ButcherBox For Pets (Dry)

ButcherBox For Pets dry dog food receives the Dog Food Advisor second highest rating, 4.5-stars.

The recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

The product line includes only one dog food.

Recipe and Label Analysis

ButcherBox For Pets Premium Nutrition Dog Foods detailed recipe and nutrient analysis is below.

Ingredients Analysis

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

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

The second ingredient is quinoa. Quinoa 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 third ingredient is millet, a gluten-free grain harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is hypoallergenic and naturally rich in B vitamins and fiber as well as other essential minerals.

The fourth ingredient is pearled barley, it is produced when the seed hull and bran is removed from barley grain. Fiber is distributed throughout the barley grain, rather than being contained within the hull meaning that cracked pearled barley is still a source of fiber. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fifth ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The sixth ingredient is potato protein, the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The seventh ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta-carotene.

The eighth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken 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.

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.

However, this recipe has two notable exceptions.

Firstly, chelated minerals, are minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Also, taurine, an 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.

Since this recipe contains a number of organic ingredients, we feel compelled to grant this line a more favorable status as we consider its final rating. That’s because organic ingredients must comply with notably more stringent government standards — standards that significantly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, ButcherBox For Pets Premium Nutrition Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27.3%, a fat level of 11.4% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 53.2%, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 41%.

This means the ButterBox for Pets Premium food contains near-average protein, below-average carbohydrate, and below-average fat, when compared to typical dry dog food.

Our Rating of ButcherBox For Pets Dog Food

The food is formulated with high levels of protein and meets the nutritional levels established by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for puppies, adults and senior dogs.

Highly Recommended

About

ButcherBox for Pets is a new face in the dog food and treat world, launching its first products in 2022. The company is owned by ButcherBox, a meat subscription service for people that delivers humanely raised meat and wild-caught fish from trusted farmers directly to your front door. 

ButcherBox applies the same philosophy to its pet care company as it does to its meat subscription service — providing high-quality products sourced from trusted U.S. farmers.

At the moment ButcherBox for Pets only makes treats, it’ll launch the above line of premium dog food in February 2024.

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