In recent years, dog food rolls have become a popular choice for pet owners looking to provide their furry friends with a nutritious, balanced diet. But are these rolls really a good choice for a pup’s diet, or are they simply a convenient option for owners without the time or means to source other food options? In this blog post, we’ll be taking a look at dog food rolls to see if they’re really as beneficial as some may think. We’ll discuss the nutritional value of dog food rolls, the potential downsides of feeding them to your pup, and the best ways to decide if this type of food is the right choice for your furry best friend.
Which Freshpet Select Recipes Get Our Best Ratings?
The Advisor gives Freshpet Select dog food rolls a perfect five-star rating.
The nine rolled dog foods listed below are included in the Freshpet Select product line.
When available, the AAFCO nutrient profile of each recipe is included. These profiles include Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental, or Unspecified.
For a thorough recipe and nutritional analysis, Freshpet Select Chunky Beef Recipe was chosen to represent the other products in the line.
Using a dry matter basis, the label and nutrient data below were calculated.
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient ContentProtein =
Carrageenan, natural flavors, celery powder, potassium chloride, salt, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), spinach, vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, riboflavin, biotin, calcium pantothenate, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride). Ingredients:
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 9.1%
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 10% | 6% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 46% | 27% | 19% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 35% | 51% | 15% |
The first ingredient is this dog food is beef. According to the definition of beef, which includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart, or esophagus, beef is “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle.”
The second ingredient is chicken, another quality addition.
The ten essential amino acids needed by a dog for survival are naturally abundant in both beef and chicken.
Beef liver, the third ingredient, is an animal-named organ meat that is regarded as being healthy.
The fourth ingredient is beef broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. But they are a typical ingredient in many canned goods because they add flavor and moisture to dog food.
The fifth ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient lists peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, when evaluating the meat content of this dog food, one must take into account the fact that peas contain about 25% protein.
The seventh ingredient includes eggs. Eggs are exceptionally high in biological value and are simple to digest.
Brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that can be relatively simple to digest once cooked, is the eighth ingredient. But aside from its inherent energy content, rice only has a modest amount of nutritional value for dogs.
Rice bran, a nutritious by-product of milling whole grain rice, is the ninth ingredient. The grain’s fibrous outer layer, or bran, contains starch, protein, and fat in addition to vitamins and minerals.
The list continues with a number of additional items after this.
However, being realistic, ingredients this low on the list (aside from nutritional supplements) are unlikely to have an impact on how this Freshpet product is rated overall.
With 4 notable exceptions…
The first is soy flour, a high-protein byproduct of the processing of soybeans.
Despite having a protein content of about 51%, soy flour is predicted to have a lower biological value than meat.
Additionally, less expensive plant-based products like this one can significantly increase the total protein stated on the label, which is a factor to take into account when determining the actual meat content of this dog food.
Next, carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Even though carrageenan has been a food additive for centuries, there seems to have recently been some debate about its long-term biological safety.
The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.
Additionally, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a contentious selenium mineral form. In terms of nutrition, selenium yeast appears to be a more natural source of selenium than sodium selenite.
Finally, this food includes chelated minerals, which are minerals that have chemically bonded to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Freshpet Select Rolled Dog Food appears to be a better-than-average refrigerated product based solely on its ingredients.
The dashboard shows a reading of 46% for dry matter protein, 27% for fat, and an estimated 19% for carbohydrates.
The brand’s average protein content is 44%, and its average fat content is 28%. Together, these data point to a 19% carbohydrate content for the entire product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 65%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. Moreover, it has lower-than-average carbs compared to a typical rolled dog food.
This appears to have the profile of a rolled dog food with a substantial amount of meat even after taking into account the peas and soy flour’s ability to increase protein levels.
However, some recipes might not be suitable for animals on a low fat diet because in our example, 51% of the total calories came from fat and only 35% from protein.
Our Rating of Freshpet Select Refrigerated Dog Food Rolls
The brand Freshpet Select received five stars for its refrigerated rolls, which include both grain-inclusive and grain-free dog foods with a significant amount of named meats as their primary source of animal protein.
Petco Brand – So Phresh Cactus Dog Waste Bag Dispenser with Refill Rolls, Count of 30 So Phresh
| Seller | CPR Rank | Amazon Fulfilled | Prime | Free Shipping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petco | 83 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
FAQ
Is dog roll OK for dogs?
Avoid sausages, sausage meat, and cooked manufactured meats because they may contain sulphite preservatives. These products are marketed as pet food and include pet meat, pet mince, pet rolls, and pet bones.
What is dog roll made of?
Ingredients: Meat from chicken, lamb, beef, pork, and mutton as well as meat byproducts. phosphates, salt, potassium sulphate, sodium nitrate, selenium, and the essential vitamins and minerals found in cereal Contains preservative.
Is dog roll ok for puppies?
These nutrients are found in natural foods, so your dog can easily digest them and get the most nutrition. AAFCO recommendations are followed in the formulation of Mighty Mix Dog Roll for all life stages. As a result, from puppyhood to old age, your dog receives a balanced and complete diet.