Lotus Dog Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Lotus Dog Food is owned and operated by Centinela Feed and Pets. This company is a small store chain centered around Los Angeles, USA. However, the company has recently started selling its dog food to a wider audience, which means that you no longer have to live in Los Angeles to purchase their food.

This food is created using the knowledge this small business got from running their own pet store. The company did not like how more popular brands regularly changed and downgraded their ingredients, which caused stomach problems for their dogs.

In 2003, they decided to create their own dog food. Their foods tend to include quality, named meats, and a variety of grains. However, they are “boutique” food, so they tend to be more expensive, as well.

At a Glance: The Best Lotus Dog Food Recipes

Lotus Dog Food Reviewed

Who Makes Lotus Dog Food and Where Is It Produced?

Lotus Dog Food is completely family-owned and operated. This company started because the owners wanted to create dog food that was better than what was available. Therefore, they have been quite hands-on with their company and controlled the creation of their dog food carefully.

All of their foods are made in small batches that are oven-baked. Their canned food is made in their own micro-cannery, which only makes their food.

This company is not owned nationally like some other companies out there. There is no overlying company or private firm telling them how to make their food.

Which Type of Dog Is Lotus Dog Food Best Suited For?

Lotus Dog Food is a boutique dog food brand. Therefore, their food is a bit more expensive than other options on the market. In fact, this food is considerably more expensive. Therefore, we only recommend it for those without any sort of strict budget. For many people, it is simply going to be outside of financial practicality.

Otherwise, this dog food is well-suited to any dog that is generally pretty healthy. Their foods are well-balanced for your average dog. However, they are not particularly suitable for dogs with health problems. This brand does not have a veterinary line, for instance.

Simply put, this food is great for your average dog, assuming their owners have plenty of money.

Which Type of Dog Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

Dog owners on a budget will probably want to look elsewhere for a dog food, as this brand is extremely expensive. Furthermore, dog owners will probably want to look elsewhere if their dogs have any health problems. While these foods are healthy, they are not suited for dogs with particular health challenges.

For instance, they do not create an option for dogs with diabetes.

However, dogs with these health problems are likely on a veterinary diet, which this brand does not create.

We also wouldn’t recommend most of their recipes for working dogs, as they tend to be low in protein. Most working dogs need quite a bit of protein, which this food simply doesn’t provide.

Discussion of Ingredients (Good and Bad)

Most Lotus Dog Food recipes are grain-inclusive. Because dogs have evolved to consume grain, this is great. After all, the FDA has even possibly linked some grain-free dog foods to certain heart conditions in dogs. Therefore, we recommend that most dogs consume a grain-inclusive option like this one.

Usually, this brand utilizes a lot of different named meats. For instance, many of their recipes start with whole chicken as the first ingredient. However, other types of meat may also be included. Organ meats appear in multiple recipes, usually from chicken.

As a grain-inclusive brand, there are several grains found in each of their recipes. Rye, brown rice, and other whole grains are the most common. Whole grains are typically better for most dogs because they contain more fiber. Therefore, they can help regulate the digestive system.

Many of the vitamins in this food come from whole, natural sources. For instance, blueberries and carrots are utilized in small amounts to increase the vitamin content of this food. However, synthetic vitamins are also included (though this is practically necessary to meet a dog’s nutritional needs).

There are some ingredients that are lower quality, however. For instance, this brand tends to utilize lots of peas, which are associated with some negative health consequences in dogs. In fact, they usually split the included peas up into pea protein and pea fiber, which allows them to put the peas further down on the ingredient list.

However, if the peas were listed as whole peas, they would be much higher on the list. In this way, the lack of clarity in their ingredient list is slightly misleading for customers.

Oven-Baked

One of the better qualities of this dog food is that it is dry-baked—not extruded like other dog foods. Therefore, this dog food is a bit more specially made than other options. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that this food is better, though the food may contain more nutrients due to the cooking process.

Plus, their foods are cooked in small batches. Therefore, there is less of a chance of a mess-up since each portion of food gets more attention.

With that said, though, being oven-baked doesn’t provide any extra nutritional benefits. Plus, it makes the food cost a bit more, which isn’t a good thing for consumers.

A Quick Look at Lotus Dog Food

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Recall History

Based on our research, this company has never had a recall. However, they don’t make a ton of dog food each year, so their lack of a recall likely has a lot to do with their small batch processing. Unlike many dog food companies, they simply don’t make as much food, so they don’t have as big of an opportunity to mess up.

Of course, their long history without a recall means they are a pretty safe food. Therefore, you can feed your dog this food and feel good about it.

Reviews of the 3 Best Lotus Dog Food Recipes

1. Lotus Oven-Baked Small Bits Duck & Cassava Recipe

While most of this brand’s food is grain-inclusive, some of it is grain-free. The Lotus Oven-Baked Small Bits Duck & Cassava Recipe is one of these options. If you need grain-free food, then this may be the best option for you.

The main ingredient in this food is duck. Both whole duck and duck meal are utilized, which means that there is quite a bit of duck in this dog food. However, because it is grain-free, the company relies on inexpensive veggies instead. For instance, there are quite a lot of peas included, which are associated with some health problems in dogs. Whole peas and pea fiber are both utilized.

For this reason, we don’t recommend this dog food for every dog, especially if they are already prone to some health conditions.

This food is pretty low in protein and fat, as well. Despite being grain-free, it is high in carbohydrates. Therefore, we cannot recommend it for working dogs.

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2. Lotus Rabbit Loaf Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

As the name suggests, Lotus Rabbit Loaf Grain-Free Canned Dog Food utilizes mostly rabbits in their food. It includes both rabbit and rabbit broth. Therefore, the food is quite high in amino acids and fat, thanks to using broth instead of just water. Because rabbit is a novel protein, this formula works well for dogs with allergies. After all, most dogs aren’t allergic to rabbits.

Similarly, this food also contains high amounts of nutrients. For instance, New Zealand green mussels are included, which are high in omega fatty acids. Only premium dog foods usually include this ingredient. Flaxseed and salmon oil are also included.

There aren’t any artificial ingredients, either. For instance, it is free from guar gum and xanthan gum, common ingredients in other formulas.

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3. Lotus Good Grains Chicken Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food

Lotus Good Grains Chicken Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food starts with chicken as the main ingredient. Both chicken and chicken meal are included high on the ingredient list. These provide plenty of protein and amino acids. Plus, this recipe does include a lot of “good grains.” For instance, rye and brown rice are used high on the ingredient list.

Because this formula utilizes whole grains, it includes lots of fiber. Therefore, it may work particularly well for those with stomach issues as the fiber may regulate their digestive system.

This formula also utilizes eggs, white fish, and other meat sources. Despite being grain-inclusive, this formula includes many different types of meat.

But, it is quite expensive. Plus, you can find similar foods elsewhere for a cheaper price. Therefore, the value just isn’t there.

What Other Users Are Saying

Sadly, this company doesn’t seem to get as high of a rating as other options, despite being a premium brand. This is one of the reasons it didn’t win five stars on our rating (besides the high price).

Many people claim that their dogs won’t eat this food. However, there are other ratings that their dog “loved it”. Therefore, it seems to depend on the exact dog. Of course, we are expecting some differences in tastes between dogs.

However, the number of people claiming that their dogs won’t eat this is surprisingly high.

Conclusion

Lotus Dog Food is a boutique, premium brand that is made by a family-owned company. Therefore, many believe it is high-quality food and well worth the price. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. While this food does contain plenty of named meats, this isn’t necessarily very high in protein. Plus, they tend to utilize plant-based proteins like pea concentrates.

Therefore, this food is quite expensive, and you aren’t getting much for the increased price.

• See also: Grain-Free vs Grain Dog Food