Review of Happy Paws Dry Dog Food

Happy Paws Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Happy Paws product line includes one dry dog food.

Unfortunately, we were unable to locate AAFCO nutrient profile information on the product’s official webpage.

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb. Although it is a quality item, raw lamb 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 is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The third ingredient is pacific wild fish (herring, anchovies and sardines). This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.¹

Although it is a quality item, raw fish 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 fourth ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is 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 believe it’s often used as an inexpensive pet food filler.

As the presence of fiber in a dog’s diet is shown to have great importance, we view the inclusion of tomato pomace in this food as a positive.

The fifth ingredient is chicken oil. Chicken oil (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.

The sixth ingredient is hydrolyzed chicken liver, an organ meat that’s been chemically broken-down into its component amino acids. Hydrolyzed proteins are considered hypoallergenic.

The next seven items include a series of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables…

• Organic carrots
• Organic spinach
• Organic apples
• Cranberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Organic parsley

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 4 notable exceptions…

First, garlic can be a controversial item. Although many favor the ingredient for its claimed health benefits, garlic has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.²

So, one must weigh the potential benefits of feeding garlic against its proven tendency to cause subclinical damage to the red blood cells of the animal.

Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

In addition, we note the use of 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.

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

Judging by its ingredients alone, Happy Paws Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 50%.

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

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

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a dry product containing a notable amount of meat.

Our Rating of Happy Paws Dog Food

Happy Paws is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Has Happy Paws Dog Food Been Recalled?

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Happy Paws.

No recalls noted

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

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