glow salmon dog food

Glow Dog Food Review

Glow is exclusive to PETstock, so essentially a home brand.

The first ingredient ischicken meal, which is a protein rich dried form of chicken, but its likely the first four ingredients are in a similar proportion. The next two are lupins andbeans, likely outweighing the chicken 2:1. Then we have sorghum as the fourth key ingredient.

The majority of the protein looks but thats what weve come to expect from kibbles. Plant protein is cheaper. That said, these ingredients are better than we find in cereal-based kibbles which puts this up into the mid-range category.

Theres some nice inclusions in the food, such aschia seeds as a good source of B vitamins and omega fats for skin and coat. Chia, interestingly, is related to the mint plant family.DHA (Algae) is another source of omega fats (omega 3) and is something we should see in all pet foods as an essential.

Its good to see the use of natural rather than synthetic antioxidants (which are carcinogenic). These are included to preserve the food.

Overall this is a solid food with no real nasties, and the only real caveat is its more plant-based than meat-based.

Ingredients

Chicken Meal, Lupins, Beans, Sorghum, Tallow, Beet Pulp, Chicory Extract, Chia Seeds, Carrot, DHA Algae, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin and Mineral Premix, Natural Antioxidants from Rosemary.

PROS

• No bad ingredients
• Naturally preserved

CONS

• Favours plant proteins over meat proteins

The Glow Dog Food Review: Tested & Evaluated 2024

The Glow Dog Food Review: Tested & Evaluated 2024

Written By Eloisa Thomas| Canine Coach, Double M.A in Anthropology.Edited & Fact Checked By Renae Soppe | Double B.A Journalism & Science.Last Updated: 8th January 2024

Are you looking to switch up your dogs food? You may have heard excellent things about Glow but aren't quite ready to take the plunge yet. Never fear; we've teamed up with veterinarians and canine nutritionists to form our very own independent panel of experts. In doing so, we researched and tested Glow's dog food range to figure out how wholesome and tasty this brand's food may be.

Our ultimate Glow dog food review has everything you need to know about this Australian dog food brand. We go over the ingredient list and the pros and cons so you can choose whats best for your pup.

• Glow Dog Food is an Australian brand that offers dry dog food, frozen raw food and cooked rolls.
• Their ingredients are sourced from Australian produce and the manufacturing tries to lower the carbon footprint of your dogs food.
• They have a small range of kibble available in puppy, adult and senior recipes based around chicken, lamb and mackerel.

Quick Pick - Our Best Rated Dog Food

Our Number 1 Pick -Petzyo Dog Food

• Ethically sourced Kangaroo, Chicken or Salmon, sweet potato & superfood extras
• Iron-rich & low fat proteins
• Three Omega-3 and -6 rich oils with a well balanced 11% fat content
• Made in Australia

Australia's Glow Dog Food Reviewed

Glow - 4 Star Rating

• Ingredients: (Adult Australian Chicken) Chicken Meal, Lupins, Beans, Sorghum, Tallow, Beet Pulp, Chicory Extract, Chia Seeds, Carrot, DHA Algae, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin and Mineral Premix, Natural Antioxidants from Rosemary
• Named Protein First:Yes
• Dog Food Type: Dry kibble, frozen raw food, cooked rolls.
• Recipe Range: Puppy, adult and senior dog kibble in chicken flavour. Theres also lamb and mackerel kibble recipes for adults, in addition to a raw and cooked roll range.
• Suitable For: Puppies, adult and senior dogs.
• Cost: $$
• Australian Owned: Yes

Taste 5/5

Most of our expert panel's dogs enjoyed the taste of Glow, we are happy to say! In general, this food fulfils expectations when it comes to taste. While most dogs usually like it, we had some minor issues with the picky eaters amongst our broods. Most times, wet food can be more appealing to picky dogs. Glow does have a range of raw and cooked roll offerings, however, for today's review we focused on the kibble range.

PRO TIP:If your picky dog doesnt love kibble, try adding a homemade topper. This can be anything from a crushed piece of boiled chicken, half an egg or grated veggies like carrots. It will make kibble more appetizing to your dog! Of course, make sure to choose a topping your dog already likes.

Since Glow performs as expected in this category, were giving this brand 5 out of 5 in this category.

Ingredients 3.5/5

Overall, Glow pet food has a pretty nice ingredient list. All ingredients are easily recognisable and the list is pretty short. On the other hand, we also like that this brand claims more than 90% of its ingredients are Australian-sourced. This lowers the overall carbon footprint of the food and helps local producers, which is always a plus.

We will go deeper into the protein content in the next category, but overall, its good to see a named protein as the first ingredient. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the food is comprised of legumes, so the overall carb proportion is probably higher than wed like. This is a common problem for all kibble since it needs a high-carb percentage to be manufactured properly. The fourth ingredient is sorghum, another carbohydrate source. This is in line with most other mid-range dog foods and is clearly better than cereal-based kibble.

Then we find tallow, the main lipid source of all recipes. Coming from animal sources, tallow is a good addition of fats that are essential to keep your dog healthy. Looking at the guaranteed analysis, its a good addition to an otherwise very lean recipe, which is nice to see! The rest of the ingredients are understandable and overall, the ingredient list is pretty short for dog food.

Considering the ingredients, our panel of independent experts is giving this brand 3.5 out of 5. We like there is no corn or wheat on the list, but the focus on vegetable protein could mean a high-carb diet that most pets dont need.

Protein content 3/5

The first ingredient in all recipes is always a named protein, which is good to see. Nevertheless, the second and third ingredients are both legumes: first lupins, followed by beans. If we break this further, their claims of protein being the main ingredient weaken.

If we consider the first and second ingredients on a list are usually in the same proportion, the addition of beans would tip the scales and mean legumes make up a majority of the food. The same thing happens if we consider the first three ingredients as the bulk of the food. While legumes in a dogs diet arent necessarily bad, it means the overall protein content is significantly bumped up by vegetable protein instead of coming from animal sources.

Our independent expert team suggest if you dont rotate this food with other brands with more animal protein, this might lead to micronutrient deficiency or obesity from a high-carb diet.

Disregarding the higher vegetable protein, Glow dog food packs around 25% total crude protein, so it goes above the minimum 18% recommended by the AAFCO. This is pretty normal for dry kibble and isnt the best out there, but is good enough if rotated or complemented with meaty toppings.

Both chicken and lamb meal, depending on the recipe, are great sources of animal protein. Dogs benefit greatly from this ingredient and the protein content is easy to absorb for puppies and older dogs. Due to the high vegetable protein content, were giving Glow dog food 3 out of 5 in this category. Other than that, the protein sources are pretty good for a kibble.

Additives 4/5

We like that, despite the relatively short ingredient list, there are plenty of extra goodies to round up your dogs diet. Here are the highlights, per our team of experts:

• Beet pulp, chicory extract and chia seeds: These add extra fibre to the food. Considering this is a kibble, extra fibre is necessary to avoid constipation and keep your dogs microbiome balanced. Considering these are in a small percentage, we like this addition.
• DHA Algae: DHA is a type of Omega-3 acid that is essential for long-term health. These maintain cellular integrity, prevent chronic diseases and are powerful antioxidants. We especially like that this brand clearly states the proportion of Omega-6 to Omega-3, since this is very rare to see in dog food.

According to current research [1], an appropriate balance of Omega-6 related to Omega-3 consumption can help both humans and animals live a longer, healthier life. Omega-6 and -3 are essential fatty acids, meaning your dogs body needs them to function properly. Omega-6 fatty acids are key in inflammatory processes and ensure your dogs body can take care of itself. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and can help keep them healthier and away from chronic conditions.

Unfortunately, it isnt enough to just eat these two essential fatty acids [2]. Dogs and people need to ingest these two nutrients in specific portions. In fact, too much Omega-6 and too little Omega-3 can lead to health problems for both dogs and cats [3]. According to research, most commercial dog food nowadays tends to have a ratio of about 20 to 1 for Omega-6 to Omega-3 [3]. A proportion of around 4 to 1 for Omega-6 to Omega-3 is considered ideal, and thats the ratio in Glow dog food!

We like that both the percentages and the ratio are clearly indicated on the packaging.

Other additions to the kibble recipes are carrot, for a small boost in antioxidants, salt, potassium chloride to boost potassium levels on the food, and natural antioxidants from rosemary.

The only ingredient were not huge fans of is the vitamin and mineral premix. We dont know which vitamins and minerals, their quantity or their specific type. When pet food companies use this general label on their ingredients, our panelists share it usually means its been manufactured overseas and the specific percentages aren't available. Were not huge fans, but considering the rest of the ingredients, its not a big deal.

Overall, we appreciate the clear ingredient list and the transparency. It would be nice to see more antioxidant goodies, but for a kibble, it is fairly good. Were giving Glow 4 out of 5 in this category.

Variety 4.5/5

We couldnt have a Glow dog food review without mentioning their complete range. For a relatively new brand, their offering is pretty good taking into account the new raw and cooked roll ranges. As of writing this, Glow offers five kibble recipes: a chicken recipe for adults, a lamb recipe for adults, a mackerel recipe for adults, a chicken puppy recipe and a senior chicken recipe. This is enough for most dogs but might not give you the variety you need to rely on a single brand of kibble. Therefore, if you want to explore wet food options or unusual proteins their raw and cooked roll range may be best for you. Glow offers frozen raw food in the same proteins as their kibble range in addition to kangaroo which might cater better to sensitive dogs. Their cooked roll range features five recipes with venison, kangaroo, chicken, turkey and salmon.

Considering the complete range, it would have been nice to see the novel proteins like kangaroo and venison available in their kibble too, were giving this brand 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Price 4/5

Glow dog food is smack in the mid-range category. They offer both small and medium-sized bags, and the brand is only sold through one retailer in Australia. Their prices arent especially cheap, but considering most ingredients are sourced from Australia, the higher price tag for a shorter ingredient list is understandable.

Because of this, our team of experts is giving Glow 4 out of 5 stars in this category.

Glow Puppy Food Review

As weve mentioned above, Glow dog food only has a single puppy kibble recipe. Their puppy option has more or less the same ingredient list as their adult recipes.

Glow puppy food has chicken meal as the first ingredient, are there are no other kibble options for puppies sensitive to chicken. However, we do appreciate that they do also offer a large breed puppy kibble. The protein is followed by lupins, beans and sorghum. The minimum guaranteed protein is higher than their adult recipes and stands at a respectable 30%.

Its important to recall the Omega-6 to -3 proportion. Although the packaging states a higher proportion of 2 to 8 for Omega-6 to -3, this is really the same 1 to 4 proportion in their adult range. This is plain misleading at best, so were not too keen on them because of it.

Do not buy Glow if

While this is a reasonable mid-range option for many dogs, we think it might not be the right choice if you:

• Have a very small dog: Since their kibble is designed to fit all breeds, there are no small kibble recipes available. While this is fine for most pups, very small dogs like chihuahuas might have a harder time chewing on the kibble pieces.
• Dont want to rotate or add toppings: While the overall composition of this kibble is good, it definitely leans more on plant-based protein. This isnt necessarily bad, but it means your dog will probably get a higher proportion of carbs than necessary. This is easy to avoid by rotating with other types of food (for example, raw but pricier alternatives) or adding homemade toppings like cooked liver.
• Are looking for kibble based on animal protein: This food leans heavily on beans to boost the overall protein content, which also bumps up the carb percentage. If your dog is obese or very active, you might need to choose other recipes with more fat and more protein.

Final Thoughts

So how does our team of independent experts sum up their thoughts concerning Glow? This is a respectable mid-range option, and we appreciate the use of Australian-sourced produce. This means the food has a lower carbon footprint and benefits local businesses.

Of course, our pupper testers tried out the kibble and we have yet to conduct a comprehesive review of their raw or cooked roll range. But we like the clear ingredient list and choice of ingredients. It favours plant protein over meat protein, which can be problematic if you dont rotate your dogs food or add toppings. Overall, its a good option for most dogs and as an option for rotation, its great.

Want to read more dog food brand reviews? Check out the below:

References

1. Simopoulos, A (2002). "The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids". Journal of Biomedical Pharmacotherapy, 2002, Oct, 56(8), pp 365-379. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0753-3322(02)00253-6
2. Gunnars, K. February 15, 2023. "How to Optimize Your Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio". Healthline. Retrieved October 23, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/optimize-omega-6-omega-3-ratio
3. Vaugeois, I. October 15, 2019. "Omega-3 and Omega-6 Ratio in Pet Food". SeaDNA. Retrieved October 23, 2023. https://www.seadna.ca/omega-3-and-omega-6-ratio-in-pet-food/