Ol’ Roy

Ol’ Roy Information

Ol’ Roy is an extremely well-known dog food brand that many dog owners will remember feeding their dogs in past decades.

At one point, Ol’ Roy was the most popular selling dog food in the United States, which was quite a feat.

One of the reasons for this was that Ol’ Roy was available at Walmart stores nationwide because it was a Walmart exclusive.

However, in recent years, as dog owners have become more knowledgeable and aware of the ingredient quality and nutrition of dog food, Ol’ Roy has declined in popularity.

Given that Ol’ Roy does not have a dedicated website and it is difficult to acquire information on the brand, we can not be certain where it is manufactured.

However, we believe it is likely produced somewhere in the United States by a third-party manufacturer rather than a dedicated facility.

It is common for grocery store brands like Ol’ Roy to be produced by third parties, given how complex dog food production can be.

Given that Ol’ Roy is a Walmart exclusive brand, you can only purchase it from physical Walmart stores and from their online store.

Ol’ Roy Product Range

Ol’ Roy has a moderate product range that consists of a limited number of dry dog food recipes, a large selection of wet/canned dog food recipes, and a large range of dog treats.

All of Ol’Roy’s dry dog food recipes are grain-inclusive, and such they do not offer grain-free dog food.

Ol’ Roy does have a puppy food recipe but does not produce any of the other popular niche recipes like those for small and large breed dogs or for senior dogs.

Ol’ Roy Nutrition

Sadly, the nutrition offered by the bulk of Ol’ Roy recipes is below average when compared to other dog food brands.

This below-average nutritional profile includes a below-average proportion of protein and fat and significant proportions of carbohydrates.

You can see an example of the nutrition offered by an Ol’ Roy dry dog food recipe below.

If you would like to learn more about canine nutrition, we highly recommend you check out our Dog Food Guide.

Ol’ Roy Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

• Beef
• Chicken

Ol’ Roy uses a very limited number of high-quality meat ingredients in its recipes compared to most other dog food brands and these can be seen above.

However, Ol’ Roy sticks with reliable choices in Chicken and Beef, which are industry favorites because they are extremely nutritious yet are relatively inexpensive, which is important for low-cost brands like Ol’ Roy.

However, some of Ol’ Roy recipes don’t just use whole meat ingredients like these but also utilize organ meat ingredients like Liver.

Organ meat ingredients such as the liver can be excellent additions to pet food recipes and enhance their flavor and the density of some beneficial vitamins and minerals.

You can learn more about the use of organ meat ingredients, in our article Organ Meat Ingredients In Pet Food.

Other Notable Ingredients

Ol’ Roy uses a huge range of grain ingredients in its recipes, including Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Brewers Rice, Wheat Flour, and Wheat Gluten.

Grain ingredients such as these are controversial additions to dog food recipes, with many dog owners being strongly against their use.

However, there is also a large number of dog owners who are strong supporters of the use of grains, especially those who feed recipes from big brands like Royal Canin or Purina Pro Plan.

Grain ingredients such as these can act as dense sources of nutrition and provide carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and fiber.

However, some of the grain ingredients used by Ol’ Roy are grain by-products such as Brewers Rice and Wheat Gluten.

By-products such as these are even more controversial, with many describing them as floor sweeping or waste products.

You can read more about the specifics of Brewers Rice in our article Brewers Rice In Dog Food.

Meat and Bone Meal is a regular addition to Ol’ Roy recipes and is widely considered to be a low-quality ingredient.

This isn’t because this ingredient can’t provide nutrition but because of its lack of transparency and accountability.

Without naming the meat ingredient involved, Ol’ Roy could regularly alter the composition of the recipe without needing to inform customers or modify their packaging.

Moreover, the sources of meat that are used to produce Meat and Bone Meal tend to be some of the cheapest available which speaks volumes about their quality.

We’ve written in more detail about Bone Meal and would recommend you read Bone Meal In Dog Food if you’d like to learn more.

The same statement is true for Animal Fat which also features in many Ol’ Roy dog food recipes.

Animal Fat is usually made up of Beef Fat, but without a transparent naming convention, dog owners can not be certain, and Ol’ Roy could modify their source at will.

As for its purpose, Animal Fat is usually present in dog food recipes to improve their flavor and palatability which is an important trait.

Guar Gum is a regular addition to wet/canned dog food recipes across the industry and is used regularly by Ol’ Roy.

Guar Gum is used in dog food as a binding agent, which means it helps to hold together the ingredients of dog food and give it a consistent texture and appearance.

Guar Gum isn’t the only ingredient used for this task and several other similar ingredients are used by pet food brands such as Carrageenan, Agar-Agar, Xanthan Gum, and Cassia Gum.

If you’d like to learn more about Guar Gum including how it is made and why some are not fans of its use, check out our article Guar Gum In Pet Food.

Ol’ Roy Animal Testing

We have no information at this time relating to what type of animal testing that Ol’ Roy participates in and if it is invasive or laboratory in style.

Many dog food brands avoid disclosing information on their testing programs as they fear backlash from consumers.

We strongly believe that invasive or laboratory-style testing of animals in the pet food industry is a cruel and outdated practice.

Ol’ Roy Recalls

Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Ol’Roy is not a recall-free dog food brand and has had several large-scale recalls over the last two decades.

The most recent recall from Ol’ Roy was in 2018 and was related to the potential presence of pentobarbital.

Most dog owners will not be familiar with pentobarbital, but it is a chemical that can be used as a euthanasia drug which is why this recall caused such alarm.

The pentobarbital was originally found in recipes from Gravy Train, but upon further investigation and caution, additional brands and recipes were recalled, including Ol’ Roy, Kibbles ‘n Bits, and more.

The Ol’ Roy recipe affected by this recall was Ol’ Roy Strips Turkey Bacon, 13.2 oz. can, UPC# 8113117570.

In September 2008 and October 2008, Ol’ Roy underwent recalls due to the potential for Salmonella contamination. Salmonella Contamination is an extremely common recall cause in the United States.

Products are recalled when there is a risk of Salmonella as it can affect both humans and animals and cause serious illness and, in rare cases, death. This recall affected the following recipes from Ol’ Roy that were produced at a facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 4 lb., UPC #8113117550
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 4.4 lb., UPC #8113169377
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 8 lb., UPC #0538867144
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 20 lb., UPC #8113117549
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 22 lb., UPC #0538860342
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 44.1 lb., UPC #8113117551
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 50 lb., UPC #7874201022
• Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food, 4 lb., UPC #8113179078
• Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food, 20 lb., UPC #8113179080
• Ol’ Roy High Performance Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 20 lb., UPC #0538860345
• Ol’ Roy High Performance Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 50 lb., UPC #7874205815
• Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks ’n Gravy Premium Dog Food, 22 lb., UPC #8113169630
• Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks ’n Gravy Premium Dog Food, 50 lb., UPC #8113169631
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 4.4 lb., UPC #8113169377

• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 8 lb., UPC #0538867144
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 22 lb., UPC #0538860342
• Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food, 50 lb., UPC #7874201022
• Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food, 4 lb., UPC #8113179078
• Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food, 8 lb., UPC #8113179079
• Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food, 20 lb., UPC #8113179080
• Ol’ Roy High Performance Nutrition Dog Food, 20 lb., UPC #0538860345
• Ol’ Roy High Performance Nutrition Dog Food, 50 lb., UPC #7874205815
• Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks ’n Gravy Premium Dog Food, 8 lb., UPC #8113169629
• Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks ’n Gravy Premium Dog Food, 22 lb., UPC #8113169630
• Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks ’n Gravy Premium Dog Food, 50 lb., UPC #8113169631

A year earlier, in June 2007, Ol’ Roy had another recall due to Salmonella Contamination.  This recall only affected a single Ol’ Roy dog food recipe and lot number compared to the large-scale recall above.

This specific recipe was Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition dry dog food, 55 lb. (bonus bag), Lot #0407351, best by April 13, 2008.

In March 2007, Ol’ Roy was one of a large number of brands that were affected by the Melamine recalls. This Melamine call was caused due to contamination in ingredients sourced from outside of the United States and led to many dog owners refusing to feed a food with foreign-sourced ingredients.

The Ol’ Roy recipes affected by this recall are shown below.

• Ol’ Roy Beef Jerky, Stack Strips, Snack Sticks and Bark’n Bac’n dog treats, various sizes/flavors, UPC #4152241160, 68113167052, 68113167053, 7874222047, 7874270558, 68113157406, 68113124713
• Ol’ Roy With Beef Hearty Cuts in Gravy Dog Food, 13.2 oz. cans, UPC #7874220855, production code BC6M21, best by Dec. 21, 2009
• Ol’ Roy With Beef Hearty Strips in Gravy Dog Food, 13.2 oz. cans, UPC #68113157407, production code BC7A19, best by Jan. 19, 2010
• Ol’ Roy Country Stew Hearty Cuts in Gravy Dog Food, 22 oz. cans, UPC #68113170378, production code BC6M15, best by Dec. 15, 2009
• Ol’ Roy 4 Flavor Large Biscuit, 10 lb. treats, UPC #8113146959, plant code RB, and best by 30308, 30408, 30508, 30608, 30708, 30808, 30908, 31208, 31308, 31408, 31508, 31608, 31708, 31908, 32008, 32108, 32408
• Ol’ Roy Peanut Butter Biscuit, 5 lb. treats, UPC #7874234501, plant code RB, and best by 30508, 31008, 31208, 31508, 31608, 32108, 32308
• Ol’ Roy Puppy Biscuit, 28.8 oz. treats, UPC #8113192197, plant code RB, and best by 30208, 30308, 30408, 30608, 30708, 30908, 31008, 31408, 31508, 31608, 31708, 31808, 32108, 32208, 32308
• Ol’ Roy Beef/Noodle/Vegetables, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113174248, best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Chicken Teriyaki/Gravy, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113174249, best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Filet Mignon/Gravy, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113174246, best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Lamb/Rice/Gravy, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113174247, best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Beef, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113163331, best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Chicken, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113163330, best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Stew, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113163332, best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Turkey, 5.3 oz., 24-count pouches, UPC #8113163377 , best by Nov. 8, 2008 – March 7, 2009
• Ol’ Roy Sliced Beef, 5.5 oz. cans, 24-pack, UPC #8113180029, best by Nov. 8, 2009 – March 7, 2010
• Ol’ Roy Sliced Chicken, 5.5 oz. cans, 24-pack, UPC #8113180030, best by Nov. 8, 2009 – March 7, 2010

In June 2006, Ol’ Roy had a recall due to lining separation/flaking in cans. Recalls due to packaging problems such as this are somewhat common, but they tend to vary significantly between each recall.

The reason that proper packaging is important is to ensure that the food remains safe to eat and avoids contamination from outside factors. The recipes affected by this packaging recall were 22 oz. cans of Ol’ Roy canned dog food with best-by dates between March 16 and June 6, 2008, with these specific UPC codes.

• Ol’ Roy Beef Flavor, UPC #0068113189763 and 072562350237
• Ol’ Roy Chicken Flavor, UPC #0068113189762 and 072562349231
• Ol’ Roy Hearty Loaf With Chopped Beef, UPC #0068113189770
• Ol’ Roy Hearty Loaf Chopped Meaty Combo, UPC #0068113189771

The last recall we have information on took place in November 1998. Despite being over two decades old, this recall is still relevant to discuss. The cause of this recall was the presence of aflatoxin, which is another common recall cause.

Aflatoxin is a mold that grows on Corn in certain conditions and causes harm to animals if digested. This recall was particularly large and affected many other dog food brands, including Ol’ Roy.

The dry dog food recipes from Ol’ Roy affected by this recall are shown below and had sell-by dates between July 1, 1999, and August 31, 1999, and an E in the date code.

• Ol’ Roy Premium
• Ol’ Roy Puppy
• Ol’ Roy Lean
• Ol’ Roy Performance
• Ol Roy Krunchy Bites & Bones

Best of Ol’ Roy

Ol’ Roy Featured Articles

The 11 Worst Dog Foods – Based on the information discussed above, it will not be surprising that Ol’ Roy is one of the worst dog food brands available in the United States. For this reason, it earns a place in our in-depth discussion on the worst dog food brands.

In this article, we discuss 11 brands and justify classifying them as the worst by explaining their nutrition, ingredient quality, and recall history.

Full Ol’ Roy Product Range

Dry Dog Food

Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken & Rice Flavor

Complete Nutrition T-Bone & Bacon Flavor

High Protein With Beef & Lamb Flavor

Puppy Complete Chicken & Oatmeal Flavor

Soft & Moist Beef & Cheese Flavor

Soft & Moist Beef Flavor

Complete Nutrition Adult

Wet/Canned Dog Food

Cuts In Gravy Bacon Cheeseburger Flavor

Cuts In Gravy Country Stew

Cuts In Gravy Savory Cuts With Beef

Cuts In Gravy Savory Cuts With Lamb & Rice

Cuts In Gravy T-Bone Flavor

Cuts In Gravy Ribeye Flavor

Cuts In Gravy New York Strip Flavor

Cuts In Gravy Filet Mignon Flavor

Cuts In Gravy Tender Morsels Filet Mignon

Cuts In Gravy Tender Morsels Grilled Chicken

Cuts In Gravy Puppy Tender Morsels With Beef

Cuts In Gravy Puppy Tender Morsels Grilled Chicken

Meaty Loaf Filet Mignon Flavor

Meaty Loaf Chicken & Rice Dinner

Meaty Loaf Savory Loaf With Beef

Meaty Loaf Chicken Dinner

Grilled Chicken Flavor In Savory Juices

Mini Chunks In Gravy Filet Mignon Flavor

Mini Chunks In Gravy With Savory Beef

Mini Chunks In Gravy Country Stew

Grilled Flavor With Chicken Pouch

Grilled Flavor With Beef Pouch

Filet Mignon Flavor Pouch

With Savory Beef Pouch

Country Stew Pouch

Fillet Mignon Flavor Tray In Savory Juices

Porterhouse Flavor Tray In Savory Juices

Dog Treats

Munchy Bones Chicken Flavor

Munchy Bones Natural Butter Flavor

Munchy Bones Liver Flavor

Munchy Bones Bacon & Cheese Flavor

Munchy Bones Peanut Butter Flavor

Mini Munchy Bones Peanut Butter Flavor

Munchy Bones Greek Yogurt

Rawhide Rolls

Rawhide Retrievers

Rawhide Chip

Rawhide Sticks

Rawhide Bones

Rawhide Twist With Chicken

Rawhide Wrapped Rolls With Chicken

Munchy Rawhide Chicken Flavored Dumbbell

Rawhide Tri-Flavored Kabobs

Rawhide Munchy Sticks

Chicken Recipe & Beefhide Wraps

Porkhide Rolls

Natural Filled Bone

Beef Rib Chew

Natural Jumbo Pig Ear Chew

Natural Marrow Bone Slices

Stuffed Hooves

Natural Beef Knuckle

Natural Beef Shine Bone

Natural Large Beef Femur

Natural Whole Antler

Natural Jumbo Pork Femur

Natural Pork Femur

Multi-Flavored Dog Biscuits Large

Multi-Flavored Dog Biscuits Small/Medium

Dog Biscuits Bacon Flavored

Dog Biscuits Chicken Flavored

Dog Biscuits Liver Flavored

Dog Biscuits Beef Flavored

Dog Biscuits Original Flavored

Bark’n Bac’n

Jerky Stick

Chicken Twists

Peanut Butter Twists