Which Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Recipes Get Our Best Ratings?

Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care product line includes the 7 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

Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Salmon Recipe with Grains 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 salmon meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

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

The second ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

The third ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fourth ingredient includes whole oats, which are rich in B-vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

The next ingredient is salmon. Although it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, raw salmon 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 sixth ingredient 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 seventh ingredient is apple, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.

The eighth ingredient lists carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The ninth ingredient is cranberry, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.

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 Petcurean product.

With 5 notable exceptions…

First, 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.

Next, 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.

In addition, this recipe contains selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Next, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 24%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 54%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 26% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 52% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 58%.

Which means this Petcurean product line contains…

Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing at least a moderate amount of meat.

Our Rating of Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Dog Food

Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care is a grain-inclusive dry dog food that uses at least a moderate amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Go! Solutions Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Petcurean through December.

No recalls noted.

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

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More Petcurean Brand Reviews

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• Gather Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Go! Solutions Carnivore Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Go! Solutions Sensitivities Dog Food Review (Wet)
• Go! Solutions Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Now Fresh Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Now Fresh Wet Dog Food Review (Cartons)
• Summit Dog Food Review (Dry)