Whole Life dog food uses human grade ingredients and a gentle freeze-drying process to reduce the amount of processing your dog’s food undergoes. It has a handful of wholesome ingredients and is suitable for a meal or mixer.
The food is a convenient way to step into the world of raw food and can be served dry or rehydrated. It uses none of the usual processed fillers often found standard kibbles and is easy to store.
Let’s take a closer look at the recipes to see if they could be a good fit for your dog, read below for our in-depth Whole Life dog food review.
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Brand Quick Look
Parent Company: Whole Life
Founded in: 2009
Made in: USA
Available at: Chewy, Amazon (treats only)
Types of Food: Freeze dried raw
Real Meat in First 5 Ingredients?: Yes
Recalled in Past? : No
Behind the Brand
In 1995, the founder of Whole Life foods left commercial kibbles behind and started creating homemade recipes for dogs. The dogs improved dramatically, so in 2009, Whole Life dog food was born. It uses only human-grade ingredients, including fresh meats and vegetables, to create a balanced diet that dogs can easily digest.
The food follows a freeze-drying process, which helps preserve the natural nutrients. It comes in a convenient bag that’s shelf-stable and easy to store. The company’s mission is to improve the lives of both dogs and cats through a healthier alternative to supermarket kibbles, giving pet owners more control over the ingredients going into their dogs’ bodies.
The company never uses any cheap fillers or artificial ingredients, which can encourage pets to overeat and often trigger allergic reactions. Dogs often experience better skin and less irritation with these recipes than standard cheap kibbles.
This grain free, freeze-dried meal is nutrient-dense and may also be given as a meal mixer. It’s packed with protein from real chicken which is sourced locally.
One of a couple of complete meals for dogs that the brand offers, LifeBites Chicken Recipe offers dogs wholesome nutrition.
It uses human-grade chicken as its very first ingredient and adds a variety of antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies to pack the food up with plenty of vitamins and minerals.
It is as close to pure as you can get with no extreme processing for the food to go through. The food is freeze-dried in small batches so each ingredient retains all the nutrients that makes them so healthy for your pet.
While fresh chicken meat provides plenty of protein, the inclusion of chicken liver takes it up a notch higher.
This recipe has a 37% minimum crude protein profile, which should be more than enough to give your highly active dogs energy to last all throughout the day. However, this food doesn’t have as much calories as you’d expect. It’s only 330kcal per cup so no worries about dogs gaining a lot of weight.
It’s not just your dog’s skin, bones, and muscles that need attention. This formulation also targets your pup’s digestive system by including lots of fiber and probiotics in the form of pumpkin puree and yogurt.
It’s amazing food that deserves recognition. And based on customer feedback, they also agree.
2. Whole Life Pet Natural Solutions Recover Chicken & Rice
A bland diet of boiled chicken with rice. It's a great home remedy for helping a dog make the transition back to their regular food during bouts with diarrhea or vomiting.
A bland diet is a tried-and-tested remedy to help ill pups recover from upset stomachs. This Recover recipe offers a nutritious bland diet made with only two ingredients, designed for feeding dogs during bouts of diarrhea or vomiting.
The food is freeze-dried and ready to serve in minutes. Since it’s important at this stage that a pooch’s tummy does not get any more distressed than it already is, the two-ingredient diet works.
There are no preservatives that might upset their stomachs. Plus, the freeze-dried method gives the food a more intense flavor, enticing ill pups to take in much-needed nutrition.
There are lots of things to recommend about this recipe. Aside from those mentioned above, the food is also high in protein.
The guaranteed analysis calculates the minimum protein level to be at 44%, but it is low in calories to help your pup maintain proper weight.
What’s more, the food is made in the brand’s human-grade facility to ensure absolute safety when it comes to feeding your pups.
Customers love how easy it is to store the food. The freeze-dried process keeps the food viable for a long time and when you do need to serve it, it only involves scooping out what you need and adding hot water.
The vacuum seal bags also allow you to store the remainder in your pantry without worrying it will go bad.
Made with only one ingredient – fully cooked grilled chicken breasts. These treats are freeze-dried to help preserve their natural flavor and nutrients.
RealFoodie is a simple but wholesome recipe that’s made to give dogs a clean food free of preservatives, chemicals, or anything artificial. It’s made with just one ingredient — human-grade chicken breast that’s been portioned, cooked, and freeze-dried, ready to serve any time.
The high-quality topper is guaranteed by the brand to be safety verified, human-grade, and minimally processed. The ingredient is also tracked to make sure each serving you give your pup is safe.
You can use the grilled chicken breast as a topper by shredding some and over your dog’s meals. Or, you can break off pieces to give as treats. The caloric content is only 193 kcal total so it should be safe for even dogs who are on the chubby side.
Customers say that the treats were generally well-liked by their dogs. The food crumbles nicely as a topper and is convenient to bring for travel or occasional boarding.
The only complaint they have is that it’s kind of hard to break off pieces to give as treats without the food disintegrating.
Designed as a high protein treat that can be crumbled over your dog's fave kibble as a topper as well. Made from USDA organic chicken and nothing else.
A little different from the brand’s usual chicken offering, this topper is made out of organic chicken breast. What that means for you is that you’re giving your dog food that comes from a non-GMO, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and cage-free chicken.
It’s a simple recipe composed of only one ingredient that is freeze-dried so it will arrive packed full of nutrients that would be missing if the chicken was cooked.
Even freeze-dried, it is easy to serve. You can feed it right out of the bag, or soak it in water for a softer texture for your older pups.
Since more than half of dogs are overweight, it’s important to provide them meals that are as low in calories as possible. This organic topper gives them that. It is only 162 kcals per oz.
As for customer reviews, 84% of them rated this mixer 5-stars. The treats are very dry so you can use them as treats and not have any smell transfer onto your hands.
But since they’re dry, it can make your pet a little thirstier than usual so be sure to have lots of water on hand, especially when travelling.
5. Whole Life Pet Natural Solutions Freeze-Dried Yogurt
Containing 200M Live Active Cultures per teaspoon, this freeze-dried powder is made from 100% pure Chobani plain Greek yogurt. It can be a good daily source of probiotics for cats and dogs that helps promote and restores tummy health.
Made of pure, plain Chobani Greek yogurt in freeze-dried powder form, this recipe makes giving your dog probiotics easy. Each teaspoon contains 200 million live active cultures.
The formulation is crafted to support a strong digestive system by promoting and restoring intestinal health and balance. It’s best for feeding dogs (and cats) who may be suffering from stomach upsets, diarrhea, or after an antibiotic treatment.
The yogurt can be rehydrated by adding warm water. You can vary the consistency by adding more or less liquid to the mix. A thicker consistency may be applicable for food, while a watery one may help canines who need to increase their fluid consumption.
There are no customer reviews on this product yet, so we scored the food’s merits based on the ingredients and the brand’s verified safety guarantee.
Whole Life Pet has an ingredient tracking process in place to ensure that each ingredient they use is safe for consumption.
6. Whole Life Pet Natural Solutions Freeze-Dried Pumpkin
Made purely from 100% pure Libby’s canned pumpkin puree, this food topper is designed for pets prone to digestive issues such as vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.
This recipe is made from Libby’s canned pumpkin then freeze-dried to make it last longer and more convenient to serve. It’s designed for both dogs and cats who are prone to constipation, diarrhea, or vomiting.
The pumpkin can provide your pup’s daily source of vitamins A, C, and E plus dietary fiber, potassium, and iron. The fiber in the pumpkin promotes and restores stool quality and formation and can bulk up meals to give overweight pets a feeling of fullness.
It is ready to serve and only needs water to be added. Any unused portion (each bag has 70 servings) can be stored in your pantry and does not need to be refrigerated. Just make sure to seal the bags well.
Many customers find this Natural Solutions formula convenient to use. Unlike canned pumpkin which you need to store in the fridge and may have a short lifespan even then, the freeze-dried powder pumpkin keeps for a long time.
Dogs also love the pumpkin, which they feel is a treat they’re being rewarded with.
7. Whole Life Pet Just One Ingredient Wild Caught Salmon
These are human grade freeze-dried treats that are made with 100% real salmon, which is an amazing protein source and its also packed with selenium and B vitamins.
The Salmon recipe uses mainly chicken as the first protein source but adds the healthy essential fats of salmon to help improve skin tone and coat condition. It uses only human grade ingredients and plenty of fruits and vegetables for a balanced meal that contains all the building blocks of health and wellness.
Yogurt contains live cultures that help build intestinal health and boost the immune system. Pumpkin can also help settle digestion and reduce runny stools.
The company uses a concept called Farm-to-Friend, meaning each of their ingredients is 100% traceable to the source. You can find all the information about each ingredient on their website and know that your dog food has ingredients that come from only the highest-grade sources. The company also prides itself on transparency and building relationships with suppliers.
Freeze dried foods are minimally processed. If you can’t feed your dog a raw diet, Whole Life’s recipes are a good alternative.
Cans and kibbles are highly processed, losing valuable nutrients in the process, but the freeze-drying process helps preserve raw ingredients for shelf stability without artificial preservatives. It’s much closer to homemade food than the kibbles you find at the store.
Some of the bags contain a lot of dust, so if you plan to feed your dog the dry pieces, that could be frustrating. Rehydrating the bag helps bring those missing pieces back, but some dogs may have to get used to the texture. If it helps, add a small bit of your dog’s former kibble in for texture and to help transition slowly to the new foods.
You can also use the medallions for treats or for training. They’re easy to eat and digest, but make sure you’re accounting for these when considering how much to feed your dogs at mealtimes.
You could easily overfeed and cause some unnecessary weight gain. Overall, it’s a pretty good alternative to homemade foods and a more effective food than cheap kibbles.
8. Whole Life Pet Just One Ingredient Pure Beef Liver
A protein-rich treat, the freeze-dried method the beef liver has undergone gives it a more intense flavor. This human-grade treat is designed for all dogs but especially crafted for picky eaters, overweight pups, or dogs with food allergies and tummy sensitivities.
There is only one ingredient and it is raw beef liver. The brand uses a Farm To Friend Promise where every ingredient is traceable to its source.
Each single batch is also safety-tested by an independent lab to ensure that nothing reaches your pet but safe and healthy food.
Since it is pure liver, this product is high in protein (minimum crude protein content is 69%). It’s also a good source of amino acids, iron, and plenty of B-vitamins. Serve it out of the bag, crumble it, or soak in water for a softer texture.
96% of the 49 reviews this product has received highly recommends it. According to feedback, they don’t have to worry about the treats they are giving to their pups because these are healthy, safety-tested, and human-grade.
Dogs also go crazy about the treat and not one has ignored it so far.
A healthy treat that is full of fiber and contains real live probiotic cultures that will boost your dog's gut health. USDA certified chicken is the main component minus all the preservatives.
Made from whole food ingredients, the Living Treats Pumpkin Flavor provides daily support for your canine’s digestive system.
It contains real Greek yogurt to provide your pet with live active cultures that his digestive system needs to remain healthy. Because it’s flash-frozen, the pumpkin treats maintain the full potency of the live cultures.
This a human-grade product and manufactured according to AAFCO requirements for Human-Grade Pet Food. All ingredients are human edible. It’s also free from anything artificial.
The treats are low-calorie with each gram containing only 6kcal. But the protein is high at 38% minimum. While the yogurt helps with live cultures, the inclusion of pumpkin, potato, ground flaxseed, and apple give it the whole fiber needed to bulk up your dog’s stool.
Out of 79 reviews, 91% of them recommend the treats for dogs. According to feedback from pet owners, the treats helped resolve tummy issues.
There are some negative reviews and most of them center around the stale smell of the food, although it was explained the smell may be due to the freeze-drying process.
10. Whole Life Pet Living Treats Peanut Butter Flavor
Boasts a mouthwatering flavor combination: chicken, peanut butter and yogurt! This is a fiber-rich and nutrient-dense treat that any dog will benefit from.
There’s one thing that many dogs love and that’s peanut butter. These treats use peanut butter to give it that lip-smacking flavor that dogs go crazy over.
But they’re not just tasty, the treats are also healthy and wholesome because these contain live active probiotic cultures. The guaranteed levels of probiotics (2,720,000 cfu/g) make it ideal for use as part of your daily feeding routine.
Made in small batches then freeze-dried, the snacks don’t go through heavy processing like other treats. The freeze-drying process locks in all of the nutrition of food without resorting to chemicals or preservatives. Best of all, the food lasts longer even without refrigeration.
The chicken provides much of the protein content (34% minimum), and the potato, flaxseed, and apple provide the fiber your dog needs for healthy stools. The fiber also adds bulk so that your overweight pup will have a feeling of fullness.
Majority of pet owners love this product, especially the ones whose dogs have sensitive stomachs. The treats are reported to settle on the tummy just fine, and because they’re puffy, even toothless pooches are said to enjoy them.
A few did give negative reviews because their finicky pups wouldn’t touch the snacks.
What Types of Dog Food Does Whole Life Offer?
Whole Life has only a couple of dog food recipes. One is a regular dog food in the Life Bites range, and the other is from the Recover line meant to help pups experiencing stomach distress. The rest of Whole Life’s products are either mixers or treats.
The recipes are formulated for most life stages and breed sizes. Talk to your vet before using the food for a puppy, especially a large breed puppy.
The ingredients are always human grade and use whole meats, not meat meals. The proteins are specifically labeled and come from responsibly raised sources with no additional antibiotics or hormones.
Dog Food Recipes
LifeBites Chicken Recipe
Recover Chicken and Rice
Toppers
Natural Solutions Freeze-Dried Pumpkin
Natural Solutions Freeze-Dried Yogurt
RealFoodie Chicken Breast
Freeze-Dried Organic Chicken
Treats
Just One Ingredient Chicken
Just One Ingredient Beef
Just One Ingredient Beef Liver
Just One Ingredient Turkey
Just One Ingredient Salmon
Just One Ingredient Cod
Living Treats Antioxidant Fruit Blend
Living Treats Digestive Pumpkin Blend
Real Peanut Butter
Whole Life Recall History
The company has no history of recalls and uses only strict safety protocols to manufacture their foods. The use of quality, human grade ingredients plus careful production helps prevent contamination and mistakes. The company has an excellent ten-year track record, and we highly recommend their practices.
Customer Reviews
Customers are usually very pleased by the results from switching over the Whole Life dog foods. They notice an increase in their dogs’ energy levels and often a reduction in persistent allergy symptoms such as irritated skin or loose stools. The food is highly rated (around four stars) on several online platforms, and highly rated by trusted dog food reviewers.
What Customers Like and Dislike about Whole Life?
Most customers love that their dogs will actually eat the formulas. Some had trouble feeding their dogs the dried kibbles, but once they changed to Whole Life, their dogs seemed to look forward to meal times.
Others noticed an improvement in the condition of coats and skin and felt like their dogs were leaner and more powerful on this food. They noticed better overall health and wellness even in dogs that were seniors.
The cost is prohibitive for some customers, however. If you can swing the budget, you may not have to feed as much per serving size as you would with cheap kibble. Also, you may not waste as much food throwing it away when your dog doesn’t want to eat. Those two situations may help offset the overall cost of the food.
Some dogs didn’t like the taste although that didn’t seem to be the majority of the cases. Food comes in much smaller bags, so owners of multiple dogs or those with large breed dogs find the bags mostly inconvenient because of the smaller sizes.
However, the convenience of shelf-stable raw foods and two choices of feeding turned more than a few buyers into regular customers. Overall, customers rate this food very favorably and notice a big difference in their dogs’ overall health.
Positive
“I have a 10 yr old collie and a 9 yr old collie. Both have pancreatic problems and at times appetite issues. I tried this as its salmon and has some good ingredients also researched the company. Both my collies like this and I am starting to use it as a topper on their food and they both like it. My 10 yr collie can be very picky and finicky for food but this stuff seems to suit her..” Mesarose, chewy.com
Negative
“After opening pieces just crumble to powder and after rehydrated turns to thick paste. If that wasn't disappointing enough, all 2 of my dogs refused to taste, took one smell and walked away, I tried several days and finally had to throw food in the garbage, co.plete waste of money.” ThreeShihTzus, chewy.com
A freelance writer and huge animal advocate, with 6 dogs and 3 cats. Graduated with a medical degree and is now spending time running a shelter and rescuing animals in need. Loves a good book, travel and spend time with family and pets.
Founded in: 2009
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