All things considered, the best dog food brands are those that craft dog food using premium ingredients such as veggies, meat, fruits, and grains. In addition, these ingredients should be obtained from known and reliable sources, especially as natural as possible.
Dogs have a beautiful life expectancy, depending on the breed of course, but they can only thrive on a well-balanced diet that is suitable for their digestive system. As such, check for ingredients, dietetic adequacy, as well as feeding guidelines. The best dog food brands should be a blend of quality and a reasonable price.
From the best dog food brands for both small and large dog breeds to puppies and senior dogs, the foods should take care of these needs. Our canine friends benefit a lot from eating premium dog foods considering they are prone to certain health issues and need healthy skins and coats.
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What Makes the Best Dog Food?
From the best unbiased vet-recommended dog food brands to that meant for picky eaters, quality dog food should be crafted using non-GMO products, fillers, and corn. And while our dogs love eating and others come to be fussy eaters, it must not include artificial additives to make it tasty.
In a nutshell, the best dog food brands make nutritious dog foods without compromising your dog’s health. Furthermore, premium dog foods should also address specific problems such as pooches with allergies. Specific breeds too have particular nutrition requirements that should be taken into consideration during feeding.
There have been so many dog food brands that have been linked with causing life-threatening conditions and even death. As such, you must be watchful when considering dog food brands so you can protect your pooch from being under- or over-nourished.
10 Best Dog Food Brands
Having a pooch might seem like a walk in the park but they can sometimes be demanding and only a few pet owners would understand. Majority of them, however, do not even know what the best food to feed their canine friends is and what they should stay away from.
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Amazon.comReview of the 10 Best Dog Food Brands
In this review, we feature the best dog food brands include protein from known sources as the first ingredient which makes them a superb choice to feed your dog. Let us take a look:
1.Eagle Pack Dog Food
Our top-best dog food brand is Eagle Pack from the WellPet industrial facility in Mishawaka, Indiana. The brand crafts performance-proven dog food that is specifically prepared to support your pooch’s everyday needs has many 4 stars customer reviews.
With more than 25 years of experience in dog food production, this American-made foods stands out as one of the top dog food brands for both small and large dog breeds. This natural and quality nutritional dog diets are crafted without any artificial additives or fillers.
Eagle Pack Dog Foods have the appropriate balance of proteins, carbs, fats, and omega acids to support lean strong muscles and a healthy skin and shiny coat. Antioxidants also ensure a healthy immune system and supports eye health and digestion. These dog food recipes include highly-digestible proteins as the first ingredient which is one of the things that make brands reliable.
Ingredients: Wholesome grains, fiber, oatmeal (supports stool consistency & smooth digestion), flaxseeds, and brown rice.
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
2. The Honest Kitchen Dog Food
$57.51 in stock
Free shipping
Founded by Lucy Postins in 2002, The Honest Kitchen Dog Food, our runner up for the best dog food brands is the first human-grade pet food in the world. The brand’s dog food recipes are rich in ingredients that provide suitable nutrition which makes it one of the healthful dog food options on the market. This dog food has no artificial additives.
As the name suggests, this brand crafts human-grade dog foods like we eat only that they are meant for our pooches with high-quality ingredients and safety standards. If you are looking for the nutritious dry dog food from a reputable brand, The Honest Kitchen Dog Food is a fantastic choice. The dog foods contain chelated minerals (minerals chemically attached to a protein).
The ingredients used to prepare dog foods in The Honest Kitchen make their food superior with the appropriate ratio – 32% protein content, 20% fat content, and approx. 41% carbs content. The brand uses meat protein from known sources as the first ingredients and their dog food formulas include grains. Meat sources include turkey, chicken, beef, and base mixes.
Ingredients: Chicken, organic quinoa, spinach, parsley, zinc amino acid chelate, vitamin supplement, sweet potatoes, and more!
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
3. Solid Gold Dog Food
Solid Gold Dog Food from the Chesterfield-based firm Solid Gold Pet is our third-best dog food brand on the list. The brand knows that different pets have unique requirements which are why it offers a choice between whole grain and grain-free options plus a range of high quality proteins.
This high-quality dog food includes a blend of superfoods with veggies and fruits to support optimal health, and includes proteins from salmon and ocean fish meal for lean strong muscles. What we like most about this dog foods brand is that their formulas are free of artificial flavors, chemicals, additives, corn, wheat, or soy.
To support skin health and a glossy coat in your canine friend, this dog food from Solid Gold Pet includes fatty acids in its recipes. The brand uses rosemary which is rich in antioxidants and a natural preservative, thyme for boosting the immune system, as well as spearmint for smooth digestion. As you can see, this dog foods brand uses naturally-sourced ingredients.
Ingredients: Ocean fish meal, salmon, spinach, blueberry, pumpkin, apples, cranberries, Vitamin E, and more!
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4. Wellness Pet Food
$64.98 in stock
Free shipping
Wellness Pet Food is a product of the Tewksbury-based WellPet LLC which a blend of 5 reliable pet food companies, including Eagle Pack and Wellness Natural Pet Food. Wellness dog foods stands out among the best dog food brands as it includes protein as the first ingredients.
The best thing with this dog food brand is that it gives you an option between grained and grain-free dog food options that facilitate your pooch’s everyday health. Their formulas include dry recipes, wet recipes, mixers & toppers, as well as snacks & treats.
If you are looking for a dog food brand that includes all the healthy and nutritional ingredients needed to support optimal health, you cannot go wrong with this brand. From fruits and veggies to flaxseeds, these dog food formulas promote good immune, healthy skin, and lustrous coat.
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, potatoes, tomato pomace, and flaxseeds, among others.
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
5. Canidae Dog Food
Canidae dog food has a reputation for being one of best dog food brands in the market with animal-based protein sources as the first ingredients. The brand’s PURE line provides top, high-quality dog food available. In fact, all their formulas contain at most 10 whole food ingredients.
We like that Canidae dog food brand uses limited ingredients in their recipes which makes them especially suitable for pooches with digestive problems. The use of premium proteins and other nutritious ingredients in their recipes has led to many positive and honest customer reviews. Canidae uses meats that are examined by the USDA and processed in a human-grade facility.
If you are looking for the best dog foods brand that are crafted for all dog breeds and sizes, Canidae pet food is an excellent choice with 26% protein and 14% fat. Canidae’s thoughtfully curated formulas also include chelated minerals.
Ingredients: Chicken, menhaden fish meal, peas, dried whole egg, flaxseeds (rich in omega fatty acids), potatoes, sun-cured alfalfa, lentils, and chicken fat.
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
6. Fromm Family Dog Food
If you are looking for the best dog food for active adult canines, Fromm Family Dog Food is an incredible choice. This Wisconsin-based family owned company has been on this business since 1904 which makes the current firm a fifth generation pet food manufacturer.
The brand crafts its dog foods using protein as the first ingredient from known sources such as real Wisconsin cheese, duck, and chicken. This supports lean muscles and steady growth in your canine buddy. This dog food takes care of your dog’s digestion with prebiotics and salmon oil enhanced with whole eggs for coat health.
All foods have been crafted with high-quality ingredients that ensure a healthy living and by promoting an excellent life expectancy.
Ingredients: Duck, lamb, chicken meal, and menhaden fish meal, flaxseed, lettuce, brown rice, pearled barley, oatmeal, dried tomato, dried whole egg, and more!
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
7. Taste of the Wild Dog Food
Taste of the Wild is yet another best dog food brand that crafts its recipes based on canine’s ancestral diet which is grain-free. Established in 2007, the dog food is currently produced by Diamond Pet Foods Inc., a family-owned company in the US under strict food safety rules.
What makes the dog foods brand exceptional is that its formulas are crafted with high-quality protein as the first ingredient. Meat sources include buffalo, lamb, roasted bison, smoked salmon & turkey, and wild boar among others to ensure your dog gets all the required amino acids. This makes the brand excellent dog food as they use high-quality ingredients plus the positive product reviews. This dog food is also very available, easily digestible, and includes antioxidants.
Ingredients: Quality buffalo meat, lamb meal, sweet potato, and more!
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
8. Merrick Dog Food
Just like all the other dog food brands in our review, Merrick Dog Food includes protein from quality sources as the first ingredient in their recipes. The brand uses healthy ingredients with options for grain-free, limited ingredient diets, and classic range which hit over 4.5 stars rating.
Since 1988, Merrick has been making superior dog foods with deboned duck, turkey meal, and chicken meal as the first ingredients and high protein source being among the best formulas. To promote skin and coat health, the dog food contains omega fatty acids from salmon oil. Like some dog brands in the list, the brand has also had a recall (2018).
Ingredients: Deboned duck/chicken, turkey meal, salmon meal, lamb meal, duck/chicken fat, organic alfalfa, salt, natural salt, blueberries, salmon oil, and apples.
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
9. Acana Dog Food
Yet another excellent dry dog foods option, Acana dog food brand has made a reputable name in the pet food market with the use of high-quality ingredients. Like the rest of the dog food brands here, Acana uses meat from recognized sources for protein source and as the first ingredient.
Manufactured in their DogStar Kitchen in Kentucky, US, the brand dog food single recipes stand out as premium due their natural and nutritious ingredients with animal-based protein from duck and duck meal. Duck liver & fat provide omega fatty acids and also contains fiber. Grained dog food options contain herring oil, pinto beans, and chicken peas.
In fact, Acana is an award-winning dog food brand in The American Choice Awards’ National Best Brand Award in the Specialty Pet Food category.
Ingredients: Duck, duck meal, green peas, red lentils, duck liver, duck fat, and more!
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10. Nutro Wholesome Essentials
Like the rest of the dog food brands featured here, Nutro Wholesome Essentials stands out with quality dog food that contains premium protein from animals as the first ingredients. This gives your dog the required amino acids to build sturdy muscles and support healthy digestion. The formulas also include a mix of fresh meat and meat meals as animal-based proteins.
If your pooch has a sensitive stomach, Nutro Wholesome Essentials includes whole oatmeal that is rich in soluble fiber. This dog food also includes vitamin E that promotes a healthy immune system and overall cellular health. There are no artificial additives or colors.
Ingredients: Deboned lamb, chicken meal, brewers’ rice, whole brown rice, whole grain sorghum, split peas, lamb meal, chicken fat, and more!
Check the dog food on Amazon or Chewy!
FAQs
What dog foods are killing dogs?
None so far although these cases have been seen in the recent past! Currently, there are no dog food recalls that has been made by the FDA yet. If you want to stay updated with the recalls, you can follow the FDA’s investigation.
Wrap-Up
As a rule of the thumb, we recommend that you consult your dog’s vet before settling on a brand so he can make a more informative decision.
If you want your canine buddy to have a healthy and long life, you should be first think about what you pour into their feeding bowls. Is what your pooch eating in compliance with his needs and requirements? That is the only way to enable your pooch to live to his full potential.
The best dog food brands featured above comprise most of the finest and healthful ingredients to ensure your pooch lives happily. And although some have recalls in the past and recent, most of these brands provide the best there is to keep your pup healthy and thriving.
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Hi there! My name is Ben Domb, an owner of two pets and I am one of the co-founders of OurPets HQ. I have several years of experience as a pet care professional in the New England region having spent time in various roles including a stint at a veterinary hospital in Upstate New York, Syracuse area. I am a certified pet care professional and mostly spend my time researching pet nutrition and sharing my thoughts in various blogs and columns. With quarantine and COVID restrictions, I have been spending a lot of time a lot with my dogs and cat and loving it! I also run a small consulting business providing advice to parents on pet nutrition, and especially safe homemade options to try. You can reach me at ben@ourpetshq.com
