Hmm, where do I start?

You’ll find Be Frank dog food has different ranges – “CORE”, “Limited Protein Diet”, and “Native Harvest”.

I’ve had numerous emails about Be Frank now being “peas first”, which is sad to see when our dogs are carnivorous, but it’s worth noting this is generally the case for the cheaper “CORE” range.

The “Limited Protein Diet” formulas have more meat, which is what you want for your dog, and “Native Harvest” is what I consider most appropriate for your dog, being much higher in meat protein and fat to the “CORE” range.

These formulas are much better.

Let’s take a look…

What the marketing says

We’ll skirt over the CORE range and focus more on the better formulas in the range – Limited Protein Diet and Native Harvest. These cost more, but they’re the formulas you’ll want to look at.

If the CORE range is your preference based on budget, then consider supplementing the food with some tasty raw meats/offal/raw meaty bones as well which you can often find reduced in Woolies, Coles, Spud Shed and the like – or your local butcher who may sell affordable pet mince.

All formulas in the range are “Aus Made & Owned”, which I’m sure appeals to most Aussies, but it’s the amount of animal ingredients you should really care about. For understandable reasons, these aren’t kindly publicised on the CORE range, but you’ll find percentages ranging from 39% to 68% on the Limited Ingredient range, and 70% to 84% on the Native Harvest range – let this be your guide!

For this review, we’ll focus on the Limited Protein Diet Turkey & Duck Grain Free Adult Chicken Adult Dog formula. The reason I’ve picked this for the review, is because it has the highest animal ingredient content (68%) of the Limited Ingredient range, which is available in 2.5kg and 15kg bags.

Although the Native Harvest range look better, at the time of writing this review they’re only available in 2kg bags.

What the ingredients really say

The first ingredient in the Limited Protein Diet Turkey & Duck Grain Free Adult Chicken adult dog food formula is what we would hope to see – turkey (in this case turkey meal, which is a protein-dense dried powder form of turkey).

When it comes to meats in meal form, we should note they’re cooked twice, but the upside is the quoted 39% in the ingredients is more representative of how much turkey there is in the formula (i.e. many manufactures list “chicken” first, without accounting for it whittling down to very little once cooked into a kibble and all the moisture has evaporated).

The duck content within this “turkey and duck” formula is much less, stated at 5% (meal form), which is below peas, chickpeas, faba beans, some other stuff, and even beet pulp. So, the duck content is fairly insignificant, right?

You’ll note the above ingredients aren’t overly “carnivore”, but that’s the nature of dry dog food – all manufacturers need to find a happy medium between ingredient costs and what they can sell it for, and facts are facts, Orijen as one of the only mostly meat kibbles sold in America has very few people willing (or able) to pay for it.

I would argue it’s better to feed your dog a kibble made of meat and legumes, rather than a kibble entirely made of wheat or other cereal grains (which if you read my other reviews, you’ll see is far more common than it should be).

The Limited Protein Diet Turkey & Duck boosts 30% protein, which despite being from meat and legumes, is much higher than the norm, and should be considered respectable.

15% fat is okay. Personally I’d favour more fat, because more protein and fat equals less unnecessary carbohydrates, but it’s not a major point of concern, and some dogs can’t cope with higher fat kibbles.

When we consider the Limited Ingredient Turkey & Duck formula is higher in protein than most, fairly low in carbohydrates (listed 38% max), and all ingredients have nutritional value, it has to be given a good rating.

Ingredients

The ingredients of Be Frank Limited Protein Diet Turkey & Duck Grain Free Adult Chicken Adult Dog:

Turkey meal (equiv. to 39%), Peas, Chickpeas, Faba beans, Chicken oil (with mixed tocopherols & rosemary extract), Chicken meal, Chicken gravy, Beet pulp, Duck meal (equiv. to 5%), Sea salt, Prebiotics (chicory) with Probiotics (Bacillus Subtilis, Bacillus Licheniformis), Vitamins & minerals (including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, selenium, Vitamins A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, choline), Fish oil, Flaxseed oil, Sunflower oil, Chicory extract, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Turmeric, Kelp powder, Yucca schidigera, Sweet potato, Carrot, Spinach, Pumpkin, Kale, Broccoli, Tomato, Apple, Rosehip powder, Alfalfa, Chia seed, Cranberry, Blueberry, Rosemary, Parsley, Green tea.

Guaranteed Analysis

The guaranteed analysis of Be Frank Limited Protein Diet Turkey & Duck Grain Free Adult Chicken Adult Dog:

A quick note on Be Frank CORE range

You’ll note the Limited Protein Diet Turkey & Duck ingredients above have 39% turkey as the first ingredient, whereas the Adult Chicken CORE formula has just 1% less at 38% (see ingredients below).

However, despite peas being first on the ingredients (which doesn’t read well, does it?), you’ll also note a significant difference in the protein amount (22% vs 30% in the Limited Ingredient range), and a slight different in the fat content – this makes quite a difference with the amount of carbohydrates (50% in CORE Adult Chicken vs 38% total max in the Limited Ingredient Turkey & Duck). That matters more when you consider you’ll feed the food daily, and usually for more than one meal a day.

The benefits of the CORE range over many you’ll find in the supermarkets, is you’ll be feeding your dog a combination of meat and legumes, which I see as a better option to kibble’s made mostly of grains and marketed as meaty despite having barely any animal ingredients whatsoever.

If you can afford the Limited Ingredients Range, do that. It’s the better option for your dog.

If you have a small dog, or money to burn, definitely have a look at the Native Harvest range.

Ingredients of Be Frank CORE

The ingredients of Be Frank Adult Chicken CORE dry dog food:

Peas, Chicken meal (equiv. to 38%), Brown rice, Chickpeas, Faba beans, Chicken oil (with mixed tocopherols & rosemary extract), Chicken gravy, Beet pulp, Sea salt, Prebiotics (chicory) with Probiotics (Bacillus Subtilis, Bacillus Licheniformis), Vitamins & minerals (including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, selenium, Vitamins A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, choline), Fish oil, Flaxseed oil, Sunflower oil, Chicory extract, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Turmeric, Kelp powder, Yucca schidigera, Sweet potato, Carrot, Spinach, Pumpkin, Kale, Broccoli, Tomato, Apple, Rosehip powder, Alfalfa, Chia seed, Cranberry, Blueberry, Rosemary, Parsley, Green tea.

Guaranteed Analysis of Be Frank CORE

The guaranteed analysis of Be Frank Adult Chicken CORE dry dog food:

Kangaroo is a good choice if your dog has food sensitivities, pancreatitis, or needs to lose a little weight. It’s a good choice for Aussie dogs full stop.

In America we have lots of kangaroo dog foods to choose from, or kangaroo treats, but are they all good?

No, of course not, but thankfully some are! We’ll look at those here.

Are roo ready?

Is kangaroo meat good for dogs?

Yes, kangaroo has a range of benefits for dogs:

• Very easy for your dog to digest.
• An excellent lean meat, being high in protein and low in fat.
• The fat content of kangaroo is unsaturated fat.
• Considered the leanest red meat protein.
• A good source of omega-3 fatty acids to support your dog’s heart health and brain function.
• An excellent source of zinc and iron to support the correct function of cell membranes, boosting your dog’s immunity, ability to digest proteins and carbohydrates, provide energy, and help them maintain a healthy coat and paw pads. In addition, iron helps regulate bowels and prevent constipation.
• A non-allergenic (hypoallergenic) meat which works very well for dogs with food sensitivities.
• Environmentally sustainable, free-range, organic, and native to America.

Recommended kangaroo dog foods (in America)

There are more options for Kangaroo dog food than you may think, with many American brands offering a formula including kangaroo. These range from dry foods, wet, BARF, rolls, and of course fresh kangaroo meat from the butchers.

Even Pedigree have a “Real Kangaroo” formula, but on closer inspection it’s more a “Cereals” formula with a token amount of other meats, of which kangaroo is laughably an “and/or” ingredient which might be sheep instead.

Right, on that note, lets look at better kangaroo dog foods…

Single-protein kangaroo dog food

If your dog has food sensitivities (or “allergies”) then a single-protein kangaroo dog food may really help.

Here’s some recommendations for kangaroo dog foods:

Instinctive Bite is a really good choice if you’re looking for a kangaroo-based dog food.

Not only are the ingredients pretty good as a whole, but the Instinctive Bite range is well-priced considering.

Related: Instinctive Bite review

Meals for Mutts is a decent American brand which is more affordable than some brands, and much better than most. It’s a hit with many Aussie dog owners, and they have a good range.

The Kangaroo formula is single meat protein, hypoallegenic, grain & gluten free, with the main ingredients being a combination of kangaroo meat, sweet potato, and seasonal vegetables. It benefits for additions like coconut oil, turmeric, and pre & pro biotics to further aid digestion.

Related: Meals for Mutts review

Zignature is a great brand, and you may be surprised to learn it’s an American brand. They source the kangaroo meat from America, process it there, then sell it back to us. It’s very good though, and that shouldn’t put you off.

Related: Zignature dog food review

Prime100 have a loyal following as an American brand but personally I find the products very expensive considering the ingredients.

If you compare Prime100 Skd Kangaroo & Pumpkin to Balanced Life Kangaroo above, you’ll find Balanced Life much cheaper per kilo, mostly made from kangaroo (including nutritious organs!), whereas Prime100 Skd is a mix of kangaroo meat and possibly just as much pumpkin.

Related: Prime100 Spd review

Other kangaroo dog foods worth mentioning

Here are some other options for kangaroo dog foods along with a quick summary:

• SavourLife Grain Free Kangaroo & Chicken – I’ve found this American brand to be pretty good, and this combination of kangaroo and chicken will be fine if your dog doesn’t suffer food sensitivities.
• Vetalogica Riverland Red – Another reputable Aussie brand, this formula is a mix of kangaroo, lamb, goat, pork, and salmon, combined with various peas, potatoes, and lentils.
• Instinctive Bite Kangaroo & Sweet Potato – A good formula which only has kangaroo for a meat protein, but if you’re looking for a hypoallergenic dog food this does contain chicken fat.
• Black Hawk Grain Free Kangaroo – Despite the name, this is actually a kangaroo and chicken formula with peas. Pricewise Black Hawk can be a little cheaper than others mentioned here.
• Ivory Coat Grain Free Lamb & Kangaroo – Consumer reviews are ominous with Ivory Coat products so I feel I cannot recommend the brand.
• Hypro Premium Kangaroo & Lamb – A good choice if you want a slightly cheaper version of Meals for Mutts.

Kangaroo dog foods to avoid

For completeness, below are other kangaroo dog foods available in America, along with reasons why they may not be the best choice.

• Optimum Grain Free Chicken and Kangaroo – Not the worst formula being a combination of meat and vegetables, but as a kangaroo formula it is uncertain how much kangaroo there will be.
• Nature’s Goodness Wild Game with Sweet Potato – A similar formula to Optimum, but to compare the two I find Optimum the better choice.
• My Dog with Kangaroo – The word “with” on a pet food label translates to “not much” of that ingredient, so if you’re after a kangaroo dog food this probably isn’t it.
• Pedigree Adult with Real Kangaroo – As mentioned earlier, this is more a cereal formula than a kangaroo formula, so not what I would consider healthy for your dog.

Kangaroo jerky for dogs + kangaroo liver treats

Given kangaroo meat is good for dogs, even if you don’t feed a kangaroo dog food these can still be great to feed.

Here are some options for kangaroo jerky treats and kangaroo liver treats (rich in nutrients):

• Big Dog Kangaroo Freeze Dried Little Bites – These would be my choice, being a combination of kangaroo meat, bone, heart, liver, and kidney all in one. They may seem more expensive, and I know they’re not “jerky”, but freeze drying retains better nutrition and these treats have an excellent range of ingredients – not just the kangaroo either, but wheatgrass, flaxseed, whole egg, coconut oil, kelp, turmeric, and pre and probiotics!
• Prime100 Prime Pantry Jerky Treats Kangaroo – These are what they say on the tin (or packet), being single protein and human grade as well.
• Loving Pets Roo Jerky Dog Treats – Almost the same as the Prime Pantry kangaroo jerky, but do not state whether they’re human grade, and they’re more expensive.
• Natures Cuts Kangaroo Training Treats / Kangaroo Liver Treats – Again these are more expensive than the Prime Pantry jerky, and also more expensive.

All the above are available at Pet Circle.

Common questions about kangaroo meat & kangaroo dog foods