One of the saddest things in the world is that our dogs don’t live as long as us. Let’s keep them around as long as we can by feeding them the best food out there. Below is a list of the best raw and dry dog food. These lists were comprised from:
- talking with vets, holistic and homeopathic dog experts, dog rescue organizations, and dog nutrition experts.
- researching each product individually in terms of ingredients and processing
- my adventures in finding the tasty, healthy food for my annoyingly picky dog
As always, consult a vet before you change your dog’s diet. Be sure to also check out my Top 10 Favorite Dog Treats list – your dog will love ya for it! If you are looking for dog foods for chihuahuas then read my latest dog food and nutrition guide for the best dog foods for chihuahuas.
Table Of Content:
- Top 4 raw dog foods
- Best 5 canned wet dog foods
- Top 7 dry dog kibble
- The WORST Dog Food You Can Give Your Pet
- What to Consider When Choosing a Dog Food
Top 4 Raw Dog Foods
Going raw can be very beneficial for some animals, but talk to your vet first. If you start, start slow. Mix in raw with your dog’s normal food and slowly introduce more. I’ve tried (well, my dog’s tried) all of these brands. Our favorite is the Stella and Chewey’s brand.
- Stella and Chewy’s Freeze-Dried. My dog’s favorites are the Dandy Lamb Dinner Patties and the Duck Duck Goose Dinner Patties. This is my go-to for raw food.
- Sojos Freeze Dried. Makes 40 Pounds of Food. My dog loves this stuff.
- Nature’s Logic Grain-Free Raw – Venison (Can’t find the price online, but in the same range as the others)
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Pork (Freeze-Dried) (Can’t find the price online, but in the same range as the others)
Side note: make sure to wash your hands after you feed your dog! This is truly RAW meat and you can spread germs if you’re not careful when handling this stuff. (Ick- I am vegetarian but I touch meat all the time because of my animals!)
5 Best Canned Wet Dog Foods
When I rescued my dog Tulip, she had a very weak immune system and she was covered in demodectic mange.
Building up her immune system by providing her with good raw food (above) and a mixture of these wet foods. Her diet was critical to her recovery.
She’s a picky eater, but she loved all of these wet foods.
Top 7 Dry Dog Kibble
- Fromm Four Star Nutritionals Grain Free Beef Frittata.
- Orijen Grain Free Adult
- Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula with Bison and Venison
- Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Canine with Roasted Lamb
- Instinct Grain-Free Lamb Meal Formula (Limited Ingredient)
- Evo Red Meat Formula
- Earthbound Holistic Primitive Natural
The WORST Dog Food You Can Give Your Pet
The below dog food products have low quality ingredients that can hurt your dog. Unfortunately, many people feed their dogs this food because it’s easily available in supermarkets and there’s heavy marketing to push them. Please stay away from these brands:
- Purina Beneful
- Purina ALPO
- Ol Roy from Walmart
- Kibbles ‘n Bits
- Purina Dog Chow
- Purina Puppy Chow
- Science Diet (anything with that name on it)
Basically, all the above brands (and others not listed in the “Worst of” List) have the below TERRIBLE ingredients that you want to avoid:
- meal by-product
- corn / corn meal
- propylene glycol
- menadione sodium bisulfite
- hydrochloric acid
- BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin
- wheat gluten
- wheat flour
- brewers rice
- sugar
- “food fragments”
- beef tallow
- beef or meat and bone meal
- “animal fat”
- “animal digest”
Good rule of thumb: The more simple the ingredient list, the better.
What to Consider When Choosing a Dog Food
Dogs have different needs. One dog food is not right for every dog. Here are the things to consider when selecting your dog food brand:
- How old/active is your dog? Puppies need more fuel than older dogs. Older dogs often need a leaner diet. (Need to get your pup more active? Check out these stimulating dog toys here.)
- How big is he? If you’re feeding your dog kibble, the size of it will matter if you have a small-mouthed dog.
- Is your dog allergic to anything? Many dogs are allergic to chicken, for example.
- Is your dog pregnant? Making babies takes a lot of calories.
- Does your dog have health problems? Diabetic dogs can benefit from high protein, calcium and magnesium diets, for example.
- Do you have ethical concerns? Are you concerned about where the meat came from and looking for a dog food that comes from a humane source?
Best of list compiled by Meaghan O..