Halo Holistic Vegan Plant-Based with Superfoods Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food

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HaloHolistic Vegan Plant-Based with Superfoods Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food

Name: Holistic Vegan Plant-Based with Superfoods Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food
Brand: Halo
Price: 52.99 USD
Rating: 4.53 (688 reviews)

422

kcal/cup

Higher than 74% of dry dog foods with known kcal/cup

Ingredients

More than 61% of dry dog foods with known data

62%

Filler

More than 51% of dry dog foods with known data

LOW*

Allergy Risk

It's relatively unlikely but possible for allergic reactions to this food's primary ingredients.

Notable Benefits

Ingredients

Numbered in order of predominance by weight, heaviest first. Click any ingredient for details.

Holistic Vegan Plant-Based with Superfoods Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food ingredients, explained

None of the common dog food allergens appear on the label. The only omega-3 source is flaxseed, which dogs convert to the useful forms inefficiently.

What this food is made of

Oats

A whole grain used as a carbohydrate and fiber source. Oats are well digested, higher in protein than rice, and contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber linked to steadier blood sugar. They are a common choice in sensitive-stomach and weight-control foods. Oat fiber is the hull, which is mostly insoluble fiber; oat flour and oatmeal are the whole grain milled. Grain allergy is rare in pets.

Pea

A staple of grain-free recipes, supplying starch, fiber and plant protein. Peas were common in the diets examined in a federal investigation into heart disease in dogs; the investigation did not establish a cause and no ingredient was banned. Pea protein high on a list can inflate the protein number with a plant source. Pea allergy is rare. Not a problem, but worth noticing when it appears in several forms in one recipe.

Chickpeas

A legume used as a carbohydrate and plant protein, common in grain-free foods. Chickpeas supply fiber, folate and protein that lifts the number on the bag without adding meat. Legume-heavy grain-free foods were part of the FDA's 2018 to 2022 look at diet-associated heart disease in dogs, which did not establish a cause. A food that lists chickpeas or peas in the first few ingredients is leaning on plant protein.

Potato

The familiar white potato, used as a carbohydrate source in many grain-free foods. Potato starch binds kibble; potato protein is a concentrated plant protein that lifts the protein figure on the bag. Cooked potato is safe and well digested. Grain-free foods built on potatoes and legumes were part of the FDA's 2018 to 2022 look at diet-associated heart disease in dogs, which did not establish a cause; the agency has not asked for any to be withdrawn.

Dried yeast

The dried cells of yeast, often a by-product of brewing. It is rich in B vitamins, protein and minerals, improves flavor, and contains compounds that may support gut bacteria. Despite a persistent myth, there is no evidence it repels fleas. Yeast is an uncommon allergen in pets. Yeast culture is a slightly different product, a fermented feed that supplies similar nutrients.

Sunflower oil

A plant oil added as a source of linoleic acid, the omega-6 fat dogs and cats need for skin and coat. It is cheap, stable and well tolerated. Sunflower oil contains no omega-3, so a food that uses it as the main fat will usually add fish oil or flaxseed for balance. The high-oleic variety is lower in linoleic acid and used mainly for shelf stability.

Flaxseed

A plant source of omega-3 fat (alpha-linolenic acid) and fiber, used in about a third of dog foods for coat and stool quality. Dogs and cats convert plant omega-3 to the useful forms inefficiently, so fish oil does the job better. Flax is not a documented common allergen, though some pets tolerate it poorly, most often as loose stool. Fine in a food; not a reason to prefer it over one using fish oil.

Sweet potato

A root vegetable used as a carbohydrate source, especially in grain-free foods. It supplies energy, fiber and beta carotene and is well digested by dogs. There is no good evidence it beats rice or oats nutritionally, though it is a reasonable choice for pets that do poorly on grains. Like any starch, a food that lists it high is a starch-heavy food.

Blueberries

A fruit added in small amounts for antioxidants and a bit of fiber. Blueberries are safe for dogs and cats, and the pigments that color them are the same ones linked to antioxidant activity in people. In a complete food they appear well down the list in small amounts, so they are a modest extra and should not decide which bag you buy.

Cranberries

A small fruit added mostly for its association with urinary health. Cranberry compounds can make it harder for some bacteria to cling to the bladder wall in laboratory studies, but there is no good evidence that the amount in a pet food prevents or treats urinary infections. At label levels, a small amount well down the list, treat it as a minor fruit that adds a little fiber and antioxidants.

Carrot

A vegetable that contributes a little fiber and beta-carotene and a lot of label appeal. In dry food it is usually present in small amounts well down the list. It is not an allergen of concern and not a meaningful protein or calorie source. Fine to see; not a reason to choose one food over another.

Apple

A fruit added for fiber, a little natural sweetness and antioxidants. Apple flesh is safe for dogs and cats. The seeds contain a trace of a cyanide-forming compound, which matters for a dog eating whole apples and is far below any concern at the amounts of pomace or dried apple in a food. Apple pomace is what remains after juicing and is mostly fiber. In either form it appears in small amounts and does not change the nutrition of the food in a meaningful way.

Pumpkin

A vegetable used mainly as a source of soluble fiber for stool quality, and for label appeal. Amounts in a complete food are small. Not an allergen of concern and not a meaningful protein or calorie source.

Barley

A cereal grain used as a slow-digesting carbohydrate. It is high in soluble fiber, especially beta-glucan, and has a lower glycemic effect than rice, which is why it turns up in weight-control and diabetic foods. Pearled barley has had the hull removed, which lowers the fiber somewhat. Barley grass is a different ingredient, a young green shoot used as a vegetable.

Rosemary

Almost always rosemary extract, used as a natural antioxidant to keep fats fresh, usually alongside mixed tocopherols. The amounts are tiny. A persistent internet claim links rosemary to seizures in dogs; there is no published evidence for it at food levels. If your dog has epilepsy, ask your neurologist rather than avoiding foods on this basis alone.

Vitamins, minerals and additives (23)

The nutrient pack nearly every complete food carries. Expand to read what each one does.

Tricalcium phosphate

A calcium and phosphorus source that also keeps dry food from clumping. Both minerals are essential and their ratio matters for bone health. Routine and safe. For cats with kidney disease, phosphorus level is the number to watch, and the source is less important than the total.

Calcium carbonate

A calcium source, the same compound as limestone or chalk. Meat is low in calcium and high in phosphorus, so foods add calcium to keep the two in balance, which matters for bone and for large-breed puppies in particular. Routine and safe. Not an allergen.

Zinc sulfate

A zinc source. Zinc is essential for skin, coat, immunity and wound healing, and deficiency shows up first as crusty skin. Some Arctic breeds absorb it poorly and need more. Sulfate and oxide are inorganic; proteinate or chelate is bound to protein, which brands present as better absorbed. Any of them is normal. Not an allergen.

Ferrous sulfate

An iron source. Iron carries oxygen in the blood, and meat supplies much of it, with the mineral supplement making up the rest. Ferrous sulfate is the inorganic form; iron proteinate or chelate is the same mineral bound to a protein fragment, which brands describe as more absorbable. Either is normal. Not an allergen.

Selenium yeast

Yeast grown in a selenium-rich medium so the mineral is bound into the yeast's proteins, which is the form found in meat. Selenium is an essential antioxidant mineral that pets need in tiny amounts and that is toxic in large ones. Selenium yeast is absorbed more steadily than sodium selenite, the inorganic alternative, and is the form many nutritionists prefer. Either form is safe at label levels.

Copper sulfate

A copper source. Copper is essential in small amounts for blood, connective tissue and coat color. Some veterinary nutritionists have questioned whether modern dog foods carry more copper than dogs need, and a few breeds (Bedlington Terriers, Labradors among them) are prone to storing it in the liver. For most pets it is a routine additive. If your dog has a diagnosed liver condition, copper level is worth a vet conversation.

Manganese sulfate

A manganese source. Manganese is needed in tiny amounts for bone, cartilage and enzyme function. Sulfate is the inorganic form; proteinate is the mineral bound to protein. The choice between them is a marketing distinction more than a health one for a healthy pet. Expected, safe, not an allergen.

Potassium chloride

A potassium source and an electrolyte. Potassium keeps muscles and nerves working, including the heart, and cats lose more of it than dogs do. It also stands in for part of the salt in foods that are formulated lower in sodium. A routine additive with no allergy or safety concern at food levels.

Calcium iodate

An iodine source. Iodine runs the thyroid, and pets cannot get enough without it being added. Calcium iodate and potassium iodide are the common forms and do the same job. Whether dietary iodine plays a role in the overactive thyroid common in older cats has been studied without a clear answer. A normal line on any complete food.

Taurine

An amino acid cats cannot make in sufficient quantity and must eat, or they develop heart disease and blindness. It is in every complete cat food by law of nutrition, not by choice. Dogs make their own, but it is added to many dog foods as a precaution after a federal investigation into diet-associated heart disease in dogs. Its presence on a dog food label is a good sign, not a warning.

Salt

Sodium and chloride, both essential, plus a palatability boost. Pets need less than people, and the minimum is set in the nutrient profiles the food is formulated to. Salt high on the list of a treat is a flavor choice; salt near the end of a complete food is nutrition. Ask your vet before choosing a low-sodium food for heart or kidney disease rather than reading labels alone.

Chicory root

A root added for its inulin, a fiber that gut bacteria ferment. A prebiotic feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut, and the pet gets the benefit second-hand. Studies in dogs show modest changes in gut bacteria and stool quality at the levels used in food. It is safe, and in large amounts can loosen stools, so it appears near the bottom of the list.

Vitamin E

A fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cells and the fats in the food itself. It is in nearly every complete food, both as a nutrient and, under the name mixed tocopherols, as the natural preservative that keeps fat from going rancid. Deficiency is rare in pets eating a complete diet. Nothing to worry about on a label, and a sign the maker is preserving with vitamin E rather than synthetic chemicals.

Vitamin A

Essential for vision, skin and immune function. Cats cannot convert the plant form (beta-carotene) into vitamin A the way dogs can, so cat food must carry the preformed vitamin. It is fat-soluble and stored in the liver, so very high doses over time are harmful, which is why the amount is regulated. Normal on any complete food.

Calcium pantothenate

Vitamin B5 in its stable added form (the d- prefix just names the active version). It is needed to turn fats and carbohydrates into energy. Widely available in meats and grains, topped up to guarantee the level. Safe, expected, and irrelevant to allergies.

Thiamine

Vitamin B1, essential for nerves and energy metabolism, and the vitamin most often behind cat food recalls. It is destroyed by heat and by some preservatives, so canned foods in particular must add it back. Cats are especially sensitive to running short. Its presence is expected; its absence from a cooked food would be a red flag.

Vitamin B12

Needed for nerve function and making red blood cells. It occurs naturally only in animal tissue, so it is added to almost every food to guarantee the level. Water-soluble, so excess passes out in urine. Cats and dogs with chronic gut disease can run low even on a good diet, which is a vet conversation rather than a food choice.

Riboflavin

Vitamin B2, used to turn food into energy. Present in meat and dairy but partly lost in cooking, so manufacturers top it up. Water-soluble and safe at the levels used in food. Its presence tells you the food was formulated to a complete nutrient profile, not that anything unusual is going on.

Niacin

Vitamin B3. Dogs can make some from the amino acid tryptophan; cats cannot make enough and must get it from food, which is one of many reasons cat food and dog food are not interchangeable. Water-soluble and safe at food levels. Expected on every complete food label.

Biotin

A B vitamin tied to skin and coat quality and to fat and protein metabolism. Gut bacteria make some; food supplies the rest. Raw egg white contains a protein that binds biotin, which is the reason raw-egg diets can cause a deficiency. Safe, expected, and not an allergen.

Pyridoxine hydrochloride

Vitamin B6 in its stable, added form. It is central to protein metabolism, and cats need proportionally more of it than dogs because their diet runs so high in protein. Water-soluble and safe at food levels. A normal line on any complete food.

Folic acid

Vitamin B9, needed for cell division and healthy blood. Standard fortification in complete foods for dogs and cats. Water-soluble, no toxicity concern at food levels. Its main relevance to a shopper is none: it is there because the recipe was balanced properly.

Probiotics

Live bacteria added to support digestion, listed by strain name such as Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bacillus coagulans. The difficulty is that most are killed by the heat of cooking and by months on a shelf, so unless the maker coats the kibble after cooking and states a live count on the bag, the listing does not tell you much. Bacillus strains form spores and survive processing better than the others. The strains used are considered safe.