Our review process is unbiased and based on extensive research. If you buy through the links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Rating
- Meat is the first ingredient – 1 Star
- Uses some unnamed meats – 1 Star
- Above average protein content – 0 Star
- Less than 4 controversial ingredients – 0 Star
- Catological Discretionary Rating – 0.5 Star
Here’s a few important points to consider for this particular line:
- Multiple types of meat, including as the first ingredient
- No grains, but still contains multiple fillers like tapioca and peas
- Contains vitamins and quality, chelated versions of minerals
- A decent formulation, but it’s fairly low protein, and some of the protein comes from peas, not meat
The Avoderm Grain Free product line includes 3 dry recipes/flavors.
Each recipe below includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the product’s official webpage or packaging: Growth (G), Maintenance (M), All Life Stages (A), Supplemental (S) or Unspecified (U).
The star rating is a rough average of all of the flavors in a single line of food. If an individual recipe scored lower or higher, we will mark that below, next to the flavor.
- AvoDerm Grain Free Tuna Lobster Crab (A)
- AvoDerm Grain Free Salmon Tuna (A)
- AvoDerm Grain Free Duck Turkey (M)
AvoDerm Grain Free Duck Turkey
Dry Cat Food
| Estimated Nutrient Content |
| Protein | Fat | Carbs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed Analysis | 32% | 17% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 36% | 19% | 32% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 31% | 40% | 28% |
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Fiber (guaranteed analysis)
6%
Calories/100g
356
Is real, named meat the first ingredient?
Yes
Ingredients
Duck, Turkey Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Garbanzo Beans, Tapioca Flour, Avocado, Dried Tomato Pomace, Flax Seed (Source of Omega 3), Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Salt, Inulin, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, a -Tocopherol Acetate (Source of Vitamin E), Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate (Source of Vitamin B1), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Iodate), Avocado Oil, Taurine, Parsley Flakes, Kelp Meal, DL-Methionine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Inositol.
Ingredients in red are controversial or of questionable quality.
Ingredient Breakdown
The first ingredient in this cat food is duck. Good.
While quality of the individual ingredient can vary, duck is a good protein source for cats.
It’s also important to note that duck contains about 70% water, so when it is processed and cooked for use in cat food, it will become a smaller part of the total recipe.
The second ingredient is turkey meal. Good.
Turkey is a very good protein source for cats.
Turkey meal is a concentrated form of turkey, and is considered a high quality ingredient.
The third ingredient is peas. Bad.
This recipe contains peas, which are usually a quality carbohydrate source. They’re also high in protein.
However, they are not biologically appropriate for your cat to have in any large quantity, and they also force us to evaluate just how much meat protein is in this food, since the peas will boost the crude protein content.
The fourth ingredient is pea protein. Bad.
his ingredient is a concentrated form of the protein found in peas, which means the actual meat content of this food may be lower than the macronutrient profile suggests.
Peas are not the worst carbohydrate your cat can consume, but they’re simply not at all biologically appropriate.
The fifth ingredient is canola oil. Good.
This is actually a useful source of fats for energy and a healthy coat. It contains useful omega 3 fatty acids and less saturated fat than other vegetable oils.
Some people choose to only use fish oils for these benefits, but we could find no studies that showed canola oil to be harmful or less than ideal.
The sixth ingredient is garbanzo beans. Bad.
An obvious non-biologically appropriate carbohydrate filler, beans are at least potentially better than corn.
They are unlikely to do any damage to your cat.
However, some cats may have trouble digesting them.
They are also protein-rich, which means the actual meat content of this recipe may be lower than the macronutrient profile suggests.
The seventh ingredient is tapioca flour. OK, but with reservations.
Used in many grain-free recipes as a starch to bind the food together.
While it’s not very nutritional and doesn’t compare well to grains in some cases, there’s likely not enough of it to cause any digestive issues for your cat.
The eighth ingredient is avocado. Good.
The steam, pit, leaves, and skin contain persin, which is not good for your cats.
However, the actual flesh of the avocado is a reasonable source of fats.
It is mostly a gimmicky ingredient that doesn’t drastically alter the makeup of this food.
This recipe includes a number of other ingredients, but once you get down this far, none of them will be in large enough quantities to make a real difference, except for the added vitamins and minerals.
However, there are a few things you should know about.
Dried tomato pomace is also included. It is basically a by-product of tomatoes after they have been used for sauces, ketchup, and the likes.
Some say it’s a useful form of fiber, while some say it’s a pointless, cheap, filler ingredient.
Whatever the case, there’s probably not enough to make much of a difference here.
This recipe utilizes chelated minerals, which may be easier to digest and more bioavailable for your cat. This is usually a sign of a high quality cat food.
To read a more in depth article about any of the ingredients listed here, check out our Cat Food Ingredient Wiki (currently under development).
The Catological Verdict on Avoderm Grain Free Dry Cat Food
From top to bottom, this is an average dry product.
Meat is the first ingredient, but we assume that if you combine all the pea ingredients and the beans, they would be the top ingredient. That means there’s probably not a lot of actual meat.
It does contain a lot of extra vitamins and even chelated minerals.
Overall, this is not a great example of a dry food you should be feeding to your cat.
Meat is the first ingredient, but with so much pea and other carbs added, there’s probably not enough meat to call it a meat-based food.
We can assume that this is a plant-based cat food, which is not biologically appropriate for your kitty’s body.
To review, on a dry matter basis, this food is 36% protein, 19% fat, and 32% carbs.
Compared to the other 2000+ foods in our database, this food has:
- Below average protein.
- Average fat.
- Above average carbs.
Because it likely contains limited meat and is full of fillers, our average rating for this brand is 2.5 stars.
Not recommended.
Avoderm Cat Food Recall History
We do not believe that a recall indicates a low quality food or company, and we respect the fact that sometimes things happen that cause a manufacturer to recall a food.
Usually these things are non-life-threatening, and we think it’s important to take a moment to be thankful about just how few recalls there really are in the industry, considering the enormous volume of food produced.
However, we do believe that a history of recalls may point to a larger issue with a company, and that discerning consumers want to know who they’re buying from, especially when it comes to something as important as the food you feed your beloved cat.
Here is a list of recalls that have affected the Avoderm brand in the past:
- September 2012 – Possible salmonella contamination – 1 dog food recipe affected
If you want to stay up to date on the latest recall information affecting your cat’s food, sign up to our email list and receive an email every time a recall is announced. We’ll also let you know about any updated ratings, recipe changes, or new cat foods on the market. (Our alert system will be launched shortly, check back soon.)
Where To Buy Avoderm Cat Food
We recommend purchasing your pet products from Chewy.com. They continually prove that they walk the walk while talking the talk, and I’ve never dealt with a more dedicated pet-parent base of people than those who work at Chewy.
Plus, they offer 20% off and free shipping on lots of orders.
