Top 10 Best Organic Dog Foods brands

Top 10 Best Organic Dog Foods

Organic dog food is becoming increasingly popular as pet parents strive to give their furry friends the best possible diet. However, with so many products on the market, it can be hard to know where to start.

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve rounded up 20 best organic dog foods this year. Whether you’re looking for a kibble or a raw diet, there’s sure to be an option on our list that’s perfect for your pup.

  • Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Dog Food
  • Pupper Chicken Topper
  • Tender and True Organic Dog Food
  • Gather Free Acres Dog Food
  • Only Natural Pet Powerfood
  • Instinct Be Natural
  • Newman’s Own Organic Dog Food
  • Stella and Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Dinners
  • Carna4 Dog Food
  • Castor and Pollux Organix Organic Dog Food
  • Primal Freeze-Dried Formula Dog Food
  • Farmina N&D
  • Party Animal Original Dog Food
  • Sundays for Dogs
  • Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon & Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food
  • Purina Beyond Organic Dog Food
  • Organix Butcher and Bushel Dog Food
  • Castor and Pollux Organix Tiny Feasts
  • Blue Buffalo True Solutions
  • Natural Balance Vegetarian Blend

What is organic dog food?

  • Organic dog food is made with ingredients that are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or other chemicals. The food is also free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and antibiotics.
  • Organic dog food may be more expensive than conventional brands, but it offers several benefits for your pup.
  • There are several benefits to feeding your dog organic food. The most obvious is that it’s healthier for them. Organic food contains no harmful chemicals or pesticides, which can cause health problems down the road.
  • Organic food also tends to be higher in quality and nutrient-rich than conventional brands. This is because the ingredients are grown and processed in a more natural way.

Does organic dog food have to be raw dog food?

  • The short answer is no. While there are benefits to feeding your dog a raw diet, it’s not necessary to switch to an all-organic diet. You can find plenty of organic dry food and canned food options on the market.
  • Organic dry food is a great option for dogs who need a high-protein diet. It’s also a good choice for dogs who are picky eaters or have allergies. Canned food is another option for organic dog food. It’s a good choice for dogs who need a high-fat diet or suffer from joint pain.
  • Organic dog food can be more expensive than regular dog food, but it’s worth it to know you’re feeding your dog the best possible food.

Why is organic pet food better?

Organic pet food is better for your dog because it is made with fewer harmful chemicals and pesticides. It is also free from growth hormones, antibiotics, and other artificial ingredients.

Do dogs really need organic?

Yes, dogs really do need organic food! Just like humans, dogs are susceptible to the harmful effects of chemicals and pesticides. By feeding your dog organic food, you can help keep them healthy and free from toxins.

What makes a dog food organic?

In order for a dog food to be certified organic, it must meet certain standards set by the USDA. The food must be made with organic ingredients that were grown without the use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

What’s the best way to switch my dog to organic dog foods this year?

If you’re interested in switching your dog to an organic diet, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, make sure to do your research. Not all organic dog foods are created equal.

Look for a food that is certified organic by the USDA and made with human-grade ingredients. This way, you can be sure you’re giving your dog the best possible food.

You should also slowly transition your dog to their new food. Start by mixing a small amount of organic food in with their regular food. Gradually increase the amount of organic food until it makes up the entirety of their diet.

Doing this will help prevent digestive problems and other issues that can occur when switching to a new food.

What dog breeds will benefit most from organic dog foods this year?

While all breeds of dogs can theoretically benefit from organic foods, some will see more noticeable improvements than others. For example, breeds with sensitive stomachs or allergies may have fewer digestive issues or skin problems when switching to an organic diet.

Other breeds prone to weight gain may find it easier to maintain a healthy weight on an organic food plan. Ultimately, any dog can benefit from organic foods, but some may see more dramatic changes than others.

How will I know if my dog likes organic dog food?

The best way to know if your dog likes their food is to observe their behavior and energy levels. If they seem more energetic and have an easier time digesting their meals, then organic food is probably agreeing with them.

On the other hand, if they become more lethargic or have more digestive problems, it may be time to switch back to their old food or try a different brand of organic dog food.

The bottom line is that every dog is different, so it may take some trial and error to find the right organic food for your pup.

The 10 Best Organic Dog Food Brands

Tender & True Organic Grain- Free Dry Dog Food – Best Value

2Tender & True Organic Chicken & Liver Recipe Grain- Free Dry Dog Food

Tender & True Organic Grain-Free Dry Dog Food it’s our pick for the best organic dog food for the money. The Global Animal Partnership has certified the meat humanely raised, and it features organic chicken as its first ingredient. It’s packed with vitamins and also contains zinc, iron, copper, and other important minerals to provide a complete and balanced meal. It contains no corn soy or wheat products that may give your pet problems with their digestive system. It’s a great option for the best natural dog food for your pup.

The only problem with Tender and True is that, like our top choice, many of our dogs wouldn’t eat it.

Cons
  • Some dogs don’t like it
Pros
  • Certified humane
  • Complete balanced nutrition
  • Organic chicken is the first ingredient
  • Contains zinc, iron, copper, and other minerals
  • No corn soy or wheat

Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Dry Dog Food – Best Overall

1Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Organic Small Breed Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Dry Dog Food is our pick for the best organic dog food overall. This brand is certified organic and contains organic chicken as its first ingredient. It also contains other organic foods like sweet potatoes and chickpeas, which help provide complex carbohydrates. Superfoods like blueberries and flaxseed help supply important antioxidants as well as omega fats. This food also contains probiotics, as well as prebiotics help to maintain a balanced digestive system and a strong immune system.

We enjoyed reviewing Castor & Pollux and felt good about giving it to our pets. The only problem was some of our dogs wouldn’t eat it, which is common with healthy foods and our dogs.

All in all, we think this is the best natural dog food you can buy this year.

Cons
  • Some dogs don’t like it
Pros
  • No corn soy or wheat
  • Features probiotics and prebiotics
  • Certified organic
  • The organic chicken first ingredient
  • Includes superfoods
  • Contains organic sweet potatoes and chickpeas

Newman’s Own Organics Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

4Newman's Own Organics Grain-Free 95% Chicken Dinner Canned Dog Food

Newman’s Own Organics Grain-Free Canned Dog Food is a wet food that has organic chicken as its first ingredient. It also contains helpful minerals like copper, zinc, and calcium, as well as several added vitamins like vitamins A, B12, and D3.

The biggest downside to Newman’s Own is that it smells bad, almost to the point you are feeling unsure about feeding it. It also contains an ingredient called carrageenan, and there is some early evidence it can be harmful.

Cons
  • Smells bad
  • Contains carrageenan
Pros
  • Contains iron, copper, and calcium
  • Organic chicken is the first ingredient
  • Vitamin fortification

Castor & Pollux Organic Puppy Dry Dog Food – Best for Puppies

3Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Organic Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Castor & Pollux Organic Puppy Dry Dog Food is our pick for the best organic dog food for puppies. This brand is USDA certified organic and features organic chicken as its first ingredient. It also contains superfoods like blueberries and flaxseed that can help boost your pet’s immune system by supplying important antioxidants. It also contains omega fatty acids in the form of DHA, which can lead to a healthy coat. There is no corn, wheat, or soy products among the ingredients, and it provides a complete meal for dogs under one year.

We felt that Castor & Pollux Puppy Food is superior to many others, and that’s why we’ve chosen it, but we need to point out that several of our puppies simply would not eat it, even if we put wet food on top.

Cons
  • Some dogs don’t like it
Pros
  • No corn, wheat, or soy
  • Superfoods
  • USDA certified organic
  • The organic chicken first ingredient

Evanger’s Organics Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

5Evanger's Organics Cooked Chicken Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Evanger’s Organics Grain-Free Canned Dog Food has no corn soy or wheat ingredients and contains no meat by-products. Oregon Tilth certifies it as organic food. It’s a wet food that’s very low in calories and contains only three ingredients, organic chicken, well water, and organic guar gum.

The downside of Evanger’s Organics limited ingredients is that it doesn’t provide much nutrition outside of protein, therefore, is not certified by AAFCO as a proper meal, and can only be given on occasion, as a supplement, or as a treat.

Cons
  • Not certified by AAFCO
  • Only meat
Pros
  • Certified by Oregon Tilth
  • Three ingredients
  • No corn, soy, or wheat
  • No meat by-products

Gather Endless Valley Vegan Dry Dog Food

7Gather Endless Valley Vegan Dry Dog Food

Gather Endless Valley Vegan Dry Dog Food is the first non-meat dog food on our list. This brand uses high-quality pea protein as a substitute for animal protein. Several other plants and vegetables like lentils, potatoes, blueberries, cranberries, kale, and carrots fortify this brand with essential vitamins and minerals. Whole grains like barley, quinoa, and oats supply fiber that will help keep your pet’s digestive system in balance. This food also contains no corn, wheat, or soy, which could upset that delicate balance.

Many of our dogs did not care for Gather Endless Valley Vegan and wouldn’t eat it. If we mixed it with another food, they would eat around it and leave this in the bowl, so it wasn’t really a contender for the best natural dog food. We like it as a substitute for dogs that can’t eat meat because of a medical condition but aren’t comfortable removing meat from their diet without a medical reason.

Cons
  • Some dogs don’t like
  • Contains no meat
Pros
  • Omega fatty acids
  • No corn, wheat, or soy
  • Pea protein
  • Fortified with essential vitamins and minerals

Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

6Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Butcher & Bushel Organic Chicken Wing

Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Canned Dog Food is another brand of canned wet food. It features large cuts of chicken and vegetables, as opposed to the typical pate style we’ve seen so far, and it’s USDA certified organic. It contains antioxidants and omega fats, and there are lots of vitamins and minerals among the ingredients.

We had to put the Castor & Pollux brand on our treat pile because it contains several small chicken bones. Castor & Pollux Claims dirt bones are safe for your dog to eat, but if you would rather pick them out, you’ll find that there’s not much food left in the can, as it’s mostly water. It also gave several of our dog’s gas after they ate it.

Cons
  • Contains bones
  • Liquid
  • Can cause gas
Pros
  • Antioxidants
  • Vitamins and minerals
  • Chunky
  • USDA certified
  • Omega fats

PetGuard Organic Vegan Entree Canned Dog Food

8PetGuard Organic Vegan Entree Canned Dog Food

PetGuard Organic Vegan Entree Canned Dog Food is another brand of vegan food. Only this one is canned wet food instead of dry kibble. It’s certified USDA organic and uses pea protein as a substitute for meat. There is no corn, soy, wheat, or dairy to upset your pet’s stomach, and there are no dyes or chemical preservatives. It contains easily digestible grains for fiber, and it also contains omega fats and antioxidants.

Our pets didn’t like PetGuard Organic Vegan wet food any more than they liked the dry brand, and most would avoid it at all costs. We also found the consistency very dry for wet food, and it was challenging to get out of the camp because it was so dry.

Cons
  • Dry
  • Hard to get out of the can
  • Some dogs don’t like it
Pros
  • Omega fats
  • Easily digested grains
  • USDA certified organic
  • No corn, wheat, soy, or dairy

OrgaNOMics Organic Grain-Free Pate Wet Dog Food

10OrgaNOMics Lamb & Beef Dinner Organic Grain-Free Pate Wet Dog Food

OrgaNOMics Organic Grain-Free Pate Wet Dog Food features lamb as the first ingredient, and beef as it’s second, so it packs in the protein. It also contains plenty of organic carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes, which not only add flavor; they also add antioxidants, which help to fight infection and boost the immune system.

The first thing we need to tell you about OrgaNOMics is that the meat is not certified organic. It’s locally sourced from local sources, like the Amish, that traditionally do not use steroids or antibiotics in their meat. However, the carrots peas and sweet potatoes are certified organic. We found that it dried out very quickly once you opened it and placed it in the fridge, so it’s not very good for dogs that don’t eat all their food quickly. While more of our dogs liked this food than the vegan brands, some still wouldn’t need it, and it had a bad smell.

Cons
  • Some dogs don’t like it
  • Meat is not organic
  • Dries out quickly
  • Smells bad
Pros
  • Beef is the second ingredient
  • Lamb as the first ingredient
  • Organic carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes

Gather Free Acres Organic Dry Dog Food

9Gather Free Acres Organic Free-Run Chicken Dry Dog Food

Gather Free Acres Organic Dry Dog Food is a brand that prides itself on its use of free-range chicken as its first ingredient. It also supplies important antibiotics using fruits peas, lentils, blueberries, and cranberries. EPA and DHA provide helpful fatty acids that contribute to brain and eye development, as well as help maintain a soft, shiny coat. It provides balanced nutrition and doesn’t include any corn, wheat, soy, or meat by-products.

The biggest problem with Gather Free is that it smells terrible and gave our dogs bad breath. When you open a can of this food, people will know it in the next room, and it almost has a spoiled smell.

Pros
  • Fatty acids
  • Balanced nutrition
  • Free-range chicken is the first ingredient
  • Antioxidants
  • No by-products, corn, wheat, or soy
Cons
  • Smells bad
  • Causes bad breath

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Natural Dog Food

In this section, we’ll look at what organic food is, as well as what other ingredients you should look for in a high-quality brand of organic dog food.

Organic Food

These are the qualities that make food organic.

No Synthetic Fertilizers

Synthetic fertilizers are another type of human-made compound that can affect the quality of the food your pet eats. Synthetic fertilizers can add nutrients to the soil but they don’t add any microorganisms or other organic compounds that plants need to survive and thrive. Microorganisms and organic compounds help replenish the soil and bring in new nutrients.

Non-GMO

Organic foods cannot contain any Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). GMOs use genetic material altered in a scientific lab to create things that don’t exist in nature and are not part of a dog’s natural diet. You find a lot of GMOs in soybeans, corn, plums, and canola oil.

Living and Farming Conditions

According to the USDA, farmers rely heavily on renewable resources and emphasize the conservation of soil and water. This idea preserves the resources for future generations and helps to improve living conditions for livestock.

No Chemical Pesticides or Preservatives

Chemical pesticides work well at preventing insects from attacking food, but the residue can enter the dog system creating significant health problems for your pet. While not quite as dangerous, chemical preservatives can also cause harm to your pet’s health. We recommend checking out food labels for signs of a chemical preservative like BHA and BHT and avoiding them.

Wet or Dry Food

What’s your found organic food you’ll still need to determine whether you feed your pet a drag cable or wet food and there are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is the food of choice for many pet owners for several reasons. It’s much less expensive than wet food, and it’s available in larger packages. It stays fresh longer once opened, and you can leave it in the bowl for a day or more without the worry of spoilage. Its biggest advantage is that the hard kibble scrapes away tartar as your pet chews, improving your dog’s breath and helping to reduce the chances of dental decay.

Wet Dog Food

Wet dog food is sold in cans and often comes in a single-serve size. Dogs usually prefer wet food because it’s cooked in the can preserving flavor, and the texture is more natural as well. Many brands contain chunky meats, and wet food is usually more aromatic and satisfying to your dog. However, there are a few downsides to wet food, including its high cost. It also needs to be refrigerated after opening, and you can only leave it in the bowl for a few hours before you’ll need to discard it. It’s much richer than dry food and can easily lead to weight gain, but the biggest downside true wet food is that it does not scrub away tarter. Instead, it can cause bad breath and increase the rate of dental decay as it gets stuck to your pet’s teeth.

We recommend dry food for the bulk of your pet’s diet with the occasional can of wet food for a treat or as a supplement.

Lean Protein

When choosing a brand of organic dog food, you want to find one that contains a lean protein source as its number one ingredient. Usually, the best source of protein is with whole meat like chicken, turkey, beef, or lamb, while some of the vegan brands on our list use a high-quality pea protein.

While meat by-product and meat meal are essentially ground and dried meat and is potentially a good source of protein. This food additive often comes from outside the U.S. where standards may not be as high. Therefore, we recommend avoiding brands that use meat by-product or meat meal as an ingredient as a rule, but if you trust the brand, go with your instincts.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids, primarily omega-3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, are important for eye and brain development in your pet. Fatty acids also help maintain a soft and shiny coat and can prevent itchy skin and rashes. Fatty acids almost always come from fish oil, but they can also come from flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil. Many different types of nuts also have fatty acids.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants can help build your pet’s immune system, which will reduce the chances they get sick and shorten the time they live with infections both internally and externally. High-quality organic fruits and vegetables added to the food will supply plenty of antioxidants for your pet. Look for fruits like blueberries and strawberries, as well as vegetables like kale, spinach, and sweet potatoes in the food you purchase to provide helpful nutrients.

 

What to Avoid in Organic Dog Food Brands

We have already mentioned why you should avoid meat by-products, and meat meal, as well as harmful chemical preservatives, like BHA and BHT, but there are still a few ingredients you should try to avoid when choosing an organic brand to feed your dog.

Exotic Meats

Another popular trend in the pet food industry is adding exotic meats to the food. Exotic meats include venison, wild boar, ostrich, bison, alligator, and many more. While there is still plenty of research to be done, early reports suggest that these exotic meats may not be as healthy as the standard meats found in a dog’s diet. It may be good to give these meats as a treat, but we would advise caution before switching to this type of food full time.

Food Dyes

While most of the brands on our list do not contain any artificial coloring or dyes, it’s something you are very likely to run into while shopping. We recommend avoiding this ingredient because there’s no reason for it to be there, and some dogs can have an allergic reaction to it. Dyes and food coloring are often a sign there are other chemicals included in the ingredients.

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is another food additive that, like exotic meats, still needs further research. However, early reports suggest avoiding foods with this ingredient. Some believe that carrageenan can cause gastrointestinal inflammation, lesions, ulcers, and even stomach cancer. Carrageenan is made from certain seaweeds and is a popular ingredient and pet food as well as human food.

Final Thoughts

When choosing a brand of organic dog food, we recommend our top choice. Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Dry Dog Food is certified organic and lists organic chicken as its first ingredient. It also contains plenty of fruits and vegetables to supply antioxidants, it has omega fats and no ingredients we try to avoid. Tender & True Organic Grain- Free Dry Dog Food is our pick for the best value and is a close second choice providing all the essentials that we look for in organic food. Either of these foods would make a great choice to start feeding your pet organic foods.

We hope you have enjoyed reading our organic dog food reviews and found them helpful. We also hope that you found our buyer’s guide informative, and it gives you the confidence you need to shop alone. If you think it will be helpful to others, please share this guide to the best organic dog food on Facebook and Twitter.

Edward Hollon is an avid dog lover and writer, knowing all there is to know about our furry friends. Edward has been writing for petdii for three years now, wanting to use her knowledge for good and share everything she can with new dog owners. Edward has two dogs herself - a German shepherd called Banjo and a chocolate labrador called Buttons. Edward knows more than anyone how adjusting to new life with a puppy can turn your life upside down, and she wants to ease some of the burdens through her articles.