10 Best Dog Foods for Weight Loss Made in the U.S. – 2025 Reviews & Top Picks

If your dog is carrying a few pounds more than they should, it’s time for a doggie diet. But that doesn’t mean they need to stay hungry or that you need to shuffle from food to food trying to find something that works.

With any of the top choices in these reviews, you can get your dog’s weight back under control and keep your dog happy and healthy at the same time.

Here are 10 of the best weight-loss dog foods made in the U.S. There’s also a comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you narrow down what you’re looking for!

A Glance at Our Favorites (2024 Update)

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food	Nutritious meals Customized and proportioned meals for your pup Extremely fresh food	Click to Save 50% + Get Free Shipping
Budget Buy		Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight	Affordably priced Can be purchased in bulk High-quality dry kibble	Check Price
		JustFoodForDogs Fresh Dog Food	Extremely fresh food Low-fat formula is excellent for weight loss and control High-quality ingredients	Check Price
Best for Puppies		The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe	Extremely nutritious diet Great for all life stages High-quality ingredients	Click to Save 40% Use Code 40HEPPER
		Merrick Healthy Grains Real Salmon Recipe	Excellent for dogs with sensitive stomachs High-quality ingredients Keeps your pup feeling full longer	Check Price

The 10 Best Dog Foods for Weight Loss Made in the U.S.

1. The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food — Best Overall

There’s much to love about The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food, but when it specifically comes to helping your dog lose weight, it can take all the guesswork out of everything for you.

You simply put in your pet’s information and your goals, and The Farmer’s Dog does the rest. It puts together a meal plan that meets all your pup’s dietary needs while helping them lose weight.

Even better, it’s fresh food with top-notch ingredients that will help improve the overall health of your dog. There are automatic reshipments, so you don’t have to worry about running out of food or getting your order in on time.

The only downside to The Farmer’s Dog is the price. But while it’s more expensive than store-bought dry kibble, you’re feeding your pup a much more nutritious and beneficial meal, easily making it the best overall dog food for weight loss made in the U.S.

2. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight — Budget Buy

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight is a great dog food that can help control your dog’s weight without breaking the bank.

Not only is it affordably priced, but you can also purchase it in bulk to help drive down the cost further. It’s easy to serve, and Blue Buffalo only uses high-quality ingredients, so you can be confident in what you’re feeding your dog.

However, it’s not specific to your pet, and if you don’t control the portions correctly, it doesn’t always lead to weight loss. Still, if you’re on a tight budget, this Blue Buffalo dog food is the best dog food for weight loss made in the U.S. for the money.

3. JustFoodForDogs Fresh Dog Food

If you don’t mind the high price tag, JustFoodForDogs is a great fresh food dog company to consider. It’s all extremely fresh food that only uses the highest-quality ingredients, leading to numerous health benefits for your dog.

It uses a low-fat formula that helps with weight loss and control while keeping your pup full and happy. However, not only is it more expensive, but it also doesn’t pre-portion the meals, leaving it all up to you to figure out.

4. The Honest Kitchen Chicken Recipe — Best for Puppies

While older dogs tend to struggle with their weight more frequently than puppies, younger dogs can have weight issues too. If you have a puppy that seems to be putting on more pounds than they should, The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe is a great way to get it under control.

Even better, since it also excels at weight management and works for older dogs too, there’s no reason to switch after your puppy is grown, giving you a long-term solution to their weight gain problems.

The entire diet is extremely nutritious and fresh, giving your dog plenty of health benefits h. However, it is expensive and not specifically for weight loss or control. Furthermore, it’s a dehydrated recipe, which means each meal requires preparation.

5. Merrick Healthy Grains Adult Dry Dog Food

The last thing that you want is to get dog food thinking that it’s great for your pet, only to find out that it’s not what you thought it was. So, why not avoid the problem entirely by going with food?

That’s exactly what you’re getting with Merrick Healthy Grains Real Salmon Recipe. Not only can it help with weight loss and control, but it’s also an outstanding choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs. The company only uses high-quality ingredients, and the formula keeps your dog feeling full after they eat.

So, while this food is not pet specific, it can still do wonders for your dog’s weight.

6. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Dry Food

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Chicken Recipe is a dog food that many veterinarians recommend. It’s specifically for weight loss and control, which mostly comes down to the low-calorie amount per cup.

This enables your dog to eat more and feel full without consuming more calories that can lead to excess weight gain. The company only uses high-quality ingredients, meaning you’re giving your dog a highly nutritious meal every day.

However, there’s no denying that it’s a bland dry kibble recipe, making it a tough choice for picky eaters. Still, if your dog will eat this food, it’s a great and affordable choice to help control their weight.

7. Royal Canin Veterinary Weight Control Dry Food

Sometimes, regular dog foods just don’t cut it when you’re trying to help your pup lose weight. When that’s the case, a prescription dog food recommended directly by a vet might be the way to go.

That’s exactly what Royal Canin Veterinary Weight Control Dry Food is. It’s also a nutritionally complete meal that your dog can eat every day to keep them feeling full and help them lose weight.

But while Royal Canin is a prescription-only diet, that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect choice for your dog. The main issue is the quality of ingredients in the recipe. While there’s nothing wrong with corn in your dog’s food, we’d prefer a better primary protein than chicken by-product meal, especially considering the expensive price tag of this food.

8. Victor Purpose Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food

Victor Purpose is a Texas-based company that does a great job making a dog food that you can give to your elderly dog to help ensure that they don’t put on any extra weight. However, it is worth noting that Victor Purpose Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food is a senior-specific formula, so it’s not something you should feed a younger dog.

It has a low-calorie content per cup to help keep up with your senior dog’s aging metabolism, but the high-quality ingredients keep their stomach feeling full. It’s an outstanding choice for older dogs, but since it’s not tailored specifically to your dog, it’s up to you to give them the right portion and stick to it.

9. Nutro So Simple Adult Dry Dog Food

Nutro So Simple Adult Dry Dog Food only uses high-quality ingredients, and you can get it for an affordable price.

The low-calorie content is great for weight loss and control, but this food does have more calories than many weight loss-specific formulas. Still, at this price tag, it’s a high-quality food that can help your dog lose a few pounds and keep them off.

Just know that it’s not specific to your dog, so you’ll have to figure out how much food to give them to help them lose weight without taking things too far.

10. Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet W+U

You will need a prescription to purchase Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet W+U, so it’s best to reach out to your pup’s vet before trying to order it.

When you talk to the vet, there’s a good chance that they’ll tell you about the food’s high protein content and low calories per cup that will keep your dog feeling full and having plenty of energy without packing on the pounds.

It is expensive, but with all the high-quality ingredients and nutrition in each serving, it’s worth every penny.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dog Food for Weight Loss Made in the U.S.

With so many great pet food options out there to help your dog lose weight, it can be overwhelming trying to narrow it down to just one. While many of the pet foods on this list can do a great job with weight control, you want the best possible choice for your dog.

Here are a few things that you should consider, as well as common myths associated with dog foods.

Is Corn Bad for Your Dog?

Corn is an ingredient that often gets a bad rap. But the truth is that it’s perfectly fine in dog food, and it’s not just a filler, like so many people suggest.

Corn is actually a nutritious ingredient that many pet manufacturers put into dog food. But that doesn’t mean you should just pull out an ear of corn and feed it to your dog. Dog food manufacturers process and mill the corn so it is easily digestible for dogs.

Do You Need a Grain-Free Dog Food Diet?

Unless your dog has a grain allergy, which is extremely rare, you don’t want to go with grain-free pet food. Whole grains provide essential nutrients for your dog, and taking grains completely out of their diet can often cause problems.

So, while some pet food manufacturers push grain-free foods because animals in the wild don’t eat grains, that’s often not the best choice for dogs. Dogs are domesticated and have been for quite a while, so their digestive tracks have adapted to handle grains in their diet.

In fact, even if your dog does have food allergies, there’s a greater chance that it comes from the protein, not the grains. So, try to keep your dog on a food with grain to ensure that they get all the nutrients that they need to thrive.

Do You Need a Prescription Dog Food?

While prescription dog foods have their place, unless your dog is extremely overweight, there’s nothing wrong with trying a non-prescription dog food first.

The reason for this is simple: Prescription dog foods not only require a prescription from a vet, but they also cost you more every time you place an order. So, if you can get similar results with non-prescription options — and usually you can — there’s no reason to spend the extra money for a prescription dog food.

However, if your dog is overweight and has other medical conditions, you’ll want to consult with your vet to ensure that the food that you’re considering will meet all their needs without causing further problems.

Helping Your Pup Keep Off the Pounds

Once your dog gets to the correct weight, you’ll want to adjust their diet so they’re not still shedding pounds and getting underweight.

This is where an option like The Farmer’s Dog shines. You can use the site to update the goal for your dog, and the portions for the food will be changed to the proper amounts for weight control instead of weight loss.

If you’re using another dog food source, you might need to up their food content or switch them to something different, but don’t overdo it, or they might gain back the weight!

Conclusion

After reading all these reviews, it’s time for you to make your choice.

Featured Image Credit: Olena Yakobchuk, Shutterstock