Is Black Hawk dog food grain free

Dog Food

What makes Black Hawk pet food so good?

To put it simply, the thing that makes Black Hawk pet food so good is our ingredients. Every ingredient in every recipe has been carefully selected by our team of vets and pet nutritional experts for its nutritional value every item used in our pet foods provides a benefit, whether it's energy, immunity, joint health, digestive health or brain function.

As we say, every ingredient matters, so everything we pack into our dog foods is there for the benefit of your dog or puppy. Here are some of the ingredients we use in our pet foods.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Beet pulp This powerhouse vegetable is a wholesome source of fibre that natually delivers prebiotics to help support overall gut health for happier tummies and healthy stools.
• Berries Full of vitamin C and other powerful antioxidants, our blend of cranberries and blueberries can help control free radicals and protect against cell damage.
• Carrots A rich source of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body and may help vision.
• Sea kelp Iodine is essential for a well-functioning thyroid and this seaweed is packed full of it.
• Sweet potato A rich, natural source of fibre which can support the passage of food through your dogs intestine and assist the absorption of vital nutrients.

Herbs and Roots

• Rosemary Packed full of antioxidants and flavour, rosemary is also a natural preservative used to keep your pets food fresher for longer and may improve cell function.
• Chicory root A superfood when it comes to natural prebiotics. Its high inulin content helps feed beneficial bacteria to keep the gut balanced, which may help with gas and flatulence. A healthy microbiome can support dogs with food sensitivities.

Grains

• Oats A good source of carbohydrate and dietary fibre, providing a slow-release energy source and essential nutrients to the body and digestive tract.

Protein

• Chicken A highly digestible, delicious, lean and versatile protein packed with amino acids which are essential for building strong bones and muscles.
• Eggs Can aid muscle growth and maintenance. Eggs are a complete source of essential amino acids, the building blocks required for body structures and functions. Eggs are an easily digestible protein boost, containing choline which supports normal liver function.
• Kangaroo A lean meat for strong muscles. Naturally one of the leaner meats, kangaroo is nutrient rich in zinc and iron. Zinc can help with skin health, while iron is essential for muscle growth.

Oils

• Coconut Oil For easy digestion. This fat supports healthy metabolism and provides energy.
• Fish Oil For healthy skin, a shiny coat and joint support. Natural source of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.

Black Hawk dog food is extremely rich in nutrients and is packed with only the best ingredients hand-selected for the benefits theyll bring to your pet. All the nutrition they need with no unhealthy or artificial ingredients and only natural preservatives.

Original versus Grain Free Dog Food whats the difference?

At Black Hawk, we offer nutritious dog foods in both Original and Grain Free formulas in wet and dry dog food varieties. Grain Free Formulas are higher in protein and ideal for owners who wish to exclude grain from their dogs diet. Black Hawk Wet Dog Food can be fed as a complete, nutritionally balanced meal or in combination with dry food to supplement your dogs meal and provide some added variety.

Both Grain Free and Original dog foods are packed full of nutrition and come in a variety of options for dogs of different sizes and ages including specially formulated puppy food options.

When should I transition my puppy from puppy food to adult dog food?

We recommend transitioning your puppy from puppy to adult dog food between 10 and 18 months of age. Different sized breeds of dogs grow at a different rates, and generally smaller dog breeds are transitioned at an earlier age than large breeds.

For smaller breeds (under 15kg), transition at around 8-10 months of age.

For medium sized breeds between 15-25kg in weight, transition at around 12-15 months of age.

For large breeds above 25kg, we recommend transitioning at around 18-24 months of age.

Can I give adult dog food to my puppy?

You should feed your puppy specially formulated puppy food. While it wont harm your puppy to occasionally have adult dog food if you run out of puppy food, adult food doesnt meet your puppys nutritional needs. Puppy foods are typically more energy-dense compared with adult dog foods as puppies require more energy as they grow and develop.

Puppies also require higher levels of protein and specific amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals. Much the same way a human childs nutritional needs differ from those of an adult, a puppy requires tailored nutrition for the first 12 to 18 months of its life.

At Black Hawk, our team of vets and nutritionists has developed a range of puppy foods formulated especially for growing puppies with calorie-dense and extra fatty formulas designed to help them grow, learn and develop.

Does Black Hawk dog food contain any additives or preservatives?

Black Hawk wet and dry food contains only natural preservatives. A natural preservative is one that occurs naturally in nature, as opposed to a chemical preservative that is made synthetically such as BHT, BHA or ethoxyquin which are often found in cheaper brands.

The natural preservatives we use in our products include rosemary extract, vitamin E (tocopherol) and vitamin C.

Is Black Hawk a complete diet or a complete and balanced pet food?

Yes. Our pet foods are specially formulated to provide a complete diet solution this means your pet will receive all the vitamins, minerals, protein and nutrition they need from our pet food. Its important to note that every dog is different and your pet may have unique nutritional or medical needs which may require additional supplements to ensure optimal health.

You can also supplement your best friends diet with dog treats to help with training and as a reward for good behaviour. Oven-dried and made with natural preservatives, these treats can be used to teach your puppy new behaviours or to give your grown-up dog an extra treat.

What changes will I see in my dog after switching to Black Hawk?

When you switch from low-quality dog food to Black Hawks premium Australian dog foods you may notice a change in your pet. The benefits from a nutritious diet will take some weeks to take effect, but the advantage it has to the health and vitality of your dog in the long term is whats most important.

• Healthy, shiny coat Thanks to the special blend of oils in our dog foods, your pets skin and coat will be well supported by natural omega fatty acids. You may notice your dogs coat looking healthy and shiny with less shedding and dandruff. The high levels of omega fatty acids in the Black Hawk recipes may also help support your pets natural skin barrier function.
• High energy levels Black Hawk dog and cat foods are all packed full of valuable, easily digestible protein, combined with our special oil blend which means your pet has more energy for running and playing.
• Less mess One little-known benefit of an easily digestible, high-protein diet for dogs is the reduced amount of waste they produce. Because our formulas are easy to digest, more of your dogs diet will be absorbed and less will be excreted as poo, meaning less time spent cleaning up after your dog.

How do I transition my dog to a new brand of pet food?

You can get your dog to transition to a new pet food brand by adding a small amount of the new brand to its current food and gradually increasing the ratio until it has moved to the new brand. For example, you might start with 25% new food to old for the first few days, then up it to 50% for the next few and then 75% and so on. This not only helps your pet get used to the taste of the new food but also allows the good bacteria in your dogs gut to adapt to the new ingredients.

The key when transitioning your pet from one diet to another is to do it slowly. Whether youre switching from puppy food to adult food or from one brand to another, veterinarians recommend taking at least one week or preferably two weeks to make the switch. If you rush your pet into starting a new diet too quickly they can experience diarrhoea or other digestive issues as their gut bacteria wont have had time to adapt to the new food. While these symptoms should pass on their own, seek immediate veterinary advice if your pets condition deteriorates. We also recommend checking customer reviews before switching to a new wet or dry dog food.

How much should I feed my dog?

The amount of food your pet needs will vary depending on their age, weight, lifestyle and breed. Black Hawk pet foods come with a feeding guide which will offer a recommended serving size for your dog.

Its important to take into account changes to your pets lifestyle when following the standard feeding guide remember, these guides are general and your pets needs may vary. For instance, if you are walking your dog less during the winter months or your pet isnt as active as it used to be its important to cut down its serving size to ensure your pet doesnt gain too much weight.

Black Hawk Dog Food Review

Black Hawk Dog Food Review

As Aussies we love to buy Australian products. We also want the best for our dogs on a sensible budget, without breaking the bank.

Is that you?

I find Black Hawk dog food hits that sweet spot, being better than many, and more affordable than others. Its also made in Australia using ingredients sourced locally.

Caveat is, since the brand was taken over by New Zealand company Masterpet many moons ago, some Aussie consumers have had some negative stuff to say. But should you be concerned? More on this later

Related: Comparable brands can be found on the affordable dog foods page or the Aussie dog foods page, so it may be worth checking those out as well.

Where to buy Black Hawk Dog Food

Black Hawk Dog Food Review

What the marketing says

It seems Black Hawk Pet Care topped the charts for best-rated dog food in Australia 2021-2022 on Canstar Blue, with pet owners who took part in the survey rating it highly for overall satisfaction and value for money.

Black Hawk came second in the pet enjoyment category to Eukanuba, which also pipped the post for variety / range along with Hills Prescription Diet.

You may choose to buy Black Hawk for your dog based on such glowing stats, but what do the ingredients really say about this dog food and how appropriate it is for your dog?

And whats the negative stuff I keep hearing from consumers? Lets dig a little deeper!

What the ingredients really say?

Im always skeptical of surveys. Most of the time they dont offer a professional or knowledgeable insight into a product.

People can feed their dogs utter rubbish, and in the years before it starts taking a real toll on the health of their pets they will rave about the food and think its wonderful because their dog eats it enthusiastically.

Kids eat sweets enthusiastically! Does that make them nutritious and healthy?

Should you feed you kids lollies every day for breakfast, lunch, and tea, based on the metric kid enjoyment?

Nope, probably not!

Thankfully the ingredients in all the Black Hawk dog foods are pretty good, which is a much better metric for deciding if a dog food is right for your dog!

I find the Adult Lamb & Rice formula the best in terms of protein (25%) and fat (17%), which also means its the lowest carbohydrate formula in the Adult range thats a good thing, as your dog will benefit more from proteins and fat, especially those from animal ingredients.

Looking at the list of ingredients it would seem there are five main ingredients. By main I mean each one will be 10%+ of the formula, likely more. These are lamb meal, chicken meal, fish meal, ground rice, and oats. Possibly in equal amounts.

A meal is a pre-cooked version of a meat ingredient which comes as a powder. The upside is its protein dense, which assures us the protein in the food comes from meats (big tick), but on the flipside theres some negativity about quality (which really depends more on the meat quality) and the fact its cooked multiple times to create those nuggets we call biscuits.

When it comes to dog foods, if you want assurances on meat quality, then youre limited to premium raw or fresh diets which use human grade meats, rather than pet grade in kibbles.

A little sidetrack do you know why Americans call kibble kibble and Australians call them biscuits? I dont know the answer, but I suspect biscuits is the better marketing term as it sounds more appealing to us!

Back on track, its good to see three meat ingredients, and rice and oats are decent grains in moderation. Many dog owners are against grains, but usually the real issue is missed i.e. a dog food not having much meat, being mostly a cheap grain OR a load of potato or tapioca.

Grain free formulas tend to have better ingredients, which is also a reflection of their higher price tag.

Fish meal is a little ambiguous, and it would be better to see a named fish like salmon. But thats really my only quibble with the main ingredients.

When you consider Black Hawk dog food comes at an affordable price, especially in the big 20kg bags, the ingredients are still really good. Even the smaller less significant ingredients are decent, with a range of veggies, oils (canola, fish, and emu oil), plus chondroitin and glucosamine for joint support.

These are the reasons you should buy Black Hawk dog food, especially if youre currently feeding one of the many dog foods full of wheat and cereal grains. If thats you, consider Black Hawk an upgrade!

Grain or grain-free? Does it matter?

Theres a decent variety in the Black Hawk range, including grain-based, grain-free, and formulas for puppies, senior dogs, large breeds, and also a really good working dog formula which I find far better than others in that category.

Although I focus on a grain formula in this review, consider the grain-free formulas a little better in terms of ingredients, but a little pricier as well.

Grains in moderation can provide nutritional benefits for dogs, especially decent grains like the rice and oats in Black Hawk formulas, and the added benefit is a lower price for these formulas.

If youre struggling to decide whether to go grain or grain-free, then I have an easy solution rotate between formulas!

What consumers say about Black Hawk dog food

When I review a dog food I aim to be pragmatic and focus the review on what the ingredients and analysis really say about the product, and tell you what the manufacturers and retailers dont want you to know.

Secondary to that, I receive a great deal of feedback from Australian pet owners on how theyve found a product.

With Black Hawk theres been some negativity, and I feel I must mention that to make this review complete.

Over the years Ive seen many consumer reports of gas and indigestion from dogs fed Black Hawk dog foods. Ive also seen many positive reports, which suggests only a few have had this smelly problem.

If you want to read more on those reports, then the comments section below is a great source of feedback from other dog owners.

If you decide to feed your dog Black Hawk, and your dog seems to get a lot of wind or belly ache, then my advice would be swapping to a different brand these ones are in a similar price bracket.

Do you already feed Black Hawk to your dogs? Let me know your experiences in the comments!

Found this review helpful? If it has, please take the time to share it, leave a comment, or spread the word about how wonderful Pet Food Reviews is as a resource. Thank you!

Black Hawk Products (Original)

The Black Hawk dog food products covered by this review:

If grains arent your thing, heres the review of the Black Hawk Grain Free formulas.

Black Hawk Dog Food Review Summary

Feeding a dog, for many, can be expensive. In truth the real cost can be from feeding many of the terrible quality foods which eventually lead to huge vet bills and heartbreak.

Hopefully Black Hawk dog food offers many a somewhat affordable base diet which can always be supplemented with fresh meats, offal, and species appropriate bones to really boost overall health.

Black Hawk isnt the best dog food reviewed on this website, but its still better than many.

Black Hawk Ingredients

The ingredients of Black Hawk Original Adult Chicken & Rice dry dog food:

Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Oats, Fish Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols [source of Vitamin E], Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract), Field Peas, Beet pulp, Kelp, Canola Oil, Salt, Essential Vitamins & Minerals, Natural Antioxidants, Emu Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Tomato Powder, Carrots, Dried Blueberries, Dandelion, Peppermint, Rosemary, Cranberries.

Black Hawk Guaranteed Analysis

The guaranteed analysis of Black Hawk Original Adult Chicken & Rice dry dog food:

Black Hawk dog food recalls

There are no known Black Hawk dog food recalls at the current time.

Previous Black Hawk dog food recalls:

• January 2020 Various Black Hawk dog food formulas recalled due to mould. Voluntary recall. Affected formulas: Black Hawk Adult Chicken and Rice (3kg, 10kg and 20kg), Black Hawk Adult Lamb and Rice (3kg and 20kg), Black Hawk Adult Large Breed Chicken and Rice (20kg only) and Black Hawk Puppy Large Breed Chicken and Rice (20kg only).

PROS

• Decent protein and fat content from meats
• Well selected grains (oats are a good choice)