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Review of Crave Canned Dog Food
Crave canned dog food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The Crave product line includes the 3 canned dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
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| Product | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Crave Beef Pate | 4.5 | M |
| Crave Turkey Pate | 5 | M |
| Crave Chicken Pate | 5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Crave Beef Pate 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.
Crave Beef Pate
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Beef, chicken broth, chicken liver, chicken heart, chicken, pork broth, dried egg product, natural flavor, salt, guar gum, fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, carrageenan, caramel color, choline chloride, dl-methionine, iron sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), magnesium sulfate, vitamin E supplement, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, vitamin A supplement, potassium iodide, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 15% | 5% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 68% | 23% | 1% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 55% | 44% | 1% |
Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.2
Beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common addition component in many canned products.
The next ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The fourth item is chicken 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.
The fifth ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.3
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The sixth ingredient includes pork broth. Broth is a common addition in many canned products.
The seventh ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries — from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
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 Crave product.
With 4 notable exceptions…
First, we find fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, fish oil should be considered a commendable addition.
Next, carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety.
The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.
In addition, caramel is a natural coloring agent made by caramelizing carbohydrates. It’s used by pet food manufacturers to impart a golden brown tint to the finished product.
However, the concentrated version of this ingredient commonly known as caramel coloring has been more recently considered controversial and found to cause cancer in laboratory animals.4
In any case, even though caramel is considered safe by the FDA, we’re always disappointed to find any added coloring in a pet food.
That’s because coloring is used to make the product more appealing to humans — not your dog. After all, do you really think your dog cares what color his food is?
And lastly, with the exception of copper, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Crave looks like an above-average canned product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 55%, a fat level of 23% and estimated carbohydrates of about 15%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 55% and a mean fat level of 23%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 15% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 42%.
Which means this product line contains…
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet dog food containing an abundance of meat.
Our Rating of Crave Canned Dog Food
Crave is a grain-free canned dog food using a liberal amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Has Crave Brand Dog Food Been Recalled?
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Crave.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More Crave Brand Reviews
The following Crave dog food reviews are also posted on this website:
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A Final Word
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