Is Taste of the Wild WSAVA-Approved?
WSAVA does not approve, certify, or endorse any dog food brand. No such list exists. What "WSAVA-approved" actually refers to is whether a manufacturer satisfies the five questions the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee tells owners to ask. Taste of the Wild meets 1 of the 5, so it sits between the fully compliant brands and those that meet none. It substantiates its diets through formulation to AAFCO profiles rather than feeding trials, and typically costs $40–$65 per month for a 50 lb adult dog.
Taste of the Wild against the 5 WSAVA questions
| WSAVA question | Taste of the Wild |
|---|---|
| Employs a full-time qualified veterinary nutritionist | No |
| Diets formulated by a credentialed expert | Partial |
| Substantiates diets with AAFCO feeding trials | No |
| Owns and operates its manufacturing plants | Yes |
| Runs a documented quality-control program | Partial |
| Criteria fully met | 1 of 5 |
| Typical monthly cost (50 lb dog) | $40 – $65 |
Taste of the Wild across our catalogue
We track 57 complete-and-balanced Taste of the Wild dog foods. Everything below is measured from those products rather than from the brand's marketing.
- Products tracked
- 57
- Dry / wet
- 51 / 6
- Adult / puppy / senior
- 16 / 9 / 0
- With by-products
- 0 of 57
AAFCO substantiation
Formulated to meet AAFCO profiles
Taste of the Wild substantiates adequacy by formulation, meaning the recipe is calculated and laboratory-analysed against AAFCO nutrient profiles rather than fed to dogs in a trial. This is legal, common, and weaker evidence than a feeding trial.
What Taste of the Wild actually contains
Guaranteed-analysis figures are label minimums, shown separately by food type because a 10%-moisture kibble and a 78%-moisture canned food are not comparable as-fed.
| Form | Products | Crude protein | Crude fat (median) | Energy (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dry | 44 | 25–32% (median 27.5%) | 15% | 3,630 kcal/kg |
We hold 6 wet Taste of the Wild products but their published moisture figures are not physically possible for canned food, so we are not reporting nutrition for them rather than repeating numbers we do not trust.
A cross-section of the Taste of the Wild line
12 of the 48 Taste of the Wild products whose label data we were able to verify, spread across the range. Repeat recipes at different bag sizes are collapsed to one entry.
| Product | Life stage | Protein | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Pet Foods 074198610358 High Prairie Canine Formula With Roasted Bison And Venison Dry Dog Food, 5 Lb | Adult | 26% | 15% | $7.00/lb |
| Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag | , | 32% | 18% | $1.07/lb |
| Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Smoke-Flavored Salmon with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag | All life stages | 30% | 15% | $6.42/lb |
| Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 14-lb | All life stages | 26% | 15% | $2.14/lb |
| Taste of the Wild High Prairie Bison and Venison 28 Pound Bag | All life stages | 28% | 17% | $1.54/lb |
| Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food with Roasted Bison and Venison for Puppies 28lb | Puppy | 28% | 17% | $2.18/lb |
| Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Canned Dog Food, 13.2-oz, case of 12 | All life stages | 7.5% | 3.5% | $3.74/lb |
| Taste of The Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free Dry Dog Food With Smoke-Flavored Salmon 5lb | Adult | 27% | 15% | $4.00/lb |
| Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Salmon in Gravy Wet Dog Food Cans 12 Pack 13.2 Ounce Ea. | Adult | 7.5% | 3.5% | , |
| Taste of the Wild Pine Forest Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag | , | 28% | 15% | $1.14/lb |
| Taste of the Wild PREY Angus Beef Recipe Limited Ingredient Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag | All life stages | 27% | 15% | $2.68/lb |
| Taste of the Wild PREY Turkey Formula Limited Ingredient Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag | , | 30% | 15% | $2.64/lb |
What Taste of the Wild costs
Across 53 priced products the median works out at $2.79 per pound, with most falling between $2.11 and $4.00. That is below the $3.74 median for dry dog food across every brand we track.
Bagged retail pricing only. Packages under 2 lb are excluded because their per-pound figures are unreliable.
Strengths
- Lower price than most premium kibbles
- Owned manufacturing through Diamond
- Recipes built around novel proteins (bison, salmon, venison)
Watch-outs
- Historical contamination recalls (notably 2012 Salmonella)
- No board-certified veterinary nutritionist on staff
- Grain-free lines implicated in FDA DCM investigation
Who Taste of the Wild suits
Best for: Owners drawn to novel protein lineups at moderate prices.
Avoid if: You want full WSAVA compliance or have a dog with cardiac risk factors.
Taste of the Wild head-to-head
Personalized recommendation
WSAVA compliance is one input. Your dog is the other.
IntelliBowl's free 60-second quiz ranks 13+ brands (including Taste of the Wild) against your dog's age, breed, weight, activity, allergies, and budget. Completely free.
Methodology: Scores reflect Taste of the Wild's publicly documented manufacturer-quality practices as of May 2026, assessed against the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee's 5-question rubric. WSAVA itself does not certify, approve, or rank any brand. Monthly cost reflects typical US 2026 retail for a 50 lb adult dog at premium spec, before autoship discounts. See our recommendation methodology.