What Are The Top 5 Dog Foods

Whole Earth Farms Dry Dog Food

Rating:

Whole Earth Farms Adult recipe is one of 2 kibble recipes included in our review of the Whole Earth Farms product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, oatmeal, barley
• Type: Grain-inclusive
• Other recipes: Small breed, turkey, salmon, pork, beef, puppy and more
• Price: $
• See both available recipes

This Whole Earth Farms product derives the bulk of its meat protein from chicken and turkey meals. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 29% protein, 16% fat and 47% estimated carbs which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 54%.

A quality yet affordable, grain-inclusive kibble made by Merrick. Highly recommended.

Sample buyer reviewI recently switched to this food due to the recent controversy over Grain Free. This was the only affordable food I found with quality ingredients listed. My dogs love it and it will be the only food I fees from now on.

• See all 11 available recipes

This Holistic Select formula derives most of its meat protein from fresh salmon, as well as anchovy and sardine meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 32% protein, 16% fat and 44% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.

An exceptional grain-free dog food offering numerous recipe and flavor options. Highly recommended.

Zignature Canned Dog Food

Zignature has a special lamb formula for those dogs allergic to chicken. As a grain-free recipe, this is a welcome addition to the wet food category. With legumes and vegetables, this dog food is as healthy as it can be. A great choice as a topper to any kibble or as a complete meal.

Do Large Breed Dogs Have Different Dietary Needs

All domestic dogs are descended from wolves but have evolved over the course of thousands of years into a vast array of distinct breeds. Because all dogs come from the same species , their bodies are evolved to follow the same kind of diet made up of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and essential nutrients.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, an adult dogs minimum protein and fat requirements are 18% and 5%, respectively. Generally speaking, higher protein content is good for dogs to build and sustain lean muscle mass, while more fat means more calories, which are used as energy.

While all dogs have the same basic nutritional requirements, you wouldnt feed a Yorkshire terrier the same thing you feed a German Shepherd because the two breeds have drastically different calorie requirements.

Biologically speaking, large breeds have slower metabolisms than smaller breeds. The average adult dog needs about 30 calories per pound of body weight per day while small breeds may need as many as 40 calories per pound and some large breeds may use as little as 20 calories per pound. Your dogs activity level certainly comes into play in determining his daily calorie requirements, but this is the biggest difference in large versus small dog nutrition.

In addition to requiring fewer calories than smaller dogs, large breeds have a higher risk for certain health problems, including bone and joint issues, obesity, and bloat .

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Consider Checking The Guaranteed Analysis

Another piece of information that should be present in all healthy dog food products is the guaranteed analysis of its ingredients. This is often expressed as a percentage of proteins, fats, moisture, and fiber. Both proteins and fats are expressed in the minimum while fiber and moisture are printed in their maximum. For example, you may get a product with a minimum of 40 percent protein, and 20 percent fat, and a maximum of 8 percent moisture, and 10 percent fiber.

Understand that this is a very rough estimate of the nutritional profile of the doggie recipe. Why? Well, how do you know the actual percentage of minimum 40 percent protein? Is it 41% or 45% or maybe 40.1%? The same is true with fibers and moisture. If it says maximum 8 percent moisture, does it mean 7%, 6%, or 1%? So, there really is no telling the actual percentage composition of the nutrient being described.

Additionally, the guaranteed analysis doesnt give you information on the digestibility of the ingredients, nor will it give you information about its quality. Again, it only gives you a rough idea of what youre giving to your pooch. If you want a high protein diet for your pooch, then knowing that it contains at least 40% of proteins should be enough.

Top Healthy Dog Food Picks

These brands are widely regarded as being some of the healthiest dog foods on the market today. Well detail the main features and highlights of each dog food brand, along with the pros and cons.

Remember, ultimately, the healthiest dog food will be the one that works best for your canine. There is no single healthiest dog food brand, as each individual dog reacts differently to different dog foods.

In researching these healthy dog foods, we found that even with dog food brands that had the best quality ingredients and highest endorsements, there were always some owners reporting that they dogs stomach got upset or skin reacted strangely. Every dog is different, and finding the best food for your dog will likely be a process of trial and error.

We suggest starting with this list of the healthiest dog foods available, and see which works best for your four-legged friend!

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Best Usda Certified Organic Dog Food : Tender & True Organic Chicken And Liver Recipe

If you’re all about organic, Tender & True is likely going to be the choice for you. These guys start all of their recipes out with USDA certified organic chicken , just like you would get from your local butcher. Their chicken and liver recipe has a lot to like. It’s grain free, has other vitamins and minerals, contains zero artificial preservatives, and has no added hormones either. All of their chicken has been certified humanely raised by the Global Animal Partnership. Outside of chicken and liver, this recipe also contains peas, chickpeas, and potatoes, all of which their customers’ dogs seem to love.

What We Like

• Tender & True – Organic Chicken and Liver Recipe – All Life Stages, All Breeds

What To Consider When Buying The Best Dry Dog Food

In the preceding section, we talked about some of the things you may need to observe when buying food for your pet, especially dry kibbles. Since almost all the information you will be evaluating is already found in the label of the product, you may now have to consider some other things that will help you determine whether your choice is actually the most appropriate for your pet or not. Here are a few things you may need to consider when buying dry food.

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Best For Seniors: Diamond Naturals Senior Dog Formula

When your four-legged BFF is getting older, youll want to look for formulations that help boost his energy. Just like puppies, senior dogs require special formulations of nutrients, says Dr. Robinson. Thats why I always suggest buying a senior-specific dog food, as they have things like probiotics to ensure a healthy gut and healthy fats to help your older dogs joints and skin. Higher protein levels are also needed to maintain muscle mass.

This option from Diamond Naturals contains chicken, egg, and oatmeal. Its also packed with probiotics and fiber for better digestion, glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, and selenium and vitamin E for a serious dose of antioxidants. The right food is just one of the things that can help your pet live longer.

Highlights:

via chewy.com

Best Overall: Taste Of The Wild Dry Dog Food

Its hard to compare the nine different recipes that Taste of the Wild offers with their dry dog food including one recipe for puppies and one for small breeds. Each of the other seven recipes, however, is formulated specifically for the nutritional needs of adult dogs.

With Taste of the Wild dry dog food, the first ingredient is always real meat, no matter which recipe you choose. The Wetland Canine Recipe, for example, includes duck, duck meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, and peas as the first five ingredients.

And, if your dog is particular about their preferred flavor of kibble, you have multiple combinations to choose from . Youre bound to find something theyll love.

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Victor Classic Dry Dog Food

Rating:

Victor Hi-Pro Plus is one of 4 kibble recipes included in our review of the Victor Classic product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Beef meal, grain sorghum, chicken fat, pork meal, chicken meal
• Type: Grain-inclusive
• Other recipes: Chicken, puppy, active sporting dog formula and more
• Price: $

Victor Hi-Pro Plus derives the bulk of its meat protein from beef meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 22% fat and 37% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.

An affordable, all life stages kibble recently added to our budget-friendly dog foods list. Highly recommended.

Sample buyer reviewI have 5 active dogs of all different ages. Its been a struggle to find a quality, decently priced food that kept a good weight on all of them and didnt mess with their allergies. Theyve been on this food since April and its been amazing! No bad reactions when switching to Victor, no allergies, and they are all a good weight. Highly recommend.

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Annamaet Ultra is one of 7 kibble recipes included in our review of the Annamaet product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, whole dry eggs, herring meal
• Type: Grain-inclusive
• Other recipes: Puppies, salmon, small breed, senior, weight loss and more
• Price: $$

Especially popular with sporting dog professionals. Enthusiastically recommended.

Best For Large Dogs: Purina

Courtesy of Chewy

Of course, Purina is a big-name brand with plenty of options for pets of all sizes. But they particularly excel at providing options for large-breed dogs, like Newfoundlands and Great Danes. From when theyre puppies through to adulthood, large dogs have different nutritional needs than smaller ones.

In the Purina Pro line, Purina offers several options for large dogsthere are choices for large and giant dogs, and options geared toward puppy, adult, and senior large dogs. And, there are both wet and dry choices. While some owners save it as a special treat meal, its also affordable enough for every day.

Purina has been making pet food for more than 90 years and calls out two big priorities: creating innovative new products and promoting sustainability.

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Age And Health Condition Of Your Pet

Even before you start picking a product from the shelf of your favorite pet supplies store, make sure you have a very clear understanding of the nutritional needs of your pooch. Most of us have this idea that, if we cannot feel the ribs in our poochs chest, then they can be considered as healthy. We already mentioned above that seeking the advice of your veterinarian is crucial to helping you decide on what kind of food you need to give to your pooch. Remember, too, that different dogs in various life stages have different nutritional needs. And if they happen to have a medical or health condition, this can also significantly affect the type of food that they can eat.

Complete Food Or Mixer

Some dry dog foods are complete, whereas others are mixers. Complete dog foods contain all the nutrients your dog needs to stay healthy. Mixers don’t contain all your pooch’s essential nutrients. Instead, they’re designed to mix with high-quality foods to bulk them out and reduce the cost. For simplicity’s sake and to ensure a proper nutrient balance, we recommend you feed your pup a complete dog food.

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Choosing The Best Dog Food

The best dog food for your dog is ultimately up to you to decide. As an owner, you are the one who sees your dog on a regular basis. If your dog produces firm, healthy stool, is active and fit, and has a healthy appetite, then your dog food is probably working just fine.

Your veterinarian is a valuable resource to you during this process. They know more about pet nutrition than the average owner, and they also have access to research and resources that owners do not have. Your vet can help you narrow down your options and should be more than happy to help you find the answers to your questions about your dogs food.

AKC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to akc.org. If you purchase a product through this article, we may receive a portion of the sale.

Is Instinct Dog Food Good For Older Dogs

Instinct Raw Boost Senior Grain-Free with Real Chicken is designed specifically for older dogs. Each recipe contains over 40% dry matter protein and about 18% fat. Calorie content is around 478 calories per cup. The recipe meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages which makes it a healthy option for senior dogs. For more choices, visit The Dog Food Advisors best senior dog foods here.

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Does The Size Of Kibble Matter

You will find dry dog food in an array of kibble sizes. And picking the right size matters because younger and small-breed dogs may find it difficult to eat larger pieces of food. Theres a risk of choking if you give your smaller dogs large kibbles to eat. Larger dogs, on the other hand, can comfortably eat kibbles of all sizes.

Can I Prepare Home

If you dont mind cooking for your dog regularly, just like you cook for yourself or even the whole family, you can feed him with dog food made by you he will certainly like it. However, you need to be sure that you provide your best friend with everything he needs to stay happy and healthy and to develop properly. So, start learning all about dogs food. Once again, it will all depend on your dogs individual needs and requirements, but among all the possible ingredients, there are three that are essential: muscle meat, raw meaty bones and offal , and vegetables. If you do it right, your dog will be eternally grateful for the meals made by you.

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Best Adult Wet Dog Food

Wet food is particularly appealing to dogs. Pet parents often like it for this reason, and it may be a good option for picky eaters who turn their nose up to kibble. Wet food also has a long shelf life when unopened.

We selected wet foods that meet the same AAFCO complete and balanced standards that apply to dry food. However, wet food generally contains more protein and fat and fewer carbohydrates, so be sure to talk to your veterinarian before switching your dog to a wet diet, especially if they have trouble digesting a lot of protein or fat.

Although the same standards apply to dry and wet food, it can be hard to compare their labels. Dry kibble has very little moisture, while canned food contains a lot of water. To read a wet food label, you need to look at the percentages of protein, fat, and fiber on a “dry matter basis.” Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University offers instructions so you can calculate them yourself. You can also call the food manufacturer or ask your veterinarian for help. For the foods we recommend, we contacted the manufacturer.

When shopping, be on the lookout for wet dog food that is 100% meat. More protein might seem like a good thing, but these foods are for supplemental feeding only. “Dogs have evolved from wolves to become obligate omnivores,” says Dodds. This means that they need more than just meat in their diet. Small amounts of meat-only wet foods can make tasty meal toppers for your dog’s complete and balanced dry food.

Best Raw Food: Stella & Chewys Freeze

How this food is made is what makes it such a smart buy. There are inherent risks with feeding your dog raw food, such as the risk of bacteria, viruses, and parasites to you or your dog because it is not cooked. However, this company understands those risks and goes the extra mile to ensure their products are safe, Dr. Robinson says. They use HPP to all of their raw foods to effectively get rid of any harmful pathogens. They then send all of their food to be tested for E. coli, salmonella, and listeria and list these results on their website so you can look up your product lot number for peace of mind.

And, of course, these freeze-dried foods are healthyand dogs go completely wild over the flavor. Theyre made with raw, cage-free chicken, as well as fruits and vegetables, and fortified with added vitamins and minerals. Its truly the whole packagein one little patty. Whether its with a new natural dog food or a delectable table scrap, find out why your dog brings his food somewhere else to eat it.

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Open Farm Wild Caught Salmon Review

Open Farm is a Canadian pet food brand based in Toronto, Ontario. The development, formulation, and distribution of Open Farm recipes take place within Canada. However, their manufacturing facility resides in the United States in Minnesota. The reasoning behind this is as most of Open Farms suppliers are in the United States.

We would recommend checking out their FAQ page to learn more about the brand.

Open Farms dry dog food recipes are their most popular, and from the extensive range they have on offer our favorite is the Salmon recipes. The recipe makes use of a mix of Salmon, Whitefish, and Herring as its core fish offering.

Salmon is a fantastic ingredient to be found in dog food and it can provide high levels of protein and fat, which should be at the core of every dogs diet. As we mentioned previously, Salmon is one of the best sources of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

The recipe uses a mix of plant-based ingredients, including Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, and Pumpkin. These combine to provide a portion of carbohydrates and fiber.

Unlike most brands, Open Farm doesnt just produce dry dog food and wet/canned dog food, and also has some Fresh recipes. These recipes are similar to those offered by brands like Kabo.

You can find their Fresh recipes here.

If youd like to learn more about Open Farm and its fresh recipes, check out our brand review here.