Earth Animal Wisdom Dog Food Review (Air-Dried)

Karan French

By

Karan French
Karan French

Karan French

Senior Researcher

Karan is a senior researcher at the Dog Food Advisor, working closely with our in-house pet nutritionist, Laura Ward, to give pet parents all the information they need to find the best food for their dog.

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Updated: April 29, 2024

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Our Verdict

Rating:
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Earth Animal Wisdom Dog Food product range is made up of five recipes, four receive The Dog Food Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars. From Seed recipe is unrated due to the fact it is a vegetarian option.

Pros
  • Gently air-dried to preserve nutrients
  • Sustainably sourced
  • Certified B Corporation (meets high standards of verified performance)
  • All-natural ingredients
Cons
  • More expensive than traditional commercial kibble

The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product line Rating AAFCO
Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried From the Land Recipe 5 A
Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried Chicken Recipe 5 A
Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried From the Seed Recipe N/R A
Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried From the Sea Recipe 5 A
Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried Turkey Recipe 5 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried Turkey Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried Turkey Recipe

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

30.5%

Protein

15.9%

Fat

45.6%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Turkey, turkey liver, dried sardine, quinoa, coconut glycerin, flaxseed, turkey neck, oats, turkey heart, turkey gizzard, dicalcium phosphate, ground miscanthus grass, dried sweet potato, dried carrots, potassium chloride, dried pumpkin, calcium carbonate, dried cranberries, sea salt, choline chloride, sprouted oats, sprouted flaxseed, sprouted quinoa, oregano extract, cherry extract, marine microalgae oil, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), dried kelp, dried apple, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, biotin, vitamin E supplement, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, vitamin D supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, rosemary extract


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%

Red denotes any controversial items

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 25% 13% NA
Dry Matter Basis 31% 16% 46%
Calorie Weighted Basis 27% 34% 40%

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is turkey. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”.1

Turkey is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

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

The third ingredient is dried sardine. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, dried sardine contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

The fourth ingredient is quinoa. Quinoa (pronounced ) is not a true cereal grain but a plant prized for its gluten-free seeds.

Compared to most other grain-type ingredients, it is high in protein (about 12-18%), dietary fiber and other healthy nutrients.

The fifth ingredient is coconut glycerin. ​​Glycerine is used in the food industry as a natural sweetener and as a humectant to help preserve the moisture content of a product.

The sixth 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 seventh ingredient is turkey neck. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”.2

Turkey is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The eighth ingredient is oats​​. Oats are rich in B-vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

The ninth ingredient is turkey heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, heart tissue is pure muscle – all meat.  It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.

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 the product.

This recipe has two notable exceptions.

Sodium selenite, is 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.

In addition, this food includes 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, Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried Turkey Recipe looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 31%, a fat level of 16% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 46%.

As a group, the brand features a protein content of 31% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 45% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 52%.

This means this Earth Animal Wisdom Air-Dried product line contains above-average protein, below-average carbohydrate, and near-average fat when compared to typical dry dog food.

Earth Animal Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Earth Animal through November 2024.

No recalls noted.

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

Our Rating of Earth Animal Dog Food

Earth Animal is certainly worthy of the 5 stars the brand has earned in our review. They use premium, wholesome, and sustainably sourced ingredients that are air-dried at the optimal temperature to retain vital nutrients and flavor.

Please note: We are sure you’ve noticed that one of these recipes is a vegetarian food so it is currently unrated. This is because our review methodology favors dog foods rich in meat, and judging a plant-based diet against this criteria would always give a low rating. Studies of plant-based diets for dogs are showing some great results, as well as providing preferable options for many dogs with allergies or those wanting to choose more environmentally sustainable options. We’ll leave these unrated whilst we consider how best to rate this new offering within the dog food market.

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Highly Recommended

Sources

1, 2: Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor and based upon the official definition for chicken published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, Official Publication, 2008 Edition

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