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Addiction Dog Food Review (Dehydrated)

Rating:

Addiction Raw Dehydrated Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3.5 stars.

The Addiction product line includes the 8 dehydrated dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the product’s official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Products marked with an asterisk (*) are grain-free.

Use the links to check prices and package sizes at an online retailer.

Addiction Fig’licious Venison Feast was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Addiction Fig'licious Venison Feast

Dehydrated Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 22% | Fat = 11% | Carbs = 59%

Ingredients: Venison, potatoes, canola oil, papayas, tapioca, carrots, figs, spinach, dicalcium phosphate, sodium chloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid (vitamin B9), taurine, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt sulfate, sodium selenite, natural mixed tocopherols (preservatives), green tea extract, rosemary extract and spearmint extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.7%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis19%10%NA
Dry Matter Basis22%11%59%
Calorie Weighted Basis20%26%55%
Protein = 20% | Fat = 26% | Carbs = 55%

The first ingredient in this dog food is venison. Venison is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered” venison and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1

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

Although it is a quality item, raw venison contains up to 73% water. After dehydrating, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The third ingredient is canola oil. Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item. That’s because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.

Yet others cite the fact that canola oil can be a significant source of essential omega-3 fatty acids.

In any case, plant-based oils like canola are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

Four of the next five items include a series of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables

  • Papayas
  • Carrots
  • Figs
  • Spinach

Amongst the fruits and vegetables we find tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.

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 Addiction product.

With 2 notable exceptions

First, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

Addiction Raw Dehydrated Dog Food Review

Judging by its ingredients alone, Addiction Raw Dehydrated Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 22%, a fat level of 11% and estimated carbohydrates of about 59%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 23% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 55% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%.

Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a dry product containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Addiction offers both grain-free and grain-inclusive dry dog foods that utilize a moderate amount of dehydrated named meats as their dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.

Recommended.

Those looking for a wet food from the same company may wish to visit our review of Addiction canned dog food.

Addiction Dog Food
Recall History

The following list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 directly related to Addiction. If there are no recalls listed in this section, we have not yet reported any events.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls sorted by date. Or view the same list sorted alphabetically by brand.

A Final Word

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Notes and Updates

  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
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