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Review of ‘A Pup Above’ Fresh Dog Food
A Pup Above Dog Food earns The Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The A Pup Above product line includes the 4 fresh cooked-then-frozen dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| A Pup Above Texas Beef Stew Grain Free | 5 | M |
| A Pup Above Turkey Pawella | 5 | M |
| A Pup Above Porky’s Luau Grain Free | 5 | M |
| A Pup Above Chicka Chicka Bow Wow | 5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
A Pup Above Turkey Pawella 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.
A Pup Above Turkey Pawella
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Turkey, turkey hearts, turkey livers, turkey gizzards, tomatoes, carrots, turkey bone broth, green peas, rice, turmeric, thyme, parsley, minerals [dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite], vitamins [vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement]
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 14% | 7% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 43% | 22% | 27% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 35% | 43% | 22% |
Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food 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 ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is turkey liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The third ingredient is tomato, a nutrient rich vegetable consisting of about 72% carbohydrates.
The fourth ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The fifth ingredient lists peas, which are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The sixth ingredient is rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The seventh ingredient is tumeric. Turmeric is a common spice that’s sometimes used to enhance the color and flavor of the food. Claims that tumeric offers an anti-inflammatory benefit for arthritis in dogs has not been proved.
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 2 notable exceptions…
First, 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 includes 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, A Pup Above Dog Food looks like an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 43%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 27%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 46% and a mean fat level of 20%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 26% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 45%.
Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical moist dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, this still looks like the profile of a fresh dog food containing an abundance of meat.
Our Rating of A Pup Above Dog Food
A Pup Above includes both grain-inclusive and with-grain fresh cooked, human-grade dog foods. Each recipes uses a generous amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
A Pup Above Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to A Pup Above.
No recalls noted
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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A Final Word
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