Stella & Chewy's Gourmet Stews & Pate Canned DOG FOOD Review

With a score of 7.1/10, these foods are considered moderate risk There are 7 recipes that average 45% protein and 15% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis. 

This is a higher level of carbohydrate than we like to see in a canned dog food. In fact the carbohydrates range from 13 to 24%. The Gourmet Beef, Green Bean & Sweet Potato Stew recipe Is the highest at 24%. The recipe includes sweet potatoes and tapioca that contribute to that high carb level. We would prefer to see carbohydrates come from fruits and vegetables rather than starches. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. Excessive carbohydrates are an indicator of low quality foods as they keep costs down. Large amounts of starch can increase insulin levels, cause obesity and negatively impact gut balance.

Like all of Stella & Chewy’s lines, there are added vitamins and minerals. This often indicates a lower quality food that’s lacking naturally occurring nutrients from whole food sources. These recipes also lose quality points for containing sunflower oil which is a highly processed and inflammatory oil. Seed oils are an inexpensive alternative to higher quality animal fats and oils. 

The ingredient safety score is lower because, like all canned foods, Wild Red Stew is highly processed, and is heated before and during canning, leading to nutrient losses. 

These recipes contain sodium selenite as a source of selenium. Dogs need selenium, and it’s usually added in very small amounts. However some research suggests that sodium selenite may be associated with potential toxicity, so selenium yeast is the preferred form of this mineral.  

The label does not provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.