Amazon Wag Dry Dog Food Review for German Shepherds

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Amazon released “Wag” dry dog food in May 2018. Since I am very excited about buying things on Amazon, I purchased it right away! Of course, what everyone wants to know is, is Amazon Wag a quality dog food?

Here’s Aura trying it out for the first time:

Is dry dog food (kibble) even good for dogs?

So… I’m not here to debate the whole “raw food” thing or even dog food at all. I do, however, welcome all comments below! Of course, there are many pros and cons to wet dog food, dry dog food and the raw diet. A raw diet can be wonderful, IF you do it correctly. I personally use dry dog food. I understand the cheap, 40 cent a pound garbage they sell in 100lb bags at the feed store is terrible. I personally use “premium” dry dog foods. These are dog foods which have no grain and get their protein from something such as salmon. In other words, they have decent quality ingredients and are well balanced and have an acceptable nutritional value. Dry dog food works for me as it is easy and convenient to store, doesn’t spoil easily and I can just grab a scoop out when it’s dinner time. Dry dog foods I’ve used include Taste of the Wild, Blue Wilderness and Royal Canin. I used to make my own food for my previous German Shepherd as she had allergies, but after she passed, my new girl gets dry food.

I’m no scientist but I am certain that all foods probably fall short somehow… Not enough protein? Too much calcium? Too much grain? Who knows. Every veterinarian out there seems to have a different opinion, and the various lines and breeds of dog vary so wildly I don’t think one specific food is perfect for one specific breed. Besides, I do supplement Aura’s good with eggs and occasionally she eats some meats, fruits and vegetables as well!
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Amazon Wag Dry Dog Food Review

Since so many people have such varying opinions on dog foods I am just going to start off here with the facts.

Amazon’s Wag food has a “Guarantee of quality” on the back of the bag. It reads “We manufacture all our pet foods in the USA, with US and imported ingredients, testing each batch to ensure safety and quality. Our recipe uses real fish as the first ingredient, and we don’t add any grains, so each service is comprised of 35% protein.”

The “guaranteed analysis” from the back of the bag reads:

Crude protein – 35% minimum
Crude fat – 15% minimum
Crude fiber – 5.5% maximum
Moisture – 10% Maximum
Zinc – 150 mg/kg Minimum
Selenium – 0.35 mg/kg Minimum
Vitamin E – 150 IU/kg Minimum
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* – 2.5% Minimum
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* 0.4% Minimum
Glucosamine* – 750 mg/kg Minimum
Chondroitin* – 250 mg/kg Minimum
Total microorganisms* – 2,000,000 SFU/b Minimum (Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium animals)
* = Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Nutritional Statement:
The back of the bag reads: “Wag Salmon and Lentil Recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).”

Ingredients:
Salmon, salmon meal, lentils, pea protein, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), brewers yeast, dried plain beet pulp, flaxseed, natural flavor, salmon oil, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, yucca schidigera extract, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried lactobacillius acidophilus fermentation product, dried enterococcusfaecium fermentation product, dried bifidobacteriumadminals fermentation products, Vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, mananous oxide, ascorbic acid (preservative), Vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, puridoxine hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B12 supplement), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.

Comparison to Taste of the Wild

So I am going to start off here by stating that I am pretty happy with Taste of the Wild. I may just stick with Taste of the Wild. You can get Taste of the Wild on Amazon for only about $4 more than Wag. I didn’t even know that until I was typing up this review; I’ve been spending $59 on it locally. I do enjoy supporting local businesses though, so I have some things to think about now. However, if my German Shepherd does well with Wag I may stick with Wag. I’ll update this article after we’re through our first 30lb bag.

I can say that Taste of the Wild has some ingredients I really like. That said, I am unsure of just how much of these are in the food. The items Taste of the Wild has which Wag does not include

sweet potatoes
tomatoes
blueberries
and raspberries.

Name	Amazon Wag (Salmon & Lentil)	Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream (Salmon)
Crude protein	35% minimum	25% minimum
Crude fat	15% minimum	15% minimum
Crude fiber	5.5% maximum	3% maximum
Moisture	10% Maximum	10% maximum
Zinc	150 mg/kg Minimum	150 mg/kg Minimum
Selenium	0.35 mg/kg Minimum	0.35 mg/kg Minimum
Vitamin E	150 IU/kg Minimum	150 IU/kg Minimum
Omega 6 Fatty Acids	2.5% Minimum	2.4% Minimum
Omega 3 Fatty Acids	0.4% Minimum	0.3% Minimum

* This list is not 100% complete, please see labels to see additional statements about microorganisms and misc notes.
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Transitioning to Wag

Not all dogs have that sensitive of a stomach. I can switch Aura’s dog food out on the fly. I do transition her slowly when I can. Almost all dog foods recommend that you do so gradually. Some dogs will get diarrhea if you’re not careful. Here’s the transition instructions from the back of the Wag bag: