Should You Compare Dry Dog Foods?
The Best Dry Dog Food Brands Today
Each of the dog food brands we have selected for our top dry dog food picks are among the highest quality dog food brands available today. Overall these brands have various strengths and few weaknesses, from offering life stage appropriate formulations to sourcing only humanly raised animals these dog food brands are the best options for your precious pup.
Short on time and looking for our favorite dry dog food brands? Check out our recommendations below! Or read on further to see why we think it is important to compare dry dog foods before you choose which brand to feed your beloved furry companion.
Who This Product is Best For
Open Farm dog food is for pet parents that want to give their pets the absolute best pet food available on the market today. Quality ingredients, company transparency, and variety make Open Farm pet food the best choice for pet parents.
Benefits
Quality ingredients, company transparency, and product variety including dry, wet, freeze-dried, and gently cooked foods, supplements, and treats. One of the only pet food brands to offer Certified Humane and GAP certified pet food recipes.
Utility
Complete and balanced recipes that are formulated to meet all the nutritional needs of your furry family member throughout all life-stages. Open Farm offers various proteins which is ideal for diet rotation.
Costs
Not the cheapest brand available but you pay for quality. Lack of large selection of exotic animal protein sources such as kangaroo and soldier fly larvae.
Review Summary
Open Farm pet food is one of the most impressive and ethical dog food brands available today. The company goes well above and beyond what is required when creating pet food products. From ethical sourcing of ingredients to complete transparency Open Farm offers a wide selection of different recipes that include life-stage appropriate formulas such as puppy and senior formulas. In addition, Open Farm pet food is Certified Humane meaning the animal ingredients are healthier for your furry family member.
The cost for all the benefits Open Farm pet food offers is on the higher side for pet foods which can put it out of reach for some pet parents. While Open Farm does offer novel animal proteins such as lamb and whitefish, their products are not as novel as some other single protein brands like Zignature.
When choosing a pet food for your furry family members there are few brands that can compete with Open Farm. From the high-quality ingredients and the humanely raised animal products Open Farm ticks all the boxes of a premium pet food. If the price tag of Open Farm products is not a determining factor you can’t go wrong choosing this brand.
TPD Top Pick: Most Biologically Appropriate Dog Food
Champion Pet Food Brands: Orijen
Champion Pet Foods has been a part of the pet industry for several decades, and for good reason, their products are excellent. There are two Champion Pet Food Brands: Orijen and Acana. These two Champion Pet Food Brands both offer outstanding products but the brand TPD recommends most is Orijen. Orijen is the most biologically appropriate dry dog food available today. Biologically appropriate refers to the high meat content of the foods that are formulated to mimic the natural diet of dogs if they were in the wild. Each Orijen formula is full of high-quality animal protein and fresh vegetables to give your pup all the proper nutrition to help them grow up happy and healthy.
TPD Top Pick: Best Dry Dog Food for Allergies
Finding the best dry dog food for allergies can be difficult. With the most common food allergens to dogs being in most dry dog foods on the market making sure you get a food that won’t upset your pup is vital. Zignature brand dry dog food recognizes dog food allergies and has some of the best allergy friendly recipes available. Zignature is our pick for the best dry dog food for allergies. Each Zignature recipe (with a few exceptions) consists of a single animal protein. Many foods available today offer foods that include several animal meats, usually common dog and cat allergens, to maintain a lower product cost point. Zignature makes choosing the best dry dog food for allergies easy for you as a pet parent and delicious and nutritious for your furry family member!
Why Compare Dry Dog Foods?
Today it can be quite difficult to determine which dry dog food is the best dry dog food for your precious pup. With so many brands and diets available, it can be a challenging to compare dry dog foods and choose the best one. In addition, each dog breed is different in their nutritional needs. Individual dogs may have or develop allergies to food ingredients which can further complicate matters. With all these factors in mind, choosing the right dry dog food for your furry family member can become overwhelming.
Choosing the best dry dog food for your pup doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. There are many dog food brands that make high-quality dry dog foods. Many of these brands are not widely known because of popularity of certain pet food brands. High-quality dog food brands have the health and nutrition of your furry family members in mind.
Why you Should Compare Dry Dog Foods!
It may seem like a silly idea, comparing which dry dog food to feed your furry family member. Most people have favorite brands for their foods and so why should it be different for your pup? Aren’t all dry dog foods made using the same quality and ingredients? The answer to that question, unfortunately, is not at all!
There are many brands that make quality foods that are excellent to feed your pup, however, there are even more brands that make pet food simply to make money. Dog food brands that are just trying to make money often have very poor quality dog food that is best to avoid. For these reasons, it is a great idea to compare dry dog foods before you make your choice.
Luckily, we are here to help you when choosing the best dry dog food for your pup. In this article we are going to compare the best dog food brands that make diets for pups of all sizes and all life stages.
What to Look for When you Compare Dry Dog Foods
When you are ready to compare dry dog foods it’s important to know what to look for and what to avoid. Important things to look for include:
Company Transparency
One of the single most important things to look for when you compare dry dog foods is company transparency. A company that is transparent about its practices, manufacturing conditions and ingredient sourcing is a company worth trusting. The rules for company transperency are not very strict and as a result many companies choose not to be forthcoming with the details of their operations and management. Companies that are more transparent are usually more interested in helping customers and their pets have a unique and enjoyable experience when it comes to choosing pet food.
Quality of Ingredients
People often look for specific ingredients in their pet food but don’t always consider the sourcing of those same ingredients. Dog food brands that source their ingredients from reputable companies and or farms and have them inspected by USDA inspectors are the best option. Sadly, due to FDA rules and regulations, ingredients that are not subject to USDA inspection and approval can have extremely dangerous and unacceptable substances in them which can bring harm to your precious pup.
What Facilities Are Used to Manufacture the Food
Due to the rules and regulations that govern animal food it is always advisable to choose dog food brands that use USDA certified human-grade facilities. Manufacturing facilities that are not human grade can follow procedures that prioritize saving money instead of making a safe and healthy product for your furry family members. In addition, non-USDA certified human-grade facilities can choose not to regulate the quality of ingredients that are used inside their walls.
Quality of Supplements and Packaging
When you compare dry dog foods it is good practice to choose brands that are transparent regarding the origin of the supplements they use in their products. Supplements from certain countries have been known to contain adulterated substances that can be harmful to your precious pup. The quality of packaging is another important factor when you compare dry dog foods. Choosing a brand that actively seeks to reduce their use of harmful packaging such as BPA can liners will help keep harmful substances from getting into your furry family member.
Origin and Sourcing of Ingredients
Knowing the origin of each ingredient used in a dry dog food is important due to the different regulations and restrictions in different countries. Some countries have been known to commonly have problem ingredients that can lead to your furry family member getting sick. In general, it is best to seek brands that source their ingredients from countries that have reliable means of tracking and monitoring the quality of the ingredients in question.
Animal Treatment and Welfare
Unfortunately, it is difficult to find many brands that go above and beyond the requirements of making a pet food; one way brands can do this is by sourcing animal products from farms that are humanely raise their animals. In the United States, choosing animal products that are Certified Humane, Certified Global Animal Partnership, or Animal Welfare Act Certified ensure that you are choosing the healthiest products for your furry family member. Animal products that are certified humanely raised are not subjected to antibiotics and growth hormones like some conventional animal products are.
Quality Testing for Bacteria and Microorganisms
When you compare dry dog foods it is important to look for dog food brands that test their final products for bacteria and microorganisms. Pet food companies that choose to test their products and publish their test results are brands that are more interested in pet health and nutrition. These companies are going out of their way to ensure you know their products are as safe as possible for customers and their furry family members. It’s important to find brands that use third party testing laboratories instead of their own testing teams due to the possibility of bias in the results.
Many dog food brands today offer high-quality foods designed to keep your pup happy and healthy. New brands come about often and can often be overlooked. It is always important to compare dry dog foods to ensure your pup is getting the very best in nutrition and quality.