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Essence vs. Solid Gold

In this comparison article for Essence vs Solid Gold, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Essence and Solid Gold, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Solid Gold vs Essence comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Essence Review Page or Solid Gold Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Solid Gold vs. Essence

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Essence Dog Food vs. Solid Gold Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Crude Protein	40.9%	30.2%
Crude Fat	19.3%	14.7%
Crude Fiber	5.7%	5.5%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Crude Protein	46.2%	41.8%
Crude Fat	32.6%	24.8%
Crude Fiber	6.0%	6.2%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

The comparison table above shows that Essence dry dog foods provide significantly more protein than Solid Gold. More specifically, Essence guarantees at least 10.66% more protein. For wet dog foods, Essence provides more protein (about 4.39% more).

Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

There is a relatively large difference between the fat content of Essence and Solid Gold. On average, Solid Gold dry dog food recipes contain 4.58% less fat than Essence recipes. In addition, Essence wet dog foods also provide more fat than Solid Gold wet foods.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Solid Gold and Essence also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Essence Cat Food vs. Solid Gold Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Crude Protein	44.1%	39.9%
Crude Fat	18.5%	17.2%
Crude Fiber	4.8%	5.6%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Crude Protein	46.2%	53.6%
Crude Fat	31.8%	15.7%
Crude Fiber	4.8%	6.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

Solid Gold dry recipes contain 4.21% less protein than Essence dry recipes. This difference in protein content is a notable difference between Essence and Solid Gold. In addition, Solid Gold wet cat foods also provide more protein than Essence wet foods.

Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
Slow the growth of yeast infections
Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. For wet cat foods, Essence provides significantly more fat (about 16.11% more).

As you can see, Essence and Solid Gold guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Solid Gold and Essence also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Essence Pet Food Ingredients vs. Solid Gold Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Solid Gold.

Canola Oil

White Rice

Pea Protein

Dried Garlic

Garlic Powder

Tomato Pomace

Vegetable Oil

Dried Tomato Pomace

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Solid Gold.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Essence & Solid Gold?

According to our records, Essence has never been recalled.

Solid Gold has been recalled once.

May 8, 2012: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Per Pound	$4.11	$2.90
Per Calorie	$0.0024	$0.0018

Dry Cat Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Per Pound	$4.64	$3.62
Per Calorie	$0.0027	$0.0022

Wet Dog Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Per Pound	$4.99	$4.35
Per Calorie	$0.0090	$0.0095

Wet Cat Food	Essence	Solid Gold
Per Pound	$5.98	$8.21
Per Calorie	$0.0103	$0.0166

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Essence or Solid Gold, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Essence or Solid Gold will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Essence and Solid Gold. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.

Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Essence Pet Foods

You can purchase Essence pet foods from the following stores:

12 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Solid Gold Pet Foods

You can purchase Solid Gold pet food products from these retailers:

76 Recipes In-Stock Today

21 Recipes In-Stock Today

58 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Essence	Solid Gold
Dry Dog Food	6 Recipes	23 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	6 Recipes	13 Recipes
Dog Treats	None	None
Dry Cat Food	3 Recipes	8 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	3 Recipes	28 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None