We spend lots of time considering which foods suit us, but pet parents are also picky about which brands are best for their pups. Some switch to new formulas when they determine the old food isn’t very nutritious. With all the types of dog food that are now available, ranging from traditional dry and canned foods to home delivery options, trying out different foods for our dogs has never been easier.

However, picking the right formula can be a more challenging part of the process. So, here are our reviews on some of the brands we like to help you find the right food for your canine companions!

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)

The 9 Best Vet-Recommended Dog Foods

1. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dry Dog Food – Best Overall Dry

Science Diet is a tried-and-tested pet food brand. It uses science, along with research from its team of veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists, so the food is well-liked by dogs and provides them with a healthy, balanced diet. The formulas are nutritious, tasty, and vet-approved, so Hill’s Science Diet gets our recommendation for the best overall dry dog food.

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2. Purina Beyond Natural Prebiotic Fiber – Best Overall Wet

Purina is a traditional maker of pet foods, so it has a long reputation in the industry for making quality foods. Purina Beyond is one of the best wet dog foods for the money, balancing quality and value, and it’s an easy-to-find, great option for all-around feeding. You can also serve a combination of wet and dry food from the brand.

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3. Iams Proactive Healthy Weight Adult Dog Food – Best Value

A winner for those looking to balance nutrition and value is Iams’ Proactive Health Adult Weight Management. Iams is easy to find in most stores and is backed by the reputation of one of the leading pet food manufacturers. The balance of ingredients, availability, and cost makes this a top choice for the family dog that loves their food and needs the nutrition to support their development.

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4. Royal Canin Veterinary Mobility Support

Royal Canin is a highly reputable pet food brand with formulas produced and backed by science and a team of veterinarians. What’s more—dogs love flavor while enjoying all the benefits of the nutritious formulas.

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5. Cesar Steak Lovers Variety Pack

For a brand that mixes quality and value, Cesar is a great choice. Easy-pop trays in a smaller size make great meals or accompaniments for all-sized dogs that aren’t chow hounds. The steak variety pack is a nice touch and includes different flavors that all revolve around a steak lover’s dream.

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6. Science Diet Adult Sensitive

Science Diet Adult Sensitive is an excellent choice for dogs that struggle to find food that agrees with them. Sometimes, dogs have soft stools or experience vomiting when the food doesn’t agree with them. For others, it means itchy, dry skin. The Adult Sensitive formula is ideal to support your dog’s sensitive system.

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7. Royal Canin Dental Diet – Best Prescription Dental Diet

Tooth brushing at home can be a nightmare for dogs, though it is a helpful way to address dental disease before it becomes a major issue. Treats can help to a degree, but they can also contain too many calories. Therefore, sometimes, using dental food can be a great alternative or supplement.

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8. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains – Best Grain-Conscious Diet

Merrick Classic Healthy Grains is our recommended choice for dog owners who want to feed their dogs dry food with a proper balance of meat and grains. Deboned chicken is the main ingredient, and fiber-rich grains are the other top ingredients. In addition to those primary ingredients, this recipe is enriched with omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin. These components help with skin, joints, and bone health.

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9. Purina Pro Plan Shredded Blend – Best High-Protein Dry Food

Purina Pro Plan is a well-known line produced by one of the longest-standing pet food companies. Most dogs love the taste, and the company has stood the test of time in providing quality food at a great value.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Vet-Recommended Dog Foods

Ultimately, how do you pick a good food for your dog? Hopefully, we’ve helped by introducing some of our favorite foods. However, never hesitate to seek additional advice from a veterinarian. Dogs can certainly have personal preferences, just like people. They may prefer dry over wet food or a particular texture. Flavors, too, can be an essential factor for some dogs. So, don’t give up if they don’t like poultry-based food.

Instead, try seafood or beef to see if you get a different response. Next, you want to pick food that meets any medical needs your dog may have. Generally, these are selected with the help of your dog’s vet.

If you transition your dog to a different food, do so gradually. Traditionally, this involved starting with a 75:25 blend of old and new foods and gradually adding more of the new food every day. In recent years, pet foods have made unfortunate news for containing imbalanced vitamins and minerals or for being contaminated with bacteria or other items you don’t want your dog to eat.

One of the most assured ways to avoid contaminated dog foods is to stick to well-established brands that have been around for a long time. They are more likely to catch issues with different food batches early on or prevent them altogether.

Remember, we still don’t know nearly as much about pet nutrition as we would like. So, just because something is data-backed for people (e.g., gluten allergies) doesn’t always mean the same information applies to our pets. When in doubt, talk to your dog’s vet!

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, these reviews make the process of choosing the right dog food slightly easier. We’ve picked out our favorite brands based on availability, taste, and value, which are also simply good, healthy food options for your dog.

The best overall dry food for adult dogs is the Science Diet Adult Chicken. We love how the tasty combination is healthy and nutritionally balanced for pups of all shapes and sizes. Equally important, we found Purina Beyond Wet to be the best overall canned food for adult dogs—not only for taste but also because of the excellent balance of nutrition it provides.

For the best value overall, we like Iams Proactive Health—a classic dry food that seems to have nailed the balance of taste and quality.

• Related Read: 10 Best Vet-Recommended Puppy Foods – Reviews & Top Picks

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Featured Image Credit: Dmytro Zinkevych, Shutterstock