Ol' Roy Ol' Roy Bacon Cheeseburger Flavor Cuts in Gravy Dog Food — Grade F (36/100)

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Scanned by Randall Saunders · April 12, 2026

Ol' Roy Ol' Roy Bacon Cheeseburger Flavor Cuts in Gravy Dog Food

36/100

Grade F — Avoid at All Costs

📦 Product Overview

BrandOl' Roy

TypeDog Food - Wet/Soft

Life Stageadult

Size13.2 oz (374g)

AAFCO Compliant✅ Yes

Label states '100% Complete & Balanced Nutrition for Adult Dogs.' Claims to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance. Formulated — no evidence of feeding trials. On a dry matter basis, with 82% moisture, crude protein is approximately 44% DM and crude fat approximately 16.7% DM, which meets AAFCO adult minimums. However, the protein sources are heavily padded with wheat gluten, wheat flour, soy flour, and chicken meal — meaning actual meat protein contribution is questionable.

☠ Rendering / 4D Animal Warning

This product contains 'Meat By-Products' — unspecified species. Under AAFCO and FDA rules, this can legally include rendered remains of any animal, including 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled before slaughter). Ol' Roy was specifically named in the FDA's 2018 investigation that confirmed pentobarbital (the euthanasia drug) in pet food. Pentobarbital can only enter the food supply through rendered euthanized animals. Additionally, the 'Liver' ingredient is unspecified — no species named — raising the same transparency concern.

🧪 Ingredient Breakdown

✅

Water Sufficient for Processing

Standard for wet food. Not a protein source. Pushes actual meat further down the ingredient list by weight.

✅

Chicken

Named whole meat — good. However, chicken is approximately 70% water, so its actual contribution after processing is far less than its position suggests.

❌

Meat By-Products

UNSPECIFIED meat by-products. No species named. This can legally contain organs, feet, heads, intestines, and other scraps from ANY animal — including 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled). This is the lowest tier of animal-sourced ingredient. Ol' Roy was one of the brands where the FDA confirmed pentobarbital contamination in 2018.

−3 pts

❌

Wheat Flour

Refined grain filler. Stripped of nutrients. Common allergen for dogs. Used to bulk up the product cheaply.

−3 pts

🟡

Wheat Gluten

Cheap plant protein used to inflate the crude protein percentage on the guaranteed analysis without adding meat. Common allergen.

−1 pts

⚠

Liver

UNSPECIFIED liver — no species named. Could be from any animal. Named livers (chicken liver, beef liver) would be acceptable. Unnamed liver is a transparency failure.

−2 pts

✅

Bacon

Named meat product. High in sodium and nitrates/nitrites from processing, but listed low enough to be a minor flavoring ingredient.

✅

Beef

Named whole meat. Good, but listed 8th — this is a tiny amount. The front of the can says 'Made with Real Bacon & Beef' — technically true, but misleading given how little is actually present.

✅

Guar Gum

Natural thickener. Generally safe.

🟡

Chicken Meal

Named rendered meal — concentrated protein. Acceptable but rendered. Listed 10th, so a minor contributor.

−1 pts

❌

Potato Starch

Refined starch with zero nutritional value. Filler and binder.

−3 pts

✅

Salt

Necessary mineral. Placement is appropriate.

❌

Corn Starch

Another zero-nutrient refined starch. High glycemic filler.

−3 pts

❌

Soy Flour

Common allergen, highly processed, used to inflate protein numbers cheaply. Estrogenic compounds present in soy.

−3 pts

🟡

Dried Cheese Product

Vague dairy product. 'Product' qualifier means it may not be actual cheese — could be processing waste. Lactose concern for sensitive dogs.

−1 pts

✅

Sodium Phosphate

Buffering agent. Generally safe in appropriate amounts.

❌

Vegetable Oil

UNSPECIFIED. Could be any cheap oil blend — soybean, corn, canola, or a mix. Zero transparency. No omega-3 value.

−3 pts

⚠

Added Color

UNSPECIFIED artificial color. The label does not name the specific dye. There is zero nutritional reason to color dog food. This triggers the mandatory artificial color structural deduction as well.

−2 pts

✅

Potassium Chloride

Potassium supplement. Standard and safe.

✅

Vitamin E Supplement

Essential vitamin.

✅

Thiamine Mononitrate

Vitamin B1. Essential.

✅

Niacin Supplement

Vitamin B3.

✅

d-Calcium Pantothenate

Vitamin B5.

✅

Vitamin A Supplement

Essential vitamin.

✅

Riboflavin Supplement

Vitamin B2.

✅

Biotin

B vitamin for skin/coat health.

✅

Vitamin B12 Supplement

Essential vitamin.

✅

Pyridoxine Hydrochloride

Vitamin B6.

✅

Vitamin D3 Supplement

Essential vitamin.

✅

Folic Acid

B vitamin.

✅

Choline Chloride

Essential nutrient for liver function.

✅

Ferrous Sulfate

Iron supplement.

✅

Zinc Oxide

Zinc supplement. Oxide form is less bioavailable than chelated forms but acceptable.

✅

Copper Proteinate

Chelated copper — good bioavailability.

⚠

Sodium Selenite

Inorganic selenium. Toxic in excess. Organic selenium yeast would be the safer choice.

−2 pts

✅

Manganese Sulfate

Mineral supplement.

✅

Potassium Iodide

Iodine supplement.

⚠

Natural Flavor

Source never disclosed. 'Natural flavor' in pet food is often animal digest under a friendlier name. Complete lack of transparency.

−2 pts

⚠

Garlic Powder

Garlic contains thiosulfate which is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. Small amounts may be safe, but its inclusion is controversial and unnecessary. Listed near the end so the amount is likely very small.

−2 pts

❌

Onion Powder

ONION IS TOXIC TO DOGS. Onion contains N-propyl disulfide which destroys red blood cells, causing Heinz body anemia. Even small amounts over time are cumulative. There is NO safe reason to put onion powder in dog food. This is an irresponsible formulation decision by the manufacturer.

−5 pts

⚖ What's Good / What's Bad

Good

✅ Contains named whole meats (chicken, bacon, beef)

✅ Complete vitamin and mineral supplementation

✅ Copper proteinate is a chelated mineral — better bioavailability

✅ Guar gum is a safe, natural thickener

Bad

❌ ONION POWDER — toxic to dogs, causes hemolytic anemia; should never be in dog food

❌ Unspecified 'Meat By-Products' — 4D animal risk; Ol' Roy specifically had FDA-confirmed pentobarbital contamination

❌ Unspecified 'Liver' — no species identified

❌ Unspecified 'Vegetable Oil' — zero transparency

❌ Unspecified 'Added Color' — zero nutritional purpose, coloring dog food is done only for human eyes

❌ Wheat flour + soy flour + wheat gluten — triple allergen load used to inflate protein cheaply

❌ Potato starch + corn starch + soy flour — three refined fillers padding a cheap formula

❌ Protein percentage is misleadingly inflated by wheat gluten, soy flour, and wheat flour

❌ Sodium selenite — inorganic form of selenium, toxic in excess

❌ Garlic powder — contains thiosulfate, toxic compound for dogs

❌ Ol' Roy is Walmart's private label brand — no full-time board-certified veterinary nutritionist on staff, no published research, no feeding trials

🧬 Potential Cancer-Linked Ingredients

✅ None found.

📊 Score Breakdown

Start score100 pts

Ingredient penalties−36 pts

❌ No named whole-meat protein in top 3 ingredients (Water #1, Chicken #2, Meat By-Products #3 — by-products do NOT count, but Chicken IS in position #2, so this deduction does NOT apply)−0 pts

❌ Primary protein source is a by-product or unspecified — the first protein-heavy ingredient after water is Chicken (named), but position #3 is unspecified Meat By-Products, and the protein is heavily padded by wheat gluten/soy flour. Chicken's contribution is diminished by water weight. The real protein backbone of this food is by-products + plant proteins.−0 pts

❌ Contains unspecified 'Meat By-Products' anywhere on label — lowest-tier rendered ingredient with confirmed pentobarbital contamination risk in this specific brand−10 pts

❌ Three or more filler starches/refined carbs present (Wheat Flour, Potato Starch, Corn Starch, Soy Flour = 4 fillers)−10 pts

❌ Artificial colors present ('Added Color' — unspecified dye with zero nutritional purpose)−8 pts

Final score36/100

💬 The Verdict

Ol' Roy Bacon Cheeseburger Flavor is a textbook example of the cheapest possible dog food. Unspecified meat by-products from a brand with confirmed pentobarbital contamination history, four refined filler starches, unspecified artificial coloring, protein inflated by wheat gluten and soy flour, and — most alarmingly — onion powder, which is toxic to dogs. This is a product designed to hit the lowest possible price point with zero regard for canine health.

🧨 Final Verdict

This is an F-grade dog food. Ol' Roy is Walmart's bottom-shelf private label brand — no veterinary nutritionist, no feeding trials, no published research. This specific product contains unspecified meat by-products from a brand the FDA flagged for pentobarbital contamination. It contains ONION POWDER, which is toxic to dogs and causes cumulative red blood cell damage. The protein is propped up by wheat gluten, wheat flour, and soy flour — three of the cheapest plant protein sources in the industry. There are four refined filler starches. There is unspecified artificial coloring. The 'Bacon Cheeseburger Flavor' name is marketing theater — beef is the 8th ingredient, bacon is 7th, and the 'cheese' is a dried cheese product listed 15th. The real star ingredients are water, by-products, and wheat. This product has no business being fed to any dog. There are significantly better wet foods available at every price point.