Valu-Pak Dog Food Review
Most of us assume a product named “Value” will be budget, or cheap and nasty, but that’s actually not the case with Valu-Pak dog food.
Valu-Pak is actually pretty good, and in this review I’ll tell you why.
I’ll also tell you when it isn’t as great as other dog foods, but those other foods are likely more expensive.
This means Valu-Pak might be the right choice for you (and your dog), so let’s dig in and find out more.
Valu-Pak dog food review – 28-20 formula
What the marketing says
The marketing of Valu-Pak is very simple. On the bag you find 4 claims of what’s not in the dog food, and a couple of claims of what is – 2 meats, and omega fatty acids.
What’s not in the food is corn, wheat, soy, and gluten.
That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t tell us much, does it?
The formula names are clever. 28-20 means 28% protein and 20% fat. These are really good figures, especially if the protein and fat comes from animal ingredients instead of substitutes from corn or legumes.
What the ingredients really say
Usually a claim like “Two meats” doesn’t mean there’s much meat in the food. It could be 2 x meats and 4 x fillers, which results in significantly more filler to meat ingredients.
Not the case with Valu-Pak dog food.
Yes there are two meats. The first two ingredients in fact – chicken by-product meal and pork meal.
Both of these meats are in a “meal” form, which is a protein dense dried form of meat. It assures us the protein is coming from animal sources which is much better than alternative sources.
Some say by-products are bad, but it depends what those by-products are (we’re never told what). Organs are by-products and very nutritious, but sometimes this can be a majority of carcass (only good in moderation).
We also find two more ingredients which you can consider a large part of the formula, and they are whole grain brown rice and whole grain sorghum. Nearly all dog foods include ingredients such as this to keep production costs down and make a profit from you – they’re a product at the end of the day.
Brown rice is one of the best choices of grain, easier to digest than other grains, and better than white rice which is much more common in dog foods.
Combined with the 5th ingredient of chicken fat, and possibly the peas in 6th, these will make up most of the formula. The remaining ingredients will be in small amounts.
To summarize these main ingredients, it’s great to see a real emphasis on meat protein and fat, and good choices of grain. Some peas are fine too, and it’s good to see these are in moderation.
The rest of the ingredients are mostly the required vitamins and minerals to make Valu-Pak a “complete and balanced” dog food as per AAFCO nutrient standards (who define what our dogs need to survive).
Beet pulp is added for fiber, and ground flaxseed is good for heart health and a glossy skin and coat.
That wraps it up.
No nasties.
Great protein and fat for a dry dog food, and that also means low carbohydrates (lower the better when it comes to dog nutrition).
Valu-Pak dog food is a good choice. Have you had experience with the brand?
Where to buy
Valu-Pak dog food isn’t readily available online, but many people find it in stores all across southern and eastern United States. Particularly Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Missouri.
Ingredients
Ingredients of Valu-Pak dog food (28-20 formula):
Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Dried Green Peas, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Ground Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid.
Guaranteed Analysis
Guaranteed analysis of Valu-Pak dog food (28-20 formula):
| Protein | (min) 28% |
| Fat | (min) 20% |
| Crude Fibre | (max) 3.5% |
| Carbohydrates * | Estimated 34% |
