Review of Kasiks Dog Food
Kasiks Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.
The Kasiks product line includes the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kasiks Wild Pacific Ocean Fish Meal | 4 | A |
| Kasiks Free Range Lamb Meal | 4 | A |
| Kasiks Free Run Chicken Meal | 4 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Kasiks Free Range Lamb Meal 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.
Kasiks Free Range Lamb Meal
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Lamb meal, chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, green peas, yellow peas, pea starch, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, sodium chloride, dl-methionine, minerals: (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate), selenium yeast, vitamins: (niacin, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement), choline chloride, calcium propionate (a preservative), yeast extract, taurine, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, rosemary extract, coconut, kale, glucosamine hydrochloride
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8.9%
Red denotes controversial item
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 25% | 12% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 28% | 13% | 51% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 29% | 46% |
Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb meal. Lamb meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh lamb.
It’s important to note that the next five ingredients included in this recipe are each a type of legume:
- Chickpeas
- Red lentils
- Green lentils
- Green peas
- Yellow peas
Although they’re a mixture of quality plant ingredients, there’s an important issue to consider here. And that’s the recipe design practice known as ingredient splitting.
If we were to combine all these individual items together and report them as one, that newer combination would likely occupy a significantly higher position on the list.
In addition, legumes contain about 25% protein, a factor that must also be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is 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.
The eighth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The ninth ingredient is tomato pomace, which is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
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 Kasiks product.
With 5 notable exceptions…
First, yeast extract is the common name for a broad group of products made by removing the cell wall from the yeast organism.
A significant number of these ingredients are added as specialized nutritional supplements while others are used as flavor enhancers.
However, the glutamic acid (and its chemical cousin, monosodium glutamate, or MSG) found in a minority of yeast extracts can be controversial.
That’s because even though the Food and Drug Administration designated these food additives to be safe decades ago1, the agency continues to receive reports of adverse effects.
So, detractors still object to the use of yeast extract and other glutamic acid derivatives and blame them for everything from Alzheimer’s (in humans) to obesity.
In any case, since the label reveals little about the actual type of yeast extract included in any recipe, it’s impossible for us to judge the quality of this ingredient.
Next, we note the use of coconut. Depending upon the quality of the raw material, coconut is rich in medium chain fatty acids.
Medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to improve cognitive function in older dogs.2
Because of its proven safety3 as well as its potential to help in the treatment of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and chronic skin disorders, MCT can be considered a positive addition to this recipe.
In addition, 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.
Next, 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, this recipe includes selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Kasiks Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 13%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 51% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.
Which means this FirstMate product line contains…
Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the chickpeas, lentils and peas, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing just a moderate amount of meat.
Our Rating of Kasiks Dog Food
Kasiks is a grain-free dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meals as its primary source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
However, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include so much plant-based protein in its recipe. Otherwise, we would have been compelled to award this product a higher rating.
FirstMate Dog Food
Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to FirstMate.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More FirstMate Brand Dog Food Reviews
The following FirstMate dog food reviews are also posted on this website:
- FirstMate 50/50 Dog Food Review (Canned)
- FirstMate Dog Food Review (Dry)
- FirstMate Grain-Free Dog Food Review (Dry)
- FirstMate Limited Ingredient Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Kasiks Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Skoki Dog Food Review (Dry)
A Final Word
The Dog Food Advisor does not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.
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For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.
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The Best Senior Dog FoodsReferences
- L-Glutamic Acid, FDA Select Committee on GRAS Substances ↩
- Pan Y et al, Dietary supplementation with medium-chain TAG has long-lasting cognition-enhancing effects in aged dogs, British Journal of Nutrition, Volume 103, Issue 12, June 2010, pp 1746-1754 ↩
- Matulka RA et al, Lack of toxicity by medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in canines during a 90-day feeding study,Food Chem Toxicol, Jan 2009, 47(1) 35-9. ↩
02/24/2022 Last Update
