Grandorf dog food

Most pet owners who buy commercial super-premium or holistic class You're familiar with the Grandorf brand of dog food. This brand appeared in Russia about 15 years ago and gradually gained a reputation and trust among dog owners. Today, this brand has firmly established itself in the holistic nutrition niche and is gaining new fans every year, judging by the growing number of reviews of Grandorf dog food on various pet forums on the Russian internet.

Grandorf's official website states that this food is produced in Belgium and Italy by United Petfood Producers nv (dry food) and Monge & CSpa (canned food), but if you visit the websites of these companies, you will not find a single mention of this brand.

The point is that they simply provide manufacturing services at their own facilities to various customers, according to the required recipes. Furthermore, in addition to producing dry food, the Belgian company United Petfood Producers nv offers its packaging lines for the production of various types of custom packaging.

While we know the manufacturer's details, who owns the trademark and who developed the product remains shrouded in secrecy. The only thing we can say is that this brand's pet food is aimed exclusively at the Russian market, and a certain company, Grandorf LLC, likely has a direct connection to it.

Assortment

All Grandorf products are divided into four categories. Three of these are dry food, and the fourth line consists of wet and canned menus for dogs.

The "4 Meat & Brown Rice" menu is a category of live probiotic formulas. It includes two food options: for mini breeds and for all breeds. The composition of these Grandorf dog foods is virtually identical, the main difference being the kibble size. Both formulas are designed for adult pets (over one year old) and are based on four types of meat: turkey, lamb, duck, and rabbit, combined with brown rice.

The second line is low-grain dog food formulas. It includes six types of food, categorized by age and size. The menu for the youngest dogs (puppies 3 weeks and older) is also suitable for pregnant and nursing dogs. Five of the six recipes are marketed as lamb and rice, but the ingredients would more accurately indicate lamb, turkey, and rice. There's also a diet with white fish (cod and herring) and rice, suitable for all dog breeds.

Grain-free diets are Grandorf's third line of dog food, featuring sweet potato instead of grains. They are available in just two recipes (duck and rabbit) for pets over one year old, with no breed restrictions.

Wet food represents the final segment of this brand's nutrition. It includes canned food in 150g and 400g cans in four different flavors for adult dogs, and one type—chicken and rice—for puppies. The manufacturer claims that Grandorf canned food contains 80% meat and meat ingredients. Wet food can be fed as a separate meal or alternated with dry food. Moreover, it's an excellent option for feeding a picky or finicky pet, as evidenced by the reviews of Grandorf wet dog food from gourmet dog owners.

Evaluation and analysis of the composition

First of all, it's worth noting that all Grandorf dog food is marketed as hypoallergenic, and all ingredients, according to the manufacturer, are holistic. These diets also contain no soy, GMOs, or artificial additives. The only grains included are white and brown rice, and Grandorf dog food is free of wheat or corn, which, according to veterinarians, are the most common causes of food intolerances and allergic reactions in animals.

In addition, the manufacturer claims that their dry food contains 60% high-quality meat, which is noticeable when you pick up the food packaging.

We invite you to verify or perhaps refute all of the above points for yourself by examining the specifics of the Grandorf diet in more detail. For this purpose, we'll take the "Duck with Sweet Potato" food, which is labeled as grain-free for adult pets, including those prone to allergies. Its guaranteed nutrient profile is as follows:

• Proteins – 26% – average value;
• Fats – 16% – a normal level for dogs with moderate activity;
• Fiber – 3.5% – minimum acceptable level;
• Ash content – ​​7.5% – average;
• Humidity – 9% – within normal limits;

Overall, no critical deviations in the balance were observed. A rough estimate puts the carbohydrate content at around 38%, which isn't exactly a positive. However, let's not jump to conclusions, as carbohydrates come from various sources, and here, as the recipe name suggests, the source is sweet potato. It's worth noting that the fiber content isn't particularly encouraging—3.5% is more like "satisfactory."

The fat and protein percentages are sufficient for feeding dogs with low activity levels, such as those living in an apartment and going for walks two to three times a day, and can fully meet their nutritional needs. For dogs that experience increased physical activity, such as service dogs, or those regularly participating in hunting and various competitions, this diet may not be fully adequate in terms of protein and fat, or the feeding portions may need to be significantly increased.

The entire ingredient list consists of only 16 items, which isn't that many compared to some holistic foods from other brands. The list of key ingredients looks like this:

• Dehydrated duck meat;
• Dehydrated turkey meat;
• Sweet potato;
• Fresh duck meat;
• Turkey fat;

The top five ingredients look quite impressive, with four of them being of animal origin, which is very important when feeding dogs, plus sweet potato, a low-glycemic carbohydrate and source of fiber, coming in third.

Next come dried spinach and chicory extract, followed by carob flour and dried apple. Then comes dried Arctic krill, flaxseed, and a complex of chondroprotectors and antioxidants. The final line of the ingredients informs the buyer that natural preservatives (vitamins C and E) have been used to preserve the food.

The quantities and percentages of all ingredients are not listed, so we cannot judge the accuracy of the claim that the food contains 60% meat. Whether or not to believe these claims is up to the dog owner to decide, but we consider this a drawback.

Squirrels

All animal protein sources are listed first in the recipe, and there are three of them: dehydrated duck and turkey, as well as fresh duck. Dried Antarctic krill also makes a small contribution, but given its distant tenth place, its role is quite insignificant in the overall picture. All these ingredients are high-quality products with a high protein content. They are certainly a welcome addition to your pet's menu and a plus for this diet.

Fats

This category features only one ingredient: turkey fat. It's not often found in commercial pet food formulas, but it provides the body with Omega-6 and vitamins D and E. It can be considered a high-quality and beneficial ingredient.

Carbohydrates and fiber

The main ingredient here is sweet potato, with much smaller amounts of dried spinach, apples, and even carob flour. The inclusion of these ingredients is commendable, as they have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, promoting healthy digestion and metabolism. They are also complex carbohydrates, unlike the grains with which unscrupulous manufacturers generously "flavor" their pet food.

Other feed components

The list of additional products is not very large, however, it is worth mentioning the beneficial properties of some of them:

• Chicory extract is a valuable source of inulin, a prebiotic that has a positive effect on intestinal microflora, preventing dysbiosis. The root of this plant also contains vitamins B, C, and E, and has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.
• Flaxseed is a rich source of Omega-3, the highest content of these polyunsaturated fatty acids among plants. The benefits of this substance are hard to overstate – it promotes healthy skin, a thick and shiny coat, and prevents vascular disease and inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa. However, there's one caveat: dogs cannot fully absorb plant-based Omega acids. Fish oil would be a much better alternative, as it's the most optimal source of these nutrients.
• Chondroitin, glucosamine, and MSM together provide support for joints and ligaments, help strengthen cartilage, and are supplements for the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases.
• Antarctic krill is a unique, even exotic, addition to dog food. It's a small crustacean similar to a small shrimp and contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids in a form that's easily digestible for animals.

Advantages and disadvantages of feed

Despite its impressive composition, this product, under the close scrutiny of our resource, revealed a couple of shortcomings, namely:

• The percentages of the main ingredients are not indicated;
• The amount of fiber is low;

Advantages:

• High quality protein sources;
• Grain free;
• Natural and healthy supplements;
• Presence of herbs and fruits;

Reviews of Grandorf pet food

Consumers of commercial dog food have considerable experience with Grandorf dog food, so reviews are ubiquitous online. While owner reviews tend to be positive, it's not hard to find negative comments about this brand, too.

Yuri, owner of two dachshunds:

"I fed it to my dogs when they were puppies. First, one developed an allergy—his entire belly was red and covered in rashes, plus he developed ear problems. I changed his food, then the second one started having problems—first dandruff, then hair loss, bad stools, and it got to the point where he was pooping so much that a decent elephant would be embarrassed. Grandorff was absolutely not a good fit for us, and it took me a long time to get them back on track."

Daria, toy terrier Businka:

"My little Busya was prone to food intolerances even as a puppy, then developed serious gastrointestinal issues. We've tried over a dozen different foods over the past three years. After much deliberation and comparing ingredients, I decided to buy her Grandorf, which a dog owner friend recommended. I'm happy with the results so far; my sensitive little one is much better; she's now happy and active. I highly recommend it; we're on a 4-meat diet with probiotics."

The opinion of veterinarians

Overall, veterinarians' reviews of Grandorf dog food agree that it's a high-quality, holistic diet that meets all nutritional requirements for this segment in terms of vitamin and mineral balance and composition. However, experts point out that the fat and protein levels are slightly lower than generally accepted standards, which may impact pets with high energy expenditure and lead to muscle loss.

Price

Price of the "Duck with Sweet Potato" food:

1 kg – from 600 RUR

3 kg – from 1500 RUR

12 kg – from 5000 RUR

"4 types of meat with rice" will be slightly more expensive:

1 kg – from 640 RUR

3 kg – from 1600 RUR

12 kg – from 5300 RUR

In conclusion, we would like to add that our resource has a high opinion of Grandorf foods. The product's price-quality ratio leaves only a positive impression, as some diets in the holistic food segment are significantly more expensive than this brand. We believe this food can be recommended as a daily diet for your pet.

Read also:

• What and how to feed a puppy correctly
• What to feed a pregnant dog
• Feeding recommendations for an older dog