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Stella & Chewy's Grain Free Wild Red Classic DRY DOG FOOD Review

Average Score

4.3
4 color scale

Food scores are based on ingredient quality and safety. For more information, view our  evaluation criteria.

Stella & Chewy's WILD RED CLASSIC GRAIN & LEGUME FREE PRAIRIE RECIPE Dog Food

With a score of 4.3/10, these foods are considered high risk There are 2 recipes that average 28% protein and 30% carbohydrate as calculated.

This line loses ingredient quality points for its high carbohydrate content. This is a grain-free line yet it includes high starch ingredients like sweet potatoes and potatoes that boost the carb content. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate but starch is required for extrusion in dry foods like these. 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 recipes, there are added vitamins, minerals and amino acids. This often indicates a lower quality food that’s lacking naturally occurring nutrients from whole food sources. One recipe also uses sunflower oil, which is a highly processed and highly inflammatory oil. Seed oils are an inexpensive alternative to higher quality animal fats and oils. 

The ingredient safety score is lower because, like all kibbles, these foods are ultra-processed. The individual ingredients in dry dog foods are heated several times during processing, which can cause a significant loss of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species.  

Rounding out the ingredient safety scores, this line loses points for GMO ingredients (potatoes) in the top five ingredients. There’s also tomato pomace, a high pesticide/herbicide ingredient in both recipes. Points are also lost for having added natural flavor. This ingredient is often animal digest or MSG, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.

It’s worth noting that 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.

Stella & Chewy's Grain Free Wild Red Classic Dry Dog Food Benefits

Stella & Chewy's Grain Free Wild Red Classic Dry Dog Food Concerns

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Stella & Chewy’s WILD RED CLASSIC GRAIN & LEGUME FREE PRAIRIE RECIPE Dog Food

Stella & Chewy’s Grain Free Wild Red Classic Dry Dog Food Reviews

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