Wysong Dog Food Reviews

With 5 lines under the Wysong umbrella, only 2 receive a favorable rating as low-risk foods: canned and non-thermal food. The other 3 lines are ultra-processed kibble. The other 3 lines come in at high risk for safety and quality concerns. 

The ratings are disappointing for a brand that’s created by a veterinarian and has an entire web page devoted to explaining product features the company claims are unique to the brand. However, most of these features are details about how the food is processed that don’t have any legal meaning in pet food standards

The company website notes use of organic ingredients, but these are limited to just a few of the many ingredients listed across all brands. It also states free-range animals are used. This is a term often used in marketing and difficult to prove without proper certification, which isn’t apparent on the website or labeling. It’s also noteworthy that many of the foods contain meals, which are heated and dried animal proteins that are often of a lower quality.

Wysong offers raw dog food preserved by its non-thermal technology. It appears to be a form of low-heat dehydration. The website describes processing raw fresh/frozen meat at -20, and then treating at temperatures below 118F in a vacuum environment. This removes moisture and preserves nutrients. However, this process suggests the food is not truly raw. Traditional dehydrating takes place at temperatures of 140 to 180 F, so this food is exposed to less heat than dehydrated or air dried foods, but any heat can cause some loss of nutrients. 

When it comes to ingredient safety, most of these foods come up short. Ingredients known for having high pesticides and/or GMO, are frequently found in the top 5 ingredients. Natural flavor is often included. This is often animal digest or MSG, which are low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. There are excessive vitamins and minerals added to most foods. Five or more added minerals indicate a lower quality food that’s lacking naturally occurring minerals from whole food sources. Rice is often used in these foods. Arsenic contamination is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic from the water it’s grown in. Arsenic has been linked to chronic health issues. 

Plant protein is also included in many of the foods. Plant-based protein sources are an inexpensive substitute for quality animal protein. Animal sources of protein are preferred because they contain a wider array of amino acids than plant-based protein sources and are more digestible. 

Other quality issues are the number of grains found in the top 5 ingredients leading to higher carb content in many of the foods. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates but they’re used for energy, texture and taste. Starch is also required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria.  

Glam ingredients are included throughout the Wysong brands. This is when expensive or desirable ingredients like blueberries, kale or apples are added to appeal to consumers but may be in miniscule amounts. If these foods are below the salt or other low concentration ingredients, they contribute little or no nutritional value for your dog. 

Wysong 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.