to overheat the food. We also mix a canned food with Bailey’s kibble. He (too) loves it. We refer to this method of serving as “topping”.

  • Bruno Catro

    Hi! Do you know if this canned dog food can be warmed in microwave before feeding? It’s dangerous for some reason? And about mixing it with orijen kibble, there’s is no problem on that? That’s because my little yorkie just eat kibble if i mix it with canned, and a little warm! Thank you

  • http://mysite.verizon.net/coatcloset Geneva Coats

    Flax seed and flax oil should not be fed to dogs. It provides no EPA or DHA, only ALA which is of questionable value. Flax is also very high in phytoestrogens and can adversely affect reproductive function.

    I use the Ziwipeak dry and love it….it contains no flax.