Fromm Dog Food Complaints

The Fromm brand has been in business since 1902, and it focuses on providing high-quality pet food to its customers. It makes gourmet foods for dogs and cats, and all its recipes are made with real ingredients, from the meat to the vegetables.

None of its ingredients are sourced from China, nor does it use artificial preservatives. If you want to provide the best nutrition to your dog, then Fromm Family dog food should be at the top of your list. This summary will go over the main points about Fromm dog food so you can decide for yourself if it is the best one to feed to your canine companion.

Is Fromm a good dog food?

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, brewers yeast and alfalfa meal, this Fromm recipe appears to be an above-average, grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.

Fromm is made by Fromm Family Pet Food. The company owns two dry food manufacturing facilities in its home state of Wisconsin. One plant is located in Mequon and the other is in Columbus. Fromm also owns its own wet food cannery… which is located in Eden, Wisconsin.

Like the grain-inclusive recipes, the grain-free Four-Star Nutritionals will cost more than other options. They are the highest quality food that Fromm makes and remains a popular option among those who can afford it. The Four-Star Nutritionals line is ideal for sensitive stomachs and picky eaters. It’s also the closet Fromm gets to a limited ingredient blend.

There are more than 70 Fromm formulas to choose from. The selection of dry foods, wet foods, and treats can make it difficult to pick the right one, so we’ve dug into the ingredient lists and broken down some of the key points. Let’s start with the puppy formulas and work up in age from there.

Is it time to switch your pup’s dog food? There are many products on the market, and it can be tough to decide which one to choose for your furry friend. We recently took a look at Fromm’s dog food recipes to see what they have to offer and if they’re worth a try. Hint: we think they are, and you’ll find out more in this Fromm Dog Food Review!

Fromm Family Foods takes pride in the quality of their ingredients, and that includes testing items when they arrive at the facilities. The company reports testing occurs before using any ingredients to verify they are safe and up to standards. They also send completed pet foods to outside labs for testing before clearing the products for sale.

Expect to find unique ingredients on many product lists, including cheese, which excites most dogs. Many of these ingredients provide additional benefits for your furry friend, like digestive support or added protein. They use natural preservatives and even developed a cutting-edge approach, the use of tocopherols, that changed the face of dog food forever.

Fromm Gold Recipe and Label Analysis

Fromm Gold Adult was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient ContentProtein =

Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, chicken broth, oat groats, pearled barley, brown rice, chicken fat, menhaden fish meal, dried tomato pomace, dried egg product, whole oats, white rice, chicken liver, whole barley, potatoes, cheese, flaxseed, salmon oil, brewers dried yeast, duck, lamb, carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, alfalfa meal, salt, monocalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, chicory root extract, vitamins, minerals, Yucca schidigera extract, sorbic acid (preservative), l-tryptophan, taurine, dl-methionine, sodium selenite, probiotics

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.1%

Protein =

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 25% 16% NA
Dry Matter Basis 28% 18% 46%
Calorie Weighted Basis 24% 37% 40%

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common component in many canned products.

The fourth ingredient includes oat groats, a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. With the exception of their caloric content and the fact they’re also gluten free, oat groats can be considered average in nutritional value.

The next ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth item is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The eighth ingredient is menhaden fish meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.

The ninth ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But realistically, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Fromm product.

With 6 notable exceptions

First, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, we note the use of salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

In addition, brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

In addition, a vocal minority insists that yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is a claim we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.

What’s more noteworthy here is that brewers yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

In addition, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, although the vitamins and minerals added to this product are not detailed, we’re reassured to find a detailed list of nutrients on the company’s website.

Based on its ingredients alone, Fromm Gold Dog Food appears to be an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 46%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 49% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 55%.

Which means this Fromm product line contains…

Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, brewers yeast and alfalfa meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

FAQ

Is Fromm dog food safe for dogs?

Fromm Four Star Nutritionals are made for all life stages. So, each is suitable for puppies, adult, and senior dogs.

Does Fromm dog food cause heart problems?

Compare your dog food

Warning In June 2019, the FDA implicated Fromm’s dog food in at least 10 cases of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (or DCM), a potentially fatal heart condition.

Has Fromm dog food ever had a recall?

Yes. In March 2016, Fromm announced its first-ever recall. The reason for the recall of certain cans of dog food was unacceptable levels of Vitamin D. The affected cans “were shipped to distributors during the limited time frame from December 2015 through February 2016,” the company said in its recall announcement.

Why did chewy stop selling Fromm?

Fromm believes our products are best sold by retailers who know our product and can offer pet parents what’s right for their specific dog or cat. As a result of Chewy’s sale to PetSmart, they are no longer an authorized retailer of Fromm Products.”