Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Adult Dry Dog Food Review

Our Recommendation

While not grain free, this dry kibble formula from Halo still offers high-quality ingredients that are responsibly sourced. Halo used to be called Spot’s Stew. The company prides themselves on producing quality pet foods and they donate regularly to pet shelters around the country!

There is nothing missing from this dog food and overall it is impressive. The addition of Soy Protein concentrate is offputting, but at least it is the eighth ingredient and not the first.

• Chicken, chicken liver, and dried eggs are the first ingredients. That right there tells me that my dogs would eat this stuff up fast and want more. There is just something about real chicken ingredients that seems to drive dogs crazy!
• No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
• Real meat products. Halo makes a point to state that the meats that they use are never by-products or rendered products.
• GMO-free formula
• Suitable for sensitive dogs
• Essential fatty acids help keep coat slick and shiny and help reduce or even eliminate skin allergies and dermatitis
• Probiotics help with digestion. Halo claims that this formula will help reduce the amount of dog waste around your yard because your dog is getting the most out of their food

This is an expensive kibble for something that is not grain free and contains soy concentrate.

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Dried Peas, Dried Chickpeas, Soy Protein Concentrate, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), ?axseed, Pea ?ber, Natural ?avor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Carrots, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Dried Golden Algae, Inulin, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Ribo?avin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Methionine Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative).

Nutritional Analysis

Pet food ingredients, nutritional values, and the way they are labeled for consumers are monitored by several organizations in the United States including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the NGO, Association of American Feed Control Officials

http://talkspetfood.aafco.org/

(AAFCO).

Each year the AAFCO publishes two sets of nutritional minimum standards for dog food intended to help specify if a food is suitable for:

1. Dogs in the growth & reproduction phases of life
2. Adult dogs maintaining a healthy weight and activity level

Caloric Content

3,660 kcal /kg, 403 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis

* – indicates not yet analyzed

Transition Instructions

Halo recommends transitioning from your previous brand over a seven day time period. Start out replacing 25% of your dog’s food with Halo on the first day and replace a little more each day until they are just eating Halo by day seven. If you have a really sensitive dog then you may consider increasing the transition period to 10 days but most dogs do great with seven or fewer days of transition time.

Make sure that the calorie count per cup is similar between your old brand and the Halo. If there is a signficant difference then you may want to adjust feeding amounts during the transition.

Feeding Amounts

Feeding Instructions

Provide plenty of clean and fresh water near where your dog eats. Pregnant or nursing dogs or puppies may need a lot more food than the feeding guidelines suggest. Feed puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs three times per day minimum for best results or allow for free choice with an auto feeder.

The Bottom Line

This is a quality dog food but the price is going to keep a lot of people away. You could cook for your dog for less in a lot of cases. Halo is admirable because they take such pride in sourcing quality ingredients for all their formulas. This is great food for small to medium dogs and those that are sensitive to a lot of the garbage ingredients that are found in a lot of commercial dog foods. If you are looking for dog food that is not full of GMOs, Halo is one of the brands to consider regardless of what formula or recipe you go with for your pooch!

If you prefer a vegan option, check out our review of Halo Holistic Garden of Vegan Adult dog food.