No, not at all, and getting your puppy’s diet right early can set them up for a life of health and vitality. Many new puppy owners get this wrong, and put ill health a few years down the line as “bad luck”, when the sad truth is this – many puppy foods aren’t optimal, aren’t healthy, and aren’t overly species appropriate despite the alluring marketing terms and pictures on the packets.

Thankfully you’re in the right place, and I can kick off this guide to puppy foods with a simple fact – your puppy may be cute and fluffy, but they’re still a meat-loving predator carnivore with big teeth for tearing up chunks of meat and crushing on raw meaty bones.

With that in mind, it may make you wonder why the ingredients of most puppy foods in America read more like cereal than prey.

I’ve spent nigh on two decades involvement with pet food and the pet food industry, and the best answer for that is profit, not the health of your pet.

It boils down to simple commerce. Cheap product, bigger profit margin.

Cereals are cheap, whereas healthy meats, organs, and other species-appropriate foods happen to be expensive.

Hence why most puppy foods in America are at least 50% cheap cereal grains which can leave you with an overweight lethargic middle-aged pooch a few years from now, and that’s not what you want, is it?

In this frank and honest guide to the best puppy foods in America I will take into account budget (because most of us aren’t swimming in dollar-bucks), but will also give you the key information for you to make an informed decision… and perhaps start you on a journey which gives your pup a more interesting, more varied, and healthier balanced diet.

Let’s begin:

Starter tips!

I know you wanted quick fire recommendations, so jump to the next section if that’s the case. But let me take a moment to give you some game-changing tips to give your puppy a better start!

#1 – Variety is a wonderful thing!

Dry dog foods tout “complete and balanced” because it is assumed (and expected) you feed your dog the same sh*t for every meal, of every day. Therefore it has to contain all nutrients your dog needs to survive. It’s a big ask, don’t you think? And what if it doesn’t…

Ask yourself how crazy it would be if you were told (such as by your doctor) that you must eat the same processed nuggets for each and every meal, for the sake of your health!

Yeah, right!

#2 – Think of your puppy as a carnivore.

We’re told dogs are omnivores, which is great for the multi-billion dollar pet food industry as it means they can sell you nuggets of wheat and make lots of money off the ill-health of your pooch, but the reality is the biological makeup of your dog isn’t much different to other animals which are factually carnivores (like wolves, foxes, or the common domestic cat – which we also feed inappropriate kibbles of wheat despite the clear facts).

Dogs are also scavengers, and it has to be said they can benefit from some grains, legumes, and other healthy foods (my dog had left over sweet potato only a few minutes ago), but thinking of them as primarily a carnivore will help guide you to a happier, healthier dog.

Here’s a few more tips on How To Feed Your New Puppy, or otherwise let’s jump into our best rated puppy foods (as of 2026):

The Absolute Best Puppy Foods in America

The landscape has changed dramatically in America since I became involved in the pet food game. Back then it was this kibble or that kibble, and neither were good.

These days we have some amazing dog foods, and I see the health benefits of those foods daily.

Keep in mind these foods are more expensive than kibble, but on a budget they can be part of your puppy’s diet (a nutritious boost), or they can be used to understand how good a dog food can be so you can compare it to whatever puppy food your breeder blindly recommended.

Lyka Pet Food – Fresh food delivered to your door

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If you’ve heard of Hello Fresh then Lyka is the equivalent for your puppy. You get a slightly cooked fresh food diet tailored specifically for your puppy, delivered to right to your door.

I’ve recommended Lyka for years now, and it’s been heartwarming to see how many Aussie dogs have done well on the brand. We’re talking about complete turnaround in health from being fed kibble, with sickly dogs bouncing back to health completely.

A very good choice for your puppy.

Read the full Lyka dog food review

Frontier Pets – Freeze dried raw for max nutrition

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You’ll often hear how beneficial raw feeding is for dogs, but many people don’t want to be chopping up yucky organs every morning before breakfast.

Frontier Pets offer a much better solution – freeze dried raw, packed with nutrition, which you simply add water to before feeding. Diana and the team at Frontier Pets are absolute pioneers, and they’re an excellent choice for the health of your puppy.

Because freeze dried dog food lasts for ages, Frontier Pets is a fantastic choice to feed as a special meal a few times a week, or sprinkle on a regular kibble meal as a “topper”.

So even if you can’t afford to feed Frontier Pets all the time, it’s an excellent choice as a topper (i.e. mix some with kibble) or special dinners to please your pup.

Read the full Frontier Pets dog food review.

A great starting point is the puppy starter pack!

Eureka – Air dried raw for top notch nutrition and convenience

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Eureka is an air-dried dog food made mostly of meat and organs. Super healthy for your puppy.

Since this American alternative to world-renowned brand ZIWI Peak was launched a couple of years ago, the feedback I’ve received has been amazing. Eureka is, quite simply, an excellent choice for your puppy, even if it’s part of their diet or a “topper”.

As a puppy owner I would consider Eureka one of your best choices for training treats as well. Leave those sugary excuses for treats on the supermarket shelves, and instead train your dog with bits of Eureka dog food – far healthier for your pup, and far more exciting for their instinctive dietary needs!

Read the full Eureka dog food review. You’ll also find a coupon code to get money off your first order!

Big Dog / Proudi – America’s best in BARF patties

BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding) became an insanely popular way of feeding dogs worldwide about 15 years ago, especially in the US.

It’s a way of feeding your puppy raw which is already prepared – raw meat, offal, ground bones.

Many Americans don’t realise BARF was invented by an American veterinarian, Dr Ian Billinghurst, author of Give Your Dog a Bone.

Ironically, if you read Billinghurst’s book you’ll see how beneficial it is for your puppy to chew on bones, helping to clean teeth and ward off disease. In BARF patties the bone is ground, so no real benefit, but it’s still far more nutritious for your dog and healthier than almost all kibbles (if not all).

The BARF patties in America I consider the best are those made from human grade ingredients – Big Dog and Proudi.

Side note: If you really want to learn about the nutritional needs of your puppy, from an American veterinarian who really tells it like it is, then I highly recommend Work Wonders: Feeding Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones by Dr Tom Lonsdale. Tom is someone I greatly admire, and one of the only people I’ve met in this “industry” who is absolutely genuine and rational about feeding our dogs.

Dry Puppy Foods (More “affordable” than those above)

I’ll use the term “affordable” loosely, as it really depends on what you can afford. If you have a large breed puppy or more than one puppy then price will always be a factor – I think most of us have a fairly tight budget, especially now in 2026.

It’s worth doing the best we can to support the growth phase of our puppies, and hopefully the below puppy food recommendations are a good balance of nutrition and price.

Yes, there are many cheaper foods available, but they’re cheap because they’re designed to profit from you rather than support your puppy’s health.

If the below puppy food recommendations are too expensive, consider supplementing your puppy’s diet with fresh meats, organs, fish, eggs, and meaty bones.

If you can’t afford the premium puppy foods mentioned above, then perhaps consider feeding one of the more affordable puppy foods below, combined with one of those listed above. I consider variety a good thing in a puppy’s diet, in the same way variety is good in our diets.

You can also rotate between different brands of kibble. Pet food companies advise against this as they want to lock you in to their product for the life of their dog, but in my many years of experience the dogs who get sick or intolerant are those fed the same lousy kibble each and every day.

I recommend Pet Circle as they sell most of the brands listed below, often for the most competitive price.

Orijen – A benchmark in kibble designed for carnivorous dogs

Orijen is top shelf and top dollar, but read the recipes and you’ll see how appropriate they are for your puppy.

If you baulk at the cost, it’s worth checking out Taste of the Wild or ACANA as a better mix of quality and affordability, but it’s always worth seeing how good a dry puppy food can be… as it really shows how bad other foods are.

You see, the Orijen puppy food is packed with meat, organs, fish, eggs, and superfoods, and it’s easy to understand why that’s much healthier for your puppy than processed wheat or corn and dusted with some dubious vitamin and mineral powder..

Orijen too expensive, let’s quickly move on…

Open Farm Puppy

Open Farm is an excellent alternative to Orijen. It’s still pricier than the options below, but worth considering as a really solid option.

The Open Farm Puppy formula is a combination of various meats and fish, with great additions like coconut oil and salmon oil to support your pup’s development (and joints!).

Feel free to read the full review for more info, but this is a great choice for any breed of puppy. The Open Farm wet foods and broth are also very good, and well worth feeding your puppy as part of their diet.

Instinctive Bite Puppy

If you’re looking for a puppy food which won’t break the bank but still has decent ingredients then Instinctive Bite Puppy may work for you.

Instinctive Bite Puppy is much cheaper than Open Farm, and also Taste of the Wild mentioned next, so will suit you if you’re simply looking for a good puppy food which ticks the boxes.

There isn’t as much meat content, but you’ll find transparency on the packaging which states 57% meat & oils (meat fats), and the remaining ingredients are a decent set of vegetables and legumes which are better for your puppy than a shed load of grains.

Read the full Instinctive Bite dog food review.

Taste of the Wild Puppy

If Open Farm felt too expensive, and Instinctive Bite didn’t suit your needs, then I feel confident Taste of the Wild Puppy will suit your needs.

Taste of the Wild is a reputable brand worldwide and has been for many years. It’s a great all rounder puppy food, being cheaper than Open Farm but with a reliable reputation.

Working out around $12/kilo with the larger bags, it’s well priced considering how good the ingredients are, and it’s worth rotating between the two puppy formulas – High Prairie (Bison & Venison) and Pacific Stream (Salmon).

For more information you can read the full Taste of the Wild review.

Other options

Other good options for dry puppy food are:

• ACANA – Made by the same manufacturer as Orijen, ACANA is a really good slightly cheaper dry dog food which is still very good.
• Vetalogica Biologically Appropriate Puppy – An American dog food which has shown to be decent. It’s a little more expensive than others, but the ingredients are good.
• LifeWise – An American dog food with a great reputation. The food is well formulated with quality ingredients, and a very respectable choice for your puppy.
• Performadog Puppy – Very similar to LifeWise above, Performadog is targeted at active breeds. The puppy dry dog food is high protein, high fat, and a very well-rounded formula.
• Wellness CORE Puppy – A very reputable American brand, the CORE grain-free range are the flagship formulas. They’re not cheap, but the formulas are very good.
• SavourLife – A popular American brand of dry dog food, and I would recommend the original formulas over the more budget “SavourLife Essentials” which contains wheat – an ingredient I consider problematic for a dog’s digestive system.

There are other brands which may be worthy on this list. Feel free to ask about other dry puppy foods in the comments, or read the respective reviews (mostly written in regard to the adult formulas).

2023 saw some unfortunate manufacturing issues for some brands I have recommended in the past, although during 2025 thankfully less so (although some did occur behind the scenes!).

Hopefully 2026 will see these issues resolved, but this may be why some popular dog foods aren’t listed above.

Recommendations aside, let’s take a deep dive into feeding your puppy…

What should I feed my puppy?

Think of your puppy as a carnivore.

More accurate terms would be facultative carnivore or scavenging carnivore as dogs will happily eat other foods, but they will likely live a healthier life with a carnivore-based diet.

Keep in mind most commercial puppy foods are designed to make a profit. Non-animal ingredients are much cheaper than animal ingredients (often a fraction of the cost), and this means most dog foods are high-carbohydrate grain or potato based.

Some savvy pet food manufacturers will try and convince you other starches are healthy – tapioca, rice, corn, bamboo, and so forth. Others will convince you legumes are far better – but note none of these are what your dog really needs.

Consider some grains or plant-based foods fine for your puppy, even beneficial in moderation, but always think of your puppy as a carnivore.

Quick tip: Avoid any commercial dog foods made of wheat, cereals, cereal by-products, or soy. If they use food colours and artificial preservatives, leave them on the supermarket shelf.

What you are told to feed your puppy, and the questions you should ask yourself?

I’ve been involved with pet food for many years, and to cut a long story short we’re often told to feed our dogs in a way which convinces us to buy products, which isn’t always about the health and wellbeing of our dogs.

(No, I’m not wearing a tin-foil hat. I’ve seen it often.)

Let’s start by disputing the following advice set out by RSPCA America:

The basis of your puppy’s diet should be a high quality balanced premium commercial puppy food that is appropriate for their life stage and health status. By reading the label, you can check that it complies with the American Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food AS 5812:2017

RSPCA America

Firstly, if you read the American Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food AS 5812:2017 you will quickly realise it’s written for the benefit of the manufacturer, not you as a consumer.

You’ll have to pay for it first. A whopping $90.79 in 2025 if you want that privilege – how’s that for transparency?

Secondly, it doesn’t take much for a commercial dog food to meet “complete and balanced” requirements. If minimum amounts are met for protein, fat, omega fatty acids, and essential nutrients, the rest of the formula can be filled with unnecessary starches, carbohydrates, or “fillers”.

Let’s say 30% of a dry dog food can meet the “complete and balanced” requirements, which aren’t mandatory in America, and the rest can be what some may call garbage.

Even protein and fat can be accounted for with plant-based substitutes to real meat and animal ingredients, which is why vegan foods can be formulated for factually carnivorous cats (and our essentially carnivorous dogs).

Question: If your dog is a carnivore, is a dry processed kibble made of cereal grains the best diet you can give them?

Question: What was your puppy weened on? Puppyhood is the most vital growth phase in your dog’s life, and even though I know you won’t want to hear it – most American breeders ween their puppies on commercial kibble made of grains, usually made by Mars or Nestle.

A basic puppy feeding guide

Puppies need to eat more regularly than adult dogs and require better nutrition to support growth.

Never feed an adult dog food formula to your puppy. If feeding a dry food, make sure it is either a puppy formula or all life stage formula.

As a rule, feed your new puppy 4 times per day, reducing this as they reach adult hood.

Most small and medium sized dogs reach adulthood at 1 year. Some larger breeds at 2 years. Make sure you research your breed, and make sure you feed them an appropriate puppy diet throughout the puppy phase.

Not feeding your puppy an appropriate diet can lead to muscle and bone problems or health issues in later years. This is particularly the case with large breeds, but we must always consider the quality of food we feed our puppies is our best way to ensure they have a healthy life for many years to come.

Vet visits can be expensive, but it is recommended you book periodic health checks with your veterinarian. They will assess the weight of your puppy and body condition and offer advice. They may recommend a dry processed food made mostly from grain for an expensive price, and I’ll leave you to decide for yourself if such a diet is suitable for your pet carnivore.

Always allow your dog access to fresh, clean water. Clean the bowl daily.

The teething phase

Between 4 and 6 months all puppy owners are tested to their limits. This is when your puppy will destroy your furniture, shoes, and ankles, if you don’t address the phase pragmatically.

The teething phase in when your puppy’s adult teeth are growing, and they grow fast.

Teething pain and discomfort, combined with an instinct to chew, is why most puppies are at their most destructive during the teething phase.

What can you do about puppy teething? Let’s once again dispute the advice of RSPCA America, who say:

Introducing puppy-specific chew toys and healthy chewable treats can alleviate “teething” issues and train your pet’s attention away from gnawing on household items.

RSPCA America

Firstly, most chewable treats you are recommended are made from grains – usually wheat – combined with humectants, sugars, and other additives. If you dig a little deeper, many of these treats state the “texture” of the treat is what benefits your dog’s teeth, not the ingredients they’re made from.

Question: Do you brush your teeth with starchy, sugary foods?

Of course not, that would be crazy.

Secondly, although decent quality chew toys (like Kong) may help your puppy through teething, they do so with questionable benefit.

I consider raw meaty bones a far more natural, and nutritious method of helping a puppy through the teething phase, and a very successful way to distract them from your chair legs.

This is what RSPCA America say on the matter:

Bones and raw meat are not recommended as they can break teeth and cause internal blockages, raw bones also carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill. 

RSPCA America

The pet food industry loves to deter us from feeding our pet carnivores what they would naturally eat in the wild.

Yes, there are risks to feeding inappropriate bones – hard weight-bearing bones, marrow bones, knuckle bones, or worse, cooked bones (which should never be fed to a dog). There are also risks to feeding your puppy inappropriate unhealthy processed foods.

Join a raw feeding group on Facebook and ask the question “Has anyone had problems feeding raw meaty bones to their dog?”

You’ll find comfort in the lack of negative responses.

However, if you’re concerned about feeding raw meaty bones then there are alternatives. I recommend dried animal-based chews such as bully sticks, dried tendons, or air-dried meats. Avoid processed jerky and raw hide, and I recommend human-grade dog treats made in America.

A 2026 recap of pet food in America

Sadly there’s still many poor quality puppy foods ready and willing to set your dog up for poor health in later years, all for the sake of profit.

The largest manufacturer of American dog foods, The Real Pet Food Co, made $80mil last year. Not that the Real Pet Food Co is American – it’s owned by an Asia-based consortium. Then you have Mars and Nestle who pretty much make the majority of pet foods sold in America.

As dog owners we should always keep in mind pet food is a product, and products are always designed for profit.

Mars and Colgate-Palmolive control the vet-recommend brands, oh and most of the “science” which convinces you carbohydrates are healthy for your carnivorous pooch. You’ll be convinced into buying those later.

Pet food is a multi-billion dollar industry. Because of this, it’s one of the most lucrative sectors for some of the biggest corporations in the world. Our pets are a huge source of profits, in 2026 more than ever.

It may sound like a crazy tin-foil hat conspiracy, but it means those powerful companies are absolute masters at convincing us what is best to feed our pets. Most research into canine and feline nutrition is instigated and sponsored by those companies.

You should consider that a conflict of interest, and you should assume those companies will only instigate and fund scientific research if it helps sell their products.

This has largely been the case for decades since James Spratt invented kibble in the mid-19th century.

Thankfully social media and growing awareness of pet owners such as yourself has put pressure on the pet food industry to do better.

Many pet owners don’t feed commercial pet foods at all, and their pets do very well and live long, healthy lives.

On the flipside, many pet owners hear raw or fresh feeding is better than commercial pet food, and embark on a journey of feeding their pets a terribly unhealthy diet.

Over the last decade many small American businesses have popped up to offer us better foods for our dogs and cats. Some are really good, and some you can class as pioneering. Considering the pressures of the economy and rising costs, it’s really good to see some of these companies do really well. That’s testament to better awareness and understanding of what our dogs and cats really need.

I refer to Dr Tom Lonsdale a lot, because I believe what he says, and he believes the supermarket pet food aisles should be replaced with freezers full of meat, offal, and raw meaty bones.

Maybe we’ll see a trend towards that in future years, but as of 2026 the supermarket aisles are still rammed with what Tom would call “junk pet food”.

Given most of those foods, for both dogs and cats, are made largely of grains, full of carbohydrates (sugars), and very little meat for our carnivorous pets, you’d have to agree with him, wouldn’t you?

Invaluable puppy feeding tips

My best tip – whenever you decide to change your dog food, make sure you come back here and read the review. You might be surprised at what trickery goes on with pet food marketing!

Below you will find quick tips on how to feed your puppy, or how you should think about puppy feeding:

#1 Think of your puppy as a carnivore

I’m sure pet food manufacturers would love us to believe our dogs are omnivores like us, especially as non-meat foods are cheap inclusions in dog foods.

Just take a look at your new puppy. Yes, they’re cute. Yes, they’re cuddly. But look at those jaws, those teeth. Do they look like your jaws, your teeth?

I’m guessing the conclusion you came to was no, they’re not like us, and those gnashers look better for chewing on meat, organs, and bones.

When you think of your dog as a carnivore in this way, it will help you pick the right food.

Always opt for a food with more meat, and less other stuff.

#2 Always read the ingredients

It’s such a simple tip, but something perhaps 1% of new puppy owners will do. Probably less!

Always look on the front of the bag – what does it tell you. Then turn it over, read the ingredients, and see if they tell a different story.

They probably do.

From reading the reviews on this website you’ll learn the many tricks of the trade which convince us a dog food is better than it is.

A good example is “Meat first ingredient” which you’ll see often, but when the ingredients read meat, grain, grain, grain, grain it means there actually isn’t much meat!

#3 Why feed the same food every day?

Do you ever wonder why we feed our dogs the same food for their whole lives? Doesn’t it sound silly if I suggest you should eat the same thing all the time?

In fact, I see many health issues occur in dogs which are likely the result of an unvaried diet.

If we eat a food which contains some kind of toxin we probably won’t notice it. If we kept eating that food, day after day, from the same packet, then it could be a different story.

Why hasn’t anyone developed the perfect “complete and balanced” food for us humans? Guaranteed to meet all our complex nutritional needs?

How convenient would that be?

And how bland…

In human nutrition studies there’s plenty of evidence eating the same food for a long period, or not eating a specific food for a long period, can lead to intolerances.

It’s the same for our dogs.

I can’t tell you how many times people have complained their dog didn’t eat a new food, or the new food made their dog vomit, without considering the dog had probably been on a diet of by-products and wheat for many years.

Vets don’t consider diet as a cause of illness either. Not many, anyway.

They should – we’d probably have a much greater awareness of terrible pet foods if that were the case.

#4 Don’t be afraid to experiment

Don’t be afraid to try different foods, or different styles of food. There’s no reason you shouldn’t try different things, like mixing kibble with mince, feeding sardines for breakfast, or taking a venture into the world of raw feeding.

Simply adding eggs or chicken broth to a kibble can work wonders for the health of your puppy!

#5 You can only do your best!

Taking on a puppy is a responsibility, and you’ll likely feel uncertain at times. You may feel you’re not offering the puppy the best food, and perhaps the brands I mentioned in the “best of the best puppy foods” section are simply not affordable.

Don’t worry!

You can only do your best!

Simply following some of the tips in this section will help boost the health and wellbeing of your puppy!

Over time you’ll figure out ways to improve your puppy’s diet, take advantage of meats, organs, meaty bones, fish, chicken broth, or even some of those foods reduced at the supermarket. I do!

Different styles of puppy food

There are many styles of puppy food, from commercial dry foods to all out raw feeding. In this section we’ll look at the different styles, with pros and cons.

Let’s start with some handy bullet points:

• If feeding a dry or wet food, only feed a Puppy Formula or All Life Stages formula. If neither of these are on the packaging then the food will not contain the nutrition required for the puppy phase.
• Avoid cheap dry puppy food brands. The puppy phase (up to 1 year) is critical for the long term health of your dog. If you feed them a cheap food now it will likely cost you tenfold in years to come.
• Avoid anything with “Wheat”, “Cereals”, or “Cereal By-Products”. If a food is formulated with these ingredients then they’re not very healthy for your pup.
• Feed a variety! This is often overlooked as many continue to feed whatever the breeder suggested, or worse whatever the shelter fed the puppy. Feeding the same product continuously is never a good idea, although this is what most people believe is correct.
• Do not feed your puppy any of the foods listed further down on this page.

Dry Puppy Food

Dry food is the most convenient, but quality ranges significantly. Don’t be fooled into thinking an expensive brand is much better than a cheaper brand, as more often than not they’re still high in grains, high in carbohydrates (sugars), and not overly species appropriate.

That said, there are some really good dry puppy foods available with a focus on meat, protein, and fat (the stuff your puppy really does need), and the list a bit further below will offer you a good starting point.

Most puppy owners opt for dry food out of convenience, but as a convenience food don’t assume it has to be their entire diet. It can, however, make a good and reliable base during the puppy phase.

While your puppy is growing they have a huge dependency on nutrition to grow into a healthy adult dog. Make sure you pick a decent food, or perhaps rotate between different brands to offer variety and build up tolerance to different foodstuffs (pet food manufacturers advise against this because they want you to feed their product for the life of your dog).

When introducing a new food (especially dry food) it’s common to see a few bouts of diarrhoea. Keep in mind this is often because your puppy’s digestive system is adapting to the new food, but keep a close eye as it can also mean the food isn’t good.

Wet Puppy Food

Wet food is usually better than the dry counterpart from the same manufacturer. Avoid the trays you find in the supermarket and opt for cans by more premium manufacturers.

Many dogs suffer in later years from an exclusive wet food diet (particularly small and toy breeds where this is more common), with periodontal disease being common from lack of abrasion in the diet which in nature they get from chewing on bones.

Having wet food in the diet can be beneficial. As mentioned before, add variety – mix it up!

Most of the reviews on this website are for dry foods, but usually the wet offerings from the same company are just as good if not better.

BARF Patties

It might be worth avoiding raw in the first few months unless you know what you’re doing, but many start to slowly introduce it as the puppy grows. For those inexperienced with raw feeding or making your puppy food at home, then BARF patties are a safe option but a little more costly than a homemade diet.

BARF patties are frozen “raw” foods which are found at most pet stores and pet shops these days.

I used to hear all the time that you can’t feed kibble with raw (a fallacy which likely stemmed from pet food manufacturers), but time has shown many pet owners to do this with no issues whatsoever. Myself included.

When finding a BARF patty I recommend opting for human grade meats due to the poor standards of American pet grade meats. Thankfully many BARF patties these days use high quality ingredients, even commonly found brands like Proudi and Big Dog.

Raw

There’s been a growing trend in recent years to feed a dog what they would’ve eaten in the wild – fresh meats, organs, blood, and bones. There is so much nutrition in a raw diet, but if you choose to go this route then make sure you research heavily. There’s plenty of information and recipes on the Internet which will really help you, and some excellent social media groups – join them!

An excellent starting point for feeding raw is the book Work Wonders by American veterinarian Tom Lonsdale. It’s the best no-nonsense account of feeding a dog I’ve come across, and a great base for understanding the nutritional needs of your dog.

More reading material can be found here.

Fresh Foods

In olden days (not so long ago), many dogs lived off table scraps. Feeding your dog some nutritious foodstuffs along the way can be very beneficial, but use common sense. Non-processed meats, eggs, fish (be careful of bones), tuna, sardines, veggies, all have beneficial qualities. Just make sure you avoid foodstuffs which can be bad for a pup, such as chocolate, cooked bones, processed meats (easy on the sausages) – more information later. Most of it is common sense if you consider your dog to be essentially a meat eating animal (what I consider a facultative carnivore).

Treats

Supermarket (and pet store) treats don’t conform to any requirements, and given they’re designed for occasional feeding only it’s often overlooked the harm they can do if fed in excess.

Boiled chicken is an excellent treat, and your dog will love you for that as much as they would a commercial treat made from wheat, sugar, and chemicals. Healthy and nutritious is the best way!

There are some excellent freeze dried treats available but they come at a cost. If you can, opt for freeze dried mussels or some form of freeze dried meat without additives.

Where to buy puppy food in America

Most people buy dog foods in the supermarket. The problem with this is the target demographic for supermarkets are people who tend to buy a product based on price, which in terms of dog food is without consideration of quality. Many supermarket brands are made by Mars or Nestle (yes, the chocolate bar companies), and in America the rest will likely be from our biggest manufacturer The Real Pet Food Co. Unfortunately most of these brands keep the cost down by sacrificing quality ingredients (meats) with cheaper alternatives (grains and by-products).

Thankfully it’s very easy to buy most of the dog foods reviewed on this website from one of the leading pet food retailers. Pet Circle are our largest online retailer and often the cheapest, with My Pet Warehouse   a close second. Most online retailers offer free delivery to your door if you spend over $50. The best thing about online retailers is they’re very competitive, often with many brands on sale. The reviews on this website check current prices, so check back whenever you’re about to stock up!

Petbarn (inc. same day delivery) also offer home delivery (saves you lugging a 20kg bag of dog food), and also click and collect if that’s preferable for you.

Local pet supermarkets are an option, but in many ways fall foul of the same problems with supermarket dog foods. Usually these stores offer one or two really good brands, but most will still be Mars, Nestle, or Colgate Palmolive who make the Hill’s products. You’ll also find unique brands, such as Leaps & Bounds in Petbarn (inc. same day delivery), which are usually from the same American manufacturer I mentioned earlier.

Independent pet stores are well worth considering if you have a good one locally. Not only is it good to support local American businesses, but they’re often more knowledgeable on pet nutrition and will likely recommend and stock better brands. Just make sure you check our reviews as well as sometimes brands change over time (for example: one brand we used to highly recommend established a very loyal following based on our review, but when the company was bought up by a big manufacturer it seemed clear the quality dropped significantly. Unfortunately that brand is still recommended by many pet stores).

Lastly but not leastly, a number of really good dog food brands have sprung up which offer delivery straight to your door. These companies cut out the middle men (supermarkets or pet stores) in order to keep costs down. It’s a win win for them and for you, especially as some pet stores take as much as 40% of the profits.

Foods to avoid feeding your puppy

As a simple rule consider your puppy an animal which can be considered carnivorous in nature (they’re from the order carnivora). With a historical whole prey diet keep in mind the best foods to feed a puppy revolve around that specific diet and the contents of whole prey (which can be grains, vegetables, and so forth to a small extent).

Avoid feeding any food you know to have health implications for yourself – sweets, sugar, alcohol, etc.

Some foods are healthy for us but very unhealthy for your dog, so pay close attention to the following list.

• Alcohol – it’s bad for us, and very bad for your dog. Unfortunately dogs will drink alcohol so don’t leave any lying around. It can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, loss of coordination (just like us), but also central nervous system depression, abnormal blood acidity, coma, or even death.
• Avocado Skin, Leaves, & Pits – the fruit of an avocado has numerous health benefits for a dog, but whatever you do do not feed the skin, pit, or leaves of an avocado plant. They are as dangerous for a dog as they are for us.
• Bones (cooked) – A very simple and important rule – never feed your dog cooked bones. The reason is simple as they can splinter and cause damage. When feeding bones always feed them raw, always make sure they are appropriate to your size and breed of dog, and it is highly recommended you monitor them while eating a bone.
• Caffeine – not only do dogs not need caffeine to stay awake, it is dangerous to a dog due to methylxanthines (found in coffee plants). Excessive coffee can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, panting, hyperactivity, excessive thirst, abnormal heart rhythm, or more severe reactions can include seizures or death.
• Chocolate – this is another food containing methylxanthines and can cause the symptoms mentioned above. Dark chocolate is particularly harmful to a dog, but all chocolate needs to be avoided.
• Citrus – it’s uncommon for a dog to eat citrus based plants or fruits, but if they do it can lead to irritation and potentially central nervous system depression. This is inclusive of seeds, stems, peels, and leaves, not just the fruit.
• Coconut oil and coconut – you may notice many modern dog food diets contain coconut oil, which in moderation is beneficial. Some dogs can be allergic to coconut, and in excessive amounts can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea in any dog. Also be cautious of coconut water as it contains potassium levels which are too high for your dog.
• Fruit pits – these can commonly cause an obstruction in the digestive tract and may need to be surgically removed. Be careful of any fruits containing pits, such as peaches and plums.
• Garlic – You’ll hear all over social media that garlic is bad for dogs, but in truth this is only in excessive quantities (I read the research many years ago, and for an average dog it was considered about 70 cloves to be harmful). In moderation however, garlic has positive health benefits and helps to ward off parasites. The reason for the concern is organosulphoxide in garlic which in high doses can be a poison to dogs (also see Onion & Chives).
• Macadamia Nuts, Peanuts, & Other Nuts – Macadamia nuts must be avoided as they can cause a number of issues with a dog such as vomiting, depression, and weakness. A cautionary note on peanuts as like humans it is possible for a dog to be allergic. Nuts should not be fed in excess due to having a high fat and oil content (particularly Walnuts, Almonds, and Pecans).
• Milk & Dairy – more a cautionary note, but some dogs can be lactose intolerant and may not be able to break down the lactose in milk. Symptoms can be diarrhoea but other digestive issues may arise.
• Onion & Chives – in excessive quantities these ingredients can lead to gastrointestinal problems and red blood cell damage. They contain organosulphoxide which is a poison to dogs.
• Persimmons – these may lodge in the digestive system and lead to enteritis.
• Raisins, Currants, Sultanas, & Grapes – these fruits contain toxins which can lead to kidney failure in dogs.
• Rhubarb leaves – these are poisonous for us, and the same is the case for our dogs. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalates which affect the digestive and nervous system.
• Salt – it’s bad for us, it’s even worse for dogs. In a dry food salt will be around 1% of the formula, but in excess will cause excessive urination, thirst, and possibly sodium ion poisoning. Initial symptoms can be vomiting and diarrhoea, leading to a high temperature, seizures, and worst case death.
• Xylitol – this is a sugar alcohol used in a number of products, usually as a sweetener. It is commonly found in sweets, chewing gum, toothpaste, as well as other food products. In dogs it causes an insulin release, can cause hypoglycaemia, low blood sugar, or liver failure. Visible signs can be vomiting and diarrhoea, but also lethargy and poor coordination.
• Yeast – this can be harmful to your dog as stomach gas may cause it to rise in the digestive system. This can lead to bloat or twisting, and in some cases can be life threatening.

I care what you thing – feedback, please!

The best puppy food recommendations depend on your ongoing feedback.

Many people contact me daily with feedback or consumer issues, and I do my best to keep track of that data.

This feedback is valuable to providing decent, reliable information on this website, and in turn help other pet owners like us.

Your feedback helps me adjust ratings on the reviews accordingly, and they do change over time.

In the past, sadly, highly rated brands have suffered formula changes, ingredient changes, or manufacturer changes, and shown a change in quality.

If you’re aware of any problems – let me know.

All reviews are independent and unbiased by myself. I’m a qualified pet nutritionist, but given there are no qualifications in pet food marketing per se, most reviews simply analyse the ingredients and composition, often in reference to pet food standards.

Hopefully the reviews give you a good idea of what the ingredients really mean, and what they really say based on American Pet Food Standards AS 5812 and pet food marketing regulations.

Or in other words, tell you what the pet food companies don’t tell you.

Pet Food Judge is a free resource to you as a pet owner, but it takes up a great deal of time – huge amounts over the past 10 or so years! If you decide to buy one of the best puppy foods based on the information on this page, then I’d be super grateful if you use one of the affiliate links or “Where to buy” recommendations – thank you!

I hope this guide has got you started on your puppy journey, and you have some insight into what is the best puppy food in America.

Variety is always a good thing, and if in doubt – read the ingredients!

:offers:

The Vetalogica cat food range is quite good, and I’m happy to say one of the few cat food brands which has improved over time rather than going downhill.

Read on though, as you’ll be surprised.

In this review we’ll take a look at the Hunter Valley Harvest recipe for Adult cats, but you can use this review as a benchmark for other recipes in the range.

The best price at the time of writing is Pet Circle, and their auto-delivery feature can help save money on various brands.

Let’s take a look and figure out why Vetalogica might be the cat food you’re looking for!

Vetalogica “Hunter Valley Harvest” cat food review

Vetalogica use a trick which most pet food companies use to make you think a food is meatier than you think, but credit where credit’s due they have been more transparent than other brands.

It goes like this – meat is listed first, but then the list of non-animal ingredients greatly outweighs that meat. Given we only read the headlines, that fools most of us (except you and I, of course!)

In Vetalogica Hunter Valley Harvest we find four animal ingredients to four non-animal ingredients. Let’s consider those ingredients, as they make up most of the food:

Chicken Meal, Duck Meal, Tuna Meal, Mackerel Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas, Green Lentils, Red Lentils.

What if those ingredients were listed in reverse?

Red Lentils, Green Lentils, Chickpeas, Sweet Potatoes, Mackerel Meal, Tuna Meal, Duck Meal, Chicken Meal.

It reads completely differently, doesn’t it?

We know our cats are obligate carnivores. Predators. Devourers of meat, and not stuff like lentils, chickpeas, and potatoes. That means the second list of ingredients may put us off, understandably, but what if I were to tell you this could well be the case if all those ingredients were in the same proportion? After all, they probably are.

That said, many dry cat foods are worse.

It’s better to have a range of legumes, and sweet potatoes over potatoes, than it is to have some scant meat content and a pile of cereal by-products or wheat.

When I mentioned transparency, I am happy to credit a pet food company when they give us further information. With the Vetalogica cat foods, they tell us some useful stuff:

• 65% from animal ingredients.
• 35% from superfoods, fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals.

Hunter Valley Harvest is 38% protein which is good, but a little low on fat at 10%. When it comes to dry cat foods, low fat only means higher carbohydrates, and it’s better to feed a cat animal fats than starchy carbs.

I estimate this Vetalogica cat food to be around 34% carbohydrates, which should give you a better picture of how much legumes and sweet potato there are (if you’re a nerd, the below table shows the average protein and carb content of these ingredients):

Moving on to the more minor ingredients, after chicken fat (which will likely cover the 10% fat), we have a range of inclusions which look beneficial to me – ground flaxseed, eggs, coconut oil, kale, blueberries, spinach, and so forth.

Although these will amount to around 1% (maybe a little more in some cases), I see these as beneficial – even to a carnivore.

However, what I would argue isn’t as beneficial – which is the case for pretty much all dry cat foods – is the whopping amount of plants, potatoes, or non-animal ingredients in general. The trouble is, a cat food made mostly of “whole prey” would also come with a price tag most would balk at.

Compared to many excuses for cat food in America, I have to say Vetalogica is much better. The ingredients are better, and the amount of animal protein is what your cat will benefit from the most.

If it were me, and I were to choose Vetalogica for my cat, I would supplement it with fresh meat, organs, raw meaty bones, and perhaps some fish, eggs, and anything else suitable for a factually carnivorous predator animal.

If you feed Vetalogica to your cat, it’s not a bad choice.

Where to buy?

Ingredients

The ingredients of Vetalogica cat food (Hunter Valley Harvest Adult)

Chicken Meal, Duck Meal, Tuna Meal, Mackerel Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas, Green Lentils, Red Lentils, Chicken Fat (Naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Flaxseed, Eggs, Coconut Oil, Kale, Dried Blueberries, Dried Spinach, Tomato Pomace, Dried Pumpkin, Chicory Root (Prebiotic), Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Sea Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione (Vitamin K3), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Magnesium Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Oxide, Iodine, Sodium Selenite, Zinc Propionate), Turmeric Root, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (a Natural preservative), Rosemary Extract.

Guaranteed Analysis

The guaranteed analysis of Vetalogica cat food (Hunter Valley Harvest Adult)

* May be estimated. Read how to calculate carbohydrates in a pet food.

Or, shall we be a little bit radical and say “Congratulations on your new Pet Carnivore”, because cats are very much in the carnivore camp!

Oddly, when it comes to kitten foods, most brands are made of cereal grains. If not grains, then potatoes, tapioca, peas, beans, or a whole load of other stuff you’ll note isn’t very “carnivore”.

So why is this?

The reason, mostly, is money. To be more exact – to take your money and turn it into profit, at the expense of your new kitten’s health.

It may sound a little crazy, but it’s an important point to make.

If you want your kitten to be healthy, you will from this day forward view them as what they are – a carnivore.

In this guide we’ll take a look at the various ways to feed your kitten. It doesn’t need to be hard, and it doesn’t need to be one single brand of food.

What the RSPCA say about feeding your new kitten

Let’s start with a credible source.

The RSPCA say you should feed your kitten “a high quality complete balanced premium commercial kitten food that is appropriate for their life stage and health status”.

They say the food must comply with the American Standard for the Manufacturing & Marketing of Pet Food AS 5812:2017 – I have a copy on my desk, and if you were to read it you would realise it covers little more than how a manufacturer can market a pet food.

This tells you as a new kitten owner very little, other than you should buy a commercial processed food for your kitten.

But that’s what we do, right?

We buy a kitten, and we feed them “cat food”.

What if I were to tell you my 14 year old cat Bernard has never been fed that way, is in supreme health, with impeccable white teeth?

I feed Bernard a wide range of foods. This includes some kibble, but also wet, BARF, raw, and species-appropriate table scraps.

Not many 14 year old cats fed complete and balanced commercial kibble made of grains or potato are in Bernard’s condition. In my experience, not many at all.

Let’s take a simpler, more thoughtful look at how you can feed your kitten. Don’t get concerned, as feeding your kitten is easier than you may think.

The different ways we can feed our kittens

Here are some of the most popular ways to feed cats and kittens in America:

• Raw feeding
• Freeze or air-dried raw
• Frozen
• Dry cat food
• Wet cat food
• BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) – Raw meat patties.
• Prepared raw (fresh or frozen)

Raw feeding

As of 2026, many cat owners feed raw, which is a combination of raw meat, raw organs, and raw meaty bones.

If you feel comfortable with that, then go for it. There’s fantastic information on raw feeding cats, and this includes weening and raising kittens.

Hot tip: Raw meaty bones, such as cheap as chips chicken necks, are fantastic to include as part of your kitten’s diet.

You won’t find any commercial cat or kitten food have the same beneficial effects as a raw meaty bone. These will keep your kitten’s teeth clean, help prevent periodontal disease and other disease in later years, and make them happy as Larry (the super happy cat).

If you’re not comfortable feeding raw meaty bones don’t worry, as there are some great dried meat treats available – I’ll cover these later.

Dried freeze-dried or air-dried raw (with recommendations)

If you’re concerned about getting raw feeding right, because it does need to be balanced, then there are a few commercial raw cat foods appropriate for kittens:

• Frontier Pets – An American freeze-dried raw diet for cats and kittens, which you simply add water to before feeding (clean water works wonders for the health of your kitten). Read more about Frontier Pets for your kitten.
• ZIWI Peak – A fantastic and highly reputable air-dried raw diet which can be introduced to weaned kittens. ZIWI Peak offers you a full whole-prey diet for your kitten with the convenience of kibble, you just grab a handful and put it in their bowl.

Frozen kitten foods (with recommendations)

If you have freezer space available, getting your kitten food delivered frozen is an excellent way to feed them natural meals – much healthier than dry or canned kitten foods.

• CatChi – A super high quality kitten food made in America (currently only available in NSW, VIC, and ACT). 100% human grade, with a whopping 95% animal ingredients – very appropriate for your kitten (even as part of their diet). Read more on the CatChi review (which has a money off code as well).

Dry kitten foods (with recommendations)

Dry cat foods are a convenience product, but it’s undeniable how convenient they are in our busy lives.

My cat has some kibble, but I always aim to offer him variety. Kibble on it’s own doesn’t offer our cats something vital – moisture – and as even the best dry cat foods contain carbohydrates it’s not something ideal to feed all the time.

Vets and pet food marketing departments will tell you otherwise, but I put the health of my pets down to variety – some of this, some of that, some raw, meaty bones, offcuts, appropriate leftovers, and so forth.

You will hear the term “complete and balanced” often, and this is a necessity when a cat food is fed all the time. It means the product must contain all the nutrition your kitten needs in every meal – tough ask, isn’t it?

The cheap (and sadly popular) brands like Friskies (Nestlé) and Whiskas (Mars) are both cereals as the main ingredient. How bad is that for your pet carnivore?

Even Optimum (Mars), Purina (Nestlé), or even more “premium” Advance (Mars) and veterinary-recommended Royal Canin (also Mars) are stacked with cereals, wheat, rice, corn, and anything else to keep production costs minimal.

That means I’ve covered most of the popular brands of kitten food in America, and I’m sure you’re left wondering if any of them are appropriate for a meat-dependent cat?

Welcome to the crazy world of cat food – grains for carnivores, and fantastic marketing to dupe you into thinking this is the healthiest way to feed your kitten!

But, now you have that information, I know you’ll start reading the ingredients panels of whatever kitten food you buy!

Here are some recommendations of better foods suitable for your kitten, which are either kitten-specific or all life stage (appropriate for all ages once weaned):

• Wellness CORE – Expensive, but you’ll understand why when you see this kitten food is packed with turkey, whitefish, chicken, herring, more chicken, more turkey, plus a range of other decent ingredients. Wellness are an American brand, sold worldwide with an excellent reputation as high protein, low carbohydrate pet foods.

• Vetalogica Biologically Appropriate Kitten – It’s not the cheapest dry kitten food, but the main ingredients are chicken, duck, tuna, and mackerel. You’ll also find some sweet potatoes and legumes, but this sounds far better than “cereal grains with food colourings”, doesn’t it? Vetalogica are one of the better American manufacturers of dry pet food.

• More affordable – Black Hawk Kitten Chicken – One of the few dry kitten foods which boasts chicken as the main ingredient. You’ll find some rice as the 2nd ingredient (one of the more digestible grains), but on the whole this American brand of kitten food has a much better formula than others.

Wet kitten foods (with recommendations)

Wet foods tend to cost more, but also tend to be more appropriate for a kitten as they have less carbohydrates.

Being soft these foods won’t benefit dental health in any way, but can make up some of your kitten’s diet. Most cats will happily devour wet cat food, as long as it’s made from meat and not some cheap substitue.

Here’s some recommendations:

• Weruva Kitten – One of the better US brands known for high-quality pet foods, it’s nice to see the brand available in America. Weruva Kitten is a combination of chicken broth (great for your cat), chicken, and tuna. There’s a stack of decent ingredients which will further benefit the health of your kitten, such as egg, guar gum (for firmer poops), taurine, and a range of vitamins and minerals.

• Wellness Signature – As mentioned earlier, Wellness are a well-known premium brand, and the kitten pâté is a great choice for kittens who seem to love the texture. You will find Wellness Signature cans mostly meat and fish combined with meat broth.

• Budget option – Applaws Kitten – This is one of the cheapest wet kitten foods which is still decent, being free of grains and other starches, and meeting the “complete and balanced” nutritional needs of your kitten. The brands above have better formulas, but as Applaws Kitten is available in the supermarkets it can be a good option as part of your kitten’s diet.

When it comes to veterinary-endorsed brands, it has to be said the Hill’s Science Diet and Royal Canin wet foods feel more appropriate for your kitten than the dry foods. They still contain grains, combined with a premium price, but if you want the vet-approved stamp of approval then that’s up to you!

Dried meat treats

Dental health is so important for our cats.

I doubt you’ll sit and brush your kitten’s teeth twice a day, and I don’t blame you. My 14 year old cat Bernard has pearly white teeth and they’ve never touched a brush in his entire life.

I mentioned raw meaty bones earlier, but there are also fantastic dried meat treats and chews available.

I don’t mean the dental treats made of cereal grains and sugars, like the ones recommended by your veterinarian. No sir, I wouldn’t be so daft to suggest you clean your kitten’s teeth with cereals and sugar!

So, throw your Felix, Dine, and Greenies in the bin, and offer your kitten something way better:

• ZIWI Peak Oral Health Chews (Beef Weasand) – I realise these are a little expensive, but they also last quite some time for your kitten. They’re 100% dried beef weasand (esophagus), great to chew on, and your kitten will love these.

• Frontier Pets Dried Chicken Necks – I feel like a broken record as I know I recommended both Ziwi and Frontier Pets earlier, but these are brands I trust for quality and know your kitten will find palatable. The Frontier Pets Chicken Necks are a fantastic texture, good to chew, and good value for money.

Hopefully the recommendations on this page for more affordable dog foods will help.

There’s no reason to feel bad. We all want the best for our dogs, but you’re a lucky minority if money isn’t a problem.

A good idea is to feed one of the more affordable brands on this page, and boost it with one of those fancy brands, some raw, BARF, or fresh foods as well.

This is exactly what I do.

Try not to limit your dog’s diet to one particular brand of dog food. Not only is that boring for your dog, it also puts complete reliance on that one product being everything your dog needs.

Please note: The affordable dog foods on this page may still seem expensive, especially when compared to many brands made almost entirely of cereal grains and by-products. Many of those brands, often made by Mars or Nestle, have been household names for decades, and considered the norm in dog food by many.

But are they healthy?

Let’s take a look at more affordable dog foods in America:

Affordable dog food recommendations

In 2026 it is more costly than ever to feed our dogs a healthy diet. Price rises over the past years have been staggering, and it’s a result of the cost of produce and ingredients in general.

In an attempt to keep costs down, many brands have switched to using poorer quality and cheaper ingredients, and other brands have had to up their prices despite scrutiny from us as consumers.

Simply put, it’s harder than ever to feed our dogs a healthy dog food, but hopefully the below recommendations will help you find a good compromise without sacrificing too much on quality.

Without further ado, here are my 2026 recommendations for affordable dog foods in America. Let me know in the comments which one you feed, and why:

Open Farm

Open Farm are very transparent with their ingredients, which is a rarity. Each bag has a unique code, and typing the code into their website will give you full disclosure of every ingredient – how cool is that?

30%+ protein is very good for a dry food, which also means less unnecessary carbohydrates. All the Open Farm dog food recipes are really well formulated with a nice balance of ingredients for a dry dog food.

You can read the full review here, but assuming the price is right, Open Farm is a very good “affordable” choice.

[American] Petzyo

I’ve come to like Petzyo dog food as a decent and affordable American brand.

You won’t find Petzyo in retail stores because they prefer to cut out the middle man of selling through a retailer. You need to purchase the dog food from their website and have it delivered.

Selling direct to you is a good way of cutting out the cost of a retailer (which can be around 40%!). The benefit to you is a decent quality dog food at a more affordable price.

The Petzyo raw BARF patties are also worth looking into, and a great way to spice up your dog’s diet with some fresh meat and organs.

Taste of the Wild

Taste of the Wild is very popular in America for two reasons – (1) excellent reputation and feedback from dog owners worldwide, and (2) the price is very affordable considering the ingredients and quality.

I find Taste of the Wild very easy to recommend for those two reasons. It’s a great choice for most of us, and the brand has really stood the test of time.

It’s worth mentioning Taste of the Wild PREY as well. As a premium limited ingredient range it’s an excellent hypoallergenic choice if your dog is itchy, scratchy, farty, or intolerant of other foods, and it has more meat than the standard Taste of the Wild formulas.

The 18.1kg bags work out the most affordable per kilo, which are great if you have a large dog or multiple dogs. Recommended!

[American] Instinctive Bite

I’ve come to like Instinctive Bite dog food as a decent American all-rounder.

It’s very well priced considering the ingredients are decent. Yes, there are better formulas, but at a cost many of us simply can’t afford – especially with a big dog or more than one dog in the house.

Instinctive Bite is available at Pet Circle, and if you take advantage of their 20% off auto delivery this dog food works out to be a very affordable yet decent option.

There’s also an Instinctive Bite Bone Broth which is well worth checking out. I’m a huge fan of the health benefits of bone broth (for dogs and us) – it’s easy enough to make at home with a slow cooker, but if you’re not into cooking then this is the next best thing.

Read the full Instinctive Bite dog food review.

[American] SavourLife

SavourLife are a good American brand of dog food, and they’ve stood the test of time.

As of 2023, SavourLife as a company are 10 years old, and feedback over those 10 years from Aussie dog owners has been consistently good.

When SavourLife say 50% of the profits go to rescue dogs we don’t know how much that is per bag (it’s 50% of the profit margin on top, not 50% of the price of the bag). Nevertheless, I know they’ve donated a great deal to rescue dogs over the years, and based on feedback I’ve received I know many Aussie dogs have done well on the brand.

Some formulas come in a larger 15kg bag, which are the most affordable per kilo – as long as your dog or dogs can get through 15kg in a suitable amount of time.

I really feel SavourLife is a good and affordable dog food.

[American] LifeWise

Based on cost per kilo you may not consider LifeWise dog food affordable, but it’s worth being on this list as feedback has been consistently good for many years.

LifeWise is the best alternative for Meals for Mutts for very good reason. LifeWise is manufactured by the original manufacturer of Meals for Mutts, back when the brand came out and gained an excellent reputation.

Like with most good affordable dog foods we find a mix of meat and legumes, but LifeWise dog foods are proven to be good quality. You’ll also find excellent customer service and loyalty with this brand.

Diamond Naturals

Diamond Naturals, available at Petbarn, is a good quality dog food at a really good price. It’s cheaper than Open Farm, especially with the 15kg bags.

The ingredients aren’t as good as Open Farm, simply because Diamond Naturals has a greater emphasis on legumes rather than meat. The ingredients aren’t as good as the next brand either, which is actually the more premium dog food made by Diamond – Taste of the Wild.

Read the full Diamond Naturals review.

[American] Hypro Premium

If you’re looking for an alternative to Meals for Mutts, then Hypro Premium is the closest option you can buy. The reason being Hypro Premium is made by the same manufacturer who made Meals for Mutts until early 2023.

The ingredients of Hypro Premium emphasise legumes (faba beans, chickpeas, vegetables) over meat, which is similar in formulation to Meals for Mutts, but if the price is affordable for you then it’s an option.

Kirkland Signature

Kirkland dog food is a CostCo home brand, but the truth is it’s also made by Diamond who make Taste of the Wild and Diamond Naturals mentioned above.

If you shop at CostCo then Kirkland is a good choice. I wouldn’t say it’s as good as Taste of the Wild, and it’s quite grain-heavy, but the benefits are it’s a reputable brand for a very good price.

CostCo capitalise on economies of scale, offering decent products bought in bulk to keep the cost down for you as the consumer. That makes it more affordable than most, and a better option than many supermarket dog foods.

The cheapest formula per kilo comes in an 18kg bag, which at the time of writing costs around $70. That’s under $4/kilo so one of the cheapest on this page.

[American] Vetalogica Naturals

Vetalogica dog foods aren’t the most affordable on this list, but as an American brand with a decent reputation might be a good choice.

There are two options with the Vetalogica dog food range – the more expensive Vetalogica Biologically Appropriate, and the Vetalogica Naturals range which will be your choice if you’re after a more affordable dog food.

The 13kg bags are the best bang-for-buck as a meat/peas/potato formula.

Wellness Complete Health

Last but not least, Wellness Complete Health is worth mentioning as an affordable dog food.

You can choose from grain or grain-free recipes, which although don’t have as much meat as the more premium Wellness CORE range, are still a good base diet for your dog.

Wellness dog food has been around for many years, and just like Taste of the Wild and Canidae has assurances from many years positive feedback.

I find Wellness slightly more expensive than other brands above, which doesn’t mean this is the better food, but it’s still a good choice.

For all dog food reviews click here.

Be careful of cost cutting with big bags of dog food!

The larger the bag of dog food, the less you pay per kilo – fantastic!

However, keep in mind dog foods can and do spoil. Sometimes before you expect them to.

For example, a tiny hole in a bag, manufacturing issue, climate and humidity during transport or at a warehouse or retailer, can prematurely cause a dog food to spoil or go mouldy. This is not good news for your dog, and you may not realise a spoiled food is affecting them.

A dry dog food can be preserved naturally or unnaturally, and generally you should opt for the former as the healthier option for your dog. The downside of dog foods which are naturally preserved is they can spoil more quickly – especially in a hot and humid American climate.

As a general rule, try and feed a bag of dry dog food within 3 to 4 weeks max.

This may mean buying a smaller bag, and paying slightly more per kilo, but it’s safer for your dog.

I’ve known people to buy 20kg bags for small or toy breeds, and feed them for 6+ months. This is a terrible idea, even if you use a fancy air-tight storage container.

Air dried and freeze dried dog foods tend to keep far longer, but you’ll need to refer to the best-rated dog foods for those less affordable options!

What should you pay per kilo for a dog food?

Realistically with dry dog food expect to pay around $8 per kilo. Anything cheaper is cheaper for a reason, and you’re likely compromising the health of your dog.

Some of the dog foods on this list are cheaper, but contain less meat and more grain. They’re included as reasonable options for those who can’t afford to pay more, or those with multi-dog households.

Always keep in mind why commercial dog foods exist. Profit.

Some brands, such as those recommended on this website, put the health of your dog up there with profit, but I think it’s fair to say they wouldn’t exist if profit wasn’t a key motivator. That’s the nature of products.

These brands are few and far between, sadly, as it’s clear to me most dog foods sold in America put the emphasis well and truly on profit, producing what you could call a “minimum viable product” and selling it for the most profit they can.

A good way to tell if a dog food puts profit before your dog is a quick look at the ingredients.

Is it made from cereals? Cereal by-products? Wheat? Corn? Potato? Tapioca? With very little meat in comparison to what they make out on the front of the bag?

If the dog foods on this list are still not affordable, make sure you read How to Feed a Dog for tips on supplementing your dog’s diet cheaply with fresh meats, offal, raw meaty bones, and other species-appropriate foods.

Quick-fire feeding tips

To round off this list of affordable dog foods in America I’ll also through in some quick fire tips:

Feed a variety

Firstly, I personally see more issues arise with dogs fed a single brand of dog food than I do with those fed a variety. It’s perhaps common sense when you translate it to our diets, and common knowledge that we can easily become intolerant of a food we either don’t have in our diet for a long time, or also if we eat something all the time. This is in stark contrast to what pet food manufacturers tell us, which probably has more to do with them wanting you to feed their product for the life of your dog.

If you want a funny anecdote – when I studied pet nutrition I was taught to never change the brand of food, only the formula. The reason that’s funny is many brands of food, particularly cheaper brands, use the same ingredients yet sell it as multiple formula names. If you don’t believe me, read some ingredients labels – you will often find a meat ingredient combo of (poultry/lamb/beef) marketed as “Chicken”, “Lamb”, and “Beef” recipes.

Don’t be afraid to feed other foods

Kibble is a convenience food. A lot of “science” goes into ensuring all nutrients are catered for to ensure your dog has everything they need, but there’s also a lot of “marketing” – it’s a product after all.

Most of us depend on convenience, especially with our busy lives. Feeding a decent kibble over a poor one will go a long way, but there’s no reason it should be the only food you feed.

Personally I feed kibble, wet, barf, raw, and all manner of fresh foods and scraps which are species appropriate. I feed raw meaty bones for nutrition and dental health. I don’t feed anything to my dog which is unhealthy or unnecessary, especially given fresh meat will be appreciated the most.

There are many social media groups on raw feeding, fresh food feeding, and canine nutrition. I also have a list of great reading material which will really enlighten you! I highly recommend the first book on the list, “Work Wonders”.

Buy sensibly

Buying food in a bigger bag is usually more cost effective, but keep in mind a dog food will spoil over time due to moisture content. Kibble has a long shelf life, but at times mould can develop from a little bit of moisture in the bag, and that can make your dog sick.

Generally I aim to get through a bag of kibble in a couple of weeks, and for my dog that means buying around 12kg. If I have more free time to prepare food at home, such as meat and offal from the butchers, then I’ll buy an even smaller bag to make sure it’s not open for too many weeks.

Take advantage of deals

There are a number of large pet food retailers in America, and almost always they have a deal on one brand or other. Keep an eye out. Most of our reviews have a price comparison “Where to buy” which can point you in the right direction.

Most retailers, and also some mail-order dog foods, offer a repeat delivery discount. You can tailor the delivery to suit you, not have to worry about running out, and save some $ in the process.

Your local independent may also offer a similar service, so if in doubt ask them. In recent years many independents have also started to stock all manner of fresh meats, offal, and bones. A good question to ask is “is it human grade or pet grade meat”, or check customer reviews.

Quite often treats for specific purposes – calming, anxiety, stress, joints, or just wellbeing – are little more than gimmicks used to convince you to buy them, and most of the time you won’t see any real benefits.

In this guide to calming treats for dogs we’ll take a look at some of the leading brands in America, and consider options which may be more beneficial.

Popular brands of calming treats for dogs

Some brands of calming treats and chews are quite good, others are definitely not – and not worth the price tag either.

It’s important to not a treat does not fall under any regulations, and they don’t need to be healthy or beneficial for your dog.

As a general rule, avoid feeding your dog any treat made mostly from cereal grains or sugars (like dextrose), or at the least keep these treats to a minimum.

Lastly, don’t expect any treat to have any real benefit for aiding stress and anxiety, although you can consider them part of a successful strategy (I’ll discuss other options below).

Here’s a quick rundown of popular brands of calming treats for dogs in America. The top 3 can be considered recommendations, then I’ll add a few more so you can see how much calming treats can differ.

#1 HEMPPET Hemp Treats

I find the HEMPPET treats one of the most nutritious based on ingredients, and hemp and hemp oil is commonly associated with reducing anxiety in dogs.

These treats are designed to support joints, skin & coat, immunity, as well as anxiety, but the best thing about them is the main ingredient being organic beef liver. Our dogs are often deprived of organs, and the liver is the most nutritious organ of all.

The only other ingredients are hemp (hempseed oil, hempseed nectar, hempseed hearts, and hempseed protein), which means these treats are 100% good for your dog.

#2 Vetalogica Hemp Clinicals Calming Treats

I consider Vetalogica as a good brand, but like many treats most of the ingredients won’t address the condition they’re marketed for.

In the case of the hemp treats, the main ingredients are a combination of fish meal, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas, possibly in equal amounts. The 4th ingredient is sugar (dextrose) which is something I don’t consider beneficial for our dogs, especially in significant amounts.

The ingredients included for anxiety are way down the list, such as hemp seed powder as the 7th ingredient, and hemp seed oil way down in 11th after salt (less than 1%?).

As a treat the Vetalogica hemp treats aren’t too bad, but the benefit they’ll have for calming your stressed out dog is questionable.

#3 Doggylicious Doggy Butters & Calming Cookies

As a brand sold in Woolworths and other retailers, I wouldn’t have any concerns giving the Doggylicious treats to my dog.

You’ll find a Doggylicious Doggy Butter tub for “Calming”, but it’s basically peanut butter (made from 100% peanuts), with L-Theanine thrown in. You probably don’t know what that is, but it’s an amino acid from tea and certain types of mushroom and research has shown it to reduce anxiety.

The Doggylicious Calming Cookies also contain L-Theanine, but as a treat they’re mostly made from seeds (sunflower seeds, pepita seeds) and coconut flour. I’m not sure I consider seeds overly beneficial for my dog, but as an occasional treat these should be fine – if you think they’ll help calm your dog.

The best thing I find about the Doggylicious Doggy Butter is all dogs love it.

Other brands of calming treats for dogs in America

Without further ado:

• AniPal Sea Dreams Relax & Restore Hand Baked Treats – These sound fantastic from the name and claims on the packaging. “Organic & Nutritious American Seaweed Protein”, with “Relaxing Valerian Root & Chamomile”. In reality, the main ingredients are tapioca and chickpea flour which aren’t associated with anxiety in any way.
• Vitalitie Calming Biscuit Dog Treats – Another brand of calming treats with elegant packaging and attractive claims – “Superfood biscuits for dogs” amongst others. What isn’t on the front of the pack, however, is the main ingredient being wheat flour – not something I consider good for any dog.

Other (better ways) to keep your dog calm?

If your dog suffers anxiety or stress, either in general, during thunderstorms or fireworks, in the car, or disrupting changes to their environment, you’ll have the most success tackling it in the following ways.

You should see these methods of calming more efficient, and more effective than the range of calming treats for dogs in America.

By all means give your dog calming treats as well (good ones if you can), but consider these as well:

Dog Appeasing Pheromones

When a mother dog has puppies they let off a chemical signal to keep their puppies calm. This magic of nature is known as pheromones, or more specifically dog appeasing pheromones or DAPs.

We can’t produce magic ourselves, but the reputable brand Adaptil offer a range of products which have the same pheromone effect – pheromone spray, pheromone calming collars, and a pheromone home diffuser which you plug in to a spare socket.

The Adaptil products work, with great feedback from many dog owners who testify to this, and given they’re side-effect free they’re well worth considering.

The pheromone spray is the most common option, and even though it’s marketed specifically to calm your dog during travel, it also works around the home. It’s also very handy to have in case of thunderstorms.

Environment

Addressing anxiety issues in puppies or adult dogs will never work if they’re not comfortable in their home environment. There are many ways to achieve this, and you’ll find many suggestions if you research.

Some good starting points are a cosy nook or dog bed where your dog can relax away from other noise and causes of stress (i.e. away from children, noisy televisions and appliances, and other loud noise or bangs).

Great tip – Dogs like tight closed in spaces which in the wild would keep them safe from being attacked. A dog crate or even a table with a blanket over the top can achieve this. Better yet, if they can jump on top of the crate or table and have a view of life outside the window this can greatly ease anxiety and keep your dog calmer.

I got this tip from the excellent Boredom Busters post on DogZone, so check that out for great ways to keep your dog active and occupied.

Behavioural training

Behavioural training starts with understanding the root cause of your dog’s stress and anxiety, which most of the time we fail to understand. Speaking with a local dog behaviourist or trainer is a good idea if you feel like you’re not getting anywhere.

There are many reasons a dog suffers anxiety, and without addressing those reasons you won’t have much luck with calming treats.

It’s a big topic to cover, but thankfully there’s a great deal of information on the world wide web!

Final thoughts about calming treats for dogs in America

If this information has been useful, I would really appreciate if you let others know in your dog community. In my experience there are many poor quality treats sold in America, and many dogs can suffer.

There are little regulations when it comes to pet treats in general, and many brands take advantage of that, and the simple fact most consumers trust the marketing claims on the packaging.

I know I haven’t covered the worst calming treats for dogs or treats in general, but hopefully this guide has given you the information you need to help calm your dog.

Feel free to add any comments, thoughts, brands, or useful information in the comments below!

By the age of 8, statistics show 4 in 5 dogs are affected by osteoarthritis alone.

You don’t want your dog to be one of them.

Feeding some oily fish, green-lipped mussels, or bone broth can support joint health for any dog, but if your dog’s currently suffering from joint-related issues you can definitely benefit from a good joint supplement.

In this guide to joint supplements for dogs in America, we’ll take a look at the different brands available, including vet recommended joint supplements.

I also recommend taking a look at your dog’s current diet if you haven’t already. Many dog foods in America aren’t very good and can actually promote poor joint health. Feeding a poor diet with a joint supplement is an expensive way to fail.

This guide will cover the following:

Why would you give your dog a joint supplement?

If your dog is healthy and their joints are in good shape, then have a read of this guide to joint-support treats. It covers treats for dogs with arthritis, but the recommendations on that page are a great preventative – especially if you have an active breed or large breed prone to poor joint health.

Joint supplements can be expensive, but are worth considering if your dog fits one of the following:

• Arthritis – Very common in dogs, even from the age of 1, arthritis is a swelling of the joints which causes discomfort, stiffness, and pain. This often starts off as silent pain our dogs can’t verbalise, and we often fail to notice.
• Injury or trauma – It’s easy for a dog to injure their joints while at play, running around, or chasing a ball. As our dog’s age the possibility of such an industry increases exponentially, and like arthritis such an injury often goes unnoticed.
• Genetic predisposition – Some breeds are known for joint problems, including German Shepherds, Labradors, Retrievers, and others. Large breeds commonly have a genetic predisposition, and some small breeds do too. Common joint genetic joint problems include hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia.
• Obesity – The heavier your dog, the more stress to their joints. A joint supplement will definitely help, but only when combined with a weight management plan and exercise. There’s a guide on weight loss dog foods you can take a look at.
• Old age – The affects of old age are inevitable, and joint cartilage will slowly deteriorate. A good diet or joint supplement will help prevent the effects of old age, and keep our dogs pain-free and active as long as possible.
• Post-surgery recovery – After orthopedic surgeries or joint procedures, joint supplements are often recommended by your vet (for good reason) to support the recovery process and help heal damaged tissue.

If you have a large breed, active breed, or working dog, then a joint supplement or some form of joint support is well worth considering as a preventative. If this is your dog, refer to the section below for specific tips for these breeds.

Vet recommended joint supplements – 4Cyte Canine & Antinol Rapid

The most common brands of joint supplements recommended by American vets are 4Cyte Canine Joint Support and Antinol Rapid.

Both brands are proven to really improve joint health, and many dog owners report far better joint health within only a few weeks.

To compare the two, both are made from all natural ingredients, but 4Cyte canine has four inclusions rather than Antinol Rapid which only has two.

Antinol Rapid seems to be the safest bet, especially if your dog tends to suffer dietary intolerances, but 4Cyte Canine is the more well rounded.

To quickly compare, 4Cyte Canine is made from green-lipped mussel, shark cartilage, biota orientalis seed oil, and abalone, and Antinol Rapid is green-lipped mussel and Antarctic krill.

4Cyte Canine comes as little pellets you can easily add to your dog’s food, and Antinol Rapid comes as gel capsules which you can cover in peanut butter (100% peanuts only) to entice your dog to eat them.

Both brands are expensive, but you may find them cheaper from an online retailer than you would from your vet.

4Cyte Canine

My retailer of choice is Pet Circle, who I find the most reliable and usually the most competitive, but 4Cyte Canine can be found from a variety of retailers.

Antinol Rapid

Antinol Rapid seems to be more readily available in pet stores, vets, or online.

As vet recommended joint supplements, you will find your local vet will stock either 4Cyte Canine or Antinol Rapid, as should your local pet store.

Both 4Cyte Canine and Antinol Rapid are scientifically proven to improve joint health and reduce inflammation, and are therefore recommended.

Other joint supplements in America

There are some great joint support supplements in America, and you will find the ingredients vary significantly.

It’s important to be aware of the difference between joint supplements and joint treats, so let’s discuss that first:

The difference between joint supplements and joint treats

What you should be careful of is treats marketed for “joint health” or “joint support” when the reality is they’re cheaply made treats with a sprinkling of something known to be beneficial for joint health.

Dog foods branded for “joint support” don’t tend to be much better.

Before getting into some recommendations for joint supplements, let’s quickly cover brands you’ve already seen in the supermarket and why I wouldn’t recommend them for joint health (or overall health).

Feel free to skip reading these if you simply want recommendations for joint supplements.

• Drool Joint Protect Treat Balls (Many retailers) – As promoted by much-loved celebrity vet Dr Chris Brown who I’m sure does very well financially promoting grain-based products for our carnivorous pets, the Drool Joint Protect treats have “chicken breast” listed first on the ingredients but then a whole load of stuff like vegetable glycerin, dextrose (sugar), potato, tapioca, barley, and oats. So don’t go thinking these treats found at Woolworths, Petbarn, and Petstock are meaty, and despite having small inclusions of glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, and fish oil for joint health, these are minor additions to what are essentially just dog treats.
• Vetalogica VitaRapid Joint Care Daily Treats – You may be surprised to see these Vetalogica treats listed here, and although I consider Vetalogica a decent brand these treats serve as a good comparison to the recommended joint supplements I will mention shortly. You see, the ingredients beneficial for joint health are in small amounts, most listed after salt (around 1%), with the real main ingredients being sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and dextrose (sugar) as well as chicken meal even though it’s listed first. In fairness, I would consider the Vetalogica VitaRapid treats better than the others on this list, but I would still consider them treats rather than a joint supplement.
• Happy Tails Joint & Flex Treats (at Bunnings) – Ignore the big letters “HEALTH CHEWS” on the tub, these are mostly tapioca, potato, meat/by-products, and glycerine with some token inclusions for joint health like green lipped mussel powder (probably less than 1%). Questionable benefit for joint health, wouldn’t you agree?
• Doggylicious Doggy Butter (at Woolworths) – I have to say this hip, joint, and coat treat isn’t too bad from an ingredients perspective, and I’d have no concerns giving it to my dog. It contains collagen and turmeric which are both beneficial for joint health, but as it’s essentially a tub of peanut butter (100% peanuts) you have to wonder if it’s worth the price – around triple the price of a regular jar of peanut butter?

Related: If you’re looking for good treats for joint health or arthritis then here’s a guide to joint support treats.

Recommended joint supplements for dogs in America

If 4Cyte Canine or Antinol Rapid haven’t won you over, there are some excellent joint supplements in America which may prove cheaper and possibly equally as beneficial.

Once you’ve considered your dog’s main diet and made sure it’s good for them, here are some recommendations of joint supplements:

Sasha’s Blend Joint Health

Sasha’s Blend comes as a powder and is 100% pure and natural with ingredients conforming to strict international conservation requirements.

The ingredients in Sasha’s Blend are all beneficial for joint support, unlike the “treats” listed above, being a combination of stabalised green-lipped mussel, abalone, and marine cartilage. These are excellent inclusions to support or prevent joint issues in dogs, or relieve pain and inflammation.

Sasha’s Blend would be a very good choice, and should be considered equally as good as vet recommend joint supplements like Antinol and 4Cyte.

GLYDE Mobility Chews for Dogs

The GLYDE mobility chews are very convenient as you don’t need to faff around adding them to food or wrapping them in peanut butter – just give them to your dog.

They’re mostly green-lipped mussel which are great for joint health, combined with glucosamine and chondroitin as the most recommended inclusions in a joint supplement.

Research has shown the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin support joints in many ways, including lubrication, cartilage support, and reducing inflammation, which is why they’re commonly used in joint supplements, treats, or dog foods labelled for joint support.

The GLYDE Mobility Chews will be a good option for you if you like the convenience of simply chucking your dog a chew, daily. They come as either a 60 pack or 120 pack, and it’s much more efficient to buy as 120.

Joint Guard

Another brand of joint supplement readily available in America is Joint Guard.

This brand has an excellent reputation when you read consumer reviews, and will benefit you if you have a larger breed dog (or dogs) as it comes in a big 400g tub which should go some distance.

Joint Guard differs is a combination of glucosamine hydrochloride and sodium chondroitin sulfate. Unlike all the other joint supplements above, Joint Guard doesn’t have green-lipped mussels. If that’s an issue for you, stock up on green-lipped or blue-lipped mussels at your local supermarket, and give them to your dog as well (1 a day, or 1 every other day) – may work out cheaper that way!

Eureka Joint & Mobility Dehydrated Bone Broth

I’m adding in the Eureka joint supplement as an alternative as it’s an American brand I’ve come to very much respect. I’m also a huge advocate for bone broth, and it makes a lot of sense to me to combine bone broth with other ingredients beneficial for joint support.

The Eureka Joint & Mobility Bone Broth comes in powder form, made from bone broth powder, soy protein powder, and functional ingredients great for joint support and health in general – inulin (digestive health), MSN (anti-inflammatory), glucosamine (joint support), chondroitin (joint support), rosa canina (great for immunity and heart health), and manganese (also great for health and wellbeing).

The powder also contains pre and probiotics to help your dog better absorb these nutrients and digest their food better in general.

Although not a purist joint supplement, Eureka Joint & Mobility is a really nice supplement for joints and wellbeing, and an excellent introduction into the Eureka range of quality pet foods in general – read the Eureka review for more information.

Joint health of large breeds, active breeds, and working dogs

Diet is the best preventative against joint problems if your dog is a large breed, active breed, or working dog.

Usually it’s these breeds who have the worst diets, and the result of this can be expensive vet bills or heartache as your dog reaches middle to old age.

The reason for this is simple – large dogs and active dogs eat more, and dog food is expensive.

I readily admit the dog foods on the best-rated list can be bank-breakers, and those on the affordable dog food list aren’t much cheaper either.

Most of us have a tight budget, and we can only do the best when it comes to our dog’s main diet, but there are ways to prevent health risks, and supporting joint health doesn’t need to be expensive.

In my experience most working dog foods are the least nutritious, and I say that as a certified pet nutritionist. If you compare a working dog food to any mid-range dog food you’ll find they’re mostly wheat or cereal grains. There are two reasons for this – (1) it’s the cheapest way to produce a dog food and legally sell it, and (2) it means a good profit can be made from you and your dog despite selling the food for a price you consider affordable.

Note in the above, neither point 1 or 2 means the working dog formula is health for your dog, but they’ll likely burn off the carbohydrates, calories, and sugars more than a regular dog which would likely become sick, fat, and lethargic on such a poor diet.

If you have a large breed, active breed, or working dog, these are your options in order of joint-health benefit (not accounting for cost):

• Feed a nutritious, species appropriate diet – For any dog, this is a meat-based diet, or fish-based, with good quality animal fat, healthy oils, and perhaps some other inclusions selected for health-benefits, not profit making.
• Add a joint-support supplement – A good joint supplement will benefit any dog, more so a large breed, active breed, or working dog. They’re expensive, but the ingredients will directly benefit your dog’s joints (and likely their health in general).
• Add fresh foods which support joints – Throw those wheat and sugar-based treats in the bin, and give your dog the odd frozen whole sardine instead. There are many foods you can add to your dog’s diet which are both cheap and very beneficial for joint support. I mentioned green-lipped mussels and bone broth at the start of this guide, but fresh (raw) meats, animal fat, eggs, coconut oil, and more, can all boost your dog’s joint health.

Joint health in old age dogs

Senior dog foods are a bugbear of mine.

It really annoys me how bad some senior dog foods are at a time in life where your dog needs a healthy diet more than ever to support their joints and overall health.

You see, an adult dog food may be 30 to 40% meat and animal fat combined with a range of ingredients to keep production costs down and profits up.

Older dogs are palmed off with an even worse formula, using the excuse they don’t need as much good stuff because they’re slow, less active, and will die soon anyway.

Most of the time we put the health issues of our dog down to old age or bad luck, which is why senior dog foods are rarely consider a cause of ill health.

Take a look at the ingredients of some senior dog foods and compare them to adult or puppy formulas. You’ll see what I mean – less protein, less fat, less meat, more carbohydrates from cheap ingredients like grain or potato.

A good joint health supplement will very likely support your dog’s joint health in older years, keeping them active, with less painful inflammation, and of course much happier.

Here are your options to support the joints of your older dog:

• Feed a nutritious, species appropriate diet – Keep in mind your old age dog will need quality meat protein to keep their muscles strong and healthy, and quality animal fats to lubricate their joints. Most dog foods skimp on these essential ingredients, but a good dog food will more than cater for your older dog’s needs. Avoid senior dog foods high in carbohydrates, and feed them a more species-appropriate diet instead.
• Add a joint-support supplement – A good joint supplement will benefit your older dog more than ever before in their lifetime, as most old dogs suffer osteoarthritis or easily injure their joints. They’re expensive, but also contain ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, shark cartilage, and more, in concentrations hard to provide with regular dog foods or joint-health treats.
• Add fresh foods which support joints – We love to give our dogs treats, and our older dogs deserve them more than ever, but throw away any treats which aren’t rich in meat or entirely beneficial ingredients. There’s a guide to healthy treats here, but fresh foods like green-lipped mussels, eggs, coconut oil, bone broth, and more, will be very good for supporting the joint health and wellbeing of your senior dog.

References and further research

• National Library of Medicine – Prevalence, duration and risk factors for appendicular osteoarthritis in a UK dog population under primary veterinary care

I’ll give recommendations of products I consider good in America, but also why they’re good compared to other products.

This article won’t cover your dog’s main diet, but I urge you to read the reviews and make sure you’re feeding something decent. I can’t stress this point enough, as your dog’s main diet will be their best medicine and offer the best comfort and longevity.

Recommended treats for dogs with Arthritis

I’ll start with recommendations for any readers who simply want the best arthritis treats for their dog. So here you go:

Eureka offer a wide range of excellent treats. For arthritis, take a look at the Joint & Mobility Bone Broth which is a supplement, but also the treats such as Rockin’ Roo Chews which include sardines and green lipped mussels – great for joint support.

The best thing about the Eureka range of treats is they’re exactly what they say on the tin (or packet). Dried meat, dried fish, and naturally digestible and beneficial for your dog.

The Eureka dog food itself is an excellent way to support your dog’s health all round, including joints, so read the Eureka dog food review here.

The Hemp Pet HEMP treats are very well formulated, being organic beef liver and various hemp ingredients like hemp oil. These should work well as a daily treat to alleviate your dog’s joint inflammation.

Vetalogica are a popular American brand, and the Vetalogica Vitarapid treats for arthritis look to be the biggest seller.

On closer inspection these treats have a lot of potato, peas, and tapioca starch, even if meat is listed first. This means the smaller inclusions are more beneficial – namely glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM to benefit joints and arthritis.

Bell & Bone offer a range of collagen treats. Like the Vetalogica Vitarapid treats, these contain some tapioca and vegetable matter which aren’t overly beneficial for your dog. There’s some meat in there too, which is good, but the real benefit is the small inclusion of collagen.

I’ll discuss shortly how many treats use fairly pointless ingredients and throw in a small amount of something beneficial to market it as a joint or arthritis-specific treat, but out of the options above I find the Eureka and Hemp Pet treats the best in terms of nutrition.

Beneficial ingredients in treats for dogs with arthritis

Glucosamine and chondroitin are the most common inclusions in an arthritis/joint supplement or treat, but there are other beneficial ingredients.

1. Glucosamine and Chondroitin:
   • Glucosamine is a natural compound found in cartilage, and chondroitin helps maintain cartilage elasticity.
   • These ingredients help improve joint health by supporting the regeneration of cartilage, reducing inflammation, and lubricating joints.
   • Commercial products often contain these substances in specific ratios designed to promote joint function.
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
   • Omega-3 fatty acids, commonly sourced from fish oil, have anti-inflammatory properties.
   • These fatty acids can help reduce joint inflammation and relieve pain associated with arthritis.
   • Commercial supplements often contain precise doses to ensure your dog gets the right amount.
3. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane):
   • MSM is a sulfur compound that aids in reducing pain and inflammation in arthritic joints.
   • It can enhance the effectiveness of other joint-supporting ingredients in commercial products.

As well as the above core components, you may find treats include various sources of the components without specifically listing them.

For example, shark cartilage treats – cartilage is good for supporting cartilage. The hemp oil treats I mentioned earlier provide fatty acids from hemp rather than fish oils, but research has shown this to be beneficial for arthritis.

What treats should you avoid?

Please keep in mind many dog treats claim to benefit conditions such as arthritis, and many are branded “joint treats”, when the ingredients suggest they may not be as beneficial as you think.

A good treat for dogs with arthritis should not be made from cereals, starches, and sugars. It is common for treats made from these inappropriate ingredients to have glucosamine or chondroitin in a small amount, and this allows them to market the product as a treat for joint support. That doesn’t mean it’s healthy, or you should feed many of them.

Why not make homemade arthritis treats?

While commercial products can be effective, some pet owners prefer to make homemade treats for their dogs with arthritis.

Here are some ingredients commonly used in homemade treats:

Turmeric

Turmeric contains curcumin, which has natural anti-inflammatory properties. Including turmeric in homemade treats can help reduce joint pain and inflammation in dogs.

Bone broth

Bone broth is so easy to make at home with a slow cooker. It’s rich in collagen, glucosamine, and chondroitin, making it a natural joint-supporting ingredient and superb for your dog’s health (and yours if you share!)

Blueberries

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation. Adding fresh or frozen blueberries into homemade treats not only adds flavor but also provides nutritional benefits for joint health. Or you can simply give your dog the odd blueberry!

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that have anti-inflammatory properties. Mixing a small amount of coconut oil into homemade treats can be a beneficial addition for joint health. Most supermarkets offer coconut oil in a jar, and it’s easy to add some to your dog’s regular meals – choose a good brand.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamins and fiber. Although you should keep carbohydrates to a minimum in your dog’s diet, sweet potatoes can create tasty and nutritious treats if you slice them and bake/dehydrate them.

Final thoughts

When it comes to managing arthritis in dogs, there are various options available, including both commercial and homemade treats and supplements.

Why not give your dog a combination of all of these, and consider their main diet as well?

Quality commercial products like Vetalogica Vitarapid Joint Treats offer convenience and targeted joint support, but be wary of cheaper treats in the supermarkets which claim to be for joint health but may not be very effective.

If you opt for homemade treats, keep them to a moderation unless you’re confident you’re giving your dog a balanced diet. If in doubt, use the 10% rule of thumb – don’t make treats more than 10% of your dog’s diet.

Remember – arthritis management is not one-size-fits-all, and a combination of treatments, including diet, exercise, and veterinary care, will put you on the right track to help improve your dog’s quality of life.

In summary, the key to helping your dog with arthritis is understanding their unique needs and providing them with the care and support they deserve. Whether you choose commercial or homemade treats, your dog will appreciate the love and attention you give them in their time of need.

If you feel you can add useful information, hints, or tips, which can benefit other Aussie dog owners, then feel free to say so in the comments!

What treats do you give your dog with arthritis?

Kangaroo is a good choice if your dog has food sensitivities, pancreatitis, or needs to lose a little weight. It’s a good choice for Aussie dogs full stop.

In America we have lots of kangaroo dog foods to choose from, or kangaroo treats, but are they all good?

No, of course not, but thankfully some are! We’ll look at those here.

Are roo ready?

Is kangaroo meat good for dogs?

Yes, kangaroo has a range of benefits for dogs:

• Very easy for your dog to digest.
• An excellent lean meat, being high in protein and low in fat.
• The fat content of kangaroo is unsaturated fat.
• Considered the leanest red meat protein.
• A good source of omega-3 fatty acids to support your dog’s heart health and brain function.
• An excellent source of zinc and iron to support the correct function of cell membranes, boosting your dog’s immunity, ability to digest proteins and carbohydrates, provide energy, and help them maintain a healthy coat and paw pads. In addition, iron helps regulate bowels and prevent constipation.
• A non-allergenic (hypoallergenic) meat which works very well for dogs with food sensitivities.
• Environmentally sustainable, free-range, organic, and native to America.

Recommended kangaroo dog foods (in America)

There are more options for Kangaroo dog food than you may think, with many American brands offering a formula including kangaroo. These range from dry foods, wet, BARF, rolls, and of course fresh kangaroo meat from the butchers.

Even Pedigree have a “Real Kangaroo” formula, but on closer inspection it’s more a “Cereals” formula with a token amount of other meats, of which kangaroo is laughably an “and/or” ingredient which might be sheep instead.

Right, on that note, lets look at better kangaroo dog foods…

Single-protein kangaroo dog food

If your dog has food sensitivities (or “allergies”) then a single-protein kangaroo dog food may really help.

Here’s some recommendations for kangaroo dog foods:

Instinctive Bite is a really good choice if you’re looking for a kangaroo-based dog food.

Not only are the ingredients pretty good as a whole, but the Instinctive Bite range is well-priced considering.

Related: Instinctive Bite review

Meals for Mutts is a decent American brand which is more affordable than some brands, and much better than most. It’s a hit with many Aussie dog owners, and they have a good range.

The Kangaroo formula is single meat protein, hypoallegenic, grain & gluten free, with the main ingredients being a combination of kangaroo meat, sweet potato, and seasonal vegetables. It benefits for additions like coconut oil, turmeric, and pre & pro biotics to further aid digestion.

Related: Meals for Mutts review

Zignature is a great brand, and you may be surprised to learn it’s an American brand. They source the kangaroo meat from America, process it there, then sell it back to us. It’s very good though, and that shouldn’t put you off.

Related: Zignature dog food review

Prime100 have a loyal following as an American brand but personally I find the products very expensive considering the ingredients.

If you compare Prime100 Skd Kangaroo & Pumpkin to Balanced Life Kangaroo above, you’ll find Balanced Life much cheaper per kilo, mostly made from kangaroo (including nutritious organs!), whereas Prime100 Skd is a mix of kangaroo meat and possibly just as much pumpkin.

Related: Prime100 Spd review

Other kangaroo dog foods worth mentioning

Here are some other options for kangaroo dog foods along with a quick summary:

• SavourLife Grain Free Kangaroo & Chicken – I’ve found this American brand to be pretty good, and this combination of kangaroo and chicken will be fine if your dog doesn’t suffer food sensitivities.
• Vetalogica Riverland Red – Another reputable Aussie brand, this formula is a mix of kangaroo, lamb, goat, pork, and salmon, combined with various peas, potatoes, and lentils.
• Instinctive Bite Kangaroo & Sweet Potato – A good formula which only has kangaroo for a meat protein, but if you’re looking for a hypoallergenic dog food this does contain chicken fat.
• Black Hawk Grain Free Kangaroo – Despite the name, this is actually a kangaroo and chicken formula with peas. Pricewise Black Hawk can be a little cheaper than others mentioned here.
• Ivory Coat Grain Free Lamb & Kangaroo – Consumer reviews are ominous with Ivory Coat products so I feel I cannot recommend the brand.
• Hypro Premium Kangaroo & Lamb – A good choice if you want a slightly cheaper version of Meals for Mutts.

Kangaroo dog foods to avoid

For completeness, below are other kangaroo dog foods available in America, along with reasons why they may not be the best choice.

• Optimum Grain Free Chicken and Kangaroo – Not the worst formula being a combination of meat and vegetables, but as a kangaroo formula it is uncertain how much kangaroo there will be.
• Nature’s Goodness Wild Game with Sweet Potato – A similar formula to Optimum, but to compare the two I find Optimum the better choice.
• My Dog with Kangaroo – The word “with” on a pet food label translates to “not much” of that ingredient, so if you’re after a kangaroo dog food this probably isn’t it.
• Pedigree Adult with Real Kangaroo – As mentioned earlier, this is more a cereal formula than a kangaroo formula, so not what I would consider healthy for your dog.

Kangaroo jerky for dogs + kangaroo liver treats

Given kangaroo meat is good for dogs, even if you don’t feed a kangaroo dog food these can still be great to feed.

Here are some options for kangaroo jerky treats and kangaroo liver treats (rich in nutrients):

• Big Dog Kangaroo Freeze Dried Little Bites – These would be my choice, being a combination of kangaroo meat, bone, heart, liver, and kidney all in one. They may seem more expensive, and I know they’re not “jerky”, but freeze drying retains better nutrition and these treats have an excellent range of ingredients – not just the kangaroo either, but wheatgrass, flaxseed, whole egg, coconut oil, kelp, turmeric, and pre and probiotics!
• Prime100 Prime Pantry Jerky Treats Kangaroo – These are what they say on the tin (or packet), being single protein and human grade as well.
• Loving Pets Roo Jerky Dog Treats – Almost the same as the Prime Pantry kangaroo jerky, but do not state whether they’re human grade, and they’re more expensive.
• Natures Cuts Kangaroo Training Treats / Kangaroo Liver Treats – Again these are more expensive than the Prime Pantry jerky, and also more expensive.

All the above are available at Pet Circle.

Common questions about kangaroo meat & kangaroo dog foods

Vetalogica originated as a pet supplement company circa 2000 when two pharmacists realised many people were incorrectly offering their dogs human vitamins and supplements at incorrect doses. Skip to 2017 and they now offer a range of dry foods for both dogs and cats.

Let’s take a look at the Chicken formula, which I note is very similar in ingredients and composition to the well regarded (yet seemingly problematic) Ivory Coat.

Chicken Meal is a fantastic first ingredient, a dense “dried” form of chicken high in protein. The protein percentage of 34% is decent, but slightly misleading as a large proportion of this will come from the peas as the second ingredient. Peas aren’t necessarily bad, but as cats are carnivores it’s not an optimum source of protein.

All dry foods have a binder to hold them together, and in this food we find potato starch. This will account for the carbohydrates in the food which I estimate to be around 36%. Sweet potato would be a better inclusion as it’s lower GI, or even better focus on true carnivore ingredients instead of carbs.

There’s some nice inclusions in the food, such as flaxseed for heart health, skin and coat, as well as fish oil. There’s a range of select fruits and veggies and all necessary vitamins and minerals.

The food as a whole is decent in comparison to most dry cat foods. There are no nasty ingredients, cheap grains, or other fillers.

:offers:

:wheretobuy:

Ingredients

Chicken Meal, Peas, Potato Starch, Chicken Fat (Naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavour, Tapioca Starch, Ground Flaxseed, Fish Oil, Dried Blueberries, Dried Spinach, Tomato Pomace, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Chickpea Flour, Dried Pumpkin, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Sea Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione (Vitamin K3), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Magnesium Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Oxide, Iodine, Sodium Selenite, Zinc Propionate), DL-Methionine, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (a Natural preservative), Rosemary Extract.

If you’re looking for a decent American Made & Owned dog food, then Vetalogica could be for you.

For the sake of the Vetalogica dog food review we’ll take a good look at the Hunter Valley Harvest formula which has a fantastic 38% protein (mostly from meat), and it’s grain free, biologically appropriate, with natural ingredients.

About Vetalogica

Vetalogica have been around for a while now as an independent dog food manufacturer. Consumer feedback has been really good and I’m not aware of any issues.

According to Vetalogica, they formulate their foods with one important consideration in mind – dogs are essentially carnivores. That’s great to hear as I view dogs more as carnivores than omnivores (take a look at your dog’s teeth and jaws, don’t they look like an omnivore to you!?).

Where to buy (for the best price)

Vetalogica review (Hunter Valley Harvest)

There’s a few formulas in the range including one for puppies, but I picked Hunter Valley Harvest as a benchmark. They’re all on par, so you could pick one or rotate between them.

38% protein which is fantastic, especially as most of it comes from meat. It’s almost double the protein of most supermarket brands, yet so much better as those cheaper brands are often protein from grains or corn which isn’t as good for our dogs.

Fat is on the low side at 10%. I would prefer to see a little more, although for dogs suffering pancreatitis it would make Vetalogica a good choice.

The upside to high protein is low carbs, and carbs turn to sugars. I estimate 34% carbohydrates which is good for a dry dog food, and also good for your dog.

Meat should always be the most significant ingredient in a dog food, and in Vetalogica Hunter Valley Harvest we find the first four ingredients are meat!

Great stuff!

It’s good to have a mix of meat proteins (the only reason you wouldn’t is if your dog has a sensitivity to a particular meat protein). In this food we find chicken, duck, tuna, and mackerel.

They’re all decent ingredients in their own right, and it’s good to see some fish in there too – rich in omegas for a glossy coat not to mention heart health.

Vetalogica claim on the packaging meat and fish ingredients amount to 65% of the product (inclusive of chicken fat further down the ingredients list) – that’s good, and it’s nice to see they’re open about it.

The next chunk of ingredients is a combination of sweet potato, chickpeas, green and red lentils.

These will amount to most of the remaining 35%. None are bad choices, and again it’s nice to see a mixture of ingredients instead of just meat and rice or meat and potatoes. It shows consideration, and provides a more rounded nutrient base.

Even the ingredients lower down the list show how well considered the food is. It’s nice to see the inclusion of eggs, flaxseed, quality fruits and vegetables, and coconut oil. It’s clear they haven’t skimped on any ingredients with cheaper substitutes.

The food has no grains, no nasty fillers, no chemical antioxidants or preservatives, and no pointless food colourings.

Vetalogica comes across as a really good, well-rounded, dry dog food.

Recommended.

Ingredients

Ingredients of Vetalogica dog food (Hunter Valley Harvest):

Chicken Meal, Duck Meal, Tuna Meal, Mackerel Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas, Green Lentils, Red Lentils, Chicken Fat (Naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Flaxseed, Eggs, Coconut Oil, Dried Blueberries, Kale, Dried Spinach, Tomato Pomace, Dried Pumpkin, Kelp, Chicory Root, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Sea Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Magnesium Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Oxide, Iodine, Sodium Selenite, Zinc Propionate), Turmeric Root, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (a Natural preservative), Rosemary Extract.