Blackwood Dog Food Review (Canned)

Mike Sagman  Julia Ogden

By

Mike Sagman
Mike Sagman

Mike Sagman

Founder

Dr Mike Sagman is the creator of the Dog Food Advisor. He founded the website in 2008, after his unquestioning trust in commercial dog food led to the tragic death of his dog Penny.

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&
Julia Ogden
Julia Ogden

Julia Ogden

Content Director

Julia is the content director at the Dog Food Advisor and responsible for the overall strategy of the website.

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Updated: February 5, 2025

Verified by Laura Ward

Laura Ward

Laura Ward

Pet Nutritionist

Laura studied BSc (Hons) Animal Science with an accreditation in Nutrition at the University of Nottingham, before working for eight years in the pet food and nutrition industry.

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Laura Ward

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Our Verdict

Rating:
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 Blackwood Canned product range is made up of three recipes with ratings varying from 2.5 to 3 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 3 stars.

The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Blackwood Grain-Free Adult Dog Food Chicken & Salmon With Pumpkin Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Blackwood Grain-Free Adult Dog Food Chicken & Salmon With Pumpkin Recipe

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

43.2%

Protein

40.9%

Fat

7.9%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Chicken, chicken broth, salmon, pumpkin, agar-agar, peas, carrots, potassium chloride, tricalcium phosphate, salt, choline chloride, dandelion greens, dried New Zealand green mussels, calcium carbonate, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, magnesium proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%

Red denotes any controversial items

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 10% 9% NA
Dry Matter Basis 43% 41% 8%
Calorie Weighted Basis 29% 66% 5%

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient 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 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common component in many canned products.

The third ingredient is salmon. Salmon is an oily marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.

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

The fifth ingredient is agar agar, a natural vegetable gelatin derived from the cell walls of certain species of red algae. Agar is rich in fiber and is used in wet pet foods as a gelling agent.

The sixth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The seventh ingredient lists carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

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, we find green-lipped mussels. Mussels are clam-like animals notably rich in glucosamine and omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients proven to support long-term joint health.

This recipe contains sodium selenite controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, this food 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.

Nutrient Analysis

Judging by its ingredients alone, Blackwood Grain-Free Adult Dog Food Chicken & Salmon With Pumpkin Recipe looks like an above-average 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 43.2%, a fat level of 40.9% and estimated carbohydrates of about 7.9%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 43.2% and a mean fat level of 40.2%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 8.7% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 93%.

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, this looks like the profile of a canned product containing a significant amount of meat.

Blackwood Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Blackwood through February 2025.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

Our Rating of Blackwood Dog Food

Blackwood is a grain-free, meat-based canned dog food using a significant amount of named meats as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3 stars.

It is worth noting that the lower rating of this range is due to the high fat to protein ratios seen. With lower fat content all of these recipes would have been 5 stars. We highly recommend these recipes for working or highly active dogs. If you feed this range to pets and less active dogs, we recommend you monitor their weight regularly to ensure they remain their ideal size. Not suitable for any dog recommended a low fat diet.

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Recommended with Reservations

Sources

1: Association of American Feed Control Officials

A Final Word

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