is redford a good brand of dog food

Redford Naturals Dog Food Review 2024: Pros, Cons, Recalls & FAQ

Review Summary

Our Final Verdict

We give Redford Naturals Dog Food a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Introduction

Redford Naturals is a dog food brand owned by Pet Supplies Plus, a Michigan-based pet supply company. This brand also makes cat food that is sold through Pet Supplies Plus. Redford Naturals is a relatively young pet food brand, but they offer a variety of recipes, proteins, and food textures, including freeze-dried raw, grain-free, and grain-forward recipes.

Although they are a young company, Redford Naturals has made a splash in areas with Pet Supplies Plus retail stores. Their recipe variety and the nutrient density of their foods make these a good option for dogs with a variety of nutritional needs, including puppies, seniors, and adult dogs. Overall, we like the food options and quality offered by Redford Naturals.

At a Glance: The Best Redford Naturals Dog Food Recipes:

Redford Naturals Dog Food Reviewed

Who Makes Redford Naturals Dog Food and Where is it Produced?

Redford Naturals is manufactured through Pet Supplies Plus. All of their food is produced in the United States, but the ingredients are both US sourced and internationally sourced. International food sourcing is a sore spot for some people, but Redford Naturals does work to ensure their ingredients are responsibly sourced, regardless of their origin.

Which Types of Dogs Is Redford Naturals Dog Food Best Suited For?

Redford Naturals makes foods primarily for adult maintenance. However, they do have puppy and senior diets available as well. They offer limited ingredient diets, raw diets, grain-free diets, and standard dog foods, as well as canned and dry food options. This means that Redford Naturals can be an appropriate dog food brand for dogs with a wide variety of nutritional needs.

Which Types of Dogs Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

At this time, Redford Naturals doesnt offer prescription diets. This means that if your dog has specific nutritional needs based on a medical condition, you should discuss food options with your vet before switching to this brand. Although ingredients or nutrients may appear to match, prescription diets are formulated with specific nutritional requirements in mind by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, and the minute nutritional breakdown of the foods are likely to differ.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

When in doubt, its best not to have your dog on a grain-free diet unless specifically recommended by your veterinarian. Grain-free diets have shown a potential link to heart disease in dogs. However, science may be pointing to this link not being with the lack of grains in the diet but the inclusion of certain ingredients, like legumes and potatoes. The grain-free diets offered by Redford Naturals primarily contain potatoes, but peas and other legumes also make appearances.

When it comes to raw diets, its important to discuss this transition with your vet as well. Many vets dont support raw diets due to the risk of food-borne illnesses in dogs and humans, as well as the risk of a raw diet lacking the necessary balance to provide your dog with all nutrients needed to keep them healthy. Even commercial raw diets carry some risks. While the risk of food-borne illnesses is decreased with freeze-dried raw diets, it is still a risk that is worth discussing with your vet.

A Quick Look at Redford Naturals Dog Food

Pros

• Multiple life-stage diets available
• Variety of recipes, proteins, and textures available
• Nutrient-dense foods
• Grain-forward diets are available in multiple proteins
• Some of the limited ingredient diets have grains

Cons

• Grain-free diets may have nutritional risks
• Raw diets may have nutritional and health risks

Recall History

At the time of this writing, this brand has not experienced any pet food recalls. It is a comparatively young brand, which can make it difficult to gauge if they will experience recalls.

Reviews of the 3 Best Redford Naturals Dog Food Recipes

Here are three of the most popular Redford Naturals recipes on the market:

1. Redford Naturals Chicken & Brown Rice

The Redford Naturals Chicken & Brown Riceis a nutrient-dense food that contains grains, making it suitable for a large portion of adult dogs. This is an adult maintenance diet, so its not suitable for puppies and may not be a good option for a senior.

Its a good source of omega fatty acids, which support joint, skin, and coat health. The first two ingredients are chicken and chicken meal, both of which are high in protein and rich in nutrients to maintain your dogs health. It contains 24% protein content and 14% fat content, and this food meets the AAFCO guidelines for the nutritional needs of adult dogs.

The major downside of this food is that it contains chicken, which is a common protein allergen for many dogs, so it may not be the most ideal recipe for dogs with food sensitivities.

Pros

• Contains grains
• Formulated for adult dogs
• Good source of omega fatty acids
• Good source of protein and other nutrients
• Meets the AAFCO guidelines for adult dogs

Cons

• Contains chicken, which is a common protein allergen for many dogs

2. Redford Naturals Salmon & Quinoa

If your dog prefers wet food, the Redford Naturals Salmon & Quinoa Recipe is a great option. This food contains quinoa, which is a nutrient-dense grain that is a good source of protein. This food is also an excellent source of omega-fatty acids, thanks to salmon, which is the first ingredient.

This food has a 41% protein content and 27.3% fat content on a dry matter basis. This makes it one of the more nutrient-dense foods available from Redford Naturals.

Although this food is a salmon-based food, it does contain chicken, chicken liver, and chicken broth, so this food may not be suitable for dogs with sensitivities to poultry protein.

Pros

• Contains quinoa, which is a grain that is a good source of protein
• Good option for dogs that prefer wet food
• Good source of omega fatty acids
• Salmon is the first ingredient
• High in protein and fat on a dry matter basis

3. Redford Naturals Freeze-Dried Raw Salmon Recipe

If youre interested in feeding your dog a raw diet, the Redford Naturals Freeze-Dried Raw Salmon Recipe may be a good pick. Freeze-dried raw diets may be less likely to carry food-borne illnesses than wet raw foods. Make sure to thoroughly discuss the risks and potential benefits of a raw diet before transitioning your dog, though.

This food contains salmon as the first ingredient and also contains herring oil, both of which are excellent sources of omega-fatty acids. This food is free of other protein sources and is a limited ingredient diet, making it suitable for dogs with food sensitivities.

This is a grain-free diet, but it is also free of potatoes and legumes. Make sure to discuss the potential risks of a grain-free diet with your vet and ensure that this diet is appropriate for your dog.

Pros

• Freeze-dried raw diet
• Salmon is the first ingredient
• Good source of omega fatty acids
• Limited ingredients
• Free of potatoes and legumes

What Other Users Are Saying

• My pups have never been happier or healthier.
• My Doberman loves this food, and this is the only food that has helped with her tummy issues.
• My dog is a senior dog who loves this food. It is easily digestive and safe for her sensitive stomach. It has all the nutrients you want with great taste.
• I use these mainly as training treats, and my dogs go CRAZY for them!! Super high value. So happy to find a freeze-dried salmon option that is in small pieces!

Final Verdict

Redford Naturals is a young dog food brand, but it currently has a great track record for safety with no recalls to date. They work to ensure their ingredients are responsibly sourced. They make nutrient-dense foods for a fair price. This company offers a variety of proteins, recipes, and textures, so theres guaranteed to be food available through Redford Naturals to appease your dog, no matter how picky.

Redford Naturals Dog Food Review

I was looking for a good chicken recipe the other day at a Pet Supplies Plus retail store. Pepper loves dry dog food with chicken, and Ive wanted to transition her to more high-quality stuff now that she is an older dog.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that the guys over at Pet Supplies had their dog food brand Redford Naturals.

After I read the ingredients list, I decided to talk to my vet friends and see what they thought. It turns out they had some nice things to say about Redford Naturals, and a couple of things to pay attention to.

Read on and find out what Ive learned about Redford Naturals dog food.

About Redford Naturals Brand

Pet Supplies Plus owns the Redford Naturals brand. Pet Supplies Plus is a well-known chain of pet stores.

Harry Shallop and Jack Berry opened their first store in 1980. Nowadays, Pet Supplies Plus runs 450 stores across the USA. The company sold pet food for decades. At some point, they decided to make their brand of dog food.

Redford Naturals brand was founded in 2016. Its a young brand backed by the extensive expertise of its founders. The brand includes both dog and cat foods, and pet products.

In 2017, a new brand line was added to the Redford Naturals dog food brand. The company introduced the Limited Ingredient Diet to the existing food range.

In 2018, Pet Supplies Plus was acquired by Sentinel Capital Partners. In January 2021, Sentinel Capital Partners sold it to Franchise Group.

Is Redford Naturals Made in the USA?

Yes, Redford Naturals dog food is made in the USA. CJ Foods produces it on behalf of Pet Supplies Plus.

CJ Foods is located in Kansas. The company allegedly produces dry kibble for 35 of the USA super-premium and ultra-premium pet food brands. It is one of the most trusted contractors for dog food production outsourcing. CJ Foods also produces Natures Variety Instinct and Blue Buffalo.

Pet Supplies Plus is incredibly transparent about the dog food ingredients. In a 2019 discussion on a pet food blog, a user shared their email correspondence with Pet Supplies Plus customer service.

The user asked about the origin of the ingredients. The customer service sent their popular Redford Naturals chicken recipe. They listed all the countries where the ingredients come from:

We only wish that other pet brands would follow Redford Naturals example and be open and transparent about their ingredients.

Redford Naturals Dog Food Review

Redford Naturals is a medium-sized range. It includes dry dog food, wet food, freeze-dried raw food, and dog treats.

Redford dog food is divided into three main brand lines, Original, Grain-Free, and Limited Ingredient Diet.

The main idea behind the brand is to use as many natural ingredients as possible. The range does not include breed-specific recipes, but they offer grain-free formulas and recipes for different life stages and sizes.

Lets look at Redford Naturals products and see what they include.

Redford Naturals Dog Food

Redford Naturals Standard brand line is meant to provide complete and balanced nutrition to your dog. This line features dry food and wet food formulas.

The offer is pretty versatile. It offers specific formulas for different life stages: Adult, Puppy, and Senior. These recipes are further divided into formulas for large breeds or small breeds. Nutritional profiles of recipes vary depending on dogs needs.

Puppy food, for example, will have the highest crude protein content, 28%. Senior dogs will get around 26% of crude protein. Adult dogs recipes vary, with the lowest crude protein percentage at 22.5%. All of these, however, meet the AAFCO guidelines for dogs nutrition.

The first ingredient in dry food is always whole meat. Choose from chicken, beef, salmon, lamb, or duck. Whole meats are the best source of animal protein. They are much preferred over meat by-products and bone meals. Our favorite is salmon because, besides protein, it is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Other notable protein sources are chicken meal and turkey meal, which are often the second ingredients. Besides protein, meat meals also provide a modest amount of vitamins and minerals.

All the recipes are grain-inclusive. They all use brown rice as the main grain. This is excellent because brown rice is a high-quality grain. It is a stable energy source and a good choice for a base ingredient. Moreover, it is a whole grain that delivers lots of nutrients and fibers, essential for digestive health.

As far as grains go, the only recipe without brown rice is the wet puppy food with quinoa. Quinoa is an acient grain and a good choice because of its high nutritional value.

Besides brown rice, recipes also feature oatmeal, rice bran, and brewers rice. Oatmeal is the best among these it provides valuable fiber and other nutrients. However, rice bran and brewers rice are considered low-quality grains. They are often used as fillers and dont offer exceptional benefits.

The formulas also provide animal fat. Mostly they use chicken fat or pork fat. Fat is essential for dogs as it gives them energy. Its also crucial for brain development. We like that the source of fat is specified.

There are no artificial colors or artificial flavors in the recipes. The main preservative is mixed tocopherols, a common dog food ingredient.

Redford Naturals Grain-Free Dog Food

Dogs are omnivores, but they do not need many carbs. In fact, too many carbohydrates contribute to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, and pancreatitis. That is why some dog owners choose to exclude grains from dogs diet.

If your dog is on a grain-free diet, Redford Naturals also offers grain-free recipes. This brand line is formulated for all life stages and features separate Adult and Puppy formulas. The adult formulas also have a particular recipe for small breeds.

Grain-free recipes do not use rice, wheat, or other grains. Instead, they substitute them with potatoes, lentils, and legumes.

In the case of Redford Naturals, most formulas use potato as the base. Its used in all but two formulas. One dry dog food in this brand line lists lentils, and one canned food has vegetables instead.

These are all great choices. Potatoes and lentils provide fiber and support digestion. They are also good sources of energy, vitamins, and minerals.

We like that Redford Naturals didnt choose pea flour and pea starch as the base. Typically, these ingredients just inflate overall protein. They could also mask the precise amount of peas since pea is usually split into several components.

As for protein, the crude protein in all dry dog food is at an impressive 30%. Such percentage far exceeds the AAFCO guidelines for the minimal 18% crude protein. In other words, you can rest assured knowing that your furry friend will get all the protein they need.

The protein comes mainly from whole meats, which are the first ingredients. Whole meats are usually complemented with turkey meal and chicken meal as the second and third ingredients. This is a good formula, as there are multiple animal protein sources.

Redford Naturals grain-free brand line offers many whole meat options and flavors: salmon, duck, venison, chicken, lamb, and red meat.

Youll have no problem choosing the one your dog likes best. Some formulas, like Red Meat and Lentil recipe, feature more novel meat, like boar. These are further down the ingredients list, though.

We should mention that these recipes use tapioca starch and tomato pomace. Tomato pomace isnt a bad ingredient in fact, some people believe its a good source of fiber. However, it is also considered a cheap filler and not particularly nutritious.

Still, the bigger issue with grain-free recipes lies in whats been excluded. Interestingly, none of these formulas contain taurine. Most grain-free dog food nowadays has taurine to prevent dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs (FDA). DCM is caused when lentils and legumes take away from the bodys reserves of taurine.

The use of menhaden fish meal somewhat remedies this. This fish is an excellent source of Omega-3s, which are important for heart health. Menhaden fish is also less exposed to mercury contamination. Still, it is no substitute for taurine, and we would like to see it added in the future.

Limited ingredient dog foods usually have one or two sources of protein and one carbohydrate source. These foods are especially good for dogs with food sensitivities, allergies, and skin problems.

Redford Naturals Limited Ingredient Diet line has only dry dog food formulas, divided into Adult and Puppy recipes. There are also additional options for small breeds and large breeds.

Furthermore, besides the standard line, there is also a specific formula for weight management.

The brand line contains both grain-free options and whole-grain formulas. Grain-free options use potato as the base, while whole-grain alternatives focus on oatmeal. Both of these are considered good sources of dietary fiber.

For most Redford Naturals products in this line, crude protein is between 25% and 30%. The most common one is 27%. These are great percentages.

The exceptions are two puppy formulas with an astounding 34% of crude protein.

All of these percentages exceed the AAFCO guidelines for dogs protein needs (18% crude protein). We are delighted to see a high protein percentage in puppy recipes since they need loads of it for growth and development.

Such high protein mainly comes from whole meats, which are the first ingredient. These meats are salmon, chicken, duck, lamb, and beef.

The second ingredient is usually chicken, turkey, or beef meal. A meat meal is a good complement to whole meats. It adds to the animal protein and enriches formulas with vitamins and minerals.

There are exceptions, though. For example, the Healthy Weight Salmon and Sweet Potato recipe has dried lentils, dried chickpeas, and dried peas as the second, third, and fourth ingredients.

All these have loads of fiber, which is important for weight loss. But so is protein, so it would be good to see an animal protein source as the second ingredient.

This dog food brand line features Yucca Schidigera Extract. Behind a somewhat unusual name is a dried plant extract. The plants leaves are poisonous to dogs, but the root is not. If youre wondering what its doing in dog food Yucca Schidigera is known to reduce the odor of pet feces.

Considering loads of fiber in the Limited Ingredient Diet, we would say that Yucca is a positive addition to the recipes.

This product line doesnt have artificial colors or flavors.

Redford Naturals Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

Freeze-dried dog food is comparable to raw food diet (BARF), except for the freezing process. Freezing raw food takes away the moisture and decreases the likelihood of pathogens development (AVMA). Freeze-dried raw food is preserved and can last much longer.

Redford Naturals Freeze-Dried Raw dog food line consists of five grain-free recipes: salmon, beef, pork, duck, and chicken. Each product has whole meat as the first ingredient. So, for example, freeze-dried Redford Naturals lamb will have you guessed it lamb as the first ingredient.

Redford Naturals states that the animals were raised without antibiotics or hormones. This is great because the dogs get excellent animal protein and loads of it without harmful substances.

How much protein are we talking about? Nutrient analysis shows that these formulas contain 4045% crude protein. This amount is 2.5 times more than what AAFCO recommends as the minimum protein amount for dogs.

Besides the meat, formulas also have specified fish oil. Herring oil is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which protect your dogs heart health. They also nourish coat and skin.

Some recipes feature meat by-products, like liver, spleen, and riblets. These are allowed in dog food. They can also provide additional vitamins and minerals. In fact, dogs ancestors wolves get loads of nutrients from eating these organs.

The formulas also have other added vitamins and minerals, like vitamin E dietary supplement, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. The minerals are chelated, which makes them easily absorbed. There are no artificial preservatives or flavors.

Freeze-dried dog food might be a great alternative to raw food diet. Still, before you opt for this dog food, make sure to talk to the veterinarian and discuss the benefits and disadvantages.

Redford Naturals Ingredients Quality

For the most part, Redford Naturals dog food has high-quality ingredients. Lets look at the most important sources of protein, carbs, and fat.

Animal Protein

Though the brand lines have different purposes, what ties them together is a high-quality whole meat as the first ingredient. Chicken, lamb, beef, salmon, duck these are all excellent animal protein sources.

You have a huge variety of meat at your disposal, should your dog have any specific meat allergies.

The whole meats are often complemented by specified meat meals usually chicken or turkey meals. These further increase the animal protein percentage and add vitamins and minerals.

It should be noted that several formulas feature novel protein like boar or venison. Though these are further down the ingredient list, you might want to check with your vet for potential food allergies.

From this point, the products diverge depending on whether they are grain-inclusive, grain-free, or raw.

Carbs

Grain-inclusive recipes sport high-quality grains like brown rice, oats, and quinoa. These whole grains and ancient grains are nutritionally superior to refined grains. They are a good choice, as they bring in more fiber, high-quality carbs, and other nutrients.

You might be wondering about additional grains listed like pearled barley or oat bran. True, they do not offer the same nutritional value as the grains above.

But they can be used to round the nutritional value and add extra nutrients. Its good that they are further down the ingredients list and not primary grains.

Combined, these grains make for a steady source of energy, good digestion, and higher nutritional value.

Grain-free formulas do not contain grains instead, they use grain substitutes like potatoes, lentils, and peas.

We like that peas are not prevalent in these formulas. There has been quite a lot of debate on the connection of peas in grain-free recipes and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Until that matter is settled, it might be good to steer away from products that are heavy on peas.

Instead, Redford Naturals focuses on chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and dried potatoes. Potatoes are excellent source of vitamins and fiber. They will provide energy and support digestion, without triggering grain allergies.

Fats

Most of the formulas have several sources of healthy fats notably, chicken fat, pork fat, and fish.

Chicken and pork fat are high-quality sources of animal fat, necessary for energy, growth, and brain health.

Formulas also feature menhaden fish oil, herring, and salmon meals. These are all wonderful sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. These fats support shiny coat, healthy skin, and heart health.

In other words, the formulas have well-rounded sources of fats, necessary for your dog to thrive.

Other Ingredients

All the formulas (even the raw ones) have added vitamins and minerals, as prescribed by AAFCO guidelines.

The Redford Naturals dog food does not contain artificial flavors or colors. This is super important, and in line with the philosophy of Redford Naturals about the all-natural ingredients.

However, Redford Naturals also does not have taurine added to their formulas.

AAFCO does not consider taurine an essential nutrient in dog food, because dogs can synthesize this amino acid from other amino acids. Namely, cysteine and methionine.

Taking into account that all the formulas have good sources of animal protein as their first ingredient, the lack of taurine will probably not be a problem.

But, in light of the FDA warning about the DCM in dogs, we have seen more companies add taurine to their formulas. So, it might be good to talk to the vet first, especially if your dog needs grain-free diet.

Overall, we think that the ingredients in Redford Naturals are high-quality and definitely worth the price.

Redford Naturals Dog Food Recalls

At the moment, there are no registered recalls of Redford Naturals products.

This is understandable since the Redford Naturals brand is young. However, you should always be careful and check for potential recalls.

If youd like to check other dog food recalls or be kept in a loop, visit the FDA webpage for dog food recalls.

Our Verdict

Redford dog food is a great value for money. Both dry dog food and wet food are good source of animal protein, fats, carbs, and soluble fiber.

The formulas are made with high-quality natural ingredients. Still, bear in mind that nutrient profiles vary depending on the formula. A chicken and brown rice recipe might contain significantly less protein than, say, salmon and potato recipe.

We dont like the exclusion of taurine in Redford Natural grain-free options. Taurine is present in most dog foods nowadays, and its important for dogs heart health.

Also, we are not exactly fans of cheaper grains like brewers rice in some formulas. Additionally, tomato pomace is a somewhat debated ingredient.

Still, Redford Naturals has a lot of good stuff in their dog food. You should definitely give it a chance.

If youd like to learn more about other dog food brands, check out Blue Buffalo and Purina Pro Plan dog food reviews.