is supercoat a good brand of dog food

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 19, 2024

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Nourish Their Best Life

SUPERCOAT is the trusted leader of dry dog food in Australia, with a range of tailored nutrition to suit your dogs needs. Our SMARTBLEND recipes are expertly crafted with purposeful ingredients to ensure your furry friend receives the right nourishment that brings out their best every day, and for years to come.

The Supercoat Dog Food Review: Tested & Evaluated 2024

Written By Eloisa Thomas| Canine Coach, Double M.A in Anthropology.Edited & Fact Checked ByRenae Soppe| Double B.A Journalism & Science.Last Updated: 10th January 2024

"Is Supercoat good for dogs?"

If youre wondering whether or not you should add this brand to your regular rotation, weve got your back. We teamed up with an independent panel of experts that included veterinarians, canine nutritionists, and dog parents to test out Supercoat's most popular selections.

In todays Supercoat dog food review, our experts analysed everything you should know about this brand, so you dont have to! Keep reading to figure out if this is a good fit for your pup.

Supercoat has 3 dry kibble lines available in Australia, one of which is grain-free.
Although their recipes claim a single animal protein on the front, all the products have undisclosed meat and meat by-products from up to 4 different sources - chicken, beef, lamb and/or pork.
Their regular recipes also have a large amount of cereals including wheat, barley, corn, and sorghum, which many owners might want to avoid in large quantities.

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Australia's Supercoat Dog Food Review

Supercoat - 2.5 Star Rating

Ingredients: Meat and Meat meals (chicken, beef, lamb and/or pork), Vegetables and Vegetable proteins and/or canola meal, Tapioca starch, Animal fats, Beet pulp; Vitamins, Minerals and Amino acids, Natural flavours.
Named Protein First:No.
Dog Food Type: Grain Inclusive & Grain Free.
Recipe Range: Beef or Ocean Fish or Chicken or Kangaroo + More.
Suitable For: Super Coat's recipe range can be suitable for puppy, adult and senior dogs depending on the recipe.
Cost: $
Australian Owned: Yes.

Taste & Digestion 3/5

In general, our panel of experts noticed that most dogs like the taste of this kibble and were willing to eat it at mealtimes.

However, several owners reported sensitive dogs with runny stools and stomach upset after adding Supercoat to their daily feed. While this appears to be a relatively uncommon occurrence in comparison to the wide popularity of the brand, its important to introduce new foods slowly to your dog in order to avoid an upset stomach.

Because of the diarrhoea and upset stomach claims and given more sensitive tummies might not do well with this brand, our independent team of researchers decided to take off 2 stars.

Ingredients 2/5

Supercoat doesnt have the best ingredient list out there, although it isnt the worse by far. Our main qualm is the amount of grain, specifically corn and wheat, in pretty much all recipes. For example, the first ingredient in their sensitive recipe is wholegrain cereals, an undisclosed mix of sorghum, oats, rice and corn, and the use of cereal by-products without specifying which cereals.

PRO TIP: Always look at the first 5 ingredients in your dogs food. Those are the ones that make the majority of the food and should be healthy.

Other Supercoat recipes are based around animal proteins, but in most recipes only 1 out of the first 5 ingredients is protein-based. In fact, although their small-breed beef recipe starts with meat as the first ingredient, its followed by wheat, cereal by-products, barley, corn and sorghum. That doesnt look like something an omnivore like your dog should be eating!

Related:Real Meat vs Meat Meal in Dog Food.

While some amount of highly-digestible grains like rice can be healthy for your dog, gluten-heavy cereals usually arent. In fact, our independent panel of experts note that some breeds like Irish Setters and Border Terriers are genetically prone to gluten intolerances [1] shown through gastrointestinal distress, skin issues and even neurological signs [2].Related: How Long Does It Take a Dog To Digest Food?

The remainder of the ingredient list is pretty clean, although they dont mention which preservatives are used. Because of the high amount of cereal and cereal by-products, and the non-disclosure of preservatives, were taking off 3 stars.

Protein Sources 2/5

Like other options from Purina dog food brands, Supercoat has a good amount of protein in line with official recommendations. The AAFCO guidelines recommends at least 18% of crude protein per 100 g, Supercoat packs 25% or more protein in all their adult recipes.

PRO TIP:Supercoat has enough protein content to keep your dog nourished

However, it isnt clear whether or not that protein percentage comes mainly from animal protein or is heavily supplemented with vegetable sources. For example, most of their recipes list vegetable proteins within the first 5 ingredients, and their grain-free line also lists canola meal.

Canola meal is ground canola seed, used to feed animals because of its high protein content. While it packs heaps of amino acids that your pup needs, our experts note that its probably also responsible for a good chunk of the protein content in Supercoats recipe.

[Canola meal] has a relatively low dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) balance. This makes it unpleasant for dogs. Moreover, it has a high protein concentration. Dog food companies exploit this and combine it with other ingredients to increase the proportion of protein." Dr. Tiffany Morefield, DVM, Veterinarian[3]

On the other hand, we dont like that protein-specific recipes include several non-disclosed animal proteins. In fact, while the front of the package claims a certain main protein (i.e. chicken), the ingredient list mentions only meat and meat by-products. For example, the kangaroo adult kibble indicates "meat and meat by-products (chicken, beef, kangaroo, lamb and/or pork)" while unsuspecting owners might only read the flavour indicated on the front.

In general, the protein sources arent too bad, but our panel of independent experts agreed to deduct 3 stars because the flavours arent reflected in the composition of every recipe. In turn, this wont suit dogs with sensitivities or those that need specific proteins.

Additives 3/5

In terms of additives, Supercoats recipes are very basic. Although many dog food brands are now including extra goodies like fruits, vegetables and superfoods like berries or chia seeds. However, we were sad to note that Supercoat doesnt. None of their recipes available in Australia have other extras beyond beet pulp, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

On the flip side, the recipes mention natural flavours, without specifying whats in them. In general, we dont like when dog food brands dont spell out every ingredient added to their recipes.

This kibble, like other brands doesnt specifically mention which preservatives it uses on the food. This is a problem since sulphite, a common pet food preservative, can be dangerous in large quantities [4].

Because of the lack of nutritious extra foods, and the blanket terms for flavouring, our panel is giving Supercoat 3 out of 5 in this category.

Variety 2.5/5

Supercoat offers several options tailored to your dogs needs and preferences. They have a traditional line with grains, a premium line also with grains, and a grain-free line. Keep in mind their grain-free line is limited to two different recipes for adult dogs.

We appreciate that they have some recipes to help with weight loss, senior dogs, extra active dogs and those with sensitive stomachs, the latter of which is helpful for my pupper. While Supercoat doesnt have specific recipes for large breed adult dogs, they do have options with small kibble for toy and mini breeds.

However, protein options are limited, especially if youre looking for grain-free kibble. Traditional Supercoat dog food with grains is available in chicken, fish, lamb, beef and kangaroo flavours. In contrast, theres only chicken and beef in the grain-free line. Our team of independent experts point out that none of their recipes use a single animal protein, and all of them can have several other animal protein sources in undisclosed quantities.

Supercoat doesnt offer any wet food options, and their puppy selection is very limited. Because of it, were giving this brand 2.5 out of 5 in this category.

Price 4/5

This is a reasonably-priced dog food that fits most peoples budgets. However, many owners complain the prices have recently gone up, while special discounts are scarce and bags are smaller. If you want to save a bit more, we recommend choosing larger bags and looking online for discounts that might not be available at your local store.

Were taking off 1 star because of the smaller-sized bags and price hike, although this isnt the most expensive brand in the market.

Purina Supercoat Puppy Food Review

Of course, our Purina Supercoat review wouldnt be complete without a thorough look at their puppy options. For starters, their selection is very limited and not what we would call the best puppy food option.

Supercoat only offers 2 different puppy recipes, one for large-breed pups, and another for all puppies.

In both large and regular puppy food, the only flavour available is chicken. However, keep in mind their puppy options also list a generic "meat and meat by-products". The list specifies that this could mean chicken, but also beef, lamb or pork, as well as fish and fish by-products.

If your puppy has certain sensitivities, or youd rather offer a limited-ingredient diet, our independent experts believe that is probably not the brand for you.

They also dont offer smaller kibble options for toy and mini breed pups. This is especially important because their teeth are still relatively new and small pups have a harder time chewing on large kibble. In order to make sure your little one is properly nourished, their kibble needs to be of a manageable size. If you have an extra-small dog like a Chihuahua or a Yorkshire Terrier, it might be worth it to explore other options.

When it comes to extra goodies, Supercoat puppy kibble doesnt have nutritious additives on top of their vitamin and mineral mix. There are also no wet food options if youd like to give your little one an occasional treat.

All in all, while this isnt an awful food to give a growing pup, our independent team of experts summarise that there are other options with more flavour variety and better extras at a similar price point.

Dont Buy If

While Supercoat can be a great option for many dogs, you might want to try another brand if you:

Want to support small and medium-sized businesses: as we already mentioned, Supercoat is a Purina brand. While that in and of itself this isnt a bad thing, you might want to support smaller businesses that arent owned by a multinational company.
Dont want to give cereal-based food to your dog: while not all dogs and their owners might want to go the grain-free route, it is important to choose a dog food with a healthy amount of animal protein. Many Supercoat recipes have 4 out of their 5 main ingredients be cereals and grains, which is way too much for most dogs.
Want to avoid corn and wheat: in line with the previous point, on top of having cereal and grains, Supercoat doesnt specify which cereals every recipe has. That means that the specific amounts can change according to availability and season. Because corn and wheat are harder to digest for dogs, its best to avoid them in large quantities.
Have a dog with food sensitivities or allergies:Supercoat uses blanket terms for both their animal protein and cereal ingredients. In fact, no recipe has a single source of animal protein or carbs. This makes it impossible for anyone on our panel to recommend if your dog has specific sensitivities like mine does since you could never be sure of the amount and source of the ingredients.

Purina Supercoat Review: The Verdict

If its everything you have, go ahead. However, our team of independent experts want to remind you that there are better options at this price point. Other dog food brands stick to one or two animal proteins per recipe or avoid wheat even on their original recipes. On top of this, many other options at this price will also offer extra nutritional boosts like superfoods, fruits and veggies already mixed in.

Want to read more dog food brand reviews? Check out the below:

References

Biagi, F., Maimaris, S., Vecchiato, C. G., Costetti, M., & Biagi, G. 2020. "Gluten-sensitive enteropathy of the Irish Setter and similarities with human celiac disease." Minerva gastroenterologica e dietologica, 66(2), 151156. Retrieved May 1, 2023. https://doi.org/10.23736/S1121-421X.19.02648-5. Available https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31820885/
"Are Dogs Gluten Sensitive?" Shotts Vet Ltd. Retrieved May 1, 2023. Available https://www.shottsvet.com/single-post/2017/06/05/Are-dogs-gluten-sensitive
Morefield, T. January 27, 2021. "What is Canola Meal in Dog Food?" Dog Needs Best. https://www.dogneedsbest.com/what-is-canola-meal-in-dog-food/
"Are preservatives in pet food products a concern?" RSPCA Knowledge Base. Retrieved May 1, 2023. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/are-preservatives-in-pet-food-products-a-concern/