Who would have thought that a “mail order catalog business offering tractor parts to America’s family farmers in 1938,” would end up making quality dog food? Well, that’s exactly what happened.
The once small business, called Tractor Supply Company, now owns and operates over 1,700 retail stores in 49 states and takes in revenue in excess of $7 billion a year! Supplying basic maintenance products to home, land, and now pet owners as well.
In 2010 they launched a premium pet food brand they named 4Health.
Buying Tip
Compare this product with Amazon Best Sellers in the Best Dog Food category.
They pride themselves on making a product that offers more premium nutrition in each bag, without the premium price. Real meat is their #1 ingredient, followed by whole vegetables. The company stays away from corn, soy, and wheat in their formulas.
Now, let’s take a bit of a deeper look into this dog food brand, shall we?
4Health Dog Food Examined
Often times a little extra digging is necessary, in order to validate the image being presented by the company. So, let’s dig in.
Is 4Health Dog Food AAFCO Approved?
The nutrition standards set forth by the AAFCO are voluntary.
Now: That being said, the most important indicator of a dog foods nutritional adequacy, is the statement by the AAFCO being present on the dog food label.
As far as the 4Health Dog Food line goes, it’s catalogue of products have been noted to contain the AAFCO statement, illustrate the food composition tables, and thus meet the AAFCO nutrient profiles for maintenance.
Feeding trials: They are the highest and most involved (and costly) AAFCO standard to meet. The lack of which, however, does not indicate that the dog food is not of high quality, but simply that the company didn’t go the extra mile for whatever reason (i.e. lack of resources). 4Health: Has not undergone any known or claimed diet trials with dogs.
Who Makes 4Health Dog Food?
All of 4Health’s pet food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods manufacturers, who are in turn owned by Schell and Kampeter, Inc. The possible exception being their grain-free formula, which may be manufactured elsewhere (note: we are still confirming this).
Diamond Pet Foods is one of the leading and most well known manufacturers in the USA and global dog food industry. Making food for other well known brands such as: NutraGold, Diamond, Premium Edge, NutraNuggets, and Taste of the Wild.
They have the required quality testing and comprehensive safety programs in place[4]:
- On site weekly mycotoxin and microbiological product testing
- Testing for oxidative stability of oils and fats, ensures they don’t go rancid
- Claimed independent lab “test and hold” procedure (for shelf life duration)
- Water purification
- Air quality control
They are certified and adhere to annual Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audits administered by NSF International.® The GMP audit checks that produced products meet “identity, strength, composition, quality, and purity that they are represented to possess.”
Who Sells 4Health Dog Food?
4Health is a trade name, registered by the Tractor Supply Company. It is sold exclusively through their retail stores with certain products being available for online purchase. To find a store near you, simply visit their website and look at the top of their homepage, your nearest location is auto-generated.
Because they are the sole distributor and maker of this dog food, Tractor Supply is able to offer it to pet owners at a competitive price. Otherwise known as, more bang for your buck!
Where Is 4Health Dog Food Made?
The manufacturing process takes place in the United States (California, Missouri, Arkansas, and/or South Carolina), undergoing safety testing for quality assurance in facilities claiming to incorporate the latest tech and manufacturing processes.
The ingredient sourcing however could not be determined. The brand owner only states that they use premium ingredients, and that real meat is the primary ingredient. The manufacturer states that they source high quality ingredients, but for this particular brand there is not enough detail to confirm.
Note: Historically, Diamond’s contract facility has actually been slapped with fines as well as issued multiple recalls for its own and third party products. Tip: Scroll down to recalls section to find out more.
Overall in examining 4Health products currently on the market, we have not seen any ingredients added that could be harmful or unhealthy to dogs. The ingredients appear to be of average quality.
How Does 4Health Dog Food Rate?
The 4Health dog food line meets AAFCO’s guidelines as well as provides a “Best by” date on their products. They do not claim any certifications, aside from the brand name being a registered trademark. The ingredient list on their products, though limited in giving insight as to their quality, is nonetheless appropriate for dogs. There are no artificial colors, flavors, or any other dubious ingredients.
We rate this dog food a 4 out of 5 stars, and deem it to encompass numerous characteristics shared by quality dog food brands.
Which 4Health Dog Food Is Best?
The answer will depend upon a number of factors, as each dog is unique. That being said, the Wet / Canned Grain Free formula has our highest rating of the bunch at 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Now: If you’re looking to find the top food selection for your breed, be sure to check out our comprehensive guides:
The above covers everything from classification, to feeding tips, to top recommendations.
4Health Dog Food Product Catalog
The 4Health product line includes 4 lines of dog food, with a total of 51 dog foods between them. Additionally 4Health includes a selection of 13 dog treats to choose from.
You’ll notice the following letters accompanying each recipe below. This is the recipes pertinent AAFCO nutrient profile (if we’re able to locate it on the company’s website).
They denote:
- Growth
- Maintenance
- All Life Stages
- Supplemental
- Unspecified.
Important: We feel it important to state that many websites do not reliably indicate which Growth or All Life Stages recipes are deemed safe for large breed puppies.
Now: You may see it on some of the recipes below, but we typically do not include this data in our reports. Make sure you examine the actual packaging for this information.
4Health Original Formula
- 4Health Mature Adult [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Chicken & Rice [U] [Dry]
- 4Health Healthy Weight Formula [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Lamb & Rice [U] [Dry]
- 4Health Large Breed Formula [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Performance Dog Food [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Puppy Formula [U] [Dry]
- 4Health Salmon & Potato Formula [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Small Bites Formula [U] [Dry]
- 4Health Beef & Vegetable Stew [A] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Beef & Vegetable Stew Adult Formula [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Chicken & Rice Formula [A] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Chicken & Rice Adult Formula [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Chicken & Rice Puppy Formula [G] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Chicken & Vegetable Stew [A] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Lamb & Rice Formula [A] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Salmon & Potato Dinner [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Senior Chicken & Rice Formula [M] [Wet / Canned]
4Health Grain Free Formula
- 4Health Grain-Free Turkey & Potato [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Beef & Potato [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Whitefish & Potato [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Duck & Potato [U] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Pork & Potato [U] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Puppy Formula [G] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Small Breed Adult [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Large Breed [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Chicken & Vegetables [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Grain-Free Turkey & Sweet Potato Stew in Gravy [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Chicken Dinner in Gravy with Peas & Sweet Potatoes [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Beef Dinner in Gravy with Carrots & Sun Dried Tomatoes [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Chicken Dinner [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Lamb Dinner [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Beef & Vegetable Stew in Gravy [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Chicken & Vegetable Stew in Gravy [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Beef & Chicken [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Grain Free Chicken Dog Food [M] [Wet / Canned]
4Health Special Care Formula
- 4Health Special Care Adult Weight Management Formula [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Special Care Sensitive Skin Adult Formula [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Special Care Sensitive Stomach Adult Formula [M] [Dry]
- 4Health Special Care Weight Management Adult Formula [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Special Care Sensitive Skin Adult Formula [M] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Special Care Sensitive Stomach Adult Formula [M] [Wet / Canned]
4Health Untamed Formula
- 4Health Untamed Wild River Recipe Trout & Lentil [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Untamed Open Highland Recipe Lamb & Lentil [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Untamed Southern Bayou Recipe Wild Boar & Lentil [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Untamed Red Canyon Recipe Buffalo & Lentil [A] [Dry]
- 4Health Untamed Open Highland Recipe Lamb & Lentil [A] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Untamed Southern Bayou Recipe Wild Boar & Lentil [A: Except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Untamed Hidden Canyon Recipe Beef & Lentil [A: Except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Untamed Wild River Recipe Chicken, Trout & Lentil [A: Except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)] [Wet / Canned]
- 4Health Untamed Open Country Recipe Turkey & Lentils [A: Except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)] [Wet / Canned]
4Health Dog Treats
- 4Health Homestyle Snack Sticks with Bacon Flavored Filling [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Homestyle Chewy Bars Chicken Recipe [A] [Treats]
- 4Health Homestyle Beef Flavor Meatballs [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Homestyle Wavy Strips Chicken & Sweet Potato [A] [Treats]
- 4Health Homestyle Wavy Strips Chicken & Sweet Potato [A] [Treats]
- 4Health Untamed Salmon & Sweet Potato Jerky Strips [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Homestyle Grain-Free Salmon & Chickpea Recipe Biscuits [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Special Care Hip & Joint Chicken, Pea & Sweet Potato Recipe Biscuits [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Untamed Duck & Sweet Potato Meatballs [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Skin & Coat Chicken Recipe Jerky Tenders [A] [Treats]
- 4Health Special Care Hip & Joint Duck, Chickpea & Cranberry Chewy Bites [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Untamed Turkey, Pea & Berry Recipe Chewy Bites [M] [Treats]
- 4Health Untamed Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe Jerky Strips [M] [Treats]
4Health Dog Food Recall History
The below is a list of all (if any) recall incidents tied to this brand. It includes an analysis of all dog food recalls dating back to 2010, and highlighting any releases directly related to this product line.
Note: If you don’t see any recall below, it means either of these two things. 1. There have been no recalls directly related to this product line. 2. We have not yet updated the section to reflect a recent recall.
Recalls related to 4Health:
Note: Diamond Pet Foods is the manufacturer of 4Health products.
- April 2012: FDA issued a recall for a number of Diamond dry dog food formulas due to potential salmonella contamination.
- May 2012: FDA issued a recall of Diamond and Diamond Naturals pet foods in an expansion of their former recall due to concerns of salmonella contamination.
- March 2013: FDA issued a recall of Diamond Natural Kitten Formula dry food due to low levels of thiamine. No dog food products were affected.
Please be aware that product recalls, though undesirable, do happen. A crucial indicator of the quality and trustworthiness of a company/manufacturer is how they react to such an incident.
To stay on top of 4Health dog food recalls, as well as all other recalls, be sure to sign up for our free recalls e-mail newsletter.
4Health Dog Food The Bottom Line
A quality dog food brand that promises “optimal nutrition, for optimal health!”
Exclusive to it’s parent company and creator, Tractor Supply Co., 4Health is in essence a higher quality store brand.
We like the fact that the company does not use any questionable filler or any noticeably questionable ingredients. Instead, it focuses on incorporating wholesome ingredients. Another bonus is the variety of flavors and food types it offers:
- 18 Original Formula recipes
- 18 Grain Free Formula recipes
- 6 Special Care Formula recipes
- 9 Untamed Formula recipes
- 13 4Health Dog Teats.
In summary: this brands attempt to compete with big time dog food names is not in vain. It’s main advantage is that it can offer the higher ingredients for a lower price. With it’s main, and seemingly only, overall disadvantage being the limitation of it’s own distribution channels.
Dog Food Coupons And Discounts
Note: Regarding our brand analysis or product reviews; we do not accept money, samples, or gifts from pet food companies or manufacturers for special favors or considerations.
We welcome our readers to share coupons and discounts with us that we may have missed in our search.
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