10 Best Dog Foods in Canada in 2024: Reviews & Top Picks

Choosing the right dog food can be a difficult task. There are countless brands and options on the market, so knowing which will be the healthiest is hard. While you might be tempted to choose the first food you see or the first one your vet recommends, it’s best to do some research to ensure the food you’re picking will be the healthiest option for your dog’s nutritional needs and life stage.

If you feel overwhelmed by dog food decision fatigue, let us help. Keep reading to find our reviews of the 10 best dog foods in Canada. By the end of our article, you should have a good idea of what food will be the healthiest for your pooch.

A Glance at Our Top Picks in 2024

The 10 Best Dog Foods in Canada

1. Pro Plan Wet Dog Food – Best Overall

Purina’s Pro Plan Wet Dog Food for Sensitive Skin & Stomach takes our pick as the best overall dog food in Canada. This food is designed specifically for dogs who have sensitive stomachs. Its easy-to-digest formula is made without any artificial colors or flavors so your sensitive dog should have no problems eating or digesting it. After water, the number one ingredient is real salmon, providing a hefty dose of high-quality protein.

This wet food has linoleic acid inside to help support your dog’s healthy skin and coat. Linoleic acid is an amino acid that is necessary for growth as well as the prevention of skin lesions. However, it does have a strong smell.

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2. IAMS Adult Minichunks Dry Dog Food – Best Value

You don’t need a huge budget to find the best dog food in Canada for the money. IAMS Minichunks Dry Dog Food provides high-quality nutrition at a pocket-friendly price point.

This food is made with wholesome ingredients like farm-raised chicken to help your dog maintain strong and healthy muscles and wholesome grains for promoting healthy energy levels. This recipe also contains beet pulp to provide a dose of natural fiber and probiotics for a healthier digestive system.

This food is 100% complete and balanced for adult maintenance and has zero artificial preservatives or flavors at all. With that said, the kibble size can be a bit big for small dogs.

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3. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe – Premium Choice

Th pate-style Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Food for Dogs is made with high-quality protein from real chickens to help boost your dog’s muscle growth and maintenance. It doesn’t contain any chicken by-products, artificial flavoring, preservatives, wheat, corn, or soy. If your dog is sensitive to these ingredients, you can feed them this recipe without worrying about it bothering their stomach.

This recipe contains chicken liver to give your dog a boost of Vitamin A and iron and carrots for beta carotene and fiber. With that said, it is expensive and contains a high amount of calories.

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4. Pro Plan Dry Puppy Food

Growing puppies need a diet that supports their rapidly growing bodies. If you have a pup in your home, you need to invest in food that can support bone and muscle growth. The Purina Pro Plan Dry Puppy Food can provide just that. This high-protein food features real chicken as its main ingredient. It has fish oil included to help nourish brain and vision development, and its antioxidant-rich formulation will help support your puppy’s developing immune system.

This recipe is designed to provide 100% complete and balanced nutrition for pups that are up to 1 year of age. However, it does contain menadione, which is a controversial ingredient.

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5. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food

If your dog is having problems with their teeth, they need food that can promote better oral health. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Oral Care Dry Dog Food is designed to reduce plaque and tartar build-up and promote fresh breath. The kibble works to scrub your dog’s teeth just like a toothbrush. It can also clean your dog’s teeth right to their gum line as they chew their food.

This kibble isn’t just great for oral health, though. It’s made with natural ingredients and has omega-6 fatty acids to promote healthier coats and skin. The antioxidant blend promotes a healthy immune system and is safe to feed every day. However, it is not ideal for pregnant dogs or puppies.

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6. Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food

For puppy-specific kibble, Taste of the Wild Grain-Free High Prairie Dry Dog Food for Puppy provides digestible energy and balanced nutrition for your growing puppy. It’s made with a blend of high-quality protein sources like buffalo and lamb to give your dog the protein they need to support their growing bones and muscles. The kibble is puppy-sized so your puppy will have no problem chewing and digesting their food.

This recipe provides antioxidant-rich nutrition thanks to real fruits and vegetables, as well as ingredients like dried chicory root to promote a healthy digestive system. It also contains ingredients like

This formula is grain-free as well as free from artificial flavors and colors, but not all dogs need a grain-free diet.

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7. Royal Canin Small Adult Dry Dog Food

You might be surprised to learn that small dogs need higher calorie amounts per pound of body weight than their large dog counterparts. Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Adult Dry Dog Food was designed as a small-breed-specific dog food to ensure your pet gets the nutrition level they need to support their body size.

This food contains EPA and DHA to support your dog’s coat and promote healthy skin. It’s formulated to provide nutrition that will meet their energy needs and promote fat metabolism.

The kibble shape is perfect for small breeds and the satisfying texture is designed to satisfy fussy appetites. However, this product is pricey, and it’s a big downside that meat isn’t the first ingredient.

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8. CESAR Classic Wet Dog Food

CESAR Classic Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food comes in perfectly portioned trays, which make a convenient dinner for your large or small breed dog. The loaf is packed in a tasty sauce that dogs are drawn to so even picky pooches like it. This particular package comes with 24 trays in three different flavors: beef, filet mignon, and porterhouse steak.

This food is enhanced with several vitamins and minerals to provide a complete and balanced diet. Its high-protein formula is high-quality and made for easy digestion. Try feeding this food as a meal or as a kibble topper.

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9. Hill’s Science Senior Dry Dog Food

Senior dogs need more protein to fuel muscle loss. Hill’s Science Diet Senior Small Bites Dry Dog Food is made specifically with senior dogs in mind so you know your pup is getting the protein and nutrition they need to thrive in their golden years.

This formula provides an easy-to-digest meal with a unique blend of ingredients that will support your dog’s energy and activity level. It has omega-6s and Vitamin E to encourage healthy skin and coat.

The kibble itself is small and bite-size so dogs with poor teeth will have no problem eating it, but it isn’t pricey and doens’t stay fresh long.

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10. Pedigree Adult Wet Dog Food

Pedigree’s Chopped Adult Wet Dog Food is a great pick for dogs who love chunky textured wet food. This formula is available in several flavor options including Chicken and Filet Mignon, Beef, Chicken, and Filet Mignon to make finding a recipe your dog likes a breeze.

Every recipe is designed to be 100% complete and balanced to ensure your dog is getting the most nutrition from each of their meals. The recipes are highly digestible so it’s easy for your dog’s body to absorb the nutrients it needs. Unfortunately, it does contain artificial colors and is high in calories.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Dog Food in Canada

Choosing the right dog food can feel like an overwhelming decision. There are so many different brands and types on the market that knowing which to pick feels impossible. Keep reading to learn how to choose the best dog food available in Canada.

Read the Labels

One of the best ways to determine if the dog food you’re considering will be good for your pooch is to read the labels. Just as with human food, pet food labels will provide you with plenty of insight into the nutritional quality.

Take a look at the ingredient list on the food in question. The ingredients are listed in order of weight, so the ingredients at the top of the list are far more prevalent in the recipe than the ones that are listed further down.

The guaranteed analysis part of the nutrition label will tell you the minimum amount of protein and fat by percentage. It will also state the maximum amount of fiber and moisture present in the food by percentage. Moisture levels can skew the comparison, however, so if the label contains information on a dry matter basis, it’s best to look at that instead.

Know the Buzzwords

Just as with the human food industry, there are plenty of buzzwords floating around the world of animal nutrition. Knowing what the buzzwords mean and whether or not you should care about them is important. Let’s take a look at some of the most common buzzwords you might come across in your search for the best dog food.

You might see ingredients like “animal by-products” listed on a dog food label and be instantly turned off. While most of us humans don’t like the thought of by-products in our foods, it’s not necessarily a bad addition to your dog’s food. By-products are the clean and non-rendered parts of an animal that aren’t meat. It can include things like the lungs, liver, spleen, and fatty tissues. By-products are great sources of protein and other nutrients and are often tasty to dogs.

Grain-free is another big trend in the pet food industry right now. Grains are used in a lot of pet foods and are a great source of carbohydrates. Dogs are usually able to metabolize these carbs and use them as a source of energy. Some owners, however, prefer to provide a grain-free diet for their dogs. While it is a valid option for pooches who are allergic to grains, it’s more likely that your dog is allergic to the meat in their food than the grains. We recommend talking with your vet before opting for a grain-free diet to ensure this is the right pick for your pooch.

Some companies use the phrase “human-grade ingredients” to make it seem like their food is so high-quality that humans could eat it. This label is not defined by animal feed regulations.¹ Human grade doesn’t necessarily mean a food is nutritionally adequate for your pet and shouldn’t be the deciding factor in your decision-making process.

Look for the AAFCO Statement

One thing you should be on the lookout for is a statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This institution has developed nutrition profiles for puppies and adult dogs. If the food in question has a statement on it that says it meets the nutritional standards from the AAFCO, it is a safe bet to assume the food is healthier for your dog than options that don’t have this statement.

Look at the label to find the nutritional adequacy statement. This statement should state whether the food is complete and balanced for all life stages, for adult maintenance, or tailored for growth and reproduction.

Ask Your Vet

If you’re ever in doubt about what food or diet is best for your dog, make an appointment to talk to your vet. They will be able to provide you with the valuable insight you need to make the best food decision for your pup. Your vet will know your dog’s health history as well as their nutritional needs based on their age, so they’ll be an invaluable resource when it comes to choosing what diet will work best for your pup.

Consider Their Life Stage

Your dog’s nutritional needs will vary not only by their diet requirements but their lifestyle and life stage.

The nutrition requirements of puppies are higher than during any other stage in life. Growing puppies need more calories, protein, and fat than adult dogs. They also require higher levels of vitamins and minerals to support their growing dogs. Large and giant puppies need diets specifically designed for their large size to help prevent orthopedic issues and obesity.

Adult dogs require a moderate amount of nutrients, including proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. The goal of adult nutrition should be maintained. Your adult dog’s diet should provide complete and balanced nutrition and be made with high-quality ingredients.

Dogs are considered to be seniors at different ages depending on their size and breed. Most dogs who are around age seven are still fit and active enough to not be showing many signs of aging. That said, internal changes do start taking place at around this age so most dogs are considered to be seniors by age seven. A senior dog’s diet needs to support optimal health and body conditioning and slow or prevent chronic diseases.

Our Selection Process For Dog Foods in Canada

To create this buyer’s guide, our writing team and editorial staff checked customer reviews, brand reputation, and veterinary approval ratings to present the dog foods we think should be highlighted for our readers. In some cases, we conducted hands-on testing along with seeing how much our dogs liked the dog foods. All these factors were considered when selecting these listed dog foods to help you make the best purchase for your furry friends.

Why Trust Dogster?

Since 2004, Dogster has been a trusted brand for dog owners online, which means we have a lot of experience with dog foods. We take pride in promoting the well-being of all dogs—from toy breeds to giant canines. Our in-house veterinarians, writers, and editors examine each product on our lists, ensuring its quality and reputation. As pet owners ourselves, we only want the best for our furry companions. At Dogster, we are transparent about the products we promote. The nutritional information, overall brand reputation, and customer reviews are all considered for these lists. We inform you how we want to be informed.

Final Verdict

The best overall dog food in Canada is Purina’s Pro Plan Wet Dog Food for Sensitive Skin & Stomach for its easy-to-digest formula and irresistible flavor. IAMS Minichunks Dry Dog Food provides the best value for the money thanks to its affordable price and whole-ingredient formulation. For a premium pick, Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Food for Dogs is a natural food chock full of protein and antioxidants.

We hope our dog food reviews above have made finding the perfect nutrition for your pooch an easier process. Give yourself time to research each food before choosing the best one for your dog’s needs.

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Featured Image Credit By: Nadezhda Zaitseva, Shutterstock