Ultimate Whole Life Pet Dog Food Review: Best One Ingredient Treats?

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.

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.

 

Whole Life Dog Food Review

1. Natural Solutions Recover Chicken & Rice

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. 

This freeze-dried, two-ingredient dog food is ready to serve in minutes and is gentle on sensitive stomachs, thanks to the absence of preservatives.

The freeze-drying process enhances flavor, encouraging sick dogs to eat. The recipe is high in protein at 44% and low in calories to maintain a healthy weight.

Produced in a human-grade facility, it ensures safety and quality. Customers appreciate the convenience of storage, with vacuum-sealed bags keeping the food fresh for an extended period, and preparation is simple with just a scoop and hot water.

2. Freeze Dried Organic Chicken

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, many 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.

3. Pet Bistro Bowls Tuscan Blend 

Amidst the fresh food revolution advocating against kibble, many new brands promote fresh frozen meal plans that are often messy, inconvenient, and expensive—costing 6-8 times more than kibble.

As an alternative, Bistro Bowl toppers offer a better solution by enhancing your dog’s favorite kibble with the benefits of fresh food, at a lower cost and without the storage and thawing issues of frozen options.

Crafted from top-quality human-grade, whole food ingredients, including lean proteins, nutritious grains, legumes, fruits or vegetables, and natural flavors, this product is gently freeze-dried to preserve its flavor and nutrients without chemicals, additives, or preservatives.

Simply add water to prepare and serve as a delicious topper or mix-in. Additionally, it doesn't require refrigeration for shipping or storage at home.

4. Recover Pumpkin & Yogurt Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Made of pure, plain greek yogurt, rice, pumpkin and chicken breast in freeze-dried form, this recipe makes giving your dog probiotics easy.

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. 

It 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 is only 1 customer rating (5 stars), so we scored the food’s merits based on the ingredients and the brand’s verified safety guarantee.

The brand has an ingredient tracking process in place to ensure that each item they use is safe for consumption.

5. Natural Solutions Freeze-Dried Pumpkin

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 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.

6. Just One Ingredient Wild Caught Salmon

Delight your furry companion with Whole Life Pet Just One treat—an excellent choice for a nutritious snack, training treat, or meal topper. 

These human-grade, freeze-dried treats are made from 100% real salmon, providing a rich source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, and selenium.

Carefully freeze-dried in small batches, they retain their full nutrient content and flavor, making them both healthy and delicious.

Ideal for dogs with food sensitivities or on limited ingredient diets, these treats can be served straight from the bag, crumbled over your pet’s favorite food, or soaked in water for a soft, meaty texture your pup will adore.

7. Just One Ingredient Pure Beef Liver

This protein rich, human-grade treat is made from freeze-dried beef liver, designed especially for finicky eaters, overweight dogs, and those with food allergies or sensitivities. 

Comprising just one ingredient—raw beef liver—the treats are traceable to their source under the Farm To Friend Promise and safety-tested by an independent lab.

With a minimum crude protein content of 69%, they also provide essential amino acids, iron, and B-vitamins. These treats can be served as-is, crumbled, or soaked for a softer texture.

Highly recommended by 96% of reviewers, these treats are praised for their safety, health benefits, and appeal to dogs.

8. Living Treats Pumpkin Flavor

Made from whole food ingredients, this pumpkin treat provides daily support for your canine’s digestive system.

This is made from whole food ingredients, supports canine digestive health with real Greek yogurt and live active cultures. Flash-freezing preserves these cultures' potency. 

This human-grade, AAFCO-compliant product uses only human-edible ingredients, free of artificial additives. Low in calories (6 kcal per gram) but high in protein (minimum 38%), it also contains pumpkin, potato, ground flaxseed, and apple for added fiber.

With 91% of 79 reviews recommending these treats, many pet owners report improved digestive issues. Some negative feedback mentions a stale smell, possibly due to the freeze-drying process.

9. Living Treats Peanut Butter Flavor

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.

These healthy and tasty treats are packed with live active probiotic cultures, offering 2,720,000 cfu/g, making them ideal for daily feeding.

Produced in small batches and freeze-dried, they retain all their nutritional value without chemicals or preservatives and have a long shelf life without refrigeration.

The chicken contributes 34% protein, while potato, flaxseed, and apple provide necessary fiber for healthy digestion and satiety.

Most pet owners appreciate this product, especially for dogs with sensitive stomachs, and even dogs without teeth enjoy the puffiness. A few negative reviews mention that some picky dogs wouldn’t eat them.

10. Nature's Remedy Skin & Allergy Support

It is crafted from 100% real whole food ingredients and addresses many common health issues. It helps fill nutrient gaps that can occur from feeding kibble daily, offering relief from allergy symptoms and supporting your best buddy’s healthy skin and shiny coat.

This made in the USA formula is packed with salmon, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, to enhance your dog’s skin health and coat appearance. 

Prebiotics from oats and flaxseed, combined with probiotics from yogurt, provide essential digestive and immune support.

This supplement is easy to serve; just mix it with your dog’s canned food or add water for a quick, tasty, and hydrating snack.

What Types of Products Do They 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.

 

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

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, complete waste of money.” ThreeShihTzus, chewy.com

Our Final Say

When choosing the right product for your dog's nutrition, it's essential to consider how much we love and care for their well-being.

This brand emphasizes using naturally sourced ingredients and adheres to AAFCO standards, ensuring that the products meet the necessary nutritional requirements for your pet.

The packaging is designed to keep the food fresh and appealing, reflecting the brand's commitment to quality and transparency.

Understanding how they're made provides insight into the brand's dedication to providing a wholesome diet that supports your dog's health and vitality.