The Woofbix Dog Food Review: Tested & Evaluated 2024

This affordable dog food might sound tempting: who doesn’t love a good bargain?

We’ve tested Woofbix dog food to let you know if you should try it out, and how it compares to our top dog food picks.

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

Australia's Woofbix Dog Food Reviewed

One of Big W’s home brands and very affordable, Woofbix dog food might sound tempting. After all, where else are you going to find 15 kilograms of kibble for less than $30?

Before switching your dog to this food, we tested it out for you. Our team went out and tried this food, then compared it to our top-rated dog foods so you can make an informed choice.

Taste 3/5

This grained kibble is as cheap as it gets, and our dogs weren’t huge fans. My fussy chihuahuas refused to eat Woofbix, and the rest of our testers ate it without much of a party. Kibble was left on the bowls, so it didn’t seem delicious.

On the other hand, it’s also worth noting our most sensitive pup was itching after trying this food. This might be due to the high percentage of cereal, which can cause skin reactions in sensitive dogs. Overall, not a great experience. We’re taking off 2 stars.

Ingredients 2/5

Woofbix doesn’t try particularly hard to create high-quality recipes.

The first ingredient in the Chicken and Rice recipe is “wholegrain cereals and cereal by-products” coming from wheat, rice or sorghum. The following ingredient is also a grouping: “meat and meat by-products” from beef, chicken and lamb. [1]

This “grouping” of ingredients is common among dog food manufacturers that want to cut costs: it means the exact components are chosen depending on seasonal price and availability. Therefore you can’t be sure one batch will have the same composition as the next. As such, the names of the recipes are just marketing: one batch might have more beef and sorghum, while next could be mostly lamb and wheat.

The rest of the ingredient list is just as vague as the core ingredients: tallow from beef or chicken, “vitamins and minerals”, “preservatives” and “natural antioxidants”.

Woofbix features mostly carb-heavy cereals, little protein and fats and without any redeeming superfoods or micronutrients, so we’re taking off 3 stars.

Protein content 2/5

This food doesn’t list meat as the first ingredient. That alone shows the recipe does not prioritise high-quality protein but rather focus on keeping costs down.

As we’ve mentioned previously, protein in dog food is extremely important. And perhaps even more relevant than the percentage amount, the protein sources used can have a huge impact. In a recent study [2], researchers showed that most active dogs would benefit from having a protein intake above the minimum standards recommended by AAFCO. And, animal protein can be more easily absorbed than vegetable-sourced protein, being particularly important for active or working dogs [3].

Considering these findings, Woofbix doesn’t deliver. The animal protein in these recipes is “meat & meat by-products”. This can barely be considered “named protein”, and changes according to availability and cost. Sensitive dogs can have upset tummies from the constant changes.

High-quality dog food picks like Ziwi Peak and Petzyo (the winners of our testing) have a higher nutritional value by prioritising clearly named meats, adding organ meats and focusing on healthy fats. This is not the case with Woofbix, so we’re taking off 3 stars.

Additives 2/5

The bare-bones ingredient list from Woofbix does not make up for the mediocre main ingredients. As “extras”, these recipes add a “vitamin and mineral” mix with unclear ingredients, “preservatives” and “natural antioxidants”. Since the labelling does mention “natural antioxidants”, I wondered whether the preservatives used were artificial or not. Considering the lack of regulation of the Australian pet food industry, I would have preferred to know what kind of preservatives were being used.

Compared to our best-rated dog foods, Woofbix offers almost nothing in the additives category. We’re giving this brand 2 stars.

Variety 1/5

Woofbix offers three recipes, but they all share the same exact ingredient list. Since every ingredient is a grouping full of “and/or”, it’s very likely the actual proportions of the food changes from one bag to the next.

The three different “flavours” are actually just a marketing strategy, so there is no variety to speak of. We’re taking off 4 stars because of it.

Price 3/5

At this point, one of the few positives of this food is its price. At less than 30 dollars for a big 15-kilo bag is probably the most affordable kibble we’ve reviewed to date.

We’re all for sticking to a budget, which is one of the reasons why Petzyo is our number one dog food choice in Australia. However, Woofbix takes it a bit too far. At this price point, it’s impossible to expect anything but the cheapest ingredients and nutrition is a second thought.

In this case, we don’t think the savings are worth it: you’d be feeding your dog a diet full of cereals with a sprinkle of meat by-products, and who knows what kind of vegetable oils.

We’re taking off 2 stars because the savings will probably take a toll on your dog’s health.

Do Not Buy If…

Save your hard-earned money and don’t go for this food if you:

Final Verdict

Woofbix is affordable, but that’s about it. If you’re looking to save up on dog food costs, look into one of our best-rated budget picks for a better composition that doesn’t break the bank.

References

1. Big W. Woofbix Chicken & Rice Dry dog food. Retreived 14 July, 2023. https://www.bigw.com.au/product/woofbix-chicken-rice-dry-dog-food-15kg/p/108328
2. Laflamme, D. August. 2008. “Pet Food Safety: Dietary Protein”. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. 23(3), August 2008, 154-157.  https://doi.org/10.1053/j.tcam.2008.04.009
3. Yamada, T et al, (1987). “Comparison of Effects of Vegetable Protein Diet and Animal Protein Diet on the Initiation of Anaemia during Vigorous Physical Training (Sports Anaemia) in Dogs and Rats”. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. 1987, 33(2), 129-149. https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.33.129