Whole Earth Farms Dog Food Review
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Whole Earth Farms dog food is cooked in the USA with quality ingredients to make wholesome, nutritious dog foods at good value. The foods are made by one of the leading dog food companies in the U.S.
Before buying Whole Earth Farms dog food, find out more about the company and its foods to see if they are right for your dog with our unbiased review.
Whole Earth Farms Dog Food: Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Protein | kcal/Cup |
| Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Pork, Beef & Lamb Recipe | Dry | 26% | 348 kcal/cup |
| Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe | Dry | 27% | 370 kcal/cup |
| Whole Earth Farms Adult Recipe | Dry | 26% | 376 kcal/cup |
About Whole Earth Farms
Whole Earth Farms kibble and canned recipes are cooked in the United States with good-quality ingredients and sold at a moderate price. The brand is owned by Merrick PetCare. The Whole Earth Farms brand was introduced in 2009.
According to Whole Earth Farms and information on their web site, their foods feature high-quality protein as the first ingredient, along with vegetables and fruits. They have kibbles and canned foods (including new grain-free options).
The company says that Whole Earth Farms dog foods are the perfect food for people interested in exploring natural pet food.
According to a cost comparison chart on the Whole Earth Farms site, their food (Data Based On Adult Dog Food Large Bag And 50 LB Dog Feeding Guidelines Sourced From National Online Pet Products Retailer, November 2014) is more affordable per day than Pedigree, Iams, Purina ONE, and Nutro MAX.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Whole Earth Farms is a pet food brand that focuses on high-quality ingredients for dogs. Their natural recipes are made with multiple proteins, vegetables, fruits, and healthy oils. They do not use many ingredients like corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-products, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Whole Earth Farms foods are made by Merrick, which claims that the ingredients are “locally sourced” to their Texas manufacturing facilities. However, it is unlikely that these ingredients are local.
Merrick has been making pet treats since 1988 and has earned organic certification under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) for all of its Texas-based facilities. They also own Castor & Pollux, a USDA-certified organic pet food line with ORGANIX and Pristine, and Zuke’s, a trail-tested treat line featuring Mini Naturals.
Merrick PetCare was purchased by Purina PetCare in July 2015, but it continues to operate as a separate entity. The company’s recipes do not contain many of the ingredients found in other brands, such as corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-products, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Recall History
We did not find any pet food recalls involving Whole Earth Farms. Merrick had multiple recalls between 2010 and 2018, all involving pet or dog treats. Most of these recalls came in 2010–2011, before they built their own manufacturing plant and controlled their own facilities.
What Kinds of Dog Food Does Whole Earth Farms Offer?
Whole Earth Farms offers foods with and without grains. They have kibbles and wet (canned) dog foods. They also offer cat food.
They make food for puppies, adults, and small breeds. They also have a healthy-weight formula.
Most Whole Earth Farms formulas today are grain-free. They still make a couple of their original formulas, which contain grains, such as their original puppy recipe and their adult recipe.
Whole Earth Farms Dog Food: Top Three Recipes Reviewed
We’re taking a look at three of the top-selling Whole Earth Farms dog foods as found on Chewy.com.
Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Pork, Beef & Lamb Recipe
Product Info
- Protein: 24% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 3.5% Max
- Moisture: 11% Max
- Caloric Content: 3478 kcal/kg, 348 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Pork Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Pea Protein, Pork Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Pork Flavor, Pork, Beef, Lamb, Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil, Apples, Salt, Organic Dried Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.
Pork meal, pork, beef, and lamb supply good meat protein for dogs. We do have an issue with the potatoes, peas, and pea protein in the first five ingredients. If you are concerned about nutritional DCM, these ingredients would raise red flags. The remaining ingredients look good.
According to the guaranteed analysis, this food has 26 percent crude protein, 14 percent crude fat, 3.5 percent crude fiber, 11 percent moisture, and 348 kcal/cup.
Due to the peas and potatoes in the first five ingredients, we would lower this food’s rating to 4 out of 5.
Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe
Product Info
- Protein: 27% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 3.5% Max
- Caloric Content: 3589 kcal/kg, 370 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Sweet Potatoes, Chicken, Turkey, Natural Flavor, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil, Apples, Salt, Salmon Oil, Organic Dried Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.
Chicken meal, chicken, and turkey provide good meat protein for dogs. We again have issues with potatoes and peas in the first five ingredients because of their possible connection to nutritional DCM. The peas, in particular, are a concern. The FDA and veterinary researchers have not found any final answers about this health problem but we have to point out the possible problem.
“Natural flavor,” in the list can be a problem because it’s so vague. The FDA allows this terminology but it can refer to a lot of different things that make the food more appealing to your dog, including a stew of chemicals.
Truthfully, this substance, in small amounts, is probably not harmful to your dog. It just makes the food taste better. But if you are choosing between a food that has natural flavor and one that doesn’t have it, go with a food that doesn’t have it.
This food has 27 percent crude protein and 14 percent crude fat, according to the guaranteed analysis. It has 3.5 percent crude fiber and 370 kcal/cup.
Our main concern with this food is the presence of the peas and potatoes in the first five ingredients. Again, we give it a 4 out of 5.
Whole Earth Farms Adult Recipe
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 4.5% Max
- Moisture: 11% Max
- Caloric Content: 3696 kcal/kg, 376 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Peas, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Chicken, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Whitefish, Sunflower Oil, Apples, Salt, Organic Dried Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.
Chicken meal, turkey meal, chicken, and whitefish are good animal proteins for dogs. Brown rice, oatmeal, and barley are considered healthy grains/cereals for dogs today.
Peas are present, but at least they are the sixth ingredient. That’s still a lot of peas but it’s a slight improvement. Natural flavor is also still used. Again, if you have the choice, try to avoid it, but it’s not a deal breaker when choosing dog foods.
According to the guaranteed analysis for this food it has 26 percent crude protein, 14 percent crude fat, 3.5 percent crude fiber, 11 percent moisture, and 376 kcal/cup. The ash content of this formula is 7.42.
Overall, this looks like a good food for dogs. Our score would be 4.5/5.
How Much Does Whole Earth Farms Dog Food Cost?
Whole Earth Farms dog food is very affordable, especially compared to many upper-tier dog foods. Even compared to other foods made by Merrick, Whole Earth Farm dog food is a bargain.
What Do Customers Think of Whole Earth Farms Dog Food?
Whole Earth Farms dog food is highly rated by customers and their dogs for its quality, natural ingredients, and reasonable pricing. Some customers report improvements in their dogs health.
However, some customers report that the food has caused issues with their dogs digestion and that some recipes. may not always contain enough protein from meat.
Overall, is Whole Earth Farms Dog Food A Good Choice?
We do think that Whole Earth Farms dog food makes good food. Whole Earth Farms seems like good food for the price.
We encourage you to look at the ingredients and consider the amount of peas used in the foods. Generally, the first five ingredients in a food, or the ingredients listed before the fat, make up the bulk of the food.
Where is Whole Earth Farms Dog Food Sold?
You can buy Whole Earth Farms Dog Food online from retailers like Chewy.com and from some pet food stores.
