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Our Verdict
Go! Solutions Carnivore dry product range is made up of five recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 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.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Go! Solutions Carnivore Adult Grain Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Go! Solutions Carnivore Adult Grain Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken meal, turkey meal, salmon meal, de-boned chicken, de-boned turkey, de-boned trout, potatoes, peas, tapioca, lentils, chickpeas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), duck meal, natural chicken flavor, whole dried chicken egg, apples, herring meal, salmon oil, suncured alfalfa, de-boned duck, de-boned salmon, sweet potatoes, flaxseed, potassium chloride, pumpkin, carrots, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, broccoli, blackberries, squash, papayas, pomegranate, dried chicory root, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, beta-carotene, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc oxide, manganese proteinate, copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, calcium iodate, manganous oxide, selenium yeast), salt, taurine, Yucca schidigera extract, dried rosemary, green tea extract, peppermint, parsley, rosehips, zedoary, dandelion, chamomile, ginger, fennel, turmeric, juniper berries, licorice, cardamom, cloves
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 34% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 38% | 18% | 36% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 32% | 37% | 31% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second ingredient is turkey meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The third ingredient is salmon meal, yet another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1
The next two ingredients are chicken and turkey. Although they are quality items, raw poultry 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, these items would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The sixth ingredient is trout, a freshwater species closely related to salmon. Trout is rich in omega-3 fatty acids but also 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.
The seventh ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
It’s important to note that the next three out of four ingredients included in this recipe are each a type of legume:
- Peas
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
Although they’re a mixture of quality plant ingredients, there’s an important issue to consider here. And that’s the recipe design practice known as ingredient splitting.
If we were to combine all these individual items together and report them as one, that newer combination would likely occupy a significantly higher position on the list.
In addition, legumes contain about 25% protein, a factor that must also be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The ninth ingredient is tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
This recipe also includes 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 this Petcurean product.
With six notable exceptions…
First, we find flaxseed, 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.
Next, this recipe contains salmon oil. Salmon 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, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.
In addition, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
Next, 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.
Additionally, we find selenium yeast in this product. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.
And lastly, 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.
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.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Go! Solutions Carnivore Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 38%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 36%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 37% and a mean fat level of 18%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 37% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.
Which means this Petcurean product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the legumes and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble still containing a significant amount of meat.
Go! Solutions Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Go! Solutions through December 2024.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Go! Solutions Grain Free Dog Food
Go! Solutions Carnivore is a grain-free dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
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