Holistic dog food
All existing dog foods can be divided into four groups: economy class, premium Class, super premium Class and holistic dog food. This division is based on their composition and the quality of their ingredients.
Economy dog food is a low-quality product that typically contains no meat, and even the by-products used are among the cheapest. Premium dog food has average-quality ingredients, a small percentage of meat, and a high grain content (as a meat substitute). Super-premium dog food contains only the finest ingredients, ensuring a complete, balanced diet for your pet. Naturally, the price of these foods increases from economy to super-premium. There's also holistic dog food—let's find out what makes it special.
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About the concept of holistics
The creation of this segment of food represents a modern approach to dog nutrition. It's difficult to characterize them as better or worse than super-premium; more accurately, it's a special category within the super-premium line of foods. The development philosophy for this group of foods is based on the idea that dogs should eat as they would in the wild. Furthermore, when developing holistic diet recipes, attention is focused not only on the quality of the ingredients but also on their complex interactions and their overall impact on the dog's body.
Having developed a special class of holistic dog food, the professionals adhere to a simple concept: to ensure good health and prevent many diseases, two things are enough: choosing the right diet and ensuring your dog's activity level (adequate walks and exercise). Following this principle, these foods contain only natural ingredients: meat and fish, wild or brown rice, various berries, vegetables and natural fruits, healthy herbs and spices. A special production technology at lower temperatures preserves the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals in the ingredients.
Dry food
Most manufacturers produce only holistic dry dog food, but their selections include options for even the pickiest pet. To avoid being tricked by advertisers, it's important to read the ingredients list when purchasing food. The main ingredient is always listed first, so it should contain meat. Containing several types of meat is also a big plus; the more variety, the more complete the nutritional value. Ideally, the amount of meat and fish should be around 70%.
It's important to note that holistic dry dog food contains only natural preservatives and flavors, so the ingredient list should be free of artificial ingredients. They also do not contain grains that create fiber, such as wheat, corn, or soy.
In the holistic dog food category, the price per kilogram ranges from 450 to 600 rubles (we use the average price of large packages for our calculations). It's important to note that the daily consumption rate for this class of food is much lower than for other types, so the cost of this type of food won't increase significantly compared to super-premium foods.
Each manufacturer strives to create its own unique diets, such as duck with oranges or lamb with venison, but to choose the optimal diet for your pet, you must first consider its age, activity level, and size.
Small breeds
Small dogs have unique nutritional needs. Special holistic dog foods for small breeds are created with these in mind. They contain a high amount of protein, increasing the nutritional value of the food. They also have a reduced carbohydrate content to help maintain the dog's ideal weight. Essential vitamins and antioxidants are provided by berries, fruits, and herbs. All ingredients in these foods are fresh, non-GMO, and never frozen or processed. The shape and size of the kibble are adapted for the pet's small teeth. For example, Nau Holistic dog food offers perfectly balanced nutrition for small breeds, suitable for both puppies and adults.
The cost of a small package of such food (800 g - 1 kg) is approximately 650 - 750 rubles.
Large breeds
Large dogs need joint support nutrients more than others, as large breeds have the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders. Building muscle mass is also an important aspect of large dog nutrition. Taking these and other considerations into account, manufacturers produce separate lines of holistic foods that are optimally balanced for large breeds.
A large package of food for large dog breeds (a bag from 11 to 15 kg) costs about 4,500 - 6,500 rubles.
Food allergy
A specialized hypoallergenic dry dog food in the holistic segment has been developed for pets with food intolerances or allergies. It is free of grains, which are often rejected by the animal's body (wheat), and soy. Chicken is also replaced with a hypoallergenic protein source, such as duck or lamb. Oats can be used as a carbohydrate source, and ingredients that have a positive effect on intestinal function are also added. This holistic hypoallergenic food for dogs with sensitive digestion helps eliminate this problem once and for all, restoring the joy of life to your pet.
The average price for small packs of food in this category is 250–350 rubles.
Wet food
If you have trouble satisfying your four-legged friend's tastes, or simply want to treat them to something delicious, Holistic canned dog food is the perfect choice. We offer complete daily meals as well as gourmet treats. These foods are also made for animals with special needs, such as those with sensitive digestion or those who are overweight. They contain all the necessary ingredients for a balanced diet: plenty of meat, essential vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. Even the most discerning gourmet will appreciate Holistic wet dog food, thanks to its delicious aroma and delicious taste.
The average price for a 400g jar ranges from 150 to 300 rubles.
List of trademarks
It's quite common today to think that all grain-free foods are holistic, and another common misconception is that holistic diets are high-protein diets. To avoid being misled and wondering which brands actually produce holistic diets, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the most well-known ones:
Wolfsblut
Products from the German company Healthfood24 GmbH include both dry and canned food. The manufacturer offers over 20 different diets, catering to dogs of all ages and breed sizes. These menus are distinguished by their hypoallergenic properties and the inclusion of exotic meats and fish, such as venison, kangaroo, horsemeat, water buffalo, pheasant, ostrich, and haddock. The carbohydrate sources most often include sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and pea derivatives.
Learn more about Wolfsblut food
Holistic Blend
These Canadian-made diets offer grain-free and whole-grain options. These formulas feature high-quality meat ingredients, natural preservatives (rosemary), chelated minerals, fruits, root vegetables, and herbs. The grain-free menu replaces grains with potatoes, peas, and sweet potatoes, plus apples, pears, pumpkin, and bananas. Turkey and salmon serve as protein ingredients, while salmon oil and sunflower oil serve as lipids.
Grandorf
This brand is owned by a Russian company, but its products are manufactured in factories in Belgium (United Petfood Producers NV) and Italy (Monge&C. SpA). Grandorf's dry recipes list 60% meat (lamb, turkey, duck, or rabbit), while the fish version includes cod and herring. Carbohydrates are supplied by white or brown rice (depending on the menu), and in the grain-free diet, sweet potato. The fat content is primarily turkey fat. Grandorf diets include krill, carob powder, and Synox 3D (a natural antioxidant complex).
Learn more about Grandorf feeds
Go!
A line of Canadian pet foods from Petcurean. They feature fresh poultry (chicken, duck, turkey), lamb and venison, and fish (trout, salmon, herring). Oats or brown rice provide carbohydrates, while grain-free formulas include potatoes, peas, lentils, or chickpeas. The recipes primarily use canola, coconut, and sunflower oils in combination with chicken fat or salmon oil. All diets contain fruits and vegetables, wild berries, and a selection of medicinal herbs.
Magnusson
A unique dog food made in Sweden. It is prepared using a special "oven-baked" technology. All ingredients are exclusively Swedish organic products. The basis of this food is ground beef (fillet only). All recipes have an extremely simple composition, including beef, whole wheat, fresh eggs, and carrots, plus canola oil and vitamin and mineral supplements. Natural rosemary oil serves as a preservative. Magnusson Petfood AB does not use GMOs, flavor enhancers, synthetic preservatives, or low-quality ingredients.
Learn more about Magnusson pet food
Gather organic
These are diets from the creators of the Go! and Now brands, both owned by Petcurean. Gather's signature food is its use of only organic ingredients, excluding GMOs, raw materials grown with growth hormones, or antibiotics. Three menus are available: Wild Ocean, Free Acres, and Endless Valley. Wild Ocean is based on cod fillet with peas, chickpeas, and lentils, with the addition of krill. Free Acres is a diet with chicken, peas, and lentils, again with krill. Endless Valley is vegan and contains no animal ingredients. Each of these diets is free of wheat, corn, soy, or by-products.
Farmina N&D
Natural&Delicious is a line of Italian low-grain and grain-free pet food. The main differences between these two formulas are the proportion of animal products and the presence/absence of grains. The grain-free version contains 70% animal ingredients and 30% fruits, vegetables, and berries. The low-grain diet is 60% animal ingredients, 20% fruits, minerals, and vegetables, and the remaining 20% is grains (spelt and oats). The N&D menu uses chicken, lamb, and fish as animal proteins. More exotic diets are also available, including wild boar, quail, duck, or venison. The fats in the formula also come from animal sources, not plant sources, such as chicken and fish oil.
Read more about Farmina N&D pet food
North Paw
A Canadian brand, Corey's products are made with the highest-quality ingredients—all human-grade. Their full range of dog food is available in three categories: for puppies, for adult pets of all breeds, and for small breeds. These grain-free recipes are based on 85-90% chicken and fish, with the remaining 10-15% consisting of green peas, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, apples, and cabbage. Additives include blueberries, cranberries, pumpkin, spinach, and a host of medicinal herbs, plus a vitamin and mineral complex.
Taste of the Wild
One of the trademarks of Diamond Pet Foods, a company based in the USA that also manufactures its products there. The name of these foods ("Taste of the Wild") reflects the essence of the recipes: grain-free carnivore nutrition featuring meats and fish that pets would find in the wild. Meat ingredients are the hallmark of Taste of the Wild diets. Dogs can choose from three menus: Southwest Canyon (with wild boar, beef, beans, and chickpeas), Pacific Stream (with smoked salmon, ocean fish, and sweet potato), and Wetlands (with roasted ptarmigan, duck, smoked turkey, and sweet potato). There's also a separate diet for puppies—High Prairie—based on bison, lamb, sweet potato, and roasted venison.
Golden Eagle Holistic
This British-made food is made with human-grade ingredients. This means all ingredients in Golden Eagle foods are natural and high-quality. The variety of diets includes nine traditional dog food recipes, three types of single-protein formulas (with duck, salmon, and lamb), and three grain-free diets: "Farm" (duck and turkey), "Game" (venison and rabbit), and "Ocean" (salmon, herring, and trout). The manufacturer uses chicken, salmon, pork, lamb, and duck in its products. The most common sources of fat are chicken, fish, and flaxseed. The main menus also include oats, brown or white rice, vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, carrots), fruits, green peas, and various berries.
Owner reviews of Holistic foods
Before introducing a new diet to their pet, many people want to hear the opinions of owners who have already tried holistic dog food. Most of their reviews boil down to the following:
- Holistic, grain-free food lines live up to expectations and help many pets with food allergies lead normal, healthy lives. Their digestion improves and skin irritations disappear.
- Many dog owners experience difficulties transitioning their pets from a well-known French super-premium brand. Often, their pets are reluctant to eat the new food or refuse it altogether.
- There are cases where owners who have tried holistic dog foods, which often receive positive reviews, are very dissatisfied. Their pets begin to experience coat or weight problems. Obviously, every dog is different, and choosing a diet should be approached strictly individually.
Veterinarian reviews of holistic foods
The key point veterinarians emphasize to pet owners is that holistic foods are not medicinal. Don't expect miracle cures from this category of food. If a pet has a genetic predisposition to certain diseases, holistic foods only reduce the risk of developing the condition but do not guarantee protection. Therefore, holistic dog foods, which are often praised for their extraordinary properties, are simply high-quality nutrition for your four-legged friend.
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