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Spot Farms Whole Grain Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.
The Spot Farms Whole Grain product line includes the 2 dehydrated dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the product’s official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Use the links to compare price and package sizes at an online retailer.
- Spot Farms Turkey and Whole Grain [M]
- Spot Farms Chicken and Whole Grain [M]
Spot Farms Chicken and Whole Grain was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.
Spot Farms Chicken and Whole Grain
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Dehydrated chicken, whole grain barley, flax seed, dried apples, dried potatoes, rolled oats, dried carrots, dried blueberries, dried spinach, dried sweet potatoes, calcium carbonate, steel cut oats, choline chloride, zinc proteinate, dicalcium phosphate, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, copper proteinate, dried Bacillus coagulans fermentation product, natural flavor, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin, potassium iodide, vitamin B12 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 18% | 48% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 23% | 37% | 41% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is dehydrated chicken. Dehydrated chicken is considered a meat concentrate and contains more than four times as much protein as fresh chicken.
Plus (unlike chicken meal) dehydrated chicken is never exposed to high temperatures during processing, so it preserves more of the meat’s natural nutrients.
The second ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The third ingredient is 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.
The fourth ingredient is dried apple, a dehydrated, nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.
The next ingredient is dried potato, a dehydrated item usually made from the by-products of potato processing. In most cases, dried potato can contain about 10% dry matter protein which can have a slight affect on our estimate of the total meat content of this recipe.
The sixth ingredient includes rolled oats, whole oats that have been rolled and flattened into flakes. Since they’re minimally processed, rolled oats are exceptionally high in dietary fiber and nutritional value.
The seventh ingredient lists dried carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
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 2 notable exceptions…
First, 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.
And lastly, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
Spot Farms Whole Grain Dehydrated Dog Food Review
Based on its ingredients alone, Spot Farms Whole Grain Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 18%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 48% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.
Which means this Spot Farms product line contains…
Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed and dried potato, this looks like the profile of a dry product containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Spot Farms Whole Grain is a dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.
Highly recommended.
Spot Farms Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Spot Farms.
No recalls noted
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More Spot Farms Brand Reviews
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