Best High-Protein Dog Foods
PETE DECKER / JANUARY 17, 2019 / DOGS
Similar to humans, dogs need protein in their diet. This especially true if your pup is very active and loves to play around. Therefore, when looking for the best dog foods to feed to your furry friend, choose something high in protein. A high protein diet will help your dog build muscles fast and keep the coat and skin healthy. Furthermore, proteins help to improve a dog’s level of energy and will provide it with enough calories to stay active all day long.
There are lots of high protein dog foods that you can find in the market today. These dog foods are formulated based on the diet of the dogs’ ancestors, where they would scavenge for food. To save you time in having to look for the best high protein dog foods to buy, here's a list of some of the best ones in the market. These dog foods can provide your dog with enough protein to stay healthy and strong.
- Table of Contents
- #1: Top Pick - Bully Max High-Performance Super Premium Dog Food
- #2: Budget Conscious Pick - Pedigree High Protein Adult Dry Dog Food
- #3: Purina Pro Plan SPORT Formula Dry Dog Food
- #4: Victor Classic Hi-Pro Plus, Dry Dog Food
- #5: Ketona Chicken Recipe Dry Food
- #6: Purina Beyond Grain Free Dry Food
- High Protein Dog Food Buyer’s Guide
- Why Is Protein Needed?
- Are Dogs Carnivores?
- Can Dogs Consume Diets High In Protein?
- Benefits Of High-Protein Diets In Dogs
- Conclusion
Top Pick - Bully Max High-Performance Super Premium Dog Food
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON ＞Our top choice is from Bully Max, a company known for producing high-quality dog foods and this High-Performance Super Premium Dog Food is one of them. According to the company’s website, they spent 22,000 hours of research to develop premium formulas for dogs. This product is among the latest dog food products that the company has released in the market, yet it has easily gained the attention of many pet owners.
The Bully Max High-Performance Dog Food is made 20% of fat and 30% of protein. Formulated for the entire life stages of the dog, including when they are still puppies until they get pregnant and become nursing moms. This high protein dog food is free from soy, corn, and wheat. Above all, it’s formulated and manufactured in the United States.
But despite this dog food being the best, we would not really recommend it for all dogs. If your dog doesn’t need the added calories, you might as well feed your pooch something else. Otherwise, this might just make your dog overweight.
Key Features
- Doesn’t contain corn, wheat, or soy
- Contains more calories than any other dog food formula in the same category (535 calories per cup)
- 30% protein and 20% fat
What do we like about it?
Since this product is made from high-quality ingredients, you don’t need to feed your pup as much as you would with low-quality dog food. If your dog weighs around 36 to 50 pounds, then it has to eat around 2 to 2.5 cups of this dog food each day.
Budget Conscious Pick - Pedigree High Protein Adult Dry Dog Food
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON ＞With this high protein dog food from Pedigree, you’ll be feeding your pooch with the right amount of nutrition that he needs. Featuring beef and lamb flavor, your dogs will surely love this delicious recipe. It’s made with real beef meat, which is an excellent source of protein for your pooch.
Furthermore, this dog food is also packed with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and Omegas to keep your furry friend healthy and strong. It has no added sugar or artificial ingredients so it’s the perfect recipe to give to your sensitive pup.
Key Features
- Doesn’t contain any artificial flavor
- Doesn’t have any added sugar
- Made from real red meat, which is an excellent source of protein
- Provides your pooch with100% complete and balanced diet
What do we like about it?
We love that this high protein dog food tastes great. Your dog will surely enjoy the tasty beef and lamb flavor, while also getting the much-needed protein.
Purina Pro Plan SPORT Formula Dry Dog Food
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON ＞This high protein dog food is made by Purina, one of the leading brands of dog foods in the market. It’s ideal for dogs of all ages, from being a puppy to their senior years. Featuring a balanced formula of 20% fats and 30% protein, your dog will surely get the right amount of nutrients with this dog food.
Purina has been in the business for so long that they know exactly what your beloved pup needs. Thus, they formulated this dog food to provide for the metabolic needs of your pooch while promoting lean muscle mass at the same time. This dog food is rich in antioxidants and can help to keep the immune system of your pet healthy, preventing it from getting sick. Furthermore, it has Omega 3 that helps in improving your dog’s mobility and keeping its joints healthy and strong.
Key Features
- Contains 30% protein and 20% fat
- Made with real chicken
- The high-fat content helps to fuel the dog’s metabolic needs
What do we like about it?
We like this dog food mainly because it’s made from real chicken meat, which is a good source of animal protein. This delicious dog food delivers the right amount of nutrition for your pooch while supporting the high level of activity at the same time.
Victor Classic Hi-Pro Plus, Dry Dog Food
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON ＞If you want to give your pup the kind of food that they will surely love, then make it the Victor Classic Hi-Pro Plus Dry Dog Food. Featuring a nutrient-dense formula and with ingredients that consist of high-quality chicken, beef, pork, and fish meals, this dog food is ideal for all your dog’s life stages. In fact, this can even be used to feed lactating and pregnant females.
The Victor Classic Dog food is capable of providing your pooch with sustained energy, which is ideal for high-performance dogs. Made of gluten-free grains, this delicious dry dog food features a well-balanced and complete diet, which is exactly what your furry friend needs.
Key Features
- Easy digestible
- Features a nutrient-dense recipe
- Full with vitamins and minerals
What do we like about it?
We like the fact that this dog food features a nutrient-dense recipe that’s ideal for all the life stages of the dog, from being a puppy until they get pregnant and become lactating moms.
Ketona Chicken Recipe Dry Food
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON ＞Your dogs will surely love nibbling a bowl of this Ketona Chicken Recipe Dry Food. It’s manufactured in the United States and made from high-quality ingredients. Having only less than 8% carbs with 46% protein, this dog food is enough to provide your pooch with the right amount of nutrients that it needs.
This dry food chicken recipe is made of real chicken along with other beneficial ingredients, such as flaxseed meal and hulls, which encourages healthy digestion. Furthermore, it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals that can help to keep your pooch stay healthy and strong. Every bowl of this delightful dog food can satisfy your pup’s protein needs while providing the protein that it needs to remain active all day long.
Key Features
- Contains less than 5% starch and only 0.5% sugar
- Grain-free dog food
- Has more than 46% of protein
- Made in the United States
What do we like about it?
What we like best about this dog food is that it’s low in carbs, which is suitable for your pooch. In fact, it has about 75% fewer carbs compared to the other grain-free dog foods in the market.
Purina Beyond Grain Free Dry Food
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON ＞Remember that your dog only deserves nothing but the best. Thus, when it comes to feeding your dog with the best high protein dog food, you should go for a product that's made by a reputable company like Purina. This Purina Beyond Grain-free Dog food is made of a delicious fish recipe, which is locally sourced Pacific hake. Thus, it offers premium quality protein that your beloved dog truly deserves.
Furthermore, this dog food can help your pooch to stay healthy and strong since it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals. Indeed, every bite of this dog food delivers a nutritious punch to your pooch. What’s more, it doesn’t contain any additives and fillers and doesn’t have soy, wheat, or corn. So even if you are feeding this to dogs with a sensitive tummy, they will not get sick at all.
Key Features
- Grain-free formula
- Consists of 30% protein
- Made from locally sourced fish
What do we like about it?
This high-protein dog food has a nutrient-dense formula that supports the healthy muscles of your active dog. Having 30% high-quality proteins from real hake, this is the best dog food to feed your pup if you prefer a sustainably sourced product.
High Protein Dog Food Buyer’s Guide
The information provided above might be overwhelming to you because some of the terms are a bit hard to understand. But there’s no need to panic. In this next section, we’ll provide a detailed guide to help you make the best decision when it comes to choosing the right high protein dog food for your beloved furry friend.
Also, you can make use of our dog calorie calcalutor to determine the number of calories to feed your canine buddy daily.
Average Protein Content
When it comes to choosing the best high-protein dog food, it’s essential to determine the average amount of protein that a typical dog needs. Most vets and even the AAFCO recommends that dogs should have 20% to 30% of the protein in their diet each day. Dog foods containing less than 20% of protein are considered low protein dog food, while anywhere above 30% is considered high protein dog food. An average dog needs somewhere between 20% and 30% protein.
Animal Proteins
Whether you want a high or low protein diet for your dog food, it’s best to choose something that’s made from animal-based proteins. Therefore, you should always refer to the list of ingredients for every dog food that you plan on buying. Proteins derived from animals will be much easier for your pooch to digest. As such, they will be able to get the maximum benefit since there would be less waste as a result of undigested proteins. When you refer to the list of ingredients in your dog food, you’ll find that they are listed in the order of the percentage amount of the ingredients used. Therefore, it should be easy to determine the amount of protein that the dog food has.
Balanced Diet
Just like humans, your beloved dogs can benefit from a balanced diet consisting of three macronutrients, namely carbs, fats, and proteins. It is best to have a discussion with your vet and have your dog checked annually to ensure that you will be able to provide its daily dietary needs. If you are interested, we have complied a list of heathiest dog food that you can feed your pooch with.
Why Is Protein Needed?
Dogs need 22 vital amino acids to stay strong and healthy, of which 12 are produced in their bodies, while the other 10 must be supplemented in their diets. Amino acids are protein’s building blocks and half of these are naturally occurring in the animal’s body. The other half must be supplemented through their diet.
Protein plays an essential role in the overall health of your beloved pooch. Aside from helping with the building and repair of your pet’s body tissues, proteins also help in the formation of new skin cells. It also aids in the development of hair and muscles. Furthermore, protein is a crucial component in the production of hormones and enzymes and it also provides your pooch with increased energy, which is very important for active dogs.
With an active dog, you can have tons of outdoor activities such as hiking or playing frisbee fetch games.
Are Dogs Carnivores?
Vets have long been taught that dogs are considered omnivores. They digest foods that contain carbohydrates and have 10 key genes that can metabolize fat and digest starch. Yet, just like a wolf, which is the dog’s close relative, dogs often lean towards meat for their primary source of nutrients. In fact, their teeth are designed to easily tear and cut meat into pieces, unlike other herbivore animals like cows, which use their teeth to grind grains.
Also, dogs often have bigger stomachs compared to animals that are considered herbivores. Thus, they can cope with large-sized meals comprising entirely of meat or fish.
Can Dogs Consume Diets High In Protein?
Given the wide range of dog foods available in the market, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of choices available. All these dog foods claim to be the best, which makes it even more confusing to choose.
The key is to choose something that specifically matches with your dog’s diet and preferences. So think about your pooch’s lifestyle and nature. For instance, if you need to feed puppies, then you need something with a higher concentration of protein to help their bodies to develop fully. Working dogs that often have higher levels of energy also require a good amount of protein in the diet. You need to understand the kind of dog that you have so you can decide on the type of dog food to feed it.
Likewise, if your canine buddy has allergies, it’s best to get a limited ingredient dog food instead.
Benefits Of High-Protein Diets In Dogs
Below are some of the benefits of feeding your active dogs with a high protein diet:
- Boosts the immune system
- Development of lean and strong muscles
- Have enough energy to stay active for long periods of time
- Healthier and shinier coat and skin
- Supports proper functioning of organs, including liver and kidney
Overall, it’s important that your dog gets the right amount of protein for their daily diet. Just like us, our dogs need to have the proper nutrition to stay healthy and strong. It’s best to check with your pet’s vet if you need help figuring out the right amount of protein for your dog.
Conclusion
All of the high protein dog foods that we have provided on the list above are great for your pooch. However, we have chosen the Bully Max High-Performance Super Premium Dog Food as our top choice simply because it has everything that your dog needs.
Aside from having 30% protein, this dog food contains all the essential nutrients that can help your dog to stay healthy, active, and strong. What’s more, this dog food is ideal for all the life stages of a dog. So whether you’ve got a puppy, an adult dog, or perhaps a lactating dog, this high protein dog food fits the bill!
The Review
Best High Protein Dog Foods
