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Making sure your dog gets the right dog food is perhaps the most important role you can play in their life.
If you want your dog to be happy and healthy while also fueled up for the exercise they love and need, the best dog food is crucial.
With a seemingly endless roster of options, though, getting the best food for the job can be overwhelming.
Today’s dog food reviews will focus on just 3 of the very best dry foods up for grabs. We want to simplify your buying decision not further confuse it with 15 random options.
These are the 3 dry dog foods we’ll focus on…
3 Best Dog Food Reviews
Once we’ve highlighted where these premium foods excel, we’ll give you a brief idea of what to look out for when buying the best dog food to make your life even easier.
We’ll snap to it now with our dog food reviews…
Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond Pet Foods. A few of Diamond’s products were recalled in past years which perhaps explains why there’s no mention of Diamond on the sales listings…
That said, there’s only been a single incident with Taste of the Wild in 2012 followed by increased safety checks. In our considered opinion, this premium dog food is well worth the investment. We mention this purely so you are armed with all the information you deserve and can decide accordingly.
Putting the past behind us, Taste of the Wild today produces a comprehensive range of both kibble and canned foods. Their food is grain-free, high in protein and seems to go down a storm with dogs on the taste front.
We ordered up the 30-pound bag of bison and venison dry food made using real meat. This recipe is known as High Prairie and is suitable for all life stages including puppies.
This dog food supplies your furry friend with everything that he needs and nothing that he doesn’t. Made from real meat, the protein sits alongside a shower of amino acids that help to synthesize it properly. This translates to your dog packing on all the muscle mass he needs in the right way.
The carbohydrate content comes mainly from vegetables and sweet potatoes. These slow-release carbs keep your dog’s energy levels up so he’ll enjoy his walk without flagging.
Live prebiotics and probiotics help your dog’s digestion which in turn strengthens his immune system. The minerals in this kibble are all optimally digested too.
Rich in fatty acids, the added bonus of Taste of the Wild is seen clearly in the coat and skin of your beloved dog.
Check out the chief advantages and couple of minor drawbacks before determining whether to add High Prairie to your dog’s diet…
Pros.
- Uses premium protein sources alongside plenty of amino acids to ensure your dog can pack on healthy lean muscle
- Rich in omega fatty acid to promote great skin and a healthy coat keeping your dog looking and feeling great
- Completely grain-free with no artificial flavors or preservatives so give your dog a diet as natural as possible
- Laden with probiotics helping with your dog’s digestion and boosting his immune system
- Complex carbs serve up all the energy your dog needs for those long, fun-filled walks
Cons.
- Reasonably expensive although you’re still getting plenty of value
- Some users wary of Diamond’s past history concerning product recalls
Conclusion
If you want US-made dog food that places an absolute premium on nutrition without all the nasty additives that can blight cheaper alternatives, Taste of the Wild is the obvious choice.
As long as you’re aware of the parent company’s past history and you’re prepared to let bygones be bygones, we really can’t recommend this impressive batch of all-natural dog food highly enough. Give your dog a taste of what he’s been missing and check out Taste of the Wild High Prairie today.
Next up in our best dog food reviews is a dry dog food ideal if you have a bigger breed hungry for optimum nutrition in a mouth-watering package.
Hill’s always use top-notch ingredients with protein from real meat as the primary ingredient.
As the name makes abundantly clear, Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed is targeted specifically at owners with bulkier canines. You’ve got a deep choice of flavors, sizes and styles so whatever your budget or the life stage of your large breed dog, Hill’s has you covered.
This version serves up almost 1/5 fewer calories without stinting on the protein or carbs. The L-carnitine thrown in also helps to convert fat into energy. If your dog has a tendency to pile on the pounds, this food is tailor-made.
Protein is the first ingredient and comes from carefully selected premium sources including real meat.
A team of vets, scientists and nutritionists sit behind the formulation of this dry dog food so every aspect of a larger dog is taken into account and provided for. From a focus placed on joints which tend to come under heavy fire with bigger dogs through to a recipe designed to encourage lean muscle growth not fat accumulating, Hill has your back.
The kicker? It’s not just good for your dog but they love the taste and that’s all-important.
Have a glimpse at the advantages and drawbacks of Hill’s Science Diet and see if your super-sized pooch would benefit…
Pros.
- Ideal for larger breeds from 55 pounds and up and suitable for giant breeds in excess of 110 pounds
- Vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids give your dog’s coat a real sheen while also ensuring his skin is perfectly nourished
- Rich in antioxidants and vitamins to supercharge your dog’s immune system keeping him in peak condition
- Glucosamine included to make sure your bigger dog doesn’t develop joint problems
- Made in the US and backed by vets who frequently use Hill’s to feed their own pets
Cons.
- Pretty large pieces of kibble so make certain your dog can handle sizeable chunks if you don’t want to break the food down
Conclusion
Positively endorsed by vets the world over and garnering a rock-solid reputation among pet owners, Hill’s delivers nothing but the very best dog food.
While some owners have complained about their dog’s not liking the taste, this is so subjective that we did not flag this in the Cons column above. There’s always a danger when investing in a bumper bag of food that your dog will reject it. If possible, test some of a friend’s supply first or visit your local pet store.
If you have a large breed dog, even if it tips the scales at over 100 pounds, Hill’s Science Diet dry food will give him all the energy and nutrients he needs to live a healthy and active life while also looking great.
Rachael Ray is a celebrity cook who is driven and passionate about food. Not content with serving up delicious recipes for the home kitchen, she’s branched out into dog food so all pet owners can now treat their beloved animals as well.
As you should know from looking at food labels for your own benefit, ingredients appear in descending order of proportions. Real chicken crops up front and center with Delish so your dog will take on board the top-notch protein he needs to grow and pack on muscle without unwanted fat.
The vegetables are also carefully sourced and this carb content gives your dog adequate energy even if he has a very active lifestyle.
Digestion is key with the best dog food. The species-specific prebiotics are again all-natural and help your dog process this dry food swiftly and efficiently. The minerals are all chelated which also lends on the digestion front.
As well as what this dog food included being important, it’s equally critical to consider what’s not included. You won’t get any cheap fillers or by-product meal often used to bulk out poor quality dog food. There’s neither wheat nor wheat gluten. Nutrish also comes with no artificial flavoring and no preservatives either. It’s as close to what your dog would eat in the wild as possible while tasty enough to keep him coming back for more.
We’ll quickly summarize the principal pros and cons of Rachael Ray’s Nutrish before rounding out our best dog food reviews…
Pros.
- Primary ingredient is chicken raised on US farms so deliver all the premium protein your dog needs
- Chelated minerals help your dog’s system to digest and efficiently metabolize the other nutrients
- No grains or fillers and all the veg your dog needs for his shot of carbs for increased energy and vigor
- Reasonable value considering brand heritage with large 40 pound bag giving you at least a month of feeding
- All-natural ingredients with no wheat, wheat gluten or unsavory fillers
Cons.
- A few users have reported their dogs drinking more water than usual when consuming this food so monitor your dog for this issue
Conclusion
If you want an American-made dog food from a brand you can trust at an extremely reasonable price point, Rachael Ray’s Nutrish is worth a place on any shortlist of the best dry dog food.
You can get plenty of dirt-cheap food for your dog but it’s almost without exception loaded with nasty additives and sub-par ingredients. Nutrish proves that you don’t need to take out a bank loan to give your dog premium-grade food they’ll look forward to wolfing down.
For an affordable, high-quality dry dog food, Nutrish gets our unqualified seal of approval.
OK…
Before we leave you to take your dog for a walk, a few handy hints on getting the best dog food without spending a fortune…
Dog Food Buying Guide
There are so many variables involved when you’re buying dog food, it can be so confusing you want to give up and buy the first pack you see.
Don’t do that.
Focus on these central elements and make your job much easier…
- Ingredients You Want
- Ingredients You Don’t Want
- Life Stage
- Dry Dog Food or Wet Dog Food?
- Value Food or Premium Food?
Ingredients You Want
A source of high quality animal protein is a fundamental part of the best dog food.
In some very extreme cases, your dog might be intolerant to meat. This is unusual but it happens and is worth pointing out. You can opt for food with plant protein but you’d be well advised to see a vet and seek supplementation to ensure your dog’s nutritional needs are met.
Vegetables from good sources should supply all the energy your dog needs in the form of carbohydrate.
Vitamins are also crucial. Look for A, B and E.
Mineral like magnesium, calcium and zinc should not be overlooked.
Not all fat is bad but watch for foods where the fat content is too high.
Ingredients You Don’t Want
All artificial additives, flavorings, colorings and preservatives are pretty bad news.
Food dyes might make the end product look attractive but they can end up making your dog ill.
Meat by-products are not outright harmful but they lack in any real nutritional value.
While wheat and rice are both OK, soy and corn are less than ideal so give foods containing these a swerve. It’s tough for dogs to digest these ingredients so don’t overwork their intestinal tract.
Life Stage
It should go unsaid that the food you choose should be tailored to the stage of your dog’s life.
Puppy food has more calories and other nutrients essential for development whereas adult dog food has ingredients and macronutrients in different proportions to reflect their specific needs.
Dry Dog Food or Wet Dog Food?
Although each type of dog food has its merits and drawbacks, dry food is overall your best option.
Lower in fat, the chewing required also helps with your dog’s dental hygiene.
Measuring and storing dry food is also much simpler.
Our recommendation would be to use dry food as the staple with a bit of wet canned food thrown in for a treat.
Value Food or Premium Food?
Rather than obsessing about the price per kilo, double down on the price per feed. This is all that counts.
While premium dog food is evidently more expensive, you’ll need much less of it to nourish your beloved pet.
Cheaper brands of dog food also tend to much less specific about ingredients. They are often changed without warning which can upset your dog’s digestive system.
We’re certainly not saying you should spend more than you can afford. We would suggest that buying the best dog food within budget can be much more economical in the long haul than you might think.
A Final Word
We trust you’ve found these dog food reviews useful and informative. Hopefully, you can now easily plump for the most suitable food for the size, age and breed of dog you have.
Drop us a line if there’s anything specific you’d like us to look into at HomendGarden.
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