Canine Caviar Dry DOG FOOD Review

With a score of 4.8, Canine Caviar Dry, is a high risk dog food by our criteria. There are 8 recipes that average 27% protein and 37% carbohydrates as calculated 

These recipes don’t use wheat, corn or soy. Instead, they have millet, peas, chickpeas and quinoa. This contributes to the high carbohydrate load. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate. But dry foods use starch for the extrusion process. Too much carbohydrate is a sign of low food quality. It’s used to cut costs. Foods that are high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity. Studies show that dogs fed high carbohydrates have changes to their gut bacteria.  

While there isn’t the typical premix of vitamins and minerals used in many dry dog foods, there are some. It’s preferred that vitamins and minerals come from whole food sources. They include the full spectrum of cofactors, which makes them safe and bioavailable. A couple of added vitamins and minerals are acceptable. Five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value. 

Safety concerns include the use of ingredients like millet, peas and chickpeas. They’re known to contain higher pesticide/herbicide residues. These are also found in the top 5 ingredients, making them more of a concern. Alfalfa is a known GMO found in the top 5 ingredients. There are few safety studies on GMO and Roundup Ready crops. They lack nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils. The increase in pesticide use may be contributing to the die-off of bees. 

These foods are ultra processed. There are several stages of heating to process extruded foods. This causes major losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, and phytonutrients. Studies show ultra processed foods are related to all-cause mortality in humans.  

The following do not cost points but are noteworthy. These recipes contain coconut oil. Studies show it can harm the gut lining. These foods also have glam ingredients. These are costly or desirable ingredients, like papaya and rose hips used in tiny amounts. They are listed below salt (sodium chloride) or other low concentration ingredients. They add little to no nutrition for your dog.  

Finally, Canine Caviar is one of few companies to provide the amount of omega-6:omega-3s in its dry food. This is excellent information to have since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.