The 8 Best Dog Food Brands, According to Veterinarians

These best dog food options are delicious recipes that take nutrition for dogs seriously and are clearly made to make both the dog and the dog owner happy. There are better brands on the market that produce high-quality dog food for a similar price. We recommend choosing Merrick, Natural Balance, or Taste of the Wild instead.

And while Purina One salmon dog food commercials claim this product is good for all dogs, large and giant breeds were not happy with tiny kibble pieces more suited to a cat than a Great Dane. They are a lower-cost dog food, and don’t have as many high-quality ingredients as the Pro Plan formulas. If budget is your primary concern, Purina ONE is a great option compared to other lower-cost brands like Pedigree or Iams.

Due to serious health issues, I almost had to put my 8-year-old Lab down. I learned I could have a blood test done for allergies and thankfully did that. She is allergic to 38 different things–many of them are in the highly specialized dog foods I was using to try get her healthy. I started making her food myself and she immediately improved. I have 5 other large dogs and I needed a good food for them.

In addition, Petsense offers a variety of professional pet services to improve the pet’s well-being. We operate our business at a level of integrity beyond reproach and promote responsible pet ownership through pet adoptions, community involvement and education. Our SMARTBLEND formulas are developed by our experts in pet nutrition who are always researching new ways to use high quality ingredients to do more for your pet. I went to a local store and all they had was this dry dog food. Some poultry by-product meals contain fewer nutrients than whole meat.

Older dogs aren’t as active as puppies, so any extra calories you provide will go towards extra weight, and that can lead to a plethora of health issues, including heart conditions and diabetes. All three come with poultry or meat as the first ingredient and include plenty of health supplements necessary for puppies. The ingredients lists include things like Omega-6, calcium, and phosphorus, as well as chondroitin. Both foods within this brand have an incredible reputation.

We have also included a short guide to help you understand what to look for when you are buying food for your pup. This is a high-quality ingredient that adds flavor and fat to the food, though it may not sound very yummy to us. Other cereal grains are in these products as well, including rice flour, brown rice, soybean meal, and similar ingredients. Many purina one dog foods also contain corn of some sort.

This line is widely available at most commercial pet stores, making it quite popular. Compared to other premium dog food brands, it is also decently inexpensive. In addition to well-researched and certified formulations, Purina Pro Plan also incorporates high quality ingredients, with real meat often appearing as pedigree wet dog food the top ingredient. A comprehensive Taste of the Wild dog food review that answers important questions. Detailed overviews of the dry food recipes and introduction to other product lines. Before you switch your pup to a senior diet, check out the feeding chart and adjust the usual portion sizes accordingly.

Purina even heard the complaints about ambiguous ingredients and replaced ‘animal fat’ with ‘beef fat’. Unlike trendy newfangled all-meat dog food manufacturers that equal pet food to the human diet, Purina stays true to decades of research. That’s why most recipes come with healthy grains providing starches and fibre invaluable for high energy levels and healthy digestion. Besides, Purina is diligent in formulating mineral and vitamin supplements to hold the precise amounts necessary for strong bones, flexible joints, and lean muscle. This is a high-protein chicken and rice formula that combines hard kibble bits with small shredded pieces that add flavor and texture. Dog food nutrition can be a complex topic, and finding a way to provide balanced nutrition on a regular basis can be a real challenge.

This article was written by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and lifelong animal lover who currently owns two dogs, both of whom she feeds Purina Pro Plan dog food at the recommendation of her vet. We evaluated a wide range of dog food brands, seeking advice from veterinarians and researching nutritional certifications to collect the most trustworthy dog food brands available. You can learn more about how to evaluate dog food brands in the What To Look For section or in The Spruce Pets guide to choosing a dog food. The right dog food provides complete nutrition and dietary support, sure, but it also has to be a food your dog will love.

purina one dog food

It does depend on the type of by-product used, but this is not listed in any of the Purina ONE ingredient lists. Therefore, we simply don’t know how nutrient-dense the foods they’re using are. Most formulas include elements like antioxidant blends, omega fatty acids, and a variety of vitamins — all designed to improve your dog’s health. However, due to its “premium” status, it costs a bit more than some of the other Purina lines out there. Many owners find the natural ingredients worth the extra price, though.