Top 10 Best Canadian Dog Food
Good dog food provides complete nutrition and supports optimum wellness, but it must also be food that your dog will actually eat. We created reviews of the most trustworthy brands available in Canada. The buyer’s guide will also give you all the information that you need to find a quality dog food that tastes good and supports your dog’s health throughout their life.
The 10 Best Dog Foods in Canada
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food
| Sizes: | 13.61 kg |
| Flavour: | Chicken, brown rice, and sweet potato |
| Special diet: | Large breeds |
Nutro’s Natural Choice Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food has whole chicken as the first and main ingredient, as well as healthy whole-grain brown rice. It contains antioxidants for the immune system and chondroitin and glucosamine for much-needed joint support for large dogs. It has the right balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support a healthy weight. It does not include soy, corn, wheat, by-products, or any artificial preservatives, flavours, or colours.
However, this food is quite expensive, and some picky dogs might not like it.
Pedigree Vitality + — Best Value
| Flavor: | Grilled steak and vegetable |
| Food Form: | Dry, pellet |
| Breed Recommendation: | All breeds and sizes |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | None |
| Age: | Adult |
A high price tag doesn’t always mean better quality when it comes to dog food. We recommend Pedigree Vitality + as the best dog food in Canada for the money. Pedigree makes over 60 different wet and dry dog food varieties, but dogs seem to love the grilled steak and vegetable flavor.
The ingredients in Pedigree Vitality + aren’t as high quality as some other brands, but nutritionists still back the food as being easy to digest and nutritionally complete. The nutrient profile of Pedigree dog food is more than adequate and will provide everything that your dog needs to stay healthy and happy.
- Lower-quality ingredients than some other brands
- Affordable price
- Options for all dog breeds and sizes
- Scientifically backed ingredients
Wellness CORE Natural Dry Dog Food
| Sizes: | 1.81 kg |
| Flavour: | Turkey and chicken |
| Special diet: | N/A |
Wellness CORE Natural Dry Dog Food has different options in flavours and sizes, including the choice of chicken free or grain free. This review is for the chicken and turkey recipe, which is not only grain free but also doesn’t have gluten, corn, soy, by-products, or artificial preservatives, flavours, or colours. It contains high levels of protein from the whole meat ingredients and has omega fatty acids, flaxseed, and salmon oil for healthy skin and coat. It also has taurine, glucosamine, probiotics, and antioxidants for an overall healthy body.
However, this is an expensive food, and some dogs have experienced stomach upset after eating it.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials — Best Overall
| Flavor: | Chicken and rice |
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Breed Recommendation: | All breeds and sizes |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | Coat health |
| Age: | Adult |
Purina Pro Plan is our top pick for the best overall dog food in Canada. The brand offers over 80 different varieties of dog food for all life stages, including wet and dry food options. Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials is produced in consultation with veterinarians and nutritionists to ensure that your dog is getting all the nutrients that they need.
All Purina Pro Plan foods contain probiotics, vitamin A, and omega fatty acids to support skin and coat health. Real meat is the first ingredient, and the recipe contains no artificial fillers or additives. The brand adheres to AAFCO regulatory standards for dog food and uses sourced ingredients sustainably.
- More expensive than some other brands
- Probiotics and omega fatty acids for coat health
- Sustainably sourced ingredients
- Wide range of flavors and formulas for all life stages
- Made in consultation with veterinarians and dog nutritionists
- No artificial ingredients
- Meets AAFCO nutrition standards
Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Digestion — Premium Choice
| Flavor: | Chicken, brown rice, and whole oats |
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Breed Recommendation: | All breeds and sizes |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | Stomach sensitivities |
| Age: | Adult |
Hill’s Science Diet is our premium choice simply because the price tag on this dog food is significantly higher than most other brands. However, Hill’s employs over 220 Ph.D. veterinarians, scientists, and nutritionists on its staff and adheres to human food safety protocols, so the quality of the dog food is exceptional.
Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Digestion is formulated to prevent stomach issues and help dogs with food sensitivities. You won’t find any fillers or artificial ingredients in this food, only whole-food ingredients from sustainable sources.
One notable feature of Hill’s Science Diet food is that dogs that eat it poop less. The food doesn’t contain ingredients that your dog’s body considers waste. Everything in this food is used by your dog, so there’s little leftover — and what dog owner doesn’t want to pick up less poop?
- Expensive
- Creates less poop
- Brand focuses on quality and safety
- Special formulations for various dietary needs
- Effective for digestive sensitivities
Royal Canin Adult Dog Food
| Flavor: | Chicken and pork |
| Food Form: | Wet |
| Breed Recommendation: | Large breeds |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | Nutrition |
| Age: | Adult |
Royal Canin offers 100% complete and balanced nutrition in its wet adult dog food. This is a rare feature of wet dog foods. While wet food can become expensive, this nutritionally complete option offers variety to your dog’s diet and provides nutrition for dogs that can’t chew kibble for one reason or another. It’s also a good choice for picky eaters that may not eat enough kibble to meet their dietary requirements.
Since Royal Canin packs all the nutrition possible into a single can of food, this food is a little drier than one might expect “wet” food to be. That said, it seems to be palatable to most dogs, and it’s easy to add water for extra moisture.
- Expensive
- Drier than most wet foods
- 100% complete nutrition
- Whole food ingredients
- Great for picky eaters
Purina One Healthy Puppy — Best for Puppies
| Flavor: | Lamb |
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Breed Recommendation: | All breeds |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | Puppy food |
| Age: | Puppies under 1 year |
Your puppy deserves food that helps them grow and develop. Puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, so they need different food. Purina One Healthy Puppy Formula offers premium-level nutrition for growing dogs. Purina also offers a large breed puppy food and wet puppy food. What’s great is that Purina One is available at most grocery stores and retail outlets rather than only at specialty pet stores.
This food includes extra calcium and phosphorus, as well as glucosamine, to protect growing bones and joints. Rice and oatmeal make for easy digestion, while Purina’s blend of antioxidants helps build the immune system.
The only complaint about Purina One Healthy Puppy is the size of the kibble pieces. There may be a risk of choking on larger kibble for small dogs or young pups that can’t chew well. Some customers also report a strong odor with this food, but it seems to make it more appetizing to dogs!
- Large kibble pieces
- Strong odor
- Easy to find
- Easy to digest
- Supports growing bones and joints
- Three different puppy recipes
- Supports the immune system
The Honest Kitchen
| Flavor: | Beef |
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Breed Recommendation: | All breeds and sizes |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | Active dogs, food allergies, weight, coat |
| Age: | All life stages |
The Honest Kitchen brings something a little different to the world of dry dog food. It makes the world’s first dry dog food with human-grade ingredients in a human food facility. This means the food adheres to much higher safety and quality standards than many other dog food brands. This food is nutritionally balanced for all life stages, from puppies to senior dogs. It is even safe for pregnant or nursing moms.
Instead of traditional kibble pieces, The Honest Kitchen contains food “clusters” that are cold-pressed, slow-roasted, and dehydrated. This minimal amount of processing ensures that the ingredients retain all the vitamins and nutrients from their original form.
Despite its high-quality dog food, The Honest Kitchen does not have good customer service. You buy this food at your own risk because the manufacturer does not offer refunds if your dog doesn’t like it or if the food is spoiled. In rare cases, some dogs that ate this food developed hypoglycemia.
- No customer service or refund policy
- May cause hypoglycemia
- Expensive
- Safe for all life stages
- Human-grade ingredients
- Minimal processing
- Uses real ingredients
Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet
| Flavor: | Duck |
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Breed Recommendation: | All breed sizes |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | Grain free, limited ingredient, a novel protein |
| Age: | Adult |
Merrick Limited Ingredient foods are 100% grain free and popular for dogs that have food sensitivities. By using a novel protein combined with a limited-ingredient profile of under 10 ingredients, dogs are less likely to have stomach issues or allergic reactions to this dog food. Merrick food includes glucosamine and chondroitin to promote healthy joint function and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to maintain healthy skin and coat.
The biggest downside to Merrick Limited Ingredient is the cost. It is expensive compared to other brands. While the food does prevent reactions, it is quite high in fat content. Dogs that are prone to weight gain may not do well with this food.
- High-fat content
- Expensive
- Grain free
- Novel protein
- Limited ingredients
- Promotes healthy joints
Bil-Jac Picky No More
| Flavor: | Chicken |
| Food Form: | Dry |
| Breed Recommendation: | Small breeds |
| Special Uses/Dietary Considerations: | Nutrition, coat health |
| Age: | All life stages |
If you’re struggling to find a food that your dog likes, Bil-Jac Picky No More may be worth a try. This dog food contains approximately 5 pounds of fresh chicken liver in a 6-pound bag of food, making it extra tasty for dogs that turn their nose up at dog kibble.
Bil-Jac is only made for small dogs, so it isn’t an option for picky dogs over 25 pounds. There are also preservatives in this food that some owners will prefer not to feed their dogs.
- Contains preservatives
- Only for small dogs
- Soft texture
- Fresh chicken is the primary ingredient
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dog Foods in Canada
It can be hard to know what to buy with so many dog food options out there. That’s why we put together this buyer’s guide to show you what to look for in a dog food brand.
Intended Life Stage
Some foods offer complete nutrition for all life stages, while others are meant for puppies, adults, or senior dogs. Different ages of dogs have different nutritional requirements, so it’s important to buy food that meets your dog’s needs at each stage of their life.
Your Dog’s Lifestyle and Medical Needs
Active dogs will have higher energy requirements than those that enjoy a more sedentary lifestyle. Your dog’s weight and breed will also play a role in this. A working Border Collie, for example, will require a high-fat, high-protein diet. Not only are they active, but they are also a breed that is hypermetabolic and prone to being underweight. However, an overweight Pug may require a low-calorie diet to help them lose weight and prevent obesity.
Final Thoughts
If you’re shopping for the best dog food in Canada, we recommend Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials as the best overall dog food. It is 100% nutritionally complete and appropriate for all breeds and sizes of dogs. The best value for the money is Pedigree Vitality +. If you’re looking for quality dog food on a budget, this brand will meet all your dog’s nutritional needs without the high price tag of other brands. In addition to nutritional quality, if your dog doesn’t like food, they won’t eat it. So, it’s important to strike a balance between meeting your dog’s needs and finding food that they like. Hopefully, this list of the best dog foods in Canada will give you a place to start.
