19 Best Dog Foods in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Our canines accomplish that a lot for us, so it’s solely truthful that we reward them with the perfect grownup pet food or pet meals to assist their improvement. The choices embody hypoallergenic, grain-free, non-GMO, dry, moist, freeze-dried, and uncooked pet food.

For the beginner canine proprietor, it may be a little bit daunting! In this text, we’ll focus on our decisions for the perfect canine meals for puppies and adults, and after you study the critiques, you possibly can have a look at our purchaser’s information for extra recommendation.

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)

The 19 Best Dog Foods

1. The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food — Best Overall

Our greatest general pet food choose is The Farmer’s Dog’s fresh dog food. These contemporary, gently cooked recipes had been developed by vet nutritionists and customised to your pet’s wants. The meals is packed filled with vitamins and premium proteins, together with turkey, beef, and hen. Plus, you get all of it in a handy, easy-to-serve subscription that ships proper to your door!

We love The Farmer’s Dog as a result of it makes serving your furry buddy contemporary, nutritionally balanced meals simple and enjoyable. That mixture of vitamin and comfort does price a bit extra, however it might preserve your canine wholesome and pleased for longer. Plus, in the event you’re focused on contemporary meals however aren’t able to decide to a full subscription, you possibly can attempt The Farmer’s Dog’s DIY Nutrient Mix, which helps you retain home-cooked meals balanced and full.

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2. Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Variety Pack — Budget Buy

Designed with small breeds in thoughts, the Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Variety Pack is available in ready-made parts and two flavors in gravy: New York strips and filet mignon. It contains 12 cans and is the perfect pet food for the cash. Focused on utilizing pure components, Blue Buffalo doesn’t use corn, wheat, or soy merchandise in both recipe and avoids poultry by-products.

Since it’s formulated for small breeds, the parts are too small for big ones and will not comprise the vitamins they should keep wholesome. The pre-portioned trays are additionally tough to open, particularly for canine homeowners with arthritis.

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3. Open Farm Dog Food

*Use code PETKEEN20 and save in your first auto-ship order.

Open Farm dog food is one other nice choose that can go well with many canines and their homeowners. It focuses on sustainably and humanely sourcing the perfect components. From the grass-fed beef to the wild-caught salmon, all the premium proteins are fastidiously sourced to offer your canine with the absolute best vitamin. Plus, you possibly can select from varied varieties, together with dry, moist, freeze-dried uncooked, contemporary, and even bone broth.

We love with the ability to hint each ingredient in our canines’ meals, and the wide selection of formulation is handy, particularly in the event you’re feeding a number of canines. On the destructive aspect, Open Farm received’t match each price range, and it’s a must to pay for transport on small orders. Overall, this is a wonderful pet food firm that may preserve your pup totally nourished and pleased!

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4. The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Whole Grain Chicken

A singular possibility on our checklist, The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Whole Grain Chicken meal is neither a kibble nor a cooked providing, it’s in a league all its personal! Available in six totally different sizes, this pet food is available in a bag of dehydrated components, and all it’s a must to do is pour heat water and wait three minutes. Although that is an additional prep-step versus extra conventional canine meals, all the meals will really feel home made to your pup (and it’s simple to move for these residing life on the go along with Fido).

The Honest Kitchen has a long-standing fame for providing high quality meals which you can be assured is nice on your pup. Every ingredient is 100% human-grade and straightforward to know, whereas additionally missing some unsavory components similar to wheat, soy, preservatives, filler, and GMO components. The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Whole Grain Chicken particularly makes use of free-range hen solely! There are some further nutritional vitamins and vitamins added into the recipe to supply much more goodness on your canine, so there may be definitely a purpose that this meals comes extremely really helpful by veterinarians.

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5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula — Best for Puppies

The Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is designed to help the expansion of your pet. It makes use of DHA and ARA to advertise wholesome mind and eye improvement, together with high-quality protein and omega fatty acids for muscle development and wholesome pores and skin and fur. Blue Buffalo additionally incorporates antioxidants, nutritional vitamins, and minerals to spice up your pet’s immune well being.

Unlike different kibbles which may be too huge on your pet to handle, this Life Protection formulation is packed into “puppy-size” items to make it simple to eat. The kibble additionally helps forestall the build-up of tartar on tooth.

Due to the puppy-age formulation, this Blue Buffalo possibility doesn’t comprise the vitamins that grownup and senior canines require.

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6. Nom Nom Freshly Made Dog Food

Nom Nom dog food contains 4 recipes of freshly made pet food. Each recipe is nutritionally balanced on your canine’s general well-being and is acceptable for all life levels, which is why we suggest it. Nom Nom is an effective selection for canines affected by allergic reactions or meals sensitivities for the reason that formulation have fewer components. It has a higher-than-average protein-to-fat ratio and lower-than-average carbohydrate ranges.

Meat is the number-one supply of protein, and it’s free from filler components and solely offers the nutritious components that your canine wants. Nom Nom meals should be saved within the fridge or freezer to forestall spoilage. While this may be an adjustment for homeowners who’ve by no means fed contemporary meals to their canines, we really feel that it’s price it based mostly on its dietary worth.

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7. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Dog Food

With omega fatty acids and 32% protein, the Taste of the Wild High Prairie Dog Food helps your canine’s bones, muscle tissues, and joints. The roasted bison and venison flavors use actual meat to encourage your canine’s urge for food.

To be sure that the recipe is as wholesome as potential, the formulation incorporates prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants from actual fruit and greens. It additionally doesn’t use components that your canine would possibly react to, like grain, gluten, corn, and wheat merchandise. While Taste of the Wild is full of vitamin on your greatest buddy, it’s an costly formulation which may not go well with all budgets.

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8. American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe

Made with actual salmon, candy potato, fruits, and greens, the American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe is grain-free and appropriate for canines with delicate stomachs. The excessive protein content material, amino acids, omega oils, and antioxidants promote lean muscle tissues, pores and skin, coat well being, and powerful immune and digestive techniques.

Each of the three bag sizes (4, 12, or 24 kilos) additionally incorporates DHA, which helps the event of the mind and eyes in youthful canines. With its concentrate on actual components, American Journey is without doubt one of the costlier canine meals in the marketplace. Some homeowners have additionally reported that their canines suffered from abdomen points after consuming it.

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9. Purina Pro Plan Salmon & Rice Formula

For canines with delicate stomachs, the Purina Pro Plan Salmon & Rice Formula is simple to digest and avoids components recognized to trigger allergic reactions in some canines, like corn, wheat, and soy. Using a cautious mix of omega fatty acids, prebiotics, and probiotics, Purina Pro Plan helps your canine’s pores and skin, coat, immune, and digestive health. The recipe is made with actual salmon to make the most of the pure omega-3 and -6 oils.

Although the 30-pound bag measurement will final a very long time and is appropriate for multi-dog households, some fussy canines might develop uninterested in the salmon and rice taste and ultimately refuse to eat it.

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10. American Journey Variety Pack Canned Dog Food

American Journey Variety Pack Canned Dog Food is bought in packs of 12, 12.5-ounce cans. The flavors embody an equal choice of hen or beef stew, each of which comprise loads of nutritional vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and omega fatty acids to help your canine’s general well being.

Formulated with easy recipes that don’t comprise corn, wheat, soy, by-products, or grain, this high-protein meals is light on delicate stomachs and doesn’t exacerbate allergic reactions. Some homeowners have talked about that the cans that they ordered arrived dented. A number of fussy canines might dislike the style of this American Journey moist meals and refuse to eat it.

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11. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Dry Food

Puppies who benefit from the puppy-oriented model of Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Food will seemingly benefit from the grownup model once they develop up. Blue Buffalo promotes bone and dental well being whereas supporting your canine’s joints by together with high-quality protein and glucosamine. The antioxidants additionally be sure that your favourite canine’s immune system stays sturdy.

To assist your canine preserve a nutritious diet, Purina Pro Plan doesn’t use corn, wheat, soy, or poultry by-products. It’s additionally accessible in 5 bag sizes (3, 6, 15, 24, and 30 kilos). Despite sharing a reputation with the pet formulation, this recipe is simply appropriate for grownup canines and doesn’t comprise the vitamins wanted for puppies. The bigger baggage are additionally costly, and the kibble crumbles simply.

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12. Purina ONE SmartBlend Chicken & Rice Formula

Since it’s accessible in 4 sizes, the Purina ONE SmartBlend Chicken & Rice Formula is appropriate for single- or multi-dog houses. The recipe makes use of actual hen and is simple to digest to make sure that your canine receives the vitamin they should stay wholesome. Omega fatty acids, nutritional vitamins A and E, and glucosamine preserve your canine’s pores and skin, coat, immune system, heart, and joints in high form.

Some homeowners have complained in regards to the sturdy “off” scent of this product, and others talked about that they obtained a torn bag. A number of fussy canines can also refuse to eat this SmartBlend possibility, significantly in the event that they get tired of the flavour while you use the bigger baggage.

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13. Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Beef, Pea, & Brown Rice Recipe

The Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Beef, Pea, & Brown Rice Recipe helps increase your canine’s power ranges with a tasty mixture of actual meat and greens. Omega fatty acids help your four-legged buddy’s pores and skin and coat well being, whereas the fiber and protein content material promotes organ, muscle, and digestive well being.

Sold in 6-, 14-, 28-, or 40-pound baggage, Rachael Ray is appropriate for canines attempting out new meals or multi-dog households. Some homeowners have complained in regards to the greasiness of this kibble, and the bag has been recognized to interrupt through the transport course of.

Rachael Ray Nutrish additionally contains peas within the recipe. Peas are presently below investigation by the FDA for a possible hyperlink to dilated cardiomyopathy in canines (a coronary heart situation), though research are nonetheless ongoing.

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14. Iams Adult MiniChunks High Protein Dog Food

While Iams Adult MiniChunks High Protein Dog Food may be given to canines of all sizes, the kibble is designed to be simple to eat for small breeds. The 5 bag sizes offer you loads of choices for single or multi-dog houses or simply to check out a brand new model.

Protein from actual hen, antioxidants, fibers, and prebiotics all help the well being of your canine’s digestive and immune techniques. While the kibble is designed with small breeds in thoughts, some homeowners have stated that it’s nonetheless too huge for his or her canines. There are additionally studies of it inflicting upset stomachs and allergic reactions because of the recipe not being hypoallergenic.

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15. Cesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Beef Recipe

Beef, filet mignon, grilled hen, and porterhouse steak are all included within the Cesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Beef Recipe selection pack. With 24 ready-made parts, there may be loads of choice to maintain fussy canines happy. The trays are sealed for freshness and are simple to open, and the grain-free parts can be utilized as meals toppers for kibble or as meals on their very own.

Since it’s formulated for grownup canines, Cesar lacks the vitamins puppies must help their development. The parts may additionally be too small for big breeds. Some homeowners have complained in regards to the foul scent of this pet food.

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16. Nature’s Recipe Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe

Nature’s Recipe Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe helps your greatest buddy’s digestion and immune well being with actual salmon and fiber-rich pumpkin. The salmon content material ensures that your canine receives a wholesome dose of omega oils to maintain their joints lubricated and their pores and skin and coat wholesome. No poultry by-products, corn, wheat, or soy are used on this grain-free formulation.

Some homeowners discovered the sturdy fishy scent disagreeable, and the kibble can crumble simply, particularly throughout transport. Despite the three bag sizes (4, 12, and 24 kilos), Nature’s Recipe is without doubt one of the costlier choices. Some canines refuse to eat salmon-flavored meals.

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17. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe

The Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe is bought in a pack of 12 cans. It is formulated for grownup canines and helps your canine’s immune, pores and skin, and coat well being with a cautious mixture of beef, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids. Blue Buffalo avoids widespread allergens and doesn’t use poultry by-products, all to make sure that your canine’s food plan is wholesome, dietary, and balanced.

This 12-pack possibility is long-lasting however may not be appropriate for fussy canines that get bored simply because of the single taste. Despite the shortage of different allergens, the Homestyle Recipe incorporates peas, which some canines may be allergic to. The formulation additionally doesn’t comprise the suitable vitamin for puppies.

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18. Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Big Game Recipe

Since it’s excessive in protein and omega fatty acids, Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Big Game Recipe is simple to digest for delicate stomachs and helps fur and pores and skin well being. Made with actual lamb, wild boar, and venison, this grain-, wheat-, corn-, and soy-free recipe doesn’t exacerbate allergic reactions.

Although the luggage are bought in 4- and 40-pound sizes, Merrick Backcountry is without doubt one of the costlier manufacturers The uncooked nature of this freeze-dried meals means it could carry extra dangerous micro organism, and the kibble can crumble simply.

Merrick Backcountry is appropriate for all breed sizes, however some older canines with fewer tooth or toy breeds might discover the items tough to eat.

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19. Annamaet 25% Medium & Large Breed Dog Food

The Annamaet 25% Medium & Large Breed Dog Food is formulated with huge canines in thoughts. With non-GMO components and no corn, wheat, or soy, the recipe is allergen-free and human-grade. The excessive protein content material, prebiotics, probiotics, and omega fatty acids profit your canine by boosting their muscle tissues, digestive system, pores and skin, and fur well being.

Unlike many different dry meals, this Annamaet recipe isn’t designed for small breeds, and the items could also be too huge for them to handle comfortably. It’s additionally extremely costly, and the luggage should not resealable to take care of freshness.

Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Dog Food

There are many issues to think about earlier than deciding which dog food to purchase for your loved one greatest buddy. The pet meals market is a little bit of a jungle, to say the least. There are many manufacturers and loads of conflicting details about what is actually wholesome.

Since your canine’s well being and vitamin are on the high of your checklist, we’ve included some traits to think about earlier than making your selection.

Does Your Dog Need a Special Type of Food?

First and foremost, it’s essential contemplate your canine’s wants, and that goes for every canine you personal. Some canines endure from meals allergic reactions or sensitivities, which require a food plan that doesn’t comprise the allergens that hassle them. For these with sure well being circumstances, some dietary modifications could also be wanted.

For most wholesome canines, you should have a greater diversity of foods to choose from and received’t be required to filter out as many choices. If you will have a canine with well being points, you’ll need to weed out the meals that don’t match the standards. Always examine along with your veterinarian relating to your canine’s well being, dietary wants, and any circumstances they’ve.

Decide Your Preferred Food Type

You have a number of meals varieties to select from, all of which have professionals and cons.

Dry Kibble

Dry food is a well-liked selection amongst most canine homeowners and is essentially the most available possibility in grocery shops and native pet meals shops. It shops effectively and is essentially the most cost-friendly possibility, however it’s greater in carbohydrates and decrease in moisture. Some manufacturers comprise bits of freeze-dried meals or tender bites so as to add taste and make it extra palatable.

Wet or Canned Food

These varieties have a good longer shelf life than kibble and comprise far more moisture for hydration. They are far more palatable and comprise fewer carbohydrates than dry meals, however they’re additionally costlier, messy, and create extra trash. Many homeowners feed moist meals as a topper for dry kibble to offset the associated fee.

Fresh Food

You even have fresh food diets that may bought regionally or obtained via subscription providers, relying on the model you select. Fresh meals diets are the healthiest selection since they comprise fewer preservatives and are usually comprised of top-quality components. Fresh meals can also be extremely palatable and is stuffed with moisture and wanted vitamins.

It is undoubtedly the costliest selection of the three and may develop into fairly expensive when feeding bigger or a number of canines. Fresh meals may also be used as a topper to kibble to offer well being advantages whereas remaining pleasant to the price range.

Choose an Appropriate Food

Every canine must be fed meals acceptable to their age, measurement, and general exercise degree. What is acceptable for one canine is probably not acceptable for one more. Puppies, adults, and seniors have totally different dietary wants, so you should definitely get meals that works on your canine’s life stage. Some manufacturers are appropriate for all life levels, whereas others are crafted particularly for various levels of life.

Active canines that expend quite a lot of power can have extra dietary necessities than sofa potatoes. Size additionally performs an element when figuring out the suitable meals. If you will have a big canine, it’s greatest to search for meals formulated to suit their wants. The identical goes for small canines, which want a smaller kibble that’s simpler to chew.

Check the Ingredients

The ingredient checklist might not have the ability to let you know the general high quality of the components, however it does present a listing of every little thing included within the meals, which is able to provide help to make a extra knowledgeable determination. This is very necessary for canines with particular dietary wants or allergic reactions, as you need to keep away from potential allergens within the formulation.

It’s good to search for meals that supply actual meat as the primary ingredient to make sure pure animal protein is on the high of the checklist. It is important to keep away from meals which are filled with fillers, synthetic colours, preservatives or flavors, heavy quantities of by-products, or every other dangerous components. A licensed veterinarian will have the ability to offer you info on what sorts of components to keep away from and what to search for earlier than you make your buy.

Read the Food’s Label

The dog food label incorporates all the knowledge it’s essential decide what you need to know about a particular food. Labels may be tough to learn, time-consuming, and even deceptive, based on the Merck Veterinary Manual.

Dog food labels are required by the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to let you know eight key items of knowledge relating to your canine’s meals. Individual states might have some extra exact label necessities as effectively. The eight key items of knowledge disclosed by the FDA embody:

Feeding Guidelines

A number of years in the past, the FDA began investigating grain-free formulation and their potential hyperlink to Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy. 16 dog food brands have been named within the investigation, however none have been recalled, because the investigation continues to be ongoing. If you will have issues relating to this info, contact your veterinarian to debate whether or not a grain-free food plan is even vital on your canine.

Consider the Cost

You shall be shopping for dog food all through your canine’s life, so you could guarantee your price range is ready for the additional expense earlier than bringing house a brand new four-legged member of the family. It is necessary to not skimp on high quality for a extra budget-friendly meals, as most low-cost meals are packed filled with pointless components. This may in the end result in dietary deficiencies or different well being issues, which may find yourself being very expensive in the long term.

There are loads of wallet-friendly manufacturers that produce high-quality formulation, and it’ll be simpler to acknowledge this as soon as you might be conversant in ingredient lists and studying the labels. As a common rule, the upper the standard of the food plan, the costlier it is going to be. Be certain to search out one thing that works for you financially and your pup’s general well being and dietary wants.

Talk to Your Veterinarian

Getting recommendation out of your veterinarian is extremely really helpful in terms of your dog’s nutrition. It’s a good suggestion to examine with them earlier than making any dietary adjustments or transitioning to a brand new meals. Your veterinarian is conversant in your canine’s well being and can have the ability to information you on what it’s essential search for when it comes to dog food.

Our Selection Process For Dog Foods

To create this purchaser’s information, our writing staff and editorial employees checked buyer critiques, model fame, and veterinary approval scores to current the canine meals we predict must be highlighted for our readers. In some instances, we carried out hands-on testing together with seeing how a lot our canines preferred the canine meals. All these elements had been thought of when choosing these listed canine meals that will help you make the perfect buy on your furry associates.

Why Trust Dogster?

Since 2004, Dogster has been a trusted model for canine homeowners on-line, which implies we’ve got quite a lot of expertise with canine meals. We take delight in selling the well-being of all canines—from toy breeds to large canines. Our in-house veterinarians, writers, and editors study every product on our lists, making certain its high quality and fame. As pet homeowners ourselves, we solely need the perfect for our furry companions. At Dogster, we’re clear in regards to the merchandise we promote. The dietary info, general model fame, and buyer critiques are all thought of for these lists. We inform you the way we need to be told.

Conclusion

Overall, the perfect grownup pet food is The Farmer’s Dog fresh food. It’s full of high-quality vitamins to maintain your canine pleased and wholesome for years. A extra inexpensive possibility is the Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Variety Pack, which features a vary of flavors to cease fussy canines from becoming bored.

Whether you’re a brand new canine proprietor or a seasoned knowledgeable, figuring out which dog food your dog will enjoy essentially the most is a problem. Hopefully, these critiques will provide help to select your canine’s subsequent favourite model.

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