Pawstruck Air Dried Dog Food (Dry)

Andrew Dickens

By

Andrew Dickens
Andrew Dickens

Andrew Dickens

Editor

Andrew Dickens is an award-winning writer, editor and broadcaster with 20 years in journalism. He’s created compelling content on film and television, travel, food and drink, physical and mental health, business, sport, technology and politics. And, of course, dog food.

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Updated: June 18, 2024

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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Pawstruck Air Dried Dog Food earns The Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Pawstruck Air Dried product line includes three dry dog foods.

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

Product line Rating AAFCO
Pawstruck Air Dried Beef 5 A
Pawstruck Air Dried Chicken 5 A
Pawstruck Air Dried Fish 5 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Pawstruck Air Dried Beef 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.

Pawstruck Air Dried Beef Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

36.1%

Protein

25.8%

Fat

30.1%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Beef, beef lung, beef liver, dicalcium phosphate, flaxseed, calcium carbonate, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), salt, potassium chloride, choline (choline chloride), ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin e supplement, copper amino acid complex, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, niacin supplement, vitamin b5 (calcium pantothenate), riboflavin supplement, vitamin a supplement, vitamin b12 supplement, vitamin b12 (thiamine mononitrate), vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), calcium iodate, vitamin d3 supplement, vitamin b9 (folic acid)


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 12%

Red denotes any controversial items

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 35% 25% NA
Dry Matter Basis 36% 26% 30%
Calorie Weighted Basis 28% 49% 23%

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.

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

The second ingredient is beef lung. Beef lung is a protein-rich organ meat that’s also low in fat.

The third ingredient is beef liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

The fifth ingredient is flaxseed, 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.

The sixth ingredient is calcium carbonate, likely used here as a dietary mineral 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 product.

However, there are two notable exceptions…

First, salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable 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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Pawstruck Air Dried range looks like a superior dry dog food.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 40%, a fat level of 29% and estimated carbohydrates of about 24%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 27%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 23% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 64%.

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

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing a generous amount of meat.

Pawstruck Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Pawstruck through October 2024.

No recalls noted.

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

Our Rating of Pawstruck Dog Food

Pawstruck Air-Dried is a grain-free dry dog food using a significant amount of beef as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5.

Enthusiastically recommended.

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Highly Recommended

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.

However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.

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