Choosing the right diet for your dog is something that requires a lot of consideration. In order to figure out the proper food for your Fido, you'll need to consult an expert. Your veterinarian is a great place to start, and a canine nutritionist would be even better. Solid Gold dog food, treats and supplements may provide the appropriate nutrition for your canine companion.
Your dog's diet will vary based on his age, weight, breed, activity level and overall health. The best for your dog will meet his nutritional needs and fit into your budget. While we'd all like to buy the highest quality food possible, we can't all afford it. My advice is to choose the highest quality dog food that you can afford.
When shopping for a quality food that fits your budget and provides your pup with all the nutrients that his body needs, you should be looking for:
- natural ingredients (nothing artificial)
- quality ingredients (hormone and antibiotic free, no GMO’s, no fillers, etc…)
- made in a country with strict regulations
- ingredients sourced from countries with strict regulations
- a reputable company
You'll need to know how to read the label of the dog food brand you've chosen. You should also do some research online before going to the store. Consider the recommendations of your veterinarian or a canine nutritionist.
It's best to acknowledge any recommendations given to you by other pet owners, but take them with a grain of salt. All dogs are different. A diet that works well for one dog may not be a good fit for another, even if they are the same age and breed.
When reading reviews like this one, keep this advice in mind. Solid Gold Dog Food, for example, is manufactured by a reputable company that uses top quality ingredients in their pet food products. While my dogs enjoyed eating their food and treats, your dog may not. Likewise, this food may not be a healthy option for your dog if he has certain health conditions.
Be sure to have a chat with your veterinarian about any diet changes before you make them. And, don't forget that part of this decision is up to your dog. While my dogs gobbled this food up, your dog may not find it appetizing.
RECOMMENDED: Expensive Dog Food Brands – Are They Worth the High Cost?
Solid Gold Dog Food, Treats and Supplements Review
Solid Gold Dog Food
Solid Gold pet products are made with holistic, natural ingredients. They offer an extensive line of dry and canned food, treats and supplements for dogs and cats. The company has been in business over 40 years and has only had one recall back in 2012.
The company uses no meat by-product meal, wheat, corn, soy, sugar or artificial preservatives and flavors in their dog foods. They also do not use any ingredients from China. While all of their products are made in the United States, they do source their ingredients from other countries.
In the photo above, you can see the Green Beef Tripe canned food that I tried with our dogs. Some canned foods consist of chunks in a gravy sauce. As you can see, this Solid Gold dog food is a loaf-type of canned diet.
This food is grain and gluten free, naturally low in phosphorus and carrageenan free. It contains 444 kcal per can, a minimum of 9.5% protein and 6% fat. It also contains a maximum of 2% fiber an 78% moisture.
Ingredients:Green Beef Tripe, Beef Broth, Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplemen, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate, Cobalt Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid
As you'll see in my video review at the top of this page, our dogs really enjoy this recipe. They gobble it up, and after numerous meals we have not noticed any gastrointestinal issues caused by this food.
When products are made with higher quality ingredients, they are typically much more expensive than products made with poor ingredients. You can purchase this Solid Gold dog food on Amazon for $35 for (12) 13.2-ounce cans. If you do the math, that's about $2.91 per can.
A dog weighing 45-60 pounds would require 2.5-3 cans of this Solid Gold dog food per day. That's almost $9 per day to feed a medium-sized dog! Of course, this food won't fit into every dog owner's budget, but you could always use it as a food topper to entice picky dogs to eat or to provide your pup with some additional health benefits.
RELATED: Holistic Dog Care – The Ultimate Evidence-based Guide
Solid Gold Dog Treats
I also tried a couple of flavors of Solid Gold's dog treats. These treats are made with superfood ingredients. In fact, Solid Gold uses more than 20 different superfoods in their recipes. Depending on the recipe that you purchase, your dog could receive health benefits from nutrient-packed foods like:
- pumpkin
- cranberries
- water cress
- almond oil
- beets
- blueberries
…and many more. You can see that these treats are quite large. They are about as big around as a half dollar coin, and nearly half an inch thick. This size isn't suitable for small breeds, but the treats are moist and very easy to break into smaller pieces.
THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
The chewy, soft texture is ideal for dogs with dental issues or missing teeth. Ingredients in the beef flavored treats are: beef, dried peas, dried lentils, vegetable glycerin, dried chickpeas, ground flaxseed, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), mango, pumpkin, citric acid, vinegar, xanthan gum, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative), turmeric, kelp and parsley.
Ingredients in the chicken flavored treats include: chicken, dried peas, dried lentils, vegetable glycerin, dried chickpeas, ground flaxseed, coconut, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), citric acid, vinegar, xanthan gum, vanilla, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative), pumpkin, kelp and parsley.
Like the Solid Gold dog food, these treats are more expensive than dog treats made with poorer quality ingredients.
MORE: Top 9 Best Healthy Dog Treats
Solid Gold SeaMeal Supplement
Finally, I tested the SeaMeal dog supplements from Solid Gold. You can get these supplements in chews or powder form. As you'll see in my video review, the powder is easy to sprinkle on your dog's daily meals, and it doesn't bother my dogs at all. They eat their food just the same as they do without the supplement.
SeaMeal supplements are designed to promote skin and coat health, digestive health and your to support your dog's immune system. They are formulated with seaweed, flaxseed and digestive enzymes.
The ingredients in the chews are: dried seaweed meal, brewer’s dried yeast, glycerin, dried potato, flaxseed, lecithin, canola oil, natural flavoring, water, lactose, dried aspergillus oryzae product, dried trichoderma reesei fermentation solubles, dried rhizopus fermentation product.
The ingredients in the powder supplement are: dried seaweed meal, flaxseed, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation product, dried trichoderma reesei fermentation solubles, dried rhizopus oryzae fermentation product, dried pineapple, dried lemon peel, lactose.
The chews are only formulated for dogs, but the powder can be used for dogs or cats.
I said the same about the Solid Gold dog food and treats, and these supplements are no difference – they aren't cheap. You can purchase a container with 120 supplements on Amazon for $23.99. As you can see from the serving guidelines above, that would be a 2 month supply for a dog weighing 26-50 pounds. If you have a large dog weighing more than 75 pounds, that would only be a 1 month supply.
The powder is more cost effective. You can purchase a 1-pound container for $24.99 on Amazon. A large breed dog weighing more than 75 pounds only needs to eat 2 teaspoons of this powder per day to reap the benefits.
READ NEXT: 7 Vet Recommended Supplements for Dogs