Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Dog Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Review Summary

We all want a dog food brand we can trust, one that offers great taste using high-quality ingredients but is affordable and accessible. It isn’t too much to ask from a brand, but with most brands promising the best, we take the time to review your options so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu dog food promises complete nutrition and diets that are free from wheat, meal by-products, gluten, and artificial preservatives and flavors. In this article, we’ll go through the Mossy Oak recipes and the ingredients used in each one to give you an idea if the dog food is ideal for your dog.

At a Glance: The Best Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Dog Food Recipes

Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Dog Food Reviewed

Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu has fewer recipes than most competitors, with two dry recipes and three canned options. It doesn’t have any special recipes like food for certain life stages or dogs that might be suffering from allergies or sensitivities.

Who Makes Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Dog Food and Where is it Produced?

Mossy Oak is based in the United States and is an outdoor living brand that specializes in activities like fishing and hunting. They also have a range of dog food products, both food and treats, under the sub-brand of Nature’s Menu. The food is produced by Sunshine Mills which has been operating for over 50 years. They are based in Alabama but manufacture recipes across the U.S.

The food is only available from Mossy Oak stores or Dollar General stores, and they don’t sell their products online, which means they’re not as accessible as some other brands.

Which Type of Dog Is Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Best Suited For?

Because Nature’s Menu doesn’t offer specialty food, the recipes are best suited for dogs that don’t suffer from medical issues. For example, large dogs benefit from formulas that can support the health of their joints, overweight dogs look for low protein diets, while active dogs require high protein diets.

Nature’s Menu food has average protein levels compared to typical dry dog food. All its recipes include grain and chicken in the ingredients list.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

Nature’s Menu comes in three flavors and five recipes. Chicken and beef are in dry food form, while chicken, beef, and salmon are in the wet, canned food.

Meat Protein Choices

Mossy Oak uses high-quality meat and fish protein in its formulas. When it comes to the wet food, the first ingredient listed in all the recipes is chicken, which is an odd choice since they don’t mention chicken in their titles. In the canned chicken recipe, beef broth also appears third on the list of ingredients.

Chicken fat also appears in both dry food options, which is obtained through a process called rendering. It is high in linoleum acid, which is an omega-6 fatty acid. While it doesn’t sound like a particularly appetizing ingredient, it is beneficial to your dog.

Benefits of Organ Meat

Nature’s Menu includes not only muscle meat but also organ meat, with chicken liver appearing in all the wet food recipes. Organ meat is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and is essential for the overall health of your dog. The liver is rich in copper, and, pound for pound, organ meat is more nutritious than muscle meat.

Other Notable Ingredients

Brown rice is in both dry food recipes and is a common ingredient found in dog food. It’s considered superior to white rice because of its micronutrients and additional fiber. It’s also a cost-effective option and provides a good carbohydrate base.

Dried Beet Pulp is another common ingredient, which is an excellent source of soluble fiber that is also low-cost. Fiber is crucial in digestion health, and while it provides little nutrition, it ensures your dog will be pooping regularly.

Controversial Ingredients

Just because an ingredient is controversial, doesn’t mean it’s bad. Soybean meal appears in the dry food recipes and is a by-product of soybean oil production. The ingredient is generally found in farm animal feeds, but it boosts the protein levels in food. However, it has a lower biological value than meat protein.

Another controversial ingredient worth noting is corn, which is inexpensive and is rumored to be nothing more than a filler. However, that isn’t exactly true. Corn has a modest nutritional value, and because it’s less expensive to produce, it keeps costs low for pet owners. It may have developed its bad reputation because commercial dog food manufacturers advertise it as having more nutritional benefits than it really does.

 

A Quick Look at Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Dog Food

Recall History

Mossy Oak dog food products have never been recalled. It’s a relatively new line of food and the brand is still very small.

Reviews of the 3 Best Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Dog Food Recipes

1. Real Beef & Brown Rice Recipe – Our Favorite

The Real Beef & Brown Rice recipe has two quality protein sources at the beginning of its ingredient list. Beef is an excellent protein source that helps build your dog’s muscles, and the fat in beef can help your pup feel fuller for longer. Beef is also a great source of zinc, selenium, iron, and B vitamins. Chicken meal is a meat concentrate which means it contains nearly 300% more protein than the alternative fresh chicken.

An ingredient we’re not overly enthusiastic about is “fish meal” since a named fish, such as “salmon meal” would be better, so we know exactly where the ingredient has come from.

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2. Real Chicken & Veggie Recipe

The Real Chicken & Veggie recipe is very similar to the beef, except there is no beef included. This seems obvious, but as chicken appears in all recipes and beef broth also makes an appearance in the canned chicken recipe, it’s worth noting. Instead, the first two ingredients are chicken and chicken meal which are excellent protein choices.

Chicken is a lean meat, which provides your dog with an energy boost without extra fat. Not only does poultry build lean muscles, but it also provides omega-6 fatty acids and sustains your dog’s coat and healthy skin.

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3. Salmon & Potato Formula Canned Dog Food

The Salmon & Potato Formula is one of the three wet foods Mossy Oak offer, and it is not technically our favorite out of the three canned options. However, customers claimed their dogs enjoyed the taste. Despite the name, the main ingredient is chicken. The ingredient list for the Beef & Vegetables is strong, with the first five ingredients featuring excellent protein sources (chicken, beef broth, chicken broth, beef, and chicken liver).

On the other hand, the recipe lists chicken first and then fish broth, which would add flavor, but again is rather vague about the source species. The next ingredient listed is salmon, which is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that supports your dog’s immune system, keeps their coat healthy and shiny, and can also decrease inflammation.

This recipe is packed with nutritional benefits, despite our dislike of the second ingredient.

 

What Other Users Are Saying

Since Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu dog food is still relatively new, there aren’t many reviews. However, we discovered a few that stand out.

Conclusion

Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu dog food is a U.S. based brand that is still relatively new to the world of dog food. It has a small menu and don’t sell its products online. Some pet parents have mentioned wanting to bulk buy but have been unable to because stock is limited. Mossy Oak is a trusted brand that provides quality ingredients that dog owners will appreciate.

See Also:

• Bixbi Dog Food Review
• Verus Dog Food Review

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