Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Triumph Wild Spirit product range is made up of five recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 4.5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4.5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Triumph Wild Spirit Chicken and Brown Rice | 4.5 | A |
| Triumph Wild Spirit Beef, Barley and Brown Rice | 4 | A |
| Triumph Wild Spirit Lamb and Brown Rice | 4.5 | A |
| Triumph Wild Spirit Limited Ingredient Deboned Lamb and Brown Rice | 4 | M |
| Triumph Wild Spirit Hi-Energy 26/18 | 4.5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Triumph Wild Spirit Chicken and Brown Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Triumph Wild Spirit Chicken and Brown Rice
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned chicken, chicken meal, ground brown rice, pearled barley, oat groats, rice bran, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried plain beet pulp, flaxseed meal, natural chicken flavor, menhaden fish meal, salt, dried egg product, potassium chloride, yucca schidigera extract, dried kelp, dried chicory root, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, avocado, dried apples, dried carrots, parsley, papaya, spinach, kale powder, vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride [source of vitamin B6], thiamine mononitrate, folic acid), minerals (copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 25% | 15% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 28% | 17% | 47% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 24% | 36% | 40% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken 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, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is ground brown rice, another name for rice flour. Ground rice is made from either white or brown rice and is considered a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
The next ingredient is barley, which 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 fifth ingredient includes oat groats, a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. With the exception of their caloric content and the fact they’re also gluten free, oat groats can be considered average in nutritional value.
The next item is rice bran, a healthy by-product of milling whole grain rice. The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain containing starch, protein, fat as well as vitamins and minerals.
The seventh ingredient is chicken fat, which 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 eighth 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.
The next item is flaxseed meal, one of the best plant-based sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax meal is particularly 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.
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 Triumph product.
With five notable exceptions…
First, we find menhaden fish meal, 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
Next, 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.
In addition, we note the use of avocado. Avocado can be a controversial item.
Supporters claim the ingredient to be nutrient rich and beneficial to a dog’s skin and coat — while others worry over what are mostly unsubstantiated concerns over potential toxicity.
These fears appear to originate from a 1984 study in which goats (not dogs) consumed the leaves (not the fruit) of the Guatemalan (not the Mexican) avocado and became ill.2
Based upon our own review of the literature, it is our opinion that the anxiety over avocado ingredients in dog food appears to be unjustified.
Next, 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, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Triumph Wild Spirit Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 47%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 49% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
Which means this Triumph product line contains…
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.
Triumph Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Triumph through November 2024.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Triumph Wild Spirit Grain-Inclusive Dog Food
Triumph Wild Spirit is a grain-inclusive 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.
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A Final Word
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