Top 10 Best Holistic Dog Foods
As a pet owner, you want to do everything under the sun to give your pup the longest, healthiest, and happiest life possible. From daily exercise to plenty of love, there are all sorts of things you can do to extend your pup’s longevity. One of the most important factors that impacts your dog’s well-being is his diet.
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What you feed your pup has a direct impact on his health, from puppyhood and beyond. If you want to treat your pet to nutritious meals that nourish and support his dietary needs, look no further than holistic dog food.
Holistic dog food is food that’s formulated with optimal nutrition, such as vitamins and minerals, to support your pooch’s overall health and wellbeing. Each of the ingredients used has a specific purpose, whether it’s improving skin health or supporting muscle mass.
While these foods tend to be a little pricier, the cost is well worth the benefits. Holistic dog food doesn’t contain harmful ingredients like fillers and preservatives. Instead they’re made with high quality ingredients that protect and support your pup.
The 10 Best Holistic Dog Foods
Holistic Adult & Puppy Grain-Free Fish – Best for Puppies
| Formula: | Dry |
| Life stage: | Puppy |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Sensitive digestion |
Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Grain-Free Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food is a healthy, natural option for puppies. Free from preservatives and fillers, the food has salmon, anchovies, and sardines as the primary protein sources and plenty of omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat development. For pups with sensitive stomachs, the food has probiotics and fiber to support optimal digestion.
Vitamins, nutrients, and fiber come from whole fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, papaya, cranberries, beet pulp, and flaxseed. Along with healthy ingredients, the recipe is specially formulated to be delicious and appetizing for puppies, even if they’re picky. All ingredients are from trusted sources and the food is manufactured in the US. Some reviewers noted that their puppies didn’t like the food or experienced digestive upset.
Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice All Life Dry Dog Food– Best Value
| Formula: | Dry |
| Life stage: | All |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | No corn, wheat, grain, or soy |
Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice Formula All Life Stages Dry Dog Food is the best holistic dog food for the money. The food contains natural superfoods and probiotics to support digestive health, and cage-free chicken is the first ingredient. Plenty of real fruits and vegetables are included for antioxidants and vitamins, including kale, blueberries, and coconut. Omega fatty acids support coat and skin health.
All ingredients come from domestic and global sources, and the food is manufactured in the US. Diamond Naturals also uses the K9 strain proprietary probiotics for optimal digestion and nutrient absorption. The food is made with no corn, wheat, grain, or soy. This is an excellent bargain for natural or holistic food with quality ingredients, though some reviewers noted quality-control issues or that their dogs wouldn’t touch it.
Nom Nom Now Fresh Dog Food – Best Overall
| Formula: | Fresh |
| Life stage: | Adult |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Grain-free, gluten-free |
We recommend Nom Nom dog food as the best overall holistic dog food. Nom Nom is a quality dog food delivery service that has human-grade, fresh dog food in four different flavor varieties. Even the pickiest of dogs love Nom Nom fresh food, and the high-quality ingredients ensure that they are getting the best quality nutrition.
Nom Nom’s ordering process makes it easy to customize a diet plan that fits your dog. You simply fill out a profile, and you will receive personalized recommendations based on your dog’s needs.
However, Nom Nom dog food is on the pricey side. It’s worth it for the extra quality that you get but may not be an option if you’re pinching pennies. Your location will also determine whether you can buy Nom Nom food. At this time, delivery is not available in all states.
Ziwi Peak Beef Grain-Free Air-Dried – Premium Choice
| Formula: | Dehydrated |
| Life stage: | Adult |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Limited ingredient, non-GMO, high protein |
Ziwi Peak Beef Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food is a simple and pure dog food that’s the premium choice for a holistic recipe. Bringing the best of New Zealand, Ziwi Peak dog food has fresh meat, organs, and bones for well-rounded protein and green mussels with chondroitin and glucosamine for joint support. All food is dehydrated using a twin-stage air-drying process that preserves the ingredients and eliminates bacterial growth.
Though raw, the dehydrating process makes the food safe for human handling, so it’s free from preservatives, sugars, and glycerines. The formula can be fed as a meal on its own or added to other food as a topper. All meats and fish are free-range or wild-caught and sustainably sourced. This food is expensive, however.
Earthborn Coastal Catch Grain-Free Natural Dog Food
| Formula: | Dry |
| Life stage: | Adult |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Grain-free, gluten-free |
Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch Grain-Free Natural Dry Dog Food is great holistic dog food because of its high-quality protein. Herring meal, salmon meal, and whitefish meal are the first ingredients and primary protein sources. The food also supports nutrition with apples, carrots, blueberries, apples, cranberries, and spinach, which contain antioxidants for immune health. L-carnitine and omega fatty acids are also included for healthy muscle mass, skin, and coat.
The food is free of grain and gluten for sensitive dogs and uses natural fruit and vegetable fiber to support maximum digestibility and absorption. Ideal for all breeds, this adult formula is dry and may be combined with wet food or food toppers. Despite plenty of good reviews, some reviewers’ dogs didn’t like the food.
Nature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal All Life Stages Dry
| Formula: | Adult |
| Life stage: | All |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | High-protein, gluten-free, no wheat or soy |
Nature’s Logic Chicken Meal Feast is a completely natural and nutrient-rich dog food that has high-quality chicken as the first ingredient. Fruits and vegetables are added to provide vitamins and nutrients for overall health. All kibble is coated with digestive enzymes and protein with vitamins, minerals, albumin, and globulin.
The food has high-quality grains like millet and grass seed with no corn, wheat, soy, or rice. All ingredients are minimally processed, such as spinach, cranberries, blueberries, and dried kelp. In addition to being manufactured in the US, the processing uses renewable electricity for environmental sustainability. Several reviewers said their dogs didn’t like it and they experienced quality-control issues.
Instinct by Instinct Chicken & Brown Rice Raw Dry Food
| Formula: | Dry |
| Life stage: | Adult |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Corn, wheat, soy-free |
Instinct by Instinct Be Natural Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Dog Food is made with cage-free chicken for all-natural protein and excellent support for muscle mass and bone health. Each piece of kibble has a raw coating of chicken that’s freeze-dried for taste, texture, and food safety. Vitamins and minerals are added to ensure complete nutrition.
No fillers, corn, wheat, soy, chicken, or byproducts are used in the food, but it does have barely and brown rice. All food is manufactured in the US with ingredients sourced from all over the world. According to reviewers, some dogs didn’t like it and others experienced digestive upset.
Orijen Tundra Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
| Formula: | Dry |
| Life stage: | Adult |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Grain-free, natural, raw |
Orijen Tundra Grain-Free Dry Dog Food offers biologically appropriate nutrition for your dog, complete with ranch-raised venison, grass-fed lamb, Boer goat, pork, duck, and fish. Using the most nutrient-dense parts of the prey animal, the food offers whole animal protein for natural nutrition. Each individual piece of kibble is coated with freeze-dried liver for a superior taste.
The first five ingredients are fresh or raw animal protein, and the food has no corn, wheat, soy, or gluten. There’s no chicken, which is a common source of food allergies or sensitivities in dogs. Though most reviewers were pleased, some dogs wouldn’t touch this food.
Nutro Natural Choice Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Dry Food
| Formula: | Adult |
| Life stage: | All |
| Breed size: | Small, toy |
| Special diet: | GMO-free, chicken-free |
If you have a small breed or a dog that prefers small bites, Nutro Natural Choice Small Bites Adult Dry Dog Food Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Kibble is a great choice. Real lamb is the first ingredient and provides high-quality protein for muscle and bone health. The food contains essential antioxidants for immunity and fiber for optimal digestion.
Formulated without soy, wheat, corn, or chicken byproducts, this food is ideal for complete nutrition for adult dogs of small or toy breeds or larger breeds that need small kibble. This food is not appropriate for puppies or large breeds, however. Some reviewers said they saw poor results when this company switched their dog food formula recently.
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Turkey Meal & Chicken Recipe Dry
| Formula: | Dry |
| Life stage: | Adult |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Gluten and grain-free, high protein |
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food is a balanced, grain-free dry food that’s specially formulated for high-protein needs. Turkey and chicken are the first ingredients, followed by salmon oil for fatty acids. Vitamins and nutrients come from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, and wholesome grains.
The food is free from fillers, corn, soy, wheat, gluten, and preservatives. Despite this, it’s manufactured in a facility that processes grains, which means some can be on the food. Be mindful of that if your dog has a known allergy or food sensitivity. Some reviewers noticed dandruff with this food, which resolved when they switched back to their original food.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken Pie Wet Food
| Formula: | Stew |
| Life stage: | All |
| Breed size: | Small, medium, large |
| Special diet: | Gluten-free, no corn, wheat, or soy |
From the same line as the popular dry foods, the Rachael Ray Nutrish Chicken Paw Pie Recipe chicken stew is a mix of chicken and green beans with sweet potatoes in chicken gravy. The natural formula contains vitamins and minerals for complete and balanced nutrition, and real chicken is the first ingredient.
There’s no corn, wheat, or soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives, making it a natural formula for dogs that like wet food or suffer digestibility issues. Unlike other foods on the list, this food is not made in the US. Reviewers also noted that it smells strong.
Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose The Best Holistic Dog Food
Figuring out what kind of food to buy your dog can feel stressful and overwhelming. How can you know exactly what ingredients your dog needs? Luckily, the process of choosing a high-quality food for your dog doesn’t have to be complicated or frustrating. Here are a few things that you can do to make the shopping process easier on yourself:
Test Your Dog’s Taste Buds
- What kind of quality protein will your dog like the most? The only way to find out is to ask them. You can do this by feeding your dog a bite of beef (steak, ground, etc.), chicken, fish, and pork to find out which they prefer the most. If your dog seems to favor one particular protein, chances are that they will most enjoy a food that features that protein as the main ingredient.
- If your dog doesn’t seem to favor any protein over another, you can consider yourself lucky and make a choice based on your own interests. If you aren’t dealing with a picky dog, try something that features a mixture of proteins or that most resembles the diet that your family follows at home
Visit Your Veterinarian
The most important thing that you can do is visit your veterinarian to get blood tests for your pooch. These tests will show your vet exactly what nutrients are abundant and which are lacking in your dog’s system, so you can figure out what ingredients should be in the food that they will be expected to eat long term. Your vet can also use the results that they get from tests and consider your dog’s overall health condition to recommend a few high-quality dog foods for your furry family member.
Find Out What Others Think
Find out whether any of your friends or family members have had any experience with the holistic dog food that you’re thinking about investing in. If they have, they can provide you with invaluable insight that will let you know what to expect if you were to feed the same food to your own dog.
Also, take the time to read customer reviews to get an idea of what your dog might think about a food you’re considering. Ignore the shipping complaints and other issues that don’t really have to do with the food, and focus on what folks have to say about the food itself. How do the dogs like the food, and how has their health been affected, if at all? The answers to these questions can help you easily determine which food would be the best fit for your pooch.
Final Thoughts
You want to do the best for your dog, but it can be difficult to choose a holistic or natural dog food that gives your pet everything it needs. Nom Nom Now is the best overall holistic dog food for its high-quality protein from real ingredients. If you’re on a budget, Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice Formula All Life Stages Dry Dog Food is the best holistic dog food for the money and offers a wide range of micronutrients.
