aldi dog food prices

Pet Supplies

We know how much your furry friends mean to you, so that's why at ALDI we want to keep your pet healthy and happy with our Award-Winning pet supplies. Browse our selection of high-quality wet or dry dog and cat food, treats and more.

The best part about our Pet Supplies (besides the low prices) is that our products don't contain any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Our pets are family, so why shouldn't we give them the best? Explore our wide selection of dental sticks to keep their breath nice and fresh. Make training even more fun with the perfect pet treat that will motivate without harming their health. Keep their appetite at bay with wholesome food options that contain fish, chicken, beef and more. Shop for pet supplies and save money on groceries at your local ALDI today.

Pet Supplies FAQs

How often you feed your pet dry food depends on the energy level, size, age, breed and health of your pet. It is typically suggested to feed your pet twice a day, however you should consult your veterinarian to know what is best for the dietary needs of your pet. Both dry food and wet food can provide your pet a nutritionally balanced diet, but they can be used in combination based on what works best for your pet. Dry food encourages dogs to chew their food which helps prevent tartar buildup. Dry food is easy to pre-portion and wont go bad as quickly as wet food if left out. Dry food also tends to be a more affordable option, depending on the brand. Shop our selection of Heart to Tail and Pure Being pet products.

How often you feed your pet wet food depends on the energy level, size, age, breed and health of your pet. It is typically suggested to feed your pet twice a day, however you should consult your veterinarian to know what is best for the dietary needs of your pet. Both dry food and wet food can provide your pet a nutritionally balanced diet, but they can be used in combination based on what works best for your pet. Wet food has a higher moisture content than dry food, so it is beneficial if your pet doesnt drink as much as they should. Canned food tends to have a stronger smell than dry food that can be more enticing to pets. If your pet has any dental issues, wet food may be easier for them to chew than dry food. Shop our selection of Heart to Tail and Pure Being pet products.

You should completely change the litter at least once a week and scoop out any waste a minimum of once to twice a day to keep unwanted odors away. Ideally, any time you notice waste in your cats litter box you should scoop it out.

Its beneficial to have a variety of toys to rotate throughout the week. This will help to ensure that your dog wont get bored and make the toys last longer. If your dog is rough with toys, you should look for sturdy toys that can withstand chewing.

Dental sticks are a delicious treat to give your dog that will aid their dental hygiene. Heart to Tail Dental Sticks help to clean teeth and fight tarter buildup.

Depending on the brand, pet treats can be a good source of protein for your pet. They may also help to reduce stress, increase energy and provide mental stimulation.

ALDI Julius Gold Dog Food Review

ALDI Julius Gold Dog Food Review

ALDI are great for being cheap, but cheap rarely equals quality. They label their Julius Gold home brand (ok, technically a phantom brand) as premium, when the truth is that word is a meaningless marketing word.

In our ALDI Julius Gold dog food review (also applicable to the Puppy & Lite formulas) well find out what the ingredients really say about this dog food.

Julius Gold dog food review

What the marketing says

Allegedly the Julius Gold dog food is formulated by an animal nutritionist. Not a dog nutritionist, just an animal nutritionist.

Seeing as pictures say a thousand words, below is an excerpt from an ALDI magazine which highly praises their glorified home brand dog food. After all, theyre not going to slate it, are they:

Lets play a game! Take a look at the packaging in the image above. The main ingredient in this dog food is shown graphically, but can you guess what it is?

Having read the marketing spiel above it seems ALDI Julius Gold dog food is pretty good, right? After all, Dr Cameron Sell PhD seems highly qualified so must have a thorough understanding about the nutritional requirements of dogs?

Well, it turns out Cameron Sell is an owner of a company called Premier Pet Foods (aka The Great Australian Petfood Company), so we can only assume he benefits lucratively from making this dog food for ALDI.

They also manufacture some of the most poorly rated dog foods on this website Boomer, True Blue, and Winning Edge, although their more premium BIOPet brand is arguably the best of that bunch.

What the ingredients really say

Ill focus on Julius Adult for this review, but will mention the Puppy and Lite recipes as a tragic anecdote at the end.

A natural canine diet is meat, so its a good start to find meat as the main ingredient. Sadly its cheap meat churned up with by-products (offal, skin, cysts, tumours, and who knows what else). Its weighed before cooking so will become less significant in the finished product, so in all likelihood isnt the main ingredient in this food.

Did you guess earlier that meat (or chicken) was the main ingredient in ALDI Julius Gold? If so, read on

When it comes to non-nutritious grains, wheat is arguably the worst. Its a cause of canine atopic dermatitis and very likely the reason your dog may scratch a lot on a food such as this. Wheat is listed second on the ingredients list (or at least a combination of wheat and/or sorghum).

Sorghum isnt that great either, being starchy and less digestible than rice grains. Wheat and sorghum are very cheap, which is why theyre in this food.

Next up we find the real truth about the main ingredient in this dog food. The third listed ingredient is wheat bran

Hold on a minute, wasnt wheat our 2nd ingredient as well?

What we have here is a cunning marketing trick called splitting. Ingredients are listed in order of percentage, so splitting a cheap ingredient (such as wheat) into two parts makes the meat appear as the main ingredient when its not.

Youre being duped, and the reality is wheat is the main ingredient. Its one of the cheapest, most allergenic grains available, and given this dog food was formulated by an animal nutritionist you would have to wonder why they think wheat is good for an essentially carnivorous animal.

Vegetable protein is the fourth ingredient, possibly in the same quantity as the first three ingredients (making it one part meat, two parts grain, and one part vegetable). This is likely added to ramp up the protein from a cheaper and less digestible source than meat.

Tallow is a by-product of meat rendering, being the fatty residue from cooking up meat in a big vat. This accounts for the fat content in the food and isnt the best or healthiest.

Ill give them credit for linseeds and/or linseed oil (otherwise known as flaxseed). Where all other ingredients fail, this will give your dog some nutritional benefit and go some way to provide necessary omega fatty acids for health and coat.

Some vitamins and minerals are added too, because its a minimum requirement, but to me its on par with feeding your kids McDonalds every day and slipping in some budget multivitamin.

A summary (and better recommendations)

To summarise our ALDI Julius Gold dog food review we would have to recommend you pass on this.

Your dog may eat it, and in the short term they may even appear to enjoy it, but the excessive wheat in this product is just one reason why your dog may develop poor health in years to come.

If ALDI is your store of choice then opt for ALDI Natural Elements which is much better, or refer to our best rated list.

Julius Gold Puppy

Julius Puppy is formulated in the same way as Adult, but appears to have a more significant amount of meat & meat by-products, and likely more vegetable protein. That doesnt mean I recommend feeding it to a dog in their early crucial stages of life.

Julius Gold Lite

If your dogs overweight then the best thing you can do is feed him a decent meat-based diet. What theyve done here is the opposite, theyve practically removed the meat altogether and stuffed it to the brim with cheap grains. Your dog will have to eat much more to get the nutrients he needs, filling his belly with worthless crap. How will that help?

Ingredients

Ingredients of ALDI Julius Gold dog food:

Meat and Meat By-Products (from Chicken and Beef), Wholegrain Cereals (Wheat and/or Sorghum), Wheat Bran, Vegetable Protein, Tallow, Whole Linseeds and/or Linseed Oil, Beet Pulp, Salt, Prebiotic, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Rosemary Plant Extract, Vitamins (A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B6, B12, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline, Pantothenic Acid), Minerals (Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, Iodine, Cobalt), Lutein, Garlic, Kelp.

Guaranteed analysis

Guaranteed analysis of ALDI Julius Gold dog food:

ALDI Julius Gold dog food recalls

Australia has a voluntary recall system which means public recalls rarely occur. We note, however, that numerous consumers have found their dogs to have adverse reactions to the Julius Gold dog food products.

3.2Total Score

Cheap meat and a double whammy of Wheat and Wheat doesn't come across as a premium food for dogs

CONS

• Wheat is a problematic grain for dog health
• Wheat bran is also a problematic grain for dog health
• Cheap and unhealthy ingredients

Aldi Heart To Tail Dog Food Review

Heart To Tail is a new brand of dog food in the USA. It is produced and distributed by Aldi, a well-known chain of supermarkets famous for its competitive prices.

Aldi has created two lines of dog food:

• Aldi Heart To Tail dog food range
• Aldi Pure Being dog food range

Heart To Tail is a budget-friendly dog food range with mostly natural ingredients. The premise is that this dog food offers complete dog nutrition at an unbeatable price.

Heart To Tail is likely produced in the USA by a third-party manufacturer, most likely Sunshine Mills. However, this is not 100% certain.

Heart To Tail does not offer grain-free dog food, nor specialized food for dogs with specific needs or sensitivities.

Since it is new, there arent that many Heart To Tail dog food reviews or experiences. The food itself is quite affordable and gaining in popularity. The nutrition part is probably not that strong.

In short, this is a good bargain in terms of price, but probably not so good in terms of ingredients and overall value.

On the other hand, Aldi Pure Being is more premium dog food and slightly more expensive. Unlike Heart To Tail, it does contain all-natural ingredients and grain-free options.

Both options can only be purchased at Aldi supermarkets. They are not available in other stores and cant be ordered via websites.

Heart to Tail Dog Food Review

Aldis Heart To Tail is a relatively small dog food range. It consists of dry and canned wet dog food and several dog treats and dental sticks. At the moment, there is only one option available for Heart To Tail Complete Nutrition dry dog food.

Canned wet dog food dominates the range, with more options than the dry counterpart. Dogs can enjoy Grilled Chicken, Filet Mignon, and Prime Rib flavors in 3.5 oz cans.

Aldi claims this range satisfies all the dogs nutritional needs at an affordable price. At the same time, however, the range does not include grain-free options.

This immediately excludes all the dogs with gluten and wheat sensitivities. Dog food with grains can be harmful and even deadly to them.

The range also does not offer options for dogs with varying nutritional needs. For example, there are no options for different life stages or breed sizes.

Weve done a dog food review for Aldis Complete Nutrition dry dog food and canned food.

Heart to Tail Complete Nutrition Dry Dog Food

Heart To Tail dry dog food is affordable and accessible. Its likely to be popular for people who prefer a budget-friendly option.

Dog owners often say that their dogs love it and this is likely true. However, it might also mean a lot of artificial flavors, which can be a very bad thing.

Looking at the ingredients, its worrying that corn is the first ingredient. While corn is acceptable for most dogs and usually found in low-budget dog food, its not advisable to have that much corn.

Generally, the first ingredients should be good, high-quality meat and then a good source of fat. Too many carbs can contribute to many health issues, like weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and arthritis.

The choice of meat is also problematic. We already mentioned that meat is not the first ingredient. There is likely not enough protein and fat in this food for good dog nutrition.

Not only that, but Aldi didnt even specify which meat was used the ingredients state only meat and bone meal or poultry. This is a problem because its hard to determine what exactly you are feeding your dog.

Heart To Tail Complete Nutrition is packed with lots of good vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamin D3, vitamin E, folic acid, choline chloride, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, and zinc sulfate.

These are solid additions and in good amounts. Vitamin D3 is especially important since it is one of the most common deficiencies in humans and animals.

We know that Heart To Tail Complete Nutrition dry food contains a lot of corn and meat by-products. While dogs can eat meat by-products, whole meats are always favored and a better source of protein. Still, its hard to determine the nutritional value of this food, since the by-products are unspecified.

Heart to Tail Wet Dog Food

Heart To Tail wet food consists of largely animal content. It would seem that the first five ingredients are better than the dry dog food, because they contain beef by-products, chicken liver, and even real beef in some cases. Meat by-products are the first ingredient, which is good since they are a source of protein.

However, beef by-products and unnamed poultry by-products are still inferior to whole meats in terms of high-quality protein.

The recipes also feature a smaller portion of beef and deboned turkey, which somewhat raises the good protein content. Even with all of these ingredients, the Crude Protein content sits a bit low at 8%.

There are also extra vitamins and minerals in the recipe. The canned food is enriched with vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin D3 supplements. It also contains traces of zinc, manganese, calcium, and chelated copper. Chelated options are generally better because chelation maximizes the absorption of vitamins and minerals.

When it comes to additives, some of the recipes contain both unnamed and named artificial flavors. For example, the Heart To Tail Filet Mignon contains artificial filet mignon flavor.

The unspecified artificial flavor in this particular recipe is more worrying. It is higher up on the list, and we dont know what sort of reaction it might trigger.

We are especially wary about the xanthan gum and carrageenan in these recipes. Xanthan gum is a thickener which can cause digestive problems in dogs at bigger doses. Carrageenan is another thickener and much more dangerous. Ingesting carrageenan regularly can lead to inflammation, lesions, and even cancer in some dogs.

Overall, wet canned food does seem like a much better option than dry one. The type of meat is mostly stated, there arent many fillers, and it does have the main macronutrients the dog needs.

However, the protein content could be somewhat higher, and additives like unnamed artificial flavor and carrageenan should be re-considered.

What We Like About Heart To Tail Dog Food

Heart To Tail dog food does have some very strong benefits that make it worth considering. Lets look at the strongest points in favor of this brand.

The Most Affordable Dog Food

The price of Heart To Tail varies slightly depending on where its sold in the USA. An 18.5 lbs bag of Complete Nutrition dry dog food can be found for under 10 USD.

This is a highly competitive price and quite budget-friendly, true to Aldis promise.

Is this price synonymous with low quality? Not necessarily. Aldis dog food range is quite new to the USA, which means that you wont be paying for the name. Furthermore, the ingredients are solid for this kind of price.

Besides being affordable, this dog food can also last long. Its a good thing because you can store bigger bags.

Solid Source of Nutrition

Aldis dog food range offers an all-around good source of macronutrients for healthy dogs. Wet canned dog food has a good ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, and a decent amount of fiber.

Many formulas have added vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamin D3 and potassium are crucial for a dogs health.

Loved Flavor

Commenters and reviewers often mention that their dogs love the Heart To Tail flavor. It is good for any pet food if the pet is more likely to accept it easily. It might also make it a good addition to some other dog food.

Some of the Heart To Tail treats use natural beef for flavoring, which is great and commendable. Its always good to be careful and check the ingredients for artificial flavors as well. Dogs can be allergic to some of these. If they are, its best to avoid them.

Added Vitamins and Minerals

Heart To Tail tries to make good on the promise to provide a complete nutritional profile for dogs. To that end, their pet food has many added vitamins and minerals. Vitamin D3, vitamin E, and potassium are especially important for dogs health.

However, before adding more vitamins and minerals, its always good to talk to your vet. Some of the vitamins cause toxicity if taken in excess.

What We Are Careful About Regarding Heart To Tail Dog Food

Heart To Tail has a few advantages over other dog foods. There are also a few things you should know before giving this food to your furry friend.

Grains

Grains in dog food arent unhealthy. They are often used as an energy source and can provide dogs with other nutrients. The nutritional value will depend on the type and quantity of grain used.

Still, when grains are the first ingredient, you should pay attention to protein sources. In some cases, there wont be enough proteins and fats or the protein count will be inflated because of gluten. It is always better if whole meats act as the main protein sources.

Furthermore, you should not feed grains to any dog with gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity is a multi-system problem and could cause many health problems. Since Heart To Tail doesnt offer grain-free options, this applies to their range in general.

Another problem with some Heart To Tail foods is that corn is the first ingredient. While it is better than wheat, this still means you shouldnt feed it to dogs because of the high carb content. Too many carbs will inevitably lead to health issues in dogs, like weight gain and diabetes.

Not Many Healthy Whole Foods

Heart To Tail does not insist on all-natural ingredients. Many options include meat and bone meal and processed food leftovers.

This isnt too bad since dogs can eat bone meal and leftovers. They have some proteins and nutrients, but these are subpar compared to whole meats.

Protein from By-Products

The protein source in many Heart To Tail options are actually meat by-products. This means that the meat used comes from processed food for human consumption.

Namely, the used parts are typically chicken gilets, spleen, liver, feet, and heads.

These are not prohibited, but there are better protein sources. So, while some of these products may be high in protein, the source of the protein is quite debatable. Ultimately, the by-products contribute to affordability in the first place. Still, the question is are they good enough for your dog?

We think that the protein in dog foods should come from lean meats as much as possible. Either way, make sure to monitor foods with by-products for recalls.

Artificial Colors

Heart To Tail is still a new food in the US supermarkets. But a few reviews online stated that dogs had vomited repeatedly after eating this pet food.

Remember how many claim that their dogs cant resist the flavor? This might also point to artificial colors and artificial flavors in the food.

One review stated that the dog has repeatedly vomited after ingesting Heart To Tail dog food. The client, thinking the dog had a sensitive stomach, gave the food to the neighbor, but their dogs vomited too.

Another review mentioned that a dog had vomited a yellow content on the floor upon ingesting the Heart To Tail pet food. The reviewer mentioned that it was almost impossible to wash the color from the floor. This might be due to an artificial dye Yellow 5, which is sometimes used in food products and harmful to dogs.

Heart To Tail Dog Food Reviews

Aldi dog food is still relatively new to the USA. Many people have already fed it to their canines, but finding a Heart To Tail dog food review can still be challenging.

The reviews posted online are mixed. In general, it seems that Aldis wet food is favored over dry dog food because of its better meat source.

Some people say that their dogs will only eat Aldis budget dog food and not the other discounted pet food brands. They are also praising Heart To Tail brand for making their dogs coats shinier. This is probably due to omega fatty acids (some options include salmon).

Finally, some pet owners claim that Aldis dog food provides a more stable energy source for their dogs. Some other budget brands supposedly make their dogs hyperactive.

We have also seen comments about the adverse effects of Heart To Tail dog food. Several comments say the food ingredients made their dogs sick, and they vomited. These comments refer to Heart To Tail wet food and Aldis doggie ice creams and dog treats.

Different dogs will react differently to dog food brands. As with any new food, it might be best to test a small amount of food before deciding its good dog food. You might want to talk to a veterinarian about your dogs sensitivities and individual needs.

Heart To Tail Dog Food Recalls

Aldis Heart To Tail dog food has not had any recalls so far. The other Aldi brand, Pure Being, has had a recall at the end of July 2021 (FDA).

Sunshine Mills issued a voluntary recall of Heart To Tail Pure Being. They suspected elevated levels of aflatoxin in Pure Being Natural Dog Food Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice recipe. Aflatoxin can be quite dangerous to dogs in large quantities.

Heart To Tail is new dog food, so its unlikely they would have recalled that early on. You can view all the dog food recalls at the FDA official website.

Alternatives

Aldis Heart To Tail dog food has an unbeatable price. Like with many budget-friendly foods, this too has its cost. In the case of Heart To Tail, the protein content is low in some options.

Also, we would prefer that the protein comes from high-quality meats. Not meat by-products and bone meals. Protein is one of the most important building blocks of a dogs health. It should be given high priority in the food they eat.

On the bright side, Heart To Tail offers a low-cost alternative for dogs who need to be on a strict budget. You can try out some of their options and see how your dog reacts. We would advise you not to feed your dog exclusively with this brand. Although the label says complete nutrition, some of the animal protein sources just dont inspire trust.

If you are not satisfied with the quality of Heart To Tail, there are other options on the market. Look for dog foods with all-natural ingredients, such as meats, vegetables, and fruits.

These tend to be more expensive than Heart To Tail but are still within the budget for most people.

Check out some of the high-quality and affordable alternatives below.

American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato dry food is for adult dogs. It contains high-quality protein from real, deboned salmon.

The crude protein content is 32% making it a very rich source, so your dog can get all the protein they need. Salmon also provides dogs with necessary amino acids.

The recipe is grain-free and contains no wheat, corn, or soy. This is great news for dogs with gluten and wheat sensitivites.

American Journey formula is higher in price than Heart To Tail dog food options, but also more high-quality with grain-free options.

Purina ONE True Instinct is wet dog food with a crude protein content of 11%, making it great for your dog.

The protein comes from real meats turkey and venison or chicken and duck. These are the first ingredients in their cans.

It is rich in vitamins and minerals, like vitamin D3, vitamins B, potassium, zinc, and manganese. These vitamins and minerals are important for immunity in dogs, neurological processes, and skin and coat health.

Purina ONE True Instinct is somewhat more expensive than Heart To Tail cans. Still, it offers much better animal protein sources.

Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice is a wet dog food with 8.5% crude protein and real chicken as the first ingredient.

Chicken is a good source of animal protein, although a little higher percentage would be good.

We also like that this wet food recipe uses chicken broth its a much better option than water. Broths offer more nutrients and better taste.

On top of that, the recipe offers a great selection of vegetables and real fruits. It is also rich in added vitamins and minerals.

You should, however, be careful of carrageenan in this recipe similar to Heart To Tail canned food, carrageenan is potentially harmful to dogs.

Blue Buffalo recipe is somewhat more expensive than Heart To Tail cans but will give your dog much better protein and wholesome fruits and veggies.

Our Verdict

Aldis Heart To Tail dog food range is new in the USA, and people see it as a very budget-friendly brand. The cost of this particular dog food is unbeatable and can be a good solution for dogs on a tighter budget.

This dog food also provides all the relevant macronutrients.

However, affordability does come at a price. In some cases, we would like to see more crude protein content and better sources. While meat by-products are used in dry and wet dog food recipes, they are far from ideal protein.

The food also contains wheat, soy, and artificial flavors. These are harmful to dogs with food allergies. Such ingredients simply do not inspire trust.

Maybe youd like a slightly more expensive dog food with high crude protein. In that case, check out these reviews of American Journey and Purina.

FAQ

Is Heart To Tail dog food grain-free?

Grain-free diets are important for dogs with wheat and gluten sensitivities. Aldis Pure Being range does offer grain-free options.

Heart To Tail dog food doesnt distinguish between grain-free and grain-inclusive options. Before feeding your dog, its best to check the ingredients.

Can you bring a dog into Aldi?

Many pet owners love taking their dogs to stores and supermarkets. Unfortunately, Aldi does not allow dogs or other animals into their supermarkets. There is an exception: working service dogs are allowed into the supermarkets.

Does Aldi produce premium dog food?

Yes, Aldis Pure Being is a dog food brand that is more premium. It also contains grain-free food options for dogs with gluten intolerance. You can find more information in this Aldi Pure Being dog food review.