Under The Weather is a dog food company founded in 2015 by Kyla Sternlieb. The company is in Winooski, VT. It manufactures 2 lines of dog food as well as other pet products for dogs and cats. Only the freeze dried line of food is complete and balanced. It’s sold for daily feeding.
Under the Weather products are made in the US. It’s not certain whether they have their own facility. They may use a third party co-manufacturer.
For our Under The Weather dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
IS UNDER THE WEATHER A GOOD DOG FOOD?
Under The Weather Kibble dog food is a high risk food by our criteria. There is 1 recipe. It has protein of 30%. There are 32% carbohydrates as calculated. is high, but not as high as many kibbles in the marketplace. The company states that they don’t include wheat, gluten, corn, and soy, that are known allergens. However, this recipe includes sorghum, millet and rice that contribute to the high carbohydrate level.
Dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates. Starch is required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of food quality. It can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods high in carbohydrates can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies show that dogs fed a high-carb diet have changes to their gut bacteria.
It’s noted that this recipe includes probiotics which is good to see. However, they guarantee a minimum of 2 million CFUs. These are colony forming units. This is quite low. CFUs are the way the “strength” of a probiotic is measured. They tell you the number of live bacteria present in a probiotic product. Higher CFU counts are generally considered better. As a rule of thumb, 3-5 billion CFUs is acceptable for maintenance. When added to processed dog food, much of the probiotic strength can be lost. This depends on when they were added in the process, due to heat and length of time on the shelf.
This recipe has excessive added vitamins and minerals. It’s preferred that vitamins and minerals come from whole food sources. They include the full spectrum of cofactors. This makes them safe and bioavailable. A couple of added vitamins and minerals are acceptable. Five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value.
It’s also worth noting that this line contains sodium selenite as a source of selenium. Dogs need selenium, and it’s usually added in very small amounts. Research suggests sodium selenite is associated with potential toxicity. Selenium yeast is the preferred form of this mineral.
This recipe uses unnamed animal protein in the form of fish meal. This type of generic ingredient is often a less expensive source of protein or fat. They are typically from rendered waste. You want to see beef, salmon or chicken, not animal, fish or poultry.
Canola oil is also used. This is a highly processed seed oil. It’s high in omega-6 fatty acids. This can cause systemic and gut inflammation. Studies show ultra processed foods link to a higher rate of all-cause mortality in humans. Additionally, canola is a GMO crop. There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops. They are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods.
The food safety score is low. Like all kibbles, Under The Weather is ultra-processed. The individual ingredients are heated several times. This causes a loss of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients.
This recipe loses points for sorghum and millet. These are crops known for high pesticide/herbicide residues. They are in the top 5 ingredients. These chemicals pose a significant health risk. They affect plants, animals and soils. Foods with the largest reported amount of residue are penalized. This includes crops known to be spray-dried with glyphosate (Roundup).
This recipe has natural flavor. It’s often either animal digest or MSG. Both are low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. Rice is a concern. It can be contaminated with arsenic. This is linked to chronic health issues.
This recipe contains glam ingredients. They includ kelp, beets, cranberries, pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes and blueberries. Glam ingredients are expensive or desirable ingredients. They’re often added to appeal to consumers but may be in minuscule amounts. They’re found below low concentration ingredients. They contribute little or no nutritional value for your dog.
The company states its salmon is wild line-caught. It offers no information about its oceanfish or fish meal. This information is good to have. Wild caught fish is more nutritious. It has a better fatty acid balance of healthy omega-3s.
It’s notable that Under The Weather has provided the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which is almost 1:1. This is important to know. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease. AAFCO allows a very high ratio of 30:1.
This company began with its The Bland Diet. They note these foods don’t have the nutrients needed for a long-term diet. They’re intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding.
There are 6 recipes. They include cooked, freeze-dried protein and rice. They have pumpkin or sweet potatoes. They have electrolytes and glycine. This is an amino acid that’s a precursor to glutathione. This is an important antioxidant. They’re offered as a short-term bland diet for digestive issues.
The major concern is that the recipes contain rice. This results in excessively high average carbohydrates of 60%. As noted, high carbohydrates can raise insulin levels. This affects gut health. Arsenic contamination is a common problem with rice. It naturally absorbs arsenic that can contaminate the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues. Rice has minimal nutritional value, but can be harmful due to these issues.
These recipes include freeze-dried proteins. They’ve been partially broken down through cooking. That makes them easier on the digestive system. Additionally, pumpkin and sweet potato are high in fiber . This absorbs moisture in cases of diarrhea. They also contribute some nutrients. Quinoa might be a consideration in place of rice for bland diets. It will absorb moisture. It also has nutrients. This includes several essential amino acids.
Under The Weather Kibble
Score: 3.5/10
Ingredient List For Probiotic & Bone Broth Coated Kibble Recipe: Oceanfish, Oceanfish Meal, Grain Sorghum, Millet, Fish Meal, Canola Oil, Brown Rice, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Coconut Meal, Bone Broth, dried Bacillus coagulans, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Chia Seed, Choline Chloride, Cod Liver Oil, Turmeric, Kelp Meal, Dried Beets, Dried Cranberries, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Spinach, Dried Tomatoes, Inulin, Dried Blueberries, Dried Chamomile, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Iron amino acid complex, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganous Oxide, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Rosemary Extract, Taurine, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Lactobacillus lactis fermentation product, Lactobacillus pantarum fermentation product, Bacillus Subtillis fermentation product, Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product.
Kibble Benefits
- Lists omega-3:omega-6 ratio
- Probiotics, with guaranteed CFUs
Kibble Concerns
- High carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Unnamed animal protein
- Contains seed oil
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide ingredients in Top 5
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
UNDER THE WEATHER DOG FOOD RECALLS
To date, Under The Weather has not had any recalls or voluntary withdrawals.
Evaluation Criteria
We evaluate and score dog foods based on two criteria:
Are the Ingredients High Quality?
Here are some common low-quality ingredients or markers we look for:
- Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
- Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
- Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
- Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
- Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
- Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?
How Safe Are the Ingredients?
Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:
- How processed is the food?
- Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
- Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
- Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
- Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?
Each food is objectively evaluated by these criteria and a score is assigned using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally has partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to make sure dog owners have unbiased, objective criteria to help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.
