Heart To Tail Information
Heart To Tail is a pet food brand that is exclusive to the fast-expanding grocery store Aldi. Aldi, which is originally from Europe, has surged in popularity in the United States over the last decade and is now a staple of many’s weekly grocery shopping.
With more than 2000 unique stores across 37 states, if you haven’t been able to visit Aldi yet, you will most likely be able to do so soon.
Like many of the products and brands sold by Aldi, Heart To Tail aims to be very competitively priced in comparison to other pet food brands.
This reason above others is why many are considering switching to the brand along with convenience and word of mouth.
There is very limited information available on where Heart To Tail pet food recipes are produced, but we believe that this production does take place in the United States.
We believe that this production is most likely done at a third-party manufacturing facility, perhaps one owned by Sunshine Mills, which also produces food for brands like Triumph, Evolve, and Elm Pet Foods.
Aldi also has another store pet food brand which is called Pure Being, and it is aimed at a slightly higher price point than Heart To Tail.
Given that Heart To Tail is an Aldi exclusive pet food brand, it can not be purchased from other retail pet food stores and is only found within Aldi stores.
In addition, you can not purchase Heart To Tail online from any of the large pet food websites like Chewy and Petflow.
Heart To Tail Product Range
Dog Food
It is difficult to ascertain the full extent of the Heart To Tail product range as there is limited information online, but from what we can gather, they have a moderately sized product range.
This includes a mix of dry dog food, wet/canned dog food, and some dog treats. There are notable more wet/canned recipes available from Heart To Tail than dry recipes.
Heart To Tail does not focus on the distinction between grain-free and grain-inclusive food like many other brands.
In addition, it appears that Heart To Tail does not produce many of the popular specialized dog food recipes such as those for puppies, senior dogs, or large breed dogs which is unfortunate.
Cat Food
Similar to the above, it is difficult to gauge the full size of Heart To Tail’s cat food range due to the limited information available, but from what we have researched, they sell a range of dry cat food and wet/canned cat food.
The range of wet/canned cat food is noticeably larger than the dry food range, which is common in the cat food industry, given its popularity.
Once again, it does not appear that Heart To Tail produces any specialized cat food recipes such as those for Kittens or Senior Cats.
Heart To Tail Nutrition
Dog Food
Sadly, the nutrition provided by Heart To Tail dog food recipes varies significantly, with some formulas offering nutrition that is below average compared to other dog food brands.
This is particularly true of their dry dog food recipes which offer poor nutrition that is high in plant-based protein and carbohydrates.
You can see an example of the nutrition offered by a Heart To Tail dry dog food recipe below.
However, Heart To Tail wet dog food recipes offer an improved nutritional profile that is more appropriate for dogs. This includes higher proportions of animal-based protein and fat and lower levels of carbohydrates.
If you would like to learn more about canine nutrition, we highly recommend you read our Dog Food Guide.
Cat Food
Similar to above, the nutrition offered by Heart To Tail cat food recipes varies between recipes and is not consistent.
Many of Heart To Tail’s dry cat food recipes offered nutrition that is unimpressive and a poor reflection of a cat’s natural diet.
These recipes often include very high portions of plant-based material and carbohydrates, which is not an ideal component of a cat’s diet.
Cats are obligate carnivores which means they need to consume a diet high in animal or fish-based ingredients with minimal plant matter.
However, Heart To Tail’s wet/canned cat food recipes are an improvement and have higher proportions of protein and fat, along with much-needed moisture.
To read more about feline nutrition, including more information on what it means to be an obligate carnivore, be sure to check out our Cat Food Guide.
Heart To Tail Ingredients
High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Salmon
- Whitefish
- Tuna
Heart To Tail uses a moderate range of meat and fish ingredients in its recipes, with the majority of these ingredients featuring in their wet/canned recipes.
The presence of any of the above is a good sign as these are considered high-quality ingredients and reliable sources of animal-based protein and fat.
All of these ingredients are used heavily by pet food manufacturers thanks to their relatively low-cost, impressive nutrition and because of how easy they are relatively easy to source.
Other Notable Ingredients
While many of Heart To Tail’s wet or canned recipes contain high-quality meat and fish ingredients, other recipes include other sources such as Meat and Bone Meal.
While Meat and Bone Meal can provide some valuable nutrition to dogs, it is widely considered to be a poor-quality ingredient and one that should be avoided.
The primary concern with Meat and Bone Meal is that it lacks transparency and accountability. Pet owners do not have a clear picture of what it is made from, and manufacturers could change its source at will.
You can learn more about the use of Bone Meal in dog food in our article Bone Meal In Dog Food.
While not as frowned upon as Meat and Bone Meal, some of Heart To Tail’s recipes also contain another ingredient that lacks transparency, Animal Fat.
Animal Fat is a simple ingredient and can provide dogs with animal-based fat, but similar to Meat and Bone Meal, it is not accountable, and the source of the fat could easily change.
Heart To Tail’s recipes include several grain ingredients, including Corn, Rice, and Soybean. Grain ingredients like these can be extremely controversial additions to pet food recipes, with many being strongly against their use.
However, there are other pet owners and experts, especially those that feed brands like Purina Pro Plan and Royal Canin, that are strong supporters of the use of grains.
Regardless, these grains act as dense sources of carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and fiber.
Lastly, some of Heart To Tail’s recipes include grain by-products like Wheat Middlings, which can be a very controversial ingredient.
Wheat Middlings are a leftover product from grain processing and are considered by many to be a very poor quality ingredient. Some go as far as to describe them as “floor sweepings”, although others dispute this.
Heart To Tail Animal Testing
Based on our research, we can not find any information on whether Heart To Tail participates in any form of animal testing for its products.
However, given that we believe Heart To Tail recipes are likely produced by a third-party manufacturer, the brand likely shares the same testing and trial standards.
Many smaller pet food brands, especially store brands, do not perform large-scale testing or trials and avoid disclosing this information to their customers as it could be perceived negatively.
Many in the industry are concerned about this lack of information and transparency and believe that some pet food recipes may not have been sufficiently tested for long-term consumption.
We strongly believe that laboratory or invasive testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice. We hope that in the future, this practice will be heavily reduced or eliminated completely.
Heart To Tail Recalls
Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), we have no information that leads us to believe that Heart To Tail has ever issued a recall of its pet food products which makes it a recall-free pet food brand.
However, given that Heart To Tail is a relatively new brand, this recall-free record is not hugely surprising and is the default.
However, Aldi’s other brand, Pure Being, issued a voluntary recall in July 2021. This recall was issued by Sunshine Mills Inc, which produces Pure Being on Aldi’s behalf.
The recall was due to certain products containing potentially elevated levels of Aflatoxin. This toxin can be harmful to pets if consumed in significant quantities. While no illnesses were reported from this issue, the manufacturer issued this recall out of caution.
The specific Pure Being recipe affected by this recall is shown below:
Pure Being Natural Dog Food Deboned Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe – 5 lbs.
Best if used By 11 Feb 2022
Lot: TD3 11/Feb/2021 4099100129441
Despite this, we hope that the manufacturer of Heart To Tail’s recipes is can maintain high safety and quality standards in their production processes in the years to come to maintain its recall-free record.
Nevertheless, pet owners should always be vigilant of any future recalls of Heart To Tail recipes or recipes from any other pet food brand to ensure their pets remain healthy and safe.
Best of Heart To Tail
Chicken & Beef Stew With Rice & Carrots Review
As we mentioned earlier, Heart To Tail’s wet dog food recipes offer far improved nutrition over their dry counterparts, and for that reason, we are going to recommend them as Heart To Tail’s best recipes.
The above Chicken & Beef Stew is a prime example of this and includes a large portion of animal-based content.
Chicken is the recipe’s primary ingredient and makes up the bulk of this animal-based content, but it is joined by a smaller portion of Beef.
Outside of this, the recipe includes a moderate portion of several plant-based ingredients, including Rice and Carrots.
Both of these plant-based ingredients are fairly common and can provide a mix of carbohydrates, fiber, and some beneficial vitamins and minerals.
Heart To Tail Featured Articles
At this time, Heart To Tail has not been featured in any of our articles.
Heart To Tail Full Product Range
Dog Food
Complete Nutrition
Filet Mignon Flavor In Meaty Juices
Grilled Chicken Flavor In Savory Juices
Prime Rib Flavor In Gravy
Beef Stew With Rice, Carrots & Peas
Chicken & Beef Stew With Rice & Carrots
Chicken Stew With Rice, Carrots & Peas
Lamb & Rice Stew With Carrots & Peas
Dog Treats
Mini Dental Sticks
Dental Sticks
Chew Bones
Bacon Flavored Curlz
Beef Flavored Sticks
Medium Original Dog Biscuits
Small Variety Dog Biscuits
Cat Food
Complete Nutrition
Indoor Formula
Special Medley Formula
Beef Entree
Gourmet Chicken Entree
Cod, Sole & Shrimp Entree
Salmon Entree
Turkey & Giblets Entree
Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Entree
Cat Treats
Chicken Flavor
Salmon Flavor
Seafood Medley
I purchased the Salmon cat food at Aldis and although my cat liked it he threw up pink salmon pate all over my carpet. I tried it again and he did the same thing. I gave the remaining cans to a friend to give to his cats since I thought it may just be my cat. BUT his cats threw it up all over the carpet too. 3 cats puking up salmon pate all over your carpet leads me to believe it is the cat food and not the cat.
Is there a place to buy Heart To Tail Wet Cat food online? Aldi seems to be out! Thanks-
Tamara- Very interesting. I have fed my cat Fancy Feast salmon & he has done the same thing. I too have wondered if it’s the coloring they use for that flavor? We have no problems with other Fancy Feast flavors.
When will Aldi get it’s wet cat food back. My cat will only eat that type of wet food.
I’ve been feeding her tilapia and cooked shredded beef, she’s starting to ignore those too. She can’t eat dry food too well anymore, she’s 18 years old.
I gave my dog your Heart to Tail Double Treat Bones Bacon & Cheese…she got sick and threw up Yellow and little pieces of the chew…I have tried several different carpet cleaners, even one I found online that I mixed up and Nothing is taking the 5 Yellow spots out of my carpet…my sister said it might be the dye in your product…Very upset about all this
Just opened up a bag of the Heart to Tail beef flavored sticks and they are covered in mold. Expiration is May, 3 2022 so should not be spoiled.
When will Aldi bring back Heart to Tail canned cat food? I have been to four different Aldi’s in the past week looking for it, my cats only like this for wet food!
I buy the wet beef pate heart to tail.ive been seeing what appears to be we hire little pieces. It reminds me of pieces of bone.thentheres like rubbery pieces and sometimes like little chunks of hard food in there.my cats 3 of them seem to like it but I’m not going to co instantly pick out little white pieces.
HELP!!!! THIS ISN’T A TREAT
On Sunday August 15 2021, I purchased the Heart and Tail Frozen Dog Treats from Aldi’s. I was so excited to give the treat to my fur child and he seem to love it. Then after an hour or so my fur child began to vomit, he appeared to be dizzy as he could not stand or hold his balance. I started to get very worried after I saw him look like he was having a seizure as he was shaking and peeing at the same time. He also felt hot. I made sure he had water and I used a cool rag to comfort him. My baby did not feel well at all. I did not give him any more because I know for a fact that this treat wasn’t a treat at all.
Help!!!!
I have also had my dog to get sick immediately after eating the doggie ice cream I purchased at Aldi. I blew this off, thinking it could have been the coldness that made her throw up. I now wonder. Thanks for posting, I will stay away from the treats also!
Bought my dog Heart to Tail dental sticks. Followed their instructions when feeding them to my dog. One of them ended up having a piece break off and get into her lungs, which ended up killing her. I have been contacting both Aldi and Heart to Tail about this for now going on about three months and have yet to receive any proper response. When I contact Aldi, they say Heart to Tail tells them they’ve been calling me back and have yet to reach me, yet Aldi provided me the number Heart to Tail is supposedly calling from, and I have absolutely no call history from them other than my own outgoing calls to that number. I have not received any voice mails from them either. They also have my email address and I regularly check both my inbox and my spam bin and have received nothing from them.
An update to my earlier comment. I just called Heart to Tail again and finally had someone answer the phone. Whether this will end with things being properly resolved, I don’t know, but I will keep this place updated,
I purchased a bag of the Heart to Tail Beef Flavored Sticks expiration stamped as 7/21/2022. While breaking the sticks into bite size pieces, I noticed bristles or small hairs embedded in the treats. I contacted ALDI via an online form (the only method of communication I could find). The form would not allow me to attach pictures, but I stated that I would be happy to send them, too. I received a standard email response stating I should return them to the store for a refund. I’m not concerned with a few dollars lost. I want to make sure these treats are safe for all pets and owners.
Anyone have an itching problem on their dog from heart to tail wet grilled chicken ,? Not fleas , trying to pin point his problem ,,, thanknyoi
I fed my 4 year old baby boy cat the salmon Heart to Tail wet food one evening and the next morning, I found him dead on my bedroom floor. So very devastated and wonder if it was this food! Heart to Tail needs to be accountable for their food! Too many people posting on here about side effects from their food. Even death! I’m so heart broken and feel robbed of at least 15 more years!
I purchased the advent calendar for cats at Aldi from Heart to Tail And my cats completely disliked the salmon treats and there were called soft bites but they were hard as rocks and I was supposed to also have cat purée treats in them two for the number 25 and I open up the box and there are zero of those and I tried calling Aldie but I can’t seem to get a number that I can call with another person on the other line
My cats prefer the Aldi brand salmon pate’ over any others. I’ve not had any issues with it so far and none of my 4 cats regurgitate it. They only eat wet food in the morning and small amounts of kibble a couple of times during the day (Iams indoor salmon). The stray loves the Heart to Tail dry food… no issues with it either. The cats that I foster love the Aldi pate’ of any flavor. I have no complaints for Heart to Tail “yet”.
I started buying the Heart to Tail 5.5 oz. canned cat food this past spring as a result of cat food shortages everywhere. I’ve become disappointed with Friskies due to weight shortage of cans and increased water in their Pate’ formulas. My 2 Male Chartreux cats enjoy the salmon, turkey and giblets, as well as ocean whitefish & tuna. The ash content as listed on the label is low, compared to other brands, which is a good thing! Weight per can is actually slightly more than advertised. I know because I use a precision cooking scale to evenly divide a can between my 2 guys. I’ve noticed no problems across the board, and it seems to be superior to Friskies as far as quality of ingredients. Price is also a bonus, but not all that important. They also LOVE!!! Fancy Feast Fish & Shrimp, as a treat meal. My boys also have a bowl of very high quality dry food (Taste of the Wild) available 24/7. They are both very active and healthy ages 15, and 5 yrs. So far I have no complaints with the Aldi’s brand of wet cat food. I understand they also carry a higher quality brand, but have not seen it yet.
My cat ate half of the 3.5 lb. bag of dried ‘Hearts to Tail’ before refusing to eat anymore. I wanted to call the company but they don’t put their phone number on the bag. I think that’s illegal. Any company that doesn’t give customers their phone number is suspect! Makes you wonder about their ‘people’ products. I won’t go to Aldi again. It’s not worth getting sick or dying.
My cat use to love the heart to tail wet food and dried food , it s the only brand she likes , but lately when i bought the canned food i opened one , she didn’t like it , opened the second one she didn’t t like it , did it again and again
But no response , she refuses to eat other brand .
I asked my sister , she gives the same brand to her cat , she said the same thing , that s when i figured out that heart to tail changed the ingredients. My concern is what should i give my cat ? And what i m going to do with all the stock of the canned food i have ??
I cant watch my cat loosing weight for a stupid reason
Heart to tail dont have a 800 number to contact either aldi dont respond !!!
I need customer service asap.
I have been using Heart to Tail mini Dental Sticks for my dog for a couple of years however my last purchase my dog is refusing to eat them, I put down a second dental stick and the dog is refusing to eat them now! Did your company change their formula? If they did change an ingredient my dog now refuses to eat what he has always liked. I thought you would like a heads up before it affects your bottom line!
I gave my dog some grilled chicken flavor wet food yesterday and within an hour he started doing backflips. This morning when i woke he was walking on the ceiling. I can’t wait to get more of this stuff. Thanks Aldi!
I sent my mom to the store, we’re roommates, and she got groceries and dry cat food at Aldi. It was Heart to Tail. They’re more picky about their wet food than dry, so mom thought it wouldn’t matter. I use a dry food feeder that I fill up with dry food, and give wet food too, but wet food is not a guarantee. They did not touch that dry food. I was wondering why they were doing “the wet food beg” three times a day instead of once (occasionally twice). They were starving. I have 3 cats, not one would touch it…BUT, the ROACHES loved it! I have never experienced anything like that in my life! I’ve had these feeders for six years! I threw them in the trash! Roaches can transmit diseases! When you live in an apartment complex, it’s easy to attract pest if your neighbors have them. My Apts offer weekly pest control free of charge for everyone, so I would have been took care of that if it was a regular problem. Switched back to Purina Naturals, they were very happy, and no sign of pest near their bowls!
I purchased the Heart to Tail “Cat Cave” from the local Aldi’s. It is a circular creation made of felt and fake fur. The cover picture shows a cat that looked like mine inside the “cave.” My cats won’t get into it because it is not stable. It moves when they step inside, so they immediately run away. I’m donating it to my local cat association to see if they can sell it in their shop. Maybe someone else’s cats will enjoy it.
THE ALDI STORES IN MY AREA BELMONT, NC ARE ALWAYS OUT OF THE HEART TO TAIL GRILLED CHICKEN. THIS IS THE ONLY FOOD MY PETS WILL EAT. THEY THROW UP ANY OTHER KIND. I AM AFRAID THEY ARE GOING TO DIE. THE ALDI MANAGERS WILL NOT HELP ME GET THE FOOD.
We have been feeding our cat for about 5 years now, the Heart to Tail Salmon Entree and he loves the taste. It seems to be the most beneficial of all canned cat foods that we have tried him on. He is 18 years old and still gets around good.
The only problem that we are having with this cat food is supply. Aldi does not stock enough supply to meet the demand in our area for it. When restocked, it usually runs out within a day or two, then, it takes weeks, if not months, to restock. Accordingly, we have to buy months worth of cat food in order that our cat does not run out or have to eat a less nutritious diet.
This supply problem has been brought to the attention of Aldi several times now, with no detectable response.
My cats ate the lockable treats and had to go to the hospital with 105.8 fever, got very ill. Aldi said they would compensate me but nothing yet told me to contact heart to tail but no contact info and only sold by Aldi’s. Also they told me they came from an old warehouse they no longer use.
I finally read all the ingredients on the wet dog food. It mentions % of crude fiber, crude protein and moisture. It does not
mention carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are higher than the protein and fiber put together. It also has dried animal blood
as an ingredient. I have checked out many of the ingredients in dog foods and this is not a good choice for your pets. I understand that the dogs love it for the taste. Too many ingredients that are not good for your pet in this food. Vomiting, diarrhea, itching and gnawing at paws I saw in my dog. Once I stopped the food none of this occurred.
I have small peekaboo, full of life and loves her treats. Bought Aldi’s head to tale beef sticks… within 3 hours she had loose stool. Within 12 hours she had blood in her stool. She has not eaten anything since yesterday… has anyone else experienced this?
I purchased a Heart to Tail Wobble Wings cat toy but it doesn’t work. I would take it back to ALDIs but it was the only one they had. Could you please
Send me one that works?
I gave my cat chicken entrée in savory juices — she took a couple of very small bites and started gagging. I stirred it a little and saw something that looks like the end of a small penis. I am going to try to include a picture of it. I have received no response from anyone about this. Tin states product is made in the Netherlands.
She also vomits after eating Salmon fancy feast food— red slime that won’t come out of fabric. I don’t want her losing weight but she won’t eat much wet food. Is babyfood/meat okay to give her?
I bought the heart to tail dog food and all three of my dogs starting puking immediately within 24hrs…. I would never buy this dog food again as I see above that there is floor scrapping in it!!!! YUCK!!!! Very unhappy with Aldi dog food and
my poor puppies so SICK!!!!!
my dog started to eat the wet food -i mix alittle into his dry food. After about a week he threw up, I didn’t think it was the food. After a few weeks,he was so constipated, pumpkin and chicken n rice didn’t help. The vet said he really couldn’t say if it was the food. After an x-ray and ultrasound,stool softener and lubricant,he pooped 1 1/2 x, he then gave him an enema. Now he is ok,but I do wonder if it was the food,since that was the 1st time he tried it.
I gave my dog the Aldi chicken and rice dog food and he had been puking and diahhrea for 3 days . We stopped and gave him bland food for a few days and now gave him the aldi food again last nite and he has bad diahrea again. I going to omitt the food completely. This is the only new item introduced to his diet and now after these reviews I am starting to think it was the food.
I bought Heart to Tail Pure Being Lickable Cat treats and my cat loves it. Stores are out of it. Will this be a regularly stocked item? If not, can I order it direct? Will it be available in a larger size. The ones I got were 4 tubes for $1.89.
I literally just had to have my cat put down after giving heart to tail cat food from Aldi. It threw him into acute pancreatitis. I cannot even begin to describe the hole in my heart right now. DON’T BUY THIS CRAP. Save pennies on something else.
I found a dry cat food at Aldi’s that did not make my cat throw up and that was the Heart to Tail Well Being DeBoned Salmon and she loved it.. Last year around Thanksgiving, I could no longer get this dry cat food. Aldi’s started to stock the Heart to Tail Premium Adult Cat Food Special Medley Formula and she won’t eat it. I usually get other animals at night that will finish what she doesn’t during the day and they also did not touch it. Why did Heart to Tail change the formula? Looks like I will be looking elsewhere for cat food.