Ol’ Roy Dog Food 2022 Review, Rating, & Recalls
Pet food, just like human food, can be of poor quality. Reading labels is of the utmost importance when choosing the right food for your dog’s health. After all, dogs can’t give dog owners verbal feedback on the pros and cons of what they are munching on. Reading labels is especially important concerning a brand like Ol’ Roy.
In this article, we will give our honest opinion of this dog food brand, including specific product reviews, ratings, and recalls that have plagued the company.
We’ll also cover…
- Is Ol’ Roy dog food made in the United States?
- Has Ol’ Roy dog food been recalled?
- Which flavors and recipes have the healthiest nutrients?
But first…
Which Ol’ Roy Dog Food Sub-Brand Is Right for You?
Here are Ol’ Roy’s 6 most popular sub-brands. Below, we’ll share what makes each one different. So you can choose the food that best suits your dog.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ol' Roy Complete Nutrition Dog Food
| 5.5 | Check Price |
 | Ol' Roy Soft & Moist Beef Flavor Dog Food 72 oz.
| 5.2 | Check Price |
 | Ol' Roy Pack of 5 Variety Pack Mini Chunks in Gravy Wet Dog Food
| 5 | Check Price |
 | Ol' Roy Pack of 5 Munchy Bone Peanut Butter Flavor Chews Dog Treats, 7 Ct
| 5.3 | Check Price |
 | Ol' Roy Cheezy Bark'n Bac'n Dog Treats, 25 Oz
| 4.8 | Check Price |
 | Ol' Roy Multi-Flavor Basted Biscuits, Large Breed
| 7 | Check Price |
Ol’ Roy Dog Food Reviews
1. Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Dog Food
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Dog Food is made up of 21% protein and 10% fat. Though dogs may enjoy eating it, it is not as nutritious as other choices out there.
- Made for dogs in any life stage
- Great meaty taste to encourage healthy apetite
- 50lb bag, ample supply for 1 large or 2 medium-sized dogs
- Corn is the #1 ingredient
- Contains chicken by-product
- Includes artificial colors and flavors
2. Ol’ Roy Soft & Moist Beef Flavor Dog Food
Ol’ Roy Soft & Moist Beef Flavor are beef-flavored treats that are loaded with unhealthy ingredients.
- Moist and tender beef bites
- Package includes 12 individual pouches
- Made for adult dogs
- The beef by-product is the #1 ingredient
- Contains corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup
- Includes corn, soy, and wheat fillers; not good for dogs with allergies
3. Ol’ Roy Mini Chunks in Gravy Variety Pack Wet Dog Food
This variety pack comes in country stew, filet mignon, and savory beef flavors.
- Variety pack flavors in Filet Mignon, Savory Beef and Country Stew
- Package contains 12 x 5.32oz pouches
- Contain wheat gluten
- Meat by-products are in each
- Contains carrageenan which can cause inflammation and digestive problems
4. Ol’ Roy Munchy Bones Dog Treats Peanut Butter Flavor
These dog treats provide hardly any nutrition for your dog and are loaded with preservatives, artificial colors, and flavors.
- Peanut butter flavored chews
- Satisfy your dog's natural urge to chew
- Treat size made for large and medium dogs
- Contains wheat starch and sugar
- Comes in a pack of 5
5. Ol’ Roy Cheezy Bark’n Bac’n Dog Treats
No doubt your dog will find these treats tasty but have very little nutritional value.
- Made with real bacon with natural smoke flavors
- Wonderfully chewy snack
- Comes in a resealable bag to maintain freshness
- Bacon is the #1 ingredient
- Contains soy, wheat, and corn
- Loaded with preservatives and artificial colors
6. Ol’ Roy Multi-Flavor Basted Biscuits, Large Breed
Though these dog biscuits do contain some vitamins and minerals, it is still not the healthiest choice for man’s best friend.
- Crunchy basted biscuits, comes in 4 different flavors
- Recommended for large breeds
- 15lb. box
- Wheat flour is the #1 ingredient
- A high amount of meat and bone meal
- Low amounts of chicken, beef, and turkey meals
Who Makes Ol’ Roy Dog Food?
Ol’ Roy dog food is produced and manufactured by Doane Pet Care, which is owned by Mars, Inc. It is made exclusively to be sold at Wal-Mart stores. Doane Pet Care is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, and was founded in 1954. It became a part of Mars, Inc. in 2006.
Mars, Inc. also makes brands like Pedigree, Greenies, Whiskas, and Eukanuba. This company is one of the biggest dog food manufacturers in the world, with its headquarters staked in McLean, Virginia. The exact locations of where Ol’ Roy is manufactured is uncertain, as the packaging typically says “distributed by Mars, Inc.” Since the company has operations all over the world, the dog food may be made in other countries.
The name of Ol’ Roy dog food brand came from Same Walton’s bird dog, Ol’ Roy. Sam Walton was the founder of Wal-Mart. The dog food brand was created in 1983. At one time Ol’ Roy was one of the top-selling products in the dog food market but has fallen out of favor over the years. This private label brand is considered a lower-priced alternative to name-brand dog foods.
Has Ol’ Roy Dog Food Been Recalled?
Ol’ Roy dog food brand has had many recalls over the years, affecting millions of products. Here is a list of some of the recalls:
- February 2018: FDA recalled Ol’ Roy Strips Turkey Bacon due to potential low levels of pentobarbital. Other brands affected by the recall were Gravy Train, Kibbles n’ Bits, and Skippy canned dog food. Pentobarbital is a tranquilizer that is used to euthanize pets.
- September-November 2008: Mars, Inc. issued a voluntary recall of numerous varieties of Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, Puppy Complete, High-Performance Nutrition, and Meaty Chunks N’ Gravy Premium Dog Food. The reason stated was for potential salmonella contamination.
- June 2007: FDA recalled Complete Nutrition Dog Food due to potential salmonella contamination.
- March 2007: A variety of Ol’ Roy’s dog food was recalled, including beef jerky, canned wet food, biscuits, and pouches. This was due to melamine contamination.
- June 2006: Several cans of Ol’ Roy dog food was recalled due to lining separation and flaking in cans. The cans affected were Beef Flavor, Chicken Flavor, Hearty Loaf with Chopped Beef, and Hearty Loaf Chopped Meaty Combo.
- November 1998: The FDA recalled several varieties of dry dog food due to aflatoxin contamination. This recall affected 53 other brands, and the death of 25 dogs.
Is Ol’ Roy a Good Dog Food?
Overall, we consider Ol’ Roy one of the worst brands you could feed your beloved pet. Examine the ingredient label of each product and it will become clear to you just how unhealthy most of the ingredients are. However, many customers seem to turn a blind eye due to their pets gobbling it up. As a result, customers tend to leave high reviews.
Individual Recipe Ratings
Ol’ Roy dog food product line consists of wet, dry, and treat varieties. For easy reference, we are including the options currently available on Amazon along with their Amazon rating. This enables you to easily check prices and package sizes.
- Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Dog Food (4.5 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Soft & Moist Beef Flavor Dog Food (4.5 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Soft & Moist Beef & Cheese Flavor Dog Food (4 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Mini Chunks in Gravy Wet Dog Food (4.5 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Munchy Bone Peanut Butter Flavor Dog Chews (4.5 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Cheezy Bark’n Bac’n Dog Treats (4 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Multi-Flavor Basted Biscuits, Large Breed (4 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Rawhide Munchy Sticks Dog Treats (4.5 stars)
- Ol’ Roy Rawhide Rolls, Natural Beefhide Chews (5 stars)
Recipe Ingredient Analysis
We have selected Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Dog Food to represent the Ol’ Roy dog food brand. Next, we will do an extensive analysis of the ingredients of this variety, as well as the overall nutritional value, and then rate the product. Let’s explore the first ten ingredients on the label of the dry food for all life stages.
- The first ingredient listed is ground yellow corn. This is a bad sign from the start. The sign of good-quality dog food is real meat protein as its first ingredient. Cheap dog food brands will use ground yellow corn as a source of protein, carbohydrates, and energy. But, dogs can only digest a little over 50% of corn in dog food, unless slow-cooked at low heat. Therefore, your dog is most likely not going to get the most possible nutrition from this ingredient.
- The second ingredient is soybean meal, another bad sign. Still no meat. Soybean meal comes from a plant, providing 48% protein. However, it is not a good substitute for animal protein. This is a way for the makers of this product to increase the protein while enabling them to use less meat.
- The third ingredient is meat and bone meal. This is defined by AAFCO as “the rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.” The animal from which the meat and bone meal comes from is unspecified, leaving a little ambiguity. Although the meal is high in protein, it is not coming from a high-quality part of the animal.
- Fourth is poultry by-product meal. A by-product meal consists of “ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.” This is another low-quality ingredient.
- Fifth in the ingredient list is animal fat preserved with BHA and citric acid. This is another ingredient that comes from an unspecified animal. This fat has been preserved with Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), which is a food preservative that may cause cancer.
- The sixth ingredient is corn gluten meal. This is another ingredient that helps increase the protein count in dog foods. Since it is easy for dogs to digest, it does make nutrients more readily available when combined with other proteins. However, they have low amounts of the essential amino acids dogs need for a good life.
- The seventh ingredient is natural flavor. This is an additive such as an essential oil, distillate, or extract that contains the flavor of a natural food product. Natural flavors are added solely to enhance the flavor of the product. They are not necessarily healthier than artificial flavors and have no nutritional value. In human food, natural flavors tend to make food taste better and thus more addictive, resulting in unhealthy cravings and diets. This may play a role in the dog’s enjoyment of this product.
- The eighth ingredient is salt or sodium chloride. Like humans, dogs need salt in their diet. This helps balance their fluids and helps to promote proper nerve function. Salt is often added to dog foods. However, the actual amount of salt in this recipe hasn’t been disclosed in the ingredient list. Therefore we cannot say whether the amount provided is at the necessary nutritional level.
- The ninth ingredient is potassium chloride. This is a source of potassium, a necessary nutrient for balancing acid and alkaline levels.
- The tenth ingredient on the list is choline chloride. Choline chloride is a vitamin that helps treat and prevent “doggy dementia,” which contributes to puppies’ adult dogs’ long-term wellness.
Most of these ingredients are quite disappointing to see on a dog food label. Scanning further down the list, there are several more minerals listed, such as zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, and calcium iodate. However, they do not appear to be chelated minerals, which means they are more difficult for your dog to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually present in higher-quality dog foods.
Down the list is an ingredient called menadione. This is a form of vitamin K which may be related to liver toxicity, problems with red blood cells, and allergies. Vitamin K is said to help blood clot better. However, dogs do not need much of this vitamin and therefore we find it completely unnecessary in dog food.
There are no probiotics mentioned in this ingredient list. Probiotics promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut. It helps dogs digest their kibble better. Other missing ingredients are glucosamine and chondroitin, which are essential for healthy joints. We did not see any omega fatty acids for healthy skin and fur, either.
Nutrient Summary
Just by looking through the ingredients list, we can surmise that Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition is poor-quality dry dog food. In terms of nutrient profiles, the dry matter protein is around 24%, with a fat level of 11% and carbs estimated at 57%. Keep in mind that the protein mostly comes from corn and soybean ingredients rather than pure meat. And meat and bone meal, as well as poultry by-product, are the main animal-based sources of protein. Disappointing.
The Ol’ Roy brand as a whole contains 25% protein on average, and 11% average fat. Additionally, there are about 56% carbohydrates on average. This indicates a fat-to-protein ratio of around 45%. This means that the protein and fat content are below the industry average, while the carbs are above the industry average.
Our Rating of Ol’ Roy Dog Food
Overall, we are not big fans of the Ol’ Roy brand of dog food. They often use corn, soy, and wheat fillers to bulk up their protein contents. They include cheap meat products rather than the real thing. They include artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives in many of their products.
Sugar has been a component in some of the Ol’ Roy labels we’ve read. Sugar, molasses, caramel, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup: all of these affect dogs the way they affect humans. They can cause your dog to become overweight, to have teeth problems, and become diabetic.
Feeding your dog Ol’ Roy is like feeding your dog junk food. Think of these products as the equivalent for us as a bag of chips or a pack of cookies. Regardless of the obvious low-quality of Ol’ Roy products, somehow it is still a high-selling brand. We chalk this up to its affordability and easy access from one of the biggest retailers in the country: Wal-Mart.
Dogs need good-quality, healthy ingredients just like we do. We believe pet owners should take good care of their doggy best friends. And Ol’ Roy just doesn’t cut it.
Rating: ⭐
What Do Others Say About Ol’ Roy
Most of the Amazon reviews are positive. People mostly seem to be happy with the price and say that their dogs gobble up the food. We think low-quality may be one reason for this. Some customers were concerned about the level of food quality. Here is a review from one customer:
“Seriously, who feeds their dog’s this crap. If you do, you should have them taken away by the Humane Society and re-homed. This is garbage and will do nothing for your dog except giving them the stinkiest farts you’ve ever smelled…like all day long. You’d be better off feeding your dog York Peppermint Patties.”
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for an alternative to Ol’ Roy dog food, there are tons of great brands out there. And skip the unhealthy Ol’ Roy dog treats as well (don’t give them ham bones though). Healthy treat alternatives are raw chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef bones. Just be sure to get the ok from your vet and to supervise in case of choking. That’ll get the doggo’s tail wagging.
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