The Best High Fiber Dog Food Rated. Grain Free and all Natural Choices Included
Picking the right dog food requires a lot of thought – it is for our beloved dog after all. Our dogs also have specific dietary needs and of course, one of them is the right amount of fiber. We know all too well the consequences of lacking fiber, which includes irregular bowel movements and other digestive health problems, so we should also make a conscious effort of making sure that our dogs get the necessary daily nutrients from their dog food.
With that being said, here are the top high-fiber dog food brands we recommend:
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons unique to each dog food.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
Blue Buffalo comes in a variety of formulas that have different nutritional benefits. It has dog foods specifically for large breeds (like the Shollie and Saint Berdoodle) or small breeds (like Shih Tzu Chihuahuas or Deer Head Chihuahuas) and they also have an item for every life stage of your dog.
The best thing about this brand is that it contains real meat from, as the manufacturer claims, the natural food of your dog’s ancestors. Some dog foods contain a lot of fillers and artificial stuff, hence, many owners make the switch to this more nutritious meal.
Some find that their dogs’ coats are shinier than ever which is a sign of good health. Other owners have also been able to prevent any more digestive problems.
Most dogs loved the taste and thankfully, the brand has a lot to offer depending on your dog’s favorite. The meat-rich diet is high-protein, grain-free, not even brown rice, and has a balance of complex carbohydrates to deliver your dog’s dietary needs.
Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Healthy Weight Dog Food
Wellness Complete has complete and balanced nutrition for your dog’s daily dietary needs. If you want your dog to shed some weight, this is perfect as it has reduced calories but it has enough fiber to make your pup feel full. It’s also recommended for the fur babies that only need to maintain their healthy weight.
The Wellness brand prides itself with its dog foods that contain no fillers, brown rice, artificial preservatives, or meat by-products. Owners like it because it’s all-natural, but the more important thing is that their dogs also seem to love eating it.
Some have commented on how this brand has improved the overall health of their dog. Previous issues that were solved with Wellness ranged from itchy ears to hip problems. Some also claimed that their pup’s digestive issues were cured thanks to introducing this brand.
The Wellness brand is all about providing the necessary nutrients while incorporating flavors that dogs love, as evidenced by the enthusiastic responses of dogs whenever it’s meal time.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Dry Dog Food
This brand provides a grain-free formula that’s high in protein and fiber content. The right balance of nutrients gives dogs that silky coat and a healthier skin on top of overall health and wellness. And because of the natural ingredients, including real meat, pups love the various flavors.
This brand also has dog foods that are specifically for small or large breeds and puppies or adults. Since every life stage and every kind of dog has specific needs, it matters what type of food you feed to them. The one for puppies generally have smaller pieces of kibble so that they won’t have problems eating and swallowing them. And of course, the nutritional content is different as well.
Owners who have tried this particular brand love the effect on their dogs. They look healthier and are generally more active. Consumers who bought this food also noticed that their dogs’ bowel movement have become more consistent and regular.
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food
More does not always mean better that is why Natural Balance is keeping it simple by limiting the ingredients in their dog food, thus, also minimizing the ingredients being fed to your dogs on a daily basis. Still, the brand is packed with the necessary nutrients for your furry friends to stay healthy.
The grain-free formula can help your dog keep the digestive tract healthy, leading to a more active lifestyle and healthier skin and coat. With its premium ingredients, you can make sure that your dog is getting only the best dog foods that every pup deserves.
Customers who tried this dog food for their pets noted how their dogs love the taste, even the pickiest ones will gladly chow down a bowl of Natural Balance in front of them. Some are also raving about this food for clearing up their pets’ allergies and skin issues.
Also because of the limited ingredients, it is easier to pinpoint if there is one that might be causing issues for your dogs. They are also exposed to less risk that added ingredients might have.
Iams Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food
This brand features animal-based proteins that are recommended for your pet’s optimum health. It is packed with nutrients that can help your dog in building strong muscles and promoting a healthy digestive system. It also provides energy for your dogs to lead an active lifestyle. You will notice the difference when you get a good look at the skin and coat, as they will look shinier and better with quality dog food.
According to other fellow dog owners, their dogs love the taste of the dog food even those with sensitive stomachs. What they love the most is the affordability compared to other dog foods, but it still provides the right amount of nutrients.
Overall, it has premium ingredients that helps in healthy weight management. This is great for dogs who may be finding it hard to bank on some weight, or those that are trying to maintain their current weight.
Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food
This one focuses on the digestive health using natural ingredients. It contains fiber that can help your dog pass stool easily and regularly, keeping your dogs’ daily excretion healthy. But aside from natural fibers and other nutrients for the tummies, it also has balanced nutrients sourced from premium ingredients. The brand promotes natural ingredients by not using meat by-products, wheat-gluten, brown rice and artificial additives.
The brand has different variants and flavors to cater to every dog’s preferences. And judging by the comments of those who have bought it, their dogs love meal times because of it. It also significantly helped in treating skin problems; as these are usually caused by the dog food that they eat, feeding them high quality dog food can prevent skin issues like rashes.
They also noticed that their dogs’ coats have become more beautiful. This is one of the surest signs of optimal health in pets. This typically means that your dog is so healthy on the inside that it shows on the outside.
Instinct Raw Boost Healthy Weight Grain Free Recipe Natural Dry Dog Food
This dog food is a combination of high-protein kibbles and freeze-dried raw meat. The grain-free formula contains animal-based protein and nutrients for a healthier stomach. The L-Carnitine component can help your dog and their metabolism, while the right amount of fiber not only supports digestion, but also keeps your pups feeling full while eating less to support healthy weight management.
The brand boasts of natural ingredients – no artificial preservatives or colors, no by-products and no wheat, potato, grain, brown rice, corn and soy. Owners with pets that have sensitive tummies have found comfort in this dog food. Others have noted that it gives their dogs shiny coat and healthy nails.
The good thing about this dog food is that it comes in a variety of flavors, if your dog prefers chicken, beef, or other kinds of raw meat. It is also applicable for all life stages, meaning you can have one dog food for your puppies and for adult dogs.
Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Indoor Dry Dog Food
This specific dog food is for pets who lead sedentary lifestyles, but there are also other variants available based on their activity level. As the name suggests, Indoor Life is mainly for dogs who spend all their time indoors. It is a good source of soluble and insoluble fibers with highly digestible protein. Moreover, this blend promotes a healthy digestive system.
The brand makes sure that your furry friends will only get the energy they need to maintain their lifestyle. Too much can be destructive especially if they don’t get enough exercise and too few can make your pets spiritless.
Most people who bought this product are by far happy with it. Some owners noted that it does the job well in keeping their dogs’ digestion regulated. Moreover, it is becoming their favorite dog food as it probably tastes good to them.
With all the other nutrients aside from the insoluble fiber and protein, your dog’s coats will become shinier as a sign of good health.
Purina Pro Plan SAVOR Shredded Blend With Probiotics Adult Dry Dog Food
With the ideal balance of high-quality protein and fat, your dogs can maintain their body. Each ingredient of this product has specific uses, making sure that your pets get the nutrition they need. This brand uses real meat as its primary ingredient and the prebiotic fiber promotes digestive health.
According to customers, their dogs love munching on the crunchy dog food and tender meat pieces. It provides energy for dogs of all sizes and all types of activity. Overall, this product has helped their companions achieve shiny coat, healthy skin and firm stools. These are all signs that they are getting the right nutrients from the dog food that they eat.
This product is available in different flavors so that your dogs can choose their favorites. This also depends on the dietary needs of your pets so I suggest you get advice from a veterinarian to ensure what exactly your friend needs.
How To Add Fiber To Your Dog’s Diet
So, how do you exactly do that? By mixing in some of the new dog food to your old dog food. It’s recommended to buy a small bag of the dog food first so that if your dog has any adverse reactions, it’s easier to throw it out and go try a different brand.
For the first week, switch 1/3 of your current dog food for the new one. Watch out for any signs indicating that your dog is not taking in the new brand of dog food well. If everything goes smoothly, you can then proceed with a 1:1 ratio for the second week. For the third week, you can incorporate more of the new dog food with a 2:1 ratio.
If everything goes well, ditch the old formula and feed your dog with the new brand completely on the fourth week and onwards. Keep in mind that you have to closely monitor your little friend for any reaction during the whole transition process and even after that. You may also refer to your vet for recommendations.
In doing so, you are giving a chance for your dog’s body to adjust to a change in diet. You will also be able to observe the changes more carefully and make appropriate adjustments.
There is also another way to slowly introduce insoluble fiber to your dog’s diet that doesn’t require you to completely switch out your current dog food. You can replace the treats with high-fiber dog food variants instead. Or add some cooked sweet potato or canned pumpkin to your dog’s meal if you want to save a little or if you prefer natural dog foods.
Benefits Of A High Fiber Diet
Our post about the best dog food for sensitive stomach goes into how fiber can help with tummy issues. A high fiber dog food diet is as beneficial to dogs as it is for humans. The benefits include:
Normal bowel movement
Having more fiber in one’s diet keeps constipation and bloating away. For dogs, these small nuances can eventually add up and lead to death, so it’s important that we watch out for their digestive health as well. The insoluble fiber can help your dog in the ease of the food’s passage through the digestive tract that keeps the bowel movement regular.
Boost in immune system
Dogs that have properly functioning digestive system are generally healthier overall and live longer lives than those who don’t. A healthy colon contributes to a stronger immune system.
Reduced risk for cancer
When dog food moves quickly through the colon, there is less time for carcinogenic elements to be absorbed by your dog’s body. And because your dog’s colon is healthier, it has reduced risks of having digestive diseases that may lead to cancer if left untreated for long.
Weight loss
We know your dog loves eating – whose doesn’t? But it’s important to control the dog food intake so as not to make your dog obese. Obesity might make your dog look funny, but when you know that it can lead to death, it’s not so entertaining anymore. It can be a catalyst for other health problems, too. High-fiber dog foods help your dog feel full, which means less dog food to eat and helps support healthy weight.
Blood sugar stability
The insoluble fiber slows down the digestion process leading to stable blood sugar levels. Fast-digesting dog foods can actually cause sudden spike in blood sugar. This is dangerous for diabetic dogs and even those without as they may develop the complication eventually.
Reduced anal glands inflammation
The scent glands on your dog’s anus can sometimes be inflamed. When these become blocked, they can cause pain and fiber helps avoid that. They add bulk to your dog’s stools so that when your animal friend passes them, they put pressure on the glands and helps them drain naturally. Here’s how to know if your dog’s anal glands need expressed and how to drain them manually if you need to.
How Much Fiber Does A Dog Need?
Humans and dogs have different fiber needs. You don’t want to feed them too much nor too little. The right amount is extremely beneficial, but if your dog has too much fiber in its system, it may have health problems you were trying to avoid in the first place.
The fiber amount you’ll see in regular dog foods range from 1% to 10%. But as we’ve established earlier, higher content doesn’t equal better. Nutrition experts agree that the optimal amount is somewhere between 2% and 4%. 5% may be the most you can give, but anything more than that is likely to be detrimental rather than helpful.
High-fiber dog food content is, however, used in weight-loss formulas. They help pass the stool easily and combined with reduced fat, they keep your dogs feeling full and satisfied without eating too much and healthy weight management.
You have to calculate the total amount of fiber your dogs are getting from all sources if you want to keep them at an excellent health. From what sources are your buddies getting fiber? Are you feeding them high-fiber dog food or are you giving them fiber enriched treats? Are your dogs getting enough or too much? You may want to add or subtract the amount of fiber from their current diet based on your calculations.
Tips For Choosing The Right High-Fiber Dog Food
Different brands may have the same claims, but they are not composed of the same ingredients. Dogs react differently to dog foods, so what’s working for your neighbor’s dog may not work for yours. To guarantee the best high-fiber dog food that caters to your dog’s needs, consider the following tips:
Read the labels
When you’re shopping for dog food, you must always check the labels to see what your dog would get from that particular brand. Be careful with the wordings that companies use on the labels. “Natural” and “quality” may sound good to you, but they may not have the same meaning in pet foods.
The ingredients list is what you should be looking at. It is usually organized in a way that the highest content is on the top of the list and it should always be animal-based protein. You also want other supplements like glucosamine for dogs, like animal-based fat and then fiber. You want to avoid fillers and additives and make sure that the brand uses high-quality ingredients for your pooch.
Check the guaranteed analysis
This is different from the ingredients list. It tells you how much crude fiber, crude fat, crude protein and moisture are in the formula. If you want high-fiber dog food, you want crude fiber content of around 5%. It should be accompanied with a balanced protein and fat content. High quality products usually have 22% crude protein or more and 8% to 12% crude fat.
Ask for professional advice
The one who knows what’s best for your dog – second to you – is its vet. It’s important to ask advice from experts about which brand they’ll recommend or some tips on what to look for in a dog food. You can also do your own research to supplement the knowledge you’ve gained from a professional.
Consider your dog’s activity
Is your dog active and frequently goes on long walks? Or does it prefer to laze around on your living room? The food must also depend on the daily activity of your dog since products with high-calorie count will require your pups to move more in order to properly burn them.
High-quality foods will not help your dog and might even cause stomach problems if your dogs don’t exercise to burn the calories. There are specific dog foods for your pet’s needs according to their lifestyle, such as the Royal Canin brand listed above.
Important Things To Note
While a high fiber dog food diet has a lot of benefits, it can also cause health issues. High fiber dog food may interfere with the body’s ability to digest and absorb vitamins and minerals. When your dog consumes more than what is needed, this may lead to serious complications that may be fatal.
Too much of anything is bad and fibers are no exception, so it’s best to be properly educated on the matter via thorough research or with the advice of a veterinarian.
Also, your dog will give signs if he’s not okay with the food. If they run away from the meal, it means they don’t like the taste or it has effects on their body that they don’t like and you can’t see. Even if they wolf it down, you must also check for signs of optimal health like a shiny coat or high energy. If these are absent, something is wrong.
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Conclusion
There are a variety of high-fiber dog food brands and it’s our responsibility to make sure our dogs eat the right diet with all the necessary nutrients for a healthy digestive system and for overall health.
Remember, introduce any new food gradually so as not to shock your dog’s body which might have some adverse effects. It’s also important to pick the right dog food by monitoring the dog’s activities and health. Vets can give crucial advice, so you should also listen to them.
Is your dog getting the right high fiber dog food intake? Comment below if you have any questions!