Weruva Dog Food

Brief Overview

According to the company, Weruva is named after three rescued cats. The company was founded in 2006 and has ties to Jana Foods, an importer and manufacturer of foods. Unlike many pet food companies, Weruva started out making cat food and only later branched out into dog food.

In the past, most companies have begun by making dog food since it has historically had a larger market, but today there are slightly more pet cats in the U.S. than pet dogs.

Weruva makes dry and canned dog food, as well as cat food in cans and pouches, treats, and cat litter. Weruva says that their 3-ounce and 5.5-ounce cans are BPA-free but their manufacturer cannot guarantee that there are not trace amounts of BPA in the cans. Per 2013 records, the company used two production plants and had four total facilities with 15 employees. The company is headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts.

Disclosure: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which will direct you to our partner sites. If you purchase the pet foods we recommend through those links, we may earn a small commission – at no extra cost to you.

Who Manufactures Weruva?

According to the company, most of their foods are made in a human food facility in Thailand. Thailand has become a popular place for making canned pet food for a number of companies in recent years. By all accounts the industry is under strict scrutiny there. Weruva says that they use human grade ingredients and meet the strictest international human food standards for processing. For various reasons, pet food in the United States is not labeled “human grade,” but Weruva’s ingredients and manufacturing standards are very high. We don’t know who makes Weruva’s dry foods.

Weruva Recalls 2017

We do not find any recalls for Weruva pet foods in the FDA database or in any other sources.

Weruva Dog Food Coupons

According to Weruva they do not offer coupons. However, you can check stores for promotions. Check Chewy.com and other online pet food sites for discounts on their foods. You can visit the Weruva Facebook page to stay advised of upcoming specials and new products.

Weruva Dog Food Overview

Weruva makes two lines of dry dog food – Caloric Harmony for Dogs and Caloric Melody for Dogs. According to the company, both Caloric Harmony and Caloric Melody have formulas where protein provides the majority of your dog’s calories. Harmony contains more meat than Melody, and Melody provides comparable nutrition at a lower price.

Caloric Harmony for Dogs comes in three formulas:

Chicken Dinner with Pumpkin

Grain-free and potato-free, easy to digest, low-glycemic. Contains pumpkin for healthy gut motility. Cage-free, deboned chicken.

First five ingredients: De-boned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Lentils, Chickpeas, Green Peas

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein: 38 percent, Crude Fat: 13 percent, Crude Fiber: 5 percent, Moisture: 10 percent
Calorie Content (calculated): Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3430 kcal/kg; 360 kcal/cup

WERUVA Chicken Dinner with Pumpkin is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

Chicken, Turkey and Salmon Dinner with Pumpkin

Grain-free and potato-free, easy to digest, low-glycemic. Contains pumpkin for healthy gut motility. Cage-free, deboned chicken and turkey. Wild-caught, deboned salmon.

First five ingredients: De-boned Chicken, Salmon Meal, Turkey Meal, Lentils, Chickpeas

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein: 39 percent, Crude Fat: 14 percent, Crude Fiber: 5.5 percent, Moisture: 10 percent
Calorie Content (calculated): Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3470 kcal/kg; 365 kcal/cup

WERUVA Chicken, Turkey and Salmon Dinner with Pumpkin is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

Venison and Salmon Meal Dinner with Pumpkin

Potato-free with noble grains, easy to digest, low-glycemic. Contains pumpkin and oatmeal for healthy gut motility. Grass-fed venison.

First five ingredients: Venison, Venison Meal, Salmon Meal, Herring Meal, Oatmeal

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein: 34 percent, Crude Fat: 13 percent, Crude Fiber: 3.5 percent, Moisture: 10 percent
Calorie Content (calculated): Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3320 kcal/kg; 348 kcal/cup

WERUVA Venison and Salmon Dinner with Pumpkin is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

Caloric Melody for Dogs also has three formulas:

Chicken Dinner with Lentils

Grain-free, potato-free, easy to digest, low-glycemic. Pumpkin for healthy gut motility. Cage-free, deboned chicken.

First five ingredients: De-boned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Split Peas, Green Peas, Lentils

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein: 36 percent, Crude Fat: 13 percent, Crude Fiber: 5 percent, Moisture: 10 percent
Calorie Content (calculated): Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3400 kcal/kg; 355 kcal/cup

WERUVA Chicken Dinner with Lentils is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

Chicken, Turkey and Salmon Dinner with Lentils

Grain-free and potato-free, easy to digest, low-glycemic. Cage-free, deboned chicken and turkey. Wild-caught, deboned salmon.

First five ingredients: De-boned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal, Lentils, Split Peas

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein: 38 percent, Crude Fat: 13 percent, Crude Fiber: 6 percent, Moisture: 10 percent
Calorie Content (calculated): Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3430 kcal/kg; 360 kcal/cup

WERUVA Chicken, Turkey and Salmon Dinner with Lentils is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

Lamb Dinner with Lentils

Potato-free with noble grains, easy to digest, low-glycemic. Contains pumpkin and oatmeal for healthy gut motility. Grass-fed lamb.

First five ingredients: Lamb Meal, De-boned Lamb, Split Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein: 35 percent, Crude Fat: 13 percent, Crude Fiber: 6 percent, Moisture: 10 percent
Calorie Content (calculated): Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3330 kcal/kg; 350 kcal/cup

WERUVA Lamb Dinner with Lentils is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

Weruva also makes canned dog food and food in pouches. Most people probably know Weruva for their canned foods, especially their cat foods which receive high marks. But their canned dog foods are also popular. Online reviews from dog lovers often suggest that the products made in Thailand are better quality but we can’t verify that this is true.

Weruva has two primary canned product lines for dogs: Weruva canned and Dogs in the Kitchen, which comes in cans and pouches. Weruva cans are more expensive. According to the company, these foods have a basic and simple focus. They are formulated with the carnivore in mind. Their foods are formulated with high quality protein, minimal carbohydrates, and high moisture content.

Weruva canned foods include 14 varieties of “Human Style” dog cuisine. Information comes from their nutrition information page.

Weruva also makes Kobe/Kurobuta canned dog foods which they call Asian Fusion Canine Style. These foods include American ingredients such as organic chicken, organic turkey, lamb, and beef but Weruva has infused them with exotic meats often celebrated in Japan. This leads to Kobe Beef and Kurobuta Pork which they call the highest quality beef and pork in the world. Kobe Beef and Kurobuta Pork are fed organic ingredients and are raised antibiotic and hormone free.

These formulas have no grains and no added carbs. Other than added vitamins and minerals and guar gum, these formulas are 100 percent meat. Despite the international influence, all ingredients are sourced in the U.S. Formulas are produced in a US based pet food facility. Weruva notes that the style and texture of these formulas are different than the rest of their formulas. These appear to be the canned dog foods that sometimes raise issues. Many dogs love them and do great with them, as their owners report (see Amazon.com reviews); but some dogs seem to get sick from them, per owner reports. We caution that if you check online reviews for any dog food, no matter how wonderful it may be, you can find some people who will report that their dogs couldn’t eat it. We just report what we find.

Kobe/Kurobuta formulas include:

Kobe Master – Beef with Wagyu Beef

First five ingredients: American-style Kobe Beef, Beef Broth, Beef Liver, Guar Gum, Vitamin A Acetate

Guaranteed analysis: Crude Protein (max) 8%, Crude Fat (min) 5.0%, Crude Fiber (max) 1.5%, Moisture (max) 78%

Calories: 13oz Can 450

Kobe Yume – Wagyu Beef, Organic Chicken, Organic Turkey

First five ingredients: Beef, Organic Chicken, Organic Turkey, Beef Broth, Guar Gum, Vitamin A Acetate

Guaranteed analysis: Crude Protein (max) 8%, Crude Fat (min) 5.0%, Crude Fiber (max) 1.5%, Moisture (max) 78%

Calories: 13oz Can 450

Kobe Gyro – Lamb and Wagyu Beef  

First five ingredients: Lamb, Beef, Beef Broth, Guar Gum, Vitamin A Acetate

Guaranteed analysis: Crude Protein (max) 8%, Crude Fat (min) 5.0%, Crude Fiber (max) 1.5%, Moisture (max) 78%

Calories: 13oz Can 450

Kurobuta Pagoda – Organic Chicken and Kurobuta Pork

First five ingredients: Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Broth, Pork, Water, Guar Gum

Guaranteed analysis: Crude Protein (max) 8%, Crude Fat (min) 5.0%, Crude Fiber (max) 1.5%, Moisture (max) 78%

Calories: 13oz Can 450

Kurobuta Hero – Organic Turkey and Kurobuta Pork

First five ingredients: Organic Turkey, Organic Turkey Broth, Pork, Guar Gum, Vitamin A Acetate

Guaranteed analysis: Crude Protein (max) 8%, Crude Fat (min) 5.0%, Crude Fiber (max) 1.5%, Moisture (max) 78%

Calories: 13oz Can 450

Weruva’s Dog in the Kitchen formulas come in 10 ounce cans and 2.8 ounce pouches. They feature boneless, skinless white meat chicken breast, boneless and skinless fish loin, and grass-fed lamb. The formulas focus on protein and moderate fat. They are slightly less expensive that Weruva’s other canned foods. They come in six flavors and they are grain-free, GMO-free, MSG-free, and carrgeenan-free.

Many people with smaller dogs should like these canned foods from Weruva. (Large dogs would love them, too, but owners of large dogs are more likely to choose kibble because of the cost, the number of cans it would take to feed a large dog, and storage issues for those cans.) The quality of the ingredients is very good. Most of their foods are made in a facility that makes human food and the manufacturing standards are very high. While it’s not unusual for canned foods to be high in protein and fat and to be grain-free with low carbs, most canned dog foods do not have such high quality ingredients.

As for Weruva’s dry dog foods, we’ll look more closely at them in our dog food review.

Consumer Ratings from Weruva:

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Weruva Caloric Harmony Venison and Salmon Meal Dinner with Pumpkin Dog Food Review

Weruva’s Caloric Harmony Venison and Salmon Meal Dinner with Pumpkin dog food is potato-free with “noble grains,” easy to digest, and low-glycemic. It contains pumpkin and oatmeal for healthy gut motility. Meat protein comes from grass-fed venison and the food also features salmon meal and herring meal.

In the past, Weruva has not been in favor of dry foods. This is likely due to their roots as a maker of cat food since there is a strong feeling among many makers of better cat foods that cats need wet food in order to be healthy. There is a definite bias against dry cat food among many cat people. It’s often associated with urinary tract problems in cats and other health issues. Weruva first moved into the dog food world with canned dog food. Now they have finally come out with their own dry dog food. Unlike cats, dogs are not obligate carnivores. They are carnivores but they are also a bit like omnivores and they have a long (think eons) history of scavenging. While they love canned dog food they are also able to eat dry dog food.

In this food it’s great to see four meats and meat meals in the first five ingredients. Then there is the reference to the “noble grains.” To be perfectly honest, we don’t know what “noble grains” are supposed to be. We searched high and low all over the Internet and the only reference we found to “noble grains” was a popular business in New York City. We are guessing that Weruva means they don’t use corn or wheat – as though these are sort of ignoble grains (though they have a long and illustrious history with humanity). We tried searching for “noble grains” as an agricultural term but nothing came up. We think it’s probably a marketing term. However, Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) is French for “selection of noble berries.” This refers to wines made from grapes that have been affected by something called noble rot. (Eww) Apparently these are sweet dessert wines and this is a legal definition. That doesn’t seem to be related to “noble grains,” so we think there is some mis-translation or misappropriation here since this dog food does not contain wine or grapes – and grapes can be toxic to dogs. Perhaps Weruva will explain more.

The first five ingredients in the food are: Venison, Venison Meal, Salmon Meal, Herring Meal, and Oatmeal (so oats seem to be a noble grain).

Venison is a good red meat for dogs. According to Weruva, this venison is grass-fed. Weruva states elsewhere on their site that their ingredients are sourced in the United States. However, we did a little checking and Weruva’s venison and lamb come from New Zealand. Their salmon comes from Norway. Their poultry comes from North America. (For the record, since this reviewer says that she is compensated, I am not compensated by pet food companies for reviewing products. My dogs would love it if I were. I’m free to say what I really think.) Venison is 60 percent protein and 40 percent fat. With the first two ingredients as venison and venison meal, we can expect a lot of venison protein in this food. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Niacin and Vitamin B12.

The third ingredient in the food is salmon meal. As a meal it has had most of the moisture and fat removed. Whole salmon has about 46 percent protein but this concentrated form of salmon should have a much higher protein percentage. Most kinds of meals from animals have a protein percentage around 80 percent, though this can vary depending on preparation and other factors. Salmon is considered to be a good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Vitamin B12 and Selenium.

The fourth ingredient in this food is herring meal. Atlantic herring is 23 percent protein, 15 percent carbs, and 62 percent fat. Since this is a meal it means that most of the moisture and fat have been removed, leaving mostly protein and carbs. Herring is considered to be a good source of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Selenium. It’s normally a good source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids but with most of the fat removed from the meal, there may be less of these fatty acids remaining.

The fifth ingredient present is oatmeal. Oatmeal has about 12 percent protein, 14 percent fat, and 74 percent carbohydrates. It is considered a good dietary fiber from soluble fiber. It’s a whole grain and a complex carbohydrate and gives a feeling of fullness as it digests slowly. It’s a good source of Phosphorus and Selenium, and a very good source of Manganese.

Other ingredients of interest in this food include barley which has similar good points as oatmeal; whole eggs that provide additional protein in an easily available form; pumpkin which is a good source of soluble fiber for dogs; salmon oil that provides omega-3 fatty acids; fermentation products that are usually added to help digestion; taurine which is an amino acid that is often added to dog food for the heart and other benefits; Yucca Schidigera Extract which is added to dog foods to help reduce fecal odor; and rosemary extract which is used as a natural preservative.

The food also contains split peas, chickpeas, and lentils which are plant sources of protein but these ingredients are found lower in the ingredient list than in many dog foods today.

We also note the presence of “Natural Flavors” which is a controversial term/ingredient in dog foods. This is sometimes a form of monosodium glutamate (the flavor enhancer); diacetyl; it can come from animal digest; or it could be something completely harmless. There’s no way to know when this generic term is used. But the government allows pet food manufacturers to use this term.

Overall, this looks like a very good dog food. The fat percentage for this food (and all of Weruva’s kibbles) is lower than most premium dry dog foods, but this is by design. The protein percentages are as high as most people could wish. Calories are moderate.

Weruva’s Caloric Harmony Venison and Salmon Meal Dinner with Pumpkin contains 348 kcal/cup. This makes the food moderate in terms of calories.

Nutrition Statement

WERUVA Venison and Salmon Dinner with Pumpkin is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

• Crude Protein (min) 34%
• Crude Fat (min) 13%
• Crude Fiber (max) 3.5%
• Moisture (max) 10%
• Omega 3 fatty acids (min)* 0.7 %
• Omega-6 fatty acids (min)* 2.1 %
• *Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Calorie Content (calculated): Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3320 kcal/kg; 348 kcal/cup

The dry matter basis (DMB) figures for this food are: protein 37.8 percent; fat 14.4 percent; fiber 3.9 percent; carbohydrates 35 percent.

This food has above average protein and average or slightly below average fat compared to most super premium dog foods. The fiber content is average for most kibbles; and the carb percentage is moderate compared to many dog foods.

We think that Weruva’s Caloric Harmony Venison and Salmon Meal Dinner with Pumpkin is a good dog food for any dog of average weight or dogs that might need to lose a little weight. The ingredients are very good. The fat percentage in this food is intentionally a little lower than most premium dog foods today. Dogs that are already slim or thin may need more calories in their diet. Otherwise, we think dogs should enjoy this food and thrive on it.

With the high protein and moderate fat percentage, this might be a dog food to consider for older dogs as long as your older dog does not have any renal problems. Too often dog food companies encourage owners to feed older dogs food that has lower, poor quality protein. They assume that older dogs are overweight and need less protein because the dogs are less active. However, older dogs can have more difficulty metabolizing protein so they can need more protein as they age – not less. The protein also needs to be very good quality. Just make sure that your older dog doesn’t have any problems with the phosphorus that comes from eating more protein. Taking your older dog for regular check-ups with your vet can help you know what your dog needs in his diet.

Where can you buy Weruva dog food?

You can buy Weruva dog foods on Chewy.com and other online pet food sites. You can also check the Weruva web site to see where to buy their foods. Weruva’s dry foods are new so you may have to ask for them if a source carries their canned foods but doesn’t carry their dry food yet.

Final Thoughts

We really like Weruva’s ingredients and how they make their foods in both the dry foods and canned foods. Many of the canned dog foods look good. We also think the kibbles look good as long as you keep in mind that these food intentionally have lower fat percentages. These are not low cal or weight management foods but they actually come close to the recommended guidelines for fat for dogs. This just happens to be a lot lower than you find in most super premium dog foods today.

Most dogs should be able to enjoy these foods but if you have a dog that is skinny or needs to gain weight, you will need to look at a different food. Otherwise, we think these kibbles look good. The canned foods have high levels of protein and are higher in fat. If you like the Weruva dry foods but your dog needs a little more fat in his diet, you might consider adding a Weruva canned food as a topping.

Below is a list of Products reviewed in this article

1. Weruva’s Caloric Harmony Venison and Salmon Meal Dinner with Pumpkin