Unveiling the Truth about Country Squire’s Canine Cuisine
Country Squire Dog Food has made waves in the pet food industry, but is it truly worthy of all the acclaim? Let’s dig deep into the details and uncover the reality behind this brand.
A Comprehensive Look at the Product Line
With a focus on catering to the diverse needs of our beloved furry friends, Country Squire offers four distinct options of dry dog food. Each recipe comes with a specific AAFCO nutrient profile, such as Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental, or Unspecified.
It’s important to note that information about large breed puppies may not be consistently available on all websites. Therefore, it’s crucial to refer to the packaging for accurate details.
The product line includes Country Squire Premium Puppy, Country Squire Premium Chunk, Country Squire Premium High Protein, and Country Squire Premium Bites and Bones. For the purpose of this review, we will focus on Country Squire Premium Bites and Bones as a representative sample.
Revealing the Ingredients
Let’s dissect the ingredients of Country Squire Premium Bites and Bones. The main ingredient is corn, a debatable cereal grain known for being cost-effective but offering limited nutritional value for dogs. Corn is not considered an ideal component in any dog food.
Following corn, we find wheat middlings, which may sound wholesome but are actually an inexpensive by-product of cereal grain processing. The varying nutrient content of wheat middlings raises concerns about their suitability for dog food.
Meat and bone meal, the third ingredient, is a rendered product derived from mammal tissues. However, the anonymity of this ingredient poses a problem. The meat can come from a combination of cattle, pigs, sheep, or goats, making it impossible to identify specific allergens.
Soybean meal, the fourth ingredient, is a by-product of soybean oil production commonly found in animal feeds. While it contains protein, its nutritional value is lower than that of meat.
The presence of generic animal fat as the fifth ingredient raises red flags. Since it lacks a specific source, it could come from questionable origins, including roadkill or diseased animals. Moreover, the use of BHT as a preservative in this fat is cause for concern, as it is considered a potential cancer-causing agent.
Further down the list, we encounter corn gluten meal, a residue remaining after the removal of starchy carbohydrates from corn. Although it contains protein, its value compared to meat protein is lower.
Another ingredient, animal digest, consists of chemically hydrolyzed animal by-products sprayed onto dry kibble to enhance taste. While this technique may appeal to some dogs, it raises questions about the quality and source of the ingredients.
The Notable Drawbacks
Four significant factors disappoint us when evaluating Country Squire Dog Food. Firstly, the presence of artificial coloring adds no nutritional value and is purely for visual appeal to humans, not dogs.
Secondly, the absence of probiotics, which aid in digestion, is a notable omission. These friendly bacteria can enhance a dog’s overall well-being.
Thirdly, the minerals listed do not appear to be chelated, making them less easily absorbed. Chelated minerals are typically associated with higher quality dog foods.
Lastly, the inclusion of menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K, raises concerns related to liver toxicity, allergies, and the breakdown of red blood cells. Considering that AAFCO does not require vitamin K in dog food, its presence in this formulation is questionable.
Unveiling the Whole Story
Based on an analysis of its ingredients, Country Squire Dog Food falls into the below-average category for dry dog products. However, ingredient quality alone does not provide the complete picture. To determine a final rating, we must estimate the product’s meat content.
The analysis reveals that the product contains approximately 24% protein, 11% fat, and about 57% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. Compared to typical dry dog food, Country Squire offers near-average protein, below-average fat, and above-average carbs.
Considering the protein-boosting effect of soybean and corn gluten meals, we can conclude that this dog food contains a moderate amount of unnamed meat meal. Therefore, Country Squire earns a disappointing one-star rating.
Make Informed Decisions for Your Furry Friend
In the end, Country Squire Dog Food is not recommended due to its overall quality and questionable ingredients. When it comes to choosing your canine companion’s nutrition, being well-informed is crucial.
Please note that the inclusion or exclusion of specific recipes in this evaluation may impact the final rating, as we estimate the meat content and fat-to-protein ratios of each recipe.
Stay up-to-date and stay informed.
Check out the history of dog food recalls associated with the Hook’d Up Bar and Grill brand:
- Pro-Pet Dog Food Recall (2/6/2014)
- Pro-Pet Vitamin Recall Expanded (7/5/2010)
- Pro-Pet Vitamin Supplement Recall (6/23/2010)
For a comprehensive list of dog food recalls, organized by date or brand, refer to our website.
Subscribe to our recall notification list via email to receive timely alerts about dog food recalls.
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Notes and Updates: Last updated – January 9, 2019
