11 Best Grain-Free Dog Foods for Seniors — 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

When our dogs become older, it isn’t odd for them to encounter some new health problems. Often, senior dog food is designed to help counter some of the health problems by providing extra nutrients that older dogs might need.

While dogs don’t need to switch to senior dog food at a certain age, those with age-related health problems may benefit from one of these diets. Of course, it is always a good idea to work with your vet to help manage these illnesses, as well.

However, choosing a senior dog food can be challenging, especially if you need it to be grain-free. Below, we’ve reviewed some of our favorite dog foods so that you can choose the best option for your canine.

A Quick Look at Our Winners in 2024

The 11 Best Grain-Free Dog Foods for Seniors

1. Ollie Fresh Lamb Dog Food – Best Overall

]If you’re looking to spoil your seniors, we highly recommend Ollie Fresh Lamb. This food is made with only human-grade ingredients and delivered fresh to your door. Because it isn’t kibble, it’s much easier for seniors with dental issues to eat. Plus, it doesn’t include many of the preservatives and fillers that other dog foods may include.

As the name suggests, this formula is mostly lamb. This meat works great for dogs with allergies, as it isn’t a very common dog food ingredient. However, even if your dog doesn’t have allergies, lamb is a great protein source.

On top of the lamb, this food also includes cranberries for antioxidants and fiber. We all know that seniors can always use an immune boost. Butternut squash is also included. This squash increases the fiber content of the food by quite a bit. Fiber is very useful for dogs, especially seniors with gut issues.

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2. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Deboned Turkey for Seniors – Budget Buy

If you’re looking to save money, we recommend looking at Wellness CORE Grain-Free Senior Deboned Turkey Recipe. This recipe is specifically designed for seniors, and it is grain-free. However, it costs a bit less than other options on the market.

This formula starts with deboned turkey and chicken meal. Both of these ingredients are high in protein and fat. However, this food also includes high amounts of lentils, potatoes, and peas. These may be associated with some heart conditions in dogs, so we don’t necessarily recommend them for all canines. They are included in this formula in pretty high amounts.

On a good note, we do like that this recipe includes high amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin. Both of these ingredients may help with joint support, which often gives older dogs problems. Omega fatty acids are also included, which greatly improve skin and coat health in many dogs.

Despite the few low-quality ingredients, this recipe is still the best grain-free senior dog food for the money.

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3. ORIJEN Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

If you have the extra money, you may be interested in ORIJEN Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. This food is quite expensive compared to the competition. However, you’re getting lots of animal products for the extra price. Therefore, you are getting something for the extra money you’re spending.

This formula includes a lot of different meat products. Chicken, flounder, and turkey giblets all appear very early on the list. However, the high number of protein products continues throughout the ingredient list. Therefore, you can rest assured that your senior canine is getting a lot of amino acids and plenty of protein.

We love that this formula is coated in freeze-dried meat, which provides a burst of flavor. For senior dogs that are a bit on the pickier side, this may be a very useful feature.

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4. Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Senior Recipe

Our next pick for your senior dog is Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Senior Recipe. The main draw of this recipe is that it is made with completely organic ingredients. Therefore, for those concerned about pesticides or the environment, this formula may be a suitable option. Plus, it does include chicken as the main ingredient, which contains plenty of protein and fat.

This formula is made with only USDA-certified meat, ensuring that it is high-quality. Plus, it is also free from artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. Added glucosamine and chondroitin may help your dog’s joints and hips thrive into their golden years.

With that said, this formula doesn’t include all of the best ingredients. There are a lot of starchy veggies included. Therefore, despite being grain-free, this formula doesn’t actually include that many animal products.

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5. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Dog Food

For older dogs, we highly recommend Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Canned Dog Food. This food is canned, which means it is often easier for older dogs to eat. If your dog has dental issues, we recommend providing them with this dog food. It contains high amounts of turkey and chicken, which work well for most older dogs.

This formula is completely grain free. However, it does include potatoes and pea fiber. Both of these ingredients add some extra carbohydrates to the food, but they aren’t included in extremely high amounts. Therefore, the protein content remains quite high despite the appearance of these starchy veggies.

We also love that this formula is formulated specifically for joint health and mobility. If your dog is experiencing some joint issues with their advanced age, this formula may help relieve some of those problems.

Based on this information, this is easily the best overall grain-free senior dog food on the market.

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6. CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Senior Chicken Recipe

CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Senior Chicken Recipe is designed specifically for seniors. It includes chicken and turkey as the primary ingredients, providing your dog with all the amino acids they need to thrive. This formula does have a very limited number of ingredients, so it may work best for canines that have sensitive stomachs.

This formula doesn’t include any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. It is very clean as far as excessive ingredients are concerned. It does include probiotics, and these may help dogs with sensitive stomachs.

However, this formula is extremely expensive—it may be outside the price range for many. It also doesn’t include any glucosamine or other nutrients common in senior dog food.

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7. Instinct RAW Boost Senior Recipe with Real Chicken Dog Food

We like Instinct RAW Boost Senior Recipe with Real Chicken for several reasons. It includes bits of freeze-dried meat that may prompt pickier senior dogs to eat. Plus, the inclusion of these bits also raises the protein content of this food substantially. The protein and fat content are much higher than in many other brands.

DHA from chicken eggs is included, which may help improve eye and brain health. L-Carnitine is also added for cellular metabolism, which may help with energy slumps that are common in older dogs. Glucosamine and chondroitin help with joints and overall mobility. Therefore, this formula includes everything you may want for your older dog.

However, you’ll pay a pretty high price for this food. Plus, because of the freeze-dried bits, dogs may selectively eat this food. In other words, it isn’t odd for them to pick out the freeze-dried bits and leave everything else, which would not result in a complete meal.

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8. AvoDerm Advanced Healthy Weight Turkey Formula Dog Food

As you’d probably guess from the name, AvoDerm Advanced Healthy Weight Turkey Formula is specifically designed for dogs that need some help losing weight. For this reason, it may work for seniors, which tend to gain weight as their energy levels fall. Turkey meal is the first ingredient, which also works as the food’s primary source of protein.

Several added nutrients provide your dog with some extra help. For instance, omega fatty acids provide extra support for your skin and coat. For older dogs with skin and coat issues, this can be very helpful. L-carnitine boosts cellular metabolism, and glucosamine provides added joint help. All of these nutrients are helpful for most older dogs.

With that said, this formula includes a lot of peas. Because peas may be associated with some heart problems, we typically do not recommend that formulas high in them are fed long-term. However, you may want to speak to your vet about your dog’s risk for DCM.

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9. Annamaet Grain-Free Rejuvenate Senior Formula Dog Food

The Annamaet Grain-Free Rejuvenate Senior Formula includes some unusual protein sources. For instance, the very first ingredient is silver carp, which contains high levels of omega-fatty acids—like most fish. This provides extra skin and coat support for your canine, which is commonly a problem for older dogs. Turkey meal is the second ingredient, which increases the protein and fat content of this food.

With that said, this formula also includes a lot of peas and lentils. In fact, on top of whole peas, pea protein isolate is also utilized. While this is a complete protein, the FDA has announced that peas may be linked with some health conditions in dogs. Therefore, we can’t recommend any formula that uses a lot of peas very highly.

On a more positive note, this formula does include a lot of added nutrients that may be helpful for your dog. Probiotics, taurine, turmeric, and l-carnitine all provide extra nutritional help as your dog ages.

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10. Halo Holistic Senior Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Dog Food

As the formula’s name suggests, the primary ingredient in Halo Holistic Senior Grain-Free Turkey Recipe is turkey. While this isn’t the only animal protein, it is the main one and appears as the first ingredient. The turkey utilized is non-GMO and raised without antibiotics.

Various added nutrients in this food help support your aging dog’s health. For instance, glucosamine and chondroitin help improve your dog’s joint health. DHA may also help prevent age-related cognitive decline, which sadly affects many aging dogs.

With all these pros, you would imagine this food would appear higher on our list. However, it does include quite a few lower-quality ingredients. For instance, chickpeas, lentils, and peas all appear very high on the ingredient list. These increase the carbohydrate content of the food while lowering the protein amount.

Therefore, while it does include a lot of added nutrients, this food simply isn’t as high-quality as some others out there.

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11. NOW Fresh Small Breed Senior Weight Management Dog Food

The NOW Fresh Small Breed Senior Weight Management is an extremely niche formula. It is specifically made for older dogs that are smaller and overweight. Therefore, it isn’t going to work for most dogs simply because it is for a very specific kind of dog. However, if your dog happens to fit into all these categories, then this food may be a good option for you.

It is quite expensive, though. Furthermore, many of the ingredients are less-than-stellar. Peas and potatoes appear high on the ingredient list. Because these may be associated with some health conditions by the FDA, we typically do not recommend them for most dogs. Pea flour and potato flour are both included, too.

With that said, this is the only dog food you’ll find for older, smaller dogs that need some help controlling their weight. Therefore, it fills a very niche role.

Buyer’s Guide — Choosing the Best Grain-Free Dog Food for Seniors

Choosing dog food for your canine is always a difficult decision. However, when you have a senior dog that can’t eat grains, it may be even more complex. After all, the foods available to you have now been limited substantially.

Luckily, several dog foods fit this description. However, not all of them are made equal. Here are some things you should remember when choosing the best dog food for your canine.

Protein

Most dogs do not need as much protein as their owners believe. However, as your dog ages, they may become less efficient at utilizing the amino acids in their food. Therefore, they may need to consume more protein to compensate for this inefficiency. In many cases, it is this underlying problem that makes many older dogs lose their muscle mass.

Therefore, older dogs should be fed diets decently high in protein, but how digestible the protein is also matters. You need to consider where the protein comes from, too. Animal proteins are typically more absorbable¹ than other protein sources, so we recommend prioritizing those when possible.

Calories

Senior dogs age differently. Sometimes, senior dogs maintain much of their activity levels, but they may lose weight due to decreased absorption. These dogs need increased calories and fairly dense food to compensate for their weight loss.

On the other hand, some senior dogs lower their activity level substantially. Sometimes, this leads to an increase in weight. Because senior dogs often have underlying health issues, this added weight can be even more troublesome. Therefore, they may need to be put on a weight management food to help them return to a more suitable weight.

Senior dog foods may increase or decrease their calories for this reason. Not all senior dog foods for weight loss are labeled as such, so you must check the calorie content before purchasing food.

There is not a one-size-fits-all answer in this regard.

Age

Not all dogs are considered “seniors” at the same time. It is based on your dog’s breed. Once your dog has about 25% of their expected lifespan left, they are often considered senior. Therefore, smaller dogs are often considered seniors at around 8–10, while larger dogs may be considered seniors at as young as 5.

Not all dogs age the same, though, no matter their breed. However, it is at around these ages that many dogs begin to exhibit age-related problems. For instance, dogs may have mental decline or begin to have changes in weight.

Senior dog foods are made to combat these changes. However, because of exactly what kind of changes your dog’s experiences will differ, their food needs to be chosen to take their age-related problems into account.

Summary

There are quite a few senior dog foods out there, though not all of them are grain-free. Our favorite grain-free option is Ollie Fresh Lamb Recipe. This formula is nutrient-packed and fresh, making it easier for many older dogs to eat. Plus, it contains high amounts of protein from animal sources.

If you’re on a budget, you may want to consider Wellness CORE Grain-Free Senior Deboned Turkey Recipe. This formula is much cheaper than most of the alternatives. However, the ingredients are still high-quality, allowing it to work great for many older dogs.

We hope that one of the formulas on this list works well for your aging canine.

See also:

• 10 Best Dog Foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• 10 Best Dog Ramps for Older Dogs

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Featured Image Credit: Ryan Brix, Shutterstock