Holistic food for dogs: types of food, composition analysis, pros and cons

There is a great variety of animal food in pet stores. Starting from well-known and inexpensive brands, ending with huge bags costing half the average salary of a resident of some provincial city. What are the differences between all these products? This question arises for many owners. Why does one bag cost about a thousand rubles, while another one costs almost ten? The fact is that cheap products are economy class, and expensive ones are holistic. Let's figure out what the difference is together.

What is holistic dog food?

Holistic means “wholeness.” Food developers applied this term to their products, implying that the health of dogs depends not only on proper nutrition, but also on age, proper care, breed, and the environment in the family where the animal is raised.

Holistic food

Important! Holistic is a dog food that consists entirely of natural ingredients.
This is a balanced, holistic diet without harmful additives.

How do holistic foods differ from other types?

Ava: food for small breed dogs, holistic, premium

Of course, the composition. To begin with, animal feed is divided into four types:

Economy class.
Premium class.
Super premium class.
Holistic class.

The fourth option is often confused with the third, but the products are completely different in composition. In holistic-class brands, meat or fish comes first, and their percentage and type must be indicated. Meat and fish can be contained in holistic foods both fresh and dehydrated (dried). Their minimum amount is 45%, and the average is 55%, while a super-premium product contains up to 45% meat or fish component.

Composition of Akana food

Pros and cons of holistic feeds

Farmina: food for dogs of small and large breeds

The advantages of dog food are as follows:

The food is made only from natural products suitable for human consumption.
High protein and animal protein content.
Balance. All products are tested by the Food Quality Assurance Association (in the USA).
The product is designed with pets in mind. Breed, age, living conditions, physical activity and other factors are taken into account.
Holistic-class products can be stored for up to 1 year. Preservatives include vitamins C and E, as well as rosemary oil.

And now briefly about the shortcomings. There is only one, but a significant one - the price of the product, because it reaches 10 thousand for a bag weighing 13 kg. Not every owner can afford such food, especially a large dog.

Which manufacturer to choose

Being super high quality, holistic products on the market today are represented by more than 20 different brands, which makes choosing much more difficult. Moreover, each class of these products differs in its own formula and approach of the manufacturer. Holists should be selected according to the following parameters:

breed;
pet's age;
physiological state of the dog.

To simplify the selection process, we have compiled our rating of the best holistic food for dogs. Based on this comparison list with a list of features of each brand? You can easily select the optimal food.

Go! Fit+Free

Our rating opens with the Go class! Fit+Free, which many rate as the best existing offer. “Go Natural” should also be included here. This is a product from a Canadian manufacturer. The food differs from other lines in its content:

70% meat, represented by 4 components: salmon meal, fresh turkey, duck and chicken meat, as well as chicken fillet;
grain-free. Sweet and vitamin-rich potatoes (yams) are used here as a carbohydrate component;
various berries, vegetables, fruits with herbs.

Thanks to this composition, the products are well digestible and can be used to feed animals of all ages.

The food comes in 3 varieties:

grain-free;
hypoallergenic;
with whole grain formula.

This choice allows you to choose a good diet for your pet that best suits the dog’s needs.

Innova Evo Red Meat

American products that took second position in our ranking. This is a grain-free food consisting of the following components:

2 types of dehydrated meat, as well as 2 types of poultry and herring flour;
cottage cheese;
potatoes and other vegetables;
fresh eggs.

The Innova Evo Red Meat formula includes four types of red meat: venison, lamb and buffalo, and beef. As a result, this recipe is highly nutritious and valuable, as well as excellent taste.

The products are produced for small and large breeds, as well as in the format of wet canned food with various meat fillings. There is also a variety designed for overweight dogs.

Despite its advantages, this type of food is inferior to the leader in our rating.

Acana

Bronze goes to Akana food, which is manufactured by the Canadian company Champion Petfoods. Only high-quality ingredients are used to create Acana. This product contains a lot of proteins. At the same time, there are almost no carbohydrates here.

The composition here is classic, but there are varieties that are specially designed for large or small breeds, as well as animals of different age groups.

Acana took third place because its price is quite high compared to other products.

Orijen Six Fish

This type of feed is produced in Canada. The peculiarity lies in the unique recipe formula, which includes several varieties of salmon fish: trout, coho salmon, whitefish, pike perch, chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. Herring and salmon flour is used as additional components. As a result, the percentage of fish component reaches 70%.

This is a grain-free product that does not cause allergies and is well absorbed in the body. It contains a lot of calcium, which is beneficial for bones. However, such components do not allow Orijen Six Fish to break into the top three of our rankings.

Pronature Holistic

Pronature Holistic is an excellent product for pet dogs. In Pronature Holistic, the key ingredients are cranberries, chicken, herring meal, turkey and seafood (shrimp, mussels, crab, etc.). Pronature Holistic is suitable for feeding adult dogs of any breed, which immediately makes it limited in terms of use.

The line includes grain-free varieties, as well as separate varieties intended for puppies and aging dogs. Due to the characteristics of the line, this type of food is inferior in its merits to the above varieties.

Grandorf Rabbit & Potato Recipe

Another grain-free food that is designed for all breeds, but only older than one year. Suitable for animals with allergies and sensitive digestion. It contains up to 60% turkey and rabbit meat, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. All ingredients are easily absorbed by the dog's body. Classified as a premium feed.

The weighted composition of this product has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and immune systems, digestive processes, the genitourinary system, and vision. This diet allows you to maintain your pet’s optimal weight, as well as keep its skin and coat in good condition.

However, despite the excellent composition, this product, in some respects, is still at least slightly inferior to both the leaders of our rating and the products of the top five.

Now Fresh Puppy

Despite the fact that this type of food occupies the last place in the rating, it cannot be called bad. Simply, as the name suggests, this food is intended only for puppies. You can feed it to small representatives of all modern breeds.

This grain-free food is made in Canada. It is prepared using salmon fillet, as well as turkey and duck meat. It contains many antioxidants that are beneficial for the immune system of a growing body. This product provides the baby with the necessary set of macro- and microelements that are needed for normal growth and development.

As you can see, foods belonging to the holistic group are quite diverse. Choose products from only the best manufacturers for your pet, and you will have much less reason to worry.

Quality criteria

Before talking about quality criteria, it is necessary to mention the types of products:

Holistic food for puppies.
For adult dogs.
For older dogs (from 7 years old).
Holistic dog food for small, medium and large breeds.
Medicinal.
Dry.
Wet.

1st Choice for dogs: food for small breeds

Owners, as a rule, give preference to dry food; they are more cost-effective than wet food.

Note! For dogs prone to allergies, there are hypoallergenic grain-free fish-based foods.

And now about the quality criteria. When selecting products for a small or adult pet, they rely on the following criteria:

Required amount of nutrients.
Substances must be in the food in a form in which the dog can easily digest them.
Balanced nutrition and good taste.

The packaging must indicate:

name of food;
net weight;
ingredients in order of their content in the product;
content of protein, protein, fat, nutrients;
the breed of animal for which the food is intended (small, medium or large);
addresses of the manufacturer and distributor.

Dry dog food

It's worth taking a closer look at the ingredients and protein content points.

In the first place, as mentioned above, in holistic-class food there is meat or fish. They are followed by vegetables, fruits and healthy vitamins. The content of the first five ingredients is indicated as a percentage, the rest are simply mentioned.

The same can be said for fat, protein, protein and nutrient content. It is mandatory to indicate percentages, plus the mention of vitamins, microelements, amino acids per 1 kg of product.

Example: Wolfsblut (“Wolf Blood”) food with turkey. Composed of turkey meat 50% (of which fresh turkey meat 26%, dried turkey meat 18%, turkey fat 6%), sweet potatoes (29%), pumpkin, parsnips, chickpeas, minerals, Jerusalem artichoke. As can be seen from the composition, the type of meat and its percentage are indicated, as well as the amount of protein - 26%, fat - 16%, fiber - 3.5%, ash - 8.5%, calcium - 1.13, phosphorus - 0, 6%.

Orijen dog food

List of holistic dog foods

Today there is a fairly extensive list of holistic dog foods that have a very good reputation. Unfortunately, there is not as much user information about holistic food as there is about super-premium products, but this can be explained by the high price.

Holistic foods do not have strict restrictions, but differ in age recommendations.

GO! Natural

GO! Natural is a relatively new holistic food with a relatively narrow product range. The brand offers the following lines:

Daily Defense – for puppies and adult dogs.
Fit + Free – grain-free diet with 4 types of meat.
Sensitivity + Shine – for dogs with sensitive digestion.

Let's look at the composition and guaranteed performance of GO! Natural using the example of Fit + Free daily food.

Compound:

Dehydrated chicken is an optimal source of protein for everyday food.
Chicken, turkey, trout, salmon, herring fillets (dehydrated) - a meat mix that improves the quality of taste and nutritional value.
Chicken fat is a source of vitamin E.
Chicken broth - flavoring.
Whole dried eggs are a source of protein, important fats and vitamins.
Sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, tapioca, and dehydrated chickpeas (a type of pea) are sources of carbohydrates.
Salmon oil, duck fillet, rapeseed oil, coconut oil (source of Vitamin E), flax seeds are sources of fats and essential amino acids.
Apples, alfalfa, pumpkin, carrots, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, broccoli, spinach, taurine, dried rosemary, green tea extract, mint, parsley, rose hips, cedoaria, dandelion, chamomile, ginger, fennel, turmeric, juniper berries, licorice , marigold extract, cardamom, cloves are sources of hard fibers and vitamins.

Guaranteed performance:

Proteins – from 35.6% – excellent.
Fats – from 16.6% – excellent.
Fiber (fiber) – from 2.8% – satisfactory.
Moisture – up to 8% – excellent.
Calorie content – 410 kcal/100 g – excellent.

Products GO! Natural is divided into two lines: grain-free and whole grain.

Now Fresh

The same manufacturer (Petcurean) produces another high-quality holistic food - Now fresh. The assortment is also not wide, divided by age and size:

For puppies.
For adult dogs.
For older dogs.
For small dogs.
For large dogs.

Let's look at the composition using the example of Fresh Adult Recipe Grain Free daily food:

Turkey fillet, fresh salmon, duck fillet.
Whole dried eggs are a source of protein, important fats and vitamins.
Pressed cottage cheese is a source of probiotics and lactobacilli.
Potato flour and peas are sources of carbohydrates.
Apples, pea fiber, tomato, flax seeds, canola oil, dried alfalfa, coconut oil, alfalfa sprouts, dried seaweed, carrots, pumpkin, bananas, cranberries, raspberries, papaya, pineapple, grapefruit, lentils, broccoli, spinach - natural sources of vitamins and coarse fibers.
Vitamin and mineral supplements.

Guaranteed performance:

Proteins – from 26% – satisfactory.
Fats – from 16% – excellent.
Fiber – from 3.5% – good.
Humidity – up to 10% – good.
Calorie content – 359.8 kcal/100 g – good.

What to look for when choosing

First of all, on the composition and price category of the product. Good food cannot be cheap, just as an expensive product may not correspond in composition to the stated price. When buying food for your pet, you should ensure that meat or fish comes first in the composition, indicating the type of product and the percentage. These ingredients should be followed by vegetables, then grains and fruits.

Note! If the second place in the food composition is taken by rice, rice flour and other grains, then this product is far from holistic class, despite the stated price.

As for the cost, the average price for a bag weighing 11-15 kg (depending on the manufacturer) is 8,000 rubles.

Feed characteristics

Options are designed for pets of all ages. However, their composition and nutrient content vary significantly. There are foods with high, medium and low fat and protein content. They meet the needs of pets of different breeds. Therefore, before choosing food, a dog breeder should consult with a breeder or an experienced dog handler.

Feeds are divided into grain-free and low-grain. It would be more correct to call them whole grains, since unprocessed cereal seeds are used. Therefore, we have prepared a detailed analysis of a recipe for a food mixture with medium energy and protein content for dog breeders. When reviewing alternative options, we will limit ourselves to providing a list of components and the cost of the product.

Rating of the best holistic-class food

It was mentioned above that holistic food for dogs is often confused with super-premium food. The list presented may surprise readers, but it looks like this.

In first place is the food "Wolf's Blood" or Wolfsblut, made in Germany. The food contains at least 50% meat, which can be confirmed by reading the composition. Quite a high protein and fat content, especially suitable for athletic dogs and pets leading an active lifestyle. Wolfsblut products come in several types - dry food, wet food in cans and pouches (small bag weighing 100 grams). The food is designed to meet the needs of pets of different breeds, ages and levels of physical activity.
In second place is a brand produced in Canada – ORIJEN. The food contains more than 50% meat, fish, eggs, fresh vegetables and fruits. As an example, the composition of ORIJEN holistic food for dogs and puppies of all breeds: Fresh chicken (13%), fresh turkey (7%), fresh whole eggs (7%), fresh chicken liver (6%), fresh whole herring (6%), fresh whole flounder (5%), fresh turkey liver (5%), fresh chicken necks (4%), fresh chicken heart (4%), fresh turkey heart (4%), chicken (dehydrated 4%), turkey (4% dehydrated), whole mackerel (4% dehydrated), whole sardine (4% dehydrated), whole herring (4% dehydrated), red lentils, green lentils, green peas.
Acana is a Canadian-made product, very popular among dog owners of all breeds and one of the TOP holistic-class foods. The composition is quite good, as in previous brands, Akana contains about 40% meat. The approximate composition looks like this: Raw lamb meat (8%), fresh duck meat (8%), fresh whole eggs (8%), dehydrated lamb meat (8%), dehydrated whole herring meat (7%), dehydrated turkey meat ( 7%), whole green peas, whole red lentils, whole chickpeas, fresh northern pike (4%), raw lamb liver (4%), fresh duck giblets (liver, heart, kidneys) - 4%, fresh boneless turkey meat (4%), lamb fat (4%), whole green lentils, whole beans, whole yellow peas.
Another luxurious food produced by pedantic Germans is Isegrim. It contains more than 50% meat. Ingredients: dried venison (31%), fresh chicken (25%), potatoes (16%), poultry fat (canned with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract, 9%), berry puree (blueberries, cranberries, raspberries) 4 %.
Holistic-level brands include Mera Natures Effect products, manufactured in Germany. This is what the food composition looks like: Duck meat (40%, fresh), potato flakes (31%), duck protein (10%, dried), carrot pieces (6%, dried), carrot protein.
The Italian product Primordial can be recommended for daily feeding of the dog. The composition of this product is pleasing to the eye: fresh tuna (35%), dehydrated lamb (18%), peas, potatoes, chicken fat (10%), dehydrated pork (8%), beans, flaxseed (2%)
Dog owners speak well of the Czech-made Brit Care brand. Indeed, the composition of the product is impressive: fresh chicken 40%, dehydrated chicken (25%), potatoes (8%), chicken fat (preserved with tocopherols), oats, buckwheat (3%). This is what the composition of puppy food with chicken and potatoes looks like.

Food "Akana"

The first three brands in the ranking of holistic dog food are the best. The subsequent ones lag behind a little, despite their high meat content. The fact is that all these foods contain potatoes, which is good. Potatoes are not recommended for dogs in large quantities; they contain too much starch and the body’s reaction to the product can be ambiguous. Some pets will cope well with digesting food containing potatoes, while others will develop problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Note! You should be careful when giving your dog chicken products. This product is a strong allergen, despite its dietary properties. If your dog begins to itch or has redness in the ears and skin, you need to pay attention to the composition of the product.

Holistic Blend dog food - reviews

Review of Holistic Blend food, writes Galina. I tried many holistic products (Grandorf, Canide, Pronature, etc.) - the dog ate some reluctantly, others produced stools with a very strong odor or were poorly formed, others were supplied intermittently. The dog liked Holistic Bland, ate with appetite, and the store always has it, but the stool was loose. In the end, I didn't buy it again.

Review of Holistic Bland dog food, writes Julia. Previously, my dog ate Acana food, then it became more expensive and they switched to Pronature Original. I recently came across Holistic Blend quite by accident, I liked the composition and the reasonable price, so I decided to try it. The dog eats well and looks great, the stool is normal, the pellets are easy to chew, and the smell is quite pleasant. In general, the food is a godsend for me and my dog.

Review of Holistic Blend dog food, writes Maria. I read about this food on the forum, it was advertised there, but the topic was not particularly active. In general, the food attracted my attention due to its good composition and price, and at first I didn’t like that it contained millet. I thought I wasn’t going to feed it to a chicken, but after looking for information about millet, it turned out that it contains a lot of useful micro and macroelements and vitamins.

I ordered a small package, it was delivered, the dog approved - it’s no worse than the previous one. While I finished the first package, no negative results appeared, I decided to switch to it. We are now on our fourth bag, this time I took the biggest one - it’s more profitable and lasts a long time. I recommend Holistic Bland food.