This post may contain affiliate links. We are compensated for referring customers to our affiliate partners.
Wolf King Dog Food is one of the formulas produced by Solid Gold Health Products For Pets, Inc. They are based in El Cajon, California, with distribution centers in Leipzig, Germany; Hong Kong, Singapore, Atsugi, Japan; and Espoo, Finland. According to Wikipedia, Solid Gold was founded by Sissy Harrington-McGill. Ms. Harrington-McGill raised Great Danes in the 1970s and made a trip to Germany to acquire more dogs. While there she learned that the German dogs were living longer and surmised that it was because they were being fed more naturalistic dog foods. She returned to the U.S. and began researching dog nutrition. In 1974 she launched her first Solid Gold food, Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken and began marketing it.
Today Solid Gold says that they specialize in the development of foods which have no preservatives or saturated fats (though saturated fats shouldn’t harm your dog), and are made of USDA Choice grade meats. They say they do not use wheat, soy, or corn. In addition, they produce products for pet skin problems and shampoos.
One issue of concern for many pet owners is the fact that four of Solid Gold’s dog foods, including Wolf King, are manufactured for them by Diamond Pet Foods (Wolf King, Wolf Cub, Just a Wee Bit, and Hund-n-Flocken) in Meta, Missouri. The rest of their dry dog foods and their dry cat foods are made at Crosswinds Pet Foods in Kansas.
The Diamond Pet Food plant in Gaston, South Carolina makes a small amount of Wolf King, Wolf Cub, and Just a Wee Bit for export purposes.
This connection to Diamond Pet Foods is concerning to many pet owners because Diamond Pet Foods, which manufacturers food for many other companies as well (Canidae, Kirkland, Taste of the Wild, Costco, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, 4Health, Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods, NutraGold, and others) has a long history of recalls due to Salmonella, aflatoxins/mycotoxins, and other problems at their plants.
Product Overview
Solid Gold Wolf King Dog Food is made for large breed dogs. It is a gluen-free adult dog food that features bison and ocean fish meal. Large breed dogs have special dietary needs and Solid Gold has formulated a food they say has those needs in mind.
Solid Gold products are typically sold at pet food stores, pet food boutiques, and can be ordered online or through pet product web sites.
Review of Solid Gold Wolf King Dog Food
Ingredients In Solid Gold Wolf King Dog Food
Bison, Ocean Fish Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Chickpeas, Rice Bran, Dried Eggs, Sweet Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Natural Flavors, Flaxseed, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, L-Carnitine, Carrots, Pumpkin, Apples, Cranberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Parsley, Spearmint, Almond Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sesame Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Thyme, Lentils, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.
The top 5 ingredients included in Solid Gold Wolf King Dog Food are: Bison, Ocean Fish Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, and Potatoes. Below you will find a brief explanation of each of these ingredients:
Bison = Bison is a fresh meat and it is a good source of both zinc and iron. It is also important to note that bison is a complete protein – this means that it contains all of the essential amino acids your dog needs. The Solid Gold website also notes that the protein in Bison will help maintain your dog’s lean muscle mass.
Ocean Fish Meal = Unlike fresh fish, this ingredient has had most of the moisture removed making it a concentrated source of protein. Ocean Fish Meal provides a natural source of Omega-3 fatty acids which helps to support your dog’s healthy skin and coat.
Brown Rice = Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate that provides your dog with dietary fiber as well as various vitamins and minerals. The Solid Gold website does not state whether or not the brown rice they use in their food is whole or partly milled, but it still offers good nutritional value.
Peas = Fresh peas contain between 23-27 percent protein, depending on the kind of peas used. They are a good source of Vitamin A, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin and Manganese.
Potatoes = White potatoes help add to the carbohydrate content of this dog food formula and they also add some vitamin and mineral content. It is unclear, however, what form these potatoes take. If they have been processed they may have lost some of their nutritional value.
Quality Of Ingredients
The quality of ingredients in Solid Gold Wolf King Adult Dog Food appears to be excellent. This is a food that should appeal to many discriminating pet owners, especially if they have large breed dogs. It has no corn, wheat, or soy. It does have a lot of carbohydrates but when you are feeding a large breed dog there are some special reasons why you might need a diet such as this one.
Bison vs. Beef
Bison always sounds better than beef but, nutritionally speaking, they are very similar. Bison has slightly fewer calories and it is slightly lower in fat, especially saturated fat, though saturated fat really shouldn’t be a problem for dogs. Bison has just a little more protein per ounce than beef, but the difference is very slight. Both meats are carb-free and they are not rich sources of vitamins. They provide limited vitamin B and vitamin E and no vitamin A or C. However, beef has lots of choline, a B vitamin that helps in fat metabolism. Both meats are high in phosphorus and potassium but have low amounts of calcium and copper. They are comparable when it comes to zinc. Bison has about twice the iron that beef has.
So, it’s really kind of a toss-up which meat you prefer. If you are trying to lose weight, or feeding a dog that needs to stay lean, bison might be the better choice, and that’s what you find in Wolf King.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest
Aside from the top five ingredients, there are several other notable ingredients found in Solid Gold Wolf King Dog Food. Some of these ingredients include: oatmeal, chickpeas, rice bran, sweet potatoes, tomato pomace, canola oil, salmon oil, almond oil, and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The four ingredients following the top five (oatmeal, chickpeas, rice bran, and sweet potatoes) are all sources of carbohydrate. Oatmeal and sweet potatoes are complex carbohydrates, offering slow-digesting carbs that won’t spike your dog’s blood sugar levels. Chickpeas are very similar but rice bran is a processed carbohydrate, a byproduct of the milling of rice. It does provide dietary fiber but may not be as nutritionally valuable as other carbs.
In addition to several sources of carbohydrate, this dog food also contains four different types of oils – canola oil, salmon oil, almond oil, and sesame oil. Salmon oil, as a fish oil, is the best of these, and a good source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which are good for your dog’s skin and coat, heart, mental functions, and other systems; but the other oils are also helpful. And, having named oils is always a plus, even when they are plant oils. Tomato pomace, on the other hand, is a confusing ingredient for many pet owners. Tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato processing so many people assume that it’s just a cheap filler ingredient. However, it does contain a nutrient called lycopene which is a bright red carotene and antioxidant. There has been some suggestion, at least in humans, that it helps fight cancer and does some other beneficial things, but we really don’t know how useful it might be with dog health. There don’t seem to be any down sides to using tomato pomace in dog foods right now but you can note it when you see it in an ingredient list. Tomato pomace does provide fiber so it’s filling the role of moving the food through your dog’s gastrointestinal system.
The food also features some ingredients for good digestions such as dried chicory root – a prebiotic that helps the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut; pumpkin meal to help regulate bowel movements; Yucca Schidigera Extract supports intestinal microflora and reduces fecal aroma. Other ingredients in the food, such as Taurine, are used to improve canine heart health. Blueberries and cranberries are said to be good antioxidants. This formula also contains chelated minerals which are minerals that have been chemically bound to protein molecules in order to make them easier for your dog’s body to digest and absorb.
Special Concerns
Concerning ethoxyquin in fish meals, Sold Gold has told people who have inquired that they do not use any fish preserved with ethoxyquin, so that’s good for them and their foods.
They do have tomato pomace in some of their foods and that’s a confusing ingredient for many pet owners. Tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato processing so many people assume that it’s just a cheap filler ingredient. However, it does contain a nutrient called lycopene which is a bright red carotene and antioxidant. There has been some suggestion, at least in humans, that it helps fight cancer and does some other beneficial things, but we really don’t know how useful it might be with dog health. There don’t seem to be any down sides to using tomato pomace in dog foods right now but you can note it when you see it in an ingredient list. Tomato pomace does provide fiber so it’s filling the role of moving the food through your dog’s gastrointestinal system.
Feeding Large Dogs
As mentioned, there are some special considerations when feeding large dogs and Wolf King appears to try to take these concerns seriously. Large dogs often grow fast as puppies which puts strain on their musculo-skeletal system. They can have a large appetite but it’s unhealthy for them to carry a lot of weight since it puts more strain on their bones and joints. They need to feel full without filling up on heavy meals. It’s best for large dogs to stay lean and fit so they will stay healthy and live a longer life. Excess weight can compromise their health.
With all this in mind, a good food for large breed dog will usually keep the calories on the moderate side and keep the fat content lower.
I note that this food does not add any glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate which many foods for large breed dogs do add. However, the efficacy of adding these supplements to a food is questionable anyway since it can be hard to distribute them evenly throughout a large batch of dog food. If you have a large breed dog you might want to talk to your vet about the importance of adding your own supplements to his diet.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Protein, Min 22%
- Fat, Min 9%
- Fiber, Max 4%
- Moisture, Max 10%
Solid Gold Wolf King Adult Dog Food has 22 percent (Min) crude protein. This is on the low side (the government recommends 18 percent for adult dogs), but considering that the food is for large breed dogs and the intent is to maintain a lean weight, the protein percentage seems acceptable. The protein sources are also very good which makes a difference.
The food provides 9 percent fat (Min) which is also low. The government recommends 9 to 15 percent fat for an adult dog. But, again, the food is made for large breed dogs and the intent is to keep their weight lower. One of the fat sources is also Salmon Oil which is a very good source of fat.
The guaranteed analysis for the food looks good considering the purpose of the food but I would not recommend that the food be fed to dogs that were not large breed.
Calorie Content Metabolizable Energy (ME): Calories per cup, 364
Company Reputation And Quality Control Issues
Solid Gold Health Products For Pets, Inc. has always had a very good reputation with dog owners and Wolf King Adult Dog Food looks like a good food. Unfortunately, Diamond Pet Foods has a very bad reputation with pet owners because of their frequent recalls. I think Solid Gold’s association with Diamond may discourage people from buying their foods.
Bottomline
Wolf King Adult Dog Food looks like a high quality food and I would recommend it if you have a large breed dog. But, keep your eye out for recall information due to the manufacturing connection with Diamond Pet Foods.
Last Updated On 12/20/2015
