Wysong Archetype Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Wysong Archetype product line includes 4 freeze-dried, raw dog foods.

Each recipe below includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the product’s official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Use the links below to check prices and package sizes at an online retailer.

Wysong Archetype Rabbit formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

The first ingredient in this dog food is rabbit. Rabbit is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered rabbit” and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart, esophagus or other tissues accompanying the flesh.¹

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

After the natural flavor, 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.

The fourth ingredient includes blueberries. Blueberries are a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

The fifth ingredient is barley grass. Similar to wheat grass, barley grass is prized for its rich natural vitamin and mineral content.

The sixth ingredient lists chia seed, an edible seed nutritionally similar to flax or sesame. Provided they’re first ground into a meal, chia seeds are rich in both omega-3 fatty acids as well as dietary fiber.

However, chia seeds contain about 17% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

Next, we find a series of nutrient-rich vegetables and fruit…

• Broccoli sprouts
• Carrots
• Plums

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 3 notable exceptions…

First, we find yeast extract, a 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 ago, 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 inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added to provide enzymes to aid the animal with digestion.

And lastly, 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.

Wysong Archetype Dog Food Review

Judging by its ingredients alone, Wysong Archetype Dog Food looks like an above-average raw product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 50%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 20%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 55% and a mean fat level of 22%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 15% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 40%.

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

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the chia seed, this looks like the profile of a raw product containing an abundance of meat.

Bottom line.

Wysong Archetype is a grain-free, freeze-dried raw dog food using an abundance of named meats 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 and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.

Wysong Dog Food Recall History

The following list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 directly related to Wysong Dog Food. If there are no recalls listed in this section, we have not yet reported any events.

• Wysong Dog Food Recall October 2009 Update (11/4/2009)
• Wysong Dog Food Recall October 2009 (10/13/2009)

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls sorted by date. Or view the same list sorted alphabetically by brand.

Notes and Updates