Julia Ogden

Written by Julia Ogden

Georgia Jeremiah

Reviewed by Georgia Jeremiah

Updated: June 5, 2024

Solid Gold Holistic Delights (Wet) Review

Updated: June 5, 2024

Our Verdict

star
star
star
star
star

Recommended

Solid Gold Holistic Delights product range is made of four recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 4 stars.

The food is grain and gluten free and formulated for a cat’s whole body health. Each recipe includes vitamin B which supports strong bone development.

Pros
  • Grain-free
  • Contains good-quality ingredients
  • Suitable for all life stages
Cons
  • Some recipes contain pea fiber
  • There has been one product recall

The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product line Rating AAFCO
Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque With Chicken and Coconut Milk 4 A
Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque With Salmon and Coconut Milk 4 A
Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque With Tuna and Coconut Milk 4 A
Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque With Turkey and Coconut Milk 4 A

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Recipe and Label Analysis

Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque With Tuna and Coconut Milk recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque With Tuna and Coconut Milk recipe

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

58.8%

Protein

17.6%

Fat

15.5%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Water sufficient for processing, chicken, tuna, pea protein, coconut milk, potatoes, dried egg, carrots, pumpkin, spinach, tricalcium phosphate, salt, xanthan gum, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, tapioca starch, taurine, zinc oxide, reduced iron, vitamin e supplement, niacin supplement, sodium selenite, thiamine mononitrate, manganese sulfate monohydrate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin b12 supplement, choline chloride, copper amino acid complex, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, biotin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, potassium iodide, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K)


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%

Red denotes any controversial items

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most wet cat foods.

The second ingredient is chicken.  Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1  

Chicken is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The third ingredient is tuna.  Tuna is an oily marine fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every cat to sustain life.  This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.2

The fourth ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.  Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.  And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.

The fifth ingredient is coconut milk. Coconut milk comes from the white flesh of mature brown coconuts. Coconut flesh is combined with water to create the rich coconut milk. Some believe that coconut milk has other properties linked to health benefits, but this is so far unproven by studies. 

Coconut milk is high in calories (approx 450 kcal per cup). It is rich in many other nutrients and is very high in saturated fat. Coconut milk is safe for cats, but the high fat and calorie content mean that it could unsettle digestion, and should only be included in modest quantities. 

The sixth ingredient is potatoes.  Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a cat.

The seventh ingredient is dried egg, a dehydrated powder made from shell-free eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The eighth ingredient is carrots.  Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.

This recipe ​receives a 4-star rating.

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Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Solid Gold Holistic Delights Creamy Bisque With Tuna and Coconut Milk recipe looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 58.8%, a fat level of 17.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 15.5%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 58.2% and an below-average fat level of 17.9%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 15.9% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 31%.

This means this Solid Gold Holistic Delights contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Final Word

Solid Gold Holistic Delights wet food aims to cleanse, balance and provide fuel for good gut health and overall immune support.

Cat Food Advisor would recommend this product line and gives it a 4-star rating.

Has Solid Gold cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes. In 2012, Solid Gold recalled limited numbers of its Wolf Cub dog food for suspected salmonella, after the bacteria was discovered in Diamond Pet Foods Gaston, South Carolina, facility. To read the full details of this recall, visit the Dog Food Advisor.

You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.

To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.

About

Sissy Harrington-McGill founded Solid Gold in 1970 after noticing that Great Dane dogs living in Germany lived, on average, four years longer than those that lived in the United States.  

Solid Gold was one of the first pet food brands to use the holistic label, incorporating a variety of what the company describes as “carefully curated superfoods”.

All of Solid Gold’s dry cat food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in the United States. Most of their wet cat food is made in Thailand.

Sources

1: Association of American Feed Control Officials

2: Adapted by The Cat Food Advisor from the official definition of other fish ingredients as published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials

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