WholeHearted Dog Food Review 2024

As many pet parents will already know, Petco is one of the biggest pet supply store chains in the USA, selling everything from treats, toys and obedience training sessions.

In 2016, the company launched a food brand for dogs and cats, called WholeHearted. The aim was to utilize the expertise of Petco’s in-house team of nutritionists and veterinarians to create healthy recipes packed full of top-quality ingredients, vitamins and minerals.

Now we know who makes WholeHearted dog food, the question remains — is WholeHearted good dog food? Here at Wag!, we give it a wholehearted yes. Not only are we happy with the ingredients, but the sheer variety is pretty impressive, too. Here, we review WholeHearted good dog food in more detail.

When WholeHearted dog food launched in 2016, it was quite a simple affair — just three flavors of dry food and five flavors of wet food. Since then, however, the range has expanded massively and there’s a wide variety of products for dogs of all kinds.

Fresh Frozen

Inspired by the recent boom in the popularity of fresh dog food, WholeHearted joined forces with JustFoodForDogs (another of Wag!’s top-rated brands) to produce three fresh recipes.

This trio of products uses human-grade meat or fish as the first-listed ingredient, combined with brown rice and vegetables. These simple foodstuffs are minimally processed to retain their innate nutritional goodness.

When parents order any of these, they remain frozen in transit and can be packed in the freezer straight away upon arrival. After being left out to thaw, your dog will be able to enjoy a top-quality fresh meal that’s great for gut health.

Fresh Frozen flavors

• Chicken and vegetables
• Fish and vegetables
• Beef and vegetables

Grain-free

There’s a lot of discourse about whether dogs should eat dog food containing grains or not. The simple answer is that either is OK, but some dogs will be able to tolerate one option better than the other.

There is WholeHearted grain free dog food if your pet prefers this option — this includes wet and dry food, plus meal toppers.

While the ingredients aren’t quite as superior as those found in the Fresh Frozen collection, they’re still pretty good. Again, real meat or fish is listed as the first ingredient, and there’s plenty of healthy stuff that follows, including Omega fatty acids, probiotics and vitamins.

Grain-free flavors

• Beef and Pea Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages/Small Breed/Puppy)
• Chicken and Pea Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages/Small Breed/Large Breed/Puppy)
• Chicken Dry Dog Food (Seniors)
• Salmon and Pea Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages/Small Breed)
• Lamb and Lentil Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages)
• Beef Recipe in Gravy Meal Topper
• Pumpkin Soup Puree Meal Topper
• Chicken Recipe in Gravy Meal Topper
• Lamb Recipe in Gravy Meal Topper
• Whitefish Recipe in Gravy Meal Topper
• Turkey Bone Broth Meal Topper
• Chicken Bone Broth Meal Topper
• Beef Bone Broth Meal Topper
• Cuts in Gravy Wet Food Variety Pack (Small Breed)
• Minced in Gravy Wet Food Variety Pack (Small Breed)
• Turkey and Sweet Potato Wet Dog Food (Adult)
• Chicken and Vegetable Wet Dog Food (Adult/Puppy)
• Beef and Vegetable Wet Dog Food (Adult)
• Beef and Chicken Wet Dog Food (Adult/Small Breed)
• Chicken and Duck Wet Dog Food (Adult/Small Breed)
• Chicken and Fish Wet Dog Food (Adult)
• Chicken Dinner Wet Dog Food (Small Breed)
• Chicken and Salmon Wet Dog Food (Small Breed)
• Lamb and Chicken Wet Dog Food (Small Breed)

Wholesome Grains

Aside from the fact that the recipes contain grains of some kind, these are pretty similar to the grain-free recipes — meat’s still first up in the ingredient list and the nutritional stats are top-notch, too.

That said, it’s not just any old grain that goes into WholeHearted dog food. You won’t find bulky varieties, like corn or wheat — instead, whole grains such as millet or pearled barley, are favored.

Wholesome Grains Flavors

• Beef and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages/Small Breed)
• Chicken Dry Dog Food (Large Breed)
• Chicken and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages/ Small Breed/Large Breed)
• Lamb and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages)
• Beef and Brown Rice Wet Dog Food (Adult/Puppy)
• Chicken and Brown Rice Wet Dog Food (Adult)
• Lamb, Beef and Brown Rice Wet Dog Food (Adult)

Active Performance

More athletic canines need a diet with even more protein than typically seen in most dog food recipes to replenish energy supplies and help muscle repair.

That’s why there’s a separate WholeHearted dog food range called Active Performance, which includes recipes with elevated amounts of protein, at least 89% of which are derived from animal sources.

Active Performance Flavors

• Chicken and Rice Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages/ Puppy)
• Fish and Rice Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages)
• Beef and Rice Dry Dog Food (All Life Stages)
• Whitefish and Salmon Wet Dog Food (Adult)
• Chicken Wet Dog Food (Adult)

Plus

The Plus range is almost identical to the Wholesome Grains collection, but with one plus (hence the name). That plus is tender shreds of meat in the kibble and chunky vegetables and brown rice in the wet food — little touches that liven up meals for dogs with discerning palettes.

Plus Flavors

• Chicken and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food (Adult/Puppy)
• Beef and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food (Adult)
• Lamb and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food (Adult)
• Chicken, Vegetables and Brown Rice Wet Dog Food (Adult/Puppy)
• Lamb, Vegetables and Brown Rice Wet Dog Food (Adult)
• Chicken, Beef, Vegetables and Brown Rice Wet Dog Food (Adult)

Healthy Benefits

Some dogs have special requirements when it comes to their diet and Healthy Benefits is the WholeHearted dog food range that caters to these canines. This includes a calorie-controlled recipe for those who need to watch their weight and an easily digestible formula for those with tummy troubles.

Healthy Benefits Flavors

• Weight Control Lamb and Peas Dry Dog Food
• Skin and Coat Care Pea and Salmon Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
• Easy Digestion Potato and Egg Product Dry Dog Food
• Easy Digestion Chicken Dinner Wet Dog Food
• Skin and Coat Care Turkey Wet Dog Food

Simple Blends

Any parents of a pet with allergies will tell you that mealtimes can be a nightmare. Often, limited-ingredient recipes are the way forward, which is why it’s refreshing to see this WholeHearted wet dog food has been designed to help with this problem.

Each of the Simple Blends products includes different combinations of ingredients to make it easier for parents to feed around pets’ dietary intolerances.

Simple Blends Flavors

• Chicken, Sweet Potato and Egg Dry Dog Food (Adult)
• Chicken, Rice and Egg Dry Dog Food (Adult)
• Lamb, Sweet Potato and Egg Dry Dog Food (Adult)
• Lamb, Rice and Eggs Dry Dog Food (Adult/Puppy/Large Breed/Small Breed)
• Salmon, Rice and Eggs Dry Dog Food (Adult)
• Beef, Rice and Eggs Dry Dog Food (Adult)
• Salmon, Sweet Potato and Egg Dry Dog Food (Adult)

Freeze-Dried Toppers and Treats

Meal Toppers Flavors

• Gut Health Meal Topper
• Hip & Joint Support Meal Topper
• Skin & Coat Health Meal Topper
• Immunity Support Meal Topper

Treat Flavors

• Chicken Breast Dog Treats
• Salmon Dog Treats
• Beef Liver Dog Treats

There’s a phenomenal range of products

Parents will almost certainly be able to find a suitable WholeHearted dog food product for their pets. That’s because there’s a huge variety of wet and dry dog foods, many of which are designed around the needs of puppies, small or large breeds and dogs with niche dietary requirements. 

Add to that toppers and broths, and it almost becomes too difficult to pick what to have for dinner

The first-listed ingredient is always real meat

We’re impressed by the fact that real meat is the first-listed ingredient across the WholeHearted dog food range. This is a quality source of protein that’ll help with your dog’s energy levels and muscle maintenance.

The products are on the cheaper end of the scale

We won’t lie — it’s possible to find dog food at a lower price-point than this, but it most likely won’t have the same quality when it comes to ingredients.

At the time of writing, some Wholehearted dry dog foods come in at under $1.50 per pound, which parents with more than one dog in the household are sure to appreciate. When it comes to WholeHearted wet dog food, there are pouches that come in at around $1.40 each.

The recipes have been formulated by veterinarians and nutritionists

Petco’s in-house team of veterinarians and nutritionists have used their combined expertise to create these recipes, ensuring that vital vitamins and minerals essential for healthy canine function are included.

That means you’ll see lots of Omega fatty acids for optimum skin and coat health, probiotics to aid with digestion, and appropriate levels of glucosamine and chondroitin to help with joints. These will differ as needed for the recipes geared towards senior canines, puppies, small or large breeds and those with specific dietary requirements.

The products can only be found in certain places

As Petco’s own brand, WholeHearted dog food products won’t be available in every pet shop in the country — especially not in rival stores. Although it’s possible to order most of the recipes online, some parents might find they live pretty far away from a location at which they can buy the food in person.

The protein levels and meat content can be beaten by competitors

While it’s reassuring that real meat has been listed as the first ingredient in all of the recipes, these are often followed by meat byproducts (mostly meals) to up the protein level. It’s possible to shop around for dog food with a higher real meat content and protein levels.

We should point out an honorable exception at this point — WholeHearted’s Active Performance collection does contain higher protein levels, with at least 89% derived from animal sources.

Some food is manufactured in Thailand

While the majority of WholeHearted dog food is produced in the USA, some of the wet recipes are made in Thailand.

“I switched my dogs (Lab mix & Pitbull) to the Salmon and Pea Recipe about 5 months ago and have seen a HUGE difference in their coats since we made the switch. I also appreciate how affordable this brand is as well.”

“When we first got our dog he had a huge number of digestive and skin issues. We tried all sorts of things to help him including multiple vet visits. Ultimately, we determined that he has a lot of food allergies, including to most grains and all of the common proteins. We tried a few different foods before landing on this one, and it was the first time in a year that he wasn't licking and biting his skin raw. His tummy was also better than it had been since we got him. I know that grain free foods can be associated with heart problems in dogs, but it's worth the risk for us. His quality of life before this food was awful, but now he's happy and healthy.”

“My dogs aren’t picky, but they do love this food! I like these — it’s small enough [that I] can use it for my medium-sized dog and my chihuahua so [I] don’t have to use 2 different types of food!”

Read more reviews at Petco.

Having only started in 2016, WholeHearted is a comparatively new face on the scene when it comes to pet food and many of the products it offers are newer still. 

So why are there so many glowing WholeHearted dog food reviews? Much of it comes down to the parent company Petco, which is a well-respected name in the pet world with a long history.

Founded in 1965 by Walter Evans as a mail-order pet supply business, Petco opened its first store in California in 1976. In the decades since, this number has grown to around 1,500 stores across the USA, Mexico and Puerto Rico. 

At these locations, you’ll find everything from pet food and accessories to in-store grooming sessions and obedience training. Since 2001, Petco has also sold everything a pet parent could need from its website.

In 1999, The Petco Foundation was established, which is today known as Petco Love. This charity has invested more than $330m into animal welfare causes, including furthering pet healthcare, facilitating adoption and giving grants to shelters.

There has been no WholeHearted dog food recall during the company’s history.