The Joy Pet Food Review: Tested & Evaluated 2025
Written By Eloisa Thomas | Canine Coach, Double M.A in Anthropology.
Edited & Fact Checked By Renae Soppe | B.A Journalism & Science.
Last Updated: 6th January 2025
Are you looking for an all-Australian dog food? Today's Joy Pet food review is for you. Our expert team tried out this dog food to give you our first-hand information and review. Here’s everything you need to know!
Related: The Best Dog Food Australia.
Related: How To Choose The Right Dog Food?
Related: How Is Australia’s Dog Food Industry Regulated?
Related: What is AAFCO? The Association of American Feed Control Officials.
Related: What Is the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA)?
Related: AAFCO vs PFIAA: Dog Food Standards Comparison Australia.
Related: Understanding Guaranteed Analysis Levels in Dog Food.
Related: Real Meat vs Meat Meal.
Quick Pick - Our Best Rated Dog Food

Our Number 1 Pick -
Petzyo Dog Food
- Ethically sourced Kangaroo, Chicken or Salmon, sweet potato & superfood extras
- Iron-rich & low fat proteins
- Three Omega 3 and 6 rich oils with a well balanced 11% fat content
- Made in Australia
Australia's Joy Dog Food Reviewed

Joy Pet - 3 Star Rating
- Ingredients: Chicken & coconut oil recipe: Australian Chicken, Peas, Tapioca, Natural Fats, coconut oil, salmon oil, ground flaxseed, tomato pomace, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, broccoli, spinach, parsley, apples, blueberries, vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B12, D3, E, Beta-carotene, Niacin, -d Calcium pantothenate, Biotin, Folic acid, Magnesium, Iron, zinc, Manganese, Copper, Natural Probiotic, Natural prebiotic, Calcium Propionate, Rosemary extract & Green Tea extract.
- Named Protein First: Yes.
- Dog Food Type: Grain-free kibble
- Recipe Range: Chicken & coconut oil, Salmon & salmon; Kangaroo & lamb.
- Suitable For: All ages
- Cost: $$
- Australian Owned: Yes.
Today’s review is all about Joy Pet Food, an Australian dog food brand with plenty of goodies to discuss. A word of caution: although it sounds quite similar, this brand shouldn’t be confused with the American “Joy Dog Food”, which is a small-scale US brand that doesn’t sell in Australia. Australia’s Joy Pet food is exclusively sold at PetO locations, and is proudly made locally.
I tested this food alongside a few other team members, and then compared it with the top-rated dog foods in Australia. Here’s what you need to know:
Joy Pet Food Review | |
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Taste | |
Ingredients | |
Protein content | |
Additives | |
Variety | |
Price |
Taste 4/5
Our four testers liked this food. This grain-free kibble is more appetising than most, considering the high protein and fat percentage. However, my picky chihuahua had to be nudged a bit to finish his bowl. It might not be enticing enough for picky eaters, but this can easily be fixed with a homemade topper or adding some homemade broth.
Overall, our dogs liked it more than cheap kibble, but they weren’t as passionate about finishing their bowls as with Petzyo or Ziwi Peak.
I liked that Joy explicitly avoids artificial colourings and flavours, which isn’t that usual considering the Australian pet food industry is highly unregulated [1]. Overall, the taste of this food is a hit so we’re giving it 4 out of 5 stars.
Ingredients 3/5
These recipes feature great ingredients, always headed by animal protein and the guaranteed analysis is pretty much the same among the three recipes. This grain-free kibble features a minimum of 30% crude protein, 14% crude fats and 5% crude fibre. This is on-par with other high-quality kibble that prioritises protein and healthy fats.
Beyond the meat, the bulk of the food is made up of potatoes, peas and, in the case of the chicken recipe, tapioca. Our dogs much preferred the lamb and kangaroo recipe, since it has a little bit more meat and no tapioca.
Based on the ingredients, we’d recommend either the Lamb and kangaroo or the Ocean fish recipes. The chicken recipe seems high in carbs (peas and tapioca in second and third position respectively) and, although it’s supposed to be “chicken and coconut oil”, the coconut comes after the generic “natural fats” in the ingredient list. Overall, we’re not impressed with the chicken recipe. Our dogs weren’t huge fans either, but they did like the Joy pet food Lamb & kangaroo recipe.
If you’re looking for tasty chicken dog food, the same dogs absolutely loved Petzyo’s Chicken & turkey recipe.
Because of these shortcomings, we’re taking off 2 stars.
Protein content 4/5
Protein-wise, Joy Pet dog food does better than most kibble recipes. As mentioned above, all recipes pack a whopping 30% crude protein, way above the minimum AAFCO recommendations [2]. We like the option of both poultry and poultry-free recipes, which gives some options for those with allergies. However, it’s important to note that all recipes use peas, which likely bump up the total protein. Overall, our dogs liked the protein options so we’re giving this brand 4 out of 5.
Additives 3/5
We really liked most of the extras in these recipes. All three recipes feature healthy fats (flaxseed, salmon oil), some veggies (carrots, broccoli, kale, parsley) and some fruits (apples and blueberries).
The main issue we found with this food is the use of a blanket term, likely to make the food look better. The term “natural fats” appears in every recipe, and the exact nature of the fats is not disclosed. This could be anything, from healthy poultry fat or coconut oil, to palm oil, canola oil or a mix. Since companies want to make their ingredient lists look better, it’s likely this blanket term is used to cover something most consumers wouldn’t want.
Because of the lack of clarity in this issue, and since I personally wouldn’t feed my dog food with palm oil, I’m taking off 2 stars from this category.
Variety 4/5
This brand is relatively new, so they only have three recipes. Most ingredients are shared, including nice extras like blueberries, broccoli and carrots. However, they offer three distinct protein profiles that likely fit most dogs’ needs. So, for example, the chicken recipe is a single-protein option, while the other two are completely poultry-free. There are no puppy recipes, but the nutritional profile (high in protein and fats) makes it a good option for puppies and nursing mothers.
Overall, we agree there’s enough variety so Joy Pet dog food gets 4 stars.
Price 4/5
This food is firmly in the upper mid-range, both in terms of price and in quality of ingredients. It’s a good option for households with several dogs, especially if you’re feeding it alongside high-quality raw or air-dried food.
Our team agreed that the price is fair for the quality, so we’re giving this brand 4 out of 5 in this category.
Do not buy if…
While this is a great choice for many, keep looking if you:
Final Verdict
If you’re in the market for a good-quality kibble that doesn’t break the bank, this is a great option. Joy Pet food has the benefit of being made in Australia, so it has a lower carbon footprint than others, and it has a reasonable price. We would like more clarity regarding what “natural fats” are included, but other than that the composition is among the best. Add it to your rotation!
References
- “How is the pet food industry regulated in Australia?” August 12, 2019. RSPCA Knowledge base. Retrieved August 16, 2023. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-is-the-pet-food-industry-regulated-in-australia/
- “AAFCO methods for substantiating nutritional adequacy of dog and cat foods”. Association of American Feed Control Officials. Retrieved August 16, 2023. https://www.aafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Model_Bills_and_Regulations_Agenda_Midyear_2015_Final_Attachment_A.__Proposed_revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles_PFC_Final_070214.pdf