Quack & Mash: Delicious Dog Food with Duck and Potatoes

When you think of duck, you probably think of it as a delicacy served only in the finest restaurants. In the world of pet food, however, duck is becoming an increasingly more common ingredient.

A complete source of protein and rich in vital nutrients, duck is a great ingredient for dogs, especially when paired with a highly digestible, grain-free carbohydrate like potatoes.

Keep reading to learn more about the nutritional benefits of these two ingredients and to receive our recommendations for the top dog foods made with duck and potatoes.

Dog Food with Duck and Potatoes

Many of the dog food recipes that feature duck and potatoes as the main ingredients are grain-free recipes and Limited Ingredient Diets (LIDs). Grain-free recipes are ideal for dogs who have allergies to grains and for dogs who have sensitive stomachs.

LIDs are also good for dogs with food sensitivities and they can be used as a tool to heal your dog’s digestive system from damage caused by food allergies.

If you’re thinking about starting your dog on a food made with duck and potatoes as the primary protein and carbohydrate, consider these four top-rated brands:

 

1. Natural Balance LID Potato and Duck Formula

First 5 ingredients: Duck, Duck Meal, Potatoes, Cassava Flour, Sweet Potatoes

The Natural Balance pet food company was founded in 1989 by Dick Van Patten. It was Van Patten’s goal to provide pets with “food for a lifetime” so he designed each of his recipes based on sound scientific principles and strong nutritional truths.

This brand is marketed as a premium brand of pet food and it does seem that most of their recipes offer good nutritional quality. Natural Balance offers several different product lines for dry food including a number of high-protein, grain-free, and healthy weight formulas.

They also have an extensive line of Limited Ingredient Diets which are ideal for dogs that suffer from food allergies or sensitivities. There is even a vegetarian recipe. Natural Balance offers their customers the “Buy With Confidence” program which guarantees the safety of their products and 100% consumer satisfaction.

They use only the highest quality ingredients and all of their recipes are made with premium animal proteins, healthy fats, and digestible carbohydrates.

This formula is one of the brand’s many Limited Ingredient Diets which are made with a select list of premium protein and carbohydrates sources. This particular recipe features duck as the main protein and potato as the primary carbohydrate.

Be careful to note, however, that potatoes are actually the first ingredient – not duck. This recipe still provides 21% crude protein and just 3% crude fiber, but it is generally better to see a high-quality source of protein as the first ingredient in dog food.

The main benefit of this recipe comes from its easy digestibility which is probably why potatoes are listed first. It is also designed to offer a blend of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, plus it contains chelated minerals for maximum nutrient uptake.

This recipe doesn’t contain any corn, wheat or soy ingredients and it is completely free from artificial additives including colors, flavors, and preservatives.

2. Blue Buffalo Basics LID Duck & Potato Recipe

First 5 ingredients: Deboned Duck, Potatoes, Pea Starch, Peas, Pea Protein

Though their name might be a little strange, the Blue Buffalo pet food company is known for being one of the best brands on the market. This company manufactures all of their products in the United States and they use only the highest quality ingredients available.

They don’t use any corn, wheat, or soy ingredients and every formula is free from artificial additives and by-products. Each of their recipes is supplemented with their LifeSource Bits which contain a proprietary blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support your dog’s whole-body health and wellness.

Blue Buffalo offers four different product lines for dry food as well as a line of veterinary diets. The Life Protection Formula line features all-natural recipes for dogs in all life stages while the Freedom line contains grain-free formulas. The Wilderness line features meat- and protein-rich recipes while the Basics line is made up of Limited Ingredient Diets.

If you’re looking for a high-quality food made with duck and potatoes, this is a great choice. As a limited ingredient diet, this formula is made with a select number of main ingredients which helps to reduce the risk for food allergies and sensitivities.

It contains plenty of high-quality protein from deboned duck and duck meal to help your dog maintain his lean muscle mass as well as a blend of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat.

You’ll also find that this formula provides a blend of calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth as well as plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for a strong immune system.

Overall, this recipe provides 20% crude protein and 13% crude fat and it is formulated for adult dogs. It doesn’t contain any corn, wheat, or soy and it is free from artificial additives as well.

3. Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals Hasen Duckenpfeffer

First 5 ingredients: Rabbit, Duck, Pork Meat Meal, Peas, Potatoes

As you might guess from the name, Fromm Family pet food is a family-owned and -operated business. This company began all the way back in 1904 and has always been one of the leading innovators in the pet food industry.

The Fromm Family was responsible for developing the first canine distemper vaccine and they also developed the process of cooking grain and meat together to create the kind of dry kibble that most pet food manufacturers still use today.

Fromm currently offers three different product lines for dog food – Classic, Gold, and Four-Star. The Classic lineup includes just two recipes – one for adult dogs and another for senior dogs. The Gold line includes an assortment of original and grain-free formulas, each designed with a holistic approach to pet nutrition.

There are formulas for puppies, adult dogs, senior dogs, and even large- and small-breed dogs. The third product line is the Four-Star Nutritionals product line of rotational diets.

This Hasen Duckenpfeffer is a great example of a food made with duck and potatoes, though neither of these are the first ingredient. The main protein in this formula is rabbit but it is followed immediately by duck and supplemented with pork meat meal.

Peas are the first carbohydrate listed by potatoes com second and they are both supplemented by lentils and chickpeas. This product is part of the Four-Star Nutritionals product line which is intended for rotational feeding. Rotational feeding involves changing your dog’s diet every few weeks to ensure balanced nutrition and to minimize the risk for food allergies.

This particular formula offers 28% crude protein and 17% crude fat and it is supplemented with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. You can feed your dog this recipe in rotation with any of the other eleven dry food recipes in the Four-Star Nutritionals product line or with any of the three canned foods – there are also seven recipes for dog treats.

4. Go! SENSITIVITIES Limited Ingredient Duck

First 5 ingredients: De-Boned Duck, Duck Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Lentils, Chickpeas

Formerly known as Petcurean Go! Sensitivity + Shine Duck Recipe. The Petcurean pet food company offers four different lines of formulas.

The Summit line includes a limited selection of classic recipes while the Now Fresh line features original and grain-free formulas made with market-fresh meats and fish as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

The Gather line is the newest, made with organic ingredients, and the Go! line includes three different formulas to meet specific dietary needs.

The Fit + Free formula offers maximum meat protein with zero gluten and grains while the Daily Defense formula is designed for preventive care.

The Sensitivity + Shine formula is made with select proteins and unique carbs to help reduce the risk for food allergies and sensitivities. All four product lines also include a selection of canned foods.

For a high-quality food made with duck and potatoes, you can count on this Petcurean Go! Sensitivity + Shine Duck Recipe Dry Food. The first ingredient is duck meal, a highly-concentrated source of animal protein and a complete protein at that.

Next comes oatmeal, followed by potatoes and whole oats. Together, these three ingredients ensure that your dog’s needs for carbohydrate energy are met and they also provide dietary fiber for healthy digestion.

In addition to plenty of protein and carbohydrate, this formula is rich in omega oils for healthy skin and coat, plus antioxidants for a strong immune system.

The recipe is supplemented with chelated minerals as well – minerals that have been chemically bound to protein molecules, making them easier for your dog’s body to digest and absorb.

There are also both prebiotics and probiotics for healthy and regular digestion. Overall, this is a great source of nutrition for your dog.

The Nutritional Benefits of Duck and Potatoes

If you’re looking for a novel protein source for your dog, duck might be a good option to consider. Though duck is a type of poultry, it is a less common ingredient than chicken or turkey, so your dog may not have had it before – that is the definition of a novel protein.

In addition to being a novel protein for many dogs, duck also offers some unique nutritional benefits compared to more common proteins. A 100-gram serving of duck meat contains about 140 calories, without the skin, and also contains 24 grams of protein.

A same-sized serving of chicken breast meat contains about 165 calories and 31 grams of protein. All duck meat is dark and it is higher in fat than chicken and turkey. Much of that fat, however, is concentrated in the skin and only about half of it is saturated fat.

The other half is a combination of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Duck is also rich in key nutrients like iron, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, and B vitamins.

White potatoes are a highly digestible source of carbohydrate energy for dogs and a common ingredient in grain-free and gluten-free foods. This food is very starchy which is what makes it easy for dogs to digest, though they only contain about 2.4grams of dietary fiber per 100-gram serving.

 

A serving of white potato this size contains about 70 calories with 1.7 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, and 16 grams of carbohydrate. White potatoes are also rich in potassium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.

There are some pet food experts and manufacturers who look poorly upon potatoes as an ingredient in dog food, but there are arguments to be made for both sides of the issue. In the end, what really matters is that your dog can digest the ingredient properly and that it provides him with usable energy and healthy nutrients.

There are many brands of food out there that use duck and potatoes in their recipes, but not all of them offer equal quality. If you’re thinking about switching your dog to a recipe made with duck and potatoes, take the time to evaluate the quality of the product to make sure that it will meet all of your dog’s nutritional needs.

To help you make your choice, consider one of our top-rated brands of duck and potato dog food reviewed above.