Finding the best dog food for your furry friend obviously takes effort, but the convenience, price, and range of dry dog food may make it a good option to consider for your pup. In commercials, dry dog food nibbles hit the bowl and a good puppy comes running – every pet owner might want such a love story for their dog, and dry dog food also offers some unique benefits for dogs (and their owners). “There are many benefits to dry food,” said Shelly Ferris, DVM, regional director of Petco Veterinary Services. “There are different variants. It doesn’t spoil easily. It keeps dogs’ teeth clean between vet visits, and you can easily switch your pet to new food when needed. “
IN THIS ARTICLE Dry dog food Shopping tips | Best dry dog food
“It is much easier for humans to clean a bowl, and dry food can be left out for longer,” says Kristin Neuhauser, DVM at Noahs Arche Animal Clinic. “For dogs, the main benefit of commercially prepared dry dog food is that they have a complete and balanced diet.” Dry dog food essentially combines convenience and nutrition as much as possible. But which dog food should you get? We interviewed experts on the differences between the leading dry dog foods and how to choose the best dry dog foods for your canine companion.
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How to Buy Dry Dog Food
As with anything else involving your pet, the best thing to do is to speak to your veterinarian – in this case, about your dog’s nutritional needs. Then look at the ingredients list on a bag of dry dog food. “You can easily customize a dry food diet to suit your pup’s unique needs because it’s convenient and available in a variety of flavors and formulas – from life stage to breed to weight management,” says Ferris.
While your dog cannot speak, their body can tell you a lot about whether or not you have selected the right brand of dry food. “Dogs should have stools that are of normal consistency, shaped, and relatively easy to take in,” says Neuhauser, who also points out that having a healthy coat and skin and maintaining weight – not gaining or losing too much – Are signs of good health.
When shopping for dog food, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a nonprofit that helps set standards for pet food and pet food, recommends reading the label and choosing a food that is based on breed, age, and type Your pet’s health based. and follow the manufacturer’s feeding guidelines. When it comes to ingredients like preservatives, Ferris suggests that dog owners look for natural options over synthetic ones. “Natural preservatives like vitamin C, Vitamin E. and oils from rosemary, clove or other spices are better alternatives to chemical preservatives like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, which are often found in dog foods, ”says Ferris.
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Best dry dog food for shopping
To give you a glimpse into some of the leading dog foods that are widely available and highly rated, we’ve rounded them up below.
1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
This Blue Buffalo dry food is a small slice of the farmers market with peas, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and cranberries mixed with the first three ingredients: boned chicken, chicken meal, and brown rice.
2. Castor & Pollux Organix organic recipe for chicken and oatmeal
Organic free range chicken, the first ingredient in this dog food, is mixed with a blend of organic superfoods: flaxseed, blueberries and coconut oil.
3. Eukanuba Small Breed Senior dry dog food
The small nibbles in this dry food from Eukanuba prevent tartar from building up on your dog’s teeth. Chicken by-product meal is the first ingredient in the feed developed for small breed older dogs (over 7 years of age).
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4. Hill’s Bioactive Recipe Fit + Radiant
The first ingredient in Hill’s Bioactive Recipe Fit + Radiant is designed for large and large breed adult dogs (we’re talking over 30kg) and is a lean protein: chicken. This dry food also contains carrots to promote a healthy digestive system and coconut oil for a shinier coat.
5. Instinct Be Natural Recipe for Real Beef and Barley
Beef is the first ingredient for the Instinct Be Natural Real Beef & Barley recipe, which is corn-free (it’s not grain-free, barley is the third ingredient), soy, and wheat. The pieces are also lightly coated in freeze-dried raw beef.
6. Nutro Ultra Large Breed Chicken dry dog food
With a bit of surf (salmon meal) and turf (chicken, chicken meal, lamb meal), this dry food also features a new mix of superfoods, including coconut, chia, and kale.
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7. Nutro Wholesome Essentials Healthy Weight Lamb & Rice Recipe
The first ingredient in this Nutro option is lamb, a lean protein that is believed to help your pup lose or maintain weight. It’s also free from corn, wheat, soy protein, and artificial colors and preservatives.
8. Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food
Dogs can have sensitive stomachs too, and this Purina option is designed to help puppies with stomach discomfort. Salmon, barley and ground rice are the first three ingredients in dry dog food, which is free from artificial colors and flavors.
9. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Calories
Even dogs can have trouble being regular – and this Royal Canin dry dog food is designed to help. A mixture of rice, chicken fat, and beet pulp makes this a reduced calorie option. Chicken by-product meal provides fiber, and fish oil helps with indigestion and keeps things moving.
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10. Whole hearted lamb and brown rice recipe with whole grain dry dog food
Lamb, lamb meal, and whole grain brown rice are the main ingredients in WholeHearteds dry food. It also contains salmon oil to help keep your dog’s coat healthy.
11. VICTOR Hi-Pro Plus formula dry dog food
This protein-rich dry food from VICTOR for carnivores is made with beef meal, chicken fat, pork meal, chicken meal and menhaden fish meal, and grain orghum – the first six ingredients.
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More buying guides and recommendations
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CORRECTION (Jul 20, 2020, 11:55 am): In an earlier version of this article, the last name of the Petco Veterinary Services Regional Director was misspelled. She is Shelly Ferris, not Farris.
