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Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Dog Food Review (Dry)

Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Dog Food Review

Rating:

Which Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Earthborn Holistic Grain Free product line includes the 5 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product Rating AAFCO
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Coastal Catch 5 A
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Western Feast 5 A
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Great Plains Feast 5 A
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Primitive Natural 5 A
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Meadow Feast 4.5 M

Recipe and Label Analysis

Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Great Plains Feast was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.


Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Great Plains Feast

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 36% | Fat = 20% | Carbs = 36%

Ingredients: Bison meal, peas, pea protein, canola oil, beef meal, flaxseed, dried yeast, tapioca, pea starch, sweet potato, pumpkin, dried egg, salmon meal, alaska pollock meal, whiting meal, natural flavor, apples, blueberries, carrots, cranberries, spinach, dried chicory root (a source of inulin, a prebiotic), choline (choline chloride), salt, potassium chloride, taurine, l-carnitine, vitamins [vitamin E (α-tocopherol acetate), vitamin C (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (calcium pantothenate), vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin A (vitamin A acetate), vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin B9 (folic acid), ], minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], yucca schidigera extract, rosemary extract, probiotics [dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product]

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis32%18%NA
Dry Matter Basis36%20%36%
Calorie Weighted Basis30%40%30%
Protein = 30% | Fat = 40% | Carbs = 30%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is bison meal. Bison meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh bison.

The second 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 third ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The next ingredient is tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.

The fifth ingredient is dried egg, a dehydrated powder made from shell-free eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The sixth item 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.

The next ingredient is beef meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

The eighth ingredient includes whiting meal, yet another high protein meat concentrate.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1

The ninth ingredient lists pea starch, a paste-like, gluten-free carbohydrate extract probably used here as a binder for making kibble. Aside from its energy content (calories), pea starch is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

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 Earthborn Holistic product.

With 7 notable exceptions

First, we find chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. Like peas, beans and lentils, chickpeas are a nutritious member of the fiber-rich legume (or pulse) family of vegetables.

However, chickpeas contain about 22% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

In addition, we note the use of pea fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from pea hulls. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, this agricultural by-product provides no other nutritional value to a dog.

Next, we find dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added to provide enzymes to aid the animal with digestion.

We also 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.

Next, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a 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 includes 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

Based on its ingredients alone, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 20% and estimated carbohydrates of about 36%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 34% and a mean fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 39% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.

Which means this Earthborn product line contains…

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

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, pea protein, chickpeas and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.

Our Rating of Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Dry Dog Food

Earthborn Holistic Grain Free is a dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those looking for additional grain-free products may wish to check out our special report on grain-free dog foods.



Earthborn Holistic Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Earthborn Holistic through March 2024.

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

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More Earthborn Holistic Reviews

The following Earthborn Holistic dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

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References

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials
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