Health Extension Dog Food Review 2024

As well as being delicious it’s important that we’re feeding our dogs a diet that’s beneficial to their health. Health Extension dog food suggests it’ll do just that — but does it live up to its name? 

There are four options to choose from, including wet and dry food as well as the newer gently cooked and air-dried ranges. They also have a wide selection of treats to complement their food. 

In addition to dog food, Health Extension has a range of supplements alongside toys and grooming products. 

Read on for our Health Extension dog food review to help you decide whether this is the right dog food for your pup or not.

There’s plenty of dog food to choose from. Alongside wet and dry food, you’ll also discover a small range of gently air-dried and gently cooked food. Plus, there’s a selection of treats and toppers, too. 

Health Extension dry dog food

You can choose from a wide selection of dry food for dogs of all sizes with options such as the Health Extension Little Bites and Large Bites. 

There is also Lite Bite. This contains 50% less fat than the Original Formula, making it ideal for overweight or senior pups. It’s also enhanced with glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate and L-Carnitine, to support their mobility. 

Whether you have a dog with a grain allergy or any other reason they can’t have grain in their diet, Health Extension grain free dog food is the perfect choice and comes in a variety of flavors with the option of ‘Lite Bite’ too. 

We like that meat is the first listed ingredient in the dry dog food range and that there are plenty of tasty flavors, from Health Extension salmon dog food to Health Extension buffalo and whitefish.

There are six Ancestry dry dog foods in this range. Unlike their own range, this food has meat or fish meal as the first listed ingredient. It’s argued that this is higher in protein but we’d prefer if this were real meat or fish. Meat and fish meals can contain tissues and organs not fit for human consumption. 

• Original Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
• Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe
• Lite Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
• Little Bites Lite Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
• Little Bites Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
• Large Bites Chicken & Brown Rice
• Grain Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe
• Grain Free Buffalo, Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe
• Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe
• Grain Free Venison & Sweet Potato Recipe
• Grain Free Duck & Sweet Potato Recipe
• Grain Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Little Bites Recipe
• Grain Free Buffalo, Whitefish & Sweet Potato Little Bites Recipe
• Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Little Bites Recipe
• Grain Free Venison & Sweet Potato Little Bites Recipe
• Ancestry - Lamb Meal with Rice
• Ancestry - Homeland with Lamb Meal
• Ancestry - Look Out! Duck
• Ancestry - Tidal Energy with Salmon Meal
• Ancestry - Chicken Meal and Rice
• Ancestry - Farmland with Chicken Meal

Health Extension wet dog food

Just like with the dry food, the Health Extension canned dog food has real meat as the first ingredient. The Mediterranean Roast - Lamb Recipe, for example, is made with tender pieces of free range lamb alongside chickpeas, carrots and flaxseed. It’s finished off with apple cider vinegar and pure coconut oil 

Again, you have a number of grain-free options, while the digestive support range includes dietary fibers as well as superfoods such as turmeric and ginger. 

Some of the cans provide a complete and balanced meal on their own — or, of course, can be mixed in with dry food. But be aware some of the cans are simply meant to be added to your dog's food and not fed on their own. The 95% options are to be used as toppers and for supplemental feeding only. 

• Vegetarian Entree
• Lamb Entrée
• Grain-Free Chunky Chicken Stew
• Grain Free Savory Beef Stew
• Grain Free 95% Chicken
• Grain Free 95% Beef
• Grain Free 95% Salmon
• Grain Free Duck Entree
• Grain Free Turkey Entree
• Grain Free New York Style - Beef Recipe
• Grain Free Northern Catch - Salmon Recipe
• Carolina Skillet - Pork Recipe
• Mediterranean Roast - Lamb Recipe
• Digestive Support, Chicken & Pumpkin Entrée in Gravy
• Digestive Support, Beef & Carrot Entrée in Gravy
• Digestive Support, Turkey & Sweet Potato Entrée in Gravy

Health Extension Gently Air-Dried 

We’re very impressed with this air-dried food which is new to the range and is made with human-grade ingredients. This is an alternative to homemade, frozen and freeze-dried food. Not only do they have up to 85% protein from an animal source, they feature more than 30 superfoods such as lion’s mane mushrooms and turmeric. Plus, they include vegetables such as pumpkin and carrot. 

There are three tasty flavors to choose from: 

• Beef 
• Chicken 
• Salmon 

Health Extension Gently Cooked 

Also new to the Health Extension range is this food gently cooked in bone broth. These complete and balanced recipes feature superfoods as well, such as goji berry and kelp. It’s a home cooked meal, without the cooking. These aren't frozen; they’re ready to go straight in their bowl. 

Choose from three tasty flavors: 

• Beef and Potato 
• Chicken and Pumpkin 
• Lamb and Carrot 

Health Extension Treats and Toppers 

The selection of treats are full of the same healthy ingredients as the dog food including antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. There’s a real variety to choose from — Probiotic Dental Bones, Freeze Dried Bison Bites and Natural Elk Antlers are just a few of the options. 

There’s a lot to like about Health Extension dog food. Here are a few reasons we think you and, more importantly, your pup might like it.  

Immunity boosting superfoods 

As well as being tasty meat-based recipes they’re all enhanced with superfoods. The aim is to improve their digestion, for strong bones and joints, a healthy and shiny coat and skin as well as a healthy heart and superior immunity. Just some of the superfoods you’ll find in the recipes are: apple cider vinegar, ginger, coconut oil, turmeric, green tea extract, kelp and salmon oil. 

No nasties

Not only do they use the highest quality ingredients that are beneficial to your pup’s health, they also ensure there are no nasties. They leave out fillers, so there are no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. There are also no GMOs. These recipes don’t include soy corn, or wheat. Plus, there’s no animal byproducts. They ensure all the meat and fish they do use is hormone and antibiotic free. 

Over 140 checkpoints 

Testing is carried out on the food before, during and after cooking. Firstly, the raw ingredients are checked before entering the facility to ensure they’re free from the likes of salmonella. A third-party laboratory samples it throughout the cooking process. Then, they have a ‘Test, Hold and Release Program’ — this means no product can be distributed until the test results are back. That’s why, in 60 years, the company has never had to recall any of their food.

Of course, as with all dog food, there are a few things you should be aware of and consider to help you make your decision. 

It has caused some stomach issues in dogs

Some pet parents say that it has caused their dog to be gassy and even caused stomach problems such as diarrhea and vomiting. It’s important to note that this could be caused by changing their food too quickly. Make sure you do this gradually, mixing in the new food with their existing food over around seven days at least. 

A few picky eaters won’t touch it 

Pet parents have said that their picky dog won’t eat the food. Meanwhile, others have said they have picky dogs and this is the only food they will eat. There’s plenty of food to choose from and a real variety of flavors, so if you have a picky dog it’s always best to let them sample the food first before you commit to a large order. You could purchase a small bag or, alternatively, get a variety pack or a bundle to sample various different products and see which one they like best. 

It’s not that budget-friendly 

You, of course, pay for what you get — and this food is high-quality so it doesn’t come at a low price. The dry food is available in various sizes: 4lb, 10lb, 18lb and 30lb and the cans come in a case of 12. The newer, air-dried and gently cooked dog food is a much more expensive option. The air-dried food, for example, comes in a 2lb bag and is just over $52 on Chewy. 

“When I adopted a six year old tricolor Corgi from a pet rescue she came with some of the food they were feeding her. She liked the food and she was healthy with a beautiful coat so I decided to give HEALTH EXTENSION a try. I was surprised by the quality ingredients of the food; real chicken and fish, healthy grains and oils. My Tootsie loves it and I do too.”

“First time trying this brand and I am pleased with the selection. I was looking for a seafood based protein without a lot of fillers thrown in at a comfortable price point. Our boys enjoy fresh salmon when we have it and this food seems to be an equally good substitute. I will purchase it again as well as explore other options in the Health Extension line.”

Read more Health extension dog food reviews on Chewy.

This family-owned pet food company dates back to 1963 when it was called Vets Choice. In 2015 it rebranded to Health Extension. Three generations later and it’s still in the family. 

They’re based in New York and started with focusing on small batches to ensure quality and guarantee they were always putting pets first. They still do that to this day.

You’ll have noticed there is Ancestry dry dog food among the Health Extension range. This is because they acquired Ancestry at the beginning of 2020.

At the time of writing there has not been a Health Extension dog food recall.