Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Dog Food Review

Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Grain Free Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.

The Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Grain Free product line includes the 10 dry 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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Recipe and Label Analysis

Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Grain Free Whitefish Meal 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.

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Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is whitefish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.¹

It’s important to note that the next 3 ingredients included in this recipe are each a type of legume:

• Lentils
• Peas
• 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 fifth ingredient is canola oil. Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item. That’s because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.

Yet others cite the fact that canola oil can be a significant source of essential omega-3 fatty acids.

In any case, plant-based oils like canola are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

The sixth ingredient is tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.

The seventh ingredient is salmon meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

After the natural flavor, we find alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

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 Grandma Mae’s product.

With 2 notable exceptions…

First, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

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, Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Grain Free Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 50% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.

Which means this Grandma Mae’s product line contains…

Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, lentils, chickpeas and alfalfa meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

Our Rating of Grandma Mae’s Dog Food

Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Grain Free is a dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.

Highly recommended.

Has Grandma Mae’s Dog Food Been Recalled?

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Grandma Mae’s.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Grandma Mae’s Reviews

The following Grandma Mae’s dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

• Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Grain Free Dog Food Review (Canned)