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- Your dog deserves high-quality food that's nutritious and healthy.
- Orijen makes the best dog food you can buy with the freshest regional ingredients.
- Every recipe is packed with protein, limited in carbohydrates, and loaded with natural flavor.
Though it may seem like dog food is dog food, not all dog foods are created equal. The quality of pet food products varies greatly from one manufacturer to another, and you can't always trust what you see on the label. While there are many high-quality dog food brands on the market, there are also those that cut corners by bulking up their products with low-quality fillers and artificial additives. Pet foods are not regulated to the degree that human foods are, so if you want to find a quality product for your dog, you'll have to do some digging.
The quality of your dog's diet is directly related to his health, so don't settle for a mediocre dog food. All dogs have the same basic nutritional needs, so it is possible to evaluate the quality of one product compared to another in terms of how well each one meets those nutritional needs. In order to make such a comparison, however, you need to have an understanding of your dog's nutritional requirements and some knowledge of how to read a pet food label.
These things can take time and practice but, luckily for you, we've done all the dirty work. We have scoured the reviews and compared dozens of products to find the top dog food brands in different categories.
Here are the best kinds of dog food you can buy:
- Best dog food overall: Orijen
- Best dry dog food: Canidae
- Best wet dog food: Blue Buffalo cans
- Best grain-free dog food: Taste of the Wild
- Best freeze-dried dog food: Primal Pet Foods
- Best affordable dog food: Whole Earth Farms
- Best dog food for puppies: Taste of the Wild puppy food
- Best dog food for senior dogs: Wellness Complete
- Best dog food for small toy breeds: Merrick Lili Plates
- Best dog food for large breeds: Blue Buffalo dry food
Editor's Note: The FDA is currently investigating a possible link between certain dog food ingredients and heart disease. We will keep tabs on the study's conclusion and update our picks as needed.
Updated on 03/15/2019 by Malarie Gokey: Updated prices, added links to Chewy and Petco, and updated formatting.
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.