Holistic dog food

More and more pet owners who want the best for their furry friends are turning to holistic dog food. In contrast to conventional dog food, which frequently has artificial and filler ingredients, holistic options emphasize natural ingredients that promote overall health. This method places a strong emphasis on the value of a balanced diet, which can make dogs happier and healthier.

These meals, which include whole meats, veggies, and grains, offer vital nutrients in a more easily absorbed format. Additionally, a lot of brands choose natural preservation techniques over synthetic additives and preservatives. In order to promote a more natural lifestyle, the diet should be designed to resemble what dogs might eat in the wild.

Selecting holistic dog food can also help with certain medical conditions. Numerous recipes address the needs of dogs with sensitivities, allergies, or weight issues, enabling owners to customize their dog’s diet to suit their own requirements. In order to provide their pets with the best care possible, holistic solutions are growing in popularity as pet owners become more knowledgeable about nutrition.

Type of Holistic Dog Food Benefits
Grain-Free Better digestion, reduced allergies
Raw Diet Improved coat condition, higher energy
Dehydrated Food Convenient, retains nutrients
Organic Ingredients Fewer chemicals, healthier overall

About the holistic concept

This food category was created as a modern approach to dog nutrition. It is challenging to categorize them as either superior to or inferior to the super premium class; it would be more accurate to describe them as a unique subset of the super premium food line. The idea behind this group’s food development is that dogs ought to eat in a manner similar to that of the wild. Furthermore, consideration is given to the intricate interactions between the ingredients and the overall effect on the dog’s body when creating recipes for holistic diets, in addition to the quality of the individual ingredients.

Professionals who created a unique category of holistic foods for dogs follow a straightforward principle: selecting the correct diet and raising the dog’s activity level (long walks, physical exercise) are sufficient to maintain health and ward off many ailments. In accordance with this assertion, these meals only include natural ingredients, such as meat and fish, brown or wild rice, a variety of berries, vegetables, and natural fruits, as well as healthful herbs and spices. By using specialized production technology at lower temperatures, you can preserve the ingredients’ maximum quantity of vitamins and microelements.

Dry food

The majority of producers solely create holistic dry food for dogs, but their selection also includes items for the pickiest pet owners. Read the ingredients of the food you are purchasing to avoid being duped by advertisements. Meat should always be the first item on the ingredient list because it is the main ingredient. The presence of multiple meat varieties at once is also very beneficial; the more diverse, the more comprehensive. The ideal difference between the amount of fish and meat is 70%.

It’s crucial to remember that holistic dry dog food only contains natural preservatives and flavors; the ingredient list shouldn’t include any artificial substances. Moreover, they don’t contain wheat, corn, or soy, which are cereals that build ballast.

The cost per kilogram for holistic dog food ranges from 450 to 600 rubles. We use the average cost of large food packages for our calculations. It’s important to remember that this food class consumes far less food on a daily basis than others, so its prices won’t rise significantly in comparison to super premium food.

Even though every manufacturer tries to come up with something different—like duck with oranges or lamb with venison—you still need to consider your pet’s age, activity level, and size when selecting the best diet for them.

Small breeds

Small dogs have their own special nutritional needs. Taking them into account, special holistic foods for small breed dogs have been created. They contain a large amount of protein, which increases the energy value of food. And also the carbohydrate content is reduced to maintain the dog"s ideal weight. The pet receives the necessary vitamins and antioxidants from berries, fruits and herbs. All components of such foods are fresh and do not contain GMOs, and are not subject to freezing or processing. The shape and size of the granules are adapted for the pet"s small teeth. For example, Nau Holistic dog food offers a perfectly balanced diet for mini breeds, which is suitable for both puppies and adult animals.

A small package of this food (800 g to 1 kg) costs roughly 650–750 rubles.

Large breeds

Because large breeds have the highest percentage of diseases linked to musculoskeletal disorders, they require more substances than other breeds to support joint function. The development of excess muscle mass is another crucial component of large pets’ diets. Manufacturers create distinct lines of holistic food that are perfectly balanced for large dog breeds by taking these and other subtleties into account.

A bag weighing between 11 and 15 kg is designed for large breeds of dogs and costs approximately 4500–6500 rubles.

Food allergies

A specific hypoallergenic dry dog food from the holistic segment has been created for pets with food allergies or intolerances. It is free of soy and grains, such as wheat, which frequently cause the body of the animal to reject them. Another option for chicken meat is a hypoallergenic protein source like duck or lamb. You can use oats as a source of carbohydrates and add ingredients that are good for your intestines. For dogs with sensitive digestive systems, holistic hypoallergenic food helps to permanently resolve the issue and bring back your pet’s happiness.

Small food packs in this category typically cost between 250 and 350 rubles.

Wet food

If you find it difficult to please the tastes of your four-legged pet, or you just want to pamper your pet with something tasty, the ideal choice would be holistic canned food for dogs. Among them, there are both complete rations for every day, and gourmet foods that can be given as a treat. Such food is also made for animals with special needs, for example, for dogs with sensitive digestion or overweight. They contain all the necessary ingredients for balanced feeding: a large amount of meat, essential vitamins, amino acids and minerals. Even the most fastidious gourmet will appreciate the holistic wet food for dogs, as it has a very appetizing aroma and excellent taste.

A 400g can costs, on average, between 150 and 300 rubles.

Holistic dog food uses premium, natural ingredients free of artificial additives to create a balanced diet that supports your dog’s overall health. This method helps with overall health as well as improved digestion, a glossy coat, and a robust immune system. Pet owners can guarantee that their furry friends have healthier, happier lives by selecting holistic solutions.

List of brands

A common misconception nowadays is that a holistic menu consists of a high-protein diet. Another common misconception is that all grain-free foods are holistic. To avoid being duped and to avoid speculating about which brand actually makes holistic class diets, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the most well-known of them:

Wolfsblut

Products from Healthfood24 GmbH, a German company whose range consists of diets in cans and dry form. You can select food for dogs of all breed sizes and ages from the manufacturer’s more than 20 different diet options. These menus stand out for their hypoallergenic composition and unusual meat and fish options, such as haddock, pheasant, ostrich, kangaroo, and Indian buffalo. They mostly get their carbohydrates from sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and pea derivatives.

Holistic Blend

Diets produced in Canada; the range includes whole grain and grain-free recipes. These foods are made with premium meat ingredients, fruits, root vegetables, chelated minerals, natural preservatives like rosemary, and herbs. The grain-free menu substitutes potatoes, peas, and sweet potatoes for cereal, and it also includes bananas, apples, pears, and pumpkin. Sunflower oil and salmon fat are utilized as lipids, while turkey and salmon serve as the ingredients for protein.

Grandorf

Although the products are made in factories in Belgium (United Petfood Producers NV) and Italy (Monge&C. SpA), the brand’s owner is a Russian company. 60% of the meat (lamb, turkey, duck, or rabbit) in dry Grandorf recipes is declared; in the fish version, this is cod and herring. Depending on the menu, white or brown rice serves as the source of carbohydrates; on a grain-free diet, sweet potatoes would be used instead. Turkey fat is primarily responsible for the role of fats. Krill, carob powder, and the additive Synox 3D—a natural antioxidant complex—are all included in the Grandorf brand diets.

Go!

A range of feeds from the Petcurean company in Canada. They use meat from lambs and deer, fresh fish (trout, salmon, herring), and fresh poultry (chicken, duck, turkey). Oats or brown rice are designated as sources of carbohydrates; in grain-free recipes, the same role is played by potatoes, peas, lentils, or chickpeas. The recipes mostly use sunflower, coconut, and rapeseed vegetable oils in harmony with salmon or chicken fat. Every diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, wild berries, and sets of therapeutic herbs.

Magnusson

Swedish-made dog food that is unique. It is made with a unique technique called "baking in the oven." Swedish organic products are used exclusively as ingredients. Ground into minced beef (only fillet), this dish’s main ingredient. All of the recipes have a very straightforward ingredient list that includes fresh eggs, carrots, coarse wheat, rapeseed oil, vitamin and mineral supplements, and beef. A natural preservative is rosemary oil. GMOs, artificial preservatives, flavor enhancers, and inferior raw materials are not used by Magnusson Petfood AB.

Gather organic

These are diets from the authors of the Go! and Now brands, which belong to the Petcurean company. A distinctive feature of Gather food is the use of only organic ingredients, the refusal to use GMOs, raw materials grown on growth hormones or antibiotics. There are three types of menu to choose from: Wild Ocean, Free Acres and Endless Valley. The basis of the Wild Ocean recipe is cod fillet with peas, chickpeas and lentils, with the addition of krill meat. Free Acres – a diet with chicken, peas and lentils, again with krill. Endless Valley is a vegan food that does not contain any animal-based ingredients. Each of them does not contain wheat, corn, soy, or by-products.

Farmina N&D

Natural&Delicious is a series of Italian low-grain and grain-free food for pets. The main difference between these two formulas is the mass fraction of animal products and the presence/absence of grains. So, the grain-free version contains 70% of animal components and 30% are fruits, vegetables, berries. The low-grain diet consists of 60% animal-based ingredients, 20% fruits, minerals and vegetables, and another 20% is given to cereals (spelt and oats). The N&D menu uses chicken, lamb, and fish as animal proteins. There are also more exotic diets: with wild boar meat, quail, duck or venison. The fats in the composition are also from animal, not vegetable sources – chicken and fish oil.

North Paw

A trademark of the Canadian business Corey, whose goods are made with the best ingredients that are fit for human consumption. Three sections hold the full selection of dog food: one for puppies, another for adult pets of any breed, and a third for small breeds. These recipes are centered around 85–90% chicken and fish, with the remaining 10–25% consisting of sweet potatoes, green peas, chickpeas, apples, and cabbage. Grain crops are not used in these recipes. Blueberries, cranberries, spinach, pumpkin, and a long list of therapeutic herbs are included as additives, along with a complex of vitamins and minerals.

Taste of the Wild

One of the trademarks of the company Diamond Pet Foods, which is located in the USA and also produces its products there. The name of these foods ("Taste of the wild") reflects the essence of the recipes: food for predators, where there is no place for grain crops, and contains meat and fish that the pet could find in the wild. It is the meat ingredients that are the distinctive feature of the Taste of the Wild diets. There are three menus for dogs to choose from: Southwest Canyon (with wild boar, beef, beans and chickpeas), Pacific Stream (with smoked salmon, ocean fish and sweet potatoes), and Wetlands (with roasted partridge, duck, smoked turkey and sweet potato). There is a separate diet for puppies – High Prairie – based on bison, lamb with sweet potatoes and roasted venison.

Golden Eagle Holistic

Nutrition created in the UK, consisting of ingredients in the category "intended for people". This means that all products included in the Golden Eagle food are natural and high-quality. The variety of diets consists of nine traditional dog food recipes, three types of monoprotein formulas (with duck, salmon and lamb), and three grain-free diet options: "Farm" (duck with turkey), "Game" (venison with rabbit) and "Ocean" (salmon, herring and trout). The manufacturer uses chicken, salmon, pork, lamb and duck meat in its products. The most common sources of fat are chicken, fish and flax seeds. The main menu also includes oats, brown or white rice, as well as vegetables (tomato, potato, carrot), fruits, green peas and various berries.

Owner reviews of holistic dog food

Many people want to know what other owners think about holistic dog food before giving their pet a new diet; the majority of these reviews sum up as follows:

  • The lines of holistic food that do not contain grain components live up to expectations and help many pets suffering from food allergies lead a normal, healthy lifestyle. Their digestion is normalized and skin irritation disappears.
  • Many dog ​​owners have difficulty weaning their pets off the food of a well-known French super premium brand. Often their pets are reluctant to eat new food or refuse it altogether.
  • There are cases when owners who have tried holistic dog food, reviews of which are often positive, remain very dissatisfied. Their pets begin to have problems with their coat or weight. Obviously, all dogs are different and the choice of food should be approached strictly individually.

The health and wellbeing of your pet can be greatly impacted by the food you choose for them. These foods emphasize whole foods that supply vital nutrients and frequently contain natural ingredients. With this method, you can be sure that your dog is fed a healthy, balanced diet free of artificial additives and needless fillers.

Although switching to holistic solutions might involve some adjustment, the advantages might be well worth it. After switching, a lot of dog owners report improvements in their dog’s vitality, energy levels, and coat condition. It’s crucial to speak with a veterinarian to determine which option is best for your dog’s individual requirements.

Ultimately, purchasing holistic dog food is an investment in the long-term health of your pet. You’re creating the foundation for a happier, healthier life together by placing a premium on high-quality ingredients.

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Maxim Kovalev

Veterinarian with many years of experience. Main interest is the prevention and treatment of diseases in cats and dogs. I constantly share proven tips for caring for the health of pets to help avoid common problems and maintain their excellent health.

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