Horizon Pulsar Dog Food Review (Dry)

Horizon Pulsar Dry product range consists of 10 recipes, each receiving the Dog Food Advisor’s rating of 5 stars.

Pulsar offers high-quality recipes with grain-free and whole grain options. Meat-rich formulas balanced with raw, fresh fruits and vegetables, enriched with prebiotics and probiotics to support gut health.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is salmon meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.¹

The second ingredient includes lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

The third ingredient lists peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, lentils and peas each contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The next ingredient is pea starch, a paste-like carbohydrate extract probably used here as a gel-like binder for making kibble.

The fifth inclusion is salmon. Although it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, raw salmon contains up to 73% 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 account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The sixth ingredient is salmon oil, which is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

The next ingredient is flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The next six items include a series of nutrient-rich vegetables and fruit…

• Carrots
• Apples
• Broccoli
• Bok choy
• Cabbage
• Blueberries

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 Horizon product line.

With five notable exceptions…

First, this recipe contains fructooligosaccharide, an alternative sweetener² probably used here as a prebiotic. Prebiotics function to support the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine.

We note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

Next, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

In addition, we find selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

And lastly, this food contains 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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Horizon Pulsar Grain-Free Salmon Meal Recipe looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 32.1%, a fat level of 17.4% and estimated carbohydrates of about 38.7%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30.6% and a mean fat level of 16.9%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 39.5% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 55%.

Which means this Horizon product line contains…

Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the lentils, peas and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.

Horizon Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Horizon through May 2026.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

Our Rating of Horizon Pulsar Dry Dog Food

Horizon Pulsar includes both grain-free and grain-inclusive dry dog foods using a significant amount of named meat meals as their dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Highly Recommended

About

Horizon Pet Nutrition is a Canadian company founded in 2006 by Jason Skotheim and co-founder Jeff English. There are now three owners, with their manufacturing plant in Rosthern, Saskatchewan.

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