Victor

Victor Information

Victor Product Range

Dog Food

Victor has an expansive range of dry dog food products that cover many different requirements and tastes.

This dry food range includes grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, as well as recipes for senior dogs, puppies, and dogs of varying activity levels.

These dry dog food recipes are split into several product lines, which include Classic, Select, Purpose, and Realtree.

The Classic range includes many of Victor’s most popular recipes like Hi-Pro Plus and Professional. The Select range includes many of their newer recipes, including their grain-free food.

Purpose recipes are designed for specific health problems like joint health or weight management.

Lastly, the Realtree range is worth discussing individually as it is tailor-made for working and hunting dogs, which is an important niche.

Working and hunting dogs have very different nutritional requirements than traditional non-working dogs, which many neglect to address.

Victor’s wet/canned dog food range is considerably smaller in size when compared to the dry food range but still offers some variety.

This wet food range includes grain-free recipes and grain-inclusive recipes as well as a mix of meat ingredients such as Chicken, Turkey, Beef, and Lamb.

Cat Food

When we first reviewed Victor, it had a very small cat food range that consisted of a single dry food recipe and two wet food recipes.

However, recently Victor has expanded this range by adding an additional three dry cat food recipes. This expansion includes a cat version of Victor’s famous Hi-Pro Plus dog food recipe, which is by far their most popular.

The other recipes added to the range include one for indoor cats and another to promote healthy skin & Coat.

Despite this growth, Victor still lacks many of the niche and specialized cat food recipes that some brands offer, such as senior cat food or kitten food.

Victor Nutrition

Dog Food

The nutrition provided by Victor’s dog food recipes varies significantly from recipe to recipe, which can make it hard to summarize.

There are some recipes from Victor that provide below-average to average nutrition, which includes excessive proportions of carbohydrates and smaller than satisfactory proportions of protein and fat.

However, there are a number of recipes from Victor that provide above-average to significantly above-average nutrition.

These recipes feature modest proportions of carbohydrates and significant proportions of protein and fat from animal-based sources.

Below is an example of one of the better nutritional profiles offered by a Victor dry dog food recipe.

As you can see, the proportion of protein is almost 30%, and the proportion of fat is over 40%.

When combined, the protein and fat proportion make up over two-thirds of the recipe, which is very impressive and far above the industry average.

If you’d like to learn more about canine nutrition, we’d highly recommend you check out our Dog Food Guide, for an in-depth look at topics such as dog food types, dog food nutrition, and dog food ingredients.

Cat Food

Given the extremely small size of Victor’s cat food range, it is hard to fairly evaluate the nutrition the recipes can provide.

However, those few recipes that are available offer nutrition that is average to above-average.

This nutritional profile includes reasonable proportions of protein and fat and a proportion of carbohydrates that is not overly excessive.

It is critical that cats consume a diet that is high in animal or fish-based protein and fat as they are obligate carnivores. In short, this means that they do not need or benefit from consuming high levels of plant-matter.

If you’d like to read more about feline nutrition, you should check out our Cat Food Guide for a more detailed look at what it means to be an obligate carnivore and more.

Victor Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Lamb
• Pork
• Salmon

Victor uses a moderately sized range of meat and fish ingredients in their recipes. All of these ingredients should be considered high-quality additions and can provide animal-based protein and fat.

This range of meat and fish ingredients includes all of the industry favorites like Chicken, Beef, and Salmon. These ingredients are so popular as they are easy to source and can provide excellent nutrition.

Victor chooses not to use some of the less common meat and fish ingredients found in pet food like Kangaroo, Venison, and Buffalo.

These ingredients often feature in recipes for dogs with allergies or sensitivities, which you can read about in our article Best Hypoallergenic Dog Foods Guide.

Other Notable Ingredients

Grain ingredients regularly feature in Victor’s recipes. Examples of these grains include Sorghum, Millet, and Brown Rice.

Grain ingredients such as these can be a controversial addition to any pet food recipe. This is because there is a large portion of pet owners who are strongly against the use of grains in pet food and only feed grain-free food.

However, there are also strong supporters of grains, especially among those who feed their pets food from brands like Purina Pro Plan and Royal Canin.

The grain ingredients used by Victor are some of the more preferred, and many consider them superior to others, such as Wheat or Corn.

This is because they can provide additional nutrition beyond their carbohydrate content and are less processed.

You can read more about Sorghum and Millet in the below articles.

Sorghum In Dog Food

Millet In Dog Food

In many of Victor’s grain-free recipes, legumes such as Peas and Chickpeas are used extensively. Legumes such as these are staples of the industry thanks to their relatively low cost yet high nutritional value.

Legumes can provide a mix of carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and fiber.

However, in recent years there has been growing concern about a link between the high use of legumes in grain-free dog food and an increased rate of Canine Heart Disease.

Learn more about this concerning link in our articles Best Dog Foods Without Peas & Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, and Pea Fiber in Dog Food.

Chicken Fat is a regular addition to many pet food recipes, including some from Victor. It is added to pet food to increase the proportion of animal-based fats and to improve the flavor of the food.

Chicken Fat is preferred to alternatives, such as Beef Fat, for this task as it is very low-cost and straightforward to source.

Read more about the use of Chicken Fat in our article, Chicken Fat In Dog Food.

Victor recipes feature small portions of Tomato Pomace, and its purpose in dog food is to be a reliable source of soluble fiber.

Fiber is critical to many dogs to ensure they have regular digestion and stool, and those without sufficient intake can experience issues.

However, beyond its fiber content, Tomato Pomace provides little additional nutritional value to dogs, including no carbohydrates, protein, or fat.

Learn more about Tomato Pomace in our article, Tomato Pomace, as a Pet Food Ingredient?.

Several of Victor’s recipes include a small portion of Menhaden Fish Meal as a minor ingredient. Menhaden Fish are small oily fish that are harvested for their fish oil.

However, after this fish oil has been extracted, the remaining fish meal is sold on to pet food producers as a valuable and cost-effective source of animal-based protein and fat.

Many in the industry prefer ingredients like Menhaden Fish Meal to plant-based alternatives like Pea Protein.

You can learn more about where Menhaden Fish Meal comes from and some concerns around its use in our article Menhaden Fish Meal in Dog Food.

Most consumers don’t realize that Alfalfa is present in their dog food recipes like those from Victor.

Alfalfa is added to pet food to provide some minor micronutrients and because many believe it can provide health benefits. However, these health benefits are not conclusively proven, so be cautious with them.

If you’d like to learn more about Alfalfa and its supposed benefits, check out our article Alfalfa In Dog Food.

Victor Animal Testing

We have no information on what type of testing or feeding trials, if any, that Victor participates in.

However, given the size of the brand, we are certain they must participate in some form of trials.

Testing is a critical part of the formulation process, but many pet food brands provide little to no detail on how they go about this.

Many suspect this lack of information is as pet food brands suspect backlash or negative reaction to this information.

However, others in the industry are concerned about this lack of transparency and information and fear that some pet food recipes may not be suitable for long-term consumption as they have not been properly tested.

We strongly believe that invasive or laboratory-style testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice and one which we hope will see a significant decline.

Victor Recalls

Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Victor has recently issued a voluntary recall of its products, which means Victor is no longer a recall-free pet food brand.

September 2023 – Possible Salmonella Health Risk

In September 2023, Victor announced a voluntary recall of a single lot of its highly popular Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food recipe due to the possible risk of Salmonella.

This recall affected 5-pound bags of Victor Hi-Pro Plus with lot code 1000016385 with Best By Date 4/30/2024.

See the FDA release for this recall for more information.

While many other brands see their recalls affect several products or lots, this voluntary recall from Victor is extremely limited, which is a positive.

Salmonella can affect both humans and animals; any pet owners affected by this recall should wash their hands after handling the affected food.

Symptoms to look out for in dogs exposed to Salmonella include lethargy, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.

This recall tarnishes Victor’s previously impressive recall-free record, especially given that they are an established and longstanding brand.

Regardless, we still believe that they take the safety and quality of their production process seriously and have stringent and in-depth testing taking place.

We hope that Victor can put this recall behind them and maintain a recall-free record in the coming years and avoid any lapses in safety.

Regardless, we always encourage consumers to be vigilant of any future recalls of Victor or any other pet food brand to ensure that their pets remain healthy and safe.

Victor Expertise

A growing concern in the pet food industry is a lack of qualified and experienced personnel at pet food companies.

These individuals are critical to ensure that pet food is formulated correctly and is not misbalanced. This can also help minimize or eliminate other health problems caused by poorly formulated food.

Victor employs Michael Keith as their Vice President of Nutrition and Procurement. Micheal is one of only 12 nutritionists currently holding a Professional Animal Scientist certification in Companion Animals from the American Registry of Professional Animal Sciences (ARPAS).

Victor also states that they work with additional third-party nutritionists to validate their products and to consult with them in regard to their research.

Best of Victor

Hi-Pro Plus Review

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It wouldn’t be a review of Victor’s dog food without mentioning Hi-Pro Plus, which is our favorite Victor recipe, and we’ve featured it multiple times on our site in various articles and discussions.

The recipe contains a substantial variety of meat and fish ingredients, all of which are meat meals. While meat meals may sound scary to some, they are, in fact, very nutritionally dense.

This nutritional density is as they have had their moisture removed before being manufactured, which can make up almost 80% of an ingredient.

As long as the meat meal ingredient is named, it should be considered a higher-quality ingredient and should not be feared.

Examples of meat meals used in Hi-Pro Plus include Beef Meal, Chicken Meal, Pork Meal, and Menhaden Fish Meal.

Hi-Pro Plus uses two primary sources of plant-based content, Grain Sorghum and Millet. While some dog owners may turn their nose up at these grain ingredients, they are perfectly acceptable additions that can provide a mix of carbohydrates and fiber to dogs.

Besides, the sum of carbohydrates provided by the portion of these two grain ingredients is modest and satisfactory for the vast majority of dogs.

Grain Free Yukon River Canine Recipe Review

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If Hi-Pro Plus recipe doesn’t interest you or you prefer grain-free dog food, you may want to consider the above Yukon River recipe.

It also contains a substantial portion of meat and fish content, which makes up 74% of the recipe’s protein content.

This is from a large portion of Menhaden Fish Meal and a smaller portion of Chicken Fat and Dehydrated Salmon.

Salmon is always an excellent choice for a dog food recipe and can be high in the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which are known to provide dogs with several health benefits.

Outside of this meat and fish content, the recipe includes a portion of Peas, Chickpeas, and Sweet Potato.

These ingredients are extremely common in grain-free food and can provide a mix of carbohydrates, fiber, plant-based protein, and select vitamins and minerals.

Grain-Free Beef & Vegetable Cuts In Gravy Review

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Many dogs adore wet dog food and will do anything for a bowl. The above recipe from Victor is almost certain to have this effect on many dogs, thanks to its nutrition and ingredients.

Despite the name, the primary ingredient is actually Chicken, but it is accompanied by a portion of Beef, Chicken Liver, and Eggs.

This mix of Beef, Chicken, and Eggs provides a very satisfactory proportion of animal-based protein and fat.

Eggs are worth pointing out individually as they are heavily underutilized in dog food and can provide a broad range of nutrition, and are extremely bioavailable.

Due to the large portion of meat content, this recipe only has very small portions of plant-based ingredients, including Carrots, Peas, and Potatoes.

These vegetable ingredients provide a modest proportion of carbohydrates and fiber, which is far below the average for a wet dog food recipe.

Hi-Pro Plus Cat Recipe Review

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While it may be a relatively new addition to Victor’s cat food range, we couldn’t resist highlighting their Hi-Pro Plus Cat Food recipe.

The recipe is very similar to the dog version but with some notable differences. For example, it only includes a mix of Menhaden Fish Meal and Chicken Meal and skips out on Beef or Pork.

However, despite this, the portion of animal-based protein and fat is still substantial and summing to an impressive minimum of 34% protein and 18% fat, which is far above average for a dry cat food recipe.

On the plant-based side, this Victor recipe contains a small portion of Brown Rice and Grain Sorghum, along with an even smaller portion of Peas.

This combination provides a modest portion of carbohydrates and fiber, along with some plant-based protein.

Victor Featured Articles

While most brands covered on our site have only been featured in a handful of articles, Victor is one of the most popular of all and has been featured in a mountain of our content.

See below summaries for the articles Victor has been involved in, and check them out if they interest you.

Best Dry Dog Food – What is the best dry dog food is probably the masked question asked on sites like ours, and in this article, we answer that question.

Several of the big-name brands feature here with their best recipes on offer, and we were more than happy to include Victor in our list thanks to its impressive nutrition and cost-effective price.

Be sure to check out this article to see who else made the cut.

Best Dog Food Without Peas – In one of our most popular articles, we go in-depth to discuss the current concerns around the use of Peas and Legumes in dog food and highlight some of the best Pea-free formulas available.

Victor earns a well-deserved place here thanks to its nutrition and choice of grain ingredients, but other brands featured include Nature’s Logic, Nom Nom, and Health Extension.

Best Cheap Dog Food – Many dog owners struggle to keep up with the cost of food for their dogs, especially those owners with multiple dogs or larger breed dogs.

In this article, we discuss the downsides of lower-cost dog food and then recommend several low-cost recipes that still provide suitable nutrition and use higher-quality ingredients, including one from Victor.

Best Dog Food Made In The USA – Many dog owners in the United States are keen to buy products made at home and are looking to avoid foreign imports.

In this article, we discuss American-made dog food and give some of our favorite recipes made in the USA.

Best Non-Grain Free Dog Foods – Despite the rise of grain-free dog food over the last two decades, many dog owners still prefer grain-inclusive recipes.

However, these have become more difficult to find, which has led many to look for help picking the right formula. In this article, we take of you and highlight some of the best recipes that utilize grain ingredients.

Best Dog Food With Chicken And Rice – Chicken And Rice dog food recipes have been a staple for decades, and they are showing no signs of disappearing from the market.

In this article, we discuss the benefits of this type of dog food and show some of the best Chicken and Rice recipes that you can try, including a Victor recipe.

Best Dog Food With Lamb And Rice – While Lamb and Rice recipes are not as popular as Chicken and Rice recipes, they are still used heavily.

Some dogs prefer the taste of Lamb, and others need its higher fat content. Regardless, there are dozens of lamb and rice recipes to choose from, and this article highlights some of our favorites.

Best Dog Food With Salmon – Salmon is one of our favorite ingredients to be found in a dog food recipe thanks to its impressive nutrition, including high levels of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

In this article, we go into further detail to discuss Salmon and showcase several recipes that have Salmon as their primary ingredient. 

Best Dog Food With Millet – Millet is not a well-known ingredient in dog food recipes but has seen increased use in the last few years from premium brands looking to produce grain-inclusive food.

However, Victor has been using Millet for far longer, and therefore, they earn a spot in our recommendations of the best dog foods that utilize Millet.

Best Senior Dog Food – As dogs age, their diet and nutritional requirements change, and it’s important to understand this to ensure that your dog is eating the correct food.

In this article, we discuss all areas related to senior dogs and give a long list of recommendations for senior-based dog food recipes. This list of recommendations includes Victor’s Senior Healthy Weight recipe.

Best High Protein Dog Food – Over the last two decades, high-protein dog food has taken off, and many brands have utilized this trend to produce some extremely impressive recipes.

But is high protein dog food worth it, and what kind of dogs can benefit from it? We answer these questions and more alongside a detailed list of recommendations of high protein dog food recipes.

Best Dog Food Without Potatoes – Similar to legumes, like Peas, Potatoes have gotten some flack recently, and some are concerned they are related to the increased rate of Canine Heart Disease.

Moreover, many dogs are allergic to Potatoes which means there is a strong demand for Potato-free dog food. Thankfully, we have you covered in this article, where we discuss various alternatives.

Best Dog Food For Border Collies – Border Collies are best known as one of the most intelligent and active breeds of dogs, and thanks to those traits, they can benefit greatly from a high-quality and nutritious diet.

In this article, we discuss what kind of nutrition Border Collies could benefit from and highlight several of the industry’s best recipes that we think could suit a Border Collie.

Best Low Sodium Dog Foods – Some dogs require a low-sodium diet due to serious health issues. However, outside of prescription foods, it can be extremely difficult to find information on the sodium content of a formula.

We can assist you here, and we highlight some easy-to-find and purchase recipes that we know have lower-than-average sodium content.

Victor Full Product Range

Dry Dog Food

Hi-Pro Plus

High-Energy

Multi-Pro

Professional

Elite Canine

Grain Free Yukon River Canine

Grain Free Chicken Meal & Sweet Potato

Grain Free Lamb Meal & Sweet Potato

Chicken Meal & Brown Rice

Ocean Fish Formula With Salmon

Lamb Meal & Brown Rice

Beef Meal & Brown Rice

Performance

Nutra Pro

Senior Healthy Weight

Grain Free Active Dog & Puppy

Grain Free Hero Canine

Grain Free Ultra Pro

Realtree Edge Energy

Realtree Max-5 Pro

Wet/Canned Dog Food

Grain Free Chicken & Vegetable Cuts In Gravy

Grain Free Beef & Vegetable Cuts In Gravy

Grain Free Turkey & Sweet Potato Cuts In Gravy

Lamb and Rice Pate

Chicken and Rice Pate

Dog Treats

Crunchy Dog Treats With Chicken Meal

Crunchy Dog Treats With Turkey Meal

Crunchy Dog Treats With Lamb Meal

Dry Cat Food

Mers Classic Feline

Hi-Pro Plus Cat

Grain Free Fit Feline

Frain Free Healthy Skin & Coat

Wet/Canned Cat Food

Grain Free Shredded Chicken Dinner Cuts In Gravy

Turkey and Salmon Dinner Pate