Heed Foods is a direct to consumer dog food company out of California marketed toward canine gut health. We recently had a chance to try out Heeds dog food with our own pups and to take a closer look at what makes this kibble different.
Keep reading to see our full Heed Foods review.
What Makes Heed Dog Food Different?
In addition to touting holistic, complete, and balanced nutrition, Heed Foods is primarily focused on building your dog’s gut health.
As their website is quick to point out, about 70% of your pup’s immune system resides in their gut. And the flora, or good bacteria, that live in the small intestine play a huge role in maintaining your dog’s health and helping their immune system function properly.
Dogs that have an imbalance in their gut flora often suffer from a wide range of symptoms and conditions including allergies, dermatitis, autoimmune conditions, ear infections, weight gain or loss, behavioral changes, and even certain cancers.
By supporting your dog’s probiotic load with easily digestible, high-quality food, you can help ease or even reverse many of these issues.
Heed works exceptionally well for this through the use of their propriety prebiotic ingredients such as chicory root and sugar beet. They also add their own blend of 100% plant-based probiotics that, unlike the probiotics in other foods, survive the cooking process.
While gut health no doubt plays a huge role in the overall health of your pup, the question remains: Are Heed Foods’ products really going to improve your dog’s gut health?
To answer that, we need to take a closer look at Heed Foods’ ingredients.
Ingredient Analysis
According to Heed, their recipes are all made with the help of doggy nutritionists with the aim to create foods that are complete and balanced for all life stages.
Currently, Heed Foods has two kibble diets and a variety of freeze-dried toppers and treats. While our pups were busy woofing down these clearly tasty samples, we were busy looking over the recipes themselves.
Fresh Chicken and Ancient Grains Kibble
The first kibble we took a look at was their chicken kibble.
This recipe contains an impressive 31% protein and a strong 16% fat to help fuel your dog with the type of energy canines were meant to utilize. It also has a slightly higher than average 5% fiber to help feed your pup’s gut flora.
The first two ingredients in this recipe are chicken and chicken meal. It is always important to see animal-sourced ingredients at the top of the ingredients list in any quality kibble.
This recipe also contains a host of nutrient-dense, low-allergen grains such as barley, oat groats, and brown rice. In addition to packing a lot of micronutrients, these ingredients also serve to provide an ample amount of fiber for that all-important gut health.
Lastly, this food contains a number of superfoods meant to aid in digestion, add to the overall nutrient profile, and to help maintain a strong immune system. Things like spinach, blueberries, and kelp will all go a long way in keeping your pup feeling their best.
Fresh Salmon and Superfoods Kibble
The second recipe is a grain-free salmon kibble meant for any dog, but especially those who are ultra-sensitive to grains or to chicken.
This food has a similar nutritional profile as the chicken kibble with 31% protein and 14% fat, but with an even higher fiber load at 9%.
The first two ingredients listed are salmon and herring meal. Fish tends to be especially easy on the stomach, and, with the higher fiber count, this food is a great choice for dogs prone to tummy issues.
In addition to the quality animal proteins, this recipe also contains sweet potatoes, yellow peas, and buckwheat. As well as superfoods to support gut and overall health, including spinach, kelp, and blueberries.
Overall, both recipes contain quality animal sourced-ingredients listed first and a variety of nutrient-dense plant foods. Both recipes also include a unique blend of prebiotic ingredients that has been scientifically proven to increase stool quality in a matter of days, increase immune function in a week, and improve coat quality in one month.
As with most dog foods, it is difficult to discern the exact amount of meat used compared to the amount of plant ingredients used.
However, neither recipe utilizes plant-based protein ingredients like soy or pea protein. Given this fact and the high protein percentage of each diet, we feel confident these foods include enough animal ingredients to meet your dog’s biological needs.
Price Check
As a top quality food that utilizes premium fresh ingredients, you can expect this food to cost more than your typical lower-quality grocery store brand.
A 5lb bag of either recipe will cost you just over $30 or you can get a 10lb bag for just under $60. But every order does come with two complimentary bags of their tasty and nutrient-packed freeze-dried toppers that your pup is sure to love.
Heed Foods Overall Rating
Overall, Heed Foods dry kibble recipes are packed with nutritious ingredients, tons of protein, and a few special additions that are sure to help your pup thrive. The price is on the higher end, but comparable to other quality brands.
Either one of their simple kibble recipes would be in our top 5 recommendations for dogs who suffer from stomach issues or allergies, or for any pup who could benefit from some focused gut health, immune, or full-body support
Credit: All images in the post are provided by @igorthedood
