Yumwoof Dog Food Reviews

Yumwoof! Now offers 2 lines of air-dried dog food. Perfect Kibble is the original line. They have added Perfect Superfood. Both are air-dried products. They are moderately processed. 

Perfect Kibble is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. Perfect Superfood is a low risk by the same criteria.

The company states it offers low-carb dog food. The average carbohydrate level is quite high in both. This is higher than expected in air-dried dog food. Perfect Kibble has 2 recipes that average 27% carbohydrates. Average protein is 23% which is quite low. Perfect Superfood has 3 recipes. Average carbohydrates are 19%. Average protein is 29%.

The company also lists “net carbs.” This can be calculated for any dog food. The fiber listed in the Guaranteed Analysis is deducted from calculated carbohydrates. 

It’s good to see that the new line doesn’t have added vitamins and minerals. Nutrients come from whole food ingredients. They include the full spectrum of cofactors. That makes them safe and bioavailable. Perfect Kibble has added vitamins and minerals. A couple of added vitamins are acceptable. Five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value. Vitamin and mineral excesses can result from vitamin premixes. Vitamin D and copper are examples of this.

Perfect Kibble has sugar in the form of coconut glycerin. It’s used as sugar, a preservative or to maintain moisture. It’s “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA. But it’s made by a chemical process and is high in calories. Coconut glycerin is also the fourth ingredient. It’s listed ahead of whole food ingredients such as produce and beef liver. 

These are air-dried food. They lose a point for moderate processing. Air drying is done at lower temperatures. That preserves nutrients and enzymes of the ingredients. 

Yumwoof! ingredients are GMO-free. That doesn’t mean they are pesticide-free. The company states they avoid soy, gluten, wheat, rice, potato and canola. They include oats, beet fiber and apples. They are known for high pesticide/herbicide residues. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risks. They affect plants, animals and soils. Foods with the largest reported amount of residue will be penalized. This includes crops known to be spray-dried with glyphosate. 

Yumwoof! would improve the ingredient safety rating by using organic ingredients. These have reduced pesticide/herbicide exposure. They are also non-GMO.

Lastly, Perfect Kibble uses natural flavor. It’s often animal digest or MSG. Both are low quality ingredients. There are limited safety studies.

Both lines have coconut oil. Yumwoof! states they use it to reduce plaque and gingivitis. Coconut oil has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. However, coconut oil is high in saturated fats. 

Yumwoof!’s website cites research showing health benefits of coconut oil. It has studies showing MCT oil can help reduce seizures. It’s worth noting coconut oil is not a true MCT oil. It contains lauric acid. It acts like a long chain fatty acid in the body. A true MCT oil is metabolized differently in the body. Some studies show coconut oil can increase gut inflammation and permeability. The use of coconut oil doesn’t cost points but it’s worth noting.

It’s good to see wild fish used in recipes for Perfect Superfood. Wild fish is more nutritious. It also has a healthier fatty acid balance. Fish farming also threatens wild fish species. 

Yumwoof! doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. This is true of most companies. It’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation.

Before its inception, the company studied data analytics. They used this to select their ingredients. It also used NIH research. They have 250 clinical studies on their website. They support their choice of ingredients. However, this review noted concerns with the quality and safety of ingredients. This was according to our criteria. That resulted in lower scores. Their recipes are based on whole foods, which is preferable. We’d prefer there were no added vitamins and minerals.

The average score of each Yumwoof! line is below. Click on any line to view the individual foods and scores.