TruDog (HaloPets) Review

TruDog Review

We write our honest reviews but this page may contain affiliate links, with some of the partners mentioned, to support this website. Read more here

In an ideal world, we’d all eat the highest-quality, most delicious food every single day of our lives! We’d all have a personal nutritionist who’d tell us exactly which ingredients to go for and which to avoid, enabling us to be the healthiest versions of ourselves.

TruDog (HaloPets) Raw Food

Key Benefits

We’d also have a personal cook who’d prepare these ingredients in such a way that every single meal will feel like our new favorite!

Unfortunately, most of us can’t afford to lead a life like this. Perhaps, though, our little puppers could. The truth is that most dogs would highly benefit from a protein-rich, raw-fed diet, specifically tailored in a way that would provide them with the essential nutrients, increasing their lifespans in the process.

Of course, such food would also veer on the pricier side, but if you can afford to dish out a bit so that your doggo can be happier and healthier, then why not? Puppies are, after all, family. If we can’t enjoy something, then maybe they can do so instead of us. 

Still with us? Good. Because we may have found just the right brand for you. Meet TruDog – an all-American, privately-owned dog food brand that will provide your puppy with the best meals of their life!

TruDog: What’s it All About?

USA-based and founded in 2013 by Lori R. Taylor, TruDog by TruPet LLC is, actually, the channel through which Lori sought to honor and “avenge” the premature death of her young Great Dane Truman. Truman contracted cancer, seemingly out of the blue, and after suffering through some horrible few months, finally passed away. 

Baffled about what could’ve caused the insidious illness, Lori researched Truman’s perfectly healthy-looking food only to discover an astonishingly high amount of cancerogenic ingredients in it. Even worse was that even the “good” ingredients – some vegetables and meats – were overprocessed and bundled together with other, unhealthy ones. 

Saddened, Lori realized how dangerous common dog food could be. This prompted her to develop her own brand of dog food, one which will prioritize the nutritional needs of every pup out there while also boasting incredible flavor! 

TruDog is just that –  a reliable brand offering a variety of dog food, treats, toppers, and supplements, all of which are composed of raw ingredients. Dog food is generally made up of freeze-dried meat pellets, which, unlike dehydrated crackers, preserve all the nutritious qualities of raw meat, bone, and organs that dogs require. 

The pellets don’t have special storage conditions -you just have to try to keep them dry. When you’re about to serve them to your pet, soak them in water, and that’s it! The pup’s in for a 5-star, first-class meal!

All products are available through Amazon or Chewy and, unless you throw away the original package, you can get a refund through the 60-day satisfaction guarantee. 

Pros

  • Freeze-dried raw dog food
  • Products always contain meat in the first 5 listed ingredients
  • No artificial flavors and non-nutritional additives
  • High-quality production
  • Convenient for feeding (both whole meals and supplements)
  • Convenient for storing (no special requirements)
  • Extra meal plans and recipes included

Cons

  • Can be expensive
  • Dogs may not always like the food
  • Has had one recall in the past

Nutrition Information

If you are skeptical about what TruDog’s products contain, several analyses have been made to prove the nutritional value and the ingredients that their labels claim they do. If you’re unclear on how it’s done, we don’t blame you. The most common way to do this is to take a sample product and go through both the list of ingredients on the product’s label and the chemical analysis of the product. 

The chosen product for one such analysis was the TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza, which, as advertised, contained the following ingredients in this particular order (the quantity of each following ingredient being lesser compared to the preceding one): 

  • Beef (muscle – skeletal, tongue, heart) 
  • Beef heart 
  • Beef liver 
  • Beef lung 
  • Beef kidney 
  • Beef tripe 
  • Herring oil
  • Other ingredients
  • Chelated minerals, which enable easier processing of the food

The product contains around 48% protein, 36% fat, and 8% carbohydrates. The average TruDog product contains around 54% protein, 29% fat, and 10% carbohydrates. Almost all products are based on ingredients such as beef, lamb, duck, chicken, turkey, or whitefish, making full use of skeletal muscles, bone tissues, and organ muscle.

In plain English, what this means is that the quality of TruDog food is way above average level, making it a truly exceptional meal for any and all puppies trying to live a healthy lifestyle. 

Meat protein is the essential component necessary for any carnivorous animal’s diet – and the people at TruDog obviously know this. It’s true that dogs are, in fact, omnivores, but a dog’s organism is constructed in such a way that the majority of the food it should ingest ought to be meat.

One of the main reasons why other types of dog food – the ones that let Lori and Truman down – can be classified as unhealthy is the fact that they contain completely irrelevant and non-nutritious ingredients, such as grains, carbohydrates, and additives. 

These may make the food tastier, but they also take away from its nutritious quality. Which is precisely why TruDog sought to remove traces of them from their products as much as possible.

Furthermore, considering how many of these types of food resort to overprocessing the meat in order to make it last for as long as possible, even the necessary ingredients end up depleted of their nutritional value. Hence the freeze drying, which preserves all nutrients. 

This all makes it clear why brands such as TruDog stand out so much. They may be a bit more expensive, but they prioritize your dog’s health and well-being. Additionally, raw food has been proven to increase a dog’s lifespan for up to three years on average, while also maintaining the dog’s immunity.

Talk about all in one, huh?

The (Extra) Services

As if all this wasn’t enough, TruDog also comes with some basic and some “extra” services. Under basic services, we’d categorize the types of products they offer; some are entire meals, while others are so-called boosters, which would serve more as a supplement rather than a primary source of food for your pet. 

The extra services are the included meal plans and recipes that, while you don’t have to read or abide by, can help you get creative with your pupper’s food schedule. 

Feed vs. Boost

This division essentially refers to the two principal formulas offered by TruDog.  Depending on whether you’re considering the brand as your dog’s primary food source or as an additional “snack” provider and source of nutrients, TruDog has something for both. 

Thus, the first formula, Feed Me Freeze Dried Dog Food, offers full nutritious meals. They come in a freeze-dried format, full of protein and fat-rich meats, plus herring oil and chelated minerals to help with digestion.

The second formula, Boost Me Freeze Dried Raw Topper, serves as a cheaper alternative, whereby you could boost your dog’s nutrient intake without actually relying on the expensive TruDog products as a primary food source. Up to 2 tablespoons of these boosters can be poured or sprinkled on top of your pup’s regular meal, directly boosting the meal’s nutritious quality.

Sounds almost ideal, right? But that’s just the beginning!

TruDog - Dried Food Brand

Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

No Artificial Flavors

Non-Nutritional Additives

High-Quality Production

Convenient for Feeding

Meal Plans

TruDog also offers customizable meal plans for dog owners. All you need to do is fill out a questionnaire with a range of questions related to your dog, like breed, age, sex, previous diseases, allergies, body weight, body type, level of average activity, etc. 

Based on this, TruDog will offer you recommended meal plans that can cover all of the essential needs of your pupper. Once you choose both a meal plan and a Feed Me or Boost Me option, you’ll be given a quote by TruDog. If you accept it, you’ll get your product in no time! 

Yet, there’s more!

Recipes

Even though the name implies something complicated and time-consuming, TruDog’s recipes are, actually, the opposite of that! Their motto – “raw without the thaw” – captures the ease and quickness with which you can prepare and serve the food to your dog. 

Moreover, unlike traditional human recipes, these don’t come with additional flavor-enhancers and chemicals. They’re pure meat (with few other ingredients for better digestion), specifically tailored to improve your pup’s immune system, reduce their food allergies, and manage their body weight.

The recipes are organized into three main groups: Feed Me, Treat Me, and RawGo!, each offering at least three different recipes.

Feed Me

  • Gourmet Gobbler
  • Beef Bonanza
  • Whitefish
  • Truducken

Treat Me

  • Gobbler Crunch Delight
  • Savory Salmon Delight
  • Beef Delight

RawGo!

  • Lamb and Cranberry
  • Beef and Carrots
  • Chicken and Rosemary

As you can see, the amount of customizable alternatives available at TruDog is almost mind-boggling! This may help you decide which one to go for first! That’s why we decided to point out their most popular products and help you make an easier choice.

TruDog

The Top Products

Arguably, the single most popular product which you could decide for at TruDog is the TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza, priced at $39.99.  However, since we already covered its nutritional value above, we decided to outline some of the other products as well! After all, TruDog is not a one-hit-wonder, and it offers a whole range of top-quality dog foods!

TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Truducken

This is an innovative combination of turkey meat, duck meat, chicken liver, and Tocopherols (both D-alpha and mixed Tocopherols).  This fancy meal is the perfect alternative for pooches with sensitive stomachs who need a strong dose of vitamins, minerals and, of course, proteins!

Composed of completely raw ingredients, the Truducken contains phosphorus, riboflavin, beta-carotene, niacin, thiamine, selenium, vitamins D and C, and a special type of vitamin E – D-alpha Tocopherol, which helps with vitamin deficiencies. 

With a protein amount of 53% and 29% fat, this meal is a first-class choice for any dog.

Price: $43.99

TruDog Treat Me Savory Salmon

These diced raw treats, made from whole wild Alaskan salmon, contain a whopping amount of 70% protein and 4% fat! Nutrients-wise, they prioritize a heavy dosage of omega-3 fatty acids, which are incredibly important for your dog’s overall health, heart, immunity, and the quality of their coat.

Admittedly, these treats can be a bit crumbly, but if you can look past that superficial drawback, you’ll get a bang for your buck by going for them! (Although, that buck will be a bang in and of itself, just saying).

Price: $29.99

TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Gourmet Gobbler

Mainly composed of turkey meat with bone, herring oil, and mixed Tocopherols, this gourmet meal will surely satisfy all of your dog’s cravings! It does, after all, contain a whole list of additional vitamins which will significantly boost the pup’s immunity: vitamins A, C, B6, B12, zinc, riboflavin, phosphorus, niacin, thiamine, manganese, iron, copper, selenium, folates, and pantothenic acid, among others.

Combined with the healthy amount of proteins and omega-3 fatty acids, these properties epitomize healthy dog food!

Price: $39.99

Yet, as we all know, there’s a hidden side to everything.

A History of Recall

Unfortunately, nothing in the world is perfect – not even TruDog’s reputation. While most customers are immensely happy with the products they’ve bought, we do have to point out that TruDog products have been recalled twice due to traces of salmonella being found in their products.

Having taken place in February and March 2018, these recalls have, as we can surmise, dealt with incredibly well, as no recalls have been announced ever since. We have to be aware that even the best of brands can’t avoid mishaps from time to time, so, considering everything, we believe that this little “slip” can be overlooked.

Our Final Verdict

All in all, we believe that if you can afford to treat your dog with some of the best, highest-quality foods, recipes, and meal plans out there, you should definitely give TruDog a try! 

As the owners have already experienced the heart-wrenching pain of losing a pet before, they seem to truly be vouching for the safety and nutritional reputation of their brand.

At the end of the day, if your dog doesn’t warm up to the TruDog food, you can always substitute it with another brand afterwards, but to us, there is no reason for you not to give it a shot! 

You probably won’t regret it!

TruDog (HaloPets) Raw Food

Related Topics: