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Unrated
By Nature Organics canned dog food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The By Nature Organics product line includes six canned dog foods, five claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and one for supplemental feeding only (Organic Chicken).
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- By Nature Organics Chicken Stew
- By Nature Organic Chicken (4.5 stars)
- By Nature Organics Chicken and Lamb Stew
- By Nature Organics Chicken and Turkey Stew
- By Nature Organics Chicken and Salmon Stew
- By Nature Organic Chicken, Carrots and Peas (4.5 stars)
By Nature Organics Chicken and Turkey Stew was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
By Nature Organics Chicken and Turkey Stew
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Organic chicken, organic chicken broth, turkey broth, turkey, turkey liver, dried egg whites, peas, potato starch, calcium carbonate, potatoes, carrots, dicalcium phosphate, organic guar gum, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium chloride, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, riboflavin supplement, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, potassium iodide, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 0.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 8% | 5% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 44% | 25% | 23% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 35% | 48% | 18% |
Ingredient Analaysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is organic 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.
The next two ingredients are organic chicken broth and turkey broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The fourth ingredient is turkey. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”.3
Turkey is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The fifth ingredient is turkey liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The sixth ingredient includes dried egg whites. Eggs are highly digestible and an excellent source of usable protein.
The seventh 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 eighth ingredient includes potato starch. Potato starch is a gluten-free carbohydrate used more for its thickening properties than its nutritional value.
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…
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
Since this recipe contains a number of organic ingredients, we feel compelled to grant this line a more favorable status as we consider its final rating.
That’s because organic ingredients must comply with notably more stringent government standards — standards which significantly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.
With this in mind…
Judging by its ingredients alone, By Nature Organics canned dog food 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 44%, a fat level of 25% and estimated carbohydrates of about 23%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 42% and a mean fat level of 25%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 26% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 59%.
Near-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 wet product containing a significant amount of meat.
Bottom line?
By Nature Organics is a meat-based canned dog food using a significant amount of organic chicken as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.
Those looking for an organic kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of By Nature Organics dry dog food.
Notes and Updates
04/27/2010 Original review
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