Rating: 
Hi-Tor Veterinary Select dry dog food receives the Advisor’s lowest rating of 1 star.
The Hi-Tor Veterinary Select product line includes three dry dog foods.
Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these products on the Hi-Tor website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.
Hi-Tor Veterinary Select Reduso was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Hi-Tor Veterinary Select Reduso
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Ground corn, meat and bone meal, wheat middlings, soybean meal, rice bran, corn distillers dried grains, chicken fat preserved with BHA, salt, choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, zinc sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.7%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 20% | 9% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 23% | 10% | 59% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 21% | 23% | 56% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The second ingredient is meat and bone meal, a dry “rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents”.4
Meat and bone meal has a lower digestibility than most other meat meals.
Scientists believe this decreased protein quality may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.5
What’s worse, this particular item is anonymous. It doesn’t even specify the source animal.
Even though meat and bone meals are still considered protein-rich meat concentrates, we do not consider a generic ingredient like this a quality item.
The third ingredient lists wheat middlings… commonly known as “wheat mill run”. Though it may sound wholesome, wheat mill run is actually an inexpensive by-product of cereal grain processing.
In reality, middlings are nothing more than milling dust and floor sweepings.
The fourth ingredient is soybean meal. Soybean meal is actually a useful by-product. It’s what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.
Soybean meal contains 48% protein. However, compared to meat, this item is considered an inferior plant-based protein providing a lower biological value.
The fifth ingredient lists rice bran, a healthy by-product of rice milling. Though not as nutritionally complete as whole grain rice, brans are still unusually rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
The sixth ingredient includes corn distillers dried grains… a by-product of the ethanol (bio-fuel) industry. This low-quality ingredient is frequently found in cattle feed and only rarely used to make pet food.
The seventh ingredient is 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.
Unfortunately, this fat is preserved with BHA… a suspected cancer-causing agent.
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 affect 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, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Hi-Tor Veterinary Select Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Even though this appears to be a prescription dog food product, we continue to limit our judgment to the estimated meat content of the recipe as well as the apparent quality of its ingredients. And nothing else.
Our ratings have nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to this product’s ability to effectively treat or cure a specific health condition.
So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.
With that understanding…
Judging by its ingredients alone, Hi-Tor Veterinary Selects Dog Food looks to be a below-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 23%, a fat level of 10% and estimated carbohydrates of about 59%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 21% and a mean fat level of 12%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 59% for the overall product line.
Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the soybean meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a limited amount of meat.
What’s more, it’s difficult to ignore the presence of so many Red Flag items.
Bottom line?
Hi-Tor Dog Food is a corn-based kibble using only a limited amount of meat and bone or poultry by-product meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 1 star.
Not 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 specific health benefits 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.
Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
02/14/2011 Original review
11/24/2011 Review updated from PDF brochure, no changes
11/24/2011 Last Update
- Gastrointestinal ↩
- Reduced Protein, Phosphorus and Sodium ↩
- Weight Control ↩
- Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition ↩
- Shirley RB and Parsons CM, , Effect of Ash Content on Protein Quality of Meat and Bone Meal, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Poultry Science, 2001 80: 626-632 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.