Best Dry Dog Food Brands For 2024
Navigating the vast landscape of dry dog food brands is a formidable challenge for even the most diligent health-conscious dog owner. With thousands of options available online, each claiming to offer the best nutrition for your canine companion, the process of selecting the right one involves meticulously reviewing ingredient lists, guaranteed analyses, and manufacturer websites—a task that can quickly become overwhelming.
To assist dog owners in making an informed decision, our team of dog food nutritionists has conducted a thorough analysis of over 1,800 dry dog food brands, aiming to identify the top contenders for 2024. Our criteria for selection are rigorous, ensuring that only the highest quality brands make it onto our list.
Each dry dog food brand that qualifies for our recommendation adheres to the following stringent requirements:
- Highest Quality Ingredients Only: We prioritize brands that use superior ingredients to provide optimum nutrition.
- Real Meat or Fish as the #1 Ingredient: The presence of real meat or fish as the primary ingredient guarantees a high protein content, essential for your dog’s muscle health and overall well-being.
- Low Ash Count: A lower ash count indicates a higher quality of protein sources, which is crucial for your dog’s digestive and urinary health.
- Guaranteed Analysis Balance: This ensures that the food offers a well-balanced nutritional profile, covering all the essential nutrients your dog needs.
- No Unspecified Meat Sources: Transparency in the source of meat prevents the inclusion of low-quality or questionable meat.
- No By-Products, Corn, Wheat, or Artificial Ingredients: High-quality dog foods exclude these ingredients to minimize the risk of allergies and other health issues.
- Exceeds AAFCO Standards: Brands that exceed the nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) offer superior nutrition.
- Manufactured in the USA: This criterion ensures adherence to strict quality control and safety standards.
- Price Compared to Quality: We assess the value offered by each brand, ensuring that the price reflects the quality of the ingredients and the nutritional benefits provided.
9Nature’s Variety® Instinct Original Beef Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Instinct Original Grain Free Recipe with Real Beef Natural Dry Dog Food, 20 lb. Bag
Price: $79.99 ($4.00 / lb)
4 used & new available from $79.99 ($4.00 / lb)
Nature’s Variety Instinct Original Beef Grain-Free Dry Dog Food emerges as a top contender among the best dry dog food brands, setting a new benchmark in pet nutrition with its high-quality, grain-free formula. Featuring USA-raised beef as the primary ingredient, this premium dog food boasts a composition of 70% real animal ingredients and healthy oils, complemented by 30% vegetables and fruits. This carefully balanced mix ensures a holistic diet that aligns with the natural dietary preferences and needs of dogs.
A standout feature of Nature’s Variety Instinct is the integration of freeze-dried raw recipes, a technique that significantly boosts the food’s protein content by preserving the nutrients found in raw ingredients without the need for cooking. This process not only retains more of the natural goodness but also supports lean muscle mass and overall health, making it a powerful choice for pet owners seeking the best for their canine companions.
In addition to its impressive protein levels, Nature’s Variety Instinct prioritizes digestive health and immune support. It achieves this through the inclusion of guaranteed levels of live, natural probiotics and antioxidants, reinforcing the brand’s dedication to the comprehensive wellness of pets.
Nature’s Variety Instinct’s commitment to purity is evident in its exclusion of grains, potatoes, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meals, artificial colors, and preservatives. This dedication to using only wholesome ingredients positions Nature’s Variety as a leader in offering a diet that closely mirrors the natural eating habits of dogs.
Produced in Lincoln, Nebraska, Nature’s Variety Instinct not only excels in premium pet nutrition but also demonstrates a strong commitment to the pet community. Through its donation of over one million meals annually to dogs and cats in Best Friends Animal Society adoption centers, the brand extends its impact beyond its product line, showcasing a deep commitment to the well-being of pets across the nation.
Nature’s Variety Instinct represents a revolutionary approach to pet food by combining raw nutrition with the convenience of dry kibble, upholding the highest quality standards. Its approach to nutritional health and its philanthropic efforts make it a distinguished option among the best dry dog food brands for pet owners in search of exceptional quality and nutritional integrity for their dogs.
Ingredients: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs, Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Menhaden Fish Meal, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Montmorillonite Clay, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Potassium Chloride, Freeze Dried Chicken, Choline Chloride, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Freeze Dried Chicken Heart, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract
Caloric Content: 4,250 kcal/kg, 499 kcal/cup
| Guaranteed Analysis | |
|---|---|
| CRUDE PROTEIN | 37.0% min |
| CRUDE FAT | 20.0% min |
| CRUDE FIBER | 3.0% max |
| MOISTURE | 10.0% max |
| VITAMIN E | 100 IU/kg min |
| ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C) | 85 mg/kg min |
| OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS | 0.3% min |
| OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS | 2.6% min |
| BACILLUS COAGULANTS | 60,000,000 CFU/lb min |