Akitas are large, powerful dogs that require high-quality nutrition to help them maintain a healthy body weight and good muscle mass. The right food can make all the difference in your Akita’s health, but it can be confusing to know how to select a food for your dog. To make things easier for you, we’ve put together reviews of the best of the best foods you can offer to your Akita to ensure their health and longevity.

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)

The 10 Best Dog Foods for Akitas

1. The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall

Food from The Farmer’s Dog is the best overall dog food for your Akita. These foods are made from fresh, human-grade ingredients. They offer a variety of protein sources, including turkey, chicken, pork, and beef. Each recipe offers a single protein source, making this food suitable for dogs with food sensitivities.

This brand sells food on a subscription basis, which can be updated or canceled at any time. The foods are shipped pre-portioned to meet your dog’s specific needs, which are determined from an in-depth survey you’ll fill out with information like your dog’s age, weight, and activity level.

The foods offered by The Farmer’s Dog are grain-free diets that contain legumes, like chickpeas. Grain-free diets and legumes have shown a potential connection to heart disease in dogs, so make sure to discuss these potential risks with your vet before switching your dog.

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2. Iams Large Breed Dog Food – Budget Buy

Iams Large Breed food is the best dog food for your Akita for the money. This budget-friendly food is formulated to meet the specific nutritional needs of large breed dogs, like Akitas. It includes nutrients for bone and joint support, and chicken provides a lean source of protein to maintain your dog’s muscle mass. It’s a good source of fiber and probiotics to support digestive health, and it contains healthy whole grains like barley and corn.

Some people do report their picky dogs refusing to eat this food, so it may not be a good option for some of the pickier pups.

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3. Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control Dog Food

The Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control food is another great premium food pick for Akitas, especially if your dog is overweight or obese. This food is low in calories but contains ingredients that support satiety, ensuring your dog feels full between meals. It’s a good source of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support, which is especially important in overweight large-breed dogs. It’s also a good source of vitamin E and DHA, which support brain and neurological function. Lean protein from chicken supports muscle mass, even during weight loss.

This food is not appropriate for Akitas under 15 months of age or who are underweight. It’s also not appropriate for Akitas at an appropriate weight unless they are needing help maintaining a healthy body weight after weight loss.

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4. Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy Food – Best for Puppies

If you’ve got an Akita puppy to feed, Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy food is the top pick. This food contains lean protein from chicken, which supports muscle growth and development. Controlled calcium levels ensure bone health for fast-growing puppies, and DHA supports brain and eye growth and development. It’s a good source of vitamins C and E, which support healthy immunity, and it contains whole grains in the form of wheat, corn, and oats.

Multiple users of this food report as having a strong, unpleasant odor, which may be a turn off for some people. It also may not be suitable for picky eaters.

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5. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dog Food

Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Large Breed food is good for your Akita. This food is free of chicken protein and other common protein allergens, making it a good option for dogs with sensitive tummies and skin issues. It’s a good source of glucosamine and EPA, which support joint health, and omega-6 fatty acids, which support healthy skin and coat. Prebiotic fiber provides digestive support and helps maintain beneficial bacteria colonies in the gut. It contains lean protein from salmon and gentle, digestible fiber from oats.

Multiple people report finding this food’s fishy smell to be strong and unpleasant. Also, due to supply chain issues, this food has significantly increased in price this year.

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6. Nutro Lamb & Brown Rice Large Breed Adult Dog Food

The Nutro Lamb & Brown Rice Large Breed Adult food is a good source of lean protein to support muscles, but it does contain chicken meal, so it’s not suitable for dogs with sensitivities to chicken. Chicken meal is a good source of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, though. This food is formulated with the specific needs of large breed dogs in mind, including properly balanced calcium levels for bone health. It contains whole grain brown rice, which is a good source of healthy fiber to support digestive health.

The fourth ingredient in this food is split peas, which are a legume that may have a connection to heart disease in dogs, so make sure to discuss this risk with your vet. This food isn’t recommended for dogs under the age of 18 months.

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7. Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Adult Dog Food

Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Large Breed Adult food is a great option for dogs needing to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight after weight loss. It’s low in calories and is formulated specifically with the nutritional needs of overweight large breed dogs in mind. It’s a good source of lean protein to maintain healthy muscle mass during and after weight loss. The large kibble size is ideal for big dogs like Akitas, and it’s enriched with L-carnitine and coconut oil to support healthy metabolism. Vitamins C and E are added for immune system support.

This food is not appropriate for dogs that are underweight or that are at a healthy weight and have not recently lost weight. It’s also not suitable for puppies and other young dogs that are still growing.

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8. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Large Breed Bites

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Lamb & Brown Rice Large Breed Bites is a great option for dogs with sensitivities to chicken and other common allergens. It’s a good source of amino acids to support muscle mass, and the brown rice in this food supports healthy digestion. It’s formulated to meet the needs of large breed dogs, including support bone and heart health. It’s a suitable food for dogs with sensitive stomachs, and the kibbles are extra large for your big pup.

Some people do report their pickier dogs refusing to eat this food, so it may not be ideal for the picky pups. It also may have a strong, unpleasant odor.

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9. Solid Gold Wolf King Large Breed Dog Food

Solid Gold Wolf King Large Breed Dog Food is free of chicken protein and other common allergens, instead using bison and ocean fish proteins. It’s a good source of omega fatty acids that support skin, coat, joint, and heart health. It’s also a good source of B vitamins, which support healthy energy levels and metabolism, as well as antioxidants to support immunity. Probiotics and fiber support healthy digestion, and it’s formulated specifically for large breed dogs.

This food may not be suitable for pickier Akitas. Some people have reported receiving bags containing moldy food, which is often caused by improper storage or shipping, but it’s best to check the food when you first open the bag and notify the manufacturer if you see mold.

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10. Diamond Naturals Large Breed

The Diamond Naturals Large Breed Dog Food is a great source of whole grains, containing rice, pearled barley, oatmeal, and quinoa. It’s formulated to support the energy levels of large breed dogs, and it’s a good source of omega fatty acids to support skin and coat health. It contains prebiotics and multiple canine-specific probiotics to better support your dog’s digestive health. It’s a good source of antioxidants, which are important for supporting the health and function of the immune system.

Some people do report this food causing gas in their dogs, so it may not be suitable for dogs with digestive sensitivities. It’s also reported to be a food that pickier dogs will not eat.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Dog Foods for Akitas

Choosing the Best Food for Your Akita

Selecting a dog food for your Akita should be dependent on a few factors. The primary factor is your dog’s age. It’s important to feed Akita puppies puppy food that is formulated for large breed puppies. This type of food will ensure your puppy’s body grows and develops appropriately for a large breed dog. Akitas can grow for up to 2 years, so some dogs may need to stay on puppy food longer than others. Make sure to discuss this with your vet.

You also should consider your dog’s current weight and body condition. Overweight and obese dogs sometimes need a little extra help from their food to help them lose weight. Weight loss food can help your dog feel satiated between meals, making weight loss easier on you and your dog. Being overweight or obese can be detrimental to the health of any dog, but it’s especially hard on the joints and internal organs of large-breed dogs.

The last major consideration should be your dog’s activity level. Dogs with normal activity levels usually do well on regular dog food. However, dogs that spend more than 2 hours per day doing high energy activities may need a high-energy diet, while dogs with low activity levels may need a low-calorie food to help them maintain a healthy body weight.

Summary

These reviews shouldn’t serve as the complete deciding factor in choosing a food for your dog, so make sure to discuss your top picks with your dog’s vet or a veterinary nutritionist to ensure the food you choose is ideal for your dog.

The best overall food for Akitas is food from The Farmer’s Dog, which offers subscription foods with a variety of proteins to choose from. For a budget-friendly food, Iams Large Breed Dog Food is a healthy option. If you have an Akita that needs help losing weight, Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control Dog Food is a fantastic pick. For puppies, the Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy Food will help support healthy growth and development.

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Feature Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock