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Dog Food Insiders Rating
4 1/2 PAWS
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Company Information
Holistic Select Dog Food is a brand produced byWellPet LLC, a cat and dog food company that was formed by the combination of Eagle Pack Pet Foods and Old Mother Hubbard. Both companies were purchased by the Berwind Corporation in the early 2000s. Holistic Select originated as Eagle Pack Holistic Select and was launched in 2000 before it became a separate brand from Eagle Pack. They also make Prism,Hy-Ration, and Holistix pet foods and treats. Wellness was launched in 1997 and in 2004 was said to become the number one natural pet food in the independent pet specialty channel.
Both Old Mother Hubbard, which dates back to 1926 when it began making natural dog biscuits, and Eagle Pack, which was founded in 1970, had very good reputations with consumers for making premium pet foods and treats before they were purchased and combined to form WellPet.
Product Overview
According to their company statements, Holistic Select emphasizes the role that “digestive health” plays in “whole-body” health. They claim that Holistic Select is “the only natural pet food that offers a complete digestive balance system to help your pet absorb and utilize all nutrients.” They say their food provides guaranteed levels of digestive enzymes and botanicals; prebiotics; probiotics; and natural fiber. With recipes for dogs and cats, Holistic Select says their food features “high-quality, natural meats, fats and whole grains.” They have kibble, canned food, biscuits, and digestive aids.
Dry Foods
- Adult Health Anchovy & Sardine and Salmon Meals Dry Dog Food
- Adult Health Chicken Meal & Rice Dry Dog Food
- Adult Health Duck Meal Dry Dog Food
- Adult Health Lamb Meal Dry Dog Food
- Puppy Health Anchovy & Sardine and Chicken Meals Dry Puppy Food
- Small & Mini Breed Puppy Health Anchovy & Sardine and Chicken Meals Dry Puppy Food
- Senior Health Chicken Meal & Rice Dry Dog Food
- Small & Mini Breed Adult Health Anchovy & Sardine and Chicken Meals Dry Dog Food
- Large & Giant Breed Adult Health Chicken Meal & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food
- Large & Giant Breed Puppy Health Lamb Meal & Oatmeal Dry Puppy Food
- Weight Management Chicken Meal & Peas Dry Dog Food
- Grain Free Adult & Puppy Health Salmon and Anchovy & Sardine Meal Dry Dog Food
Canned Foods
- Beef Canned Dog Food
- Chicken Canned Dog Food
- Chicken & Chicken Liver Canned Dog Food
- Duck Canned Dog Food
- Duck & Chicken Canned Dog Food
- Lamb Canned Dog Food
- Puppy Canned Dog Food
- Tuna, Salmon & Shrimp Canned Dog Food
Snacks
- Holistix® Holistic Biscuits for Dogs With Chicken, Cranberries, Sweet Potatoes & Blueberries
- Holistix® Holistic Biscuits for Dogs With Whitefish, Cranberries, Apples & Blueberries
- Holistix® Holistic Biscuits for Dogs With Lamb, Flaxseed, Apples & Carrots
Digestive Aids
- Healthy Solution
- Healthy Transition
Review Of Holistic Select Adult Health Duck Meal Dry Dog Food
Duck Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Carrots, Pumpkin, Cranberries, Tomato Pomace, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Apples, Peas, Organic Quinoa, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Beta-Carotene, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Iron Polysaccharide Complex, Copper Polysaccharide Complex, Manganese Polysaccharide Complex, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodide], Papaya, Dried Kelp, Blueberries, Pomegranate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Inulin, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Yucca Schidigera Extract, DL-Methionine, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Fennel, Ground Peppermint, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Rosemary Extract.
That’s quite a daunting ingredient list for something that is billed as having a single source of protein. In fact, it has more than one source of protein, so if your dog has allergies, you should read the label carefully. Eggs are full of protein and quinoa, though used like a grain, is 14 percent protein. It is one of the most protein-dense grains around. It’s an expensive ingredient so it’s not just a filler. It’s quite nutritious, but it’s definitely got lots of protein. Either of these ingredients could trigger an allergic reaction in a sensitive dog.
Top 5 Ingredients Breakdown
The first ingredient is Duck Meal. If you are looking for a novel protein, then most dogs have probably not eaten duck, unless you have been feeding them another dog food that contains duck. It’s different enough from chicken and turkey that a dog that is allergic to those items should not react to it, at least at first. But your dog could develop a generalized poultry allergy after eating the duck for a while. If your dog doesn’t have an allergy and you are simply feeding duck dog food because you think he might like it, then duck should be fine to feed. The fact that this is duck meal shouldn’t be a problem since meal is usually a denser version of the whole food with the moisture removed before processing.
However, after the duck meal for starters, the next four ingredients are not as exciting. They are Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Oatmeal, andChicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols). The ground brown rice should be easy for dogs to digest and fairly nutritious, but the ground white rice is much less so. Oatmeal provides some soluble fiber and nutrients and it should help your dog feel full. The chicken fat, naturally preserved, is good since it’s a named source of fat. But, again, if you are looking for a food that is different from chicken because your dog has a chicken allergy, this ingredient would mean that you should avoid this food for your dog.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest
After these first five ingredients there are some interesting things in the recipe but they are probably present in such small amounts that it’s doubtful how much impact they have, aside from the vitamins and minerals. Dried beet pulp is a good insoluble fiber that provides both energy and keeps the colon healthy. The Dried Egg Product is a good source of protein, as is the (organic) Quinoa. Flaxseed provides omega fatty acids, though it’s a plant source and not as good as an animal source like fish.
Many of the vegetables included in the food perform double duty and also contribute to better digestion such as the Pumpkin and Apples. Tomato Pomace and Peas are often used by dog food companies to provide more fiber in dog food, as well as contribute some nutrients. Cranberries are often added to dog food as an antioxidant. As for Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, that’s kind of a puzzler. It has lots of chlorophyll, but I’m not sure why dogs need chlorophyll. It does have some other nutrients and fiber, but it also has lots of calcium, so maybe that’s why it’s here.
Most of the rest of the ingredients are vitamins and minerals – chelated minerals, so they are easier for your dog’s digestive system to absorb them. There are also some prebiotics and probiotics like Inulin, Yucca Schidigera Extract, and several fermentation products: Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product.
Do these fermentation products actually help dogs digest food better? Well, I believe (note, I say “believe”) that when you give acidophilus and other products to dogs in addition to their meals, they do help. I’ve traveled with dogs enough to know that dogs can have sensitive digestion when they have a change in surroundings, but when I gave them acidophilus with their meals, they adapted better – no upset tummies. So, I do believe in these products to that extent. But, I don’t know if their addition to commercial pet foods is really helpful or not. My understanding is that these products depend on live cultures so I don’t know how they can be useful when added to something like kibble. But I’m withholding judgment for now. I don’t know if fermentation products in dog food are a gimmick or if they really help at this point. But they are a definite trend.
Quality Of Ingredients
The quality of the ingredients in the food looks good. I’m not a fan of White Rice but I like the Quinoa. Otherwise, I think the ingredients are good. There are a lot of ingredients in this food so if you are considering it for a dog with allergies, it might not be the best food for your dog. Foods with lots of ingredients mean that if your dog does have an allergic reaction, you might not know which ingredient is causing the problem. If your dog is having problems with allergies or a food intolerance, it’s best to choose a food with as few ingredients as possible so you will be able to isolate any ingredient that might cause an allergic reaction.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein ….. Not less than 23.00%
- Crude Fat ….. Not less than 13.00%
- Crude Fiber ….. Not more than 3.90%
- Moisture ….. Not more than 10.00%
- Calcium ….. Not less than 0.95%
- Phosphorus ….. Not less than 0.70%
- Vitamin A ….. Not less than 22,000 IU/kg
- Vitamin E ….. Not less than 165 IU/kg
- Omega 6 Fatty Acids* ….. Not less than 3.00%
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids* ….. Not less than 0.50%
- Beta-Carotene* ….. Not less than 5 mg/kg
- Glucosamine* ….. Not less than 340 mg/kg
- Total Lactic Acid Microorganisms* ….. Not less than 100,000,000 CFU/lb
- Total Bacillus Organisms* ….. Not less than 7,000,000 CFU/lb
- Protease* (from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger) ….. Not less than 280 HUT/lb
- Cellulase* (from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger) ….. Not less than 100 Cellulase Units/lb
- Alpha-Amylase*(from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger) ….. Not less than 5 Dextrin Units/lb
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles
- Metabolizable Energy (ME): This food contains 3,656 kcal per kilogram or 363 kcal per cup ME (metabolizable energy) on an as fed basis (calculated).
AAFCO Statement: Holistic Select Adult Health Duck Meal Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.
Analysis Breakdown
Holistic Select Adult Health Duck Meal Dry Dog Food provides 23 percent crude protein (Minimum), which is well above the government’s recommendations (18 percent for adult dogs), but it’s a little on the low side compared to most other premium and super premium adult dog foods. The protein sources seem to be very good, but you should be aware of the percentage. The 13 percent fat in Holistic Select Adult Health Duck Meal Dry Dog Food is also well within the government’s recommendations (9 to 15 percent for an adult dog), but it could also be higher. Your dog is not going to get fat eating this food.
Company Reputation And Quality Control Issues
Holistic Select has an excellent reputation with the public and with pet owners. Sister company Wellness had a 2012 FDA recall involving some of their kibble but Holistic Select was not involved. Likewise, Eagle Pack has always had an excellent reputation.
Bottomline
Holistic Select’s food, including Holistic Select Adult Health Duck Meal Dry Dog Food, looks very good. The protein content is a little on the low side but it should be fine for an adult maintenance diet, especially if you are not looking for a dog food to avoid allergies.
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