Avoderm Cat Food Review 2024

California-based AvoDerm is a unique pet food brand that promotes the benefits of including avocado in your feline or canine's daily diet. In addition to this fleshy green superfood, AvoDerm uses quality cuts of meat and limited ingredients in its recipes.

Overall, we rate AvoDerm cat food 4 out of 5 paws up. While its recipes are mostly high-quality, it also uses some cheaper ingredients like meat meal and pea protein. While avocado may have some health benefits in low quantities, we don't personally recommend incorporating it as a regular part of a cat's diet.

Keep reading for our comprehensive AvoDerm cat food review, where we examine the brand's ingredient quality, product ranges, recalls, and more.

AvoDerm produces 13 wet and dry cat foods. AvoDerm's wet cat foods are grain-free, while three of its six dry foods contain grains.

All AvoDerm cat foods are "complete and balanced," meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient profile guidelines for all life stages, maintenance (adults), or growth (kittens).

AvoDerm dry cat food

AvoDerm dry cat food is generally high-quality. Each recipe includes a cut of real meat as the top ingredient. Meat meals, which are highly processed but an excellent protein source, are a common secondary ingredient.

Pea protein is one of the worst top five ingredients in AvoDerm grain-free dry cat foods. It's a less biologically valuable protein source for cats than animal proteins as it doesn't contain all essential amino acids. Pet food brands often use pea protein to boost a product's protein content.

AvoDerm grain-inclusive dry foods feature brown rice and white rice. Brown rice is considered one of the best grains in cat foods as it's high in fiber, B vitamins, and magnesium.

These recipes contain relatively few ingredients aside from vitamin and mineral supplements. For example, AvoDerm Chicken & Herring Meal Formula has only 11 primary ingredients—ideal for cats with food allergies.

AvoDerm adult dry cat foods contain average protein levels (35.9% as dry matter) and above-average fat levels (19.7% as dry matter) compared to typical dry cat food. AvoDerm's Kitten recipe has elevated protein (40%) and fat ratios (24.4%) to aid growth and development.

AvoDerm dry cat food varieties:

• Duck with Turkey Meal
• Chicken & Herring Meal
• Salmon with Tuna Meal
• Tuna with Lobster & Crab Meal
• Indoor Formula
• Kitten Chicken & Herring Meal

AvoDerm wet cat food

As with most pet food brands, AvoDerm's wet food is better quality than its dry food. Broth or real cuts of meat are the top ingredients in each recipe, with no meat meals included. That said, many AvoDerm wet cat food recipes have the same issue as dry foods—they contain pea protein as one of the top five ingredients.

All of AvoDerm's fish wet cat foods are higher in protein and lower in fat than their poultry counterparts. This makes them a good choice for obese cats trying to lose weight.

AvoDerm adds taurine to its wet food recipes, an essential amino acid that promotes heart and digestive health. AvoDerm's vegetable-inclusive recipe includes primarily carrots and green peas.

AvoDerm grain-free wet cat foods contain above-average protein levels (57.1% as dry matter) and average fat levels (13.5% as dry matter) compared to other wet cat foods.  

AvoDerm wet cat food varieties:

• Chicken & Duck in Gravy
• Salmon & Chicken in Gravy
• Tuna & Crab in Gravy
• Sardine, Shrimp, & Crab in Gravy
• Salmon in Consomme
• Chicken Chunks in Gravy
• Tuna & Chicken with Vegetables in Gravy

Keep reading for a few reasons why we gave AvoDerm cat food a respectable 4 out of 5 paws up!

Good protein-to-fat ratio

Most AvoDerm cat food recipes have a good protein-to-fat ratio, with above-average protein and average fat levels.

AvoDerm's protein levels help fuel your cat's active lifestyle while maintaining muscle mass. Average fat levels ensure your cat won't gain weight on an AvoDerm diet while still providing a secondary energy source.

Real meat is the top ingredient

Most dry and wet AvoDerm cat food recipes use a real cut of unprocessed meat as the top ingredient. Real cuts of meat are easier for cats to digest and more nutritionally complete than meat meals.

While we prefer not to see meat meals in cat food recipes, they’re a great source of protein, with 300% more protein than unprocessed meat. 

Limited ingredient recipes

Most AvoDerm's recipes contain roughly ten or fewer primary ingredients besides nutritional supplements. Several of their wet cat foods contain only a single animal protein source.

As a result, AvoDerm cat foods are a good option for cats with sensitive stomachs and common protein allergies, such as beef, chicken, and dairy. 

High moisture content

AvoDerm wet cat food has a high moisture content (82%), which can prevent dehydration in cats. Cats are notoriously bad about drinking water to stay hydrated and consume most of their water from wet food.

Here are a few things to bear in mind before purchasing AvoDerm cat food for your feline friend.

Avocado as a selling point

There's some debate about the safety of feeding a cat avocado on a regular basis. Avocado pits, leaves, and skin are mildly toxic to cats as they contain a fungicidal toxin called persin. Avocado flesh and oil don't contain persin and are generally considered safe for cats. 

Dr. Linda Simon MVB MRCVS, veterinary consultant with Wag!, states: "We believe avocado to be mildly toxic to cats.” However, she goes on to add: “In my 10 years, I have never seen a cat with avocado toxicity (but of course this does not mean it is not seen)."

Avocados have plenty of health benefits for cats—they're a source of omega fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins A, C, and E. While an avocado's flesh is generally considered safe in low quantities, it can upset some cat's GI tract. It's also high in fat, which can contribute to pancreatitis.

While we wouldn't recommend feeding your cat a diet that includes avocado, a small quantity in their diet is unlikely to cause any immediate adverse reactions.

Controversial ingredients

AvoDerm uses a couple of controversial ingredients in its recipes. The most controversial is pea protein, a protein source derived from the starch of peas.

Pea protein is a common top five ingredient in AvoDerm recipes and is less nutritionally complete as a protein source compared to meat. Pea protein can raise the protein levels in cat foods to make them appear more nutritious.

Another controversial ingredient in AvoDerm dry cat foods is tomato pomace, a manufacturing by-product high in fiber but low in other nutrients. It's widely considered a filler ingredient.

"All the cats love the tuna and crab entree, and I love the fact it has quality ingredients *and* no chicken. After having a cat become allergic to chicken, I discovered many brands add chicken to their recipes even if it isn't a chicken flavor. Thankfully this is not an issue with Avoderm tuna and crab."

"This is a great wet gravy shred mix that all 3 of my picky eaters love. The only down side is that it is often out of stock."

Read more reviews on Chewy.

Breeder's Choice Inc., AvoDerm's parent company, was founded in 1948 by Harold Taylor in Irwindale, California.

AvoDerm was established in 1982 and marketed as a specialist food for dogs with skin and coat issues. Avocados are high in omega fatty acids, which are known to improve the skin and coat condition of cats and dogs.

In 2020, Joey Herrick, co-founder of Natural Balance and Lucy's Pet Foundation, purchased Breeder's Choice Inc. AvoDerm manufactures its pet foods at a private facility in Irwindale, California.

AvoDerm cat food has never been recalled at the time of writing.

AvoDerm recalled a single batch of its Natural Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula on September 11, 2012, due to potential Salmonella contamination.