Written by Aleksandar G., BScVM, Canine Practice and Behavior Specialist
Founder of Frenchie World and Everlasting Devotion Frenchie Rescue
Choosing the best dry dog food for your dog can feel like navigating a maze of options. With countless brands and formulations, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’ll break down the top choices that fulfill your dog’s nutritional needs and keep them healthy.
As a vet with over 15 years of practice, I’ve spent months researching and comparing various brands. My furry clients helped me to find the best dry dog food. Whether you have a picky eater, a puppy, or a senior dog, there’s an option here for everyone. Now let me explain and present the best dry dog food and find the perfect match for your loyal companion.
15 Best Dry Dog Food 2024 – Vet Curated, Tested, Reviewed and Explained
tl;dr
-
Best Overall Dry Dog Food: Purina Pro Plan High Protein
Purina Pro Plan High Protein delivers balanced nutrition with real chicken, 26% protein, and added probiotics for digestion. -
Best Puppy Dry Food: Canine Creek
Canine Creek provides tailored nutrition for puppies with 48% real chicken and essential vitamins for brain development. -
Best Dry Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs: Bully Max Small Breed
Bully Max Small Breed is designed for sensitive stomachs with 30% protein, allergen-free ingredients, and high protein content. -
Best Ocean Fish Best Dry Dog Food: Muenster Perfect Balance
Muenster Perfect Balance uses ocean fish, enriched with probiotics and omega-3 for coat and digestive health. -
Best Dry Dog Food For Immune System: Acana Wholesome Grains
Acana Wholesome Grains boosts immune health with 60% animal ingredients and essential vitamins and minerals. -
Best Grain-Free Raw Ingredients: Orijen Small Breed Dry Dog Food
Orijen Small Breed offers grain-free, raw ingredients with 85% animal ingredients tailored for small dogs. -
Best Dog Food For Digestive And Joint Health: Taste Of The Wild High Prairie
Taste Of The Wild High Prairie supports digestive and joint health with bison and venison as primary ingredients. -
Natural Muscle Building Best Dry Dog Food: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula strengthens muscles and boosts immunity with deboned chicken and essential vitamins. -
Best Dry Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach
Hill’s Science Diet uses real chicken and brown rice, designed for easy digestion with prebiotic fiber. -
Best Grain And Chicken Free No GMO Dog Food: Acana Red Meat Recipe
Acana Red Meat Recipe is grain-free, chicken-free, and GMO-free with 60% animal ingredients from red meat. -
Best Food For Active Dogs: ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Dog Food
ZIWI Peak Air-Dried provides nutrient-dense nutrition with 96% meat, organs, and bone for high-energy breeds. -
Best Dog Dry Food For Digestive & Joint Health: Kirkland Signature Adult Formula
Kirkland Signature Adult Formula supports digestive and joint health with chicken, rice, and vegetables. -
Best Dry Food For Seniors: Eukanuba Senior
Eukanuba Senior includes glucosamine and chondroitin with chicken as the primary ingredient for joint health in older dogs. -
Best Mini Molosser’s & French Bulldog Dry Food: Royal Canin French Bulldog Adult
Royal Canin French Bulldog Adult provides tailored nutrition with real chicken for French Bulldogs and similar breeds. -
Best Coat, Stomach & Allergy Relief Dog Food: A Better | Raw You Can See
Raw You Can See offers natural nutrition with raw ingredients for coat, stomach, and allergy relief. -
Natural Real Meat Dry Dog Food: Merrick Lil’ Plates
Merrick Lil’ Plates uses natural real meat, designed for small breeds with grain-free ingredients.
What To Look for When Choosing Dry Food For Your Dog?
Choosing the right dry food for your dog is crucial for its health and well-being. Check the ingredients list first, ensuring it includes high-quality protein sources. Look for a chicken, beef, lamb, or ocean fish. Avoid foods with extreme fillers like corn, wheat, and soy. Those ingredients often cause allergies and provide zero nutritional value.
Consider the fat and protein ratio based on your dog’s breed and age. Puppies need higher protein and fat for growth. Senior dogs need less fat to prevent obesity. For example, a French Bulldog puppy benefits from a food with 28% protein and 18% fat. On the other side, senior Chihuahua thrives on a food with 22% protein and 10% fat.
Assess the presence of essential vitamins and minerals. Look for foods enriched with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. Antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene support immune health.
Pay attention to special dietary needs. For dogs with sensitive stomachs, I’d choose hypoallergenic formulas with limited ingredients. Small breeds prefer smaller kibble sizes, while active breeds need high-energy formulas.
Be mindful of your dog’s taste preferences. Some dogs prefer beef flavor, others chicken or fish. Testing different flavors can help you find the right match.
Best Dog Dry Food Brands in 2024
Best Overall Dry Dog Food: Purina Pro Plan High Protein
Purina Pro Plan High Protein delivers balanced nutrition in every bowl. This dog dry food contains real chicken as the primary ingredient. Supporting muscle health, it’s enriched with 26% protein and 16% fat. Added probiotics aid in digestion and the antioxidants support a strong immune system.
Pros of this food include high-quality protein sources and beneficial probiotics. Some cons may be the inclusion of corn gluten meal. This food is a favorite because of its balanced nutrition and brand reputation.
The blend of protein and fat levels makes it ideal for active dogs, supporting their high energy needs. Additionally, the inclusion of prebiotics helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome.
Customer review: Purina has ALWAYS been our go to pet food and why not! Our dogs have been healthy, happy and loved the Purina taste. My parents used Purina and so have we and we’ve been fortunate to have all of our past dogs live to at least 15 years old. They must be doing something right!
Best Puppy Dry Food: Canine Creek
Canine Creek puppy food offers tailored nutrition for growing pups. It features 48% real chicken meat. Rich in essential vitamins and minerals, it provides DHA for brain development. Suitable for all breeds and designed to promote healthy growth.
A few pros include its high-quality ingredients and DHA inclusion. A con could be its premium price. I appreciate its comprehensive nutritional profile that supports a puppy’s development.
Customer review: Food is liked by my frenchie puppy. The size of kibble is just right.
Best Dry Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs: Bully Max Small Breed
Bully Max Small Breed dry dog food caters to sensitive stomachs. With chicken meat as the main ingredient, it offers 30% protein and 20% fat. It’s free from soy, corn, and wheat, reducing allergens. Suitable for all small breeds.
Benefits include allergen-free formulation and high protein content. The potential downside is the price. I value this food for its hypoallergenic formula that supports digestion.
Customer review: Smaller kibble, my picky frenchie loves it and now been feeding about 4 weeks.
Coat is great, digestion good and higher protein creates amazing zoomies!!
Best Ocean Fish Best Dry Dog Food: Muenster Perfect Balance
Muenster Perfect Balance dog kibble food uses ocean fish as its primary ingredient. Fish provides a unique protein source with micronutrients that can’t be found anywhere else. It’s enriched with probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids for coat and digestive health.
Best for medium to large breeds. Pros include high omega-3 content and probiotic support. A con could be its distinct fish smell. This food stands out for its use of ocean fish and added health benefits.
Customer review: If you have ever had a picky eater, you know what a win it is to find something they like. Our GSD/Husky mix is extremely selective about his food, and he will skip a meal if he’s not interested. This food is the first in a long time that has sparked his interest immediately. The cost is in line with other prestige food brands, and based on how much he likes it, I will be ordering more bags quickly!
Best Dry Dog Food For Immune System: Acana Wholesome Grains
Acana Wholesome Grains boosts the immune system with high-quality grains and proteins. It includes 60% animal ingredients and essential vitamins and minerals. Suitable for all breeds. The advantages are its high protein content and inclusion of essential nutrients.
Downsides might include the higher cost. I like it for its comprehensive nutritional profile that supports immune health.
Best Grain-Free Raw Ingredients: Orijen Small Breed Dry Dog Food
Orijen – the best dry dog food for small breeds offers grain-free, raw ingredients catering to small breeds. With 85% animal ingredients, it provides a rich protein source. Suitable for small dogs with specific dietary needs. Benefits include its high-quality raw ingredients and suitable kibble size.
A con could be its premium price. This food’s raw ingredients make it special for small-breed dietary needs.
Best Dog Food For Digestive And Joint Health: Taste Of The Wild High Prairie
Taste of the Wild High Prairie supports digestive and joint health. With bison meat and venison as primary ingredients, it has a unique protein source. Suitable for all breeds, especially active ones. Pros include its unique protein sources and added probiotics.
Cons could include its higher price. I appreciate this food for its joint support and digestive health benefits.
Natural Muscle Building Best Dry Dog Food: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula strengthens muscles and boosts the immune system. With deboned chicken and essential vitamins, it caters to adult dogs of all breeds. Benefits include its high-quality protein and immune-boosting nutrients. A downside might be its price. I like it because it combines muscle building and immune support.
Best Dry Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach uses real chicken and brown rice. Its formula supports digestive health with prebiotic fiber. Suitable for all adult dogs. Pros include easy digestibility and prebiotic fibers.
Cons may be the price. I value its specific formulation designed to ease sensitive stomachs.
Best Grain And Chicken Free No GMO Dog Food: Acana Red Meat Recipe
Acana Red Meat Recipe is grain-free, chicken-free, and GMO-free. With 60% animal ingredients from red meat, it caters to all breeds with food sensitivities. Benefits include high-quality red meat protein and GMO-free ingredients. Potential downsides are higher cost.
I appreciate its dedication to using no grains or GMOs, making it suitable for sensitive dogs.
Best Food For Active Dogs: ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Dog Food
ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Dog Food provides nutrient-dense nutrition for active dogs. With 96% meat, organs, and bone, it offers a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Best for high-energy breeds. Pros include its air-dried process and high meat content.
The cons might be the cost. I value its nutritional density and suitability for active dogs.
Best Dog Dry Food For Digestive & Joint Health: Kirkland Signature Adult Formula
Kirkland Signature Adult Formula supports both digestive and joint health. This formula includes chicken, rice, and vegetables. Suitable for a wide range of adult breeds. Pros include balanced nutrition and affordable prices. Cons could include its availability. I like its blend of ingredients supporting general health at a reasonable price.
Best Dry Food For Seniors: Eukanuba Senior
Eucanuba Senior is our choice and the best dry dog food for older dogs. With chicken as the primary ingredient, it includes glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health. Suitable for senior dogs of all breeds and perfect food for senior French bulldogs.
Benefits include its joint support and age-appropriate nutrition. Limited availability might be a con. I appreciate its targeted support for senior dogs.
Best Mini Molosser’s & French Bulldog Dry Food: Royal Canin French Bulldog Adult
Royal Canin French Bulldog Adult is the best dog dry food that meets all the needs of French Bulldogs. It’s also a great choice for Pugs, Boston terriers, and English bulldogs. With real chicken as the primary ingredient, it provides high protein. Suitable for small breeds with specialized dietary needs. This food is the ultimate solution for French bulldog feeding!
Video credit and copyright by Royal Canin
Pros include its tailored nutrition and high protein content. Cons could include higher prices. I value it for its specific design nutrient mix suitable for French Bulldogs.
Custumer say: My french bulldogs love this. It is expensive so I cannot buy it all the time. It is healthy for them though so it may be worth the money.
Best Coat, Stomach & Allergy Relief Dog Food: A Better | Raw You Can See
Raw You Can See focuses on coat, stomach, and allergy relief. Using raw ingredients provides natural nutrition. Suitable for dogs with allergies or sensitive stomachs. Benefits include raw ingredients and targeted relief. A downside might be the cost.
I appreciate its natural approach to addressing many health concerns.
Natural Real Meat Dry Dog Food: Merrick Lil’ Plates
Merrick Lil’ Plates uses natural real meat to provide high-quality nutrition. It’s grain-free and designed for small breeds. Benefits include real meat ingredients and small kibble size.
The cons could be the price. I like it for its focus on natural meat and its suitability for small dogs.
How to pick the best dry food for your dog
Choosing the best dry dog food is about understanding your dog’s specific needs. Always focus on high-quality proteins and avoid fillers like corn wheat and soy. Consider the fat and protein ratios suitable for your dog’s breed and age.
Don’t overlook the importance of essential vitamins and minerals for health. Whether your dog is a picky eater or a dog with a sensitive stomach there’s a best dry dog food brand to meet those needs. Brands like Purina Pro Plan and Canine Creek offer great options for various needs.
Your dog’s health and happiness depend on the quality of their diet. Take the time to read labels and consult your vet if needed. Your furry friend deserves the best and with the right dry food, you can ensure they’re getting it.
People Also Ask
What should I look for in high-quality dry dog food?
Look for high-quality proteins like chicken, beef, or fish as the main ingredients. Avoid fillers such as corn, wheat, and soy. Check for a balanced ratio of fats and proteins appropriate for your dog’s breed and age.
Is dry dog food suitable for all dogs?
Most dogs can thrive on dry dog food if it meets their specific nutritional needs. Always consider your dog’s life stage, breed, and any specific dietary requirements.
Why should some ingredients avoided in dog food?
Ingredients like corn, wheat, and soy are often used as fillers. They can cause allergies or digestive issues in some dogs. High-quality proteins and natural ingredients are better for general health.
Can I feed the same dry dog food to my puppy and senior dog?
No, puppies and senior dogs have different nutritional needs. Puppies need food rich in calories, protein, and fat for growth. On the other side, senior dogs demand food with fewer calories that support joint health.
Are hypoallergenic dog foods always the best choice?
Hypoallergenic dog foods are suitable for dogs with allergies. But often aren’t necessary for all dogs. Formulated to reduce the risk of allergic reactions, these foods lack allergens.
What are the best dry dog food brands for picky eaters?
Brands like Purina Pro Plan High Protein offer tasty choices that suit picky eaters. Always check for high-quality ingredients that meet your dog’s nutritional requirements.
How do I determine the right kibble size for my dog?
Choose a kibble size that your dog can chew and digest. Naturally – small breeds prefer smaller kibble, while larger breeds can handle bigger pieces.
What is the best dry dog food for sensitive stomachs?
Brands like Bully Max are formulated for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Look for foods that are easy to digest and free of common allergens.
What vitamins and minerals should I look for in dog food?
Essential vitamins and minerals. Look for the Vitamin E, Omega-3, and Omega-6 fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin. These support skin, coat, joint, and immune health.
Are grain-free diets better for dogs?
Grain-free diets aren’t better for all dogs. They are usually recommended for dogs with specific grain allergies. Consult your vet to determine if a grain-free diet is right for your dog.
Is it better to buy commercial dry dog food or make homemade dog food?
Commercial dry dog food offers convenience and balanced nutrition. Homemade dog food allows full control over ingredients. Consult with a vet to ensure homemade diets meet all nutritional needs.
How often should I change my dog’s dry food brand or formula?
It’s good to change your dog’s food from time to time to prevent nutrient deficiencies. The transition should take a week or two to avoid digestive upset. Always consult your vet before making any changes.
What constitutes the healthiest diet for dogs?
The healthiest diet for dogs includes high-quality protein sources like chicken, beef, or fish, combined with essential vitamins and minerals. Avoiding fillers like corn, wheat, and soy, and including a balance of fats and proteins suitable for your dog’s age and breed are crucial for maintaining optimal health.
Which dog food is considered the least healthy?
Dog foods that rely on low-quality fillers, artificial additives, and preservatives are considered the least healthy. Foods that use corn, wheat, and soy as primary ingredients without sufficient high-quality protein sources fall into this category, providing minimal nutritional value and potential allergens.
What are the top three dog food brands?
The top three dog food brands known for quality and nutrition are Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin, and Orijen. These brands consistently offer high-quality ingredients and balanced nutrition tailored to various dog breeds and needs.
Why do vets often suggest Royal Canin?
Vets often suggest Royal Canin due to its tailored approach to pet nutrition. Each formula is specifically crafted to meet the unique needs of different breeds, life stages, and health conditions, ensuring dogs get the precise nutrients they need for optimal health.
What are the 5 healthiest and best dry dog food?
Picking the healthiest dog foods means choosing options with top-notch ingredients and well-rounded nutrition. The best five include Purina Pro Plan High Protein, Canine Creek, Bully Max Small Breed, Muenster Perfect Balance, and Acana Wholesome Grains. These brands combine quality protein with essential vitamins and minerals, boosting your dog’s overall health and vitality.
Which dog foods do vets usually avoid recommending?
Vets often steer clear of dog foods that are packed with low-quality fillers and artificial ingredients. Brands that rely heavily on corn, wheat, and soy as main components are usually not recommended. It’s important to select foods with high-quality protein and natural ingredients for better health outcomes.