In your search for the Best Canadian Dog Food, we’ve prepared this curated list of the finest options that you can get from the Great White North. In just the last decade, Canadian dog food companies have improved their quality control and produced delicious pet food of all forms. Thanks to an increasing number of pet owners, there has been a huge demand for high quality food — here, we share all of the brands that you should look for.
Best Canadian Dog Food
From grain-free foods and options without any artificial preservatives, there are plenty of food items that you can offer your pooch for a healthier diet. Many dog food brands now make their products based on food allergies, food sensitivities, and your dog’s diet, helping the pet food industry move forward.
1. Acana Limited Ingredient Lamb & Apple Recipe
Highlights
- Uses limited ingredients such as lamb and vegetables for a balanced diet
- This grain-free dog food features freeze-dried coating for a rich flavor
- With a blend of probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, and omega fatty acids
- Produced in Alberta, Canada, and made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients
The Acana Limited Ingredient Lamb & Apple Recipe uses lamb as its only protein source while sweet potatoes support gut health, so it’s a good choice for digestively-challenged dogs. Thanks to its high-quality ingredients, dogs will be able to absorb plenty of essential nutrients such as fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics, along with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. You’ll find that this product contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, helping your dog to achieve a shiny coat and healthy skin.
2. Pedigree Complete Nutrition Chicken and Vegetable Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Provides balanced and complete nutrition through vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
- With optimal omega-6 levels for the skin and coat
- Comes with a crunchy texture to support your dog’s oral health
- Made in the USA but available in Canada using fine ingredients from around the world
With Pedigree’s Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Dog Food, you can expect to feed your pal with the best dog food. Packed with zinc, B vitamins, and omega-6 fatty acids, it will cover your dog’s nutritional needs while providing a vitamin E supplement to strengthen its immune system. It has a delicious chicken flavor that your dog will love and you can rest easy knowing that it contains no sugar, corn syrup, or artificial flavors.
3. Nutro Natural Choice Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
Highlights
- Made for dogs of a large breed to keep them fit and healthy
- Uses real chicken as its first ingredient for a tasty and protein-packed meal
- With a crunchy texture that helps to fight plaque buildup and clean teeth
- Helps to support coat, skin, and immune health
If you have large breed dogs and you want to give them the best dry dog food for their needs the Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is a great choice. With chicken as its first ingredient, your dogs will get plenty of fiber and protein to get healthy skin and a shiny coat, while supporting the immune and digestive systems. With ingredients sourced from local farmers, you can trust that your best friends are eating the right dog food for them.
4. Firstmate Grain Friendly Cage-Free Chicken Dog Food
Highlights
- A limited-ingredient recipe that uses just one type of meat for its protein source
- Made from cage-free chickens that were raised in Canada
- Uses natural ingredients including brown rice, oatmeal, raspberries, and blueberries
- Gluten-free and contains no corn, soy, wheat, potatoes, and peas
Your best friend deserves a treat, so why not serve it some FirstMates Grain Friendly Cage Free Chicken Meal & Oats Formula Dog Food? Made with 75% protein from cage-free chicken from British Columbia and 25% protein from grains and fruits like raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, brown rice, and oatmeal, this recipe is sure to make your pup happy. Plus, it’s great for dogs with sensitive stomachs and food allergies since each bite is free from soy, potatoes, corn, wheat, and peas.
5. PetKind Dry Grain-Free Green Tripe & Wild Salmon Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Developed to sustain your dog’s health through all life stages
- With wild-caught fish sourced from the Pacific North West for a shiny coat
- Made with Peruvian and Canadian quinoa, a protein source free from gluten
- Low GI and free from corn, potato, wheat, and soy for an allergy-free meal
This Green Tripe & Wild Salmon Formula Dry Dog Food by PetKind is made with human-grade ingredients such as organic quinoa, wild Pacific salmon, and green lamb tripe. You’ll find that this recipe is extra healthy; 70% of the proteins found in green tripe are made up of 7 major amino acids which can help to maintain joint and muscle health, support the immune system, and metabolize fats and sugars. This formula is also rich in essential Omega fatty acids while completely free from any additives and fillers that could cause an upset stomach.
6. ORIJEN Tundra Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Made with 85% animal proteins which include whole pieces such as bones and organs
- Formulated for small and medium-sized dogs of all life stages
- Contains no corn, soy, wheat, or tapioca ingredients
- Made in the USA using quality ingredients from Canada and around the world
If you want the best food for your pooch, be sure to give it ORIJEN Tundra Dry Dog Food which is formulated for dogs of all life stages. Packed with nutrients from whole meat that mimic what ancient dogs would’ve eaten in the wild — this natural dog food contains venison, farm-raised lamb, fish, duck, and wild boar. Every serving of this succulent dog food has the most nutrient-rich parts of their prey and will be bursting with protein, vitamins, and minerals, so feed this to your pup to awaken its wild spirit!
7. Hill’s Science Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Includes beet pulp, known as a nourishing prebiotic fiber
- Made to be highly digestible to support nutrient absorption
- With omega-6 and vitamin E to provide a lustrous coat and healthy skin
- Formulated using nutritious food with amino acids, vitamins, and minerals
Recommended by veterinarians, Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe has been specifically made for adult dogs, and also works as a vitamin E supplement. Featuring real chicken as well as prebiotic fibers to support a healthy gut, this recipe also delivers a heaping dose of Omega-6 fatty acids to give your dog healthy skin and coat. You’ll be happy knowing that every cent spent on this dry dog food will go towards improving your pet’s overall health.
8. Canada Fresh Red Meat Canned Dog Food
Highlights
- With beef and lamb as the main ingredients for a meat-based protein source
- Made to provide a balanced and complete diet with a high nutritional value
- Contains Omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, vitamins, and minerals
- Uses limited ingredients and comes in an easy-to-serve can
If you want your dog to try a raw diet, Canada Fresh Red Meat Canned Dog Food is the top pick that’s 100% made in Canada using only the best Canadian resources. Made with fresh meat including lamb, beef, and beef liver, your pup is sure to enjoy this wet dog food. It’s naturally high in proteins and is the right food to support your dog’s energy levels; it also contains Omega fatty acids from salmon oil, vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and glucosamine for the joints.
9. Iams Adult Large Breed High Protein Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Uses an adult dog food formula that supports the nutrient profile of large-breed dogs
- Features real farm-raised chickens as its main ingredient and source of protein
- Formulated for bone and joint support for active dogs
- With a special blend of prebiotics and fibers to promote healthy digestion
With the Iams Adult Large Breed Real Chicken High Protein Dry Dog Food, your big boy will surely enjoy their new food which features real farm-raised chicken including chicken fat and chicken by-products. With its protein source and other ingredients, this dog’s food will be great for maintaining your buddy’s strong muscles and joints. Moreover, it contains prebiotics and fibers that help to support your dog’s immune system and gut health, so you can be sure that your pooch gets the nutrition it needs.
10. Rollover Premium Dog Food Beef Flavor
Highlights
- Semi-soft roll-style raw dog food to help your dog transition to a raw food diet
- Limited-ingredient dog food that’s great for picky and fussy eaters
- Rollover is a family-oriented company that has been in the industry for decades
- Self-manufactured and made in High River, Alberta
These semi-soft dog rolls by Canadian company Rollover are made using only the best ingredients from suppliers that have been approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). They only use ingredients that are safe for human consumption and have formulated their rolls to be nutritionally balanced and complete without any meat meal, bone meal, or by-products. Each product is made in small batches with a lot of love and care to ensure that your dog gets fresh food that’s full of vitamins and minerals.
11. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Puppy Food
Highlights
- Uses salmon as the main ingredient for a high-protein recipe
- With oatmeal, sunflower oils, and vitamin A to promote digestive, coat, and skin health
- Contains fish oil for vision and brain development as well as antioxidants
- Leaves out all the bad stuff like wheat, corn, soy, or artificial flavors
If you’re looking for the best dry puppy food then look no further than the Purina Pro Plan Development Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice With Probiotics. This delicious and nutritious recipe is made specifically for big dog breeds and uses salmon as the main ingredient which is mixed with rice to promote easy digestion. It also contains probiotics, sunflower oil, vitamin A, and prebiotic fiber to support a healthy tummy and immune system, as well as a lustrous coat and skin.
12. V-Dog Kind Kibble Vegan Adult Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- This vegan dry dog food uses fresh ingredients such as lentils, peas, and quinoa
- Formulated to be nutritionally balanced for all dog breeds
- Includes Omega fatty acids, L-carnitine, taurine, prebiotics, and DHA
- Contains no soy, corn, gluten, wheat, or any unnecessary fillers
Pet parents who want to feed their pups with good dog food should try V-Dog Kind Kibble Vegan Adult Dry Dog Food for a great all-veggie option that’s completely balanced for your dog’s needs. With lentils, peas, brown rice, and quinoa, this is a delicious and healthy option — it also contains DHA, prebiotics, taurine, L-carnitine, and Omega fatty acids for pups that need extra support. Despite having no meat, your pooch will enjoy the taste of these vegetables and whole grains, while enjoying its many health benefits for oral hygiene, coat and skin, as well as weight management.
13. Royal Canin Health Nutrition Adult Formula Dog Food
Highlights
- This adult dry dog food is specifically formulated for small dog breeds
- With L-carnitine to help your pooch maintain a healthy weight
- Contains fatty acids DHA and EPA to support a healthy coat and skin
- Exclusive kibble-like design that’s safe and easy on little jaws
This great dry food from Royal Canin has been formulated specifically to meet the needs of smaller dog breeds, which require higher levels of calories for each pound of their body weight compared to bigger dogs. The L-carnitine was included to help metabolize fat to keep your dog active and fit while its ideal levels of DHA and EPA help to support a gorgeous coat. Finally, it was developed with a delicious flavor that will satisfy even the most fussy eaters.
Things to Consider for the Best Canadian Dog Food
Much like people, our canine buddies also need a balanced meal that consists of fresh fruits vegetables, and proteins. However, our dogs won’t be able to choose the food they want so we’ll have to do it for them. As such, it’s our job to ensure that they get all the nutrition they need, and providing them with fresh dog food is the first step.
Here are a few factors to consider before you make a food purchase for your pooch.
Comfort
It’s best to look for food that will fit your dog’s mouth comfortably. Some dog food are meant for big dog breeds while others are made for smaller dog breeds, so be sure to check how big each piece is. Other foods may trigger your dog’s food allergies so steer clear of those; some dogs won’t like meat and others won’t enjoy plants, so look into the right option for your pooch.
Ingredients
The best dog foods will be balanced and should have fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and proteins according to your dog’s needs. Don’t be tricked into buying a product just because it has some fancy ingredients in it. Do your research and look for the nutrients that your dog will need according to its size and life stage, or you can consult your vet for more information.
Grain-Free
Experts agree that dogs on a grain-free or low-grain diet will be healthier, especially if combined with a low-carb diet. This is likely because low-grain and low-carb can help to keep dogs away from allergies while at the same time helping to maintain their weight.
Consult Your Specialist
When in doubt, it’s best to always talk to your vet or a specialist if you’re unsure about the kind of food you need to feed your dog. Depending on your dog’s life stage, what it likes, whether it has allergies, and how it reacts to certain foods like corn, gluten, and sweet potato, your vet will be able to come up with a diet. A specialist will also be able to share the best food brands for your pooch along with food items that will agree with your pup’s digestive system.
Conclusion
Despite being a big country, Canadian dog food companies were able to work with local farms to produce delicious meals for our canine friends. As a result, Canada’s dog food industry has rapidly improved over the past few years, and it shows in the quality of their products and their contribution to products from the United States. Throughout North America, many pet parents have enjoyed the benefits of the best Canadian dog foods, so be sure to get yours today!
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