Has anyone had any experience with TSC's 4Health dog food? I've been researching foods and this one seemed to come up quite a bit in many other forums. It's supposively made by Diamond and has almost identical igredients to the Diamond Naturals line of foods.

I use it and my dogs do great on I like the fact it has no corn. It is also reasonably priced!!!

Feed the Chicken and Rice to my GSP and she eats it up. For the ingredients, can't beat the price.

decent food for a good price

Best dog food out there I think. Been feeding it since it came out. Let a lady talk me into trying Taste of The Wild and it was a waste of money. My dogs acted like they were starving to death while feeding it and they lost their shiny coats. I fed Nutro for as long as I can remember but when they were bought out it turned to junk. 4Health is truly grain free. My dogs look awesome on it. I'm always asked what I feed. My blk lab female is 71 lbs and she gets two cups a day. If I put more in her bowl she won't eat it. Doesn't have too. Stick with it.

What do y'all think of blue buffalo?

Where do you get it?

4Health is only available at Tractor Supply, but all of the other foods mentioned are available there as well.

I didn't hear about Nutro being bought out, would you tell me more about this? I have a 11 year old lab on the Senior Nutro.. he has been on for a good three years.. I will change if it is bad.. He don't seem to have any issues..

How much does the 4health cost and what's the bag weigh?

The 4Health Dog Food Chicken and Rice Formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

4Health Chicken and Rice Formula for Adults

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content


Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, millet, brewers rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), beet pulp, natural chicken flavor, flaxseed, fish meal, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, Yucca schidigera extract, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.

Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.

Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third ingredient lists barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.

The fourth ingredient is millet… gluten-free grains harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is hypoallergenic and naturally rich in B-vitamins and fiber… as well as other essential minerals.

The fifth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice represents the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice.

This is an inexpensive cereal grain by-product and not considered a quality ingredient.

The sixth ingredient lists chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The seventh item includes beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

After the natural chicken flavor, we find flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seeds are rich in soluble fiber.

However, we find it unusual to see flaxseed here in its whole seed form. Whole flax seeds are almost impossible to digest (at least for us humans) unless they are first ground to a usable powder before they are consumed.

The tenth ingredient is fish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The term “fish” does little to properly describe this ingredient. What species? What parts?

Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.

However, we are pleased to report that, unlike many other fish meals, this particular item1 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.

With two notable exceptions…

First, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

And lastly, this food does contain chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

4Health Dog Food… the Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, 4Health Dog Food appears to be an above-average kibble.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 46%.

With its implied (23% protein) lower meat content, we’re compelled to downgrade the Lamb and Rice to the next lower category.

So, if we exclude the lamb and rice recipe, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 16%.

Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.

Above-average protein. Average fat. And below-average carbs… as compared to a typical dry dog food.

With no evidence of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing a moderate amount of meat.

In addition, it’s important to acknowledge this product’s absence of any critical Red Flag items.

Bottom line?

4Health Dog Food is primarily a grain-based kibble using a notable amount of lamb or chicken meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.

Highly recommended.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Looks like it might be some pretty good stuff, but if I'm reading it right, it isn't Grain Free.