Review of Spot and Tango Dog Food
Spot and Tango Dog Food earns The Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The Spot and Tango product line includes the 3 fresh-cooked, wet dog foods below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Use the following links to check prices at an online retailer. If you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a referral fee. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Spot and Tango Beef and Millet was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Spot and Tango Beef and Millet
Wet Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein = 39% | Fat = 20% | Carbs = 33%
Ingredients: Beef, millet, spinach, carrots, peas, cranberries, eggs, parsley, apple cider vinegar, safflower oil vegetable stock, vitamins & minerals: calcium phosphate, salt, calcium carbonate, magnesium, kelp, potassium, vitamin E, zinc, iron, manganese, vitamin D3, copper, selenium, folic acid, iodine, vitamin B12
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%
Red denotes controversial item
Guaranteed Analysis | 12% | 6% | NA |
Dry Matter Basis | 39% | 20% | 33% |
Calorie Weighted Basis | 33% | 40% | 28% |
Protein = 33% | Fat = 40% | Carbs = 28%
Spot and Tango Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.
Beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is millet, a gluten-free grain harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is hypoallergenic and naturally rich in B-vitamins and fiber as well as other essential minerals.
The third ingredient is spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score of 91.
The fourth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The fifth ingredient lists cranberries, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.
The sixth ingredient includes eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The seventh ingredient is parsley. Because of its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, parsley exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score of 91.
The eighth ingredient is apple cider vinegar, an item of only modest nutritional value to a dog. We would assume it’s used here to adjust the pH of this recipe.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With 2 notable exceptions…
First, we find safflower oil. Safflower oil is nutritionally similar to sunflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3’s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.
Safflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.
And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Spot and Tango fresh dog food looks like an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 19% and estimated carbohydrates of about 33%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 41% and a mean fat level of 20%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical moist dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, this still looks like the profile of a fresh dog food containing a significant amount of meat.
Our Rating of Spot and Tango Dog Food
Spot and Tango is a fresh-cooked, grain-inclusive wet dog food. Each recipe contains a significant amount of named meats as its primary source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars. The turkey and lamb formulas also earn 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
What Users Say
Actual buyer review… “We adopted a rescue dog who was struggling to gain weight. After trying different types of dry food we found Spot and Tango. She now gets excited for mealtime and has maintained a healthy weight. Her coat is so shiny and the change to her health is visible. We are so thrilled with the quality of this product and will be lifelong customers.”
Actual buyer review… “I have a very picky 11-year-old retired racing Greyhound, so the challenge of finding high quality food she will actually eat that doesn’t cost a small fortune was a big one. I had tried a few other fresh/lightly cooked dog food delivery services before finding Spot & Tango, and I absolutely love how convenient & affordable it is, and my senior girl seems to have the energy of a puppy, so win/win!”
Has Spot and Tango Dog Food Been Recalled?
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Spot and Tango.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Get Free Recall Alerts
Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Advisor’s recall notification list.
A Final Word
The Dog Food Advisor is privately owned. We do not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.
However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.
For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.
Important FDA Alert
The FDA is investigating a potential link between diet and heart disease in dogs. Click here for details.
References
01/19/2021 Last Update