Frequently Asked Questions

All Solid Gold foods are “complete and balanced” for the life stage designated and do not require supplementation. However, many pets can benefit from extra supplementation for specific conditions or for overall health.

While Solid Gold is not certified organic, we do use the most high quality ingredients from the most natural sources.

While “human grade” is not a legal term that can be used in conjunction with animal feed manufacturing, we utilize only high quality ingredients that pass strict quality control measures.

Our canned tuna products for cats are made using smaller species of tuna, which are known to have minimal levels of mercury contamination compared to the larger species of tuna commonly eaten by people.

Our US sourced meats are USDA inspected. Some of our unique proteins such as quail and duck are from France and fall under French food safety laws and our lamb and venison falls under Australian and New Zealand food safety laws. All our veggies, fruits, grains, etc are very high quality but the term “human grade” is not applicable when it comes to pet food ingredients. No matter the quality of the ingredient, once they are used to make animal food, they can legally no longer be called “human grade”.

SeaMeal provides trace vitamins and minerals that are naturally occurring in the raw ingredients. It is not a full vit/min supplement and will not provide enough calcium for a home cooked diet.

Dog

Howling at the Stars (Canned)
Alternative options with whole grains: Hund-N-Flocken, Star Chaser
Alternative options grain free: Leaping Waters, Sun Dancer

Green Cow 3.5oz Cup
Alternative option: Green Cow 13.2oz Can

Cat

Furrever Young Turkey, Potato and Cranberry
Alternative option: Winged Tiger

Nature’s Harmony Chicken, Peas and Potatoes with Cranberries
Alternative option: Let’s Stay In Chicken, Lentils & Apples

Holistic Delights Crab & Coconut Milk
Alternative options: Holistic Delights Chicken & Coconut Milk,  Holistic Delights Tuna & Coconut Milk, Holistic Delights Salmon & Coconut Milk, Holistic Delights Turkey & Coconut Milk

Holistic Delights Shrimp & Coconut Milk
Alternative options: Holistic Delights Chicken & Coconut Milk,  Holistic Delights Tuna & Coconut Milk, Holistic Delights Salmon & Coconut Milk, Holistic Delights Turkey & Coconut Milk

SUPPLEMENTS

D-Zyme Powder
Alternative option: D-Zyme + Probiotics Chews

Stop Eating Poop Powder
Alternative option: Stop Eating Poop Chews

Joint Health Chews
Alternative option: Advanced Joint Health Chews

Calming Aid Chews
No Alternative option at this time.

Skin and Coat Chews
Alternative option: SeaMeal Chews

TREATS

All Superfood Chewy Treats
No alternative options at this time.

We currently do not offer samples, but we do have coupons – please sign up for our newsletter to receive an instant welcome coupon and future offers we send out!

Some of the independent retailers that carry our products have frequent buyer programs, but it does depend on the retailer so please contact your local retailer to see what programs they offer.

It is completely fine to sprinkle the SeaMeal powder on top of your pets’ food without mixing it with water. The nutrients are fully absorbable in powder form. We only recommend mixing it with water in order to evenly distribute it amongst the kibble. We hope your pets enjoy!

At Solid Gold®, we're only happy if your pet is happy, which is why our products also come with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. That means if you're ever unsatisfied with your Solid Gold® product for any reason at all, let us know and we'll make it right. No catch, no fine print, and certainly no barking back. We're here for you no matter what it takes. That simple.

Solid Gold does not currently offer a breeder program. However, please feel free to provide us with your information that we can keep on file in case we do put one together.

We do not currently have sample sizes of our products available. However, with our 100% satisfaction guarantee, if a product does not work out you can return it to the retailer for a refund or exchange. This way you can try risk free!

Solid Gold does not participate in any invasive animal testing. We do however work with reputable kennels to feed test new innovation for palatability and digestibility. Also, our own Solid Gold pets happily participate in any palatability testing.

Solid Gold supports responsible, ethical dog and cat breeding.

In our 45 years of being in operation, we have had a voluntarily recall for one batch of Wolf King and one batch of Wolf Cub during the industry wide salmonella recalls in 2012. No samples for either product tested positive for salmonella. These two batches were recalled out of an abundance of caution. Pet safety is our number one priority and we take necessary precautions to ensure our products are safe for pets.

Extruding is a process that used heat, steam, and pressure to cook kibble and break down the starches in the grains. This is one of the most important aspects in processing pet food because the starch is not digestible until it is broken down. An extrusion machine looks like a big screw that rotates. Pressure is used to shoot the dough through a “die” to form the kibble shapes.

Baking just uses heat. Baked foods have to be exposed to a much higher heat for a longer period of time to break down the starch. There is NO digestibility difference between baked and extruded foods, all things being the same. Companies that baked their foods used to flout it as better, but it is not. Most companies that baked their food have gone to extruding in the past few years – the biggest being Wellness.

Switching to any new dog food should be a gradual transition over 7 to 10 days.  Replace 25% of the current food with Solid Gold pet food for 2 to 3 days, then feed a little more Solid Gold pet food over the next 5 to 7 days until they are eating a Solid Gold formula exclusively. This gradual transition will help reduce any digestive upsets that may occur due to the change in diet.

Solid Gold operates what we call a “positive release” program with all our foods. When a batch of food is made, samples are taken from the batch and sent to a lab for various analyses for pathogens such as salmonella. Once the test results come back and are approved, the food is released for shipment to our warehouse for distribution. With this, you can be assured that Solid Gold food has been tested and approved.

Origin of all meat proteins:

• Venison - Australia

• Turkey - USA

• Chicken - USA

• Beef - USA

• Bison - USA

• Menhaden Herring (ocean fish meal) - USA

• Pollock - USA

• Quail - France

• Duck - France

• Salmon – Bering Strait

• Lamb - USA

• Lamb Meal - New Zealand OR Australia

Sissy McGill, the beloved founder and matriarch of the Solid Gold Family, passed away. She lived a remarkable life dedicated to the health and happiness of pets everywhere. Even well into her later years, she remained passionate about her mission, working at her Holistic Gold Nutrition Center in California and serving as Solid Gold’s greatest advocate. Her legacy of innovation, compassion, and commitment to holistic pet nutrition continues to inspire us all.

Solid Gold is concerned about the use of GMOs and prefers to use non-GMO ingredients. However, we are not certified non-GMO.

Our fishmeal ingredient is preserved with Naturox, a natural antioxidant, at the time the fish is processed to prevent rancidity on the trip to the manufacturing facility.

We recommend using the food within 6 to 8 weeks after opening.

Berry Balance helps to acidify the urine and is commonly used for dogs and cats with struvite crystals. It can be combined with a regular adult maintenance dog or cat food for customers that do not want to use prescription dog foods.

Cranberries and blueberries contain proanthocyanidins that can help prevent adhesion of bacteria to the bladder and urinary tract wall. Despite common perception, cranberry does not have a great acidifying effect; ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is added to Berry balance as an acidifier.

Berry Balance should only be used if the urine pH is too alkaline. It is very important to closely monitor the pet’s urine pH while using Berry Balance.

D-Zyme is a digestive enzyme supplement that can be extremely helpful for dogs and cats with chronic digestive problems. Lactose is used as a carrier for the enzymes.

DL-Methionine is an amino acid often added to foods to help promote an acidic urine, which supports a healthy urinary tract.

Kcal is interchangeable with the word calories. In pet food labeling, calories are referred to as kcals.

Why don’t your products contain chondroitin and glucosamine?

We do not include glucosamine and chondroitin in our foods due to the fact that every pet differs in their needs so we recommend using a joint supplement in addition to the food to help with joint heatlh.

The omega fatty acids and superfood components in our foods contain powerful natural anti-inflammatories which will support joint health as well.

Meat meals, such as lamb meal and chicken meal are meats that have been cooked to reduce the water and fat content, making them a supersized protein source. Fresh meats contain approximately 70% water, which is eliminated during the cooking process.

Example: Whole chicken contains about 70% water and 18% protein. After cooking, the resulting chicken meal contains just 10% water and 65% protein - nearly four times more protein than whole chicken.

We only use specifically identified, high quality meat meal from certified sources.

The “ocean fish meal” used in Solid Gold foods is Atlantic Menhaden Herring, sourced from the Atlantic Ocean.

SeaMeal is a great supplement for overall health. It is kelp based so it is high in trace vitamins, minerals and amino acids. SeaMeal also contains flax meal which is a great source of Omegas that are beneficial for skin and hair coat as well as benefiting other organ systems. Additionally, it contains a small amount of a digestive enzyme which helps the pet better digest and metabolize their food. We receive many reports from customers stating that this is a great product and their pet’s look and feel so much better since adding this to their diets.

We recommend storing the food in the original bag, which should be stored in a cool dry place. Pouring the food in to a separate container exposes it to a rush of air and can increase the rate at which it will oxidize, decreasing the shelf-life. By leaving the food in the bag, it becomes a barrier and provides an extra layer of protection.

Canned foods should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 3-4 days.

Can Solid Gold foods be frozen to extend the shelf life?

We have not conducted studies about how long freezing may extend the shelf life of Solid Gold foods. If a customer chooses to freeze, we recommend only defrosting a couple days’ worth of dry food to help prevent mold growth caused by excess moisture. An easy way to freeze canned food is in ice cube trays for simple serving sizes.

On June 27, 2019, the FDA issued a follow up report to its previous communications concerning its investigation into a possible link between grain free diets and Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heart condition in which the heart becomes enlarged making it more difficult to sufficiently pump blood. Certain breeds of dogs, particularly Golden Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, and Irish Wolfhounds are thought to have a genetic predisposition to developing DCM. It is less common in toy and small breeds.

Solid Gold has been actively monitoring this situation since the FDA first announced it was investigating a link between diet and DCM. In its latest report, FDA provides a description of each DCM case it has investigated along with specific information such as Breed, Age, Gender, Brand of Food, Protein Source, Non Grain Carbohydrate source, etc.

While Solid Gold has not been identified by FDA as a dog food associated with any of DCM cases FDA is investigating, we want you to be aware of the steps we have been taking since the FDA investigation first came to light.

First, it is important to note that all Solid Gold dry dog foods on the market today were formulated by a Nutritionist with a PhD in animal nutrition.

Second, as FDA noted, it is still gathering information to better understand whether and how the amino acid taurine may play a role in these recent DCM reports.  While the role of taurine is still unclear, Solid Gold has nevertheless, as an added level of precaution, begun the process of adding additional taurine to all our dry dog recipes, including both our grain free and healthy whole grain options. All Solid Gold foods contain naturally occurring taurine from our high quality proteins including beef, lamb, chicken and fish, and this additional taurine will help ensure adequate amounts.

Throughout the past 45 years, Solid Gold has been passionately committed to providing the best holistic, natural nutrition for your pets and our own. The quality of our products and the satisfaction of your pet is our upmost priority. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly with any questions or concerns about the recent FDA press release at dane@solidgoldpet.com or 1-800-364-4863.  And of course, as FDA recommends, if your dog is showing possible signs of DCM or other heart conditions, including decreased energy, cough, difficulty breathing, and episodes of collapse, you should contact your veterinarian or seek emergency veterinary care as soon as possible.

Ex. I see 18% is the minimum amount of protein in Holistique Blendz, but what is the maximum?

The maximum amount of a nutrient value is generally 2% higher than the minimum listed. It is rare for the nutrient to reach that high, and generally stays much closer to the minimum, maybe 1% higher.

Do you have information on other nutrient values not listed on the label?

Yes, please contact us via phone, email or our contact page so that we can get any nutritional information to you.

Natural flavors is a hydrolized liver, which is applied to the outside of the kibble; hydrolized means the protein has been broken down (hypoallergenic) - process where the protein is pre-broken down so the body doesn't recognize it as protein; applied to outside like probiotics and canola oil; chicken liver - makes it taste & smell good; called palatant - every kibble has a palatant; US

All of our dog foods are formulated to promote a urine pH of 6.4 to 6.6.

All of our cat foods are formulated to promote a urine pH of 6.2 to 6.4.

Dry foods are stamped with a best use by date that is 18 months from the date of manufacture.

Canned foods are stamped with a best use by date that is (3) years from the date of manufacture.

Supplements are stamped with a best use by date that is (3) years from the date of manufacture.

Our dry foods are cooked to a minimum temperature of 185°F, to ensure a proper Kill Step has been achieved. The Kill Step is the minimum temperature that achieves 100% bacteria elimination.

Solid Gold treats are made in the United States with 100% US ingredients.

All Solid Gold dry dog and cat foods, treats and supplements are made in the USA. Our tuna based canned cat foods are made in Thailand in facilities that manufacture human consumption tuna and meet high quality and safety standards.

All Solid Gold Pet® dry dog, cat and canned/cup dog foods are made in the United States. Our canned cat foods are made in Thailand.

Some are from the U.S. and some are from Europe.

Solid Gold products are available around the world. For retail locations, please visit the store locator on our website, www.solidgoldpet.com. There are also numerous online retailers that carry Solid Gold. For international inquiries, please see the link to our list of international distributors at the bottom of our home page.

Superfoods

• Pumpkin from California

• Sweet Potato from North Carolina

• Cranberries from Canada

• Tomato Pomace from California

Whole Grains

• Brown Rice from Arkansas

• Oatmeal from Canada

Amino Acids

• Taurine from Japan

The seaweed is sourced in the Atlantic Ocean off the Eastern Coast of the US and Canada.

We thought it was time to make our outer appearance match the power within. Making the important qualities of our food stand out in a crowd allows ease of navigation for our customers! We think we have succeeded and hope you do too!

Eggs are nature’s perfect protein – providing essential amino acids to support your pet’s muscle growth and metabolism. Few foods can beat the nutritional impact of eggs; high-quality protein and fat along with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

These tiny holes in the bags are called “Micro perforations” and are put there intentionally to allow air to escape the bag during transport and storage. Trapped air can allow moisture to accrue, which is a breeding ground for mold and other bacteria. This way, when the air escapes it keeps the kibble dry and safe. These holes are actually an industry wide standard and if you look closely enough you will see they are on other pet food bags as well.

There have been numerous shelf studies done with these micro perforations and it has been shown that quality and safety of the food is not affected by them. All bags have these micro perforations, but where the holes are located on the bags depends on which manufacturing plant the food is produced in. Some have the two pinholes on the sides of the bag towards the top, while some have multiple along the lower sides of the bags.

All Solid Gold dry dog and cat foods supply both a natural prebiotic fibers and protected probiotics to provide optimal support for overall digestive health and nutrient absorption. These ingredients help to support your pet’s overall digestive health. Safe for cats and dogs of all life stages and sizes.

Why both: Natural prebiotics fibers feed the probiotics, which are protected in the cooking process, thus enhance their positive actions.

Like our other canned foods, we do not use artificial ingredients or coloring in our products which can cause variation, but Green Beef Tripe is naturally a very inconsistent ingredient and the color and consistency depends heavily on what was in the cow’s stomach at time of processing. While we do test to ensure the quality and safety of the tripe, we try not to mess with the raw ingredient too much as it contains digestive enzymes, gastric juices and vitamins and minerals that make it such a great superfood.

All products are tested and inspected before being released from our facility, so if you have a can of Green Cow in your hand, rest assured it has gone through rigorous testing and is safe but can vary in color and consistency from batch to batch.

It is not uncommon for the consistency, color and/or odor of canned foods to vary from one production run to another and are a result of the “raw” ingredient colors, textures and moisture contents. The cannery strictly adheres to our specified formulation with every production run. They do not adjust the amount of liquid (broth) depending on the moisture content of the “raw” ingredients. Thus, if an ingredient has a higher moisture content, the final product will be more loose. The lower the moisture content, the more solid the final product will be. The same will be true regarding the odor; the stronger the odor of the “raw” ingredient (usually the meat), the stronger the final product odor will be. We do not add any artificial colors, so the coloration of the “raw” ingredients will determine the color of the final product.