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Wysong Gourmet canned dog food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.
The Wysong Gourmet product line includes three canned dog foods, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Wysong Gourmet Liver
- Wysong Gourmet Chicken
- Wysong Gourmet Seafood
Wysong Gourmet Liver was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Wysong Gourmet Liver
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken liver, chicken, beef, water sufficient for processing, ground extruded whole soybeans, wheat germ, ground brown rice, dicalcium phosphate, taurine, dl-methionine, yeast culture, ground flax seeds, dried kelp, dried wheat grass powder, dried barley grass powder, natural extractives of sage and rosemary, garlic, black pepper, artichoke, ascorbic acid, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, manganese proteinate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper proteinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin A acetate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 10% | 7% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 39% | 27% | 27% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 30% | 50% | 20% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The second ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
The third ingredient is beef, another quality raw item. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.2
Both chicken and beef are naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The fourth ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The fifth ingredient is whole soybeans. Even though soybeans contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this food.
We rarely consider soy a preferred component in any dog food.
The sixth ingredient is wheat germ. Wheat germ is a nutritious by-product of the wheat milling process and also rich in dietary fiber, B-vitamins and minerals.
However, since it contains at least 25% plant-based protein and depending upon the amount, this ingredient can boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is ground brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The eighth ingredient is dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.
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 four notable exceptions…
First, flaxseed is 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, garlic can be a controversial item. Although most experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.3
However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic — especially when used in small amounts (as it likely is here).
In addition, although yeast culture is high in B-vitamins and protein, it can also be used as a probiotic to aid in digestion.
And lastly, this food also 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.
Wysong Gourmet Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Wysong Gourmet canned dog food looks like an above average wet product.
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 39%, a fat level of 27% and estimated carbohydrates of about 27%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 39% and a mean fat level of 27%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 27% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 70%.
Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.
When you consider the protein-boosting effects of the soybeans and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Wysong Gourmet canned dog food is a meat-based wet product using a moderate amount of chicken, chicken liver and fish as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Notes and Updates
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A Final Word
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