Lotus Dog Food Review 2024

With its charming illustrated packaging, just looking at Lotus’ dog food is enough to put a smile on your face. Luckily, this brand is also fantastic at making delicious dog food, not just commissioning illustrations of animals. 

By no means the cheapest dog food on the market, Lotus dog food is nevertheless hugely well thought of for its considerate approach to supplying pups with good-quality, nutrient-rich food. Based in LA but now selling their stock elsewhere in the US (and abroad), the company isn’t the biggest in the country but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it might be one of the best.

Read this Lotus dog food review to work out whether the brand is right for you. You’ll find out all about its product range, its recall history, what customers have been saying about recipes in Lotus dog food reviews and much more.

The Lotus dog food range of products and flavors are a little on the unusual side. Here we’ll talk you through them all to give you a sense of exactly what the company has to offer. 

Lotus Oven Baked dog food

Lotus are vocal about their process of oven baking being superior to the regular heating process involved in making dog food, which involves extrusion. They claim that their dry oven-baked food contains more meat and less starch than extruded food does, and that the process better protects the nutrients within. Whether other people believe this claim as confidently as the brand does is another matter. 

Regular Bites

The Regular Bites range of Lotus dog food products come in seven flavors. We won’t go into detail on each one but they are chicken (adult); chicken (puppy); chicken (senior); duck; sardine; turkey; and lamb.

In these Regular Bites the protein content is high, thanks to the meat ratio, and there are some great nutrient-rich ingredients in there like blueberries, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Those looking for Lotus senior dog food will note the only senior recipe includes glucosamine hydrochloride, which can help a dog’s aging and arthritic joints.

In some — especially the puppy recipe — the fat content jumps up a little, but it’s never at a particularly high level. The duck, the lamb, the turkey and the sardine are grain-free. Wondering about a grain-free diet for your dog? Here’s our handy guide.

Small Bites

Just like the Regular Bites but a little smaller, Lotus Small Bites dog food come in exactly the same seven flavors and have exactly the same nutritional breakdown (27% protein, 11% fat, 3.5% fiber, 2% Omega 6 fatty acids, 0.35% Omega 3 fatty acids).

These are more appropriate for dogs with smaller mouths or dogs who, for whatever reason, prefer their kibble in a slightly more digestible format. As in the Regular Bites, here the duck, the lamb, the turkey and the sardine are grain-free.

Lotus Canned dog food

The canned Lotus dog food range includes three varieties of wet dog food: Stews; Loafs; and Just Juicy. Intrigued by that last one? Read on…

Stews

There are just five flavors in the Stews range from Lotus dog food and it’s the first time we see beef and pork included. As well as that, there’s chicken, turkey and venison. 

All five of these products are grain-free and are made with a comparatively small amount of protein and a huge amount of moisture. In this case the moisture is Lotus’ broths, but rest assured, the meat in question is always listed as the first ingredient. While you may not see all that many brands offering stewed food to dogs, it’s an interesting variation and a good way of keeping pups hydrated. 

It’s worth noting the presence of sodium selenite, an ingredient that is common in other dog food brands as well (and indeed in the other Lotus dog food ranges). In high doses, sodium selenite can be toxic; you’re always better off finding an alternative like selenium yeast. However, a) this is practically difficult because it’s so common; and b) in small doses, as here, the substance is probably not doing any harm to your dog.

Loafs

With the widest range of flavors (nine), the Loafs range has something for everyone, provided you like at least one of beef tripe, chicken, pork, duck, beef and liver, sardine, rabbit, turkey, or salmon. These, again, are all grain-free and each (apart from the beef tripe, for some reason) contains sweet potatoes as one of its primary ingredients. 

Just Juicy

Lotus doesn't make it clear what distinguishes their Just Juicy range from their stews but the ingredients here make the range — which comes in beef shank stew and pork shoulder stew flavor (both grain-free) — a great-quality option.

The company claims that the range is 95% meat, but in each case the meat and the meat broth in question are the two primary ingredients, and there are plenty of commendable components like chicory and chelated minerals. 

Raw Toppers

Finally, in the extensive Lotus dog food range is the Raw Toppers category, with beef green tripe. For anyone not acquainted with tripe, it’s the lining of the fourth stomach of the cow. The company doesn't bleach or cook the enzymes in the tripe, making it healthier for your pup.

Treats

Much lower in protein, the Treats range is designed to be used only as treats, of course. Here there are six flavors: venison, turkey, chicken, duck, and sardine. All of these are grain-free and contain potatoes, peas and chickpeas as dominant ingredients. At around 54%, they are also high in carbohydrates — which is why they should only be dished out occasionally.

We’ve been through the product range, but is Lotus dog food good? Here’s what we like about the brand.

Local sensibility

For those who prefer their dog food produced by a smaller company, rather than a huge conglomerate with whom it can be difficult to speak to a human being, Lotus might be the answer. This is a comparatively small company and feels more personal and local as a result. 

Meat listed as first ingredient

It’s a huge positive that Lotus dog food always has animal meat listed as its primary ingredient. They don’t strictly have to eat meat but dogs aren’t vegetarians; they benefit enormously from the components of real meat, including amino acids and protein.

Grain-free options

If you have a pup with a sensitive stomach, or you just have an objection to feeding grain to your pet, Lotus really is the ideal brand; it has a huge range of grain-free options in both the dry and the wet food categories.

Here are a few potential drawbacks with Lotus dog food which you should be aware of if you’re considering purchasing it.

Price

There is absolutely no denying that the ‘boutique’ vibe means that it can be considerably more expensive than the average dog food brand. Businesses being small and family-owned — as Lotus is — has many benefits but price doesn’t tend to be one of them. This is something to bear in mind if you’re keeping an eye on your spending. 

Lack of clarity

Sometimes, the Lotus dog food branding is a little more concerned with sounding poetic than stating clearly what their products are and what they contain. Their pages are full of sentences like, ‘Coastal breezes, lush central valley farmlands, rolling green hills packed with vineyards...what better place to think local?’ Consumers pushed for time will be keener to know exactly what they’re about to purchase, rather than read about the incredible benefits of Lotus’ environmentally responsible way of doing business.

Low protein

The objection that Lotus contains a small percentage of protein is true only of its canned varieties, but here the ratio falls right down to below 10% — which is a significant consideration for anyone particularly with an active dog. 

“After many bags of different foods, my pup ate this as soon as I opened the bag! 10 days later, still eating it with no toppings!! Amazing!”

“My 16 yr. old senior dog (amazingly) enjoyed this kibble. It's VERY tiny, but so is she. She does have her teeth still and had no trouble eating this. And it must be tasty - otherwise she just sniffs whatever is presented and walks away disgusted. This she ate... happily.”

“This is the only dry dog food my fussy little poodle will eat. She loved cat dry food but not dry dog food. It is just the right size. Even the cat likes it.”

Read more Lotus dog food reviews on Chewy.

At only 20 years old, this is certainly one of the younger dog food brands. Owned by a company called Centinela Feed and Pets, the brand is a comparatively small one. When the owners ran a pet store, they were frustrated at the way that big brands downgraded their dog foods so decided to go into business themselves, setting up their pet food operation, small at first but now pretty large, in Los Angeles.

As of December 2023, Lotus dog food has never in fact experienced any recalls — another benefit worth consideration.