Review of Taste of the Wild Prey Dry Dog Food

Taste of the Wild Prey Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Taste of the Wild Prey product line includes the 3 limited ingredient dry dog foods listed below.

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

Recipe and Label Analysis

Taste of the Wild Prey Angus Beef Formula 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.

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Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Although it’s a quality item, raw beef contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient includes lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

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

The third ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace 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.

The fourth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat 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.

After natural flavor, we find dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

The seventh ingredient is salmon oil, which 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.

The eighth ingredient is salt (also known as sodium chloride). Salt is a common additive in many dog foods. That’s because sodium is a necessary mineral for all animals — including humans.

However, since the actual amount of salt added to this recipe isn’t disclosed on the list of ingredients, it’s impossible to judge the nutritional value of this item.

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 Taste of the Wild product.

With 4 notable exceptions…

First, we find 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, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

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.

And lastly, this recipe uses 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, Taste of the Wild Prey Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 30%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 31% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 44% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 54%.

Which means this Taste of the Wild product contains…

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

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the lentils and their high position on the ingredients list, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Our Rating of Taste of the Wild Prey Dog Food

Taste of the Wild Prey is a grain-free, limited ingredient dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

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Taste of the Wild Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Taste of the Wild.

• Diamond Dog Food Recall Summary (5/6/2012)

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

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More Taste of the Wild Brand Reviews

The following Taste of the Wild dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

• Taste of the Wild Ancient Grains Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Taste of the Wild Dog Food Review
• Taste of the Wild Dog Food Review (Canned)