Valu Pak might not be a name you may have heard of, but hunters, breeders, and kennel owners know and love this product.
Let me familiarize you with these decades-old pet food brands so you can decide whether it deserves a place in your dog’s bowl or should it go down the gutter.
I can only present the facts about this dog food. Only you can decide whether it meets your standards.
| Products | Type | Special Feature | Our Rating | AAFCO Nutrient Profile(Life Stage) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALU-PAK FREE 28-20 | Dry | Without corn, wheat, and soy | 3.5 | All Life Stages |
| VALU-PAK FREE 22-12 | Dry | Without corn, wheat, and soy | 3.5 | All Life Stages |
| VALU-PAK 30-20 | Dry | High Performance | 3.0 | Adult Maintenance |
At a Glance: Valu Pak Dog Food
Here is a general overview of the Valu Pak dog food before we get into the details:
- Made by Specialityfeeds.Inc
- Made in the USA
- Sold across 20 states
- No recalls
About The Brand
Valu Pak Dog Food
- Valu Pak Free 28 20 is formulated
- 28 Crude Protein
- 20 Crude Fat
It’s made in Memphis, TN, by Specialityfeeds. Inc. Specialty Feeds was established in 1960 by the Coscias. It included family members- Vick, Gene, and Bubba Coscia. They started their journey on the Gayoso Farms dairy located in North Mississippi & eventually expanded to a state-of-the-art seven-story plant in Memphis, Tennessee.
Caliber, Select, Tops, and Tops Primes are a few dog food brands that share their manufacturer with Valu Pak dog food.
Throughout its history, Specialty Feeds has remained committed to providing yummy and healthy feed at affordable prices, maintaining a genuine and welcoming atmosphere at its workplace.
Unfortunately, Valu Pak is yet to cater to cats and wet food but remains the go-to for many dog owners.
Now Valu Pak is changing its packaging to plastic. But this is even more exciting because this means no more ripped bags. No more worrying if it rains and you’re on your way home with this in the back of the pickup truck. Just wonderful quality.
Who Makes Valu Pak Dog Food In 2023?
Specialty Feeds Inc. in Memphis – it is an awesome experience for pet food facilities. It’s a streamlined process that sets the standard in food manufacturing. It was started in 1960 and is now supplied to over 20 states, with Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama included. The company is strong in its roots and is here to stay.
Five-Factor Analysis of Valu Pak Dog Food
Let’s not judge dog food just by what you’ve heard. Instead, we will dig into all the minute deets about Valu Pak dog food – the recipes, ingredients, nutrition, and any recalls that might have happened. My friend, it’s time to get our paws dirty with the facts!
1. Recipes | ★★★
This brand has two product lines, including three recipes without corn, wheat, soy, and gluten. The other product range focuses more on performance and highly active dogs, with six dedicated recipes.
VALU-PAK FREE 28-20
Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are two things many brands out there don’t have in them. It’s essential for your dog. It helps with the coat and the skin of your dog.
You got chicken by-product meal, which a lot of dog food out there has, but now here you’ve got pork meal. That’s your second ingredient. Now the first two ingredients everybody knows on the back of a dog food bag are the ones they use the most.
And the fact that this has two meat bases in it is an awesome, awesome thing. And the fact that there’s pork in here is really good.
So this right here’s got a lot of nutrients for your dog. Of course, the brown rice, the whole grain chicken fat, dried green beans, rice bran, and dried beet pulp, with the sugar removed.
As far as Dog sizes go, we’re all going to be in the medium to large range. You’re just looking at, you know, two 8-ounce cups to 5 and 3/4 8-ounce cups. So a third of a cup for every 10 pounds is over 20 pounds. Guys, it’s really easy to feed. You don’t have to put down a ton of it. Your dogs go through it more slowly than other creatures.
VALU-PAK FREE 22-12
It is a heavy meat mix, so we prefer that for our dogs.
For active dogs and puppies, two types of meat, corn-free, wheat-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. There is an easy way to do stuff if you’re a little just like me. Cut the corner and pour it out.
Start feeding your pups this mix when it’s four weeks old. Also, they can have as much as they want. You have to soften it with warm water, and they can eat it starting at four weeks as long as they have plenty of fresh water available. They should be totally fine. It contains omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential for a healthy coat.
It’s recommended that you start feeding your dogs this food starting at four weeks. If they don’t start on this as pups, it does take some time to get them used to it, only because it doesn’t have all those fillers that the dogs may be used to if they’re eating some of the stuff from the big box stores.
So, it does take a little bit of time to mix this in with their other food. But you can transition a dog over to this.
VALU-PAK 30-20
It has glucosamine, a high protein, high fat, and will not grow yeast in a Petri dish in a lab. So that means if you have a short-haired dog, they won’t have any yeast issues with this food.
It’s suitable for dogs who are on their feet almost all day. It contains high quantities of protein and fat, which is unsuitable for dogs that may get overfed. It ends up doing more harm than good.
2. Ingredients | ★★
I know you guys always look at this section more carefully than the other ones. Ingredients definitely give us a somewhat accurate picture of how healthy dog food is.
Meat and Fish
First, I would’ve loved to see some range in their meat products, but they use only three prominently across all recipes.
Pork meal is one of the higher-quality ingredients they use. However, it’s rare to see a dog food brand using pork meals in its ingredients even though it is a low-cost ingredient.
It has been processed and drained of all its moisture. It’s what makes it a very dense source of protein.
A chicken-By-product meal is another ingredient that you can see in most of Valu Pak’s dog food recipes. It is considered an inferior product in the dog food industry, and chicken and chicken meals are preferred over this.
Valu Pak also uses Meat & bone meal, and although used very lightly, it’s not that ideal either. The first problem with it is that it has unspecified meat. Secondly, it is made from leftover meat and bones.
Chicken fat is used in Valu Pak dog food in surprisingly high amounts when compared to other dog foods. Chicken fat enhances flavor and contains good amino acids; however, some dogs might be allergic to it.
Grains
There is a product line of Valu Pak that actively avoids problematic grains. Nevertheless, you can still find grains in this dog food.
Brown rice is often used as a binder and is super easy to digest. It has moderate nutritional value, but its nuttiness adds a flavor to dog food that dogs can’t ignore.
There’s also Sorghum which many dog owners approve of. It has high starch content, and it’s also gluten and GMO-free. What more to ask for?
Valu Pak dog food does contain Corn, Wheat, and Soy in recipes that are meat for performance dogs. Dog owners are always divided on this one, but these grains are cost-effective ways to boost carbs.
Then there’s rice bran which is an inferior grain to white rice just because rice bran is the outer layer of white rice. Rice bran is a highly nutritional ingredient despite it being a literal scraping.
Often, we discard the nutritional value of anything that we haven’t tried, and this is one of those times.
Whether or not you like these ingredients will differ based on your requirements and biases.
3. Nutritional Analysis | ★★★
The nutritional values vary significantly from recipe to recipe. You need only pay attention to their names to get an idea. This nutritional analysis is only to give you a rough idea about the general nutritional breakdown of Valu Pak.
| Nutrient | Content (per serving) |
| Protein | 25% |
| Fat | 38% |
| Fiber | NA |
| Moisture | NA |
| Carbohydrates | 37% |
It has a great calorie count, almost 500 calories per serving.
As you know, this isn’t good if you have a stay-at-home dog, but if your dog exercises regularly, this is great.
Choosing what you prioritize and what matches your dog’s health is highly recommended among all the recipes Valu Pak offers.
4. Price | ★★★★
A price of Thirty-two bucks for this 50-pound bag is something you can’t beat.
If you’re looking for food that offers a good price that isn’t too high but still provides the right nutrients for the dog’s coat when they’re active and outdoors, then Valu Pak is what you need.
Now I suggest you get it from any feed store or co-op store. They do have it on Amazon, but getting it on Amazon is ridiculous. You don’t want to pay that much.
5. Recall History | ★★★★
During my research, I could find no records of Valu Pak dog food ever being recalled. It’s commendable, given that this dog food company has been active for more than fifty years.
How Does Valu Pak Dog Food Compare to the Competition?
It caters to performance dogs and is comparable to Diamond and Pride Dog food.
It has more carbs and chicken fat than many other brands in the market, plus it uses pork meals which is a rarity to see.
It’s guaranteed to give your puppy or adult dog the protein they need to build that proper muscle.
Should You Buy Valu Pak Dog Food?
If you have not tried this, go to your local feed and seed store. Buy yourself a bag and give it a one-bag trial. I can guarantee that after the trial, you’ll love it, trust it, and use it just as much as I do.
Pros
- High protein and high fat
- A whole range based on protein and fat proportions
- Never been recalled
- Trusted brand among hunters and kennel owners
Cons
- Low-cost ingredients
- Not a lot of range in meats
- No real meat
Our Rating
FAQ’s
Where is Valu Pak made?
Valu Pak dog food is made in the USA by specialty feeds Inc. located at 2301 Latham Street, Memphis, TN 38109.
Does Valu Pak do animal testing?
Currently, there is no information on whether or not Valu Pak does animal testing or how they do their feeding trials.
Is Valu Pak dog food safe?
Valu Pak has many good reviews and meets AAFCO guidelines and WSAVA standards. So yes, it is safe for dogs.
Before You Go
Valu Pak dog food has been thriving and providing quality dog food for many years.
We know that this means the company’s not going anywhere. They’re constantly improving, and that’s what gets me so excited about its products. And the best part is that it gives you the best value for your buck.
Ankita is a passionate pet lover and head of content at Pet Food Brands. With her extensive knowledge and research, she provides pet owners with top-quality information on dog food and nutrition. Her dedication to improving the lives of dogs makes her a leading voice in the industry.
