The Optimum range of dog food became very popular thanks to Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown who used to endorse the brand, but they’ve now found another BVSc veterinarian – Dr Cherlene Lee – to take their money in return for convincing you to “trust” the brand.
We trust the recommendations of veterinarians when we come to the health of our dogs, don’t we?
Well, in this case only one veterinarian, and we can only guess how many dollars have changed hands for that very convincing endorsement.
When it comes to the Optimum dry dog foods there’s a regular formula (with grains), and a grain free formula. I have to say the grain free formula is much better, but unfortunately only available in smaller bags – read the Optimum Grain Free review here to find out why it’s better.
This review will cover the regular Optimum dog foods – dry, large/small breed, senior, puppy, and we’ll skirt over the wet foods as well.
“Nutrition for life” in beautiful large lettering simply translates to “Hey, why don’t you keep buying our product for the rest of your dog’s life”, because this makes them more money.
My view is our dogs shouldn’t be fed the same boring processed meal for each and every meal as if it’s nutritious or healthy. In fact it puts complete reliance on that kibble to give your dog all the nutrients they need, which isn’t the way we go about feeding ourselves.
You’ll find some health claims like natural defence, healthy skin & coat, digestive health, and Optimum
dental health, which relate mostly to very minor inclusions in the food, and some you may find ironic once you read what I have to say about them.
Let’s consider the main ingredients in Optimum Adult Chicken, Vegetables & Rice:
Meat & meat by-product (poultry), wheat and/or corn, sorghum and/or barley and/or rice
We already see 2 out of 3 of the main ingredients are grains, as if your dog’s distant ancestors would stalk around crop fields pouncing on wheat straws and field corn. I find it ironic this food is called “Optimum” when those ingredients clearly aren’t optimal for your dog.
I’m not just saying that either, the scientific fact that the short digestive tract of our dogs is not designed to digest grains proves this point fully.
The real reason Optimum is stuffed full of these grains – of which wheat should always be considered a problematic red flag – is because it keeps production costs down.
Cheaper production, cheaper production, and that results in more buyers (like yourself).
It’s not for the health of your dog.
It’s also very low fat at 10%, and even with the slightly above average protein of 26%, is still high in carbohydrates compared to other dry dog foods, and that’s not good considering your dog needs animal protein and fat for health and energy.
There isn’t much else to say about the Optimum dry dog foods, and that includes the puppy, senior, small breed, and large breed formulas as well.
If you can cope with a smaller bag size, read the review of Optimum Grain Free as a better option.
Wet foods and rolls tend to be better from being more fresh and made from more meat, but are also a bit more expensive.
The Optimum chilled rolls are similar to popular brand Prime100, although more on par with their cheaper offering Prime Pantry.
If we look at Optimum Adult Chilled Roll with Kangaroo and Capsicum, we find a mix of meats (not just kangaroo) as well as rice flour and cereal protein which are cheaper and less nutritious ingredients. As a chilled roll they’re okay, but nothing to rave about – although will certainly be a welcome addition to a kibble like Optimum
The wet cans tend to be basic formulas like meat and rice, with these top two ingredients making up the bulk of the cans.
Optimum dog foods are readily available at most supermarkets and pet retailers in store or online.
[dfrcs name=”optimum dog” title=”” filters=”finalprice_min=30″
The ingredients of Optimum dog food (Adult Chicken, Vegetables, and Rice formula):
Meat & meat by-product (poultry); wheat and/or corn; sorghum and/or barley and/or rice; natural flavour (chicken); beet pulp; vegetables; vitamins & minerals; salt; sodium tripolyphosphate; antioxidants; amino acid.
The typical analysis of Optimum dog food (Adult Chicken):
* May be estimated. Read how to calculate carbohydrates in a pet food.
Read more...
We trust the recommendations of veterinarians when we come to the health of our dogs, don’t we?
Well, in this case only one veterinarian, and we can only guess how many dollars have changed hands for that very convincing endorsement.
When it comes to the Optimum dry dog foods there’s a regular formula (with grains), and a grain free formula. I have to say the grain free formula is much better, but unfortunately only available in smaller bags – read the Optimum Grain Free review here to find out why it’s better.
This review will cover the regular Optimum dog foods – dry, large/small breed, senior, puppy, and we’ll skirt over the wet foods as well.
Optimum dry dog foods
What the marketing says
“Nutrition for life” in beautiful large lettering simply translates to “Hey, why don’t you keep buying our product for the rest of your dog’s life”, because this makes them more money.
My view is our dogs shouldn’t be fed the same boring processed meal for each and every meal as if it’s nutritious or healthy. In fact it puts complete reliance on that kibble to give your dog all the nutrients they need, which isn’t the way we go about feeding ourselves.
You’ll find some health claims like natural defence, healthy skin & coat, digestive health, and Optimum
What the ingredients really say
Let’s consider the main ingredients in Optimum Adult Chicken, Vegetables & Rice:
Meat & meat by-product (poultry), wheat and/or corn, sorghum and/or barley and/or rice
We already see 2 out of 3 of the main ingredients are grains, as if your dog’s distant ancestors would stalk around crop fields pouncing on wheat straws and field corn. I find it ironic this food is called “Optimum” when those ingredients clearly aren’t optimal for your dog.
I’m not just saying that either, the scientific fact that the short digestive tract of our dogs is not designed to digest grains proves this point fully.
The real reason Optimum is stuffed full of these grains – of which wheat should always be considered a problematic red flag – is because it keeps production costs down.
Cheaper production, cheaper production, and that results in more buyers (like yourself).
It’s not for the health of your dog.
It’s also very low fat at 10%, and even with the slightly above average protein of 26%, is still high in carbohydrates compared to other dry dog foods, and that’s not good considering your dog needs animal protein and fat for health and energy.
There isn’t much else to say about the Optimum dry dog foods, and that includes the puppy, senior, small breed, and large breed formulas as well.
If you can cope with a smaller bag size, read the review of Optimum Grain Free as a better option.
Optimum wet foods & chilled rolls
Wet foods and rolls tend to be better from being more fresh and made from more meat, but are also a bit more expensive.
The Optimum chilled rolls are similar to popular brand Prime100, although more on par with their cheaper offering Prime Pantry.
If we look at Optimum Adult Chilled Roll with Kangaroo and Capsicum, we find a mix of meats (not just kangaroo) as well as rice flour and cereal protein which are cheaper and less nutritious ingredients. As a chilled roll they’re okay, but nothing to rave about – although will certainly be a welcome addition to a kibble like Optimum
The wet cans tend to be basic formulas like meat and rice, with these top two ingredients making up the bulk of the cans.
Where to buy?
Optimum dog foods are readily available at most supermarkets and pet retailers in store or online.
[dfrcs name=”optimum dog” title=”” filters=”finalprice_min=30″
Ingredients
The ingredients of Optimum dog food (Adult Chicken, Vegetables, and Rice formula):
Meat & meat by-product (poultry); wheat and/or corn; sorghum and/or barley and/or rice; natural flavour (chicken); beet pulp; vegetables; vitamins & minerals; salt; sodium tripolyphosphate; antioxidants; amino acid.
Nutrient Analysis
The typical analysis of Optimum dog food (Adult Chicken):
| Protein | 26% |
| Fat | 10% |
| Crude Fibre | ? |
| Carbohydrates * | Estimated 47% |
Read more...
