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Good Dog Complete Dog Food earns the Advisor’s second-lowest tier rating of 2 stars.
The Good Dog Complete product line lists three dry dog foods, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Good Dog Complete 21
- Good Dog Complete 24
- Good Dog Complete 27 (2.5 stars)
Good Dog Complete 24 dog food was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Good Dog Complete 24
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Pork meal, ground yellow corn, ground wheat, wheat mill run, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried plain beet pulp, potassium chloride, salt, vitamin E supplement, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, ferrous sulfate, niacin supplement, manganous oxide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, choline chloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite, choline chloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 20% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 22% | 43% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 22% | 44% | 35% |
The first ingredient in this dog food includes pork meal. Pork meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh pork.
The second item is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The third ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).
The fourth ingredient lists wheat mill run, also known as wheat middlings. Though it may sound wholesome, wheat middlings is actually an inexpensive by-product of cereal grain processing.
In reality, wheat mill run is nothing more than milling dust and floor sweepings — and an ingredient more typically found in lower quality pet foods.
The fifth ingredient lists 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.
The sixth ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
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 three notable exceptions…
First, this dog food contains menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Since vitamin K isn’t required by AAFCO in either of its dog food nutrient profiles, we question the use of this substance in any canine formulation.
Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.
And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Good Dog Complete Dog Food Review
Judging by its ingredients alone, Good Dog Complete Dog Food looks like a below-average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 43%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 71%.
Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Good Dog Complete Dog Food is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of pork meal or meat and bone meal as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 2 stars.
Not recommended.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.
Notes and Updates
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