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11 Best Natural Dog Foods – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks 

Oliver Jones

By Oliver Jones

curly dog eating fresh Ollie dog food out of bowl

Natural dog food should be free from artificial additives and use real, natural ingredients like meat, vegetables, and whole grains to provide a nutritionally complete meal for your dog. Options include dry and wet food as well as freeze-dried and dehydrated, and recent years have seen the range of natural foods increase substantially. While the extra choice does mean lower costs, greater variety, and higher quality options, it also makes it more difficult to ensure you’re choosing the right food from the right brand.

To help, we have included reviews of the best natural dog foods, as well as a guide on what to look for and how to choose.

Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.

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A Quick Look at Our Favorite Picks of 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription
  • Meets AAFCO nutritional guidelines
  • Developed with veterinary nutritionist guidance
  • Frozen meals last for up to 6 months
  • Budget Buy
    Second place
    Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food
  • Main ingredients are US farm-reared chicken, chicken meal, and soybean meal
  • Free from artificial preservatives and flavors
  • Cheap
  • Third place
    Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef
  • Feed a raw meal without the effort of preparation
  • First 6 ingredients are meat and meat-based ingredients
  • Fruit and vegetables in the ingredients are certified organic
  • Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Food Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Food
  • Primary ingredients are deboned chicken, chicken meal, and brown rice
  • 28% protein is a good ratio for puppies
  • Smaller kibble is easier for puppies to eat
  • Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Chicken Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Chicken
  • All natural ingredients are organic
  • 26% protein and 15% fat
  • No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors
  • The 11 Best Natural Dog Foods

    1. Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall

    Ollie Beef Dish with Sweet Potatoes

    Main ingredients: Beef, peas, sweet potatoes
    Protein content: 9%
    Fat content: 7%
    Calories: 1540 kcal ME/kg

    Ollie’s Fresh Recipe takes first place on our list and is our pick for the best overall natural dog food. These all-natural, lightly cooked meals come in several flavors, including beef, turkey, lamb, and chicken. All of Ollie’s tasty selections were developed with the assistance of a veterinary nutritional expert, and they meet the American Association of Feed Control Officials guidelines for nutrition. Ollie’s fresh meals are shipped with ice and insulated packaging and need to be refrigerated or frozen. The food lasts for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and 6 months once frozen.

    The Fresh Beef recipe includes sweet potatoes and blueberries to provide healthy sources of essential nutrients such as vitamins K and C, as well as fiber to keep your dog regular. The Fresh Chicken recipe features carrots and rice, providing plenty of vitamin A and protein, and the Fresh Turkey with blueberries has kale and pumpkin, which are two great sources of nutrients like vitamin A and beta carotene. The Fresh Lamb with fresh cranberries really packs a nutritional punch with kale and squash for immune support and digestive health.

    The company only includes beef from farmers located in the United States. Lamb is sourced from suppliers in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. The meals are cooked at Ollie’s facility in Minnesota, and you never have to worry about added antibiotics in Ollie’s nutritious chicken and turkey meals. Each batch undergoes safety and composition testing before packing and shipping, and the meals are only available as part of a subscription plan.

    Pros
    • Meets AAFCO nutritional guidelines
    • Developed with veterinary nutritionist guidance
    • Chicken and turkey dishes feature no added antibiotics
    • Frozen meals last for up to 6 months
    • No added artificial flavors
    Cons
    • Needs to be refrigerated or frozen

    2. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food – Budget Buy

    rachael ray nutrish real chicken and veggies dry dog food

    Main ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Soybean Meal
    Protein content: 25%
    Fat content: 14%
    Calories: 340 kcal/cup

    Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Chicken & Veggies Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble food that includes chicken, chicken meal, and soybean meal as its primary ingredients. The chicken used is US farm-raised chicken, and the company’s other recipes use similarly local and natural meat ingredients. The food is free from artificial flavors and preservatives and uses natural ingredients for vitamins and minerals. The kibble is fortified with added vitamins and minerals and contains prebiotics to help kill bad bacteria in the gut and promote a positive digestive system.

    As well as using natural ingredients and eschewing the use of artificial, synthetic ingredients, Rachael Ray Nutrish is cheaper than most on this list, making it our choice as the best natural dog food for the money. Its 25% protein ratio could be a little higher, although it does make it suitable if you’re looking to avoid a high protein diet.

    Pros
    • Main ingredients are US farm-reared chicken, chicken meal, and soybean meal
    • Free from artificial preservatives and flavors
    • Cheap
    Cons
    • 25% protein could be higher

    3. Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Raw Dog Food

    Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Stella's Super Beef Dinner Patties

    Main ingredients: Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney
    Protein content: 44%
    Fat content: 35%
    Calories: 56 kcal/patty

    Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food are raw beef patties made primarily from beef and beef constituents with fruit and vegetables as well as extra vitamins and minerals. One of the things that puts a lot of dog owners off feeding a raw diet is the effort of researching and sourcing ingredients. These freeze-dried patties can be fed as is after defrosting, or they can be rehydrated with warm water, but that’s all the effort required.

    The food does work out to be expensive but can be served alongside or in addition to a less-expensive kibble, and the cost comes from the use of large volumes of natural ingredients. The large proportion of beef also means that these patties are quite high in protein and proportionately high in fat, so dogs with sensitive stomachs might struggle, especially when first transitioning to the food.

    Pros
    • Feed a raw meal without the effort of preparation
    • First 6 ingredients are meat and meat-based ingredients
    • Fruit and vegetables in the ingredients are certified organic
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Might be too rich for sensitive stomachs

    4. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Food

    Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food

    Main ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice
    Protein content: 28%
    Fat content: 16%
    Calories: 406 kcal/cup

    Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble formulated for puppies and featuring primary ingredients of deboned chicken, chicken meal, and brown rice. It has 28% protein and 406 calories per cup of food. Puppies generally need more protein to build and develop muscles and calories because they need more energy levels and are able to burn off more calories than adult dogs, which makes these ratios good for young dogs.

    Merrick’s puppy food also boasts the use of ancient grains. Ancient grains are those that are reported to have undergone little change in recent millennia, so they are supposed to be more natural and more closely mimic a dog’s ancient, natural diet. They also undergo less refinement, so they retain higher levels of protein and other essential vitamins and minerals, including omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and more.

    Because this is a puppy food, the kibble is smaller than adult foods, making it easier to bite and digest, but Merrick’s food is expensive compared to other kibble.

    Pros
    • Primary ingredients are deboned chicken, chicken meal, and brown rice
    • 28% protein is a good ratio for puppies
    • Smaller kibble is easier for puppies to eat
    Cons
    • Expensive

    5. Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Dry Dog Food

    Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Organic Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food

    Main ingredients: Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Meal, Organic Oatmeal
    Protein content: 26%
    Fat content: 15%
    Calories: 383 kcal/cup

    Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Organic Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble. Its main ingredients are organic chicken, organic chicken meal, and organic oatmeal. Looking through the ingredient list, it is clear that the company takes organic ingredients seriously with all the natural ingredients being organic. The food is fortified with vitamins and minerals and uses natural tocopherols as preservatives rather than synthetic versions. In fact, the food is free from artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors.

    With 26% protein and 15% fat, the ratios are good for a food with 11% moisture levels, but the food is very expensive, even for a natural food that includes so many organic ingredients.

    Pros
    • All natural ingredients are organic
    • 26% protein and 15% fat
    • No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors
    Cons
    • Very expensive

    6. Whole Earth Farms Adult Canned Dog Food

     

    Main ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey
    Protein content: 8%
    Fat content: 6%
    Calories: 415 kcal/can

    Whole Earth Farms Whole Grains Recipe Adult Canned Dog Food is a canned food that is reasonably priced for canned natural food, although more expensive than the stuff found on most store shelves.

    Its primary ingredients are chicken, chicken broth, and turkey, with the next most prominent ingredients being chicken liver, whitefish, and brown rice. The ingredients do not include any artificial flavors and preservatives and are free from corn, wheat, and soy.

    The food has a pate-like consistency, and some dogs do prefer a stew style of food, but pate is less messy when getting it out of the can, and the meaty ingredients should prove palatable for all but the fussiest of eaters. The food is suitable for dogs of all sizes and all breeds and has been nutritionally formulated for adult dogs.

    The cost compared to other natural canned foods, the decent 8% protein ratio, and the natural ingredients used make this another great natural dog food, but the consistency will deter some dogs and their owners.

    Pros
    • First 5 ingredients are meat-based
    • The chicken is US reared
    • 8% protein ratio is good for the moisture level
    Cons
    • Pate-like consistency won’t appeal to all dogs

    7. Wellness Core Grain-Free Senior Dry Dog Food

    Wellness Core Senior Dog Food

    Main ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Lentils
    Protein content: 32%
    Fat content: 12%
    Calories: 359 kcal/cup

    Wellness Core Grain-Free Senior Deboned Turkey Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble with deboned turkey, chicken meal, and lentils as its primary ingredients. The food has been formulated for senior dogs and has a high protein content of 32% and low fat ratio of 12%. Senior dogs benefit from additional protein to help counteract the muscle loss that can occur as the dog ages. Less fat means that the food is better for sensitive stomachs and helps avoid excessive weight gain.

    The food contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which help with good joint and bone health, both of which can suffer as your dog ages, while omega fatty acids can help maintain a glossy coat and healthy skin. Probiotics help promote good gut flora, therefore improving digestive health and all-round good health. The food is reasonably priced, too, but its high protein content may be too much even for some senior dogs.

    This is a grain-free recipe. Dogs benefit from eating a grain-inclusive diet unless they are specifically allergic to one or more grains, and you should consult your vet before feeding this kind of diet.

    Pros
    • Suitable for some senior dogs
    • 32% protein and 12% fat targeted at senior dogs
    • Reasonable price
    Cons
    • 32% protein may be too high even for some senior dogs
    • Grain-free diet not necessary for most dogs

    8. Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs Canned Dog Food

    Newman's Own Dog Food, Chicken & Brown Rice

    Main ingredients: Organic Turkey, Poultry Liver, Organic Chicken
    Protein content: 8%
    Fat content: 5.5%
    Calories: 410 kcal/can

    Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs Turkey & Chicken Recipe Canned Dog Food is a canned wet food that, apart from water for processing, has the main ingredients of organic turkey, poultry liver, and organic chicken. It also contains vegetables and is fortified with vitamins and minerals to meet nutritional requirements. The 8% protein and 5.5% fat ratios are considered suitable for dogs of all ages and life stages, as well as for breeds of all sizes. It is free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, and the use of organic ingredients is a positive.

    Newman’s Own Dinner is a good-quality food made with natural ingredients, but it is expensive and contains carrageenan, which some consider to be a controversial ingredient and might deter some buyers.

    Pros
    • 8% protein and 5.5% ratios are positive
    • Organic natural ingredients
    • Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Contains carrageenan

    9. Primal Nuggets Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    Primal Freeze-Dried Nuggets

    Main ingredients: Beef Hearts, Beef Livers, Ground Beef Bones
    Protein content: 34%
    Fat content: 36%
    Calories: 144 kcal/oz

    Primal Beef Formula Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food is a freeze-dried raw food with beef hearts, beef livers, and ground beef bones as the primary ingredients. Ground bone is a good source of calcium, while ingredients like liver contain a host of vitamins and minerals. The food also contains organic fruit and vegetables and is fortified with additional vitamins and minerals to give a protein ratio of 34% and fat content of 36%.

    The protein ratio is high for a complete meal, but the ingredients are high-quality, including organic fresh ingredients, but this will be diluted a little once the food is rehydrated, which requires adding a tablespoon of water once the nuggets are defrosted. The food does take a little preparation, but this is still minimal when compared to researching, sourcing, and preparing fresh food from scratch.

    Pros
    • Raw food without the preparation requirements
    • Natural and organic ingredients
    • Primary ingredients are beef hearts, beef livers, and ground beef bones
    Cons
    • 36% protein ratio is high
    • Expensive food

    10. Castor & Pollux Organix Adult Canned Dog Food

    Castor & Pollux Organix Organic Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

    Main ingredients: Organic Chicken, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Chicken Liver
    Protein content: 7%
    Fat content: 6%
    Calories: 411 kcal/can

    Castor & Pollux Organix Organic Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Canned Dog Food is canned wet food with the main ingredients of organic chicken, organic brown rice, and organic chicken liver. It has 7% protein and 6% fat ratio and includes a host of organic and natural ingredients in its ingredient list.

    The food does not contain any artificial colors or preservatives, but it does contain probiotics that promote good gut health. The food is quite high in calories, so it may not be suitable for dogs on a diet or that need a calorie-controlled diet.

    Pros
    • 7% protein and 6% fat ratio
    • Primary ingredient is organic chicken
    • Contains probiotics for good gut health
    Cons
    • High in calories
    • Expensive

    11. Diamond Naturals Adult Dry Dog Food

    Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice Formula

    Main ingredients: Beef Meal, Grain Sorghum, Ground White Rice
    Protein content: 25%
    Fat content: 15%
    Calories: 399 kcal/cup

    Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food is a cheap, dry kibble that includes beef meal, grain sorghum, and ground white rice as the primary ingredients. The food also contains fruit and vegetables and is fortified with vitamins and minerals. There is a long list of ingredients and beef is really the only meat-based ingredient, which suggests that a lot of the protein in this food may come from non-meat ingredients.

    The protein ratio of Diamond Naturals Beef is 25%, which could be a little higher, and they’re just under 400 calories per cup of food, which puts it slightly on the high side. The food does contain prebiotics and probiotics and consists of a good number of natural vegetables. It is one of the cheapest foods on the list, but the ingredient list doesn’t contain as many high-quality ingredients as other foods.

    Pros
    • Cheap
    • Contains prebiotics and probiotics to promote good gut health
    Cons
    • 25% protein could be higher
    • High in calories
    • Ingredients aren’t as good as other foods

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    Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Natural Dog Food

    French Bulldog is busy with his meal eating
    Image Credit: Tienuskin, Shutterstock

    Getting the right food for your dog is important because it not only provides them with the protein that they need, but it also contains all the essential vitamins and minerals that they require. Depending on your dog’s age and any health conditions they have, you may also need a specific formula of food to keep them healthy. For example, dogs with pancreatitis benefit from having a food that is low in fat, typically between 5%–10%.

    If your dog is allergic to a particular protein, such as chicken, you should also look for recipes that exclude this ingredient to ensure that they do not suffer an allergic reaction. You should also consider the quality of the ingredients being used. Low-quality ingredients may be littered with synthetic and chemical ingredients, while some ingredients may make it difficult for your dog to digest and benefit from the vitamins and minerals they contain.

    Below are the criteria we considered when choosing the best natural dog foods.

    What Does “Natural” Actually Mean?

    “Natural” is a somewhat ambiguous term, and just because a dog food is labeled as natural does not necessarily mean that it meets what you consider natural. At the most extreme, it means that all ingredients in the food come from animals or plants or have been mined from the ground and there are no synthetic ingredients used whatsoever.

    At the very least, for a dog food to be considered natural, it should be free from artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors, and it should contain named meat and named fruit, vegetables, and grains as its primary ingredients.

    Food Type

    There are various types of dog food on the market, including:
    • Dry – Dry food has been cooked and most of the moisture removed from the food. It comes in biscuit form, more often referred to as kibble. It has a long shelf life, doesn’t need special storage, and it is usually cheaper than other forms of food.

    However, it is dry, so you need to make sure your dog drinks adequate water at meal times. It also tends to be less palatable than canned or wet food, and it relies on preservatives to keep it fresh, although these preservatives do not necessarily have to be synthetic or chemical in nature.

    • Wet – Although wet or canned food is cooked and processed, it retains moisture and is not usually as heavily processed as dry food. It is more appealing to a lot of dogs because it smells, looks, and tastes of the meat and vegetables that are used to make the food. Because wet food usually contains around 75% moisture, it also helps ensure that your dog is properly hydrated even if they don’t drink much water with their meal.

    Wet food is more expensive than dry kibble, doesn’t keep as long, and once a can or tray is opened it needs to be refrigerated and used within a couple of days. You also need to lift any leftover wet food up off the floor after an hour or two to prevent your dog potentially getting ill.

    • Freeze-Dried – A raw food diet means feeding raw meat and other natural ingredients. It is meant to more closely mimic the natural diet of dogs, and is said, by proponents, to offer more health and nutritional benefits than commercial foods.

    However, it is more expensive, it can be challenging to source good quality foods, and you have to pay a lot of attention to what ingredients you feed to ensure that your dog is getting all the essential vitamins and minerals they need in their diet. Freeze-dried raw food offers a more convenient means of feeding this type of diet.

    A freeze-dried whole meal that meets nutritional requirements negates the need to measure nutrients and it doesn’t require as much preparation as making a raw meal yourself. However, it is the most expensive option on this list and although it doesn’t require the same level of preparation as feeding a raw diet yourself, it does usually still require rehydrating before serving.

    dog eating
    Image Credit: eminens, Pixabay

    Life Stage

    Dogs have different protein and nutrient requirements at different stages of life. Puppies need more protein and calories than adult dogs, while senior dogs need fewer calories but also benefit from higher protein levels. With dry food, the protein ratio of a good dry food is usually between 25%–28%, with seniors and puppies benefiting from the top end and potentially a little higher than this bracket. Some foods are sold as being suitable for all life stages, but it is worth checking the nutritional values to ensure they meet your desired values.

    Protein Ratio

    Nutrients like protein and fat are displayed on food packaging as a ratio of the overall food. With dry food, most owners look for a protein ratio between 25%–28%, but if your dog needs a low or high-protein diet, you can find foods to meet these needs.

    With wet food, it is a little more difficult to compare because the given protein ratio is calculated by the overall food ingredients including moisture. To compare this to a dry food, you need to calculate the protein by dry matter.

    For example, if a wet food is 75% moisture, that means it is 25% dry matter, so you would need to divide the protein ratio by 25% which means that 7% protein would be equivalent to 28% protein by dry matter.

    Named Ingredients

    When looking for natural ingredients, you should also consider the quality of the ingredients. Natural doesn’t always mean better. In particular, look at the meat ingredients and ensure that they are a good quality source of meat and that the source is properly named. Some cheaper, low-quality foods include “meat by-products” as an ingredient. Not only does this fail to name the type of meat used, but by-products can be any parts that are left over after meat has been processed into food. It could, potentially, even mean the by-products of ill cattle.

    Try to stick to foods that mention the type of meat and that do not include by-product ingredients.

    It is worth noting that some foods include—for example, “beef meal”. Meal is actually a concentrated form of the meat that can contain up to three times the protein of the original ingredient and is not considered a low-quality ingredient.

    In fact, it is often preferred in dry food to whole ingredients. Whole ingredients like beef and chicken can consist of 70% or more moisture and once they have been dried, there is much less of the ingredient left.

    Does My Dog Need Grain-Free Dog Food?

    Dogs are omnivores and they get vitamins and minerals from a range of different sources, including grains. As such, grain can carry numerous health and nutritional benefits for dogs. Therefore, unless your dog is specifically allergic to a particular grain, you should not avoid grains. Many vets state that grain-free food can lead to heart and other complaints in healthy dogs.

    English cocker spaniel dog eating food from ceramic bowl
    Image Credit: Switlana Sonyashna, Shutterstock

    Do Dogs Need Wet Food?

    Dogs do not need to eat wet food, although many dogs prefer it to dry food because it smells and tastes better. For this reason, a lot of owners prefer to feed wet food. However, as long as it is a good quality food, dry kibble can meet all of your dog’s nutritional requirements while being more convenient and easier to feed. And, of course, you can feed both wet and dry food so that your dog and you enjoy the best of both worlds.

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    Conclusion

    Getting the right dog food is important and can seem challenging, especially with so many choices. Above, we have included reviews of the best natural dog foods that are free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, and included a selection of dry, wet, and freeze-dried foods.

    While compiling the list, we found Ollie Fresh Dog Food uses high-quality ingredients and can be delivered right to your door, while Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural is a cheap food that still uses natural ingredients to provide a balanced diet. In third, we have Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Dinner , which we think has a great amount of meat content.

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