About V-dog
Established in 2005, V-dog is a cruelty-free vegan dog food brand made in the U.S.A.V-dog products are produced in California and uphold Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards.
According to the manufacturer, even picky pups love this food. More impressively, V-dog states that the company has had no product recalls, which is definitely a plus.
At this time, V-dog creates formulas for adult dogs from one year old to senior years, but not for puppies.
Since the brand avoids common allergens like wheat, corn, and soy, V-dog tends to be digestible even for sensitive systems.
Personal Experience
My toy poodle was eating V dog for around 6 months to a year. She has a long history of digestive issues and so switching her to a V-dog was one of the things we tried to do to keep her symptoms at bay.
Long story short, she did way better than on any other meat diet that we had her on, but it was still hard for her to digest.
Per our vet’s recommendation, and some testing we switched her to a different foo with a base of hydrolyzed soy protein.
However, I still think this food would be great if she didn’t have already-present issues and plan to have my future dogs try it.
Learn more on our best vegan dog food brands guide.
V-Dog Dog Food Ingredients
We love a vegan dog food brand like V-dog that focuses on real food ingredients and ditches the fillers.
Let’s take a look at kinder kibble
Ingredients: Dried Peas, Pea Protein, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Potato Protein, Sorghum, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaxseeds, Millet, Calcium Carbonate, Lentils, Peanut Hearts, Quinoa, Sunflower Chips, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Carrots, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate), Dl-methionine, Dried Parsley, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D2 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Folic Acid), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (A Source Of Vitamin C), Preserved with Citric Acid, Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Celery, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lettuce, L-carnitine, Dried Watercress, Dried Spinach, Rosemary Extract.
Based on peas, brown rice, and oats, this protein-rich formula incorporates diverse vegan protein sources, including lentils and quinoa. As promised, we see no corn, wheat, or soy products.
With flaxseed, there’s a good source of omega 3s, and there are plenty of vitamins and minerals added for a full nutritional spectrum.
Did the dried brewer’s yeast catch your eye? If you’re not sure what this is added for, it’s typically added for the B vitamin factor. Not only B vitamins but also trace minerals like zinc and iron are found in brewer’s yeast.
All of these vitamins are great for nurturing healthy skin, coats, and eyes while reducing anxiety levels. If your dog is easily stressed, it’s possible that the brewer’s yeast in this product could help.
But brewer’s yeast isn’t necessarily all good for all dogs. It’s been known to cause tummy and gastrointestinal troubles for some. If you give your dog any food with brewer’s yeast (or a yeast culture), make sure that it’s digested well before continuing with feeding.
We do want to make note of the main ingredient in this product. While peas are not necessarily a food to raise concern if you’ve found that your dog does well with them, recently, they’ve come under scrutiny.
The FDA has been looking into dog foods with high levels of peas, potatoes, and lentils (as in dog foods based on these ingredients) and their effects on pet health.
In June of this year, the FDA released a statement about 16 brands that could be associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a condition that can lead to heart failure.
However, the FDA hasn’t indicated at this time that people should stop buying these brands as investigations are still underway. There are likely many more factors that will emerge as time goes on.
If you’re wondering, V-dog is not on the list. We’re definitely not recommending that you steer clear of V-dog as it has not been identified as a potential hazard by the FDA to our knowledge.
In light of recent information about high levels of a pea, potato, and lentil ingredients potentially becoming dangerous for some dogs, we would recommend talking to your vet about your dog’s specific needs if you’re thinking about a pea-based food.
It’s always a good idea to contact your vet if you’re switching brands or if you suspect that your dog isn’t doing well with the food she’s eating.
V-Dog Reviews Analyzed
Reviews are always helpful, but it can be tough to wade through them, especially when there are different or even opposing opinions about the same product.
To give you the most well-rounded and unbiased analysis of the reviews, we dug through as many as we could find and summarized them below.
V-Dog Kinder Kibble
In places like Amazon and Chewy, this dog food is very well-reviewed at the time of writing.
Check out this vegan starter kit
Some of the benefits of V-dog Kinder Kibble highlighted in reviews are healthy skin, lots of energy, vanishing chronic pain, and a serious zest for this food.
One reviewer was thrilled with the transformation Fleet, their 11-year-old border collie, made within only four months on Kinder Kibble from experiencing trouble going up the stairs to leaping and playing.
This reviewer isn’t the only one to mention seeing their beloved senior pets regain mobility on this diet.
Allergens have disappeared, itchy skin conditions have cleared up, and even teeth and gums have become noticeably healthier.
Per the reviews, dogs are becoming healthier if they were previously suffering from ill health and developing better breath, clearer eyes, and silkier coats.
And in general, dogs transitioning from meat-based diets to vegan diets were thrilled about V-dog.
Now for the cons, we saw in a handful of reviews.
A few dogs have had adverse reactions, including wheezing and yeast issues, perhaps connected to the brewer’s yeast.
Some reviewers with more than one dog at home noticed that one was happier and healthier than ever on V-dog Kinder Kibble while the other one wasn’t.
There was also a review we found mentioning some disappointment about the presence of canola oil in the formula, even though this reviewer loved the product.
Canola oil is part of a back-and-forth debate as to whether it’s truly beneficial to both people and dogs. Some suggest that it’s a good source of healthy fats while others maintain that there are simply higher quality oils to use instead.
And while most dogs seem to love this brand according to the reviews, a small handful didn’t seem to care for it.
Another interesting point that came up a few times was an apparent difference in the kibble between batches with slightly different colors. One reviewer noted that their dog wasn’t interested in the next bag they bought.
Still, we were impressed by the degree to which the positive comments outweighed the few negative ones.
From chihuahuas to pit bulls, dogs seem to love and do well on this food. Some reviewers even stated that their vets specifically approved of V-dog Kinder Kibble.
Judging from the overwhelmingly positive reviews, we’d say that V-dog Kinder Kibble is a great choice for many adult dogs, whether their dog parents are just looking to keep their health in tip-top shape or they’re healing skin and certain health issues.
V-Dog Pros
- Improvement of chronic pain problems
- May help with allergies
- Better energy
- Improved digestion
- Weight maintenance
- Made in the U.S.A.(California)
- Beneficial for healthy skin and shiny coats
- Great for adult dogs of all ages, including senior dogs
- Dogs love the taste
- Good value
Cons
- On the dry side
- Some dogs may respond negatively to the brewer’s yeast
- A few dogs may not like it
Where to Buy V-dog
You can purchase V-dog products on Amazon, which may be the easiest route if you do your bulk shopping there anyway.
You can also buy directly from V-dog online. Right now, V-dog is mainly available online and in the U.S., though V-dog is working on making its international brand V-planet more widely available.
Alternative Options
If V-dog isn’t your favorite option for your fur babies or they can’t have it due to dietary restrictions, we’ve got some alternatives lined up for you to take a look at.
First up is Halo Holistic Garden of Vegan Recipe. Just make sure to stick to this flavor as the brand isn’t all vegan, but this specific product is.
This food is filler-free and similar to V-dog as it’s also based on peas as well as chickpeas, barley, and oat groats. Like V-dog, it contains no wheat or corn.
Reviewers tend to say that their dogs are big fans of this Halo product, and it seems to alleviate skin issues just like V-dog. We also like that it doesn’t have any artificial colors or preservatives.
This product is definitely well-liked by reviewers, though we would recommend checking with your vet about the peas high up in the ingredient list.
The next V-dog alternative is Benevo. This U.K.-based brand has a good selection of vegan dog food formulas from wet to dry and for various stages of life and dietary needs.
Benevo’s Adult Organic kibble is a little different from V-dog and Halo’s vegan recipe as it’s based on soy protein in addition to rice, barley, and oats.
If you don’t live in the U.K., you can purchase Benevo on Vegan Essentials. Like V-dog, it also contains brewer’s yeast and a blend of added vitamins and minerals.
Wrap Up
From the looks of the ingredients and the stellar reviews, V-dog seems to be a solid choice for a vegan dog food brand.
It’s got lots of beneficial nutrients and protein for active dogs and might even be the ticket to alleviating itchy skin and digestive issues.
The one thing that we’d suggest checking with your vet about is the high pea content considering recent press about the potential connection to heart problems.
But if you’re already feeding your pooch this brand and she’s thriving, your vet is likely going to give this brand a thumbs up.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
Want to take all of the guess-work around going vegan?
Click here to check out the Vegan Starter Kit.
