Other Great Sites
BE IN THE KNOW
Stay informed! Make sure you sign up for new and updated foods, food recalls and important dog food and health information:
Menu
Menu
Boss Nation Brands is a Seattle-based company founded by entrepreneur Vasili Nassar. The dog food brand appears to be a few years old. They have 3 lines of food that include dry, freeze-dried raw and frozen for a total of 9 foods. All of their products are processed in a plant in Oregon.
The founder has a history of producing Greek yogurt products focused on digestive health. As a result, all Boss products contain pre- and probiotics, and the CFUs (colony forming units) are guaranteed in all of their products.
The company states that it uses human-grade ingredients and that they’re suitable for human consumption at every stage of the manufacturing process. However, it should be noted that the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) has only approved the use of this term by one dog food company in the US.
Boss has 2 lines that are considered low risk foods but their dry food ranks as high risk. Their freeze dried foods and frozen patties are lightly processed and use whole food ingredients making them the best options. In addition, it’s noted on their website and packaging that they don’t use GMO ingredients. Some organics are used and are noted in their labeling.
The company’s founder specializes in probiotic foods and this shows in the dog foods produced. The company includes pre- and probiotics in each of their recipes, and guarantees the CFUs (colony forming units) in all of their products. Boss also notes that its fish oil is a combination of Alaska wild caught salmon, pollock and herring. Wild-caught fish have a healthier fatty acid balance. It’s not clear whether pollock and herring are also from wild-caught sources.
The freeze dried food and frozen patties received high ratings, however they have higher carbohydrates in several recipes. They don’t include starches or grains so this can be due to the fruits and vegetables used. Minerals have been added to each of its recipes. When 5 or more minerals are added, it can indicate use of lower quality foods that lack naturally occurring minerals from whole food sources.
Boss’s dry dog foods are high in carbohydrates at an average of 28%. Boss states that they don’t use soy, corn or wheat. However, they say they are using “ancient grains” like oatmeal and sorghum for their fiber content, but these also translate into carbs. Dogs need fiber in their diet which they can obtain from fruits and vegetables. Dogs don’t need carbs for energy and can survive on a diet of protein and fat with minimal carbs.
In addition, oatmeal and sorghum are non-GMO plants but they are known to be subjected to high pesticide/herbicide use. These sprays pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. Other safety concerns include high processing.
It’s worth noting that Boss doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their foods. They are certainly not the only brand omitting this information, but it’s our hope that more brands will pay more attention to these fats since omega-6 fats are inflammatory and AAFCO allows a very high ratio of 30:1.
Click on the foods below for a complete review of Boss dog foods.
Boss’ dry dog food is considered a high-risk food. There are 2 recipes that average 28% carbohydrates and 34% protein, as calculated. The ingredient quality score of these foods is fairly low as this is an ultra-processed food. There’s also a high carbohydrate content and excessive added vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which reflect lower quality proteins and ingredients. Glam ingredients figure prominently with desirable fruits and vegetables included in low concentrations. On the safety side, this line includes foods in the top 5 ingredients that are known to be high in pesticides and herbicides. These foods don’t include the omega-6:omega-3 ratio.
This is a low risk frozen raw food with average protein content of 47% and average carbohydrates of 14%. These 3 recipes have added minerals rather than relying on the ingredients for these nutrients. The beef recipe has a higher carb content. This may be due to the fruits and vegetables as these foods don’t contain starches. It’s good to see the types of fish listed and that salmon is wild caught. Wild caught fish contain a healthier fatty acid balance. These foods don’t include the omega-6:omega-3 ratio.
Boss freeze dried raw is a low risk food with an average of 42% protein and 14% carbohydrates. It received high safety scores for each of the foods in this line, due to minimal processing. It lost points for having foods subjected to pesticide/herbicide use. One thing to note on the quality tally is higher carbs in 2 recipes. And each of the foods also had added minerals. On the plus side, they relied on ingredients to supply vitamins and amino acids. It’s good to see the types of fish listed and that salmon is wild caught. Wild caught fish contain a healthier fatty acid balance. These foods don’t report the omega-6:omega-3 ratio.
The company has had no recalls to date.
Stay informed! Make sure you sign up for new and updated foods, food recalls and important dog food and health information:
This site uses cookies to help make your experience more awesome. By continuing you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.