Shedding is a normal part of your dog’s life and is part of your responsibility as their pet parent but we all know just how much of a pain it can be. Certain dog breeds will also shed more than others but there are other reasons why your dog might be losing too much hair. Luckily, giving your pup proper nutrition is one of the few things you can do to combat too much shedding.
In this detailed guide, we share the 10 best dog foods for shedding that you can add to your dog’s diet today.
Can the Right Dog Food Reduce Dog Shedding?
Before we jump to the best foods for your dog, it’s important to understand that it’s normal for your dog’s fur to shed. However, if you notice excessive hair loss, you should see your veterinarian since certain medical conditions can be the cause of excessive shedding. Other reasons why your dog might be leaving hair everywhere include:
- Food sensitivities
- Hormonal imbalances
- Underlying health issues
- Allergic reactions
- Illnesses
- Parasites
- And others
If your veterinarian is able to rule out health problems or if it’s only a mild case, then the reason for your dog’s shedding may be due to poor diet. Be sure to switch over to a more balanced diet by providing them with plenty of protein content, vegetables, fresh fruits, and healthy fats like olive oil and fish oils. A combination of these ingredients can help to provide your dog’s body with the nutrition it needs while improving your dog’s coat.
Best Dog Foods for Shedding
1. Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Dog Food
Highlights
- This perfectly balanced and grain-free dry dog food was developed by nutritional experts
- Made with a blend of beef, lamb, and pork, with protein as the first ingredient
- Delivers a dose of Omega oils to improve skin and coat health along with antioxidants
- Provides minerals and vitamins along with natural vegetables for a balanced diet
Your canine buddy deserves nothing but the best, so why not feed it real ingredients directly from the farms using a natural process with Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Pork, Beef & Lamb Recipe Dry Dog Food? Developed by nutritional experts and veterinarians for a product that’s proudly made in the USA, this natural dog food is packed with everything your dog needs for strong muscles. It also contains plenty of Omega fatty acids to maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat, while the antioxidants work to support a healthy immune system for your best friend.
2. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Adult Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Uses real salmon as the primary ingredient for a high-protein meal
- With Omega-3 and sunflower oil to help with skin conditions and support a healthy coat
- Made with oatmeal and prebiotic fiber to support digestive health
- Contains no artificial flavors or colors
With the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach Dog Food Salmon & Rice Formula, you can keep your puppy happy and healthy! Using salmon as its main ingredient, this tasty and high-protein dog food provides plenty of fatty acids to support health, while sunflower oil helps to give your dog a radiant coat that won’t shed as much. It also contains antioxidants for a healthy immune system while the added oatmeal helps to provide the dietary fiber it needs to help with digestion.
3. The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated Dog Food
Highlights
- Uses key ingredients like organic carrots, oats, bananas, and free-range chicken
- This nutritious dog food has been dehydrated to be used as a meal or a topper
- Designed to provide balanced and complete nutrition for dogs of all life stages
- Made with 100% human-grade ingredients unlike commercial dog foods
When you want to give your pup the best food, you can’t go wrong with Honest Kitchen’s Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food which has been crafted with whole foods. With every ingredient gently dehydrated to maintain its taste and nutrients, this meal can be served to your pooch — simply add warm water and leave for 3 minutes for a yummy treat. This premium dog food is made with human-grade ingredients and higher safety standards without any of the bad stuff like corn, soy, wheat, GMO, fillers, or preservatives to maintain your dog’s overall health.
4. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Adult Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- With L-carnitine and high-quality protein for lower calories and muscle development
- Includes phosphorus, calcium, and essential vitamins for strong teeth and bones
- Promotes healthy skin and coat with chondroitin, glucosamine, and various fatty acids
- Contains no wheat, corn, soy, chicken meal, or animal by-products.
This Life Protection Formula by Blue Buffalo was specifically created to support your dog’s well-being in all aspects by using real meat, garden vegetables, whole grains, and fruit. It also uses LifeSource Bits, a blend of select nutrients along with 7 ingredients rich in antioxidants to improve their immune system. Finally, this Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe features scrumptious, deboned chicken as its primary protein source without any excess calories to help your pup maintain a healthy weight.
5. Go! Solutions Carnivore Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Provides 85% protein in just the first 6 ingredients alone, including real fish and meat
- A grain-free recipe that’s rich in amino acids and antioxidants
- Supports healthy digestion, gut bacteria, and overall wellness
- Crafted by pet nutritionists to help cover your pet’s dietary needs
When it comes to your dog’s food, the best option is to go with something that will match your dog’s needs which is why you need to check out Go! Solutions Carnivore Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Adult Recipe Dry Dog Food. Made with natural ingredients such as duck, salmon, lamb, chicken, turkey, and wild boar, your canine buddy will look forward to feeding time every day. Includes many essential nutrients as well as prebiotic fiber, digestive enzymes, and probiotics to support healthy digestion, good gut bacteria, and your pup’s overall wellness.
6. American Journey Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Uses salmon, amino acids, and sweet potatoes to support muscles and energy
- Made with nutrient-dense ingredients to provide minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants
- With Omega-3 and Omega-6 to support your dog’s skin, coat, eye, and brain health
- Contains no unnecessary additives like wheat, corn, soy, or by-product meals
This grain-free dry dog food by American Journey has been crafted to satisfy your dog’s cravings for animal protein. Without using anything too complicated, it uses natural ingredients to help avoid particular food allergies while leaving out bad ingredients like wheat, soy, corn, and by-products. Instead, you can give your pooch a taste of yummy salmon, fruits, and vegetables, along with vitamins and minerals for a healthy diet.
7. Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Uses pasture-raised venison to provide protein in small kibble bites for smaller dogs
- Combines vitamins, minerals, Omega fatty acids, real fruits, and superfoods
- With K9 Strain Proprietary Probiotics, prebiotics, and antioxidants for overall wellness
- A family-owned brand that makes their products in the USA
When your dog sheds too much, you can turn to Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food for the right solution. Formulated without grain to help combat dry skin, it also comes with prebiotic fiber and probiotics to support sensitive stomachs and comes in small kibbles to protect your small dog’s teeth. Using a potent blend of venison, duck, lamb, ocean fish, and eggs, this dog food will help to support your furbaby’s joints, bones, and muscles, while relieving skin irritation.
8. CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Contains 8 real foods for a healthy dog with balanced and complete nutrition
- Fortified using Canidae’s HealthPLUS mix of antioxidants, probiotics, and fatty acids
- Made using a simple recipe inside Canidae’s facility located in Texas
- Free from grains, soy, corn, wheat, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
Dog owners can now rejoice knowing that their pooch will always be in good health using CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food. Made using just 8 ingredients, this dog food was made for the sole purpose of giving your pup the nutrition it needs and is packed with protein, antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. With such a healthy blend of ingredients, this dog food will provide your dog with everything it needs while leaving out all the bad stuff, plus its salmon flavor will leave your buddy wanting more!
9. Holistic Select Adult Health Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Includes plenty of ingredients to support your pup’s digestive health
- A fish-based kibble that’s been formulated to give your pooch a yummy treat
- With Omega-3 fatty acids to relieve itchy skin and promote a lustrous coat
- Made in the USA using high-quality ingredients from around the world
Pet owners will know that when their pooch has a sensitivity to a particular food, it’s a good idea to stick to a single protein source, which is what the Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food offers. Using only fish, this meal recipe combines anchovy, sardine, and salmon along with a mix of fiber, antioxidants, and probiotics to give your dog a dose of the most vital nutrients it needs for each day. Furthermore, it provides glucosamine and taurine to look after your pet’s heart and it’s fish flavor is sure to keep your canine buddy wanting more.
10. Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food
Highlights
- Supports immune function, and digestion, and helps your dog’s hair stay healthy
- Formulated specifically using a single protein source with easy-to-digest carbohydrates
- Designed to promote your dog’s overall health and serves as an alternative to other diets
- Made in the USA using the finest ingredients around the globe
With the Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Salmon and Potato Recipe, you can keep your pooch feeling great all day every day with its grain-free and natural blend. Made with just one source of protein and a few carbohydrates, it’s gluten-free and has been fortified with antioxidants, omega fatty acids, probiotics, glucosamine, and taurine to promote overall health. As such, it can be used to support your dog’s immune function, digestion, skin, and coat while leaving out all the nasty things like dairy, wheat, animal by-products, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Best Dog Food for Shedding Buyer’s Guide
Whether you have big dogs like German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers or smaller dogs like Shih Tzus and Pomeranians, you should always give your pooch quality food that will deliver nutritional value. Below are just a few things you need to look for when buying dog food of any kind.
High-Quality Proteins
Be sure to look for zinc, iron, selenium, and B vitamins whenever you check the product’s label. Each of these can help promote healthy skin and coat, but the quality of the protein source will also be important. Be sure to choose high-quality meat sources like chicken, beef, lamb, and fish; while meat meals can be a good source of protein, they should only be used as a secondary ingredient.
Essential Fatty Acids
Fat is necessary for dogs since it provides energy and vitamins such as vitamin E that promote healthy skin and coat. However, not every source of fat will be beneficial, so be sure to look for healthy fats such as salmon oil, chicken fat, coconut oil, and flaxseeds.
Vitamins and Minerals
You need to give your dog the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep its skin and fur healthy, which will reduce shedding. Look for probiotics to improve digestion, which will help maintain their coat, and it will also help to give them omega fatty acids, vitamin D, and vitamin E.
Conclusion
When your dog won’t stop shedding, there are plenty of great choices for you to choose from that can help to reduce this condition. While some choices are made specifically for smaller dogs or larger breeds, there are options that will cater to all sizes and for every stage of life. Just make sure that whatever you choose, your dog should be happy with each bite they take — you should know what their favorite flavors are and what they need to avoid in case of allergies.
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