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Halo Dog Food Review (Dry)

Halo Dog Food Review (Dry)

By Mike Sagman

Updated: April 16, 2024

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Halo Dog Food receives the Advisors second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Halo product line includes 3 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the products official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Halo Holistic Chicken and Brown Rice Adult was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Halo Holistic Chicken and Brown Rice Adult

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Chicken, chicken liver, dried egg product, oat groats, pearled barley, dried peas, dried chickpeas, soy protein concentrate, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, natural flavor, dicalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, dried Bacillus coagulans fermentation product, pea fiber, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, dried carrots, dried sweet potatoes, calcium carbonate, salt, marine microalgae, inulin, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, biotin), minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), taurine, potassium chloride, mixed tocopherols (preservative)

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%

Red denotes any controversial items

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

Although it is a quality item, raw organ meat contains up to 73% moisture.

The third ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The next ingredient includes oat groats, a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. With the exception of their caloric content and the fact theyre also gluten free, oat groats can be considered average in nutritional value.

The fifth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient includes dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus theyre naturally rich in dietary fiber.

The seventh ingredient lists dried chickpeas. Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus theyre naturally rich in dietary fiber.

However, both dried peas and dried chickpeas contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The eighth ingredient is soy protein concentrate, what remains of soybeans after removing the water soluble carbohydrates from the beans.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

The ninth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesnt sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Halo product.

With 6 notable exceptions

First, flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided theyve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, we find pea fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from pea hulls. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, this agricultural by-product provides no other nutritional value to a dog.

In addition, inulin is a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, its also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dogs digestive tract.

We also note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Next, this recipe includes sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Halo looks like an above-average dry dog food.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 47% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 59%.

Which means this Halo product line contains

Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the dried peas, dried chickpeas, soy protein concentrate and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing a notable amount of meat, excluding the Vegan recipe.

Our Rating of Halo Dog Food

Halo is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of dried egg product as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Halo Holistic Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Halo through April.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Halo Brand Reviews

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Ingredients:Oats, Peas, Chickpeas, Potato Protein, Brewers Dried Yeast, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Flaxseed, Pea Protein, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Apples, Pumpkin, Dicalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Yeast Culture, Barley, Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Iodate), Taurine, Salt, Inulin, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ergocalciferol (Source of Vitamin D2), Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid), Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Rosemary Extract.