Abady Dog Food
October 2, 2008
Filed under Abady, Dog Food Reviews
Abady Dog Food Review
Abady pet food products are manufactured and marketed by Robert Abady Dog Food Co. Ltd. based in Poughkeepsie, New York. The company prides itself in formulating “species-appropriate rations for dogs and cats”. The company’s website lists down the exclusive features of Abady dog food formulas—“advanced natural designs, superior nutrition, greater safety, no artificial stool-forming agents, revolutionary nutrient-sparing method of preparing food, and industry-leading texture”.
Abady dog food formulas attempt to formulate the best natural diet for carnivores with animal-based, low carbohydrate, low-fiber formulas. One distinct feature of Abady dog food products is the absence of saponin-containing ingredients like tomato pomace, soybeans, alfalfa, oats, beet pulp, garlic, beans, peas, and yucca. They claim that saponin can increase the risk of bloat and other serious metabolic disturbances in dogs and many other species of animals. Another type of ingredients which have been excluded in Abady dog food products includes artificial stool-forming agents like cellulose flour and sodium bentonite. Abady also claims that each group of nutrients is processed separately to preserve their nutrient value. 
Chicken meal is made from parts of the chicken that may include whole carcasses of poultry, heads, feet, feathers, and entrails. Since it is a meat meal, it contains 300% more protein than fresh raw chicken. Chicken meal is a good source of highly digestible protein essential vitamins and minerals which are necessary for your dog’s growth and maintenance.
Menhaden fish meal is a protein-rich ingredient which is made from a species of small ocean fish. It is a concentrated meat meal which contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and minerals which are essential to normal health and growth. There is a need to determine if the fish meal which is being incorporated in Abady dog food products is ethoxyquin-free. Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant which is often used in preserving fish meals because it can help prevent rancidity of fats. However, it has also been marketed as a pesticide. There are cases when ethoxyquin has been linked to liver problems in dogs.
White rice is also called milled rice because the husk, bran, and germ of the grain has been removed. Although it has a longer storage period compared to brown rice, the polishing process removes the essential vitamins and minerals. It is for this reason that white rice is considered inferior to brown rice where the nutrient-rich bran is still intact.
Chicken by-product meal is an inferior source of protein because it is made from parts of slaughtered chicken where the premium parts have been removed leaving only carcass parts which have been deemed unfit for human consumption like chicken feet, offals, neck, and undeveloped egg. One positive thing though is that the by-product meal has been identified rather than a generic by-product meal with questionable sources.
There are studies which demonstrate that lard in dog food can inhibit the decomposition of organic matter particularly in high amounts. Lard has been incorporated in dog foods as a source of meat-based fats. It contains small amounts of linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is important in the synthesis of linolenic and arachidonic acid. These are fatty acids which are very important to maintain your dog’s skin and coat health. There are those who view lard as a low quality rendered fat.
Flaxseed oil is a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are healthy fatty acids which are important in maintaining the integrity of body cells including protecting the cells from harmful free radicals.
There are mixed reviews from dog owners who have given their dogs Abady dog food products. Some dog owners decry the “use of waste products from the human food industry”. There are also those who claim that feeding their dog with Abady resulted in serious health problems. However, there are also dog owners who claim that their dogs are living healthy lives while on Abady dog food.
Overall, we do not recommend Abady dog food brand. While we do not believe it among the worst brands out there, it’s a mid-low quality brand and we would recommend going with a dog food brand that contains higher quality ingredients and/or provides higher value.
Please visit the links listed below for Abady dog food reviews by formula.
Have a comment or question about our Abady dog food review? Want to share your experiences with others? We welcome your comments!
Abady Dog Food Formulas Reviews
Abady Dog Food Formulas:
- Abady Maintenance/Stress and Growth Formula for Toys
- Maintenance and Stress Formula for Adult Dogs
- Abady Classic Formula for Maintenance & Stress
- Abady State of The Art Formula for Growing Puppies of The Larger Breeds
- Abady State of The Art Formula for Growing Puppies of The Giant Breeds
Abady Dog Food Consumer Rating
Abady is not a food I’d give to my dogs.
Years ago, I bought a top-of-the-line (bloodline-wise) puppy and ‘had’ to buy 60# of Abady with him. The pup was way too thin and refused his food (Abady and cooked ground beef) as in the diet sent by his breeder. I tried my other dogs on a little of the Abady and they immediately dialed the Dog Abuse Hotline.
I put the pup on Canidae which he devoured. I dumped the $120 worth of Abady at the far end of my pasture, in case any starving ‘critter’ needed food and it sat there FOR YEARS, forming a concrete-like mound. I had to chop it up with a pitchfork and rake and spread it around before it finally biodegraded. NOTHING would eat it and my area abounds in raccoons who will eat anything. Except Abady.
True story.
I agree….Abady is a very poor quality food. My dogs didn’t like it either and the quality appeared inconsistent.
Ah so nice to hear from the uninformed…..
Right – Abady is lousy. That is why a giant breed dog who was breed, raised and kept on it her entire life, set a record of living to over 14 in her breed where 10- 12 is normal – and was the 2nd in her breed in 70 years to finish in the top 28 at Westminister and went BIS at her specialty and was BIS at over 25 all-breed shows and went onto produce a bitch who was the 3rd in her breed to finish in the top at Westminster, went on to the the #10 show dog in the US of all breeds with multiple BIS wins, then got 11 performance degrees and who, at the age of nearly 10, was the first of her breed to be invited to, and successfully competed at, the Eukanuba National Agility Championships and will be running the Championships again in 2009 at 10 1/2 years old ……and her 3/4 brother (son of the 1st dog) is a Champion in 2 countries and the #1 sire in the breed……. yep, Abady dogs all and for their entire lives….. and, the kennel that uses this food for these dogs is widely known for extremely sound puppies and having virtually no health problems among the adult dogs (ear or skin infections etc.)
And then there were Bob Abady’s own Bouviers who were legendary in the show and performance ring back when he was still competing – renown for their musculature, development, fitness and endurance….
Try not letting it sit forever so the oil seeps out. And use the top of the line – the Classic granular.
Abady is amazing food. Period, next to raw there is nothing better. Period. Period. Period. Period.
Only a fool feeds another dry…
My wife and I have been using Abady for about 2 yrs. and have seen amazing results. We have a 9 year old lab and a 3 year old berenese mountain dog. The Berner has been on it for his entirity and the lab since 7. Immediately after we started on Abady we started seeing our labs mood and energy levels improve. It was amazing.
We have had nothing but great things with our dogs. They love it. One thing we do is put some water into the mix to help the consumption.
As always, people and dogs tastes do differ but for us it has been great. Our berner breeder also uses the food and they are very selective about what they put into their dogs.
I have 2 mixed breed dogs. One who will be 4, and the other 2 come February. They have both been on Canidae their whole lives. Recently, a neighbor has been giving us her leftover Abady. The dogs seem to love it. I have never had a problem with Canidae, except with my one 4 year old pup, who is Lab/Pit/Golden Mix, who scooches her but all around the house. Have had her on a certain Abady the past two days and she hasnt scooched once. Just looking for suggestions as to whether I should stick with the Canidae, or switch to Abady.
I have been using Abady as a main food for my large breed dog for years and she is in amazing condition. I do supplement the food with eggs, chicken and beef about 3 times per week at dinner. I believe any dog food should be fed this way. Abady stands behind their food and I would recommend it for any breed but particularly for large breeds or dogs who are very active as well.
Jay, this could be the worst dogfood made today. On their web site it is lie after lie. They lie so bad they even say it well fix hip dysplasia, Unreal. I don’t believe anything this company says, I feel they could be using saw dust. They even call themsleves GENIUS’S, lol they really are nothing but a bunch of lair’s
lets take a look whats in this
1.Chicken Meal – Good
2.White Rice – Brown rice is much better
3.Menhaden Fish Meal (Select Grade) – This is bad and this fish is not used for human consumption.
4.Chicken By-Products Meal – Bad, this the bottom of the barrel as far as chicken goes it can even include feathers.
5.Beef Meat & Bone Meal – Bad, for the most part this is just ground up bones.
Pork Fat – This is really bad for any animals.
Lamb Fat – More fat, most good companys would use lamb.
Menhaden Fish Fat – More fat, but it is a fat that comes from a fish that is not eatin by humans.
I really wouldn’t feed this to my dogs. Chicken meal is the only worth while ingredient and this is their “state of the art” product, UGH..
I completely agree Jim,
Usually the quality ingredients come to a high cost to consumers and most don’t understand the benefits to feeding your dog a health diet. I always use the example of Old Roy = McDonald’s French Fries and that’s usually the light switch for people.
I’d be curious to have you check out our site and ingredients and let us know your 2 cents as we’re always looking for consumer feedback and where we can make changes. http://www.pettao.com
jessica, this seems like a very good product. But there is one HUGE problem, my dog weighs 89 pounds and growing (7 months old GSD). I used the formula on the website and it would cost me 540.54 dollars a month to feed him. That would not work for me. That is almost a weeks take home pay for me.
WOW, 28% FAT….Man, I have never heard of any dog food above 20 and 20% seems awful high to me. This just has to be a baaaad dog food, I would never feed this to dogs, NEVER!!!!!. Then add in all the lies on their website, UGH…..
How some people can comment on a pet food by reading the label and applying human food standards is amazing. I have hunting dogs that run a 30 acre farm nearly every day and hold weight and look beautiful on 1/2 the amount of Abady, compared to kibble. The food you trash has been on the market for about 30 years now. How many brands of dog food are that old? Sled dog teams use it because its so dense nutritionally.
The comments on this thread are idiotic and reflect ZERO knowledge about canine nutrition, ZERO. Just a bunch of suckers.
jj, first off, I don’t believe you have a 30 acre farm and feed your so called hunting dogs “”half”" of what a top of the line kibble would be feeding. Dude, thats just down right funny. So what if it’s been on the market for 30 years, Purina, Pedagree, Friskies and Alpo have been on the market for over 40 years and they are in the same league as your abady
LARD food. I live out west and I go to Alaska regularly and I now of NO ONE who feeds their Sled dog teams this food. By the way they aren’t called sled dog teams. Their is “nothing” in the world that can fix hip dysplasia but your food web site says it can “”"LAIRS”"”. THEN THEY CALL THEMSELVES GENUIS. Ya right… Lairs.. The food is crap, end of story
Lard is pork fat. Tell me why pork fat is not good for a dog. Give me science. Again what most people do is use popular human science to make decisions on animal foods. Lard is disgusting to look at but its very very good for dogs, much better than sprayed on chicken fat. Give me science about why Abady is a poor food. I am sure you will say because there are by-products in the food. There are various grades of by-products. By-products are far better for a dog than “chicken”. You really don’t know what goes in most kibbles.
Have you ever seen a wolf kill? What parts actually get eaten?
So give me the science about Lard. Tell me why pork fat is bad for dogs?