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Our Verdict
Earthborn Holistic K95 product range is made up of five recipes with ratings varying from 3 to 3.5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 3.5 stars.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Earthborn Holistic K95 Beef Recipe | 3 | M |
| Earthborn Holistic K95 Chicken Recipe | 3.5 | M |
| Earthborn Holistic K95 Duck Recipe | 3 | M |
| Earthborn Holistic K95 Lamb Recipe | 3.5 | M |
| Earthborn Holistic K95 Turkey Recipe | 3.5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Earthborn Holistic K95 Chicken Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Earthborn Holistic K95 Formulas Chicken Recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken broth, liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, snow peas, dried whole eggs, calcium carbonate, apples, olive oil, tricalcium phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, flaxseed, guar gum, cassia gum, choline chloride, salt, lecithin, thyme, sage, rosemary, yucca schidigera extract, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, sodium selenite, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin a supplement, manganese sulfate, riboflavin supplement, manganese proteinate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium iodate, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 8% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 41% | 34% | 17% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 29% | 59% | 12% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food 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 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 component in many canned products.
The third ingredient is liver. Normally, liver can be considered a quality component. However, in this case, the source of the liver is not identified. For this reason, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The next ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The fifth ingredient includes carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient lists snow peas. Peas 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 seventh ingredient is dried egg, a dehydrated powder made from shell-free eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The next item is calcium carbonate, likely used here as a dietary mineral supplement.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other ingredients.
But realistically, items located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Earthborn product.
With four notable exceptions…
First, we find olive oil. Olive oil contains oleic acid, a healthy monounsaturated fat. It’s also rich in natural antioxidants and carotenoids.
Next, flaxseed is 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.
In addition, this recipe contains 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.
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
Based on its ingredients alone, Earthborn Holistic K95 Chicken Recipe looks like an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 41%, a fat level of 34% and estimated carbohydrates of about 17%.
As a group, this product line features an average protein content of 41% and a mean fat level of 35%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 17% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 85%.
Which means this Earthborn product contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other canned dog foods.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the snow peas and flaxseed, this still looks like the profile of a wet dog food containing a notable amount of meat.
However, with 59% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 29% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for animals on a low fat diet. In addition, this same finding also prevents us from awarding the brand a higher rating.
Earthborn Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Earthborn through November 2024.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Earthborn Holistic K95 Canned Dog Food
Earthborn Holistic K95 is a grain-free canned dog food using a notable amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.
Compare Earthborn Holistic K95 Canned Dog Food
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A Final Word
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