Gather Dog Food Review

Reviews October 6, 2021

Gather Dog Food Review

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Gather dog food is made from certified, organic, sustainable ingredients. A Canadian brand, Gather is produced by Petcurean.

Their recipes are non-GMO with no by-products or rendered ingredients, no antibiotics or added growth hormones, no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and no wheat, corn, or soy.

Sound interesting? Learn more about Gather dog food with our unbiased review.

Gather Dog Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

Product NameFood TypeProteinkcal/Cup/Can/Tray
Gather Endless Valley Vegan Dry Dog FoodDry food22%385 kcal/cup
Gather Free Acres Organic Free-Run Chicken Dry Dog FoodDry food30%399 kcal/cup
Gather Wild Ocean Line-Caught Cod Dry Dog FoodDry food30%393 kcals/cup

Brand Score

Gather Dog Food
Brand
Overall Score
Pros
  • All of their foods are certified, with organic ingredients, and use sustainable resources
  • Every ingredient in Gather is non-GMO
  • Recipes contain no antibiotics, added growth hormones, by-products, and artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
Cons
  • Gather only has three kibble formulas at this time
  • Expensive
  • Uses lots of peas and lentils
Pros
  • All of their foods are certified, with organic ingredients, and use sustainable resources
  • Every ingredient in Gather is non-GMO
  • Recipes contain no antibiotics, added growth hormones, by-products, and artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
Cons
  • Gather only has three kibble formulas at this time
  • Expensive
  • Uses lots of peas and lentils
Ingredients
Overall Quality
Customer Experience
Recall History
Formulation
Nutritional Standards
Research
Price

Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.

We’ve examined Gather dog food closely and graded the brand according to the PupJunkies.com standard. Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.

About Gather Dog Food

Gather is one of the brands made by Petcurean Nutrition, a Canadian pet food company based in British Columbia. Along with Gather, their popular brands include Now Fresh and Go! Solutions. Gather was launched in 2016.
On their web site, Petcurean emphasizes their commitment to sustainability.

The company has a Nutrition Manager who has a Ph.D. in companion animal nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. Gather is made using organic, sustainable ingredients.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Gather dog food meets requirements for organic ingredients according to both Canada Organic and USDA Organic. (You can learn more about the organic standards for the two countries here. While they are similar, there are some differences.)

Gather works with partners who follow humane animal welfare practices. They also produce a vegan dog food that is certified vegan. Their foods have certification from the Marine Stewardship Council eat-sustainable-seafood so you know their fish come from well-managed, sustainable fisheries. Gather was the first Canadian maker of kibble to obtain this certification.

At this time Gather has three kibbles available.

Petcurean kibbles are produced in Ontario, Canada. According to the company, the fruits and vegetables used in their dog foods come from the human food chain. The krill in Gather comes from the oceans around Antarctica.

All of the meat proteins, grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables in Gather are sourced from North America with the exception of the pasture-raised lamb and grass-fed venison which is sourced from Australia and New Zealand (from EU-certified plants).

This is what the company says about ingredients from China, when pressed: “Gather Free Acres source the majority of their vitamins from a Canadian supplier. The countries of origin where their vitamins and minerals are sourced include: Canada, the USA, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, and China (vitamin B6 only).

Their vitamin supplier provides a Certificate of Authenticity with each shipment and, operate HACCP certified facilities (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) that have protocols for traceability, and initiatives that enable transparency in the supply chain.”

Recall History

We didn’t find any recalls for Gather pet foods.

Go! Solutions, another Petcurean brand, did have a recall in November 2003. All of the pet food products made for the company by a plant in Texas at that time were recalled due to reports of liver disease/liver failure.

What Kinds Of Dog Food Does Gather Offer?

At this time Gather only offers three recipes:

• Gather Wild Ocean Line-caught Cod Recipe for Adult Dogs
• Gather Free Acres Organic Free-Run Chicken Recipe for Adult Dogs
• Gather Endless Valley Vegan Recipe for Adult Dogs

All of their foods are certified, with organic ingredients, and use sustainable resources. Gather contains 100 percent certified organic whole chicken, peas, flaxseed, oatmeal and barley. One-hundred percent of their line-caught cod and krill is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council to be sustainably harvested. Every ingredient in Gather is non-GMO.

Even their bags are made from 30 percent bio-based plastic produced from sugarcane, a renewable raw material. The bags are a certified USDA bio-based product.

Gather Dog Food: Top Three Recipes Reviewed

Here’s a look at some of the bestselling Gather dog food recipes on Chewy.com to give you an idea of what’s popular and what other dog lovers are choosing for their dogs.

1.

GATHER ENDLESS VALLEY VEGAN DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 22% Min
  • Fat: 11% Min
  • Fiber: 4% Max
  • Calories: 3502 kcal/kg or 385 kcal/cup

Ingredients:

Gather Endless Valley Vegan Dry Dog Food is Gather’s bestselling dog food on Chewy.com. It appears to be a favorite with people looking for a vegan dog food. This is a maintenance food for adult dogs only. It’s available in 6- and 16-lb bags. While most veterinarians discourage people from feeding their dogs a vegan diet, some dogs may need to eat a food without meat for health or allergy reasons. Other people feed a vegan diet for ethical reasons.

Here are the ingredients in this formula:

Organic Peas, Organic Barley, Organic Oats, Lentils, Organic Sunflower Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Potatoes, Quinoa, Organic Flaxseed, Primary Dried Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Vegetable Flavoring, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Choline Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D2 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (A Source Of Vitamin C), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Selenium Yeast), Taurine, Dl-Methionine, L-Lysine, Dried Rosemary.

This recipe is completely free of animal ingredients, rendered ingredients, corn, wheat, soy or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. All ingredients are non-GMO.

This recipe does contain large amounts of some of the ingredients that have been called into question by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in relation to nutrient-related dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). No definitive link has been established but there is a strong suspicion https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy that these ingredients may be related to heart problems in some dogs. Researchers have suggested feeding foods that keep these ingredients lower in the ingredient list.

The dry matter basis (DMB) figures for this food are: 24.4 percent protein, 12.2 percent fat, 4.4 percent fiber, and (approx.) 51.1 percent carbohydrates. It has 385 kcal/cup.

Our rating for this food is 3 out of 5 stars.
2.

GATHER FREE ACRES ORGANIC FREE-RUN CHICKEN DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 30% Min
  • Fat: 15% Min
  • Fiber: 5% Max
  • Calories: 3628 kcal/kg or 399 kcal/cup

Ingredients:

Gather Free Acres Organic Free-Run Chicken Dry Dog Food features sustainably-raised, open-pasture organic chicken. It has non-GMO vegetables and it's free of any antibiotics, added growth hormones, by-products, and artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. This is an adult maintenance formula. It's available in 6- and 16-lb bags.

Here are the ingredients in this formula:

Organic Chicken, Organic Dehydrated Chicken, Organic Peas, Lentils, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Krill Meal, Organic Flaxseed, Blueberries, Cranberries, Egg Shell Meal, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Inositol, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (A Source Of Vitamin C), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Selenium Yeast), Dried Rosemary.

Gather Free Acres Organic Free-Run Chicken Dry Dog Food has 33.3 percent protein and 16.7 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 5.6 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates is 36.7 percent. It has 399 kcal per cup.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars.
3.

GATHER WILD OCEAN LINE-CAUGHT COD DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 30% Min
  • Fat: 15% Min
  • Fiber: 4.5% Max
  • Calories: 3574 kcal/kg or 393 kcal/cup

Ingredients:

Gather Wild Ocean Line-Caught Cod Dry Dog Food uses sustainably-fished, line-caught Alaskan cod along with non-GMO vegetables. This formula contains no antibiotics, added growth hormones, by-products, or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It's available in 6- and 16-lb bags.

Here are the ingredients in this formula:

Cod, Dehydrated Cod, Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Organic Sunflower Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Krill Meal, Organic Flaxseed, Kale, Carrots, Egg Shell Meal, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Inositol, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (A Source Of Vitamin C), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Selenium Yeast), Dried Rosemary.

Peas, chickpeas, and lentils are all legumes. Legumes have been associated with a nutrient form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Researchers have suggested avoiding foods that contain large amounts of these ingredients. (The first 5-7 ingredients listed usually make up most of the contents of a dog food.) Being organic or non-GMO makes no difference.

This formula has 33.3 percent protein and 16.7 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 5 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 37.2 percent. This food has 393 kcal per cup.

Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.

How Much Does Gather Dog Food Cost?

Gather dog foods are very expensive, even compared to other premium foods.

What Do Customers Think Of Gather Dog Food?

Gather gets moderately good ratings from buyers. Between 85 and 92 percent of customers say they would recommend the foods to others. There are 4- and 5-star reviews along with some negative reviews. Some customers report that their dogs refused to eat the food.

Overall, Is Gather Dog Food A Good Choice?

Without question, many of the ingredients in Gather’s dog foods are excellent. However, we have trouble recommending their vegan food unless your dog absolutely cannot eat meat protein for health reasons.

In that case, you should probably be working with your veterinarian to find an appropriate diet. That said, Gather’s vegan recipe is their most popular formula, possibly because it is hard to find good vegan dog foods.

As for their other recipes, again, most of the ingredients look good but these foods contain large amounts of peas and lentils – ingredients which have been in the news in the last several years because they may contribute to heart problems in some dogs. You will have to use your own judgment about buying these foods.

Where Is Gather Dog Food Sold?

You can find Gather dog food at Chewy.com and other online retailers. Gather can also be found at some pet supply stores.

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Carlotta Cooper is a long-time contributing editor for the weekly dog show magazine DN Dog News. She's the author of The Dog Adoption Bible, a Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) award winner. In addition, she is an American Kennel Club Gazette breed columnist and the author of several books about dogs. She has been reviewing pet foods and writing about dog food for more than 10 years.
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