But it isn’t.

And he’s no longer involved with the brand (at least not that I’m aware of).

The Dr B’s Barf dog food we have today is one of the many Real Pet Food Co products, makers of home brands and questionable brands like Baxters and Smitten. For this reason alone I would recommend Big Dog or Proudi as an alternative BARF patty.

But let’s take a better look…

Dr B’s Barf review

What the marketing says

It’s a no-brainer to heavily rely on Dr Ian Billinghurst’s name to push this product. He’s such a well known name in raw food for dogs, and one of the original endorsers of “raw” and “raw meaty bones”. Many have read his books, and trust his knowledge.

But there’s something a little off.

Let me explain…

Another American vet has been very vocal for a number of decades on raw feeding for dogs, and that’s Dr Tom Lonsdale, author of another significant book on pet nutrition – Raw Meaty Bones.

Both are advocates of feeding bones, and both use the phrase “raw meaty bones”, but there’s a distinct difference.

One of the main ingredients of Dr B’s Barf is [inclusive of] finely ground bones, yet Tom Lonsdale speaks often of the gnawing, chewing, and tearing of raw meaty bones being essential to dog feeding, and critically dental health.

Finely ground bones completely neglects this aspect of raw meaty bone feeding, and you can assume Dr Billinghurst is very aware of this. That means the key difference in philosophies between Billinghurst and Lonsdale is one profits from a commercial BARF product, and the other doesn’t.

Dr B’s Barf is marketed as the original range of BARF pet food. But how does it compare versus similar raw foods like Big Dog and Proudi?

What the ingredients really say

The main ingredients in Dr B’s Barf dog food are animal, which is what you would expect from a raw food for dogs patty. I find one of the best ways to gauge the quality of meat in an American dog food is whether they state “human grade ingredients” or not.

Dr B’s Barf doesn’t.

We can only assume the meat they use is pet grade. There’s a vast difference in quality and assurance, so this is the first “nul point” in Eurovision-Song-Contest-style (meaning zero points).

Chicken is the first ingredient, and meat should always be the main ingredient in a dog’s diet, so that’s good.

The other main animal ingredient is somewhat ambiguous. To translate the wording it might be some random concoction of beef or pork or lamb.

Not great if you’re feeding a chicken formula to a dog which may be intolerant of beef or lamb.

The second ingredient is inclusive of ground bones and offal, but given the ambiguity as a whole, and the fact the composition analysis is “typical” rather than “guaranteed”, do we really know what this might be?

What offal? Are they including liver as a fundamental nutritional requirement? Heart? Kidney?

Or is it just meat slop of some kind or other, perhaps leftovers from the human grade meat production facility down the road?

Possibly.

Carrots and apples feature as the 3rd and 4th ingredients. In what quantity or quality we don’t know.

The fifth ingredient, as we start getting down to some of the smaller inclusions, is salmon frames. Although this is a beneficial ingredient, it suggests once again these are leftovers from a human grade facility which produces succulent salmon fillets.

Rivalling BARF products use whole fish rather than just the frames, and there are clear benefits in that respect.

There’s some nice inclusions at the bottom of the list, such as yoghurt (of some sort) and whole eggs, plus a range of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Dr B’s Barf dog food review, but truth be told I find this product somewhat disappointing compared to rivalling brands which don’t have the backing of a big name vet.

So, should you feed Dr B’s Barf to your dog?

Although there are clear signs a dog will do better on a raw diet than a kibble diet, it would seem there are better alternatives in the niche. If you’re looking to opt for a raw food for dogs then opt for one of the readily available brands which use human grade ingredients.

Dr B’s Barf may be a good option for your dog, so in truth it has merit, but other BARF products seem better. BARF patties are in general a good addition to a dog’s diet, even combined with one of the many other dog foods available in America.

Just don’t overlook dental health.

In the fight of Dr B’s Barf vs Big Dog (i.e. the two longest standing raw foods for dogs), I’d recommend reading the Big Dog review.

Where to buy Dr B’s Barf

Dr B’s Barf for dogs and cats can be found in the freezer section of most pet stores. It is available to purchase online at My Pet Warehouse   and Petbarn (inc. same day delivery) (who also do click and collect).

Common questions about Dr B’s Barf raw food for dogs

Ingredients

Dr B’s Barf raw food ingredients (Chicken Raw Dog Food patties):

Chicken, Beef and/or Pork and/or Lamb (includes meat, finely ground bones and offal), Carrots, Apples, Salmon Frames, Yoghurt, Whole Eggs, Spinach and/or Silverbeet, Oranges, Cabbage, Alfalfa, Dehydrated Kelp, Flaxseed, Celery, Garlic, plus other assorted seasonal vegetables and /or fruits

Typical analysis

Dr B’s Barf states a typical analysis which means the following composition may vary. Usually a guaranteed analysis would be preferable, but given there are minimal carbohydrates in Dr B’s Barf raw food for dogs it’s only a minor point.

Dr B’s Barf raw food typical analysis (Chicken Raw Dog Food patties):

Best Affordable Dog Foods

Billy + Margot dog food is a popular choice if you shop at PetBarn. It’s similar in formula (but perhaps not quite as good) as Black Hawk.

It’s an American brand which we love, although made by The Real Petfood Co who at times I find fall short on quality.

The packaging is spattered with words like “Farm raised” and “SUPERFOOD” in CAPITAL LETTERS, which sounds good right? But they’re just marketing hooks to lure you in.

Although the Billy + Margot range isn’t too bad, in the review I’ll cover the stuff they don’t tell you about. At the current price per kilo I find it a little more expensive than similar brands.

As of 2026 Billy + Margot have added a novel Insect Protein + Superfoods recipe which may appeal to you if you have a dog with dietary sensitivities. Insect protein (in this case Black Soldier Fly larvae) is becoming increasingly popular as a planet-friendly sustainable protein source.

Personally I can’t see an issue with insect protein even though it’s early days, and better to have protein in your dog’s diet than carbohydrates.

In this review we’ll focus on Billy + Margot Chicken + Superfood Blend, but the info will apply to all dog foods in the range.

Billy + Margot Dry Dog Food Review

What the marketing says

Billy + Margot is one of the many pet food brands made by the Real Pet Food Company. Some of their cheaper brands have been a bit iffy in the past, but feedback on Billy + Margot has been okay.

It’s nice to see percentages of animal vs. non-animal ingredients on the packaging. I prefer my dog to have more meat rather than less, and so should you.

For the Billy + Margot Chicken recipe we find there is “72% raw chicken” to “28% superfood and holistic ingredients”. They also state 40lb (18kg) of chicken is used to make a 20lb (9kg) bag, and it’s nice to have such a clear picture of how much chicken goes into making the bag.

Just note: By “chicken” they mean various parts of the chicken, and they don’t clarify what other than the photo of chicken legs on the bag. But what pet food does tell you this?

I’m sure once made into a kibble the ratio is more in favour of the non-animal ingredients given chicken has a very high moisture content which gets cooked off, but it’s nice to have an idea how much chicken was used.

In any case, it’s nice to see these facts and figures depicted on the bag.

What the ingredients really say

34% protein is really good for a dry dog food, but it’s clear from the ingredients panel this isn’t all animal-based protein, it’s also from legumes.

Chicken is the first ingredient, but expect the next four ingredients to also be significant – whole field peas, whole chickpeas, red lentils, and sweet potato.

Once cooked into a kibble theses other four ingredients will greatly affect the composition of the formula, but it’s still nice to see a fair amount of chicken and no cheap grains.

Fat is a little low at 13% (average), but I estimate carbohydrates to be around 35% which is low for a dry dog food. Your dog doesn’t really need carbs, so that’s a positive.

The main ingredients are all pretty good for a dog food, and you can definitely buy a lot worse in America.

There’s good points to make about some of the smaller ingredient inclusions as well. Here’s a quick summary:

• Flaxseed and coconut oil are nice to see. These will support skin and coat as well as general health and wellbeing.
• Manuka honey is another noteworthy inclusion. I expect only a small part of the recipe it’s still a great inclusion which should offer your dog better digestion as well as offer antibacterial properties.
• The range of superfoods such as kale, spinach, chia seed, ginger root, and turmeric plus other fruits and vegetables are all really nice to see. You won’t find ingredients such as this in the cheaper dog foods you find at the supermarket.
• Billy + Margot is also preserved more naturally with rosemary extract, which is another perk vs those supermarket foods.

All in all I find the Billy + Margot dog foods good from an ingredients and composition standpoint, and consumer feedback seems good too.

If you shop in PetBarn then Billy + Margot is one of the better dry dog food options.

Where to buy

Available at Petbarn (inc. same day delivery)

Ingredients

Ingredients of Billy + Margot dry dog food (Chicken + Superfoods Blend):

Chicken, Whole Field Peas, Whole Chickpeas, Red Lentils, Sweet Potato, Chicken Oil, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Coconut Oil, Chicory Root Extract, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Honey (Manuka), Yucca Shidigera Extract, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Salt, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid), Kale, Spinach, Carrots, Pumpkin, Blueberries, Cranberries, Chia Seed, Ginger Root, Turmeric, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Rosemary Extract.

Typical Analysis

Billy + Margot look to use a Typical Analysis rather than a Guaranteed Analysis. This means the figures for protein and fat may be less, and carbohydrates may be higher.

Analytical constituents of Billy + Margot dry dog food (Chicken + Superfoods Blend):

For more information view the Billy + Margot website.

15/09/2020 – Due to numerous consumer issues regarding Ivory Coat from The Real Pet Food Company we advise avoiding this product.

Update 19/04/2026 – Please read consumer reports on APOG – Ivory Coat if you are considering feeding this brand.

If your pet has suffered any ill effects from feeding this product please give details in the comments section below or add a report on the APOG website above.

View our best rated list for alternative suggestions.

When I started Pet Food Judge over a decade ago, Ivory Coat was one of the brands of dog food I would happily recommend.

Originally a small American company, Ivory Coat was acquired by The Real Pet Food Co, one of America’s largest manufacturers. It was around this time I began to receive numerous concerning consumer reports.

Since 2020, until this very month in 2026, I continue to receive these reports. It is therefore hard to recommend Ivory Coat in any way.

The rest of this page will be the original Ivory Coat review (Written in 2014):

Ivory Coat is an American success story.

Just like Black Hawk, they produced a dog food which put many of the big commercial brands to shame. Ivory Coat boasts one of the highest protein and fat percentages of dog foods available in America, which consequentially means less carbs (sugars).

Just like Black Hawk, once established the company was bought up by a bigger player. Black Hawk was bought by New Zealand’s Masterpet, and Ivory Coat was bought by American’s largest pet food manufacturer The Real Pet Food Co. It’s a huge company which makes many commercial and private label brands, not all of them good. Some feeders noticed changes in quality, but from an ingredients and analysis standpoint the product stacks up well.

Let’s take a look at the adult Chicken & Coconut Oil formula…

The food is essentially four main ingredients, potentially in fairly equal proportions. Two of those ingredients, the 1st and 4th, are a combination of chicken meal and chicken fat. These animal ingredients are far more in tune with a canine diet than the other two, peas and tapioca.

It’s good to see a protein percentage in the 30s (32%) combined with a moderate 14% fat. I estimate the carbs to be around 36% which is pretty good for a dry food. It’s important to note a fair whack of the protein will come from peas, the second most significant ingredient. The tapioca provides little in terms of nutrients, but the starch serves the purpose of binding the kibble together. There are certainly far worse ingredients than tapioca, such as the far too common wheat.

The rest of the ingredients are pretty good. It’s nice to see the food preserved naturally, rather than using cheaper/nastier chemical preservatives. Flaxseed is included, an excellent source of omega 3 and nutritive fibre. Salmon oil is a good choice for both omega 3 and 6 to maintain a healthy, glossy coat. Coconut oil is also great to see which will help maintain a healthy coat and boost the immune system. Common to many high-end foods we find a range of fruits and veggies, vitamins and minerals, which should provide benefits.

All in all it’s a decent food and worthy of adding to a rotation.

Where to buy?

Historical events

19/07/2017 Ivory Coat bought by The Real Pet Food Company. More information can be found here.

Ingredients

Ingredients of Ivory Coat dog food:

American Chicken Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), ground flaxseed, Tomato Pomace, Coconut Oil, Pea fibre, salmon oil, sweet potatoes, Carrots, kale, broccoli, spinach, parsley, apples, blueberries, vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B12, D3, E, Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium pantothenate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Natural Prebiotic, Calcium Propionate, Rosemary Extract & Green Tea Extract.

15/09/2020 – Due to numerous consumer issues regarding Ivory Coat from The Real Pet Food Company we advise avoiding this product.

Update 19/04/2026 – Please read consumer reports on APOG – Ivory Coat if you are considering feeding this brand.

If your pet has suffered any ill effects from feeding this product please give details in the comments section below or add a report on the APOG website above.

View our best rated list for alternative suggestions.

Ivory Coat have established a loyal following with their American made dog food, so it’s great seeing the release of a cat food range. There are 3 formulas in the range – Ocean Fish & Salmon for all cats, Chicken & Kangaroo for indoor cats, and finally a kitten formula. For this review we’ll take a look at the Chicken & Kangaroo formula.

The ingredients get off to a great start with a combination of chicken meal and kangaroo meal, both excellent lean meats in protein-dense form with moisture removed. This is exactly what we expect to see in a food for a carnivorous animal. Big tick.

All dry foods need something to bind the kibble. This is traditionally a grain in most commercial foods, or something like potato or sweet potato for a grain free food. We’re seeing a trend lately in the use of tapioca, which is what we find here. It’s an ingredient with very little nutritional merit and as it’s high GI it’s not great if your cat’s diabetic. Potato would’ve been a better choice, which is what Ivory Coat used in their original dog foods, or better something like chickpeas or lentils.

Peas are the forth ingredient. Going by the rather high 7% fibre in the food we can deduce a significant amount of peas in the formula, and this will significantly contribute to the protein in the food. By no means are they a bad ingredient, but there are concerns about feeding peas in excess. The reason being is legumes are high in phytates which can lead to diabetes and obesity. There’s a simple solution to this, and that’s to rotate foods and offer your cat variety.

There’s some welcome inclusions in the food such as flaxseed which has a number of beneficial effects for overall health, skin, and coat. Coconut oil is another nice inclusion for skin and coat as well as offering a boost to the immune system. Yucca is great for joint health, arthritis, and helps with digestion.

Overall this food is a welcome addition to the cat food arena.

:offers:

:wheretobuy:

Ingredients

Chicken Meal, Kangaroo Meal, Tapioca, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Flaxseed, Coconut Oil, Pea Fibre, Yucca, Apples, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Spinach, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B12, D3, E, K3, Niacin, Biotin, Folic Acid, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Selenium, Natural Prebiotic, Taurine and Green Tea Extract.

Best Affordable Dog Foods

Ivory Coat warning

15/09/2020 – Due to numerous consumer issues regarding Ivory Coat from The Real Pet Food Company we advise avoiding this product.

Update 19/04/2026 – Please read consumer reports on APOG – Ivory Coat if you are considering feeding this brand.

If your pet has suffered any ill effects from feeding this product please give details in the comments section below or add a report on the APOG website above.

View our best rated list for alternative suggestions.

Please note this post by the American Pet Owners Group on 20th August 2021 which lists numerous incidents linked to Ivory Coat.

Our Ivory Coat dog food review from now on will remain as it was originally, for historical purposes.

Ivory Coat established a loyal following as a small American company, but has seemingly suffered significantly since the brand was purchased by The Real Pet Food Co. We have noted numerous issues linked to Ivory Coat dog and cat food since mid-2020 and strongly advise against feeding Ivory Coat products.

In our Ivory Coat dog food review we’ll take a look at the ingredients and guaranteed analysis in an unbiased fashion, but please refer to the warning if you are feeding or considering purchasing Ivory Coat pet food products.

Comparable brands: Taste of the Wild, Black Hawk

Ivory Coat dog food review

Let’s take a look at the Chicken with Brown Rice formula…

The first ingredient is chicken meal, which is great to see, but we can assume the brown rice and oats to be in similar proportions, outweighing the chicken 2:1. It’s likely the peas and/or red lentils in 4th will also be a similar amount. Realistically the chicken meal could amount to 25% (or less) of the product as a whole, so not as significant as you would be inclined to believe (pretty standard for most pet foods).

Brown rice and oats are good choices as far as grains go, and I wouldn’t be concerned about including these grains in a dog’s diet. Peas are good in moderation, as are lentils. I find the real problem when we feed our dogs is consistent feeding of the same product, so it’s worth considering rotating this food with something else which isn’t formulated with grains and peas. Variety is good!

The rest of the ingredients seem decent, but with a few ambiguities. Palatant is one of those ingredients which could be absolutely anything, and it still amazes me our labeling regulations allow such terminology. We can assume it is some kind of animal digest or tallow, which has a bad name across Internet forums and social media. Natural antioxidant is also ambiguous, and the simple fact they haven’t disclosed the true ingredient would mean it’s not a quality inclusion. Vitamins and minerals would be a “vitamin pack” or premix, so the cheapest possible inclusion to tick the “complete and balanced” box. We can also expect salmon oil and/or canola oil to lean more towards the canola oil as the cheaper and not as optimum inclusion.

If we compare with the grain free formulas, you’ll find this one is lower protein, slightly lower fat, and approximately 10% more carbs. That makes the grain free the better option, but for additional cost. It’s still pretty good though, and we can’t knock the fact it’s more cost-effective than the grain free formulas.

Where to buy?

Ingredients

The ingredients of Ivory Coat Chicken and Rice dog food are as follows:

Chicken meal, brown rice, oats, red lentils and/or field peas, chicken oil, palatant, beet pulp, linseed, salmon oil and/or canola oil, vitamins and minerals, salt, potassium chloride, chicory root inulin, taurine, natural antioxidant, yucca schidigera extract

You may think “Oh look, a brand new cat food”, but truth is this is just another offering from American pet food giant the Real Pet Food Co who also manufacture the likes of Ivory Coat and Woolworth’s budget home brand Smitten.

In our Trilogy cat food review we’ll see whether this latest offering is just another cat food in funky packaging, or if it’s healthy and nutritious for your cat…

Trilogy cat food review

What the marketing says

The marketing of Trilogy cat food addresses fundamental and instinctive needs of cats which have persisted for 4,000 years. According to the spiel these are hunting and seeking out meat protein, grasses, and hydrating at natural springs. They state Trilogy cat food offers these three elements, but I question how a kibble reduced of moisture combined with freeze dried meat (which by definition is meat with the moisture removed) can offer the hydration capacity of natural spring water, and I’m also slightly dubious on the grass angle. In any case, these three elements are represented by the “impossible triangle” on the packaging.

The packaging also states “High quality grain free kibble”, “protein rich freeze dried pieces”, “natural grass fibre to support digestion”, and last but not least “specifically formulated for indoor cats”. I found this last statement a little odd, and it appears to be the case for all formulas in the range. Perhaps they’re assuming outdoor cats attend to their own grass munching and natural spring hydration?

It’s certainly an interesting marketing angle, but lets continue with our Trilogy cat food review to see if these claims ring true…

What the labelling really says

Delving straight into the ingredients we find six ingredients which will likely be in equal (or at least similar) proportions. Three of these are fish, and the other three are legumes. That’s odd, as legumes weren’t part of their “impossible triangle” idea, were they?

There’s no surprise the three fish ingredients are listed first given most people these days only read the headlines. That said, it’s good to see salmon meat, salmon meal, and even ambiguous fish meal as ingredients a cat will benefit from. The other three, a combination of peas, more peas, and lentils are less beneficial for a cat, but still far better inclusions than cereal rubbish we find in many popular brands like Whiskas.

Freeze dried meat is a far better inclusion of meat than that baked at high temps into a kibble. Freeze drying is a method of reducing the moisture without damaging the nutrition, and effectively keeps the meat in an raw state which is better, and more natural, for cats. Despite the formula being Salmon, we can gather from the ingredients the freeze dried meat pieces are actually lamb, listed as the 8th ingredient, so not the salmon and fish assumingly part of the kibble.

The grass constituent of the trilogy is found way down the ingredients list, a few notches down from salt as an inclusion of 1%, and this is in the form of alfalfa grass. It’s nice to see such an inclusion, and as a superfood in a small moderation will likely provide some nutritional value for your cat. In the wild a cat will ingest such an ingredient from the digestive tract or stomach of prey.

I find no real qualms about the ingredients as a whole. It’s clear the vitamin and mineral inclusion is a premix, so not hand picked vitamins and minerals which we find in some premium cat foods. Natural antioxidants is ambiguous, and ambiguous is often a sign of they don’t want you to know.

Other brands from the Real Pet Food Co have shown to be problematic, so that’s worth noting, but from an ingredients and analysis standpoint this doesn’t seem that bad. In fact, compared to many terrible cat foods on the shelves Trilogy cat food actually looks quite good.

Just add fresh spring water and you’re all set, unless you have an outdoor cat and live near a fresh spring.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our Trilogy cat food review. If you have, please support Pet Food Judge by sharing, spreading the word, or liking us on Facebook.

Where to buy

You can buy Trilogy cat food directly from Petbarn (inc. same day delivery) (or click and collect).

:wheretobuy:

:offers:

Ingredients of Trilogy cat food

Ingredients of Trilogy Adult Salmon dry cat food as of June 2021:

Salmon meat, Salmon meal, Fish meal, Pea Protein, Peas, Lentils, Animal Fat (Beef), Freeze Dried Lamb, Tapioca Starch, Digest, Beet Pulp, Cellulose Fibre, Salt, Vitamins and Minerals, Dipotassium Phosphate, Alfalfa grass, Chicory Root Inulin, Taurine, Methionine, Natural Antioxidants, Yucca Extract

Guaranteed analysis of Trilogy cat food

Guaranteed analysis of Trilogy Adult Salmon dry cat food as of June 2021:

Smitten could lead to the premature death of your cat. Products such as this are likely the reason many cats die of conditions such as renal failure. There’s a simple factual reason why Cat’s are obligate carnivores, and this product is mostly cheap grains and grain by-products.

Baxters, the equivalent home brand offering for dogs, has solidified itself as the #1 most problematic dog food reviewed on this website, with numerous reports of sickness and death.

It doesn’t say so on the packet, but Smitten is a glorified version of their Woolworths Essentials brand for people who (sadly) can’t afford real cat food (or seriously don’t know any better). Just compare the boxes – they’re the same box, just different graphics.

All “flavours” in the Smitten range are really just cereals and cereal by-products as the main component. The short digestive tract of a cat isn’t designed to process grains, let alone cheap nasty grains, so this would likely overwork their digestive system and kidneys to the point of failure. Products such as this are designed for profit, not keep your pet healthy.

Take a look at the ingredients for the Chicken and Salmon with Natural Tuna Flavour formula. Can you find “salmon” or “tuna” listed? I can’t. So why have they written it in CAPITALS on the front of the box? In truth, the meat and fish content of the food is a concoction of various rendered meats and meat by-products, whatever can be sourced cheaply at the time of manufacturer. If you picked up the keyword “rendered”, then you’ll have an idea of how nasty this ingredient may be.

There’s such a discord between what they say on the box and what’s listed in the ingredients. If the real ingredients were pictured on the box you definitely wouldn’t buy it. It’s amazing they’re allowed to market it so deceivingly, but that’s Aussie pet food regulations for you.

Woolworths may sell this stuff as “cat food”, but that doesn’t mean it’s good, species appropriate, or healthy. It may be cheap, but the real cost will be in vets bills and heartbreak down the track.

We do not recommend you feed this to your cats, or any other cereal and cereal by-product “cat foods” for that matter. Avoid.

:offers:

:wheretobuy:

Ingredients

Wholegrain Cereals and/or Cereal by-products (derived from Wheat and Rice), Meat and Meat by-products (derived from Chicken, Beef, Fish, Lamb), Tallow (derived from Poultry and/or Beef), Natural Flavours, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Whole Canola, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Choline Chloride, DL Methionine, Essential Vitamins & Minerals, Taurine, Natural Colours, Natural Antioxidants

Fussy Cat has been a household name for quite some time. There’s been lots of negative consumer feedback over the years which seems to get ignored by manufacturer Real Pet Food Co, and retailers will continue to sell it as long as it makes a profit.

So should you feed this to your cat?

In our Fussy Cat cat food review we’ll consider why this probably isn’t the best product for your cat.

Fussy Cat review

What the marketing says

Fussy Cat from America’s Real Pet Food Co has an optimum position in the marketplace – there are far better foods available in pet stores and pet shops, but Fussy Cat has free reign of the supermarket shelves. Supermarket brands are a cheaper and more convenient option for most, and Fussy Cat fits that bill.

They market this cat food as “real food means real flavour”, but ask yourself what they mean by “real food”? If it wasn’t real it would be, what, “fake food”?

As per trend it’s a “grain free” food as cats don’t need grains. They don’t need non-grain fillers either, like excessive vegetables, but they don’t mention that on the packaging.

Like most cat foods these days they throw in the word “premium” as if the word has meaning in pet food.

It doesn’t.

What the ingredients really say

For this review we’ll look at Fussy Cat Grain Free Chicken & Turkey with Cranberry simply because it sounds Christmassy, but the truth is all “flavours” are pretty much the same ingredients.

It may surprise you given how large Cranberry is written on the front of the bag that it’s only included as what could be considered a “speck of dust” in the ingredients. If you consider salt as 1%, cranberries are 8 ingredients lower, so almost non-existent. Cranberry is good for cats in moderation, but don’t expect your cat to benefit from cranberry in Fussy Cat – looks like it’s included so they can stamp it on the packaging.

There are three ingredients in Fussy Cat which potentially amount to most of the product. Two of these are ambiguous vegetable meal/vegetables and vegetable starches. This is a cunning pet food labelling trick called “splitting”, done to hide the fact vegetables are the main constituent of the food.

Would you buy a cat food labelled as “Vegetables”?

Probably not.

Cats are obligate carnivores.

While we’re speaking of cunning labelling tricks, unlike real “premium” cat foods which use a guaranteed analysis, on Fussy Cat cat food we only find a typical analysis. It’s a subtle difference, but it means the protein and fat content is in no way guaranteed. They state 36% protein and 18% fat, but it doesn’t have to be. In reality it can be much more carbohydrates which aren’t healthy for your furry friend.

What vegetables are they anyway? It doesn’t say. The probable truth is whatever waste vegetables (such as carrot tops or potato skins) are thrown out the back door of human food facilities.

Even the meat ingredient (which is 1 part to the 2 parts vegetables) is ambiguous. It’s some possible concoction of poultry or beef or parts thereof, and like the vegetables probably what’s been thrown out of a human food factory.

Whatever can be sourced cheaply, basically.

This is also how all formulas are formulated the same – they can cherry pick the flavour name based on the spattering of different meat inclusions.

The bad points don’t end there. We find other ominous warning signs – ambiguous palatants to entice your cat to eat something they would otherwise turn their nose up, and ambiguous natural antioxidant.

When pet food manufacturers conceal what ingredients really are there’s only one logical reason why – they don’t want you to know.

There’s very little positive to say about Fussy Cat cat food. The same applies for the wet food, rolls, and treats – all substandard products which your cat won’t thank you for.

If you want something better, perhaps take a look at Applaws also available at Coles and Woolies.

Where to buy Fussy Cat cat food

Supermarkets.

Not that you would?

Ingredients of Fussy Cat

The ingredients of Fussy Cat cat food (Chicken & Turkey with Cranberry):

Meat Meals and meat by-products (poultry, including turkey, and beef) and/or poultry by-product meal, vegetable meal and vegetables, vegetable starches, tallows (poultry and/or beef), palatants, vegetable pulp, sunflower oil, oilseeds, salt, cellulose fibre, potassium chloride, dried chicory root, choline chloride, methionine, taurine, vitamins and minerals, cranberries, yucca schidigera extract, natural antioxidant.

Stockman & Paddock offer two formulas. A working dog formula (cheap, full of wheat, aimed at rural consumers), and the much better grain free range which we’ll look at here.

They’re only available in 20kg bags which will appeal to you if you have large breeds or more than one dog. Stockman & Paddock is comparable to Black Hawk as a good benchmark, and slightly cheaper.

Let’s take a look!

Best Affordable Dog Foods

Stockman & Paddock review

28% protein and 18% fat puts this food above average, and this means the carbohydrates will be lower than most which is a good start.

The protein constituents of the food are beef meal, peas, and hydrolysed chicken protein (which is a protein supplement derived from chicken flesh).

It’s likely the beef and peas are the bulk of the food, and in similar proportions. It could possibly be labelled Peas, then Beef, but that wouldn’t look as good.

Most of the carbohydrates will come from sweet potato which is one of the better choices when it comes to grain frees. It’s lower GI than potato, and more nutritious than tapioca which has become increasingly popular in American grain free foods.

There’s some nice inclusions such as salmon oil and flaxseed for joints, skin, and coat. Chicory root as a prebiotic for gut health, plus carrots and blueberries. It’s nice to see natural antioxidants used as a preservative, which isn’t the case with their working dog formula.

Overall it’s a food better than most for a reasonable price. If you’re feeding the working dog formula then consider this as a better alternative.

Where to buy?

Stockman & Paddock is available at various retailers online and in store.

Ingredients

The ingredients of Stockman & Paddock dry dog food (Aussie Beef formula):

American Beef Meal, American Peas, American Hydrolysed Chicken Protein, American Beef Fat, Sweet Potato, Beet Pulp, Natural Flavour, Salmon Oil, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Flaxseeds, Dry Chicory Root, Choline Chloride, Carrots, Blueberries, Natural Antioxidants, Essential Vitamins (C, E, B3, B5, Riboflavin, B1, B6, A, Folic Acid, B7, B12, D3) and Minerals (zinc, iron, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium) and Yucca Extract.

Guaranteed Analysis

The guaranteed analysis of Stockman & Paddock dry dog food (Aussie Beef formula):

Baxters Dog & Cat Food Warning

30/07/2018 Read this comprehensive list of HUNDREDS OF SICK AND DEAD DOGS after eating Woolworths Baxters. Genuine consumer comments from Social Media.

26/07/2017 Pet Food Judge has heard in excess of 80 reports of dogs being sick after eating Baxters.  It’s worth reading the consumer comments on the following Facebook posts here, here, and here.

The following video shows Izzy, who having been fed Woolworths Baxters became very lethargic, unable to walk, difficulty breathing, pain, and diarrhoea. This coincides with many reports of sickness with dogs having been fed Woolworths Baxters dog food.

Baxters dog food review

What the marketing says

I’ll quote the Woolworths website directly – “Baxter’s Adult Food is specifically formulated to aid digestions”. Seriously, they can’t even get their grammar correct. I think they mean “aid digestion”, but looking at the ingredients and all the terrible feedback that doesn’t seem to ring true.

What the marketing doesn’t say is this is a home brand which should probably be labelled as such, but Woolworths have it made to look like a glossy commercial brand. If you look at all the dog foods in the dog food aisle you simply wouldn’t be able to tell it apart from the surrounding commercial brands. Tricky, eh?

Warnings from the Woolworths Baxters dog food page!

For the many who have suffered very sick dogs having eaten Baxters dog foods, Woolworths have offered a robot reply saying the product is safe and yada yada yada, but on their website they have “get out clause” warnings:

A dog may have a sensitive stomach, but they may only have a sensitive stomach to a dog food product which is made from very poor quality and possibly harmful ingredients. You decide.

What the labelling really says

When we see the word “With” on the packaging it means the food has to contain the ingredient, but it doesn’t need to be much. When we see “With Chicken” it means there’ll be a very small amount of chicken in the food as a whole, but not enough to justify it being written in UPPERCASE on the front of the packet. It’s one of the ways marketing deceives us into believing a product is something which it’s not. They shouldn’t be allowed to do this. It’s deceiving, and in my opinion dishonest.

The first ingredient in the food happens to be meat and meat by-products derived from beef and poultry, so not exactly the chicken they’re saying it is. This is the cheapest and nastiest inclusion of meat in a pet food, and it won’t look palatable if you saw what was in it. What I expect we’re looking at is remnants of animal carcasses and offal once anything of value has been extracted and sold off for human consumption. Carcasses, bones, offal, tumours, and “bonus” protein sources such as undeveloped eggs and maggots are common in an ingredient such as this. There’ll be some form of chicken in there too to justify the label.

If you’re not already put off then the 2nd ingredient (which is probably an equal proportion to the first ingredient) doesn’t get much better. Cereal and cereal by-products will have little nutritional merit, especially the cereal by-products.  It’s derived from wheat, the number one most problematic grain when it comes to allergies, dry and flaky skin, lethargy, and bloat. Cereal by-products are often referred to as “floor sweepings” in the pet food and grain industries, for good reason. Manufacturers can argue this has nutritional merit, but a more accurate assessment is it’s very cheap per tonne and would otherwise be a waste product. It’s high in carbs, harsh on digestion, and far from species appropriate for a carnivorous animal.

We estimate at least 50% carbohydrates. That’s bad.

The 3rd ingredient, Tallow, is found in many foods on the cheap side of the scale. It’s the fatty residue from cooking up a mixture of animal carcasses and by-products. I could show you a video of tallow being made, but you’d likely gag and it may ruin your day.

So is there anything good in the food? Well yes… peas. But that said I’m sure they’re included here as a cheap way to bump up the lackluster protein percentage of 22%.

It’s interesting to see bentonite included, a clay substance that aids digestion, bloating, gas, skin complaints, vomiting, and diarrhea. I would assume this is included to mask the side-effects of feeding the food? Out of all the foods reviewed on this website, only one other manufacturer uses bentonite, and they make terrible dog food as well (because they’re a milling company, not a dog food company).

Potassium chloride is used to add potassium to the food but also to balance the pH of a poorly formulated food. We find it in a number of foods in small amounts. I’ll reference a few points here in relation to the many reports I’ve received of dogs being sick after eating Baxters and the symptoms which have occurred:

“Trace Minerals (Potassium Chloride) (1 stars) found in 4% of pet food products analysed. Source of potassium to balance pH, small intestinal ulcers may occur, indicates lack of well-rounded supplementation” ~ Cooperative report between food formulator Dr. Lisa Newman N.D. Ph.D (www.azmira.com), Mike Adams (www.healthranger.org) and the non-profit Consumer Wellness Centre (www.consumerwellness.org).

Potassium chloride is “used to cause cardiac arrest as the third drug in the ‘three drug cocktail’ for executions by lethal injection” ~ Wikipedia.org

“Potassium supplements may result in these side effects – muscle weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite” ~ PetMD.com Note: This is in relation to supplement tablets for dogs suffering chronic kidney conditions or kidney failure, but I note it here as the effects are inline with many reports I’ve received of sick dogs eating this food.

Woolworths Baxters dog food review summary

Still reading? Don’t buy this food. Woolworths should be ashamed for selling Baxters. It’s a terrible dog food with such an awful reputation.

From a composition aspect the food is very high in carbohydrates (known to be harmful to be dogs), and very low in fat (don’t take this as a good thing, dogs efficiently digest animal fats for nutrients and energy).

If our Baxters dog food review has helped, or if your dog has been sick after eating Baxters dog food, then please let us know, either by comment below or message us on our Facebook page.

Where to buy Woolworths Baxters?

The term “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” comes to mind. It’s on the shelves of Woolworths, and we recommend you leave it right where it is.

Avoid the other Woolworths home brand as well – Woolworths Essentials. It’s made by the same manufacturer, American Pet Brands.

Ingredients of Woolworths Baxters Dog Food

The ingredients of Woolworths Baxters dog food are as follows:

Meat and Meat by-products (derived from beef and poultry), Cereal and Cereal by-products (derived from wheat), Tallow (derived from poultry and/or beef), Peas, Bentonite, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Essential vitamins and minerals, Whole Linseed, Beet Pulp, Preservatives and Antioxidants.

Guaranteed Analysis of Woolworths Baxters Dog Food

The guaranteed analysis of Woolworths Baxters dog food are as follows:

If our Woolworths Baxters dog food review has informed you, please share it to help others – thank you.