You are about to read our comprehensive Hound and Gatos Dog Food Review below, if you are curious about this brand, read on.
Hound and Gatos is a Paleolithic pet food consisting of a high-protein-based diet with no grains. The company believes in providing your pup with food that closely mimics what they would eat in the wild.
The brand has won the “Most Trusted Pet Food” award in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Every food from Hound and Gatos contains 100% animal protein with no soy, grain, gluten, or artificial anything. A major appeal of this food is its practicality for dogs with food sensitivities.
Since Hound and Gatos only uses one major protein per formula, you can feed this to your dog and know exactly what you’re giving them.
We understand this type of diet isn’t for every pup, so in this article, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about this canned food so you can decide if it’s a good option for your canine.
Brand Quick Look
- Parent Company: Hound and Gatos Pet Foods Corporation
Founded in: Approx 2003- Made in: South Dakota USA
- Available at: Chewy, Amazon, and PetSmart
- Types of Food: Canned, Dry
- Real Meat in First 5 Ingredients? : Yes
- Recalled in Past? : No
Founded in: Approx 2003Behind the Brand
At Hound and Gatos they believe in treating your pets like family, and that is why they work tirelessly to enhance the flavors of their foods and their nutritional value. The ultimate goal of their brand is to improve pet’s vitality and longevity.
They believe keeping the pet food nutritious and straightforward is the best way to achieve their goal.
According to the company’s research, dogs and cats thrive the most on a Paleolithic diet that focuses on wholesome meat with no added carbohydrates. They want to keep the diet carnivorous and simple with one major protein as the core ingredient in every can.
Hound and Gatos Dog Food Review
In this section, we’re going to break down two different food lines from Hound and Gatos to help you decide if this is the right food for your pet family.
After reading these reviews, you should have an accurate representation of the canned foods and know whether or not they are the right choice for your pups.
1. 98% Beef Formula
Overall: 4.5/5
Flavor: 4.5/5
Ingredients: 4.5/5
Packaging: 4/5
Price: 4/5
First 5 Ingredients:
- Beef
- Beef Broth
- Agar-Agar
- Potassium Chloride
- Tricalcium Phosphate
Nutritional Breakdown:
This food contains wholesome beef as the primary source of protein and nutrition in the can. The company believes this formula can improve your pup’s vitality and longevity.
The brand follows the Paleo diet, and they fortify their proteins with added vitamins and minerals free from carbs or artificial preservatives.
Something interesting is this food is hypoallergenic, so it helps with inflammation, canine gastritis and other conditions caused by a less than desirable diet.
Benefits:
- High-quality beef
- 100% animal protein
- No soy, grain, gluten, or artificial anything
- Single protein source
- For pups of all ages and types
- Made in the USA
Overall, nothing stands out as a positive or negative with this food. There are no poor-quality ingredients anywhere on the list, and according to the reviews, many customers are happy with their experience.
The food has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Chewy with 92% of reviewers recommending the product. The customers say their dogs love the flavor, but they are concerned that the formula may have changed over time.
2. Chicken and Liver Formula
- Overall: 4.5/5
- Flavor: 4.5/5
- Ingredients: 4.5/5
- Packaging: 4/5
- Price: 4/5
First 5 Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Chicken Broth
- Chicken Liver
- Agar-Agar
- Potassium Chloride
Nutritional Breakdown:
This food uses chicken as its single protein source to help your pup live a more active and healthier lifestyle.
If you read the previous review, you’ll see that a lot of the information is the same and that is because the ingredients are the same except the protein source.
The food is still grain-free and contains no added preservatives or artificial anything.
Benefits:
- High-quality chicken
- 100% animal protein
- No soy, grain, gluten, coloring, or flavors
- Single protein source
- Made in the USA
If you are currently unhappy with your dog's canned food and you’re looking to help fix issues with food allergies, then we highly recommend giving this food a try.
The product has a perfect 5 out of 5-star rating on Chewy with 100% of customers recommending the formula.
You can’t argue with positive reviews!
3. Salmon & Lamb Liver Formula
- Overall: 4.5/5
- Flavor: 4.5/5
- Ingredients: 4.5/5
- Packaging: 4/5
- Price: 4/5
First 5 Ingredients:
- Salmon
- Fish Broth
- Lamb Liver
- Agar-Agar
- Tricalcium Phosphate
Nutritional Breakdown:
The next food we wanted to look at is this variety of protein formula to see if there are any differences between this one and the single-source cans.
Overall, the ingredients are the same except for the fact that this one contains two different types of protein.
We assume that if your dog has food allergies this one would not be as good of a choice because it contains different types of meat in one.
The nutritional value does not increase and other than for flavor reasons, we don’t see any reason to feed your allergic pup this one if it’s not necessary.
Benefits:
- Zero grains
- High-quality lamb and salmon
- Fortified with vitamins and minerals
- Lamb promotes lean muscle mass and body conditioning
4. 98% Pork & Liver Formula
Overall: 4.25/5
Flavor: 4.5/5
Ingredients: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
Price: 4/5
First 5 Ingredients:
- Pork
- Pork Liver
- Pork Broth
- Agar-Agar
- Calcium Carbonate
Nutritional Breakdown:
A wholesome blend of pork and pork liver, this dog food gives your pups a sumptuous and meaty feast. Liver is often used to entice picky eaters to eat, so a meat-based dish that includes this nutritious organ would be hard to resist for your pup.
Pork is considered by some as a novel protein. It certainly isn’t as common as chicken or beef. For sensitive pets who have not yet been exposed to pork, it might be an excellent alternative to other kinds of meats. Pork is rich in protein and the amino acids your dog needs to grow and stay healthy.
It follows an ancestral Paleolithic diet and is fortified with minerals and vitamins, since it contains no produce at all. It is composed mostly of meat, healthy oils, and supplemental nutrition.
Benefits:
- Made of 98% pork and pork liver
- No added carbohydrates
- No grains included
- Is fortified with vitamins and minerals
- Has a high amount of protein (for canned food)
Overall, this wet dog food deserves a high rating. Although it doesn’t contain produce, the inclusion of liver and the additional vitamins and minerals provide your dogs a balanced diet no matter the age.
As for actual reviews of customers go, 75% give this formulation a recommended rating. It’s still high, although not as high as other Hound & Gatos dog food ratings.
The majority of pet parents were pleased that their dogs found the food tasty. The negative ratings have to do with the ingredient change that caused the protein and calorie levels to plummet.
5. 98% Gamebird Poultry
Overall: 4.37/5
Flavor: 4.5/5
Ingredients: 4.5/5
Packaging: 4.5/5
Price: 4/5
First 5 Ingredients:
- Duck
- Turkey Broth
- Turkey
- Turkey Liver
- Guinea Fowl
Nutritional Breakdown:
A flavorful dish, this canned dog food should satisfy any meat-loving canine with its healthy mixture of gamebird meat. The flavor comes from the combination of real duck, turkey, quail, and Guinea fowl.
Because it mimics the diet of dogs in the wild, the recipe is mostly meat with no vegetables or fruits added. The turkey liver provides many of the vitamins and minerals that your dogs need, but any that isn’t supplied by the muscle meat and the liver is supplemented by the brand through added nutrition.
As expected of a Hounds & Gatos dog food product, there are no artificial additives, colors, or flavors. You can feed it as a full meal or add it to dry kibbles as a topper to make regular dry dog food a little more exciting.
Benefits:
- 98% meat
- 100% free from artificial flavors, preservatives, and colors
- Made for every canine breed and age
- Mimics the way dogs eat in the wild
- No added carbohydrates or grains
- Protein: 10.5%
- Fat: 8.5%
- Fiber: 1.5%
There’s a little less protein here compared to other wet food recipes of Hound & Gatos, but the calories remain high. This is best for dogs that need lots of energy, especially performance hounds or working canines.
As of this writing, there are only a couple of reviews, but both of them give this food the highest marks. According to one, the customer’s dogs like all Hound & Gatos recipes but this one is their favorite. The other customer seconded it by saying her pets love the food.
6. 98% Duck & Liver Formula
Overall: 4.6/5
Flavor: 5/5
Ingredients: 5/5
Packaging: 4.5/5
Price: 4/5
First 5 Ingredients:
- Duck
- Duck Broth
- Duck Liver
- Agar-Agar
- Potassium Chloride
Nutritional Breakdown:
Duck is a great alternative to other poultry meats, especially if your pup is sensitive to chicken or turkey. It has a very similar nutrition profile as chicken so you know your pup is not missing out on protein.
Since this recipe is crafted to follow an ancient dog’s diet in the wild, it does not contain any vegetables or fruits. However, the inclusion of duck liver turns the vitamin and mineral content up.
Owing to its limited ingredient design, the recipe focuses on providing your pup as much meaty taste as possible with a 98% ratio of meat to other ingredients.
Aside from the meats, oil (for fat), and agar-agar, all the rest are supplementary nutrition. You won’t find any fillers or unsavory ingredients here.
Dogs get their energy fully from the protein, but it’s a better kind of energy since protein lasts longer.
Dogs who regularly suffer from food allergies should find comfort here because there are no common allergy triggers included, such as peas, grains, gluten, or soy. The meats are also fresh and did not go through a rendering process.
Benefits:
- Can be used as a full meal or as a topper
- Perfect for dogs of all ages and sizes
- Made with 98% animal protein
- Free from fillers or artificial additives
- Grain-free, soy-free, corn-free, and wheat-free
There’s nothing to be wary about when looking over this food’s ingredient label and nutrition facts. But there is lots to love.
It’s made in the USA so you can be sure about the strict food processing involved; all the meats are fresh and there is no byproduct in sight; and when the brand says it’s a limited-ingredient diet, it really is. Just three main ingredients here.
Based on customer feedback, the food deserves its 95% recommended rating. Only one person gave it less than a 5-star score and most of that had to do with the shipment of the product (banged up cans).
All the rest of the reviews focused on the food itself and how much pups loved the taste.
Recall History
During our research, we did not find any recalls of the Hound and Gatos food brand. This is an impressive feat since the company has been operating for more than 15 years. This only shows that the brand takes its commitment to provide pets with high-quality food seriously.
What Types of Dog Food Do They Offer?
Hound & Gatos previously offered a dry dog food variety, but it was discontinued some time ago. The brand now focuses on its high-protein, meat-rich canned dog food options, which are well-regarded for their quality ingredients and limited-ingredient recipes.
Each of their foods focuses on the same principles of Paleo and contains one major protein as its primary ingredient. Some of the foods contain an additional protein in the form of egg, but many more offer single animal protein recipes.
The food does not cater to a specific need or nutritional lapse in your pup. Instead, they keep every ingredient the same and only change the protein source.
Wet food offerings:
- Chicken and Liver
- Duck and Liver
- Lamb and Liver
- Pork and Liver
- Salmon and Lamb Liver
- Turkey and Liver
- Beef
- Gamebird Poultry
Customer Reviews
The best way to tell if a dog food will work well for your pup is to read reviews from what actual customers had to say about the product.
Chances are if the reviews are substantially positive than the food might be a good fit for your dog. If the reviews are primarily bad than you might not have good luck with the food either.
Many of the positive reviews of Hound and Gato's dog food says that their picky eating pups love the flavor and they have no problem adding it alongside their dry food.
Some negative reviews revolve around possible formula changes and concerns over how dry the canned food is.
Positive
Doggie Tested/Doggie Approved!
- I buy Hound & Gato's canned food for my dog who has certain food allergies. I feed her this brand with Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient kibble. She has done great with this canned food. It is high quality, and she loves the taste of it. This was the first time she'd tried the beef flavor. She is hooked! This makes me happy. Chewy carries it at a great price! We <3 Chewy.com! – Chewy Customer
Passes Picky Eater Test
- So far, my very picky eater will eat this when other canned dog food gets rejected. He's a senior and needs to take pills twice a day with food, so if he won't eat, he doesn't get his meds. I've been resorting to buying Hormel Smoked Ham in small tuna-can size tins. That usually works but isn't peak nutrition, not to mention it spoils him. But I tried both the Pork and Beef flavors of this brand, and he seems to like it almost as much as the Hormel… so it's a win for me. He gets good, complete meals but thinks he's getting people-food. Win-win! – Chewy Customer
Negative
A little dry….
- Both of my animals eat this (dog & cat), and I love the ingredients — however, it's on the dry side for a pate. When you first open the can, you can see where the moisture/fat have separated from the pate and sort of floats on top. My animals seem to like this layer best. The company also went thru a reformulated change and changed their gums. When I wrote to the co to see if they were still soy free (my cat is allergic), I never received a reply from H&G. – Chewy Customer
Some things have changed.
- I have a dog who suffers from IBS. This food is one that agrees with his tummy. Unfortunately, the last case I purchased was entirely different from what we are used to. The color and consistency have changed. But more importantly, so have the ingredients. It used to smell fresh but now smells horrible. Plus, HAIR. Lots and lots of hair in every can! This is not the same dog food. – Chewy Customer
The Original Paleolithic Dog Food
We always say in our reviews that we only recommend switching your dog's food if you are unhappy with your current situation. We imagine if you’re reading this, you’re looking to change your pup's diet for some reason.
Hound and Gatos have excellent reviews, and we can understand why. The limited protein diets are great for dogs who have trouble stomaching a lot of traditional canned or dry foods. If that describes your pup, you should consider adding Hound and Gatos to their diet.
Who makes hound and Gatos Food?
Phillips Pet. These products are distributed through Phillips Pet and Pet Food Experts and Canada's Global Pet Foods. Hound & Gatos Pet Foods is a result of one pet lover's vision of providing only the best for his beloved pets.
Where are Hound & Gatos canned products made and sourced?
Every Hound & Gatos wet recipe is carefully prepared in a state-of-the-art facility, right here in the USA. The majority of meat, fish and poultry they use is USA sourced. Their lamb is imported from New Zealand and their duck comes from reliable suppliers in France.
Where are Hound & Gatos dry products made and sourced?
All Hound & Gatos dry recipes are produced in a super premium facility located in the Upper Midwest. Their cage free chicken comes from Minnesota, their cage free turkey comes from South Dakota, and Their wild salmon is harvested in Alaska. Their grass fed lamb is imported from Australia.
Is it safe to feed Hound & Gatos products to my dog?
There are many studies being conducted focusing specifically on canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any specific conclusions. What we do know is that based on published research to date, DCM may be connected to consumption of common legumes such as peas, lentils and chickpeas in the diet. Their recipes don’t contain any of these ingredients. Instead, they use higher percentages of real meat and also utilize whole eggs in their dry recipes for added protein. Additionally, Hound & Gatos dry canine diets contain supplemental taurine to address the potential link between taurine deficiency and DCM.
