10 Best Puppy Foods at PetSmart — 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

These days, you can find so many different pet food companies offering a wide selection of puppy food. We understand how important it is for new puppy parents to find the right meal that’s both palatable and nutritious for their precious pups. So, while it’s exciting to see all the various options available for puppies, it can feel very overwhelming.

PetSmart is a reliable pet store that offers a wide selection of puppy food, and you can find a good amount of high-quality puppy food stocked on their shelves. To help you get started on your search, we have reviews of some of the best puppy foods you can find at your local PetSmart.

We also have some valuable information and reviews that will help you find the right kind of formula for your unique puppy. Once you read through this article, you’ll have a much better idea of what to look for and head in the right direction towards finding the perfect food for your pup.

A Quick Look at Our Winners in 2024

The 10 Best Puppy Foods at PetSmart

1. Merrick Healthy Grains Puppy Dry Food – Best Overall

Merrick Healthy Grains Puppy Dry Dog Food is the best overall puppy food at PetSmart because it has a high-quality ingredient list and uses nutrient-dense foods that promote healthy growth and development throughout puppyhood.

With deboned chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, you can rest assured that your puppy’s consuming enough proteins to support muscle growth. The recipe also uses high-quality carbohydrates, like barley, oatmeal, and quinoa, which are natural sources of vital nutrients. It omits controversial ingredients, like peas, lentils, and potatoes.

The formula contains natural sources of DHA, which supports healthy brain development, and glucosamine and chondroitin for hip and joint support. This puppy food may be a little pricier, but it’s sure to help set up a strong foundation throughout your puppy’s first year of life.

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2. Rachael Ray Nutrish Puppy Dry Food – Best Value

Fortunately, you don’t have to pay a fortune to feed your puppy a high-quality meal. While Rachael Ray Nutrish Puppy Dry Dog Food may contain ingredients that are of lesser quality, like soybean meal and whole corn, the overall formula is healthy and nutritious. So, it’s the best puppy food at PetSmart for the money you pay.

This puppy food lists real chicken as the first ingredient, and you can find plenty of other natural nutritious foods, like brown rice, flaxseed, and carrots. The recipe is completely free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.

Another great thing about this food is that the recipe is suitable for all life stages. So, if your puppy enjoys eating this food, you don’t have to worry about switching over to a new food once it reaches adulthood.

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3. Freshpet Vital Grain-Free Puppy Food – Premium Choice

Freshpet Homestyle Creations offers delicious fresh dog food that even the pickiest puppies will enjoy. Serving this meal is just as convenient as giving your puppy dry food as each meal comes fully cooked and ready to serve.

The first four ingredients of this recipe are high-quality protein sources, so it’s especially beneficial for highly active puppies, and puppies training in working dog programs. This food also contains natural sources of DHA to support brain development and omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat.

The recipe does contain various sources of protein, like chicken, beef, eggs, and salmon. As these sources of protein are common food allergens for dogs, some puppies with particularly sensitive stomachs may have a hard time digesting them.

This puppy food is also grain-free, which makes it a viable option for puppies with wheat allergies. However, it’s important to keep in mind that grain-free diets are currently under investigation by the FDA for possible links to heart disease¹. So, if your puppy can digest grains without any issues, it doesn’t need to be put on a grain-free diet.

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4. Castor & Pollux Organix Puppy Dry Food

This Castor & Pollux recipe is one of the only organic puppy foods you’ll find on the market. It’s a great option for puppies with very sensitive stomachs because it has a very clean ingredient list.

The recipe uses organic chicken and organic chicken meal as its first two ingredients, and it also contains organic healthy grains, like oatmeal, barley, and brown rice. The recipe does contain a small amount of fish oil, but other than that, chicken is the single source of protein. So, this food is safe for puppies with beef allergies to eat.

As with most premium brands, this puppy food is relatively expensive. However, it may just be worth the price as many satisfied customers have reported that their picky puppies will enjoy eating this food.

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5. Canidae Pure Puppy Dry Food Limited Ingredient Diet

Young puppies are known to have particularly sensitive stomachs. So, if you have a puppy that’s struggling to eat its meals, you may want to consider a limited-ingredient diet, like Canidae Pure Puppy Dry Dog Food. This food only contains nine essential ingredients and omits common food allergens, like beef and chicken, and uses easily digestible ingredients.

This food contains a lot of fish, including salmon, salmon meal, and menhaden fish meal. These ingredients are rich in omega fatty acids, which support the skin and coat and can help with alleviating dry and itchy skin. The formula is also fortified with antioxidants to help boost the immune system and probiotics to help with digestion.

Keep in mind that as this food contains a lot of fish, it’s more pungent than other dog foods. So, it’s especially important to store and seal this food properly to ensure that the smell does not seep out of the bag.

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6. Blue Buffalo Basics Puppy Dry Food Natural Turkey

This limited-ingredient diet is another considerable option for puppies with sensitive stomachs and wheat allergies. Just keep in mind that it does list peas as one of the main ingredients and contains a few other pea products. Ingredients like potatoes, peas, and lentils are also under investigation by the FDA for links to non-hereditary heart diseases. So, it’s best to try this food only if it receives your veterinarian’s approval.

This puppy food has a relatively clean ingredient list. It lists turkey as the first ingredient and only uses turkey as its only source of animal protein. So, this food may be a good fit for puppies with beef and chicken allergies. It also contains pumpkin, which is both nutritious and easily digestible. The formula is fortified with omega fatty acids to nourish the skin and coat and DHA and ARA to support cognitive and retinal development.

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7. Purina Pro Plan Development Puppy Dry Food, Sensitive Skin & Stomach, Salmon & Rice

Purina Pro Plan offers one of the most extensive lines of dog food and has several options for specialty diets. This sensitive skin and stomach puppy food is a considerable option for puppies who have difficulty eating and digesting their meals. It lists salmon as its first ingredient and uses easily digestible grains, like rice and barley.

While salmon and fish are the main sources of protein, this recipe does contain some beef fat. Beef fat isn’t known to trigger food allergies, but if your puppy has a strong allergic reaction to beef, you may want to pass on this food just to be extra safe. You don’t have to worry if your puppy has chicken allergies because this recipe doesn’t contain any poultry or egg products.

Keep in mind that the kibble size may be too small for larger puppies, and they may eat too quickly and swallow the pieces without chewing. Fortunately, there’s a large puppy version of this formula with a slightly larger kibble. So, if you experience this issue, you can easily make the switch.

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8. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Dry Food Chicken Meal & Barley

Hill’s Science Diet is another preferred choice amongst many veterinarians. This puppy food’s formula is backed by research and science to ensure that puppies are getting all their nutritional needs met during their first year of life.

The recipe contains natural DHA from high-quality fish oil, which is essential for healthy brain, eye, and bone development. It also has antioxidants to support the immune system and protect healthy growth.

The ingredient list contains a lot of natural and easily digestible ingredients. However, it does contain added flavors. Though they’re natural flavors, the food may not be as palatable as other foods, and many picky puppies don’t seem to take a liking to this food.

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9. Wellness Complete Health Puppy Dry Food Chicken, Salmon, & Oatmeal

This Wellness Complete puppy recipe contains a tasty blend of chicken and salmon and lists deboned chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients. The food doesn’t use any meat by-product meals, fillers, or artificial preservatives. It’s a great source of omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and probiotics.

The recipe contains many natural ingredients that are also packed with nutrients, like flaxseed, blueberries, and spinach. It also uses easily digestible grains, like oatmeal and barley.

While the formula is excellent, the kibble may be an issue for some puppies. Some customers have reported that the kibble tends to be a little harder than others, so smaller puppies may have difficulty chewing it.

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10. Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Diet Puppy Dry Food Salmon & Sweet Potato

This recipe is another limited-ingredient diet for puppies with very sensitive stomachs. It doesn’t contain any common food allergens, including wheat and grains. However, it does use some controversial ingredients as carbohydrate sources, like lentils and pea products.

If this food is deemed appropriate for your puppy by your veterinarian, you can rest assured that your puppy’s eating a high-quality meal every day. The meal contains easily digestible ingredients that also help support healthy digestion. Salmon and salmon meal are the first ingredients, and you won’t find any other animal proteins in the ingredient list.

You’ll also find that this food is relatively cheaper than other limited-ingredient food sold by other brands. So, it’s a great budget-friendly option to consider.

Buyer’s Guide — Buying the Best Puppy Foods at PetSmart

Puppies have specific nutritional needs to support and sustain healthy growth and development. So, it’s important to find high-quality puppy food that meets their dietary requirements. Here are a few key things to keep in mind while shopping for puppy food.

Protein

Protein is an essential macronutrient that puppies need to grow and stay healthy. When you look at any dog food label, it should list the guaranteed analysis, which is usually located on the back or sides of a bag. The guaranteed analysis shows the crude percentage of macronutrients in dog food. A substantial range of protein for puppies is between 22%-32%.

While protein is vital to a puppy’s diet, it’s not the best idea to just find a bag of puppy food with the highest percentage of protein. Too much protein can be detrimental to your puppy’s health¹ as it can lead to excessive weight gain or abnormal joint development. Speaking with your veterinarian will help you determine the right percentage of protein that fits your puppy’s lifestyle.

Protein Source

While the percentage of protein is vital, the source of protein is also extremely important to consider. Dog food companies use all sorts of protein in their recipes. In general, look for dog food that lists real meat as its first ingredient, such as beef, deboned chicken, or salmon.

Specified meat meals, like beef meal and chicken meal, are also nutritious ingredients. Since real meat gets dehydrated in the process of making kibble, it loses a lot of mass and weight. Meal meals are ground-up and dehydrated meat and bones, which add more protein and essential nutrients to dog food.

The protein source you want to avoid is meat by-product meals. Meat by-product meals are ambiguous ingredients. While there are some regulations for what can be included and excluded in by-product meals, there’s still too much room for inconsistency in the quality of the meal.

The most common allergies found in dogs are protein allergies¹. So, puppies may have beef, chicken, or egg allergies. In these cases, most vets recommend a limited-ingredient diet or puppy food made with novelty meat, such as lamb, duck, or venison. Other than food allergies, there’s no significant benefit to feeding your puppy novelty meat rather than the common varieties of meat found in dog food.

Fat

Puppies need a good amount of fat in their diet as well. Fat is a source of energy and essential fatty acids. It also helps carry fat-soluble vitamins¹ throughout the body and is necessary for nutrient absorption. Common fat sources found in dog food include fish oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil.

Puppies need their diet to consist of anywhere between 10%-25% of fat on a dry matter basis. As puppies can easily gain weight from consuming too much fat, it’s important to work with your vet to determine the right percentage for it.

Vitamins and Minerals

Puppies have essential vitamins and minerals and intake levels that are different from adult dogs. For example, puppies need diets that contain a high volume of calcium for healthy bone growth. They also need to consume a good amount of DHA, which is found in omega-3 fatty acids and is necessary for healthy cognitive and vision development.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is an organization that provides regulations for healthy pet food and animal feed. It provides a more specified list¹ of essential nutrients that puppies need to eat daily.

It can get overwhelming keeping track of all the different vitamins and minerals, so you can simply look for a statement referring to the AAFCO on dog food labels. A complete and balanced meal for puppies will state that the food meets the requirements laid out by the AAFCO.

Specialty Diets

You can find all sorts of specialty diets, like grain-free, limited-ingredient, and human-grade puppy food. If you have a healthy puppy that doesn’t have food sensitivities, allergies, or specific health issues, there’s no real need to feed it a specialty diet. In some cases, specialty diets, like grain-free diets, might be detrimental to a puppy’s health.

It’s also important to note that dog food companies may market their food as “human-grade,” but this label holds very little meaning. There aren’t any strict regulations for human-grade dog food, so you might end up paying more money for a puppy food that just has prettier packaging.

Conclusion

Out of our reviews, Merrick Healthy Grains Puppy Dry Dog Food is the best puppy food at PetSmart. It has a clean ingredient list and contains high-quality food. A reliable budget-friendly option is Rachael Ray Nutrish Puppy Dry Dog Food. It doesn’t have as clean of an ingredient, but it’s still a healthy, well-balanced meal.

If you want to spoil your pup, Freshpet Vital Grain-Free Puppy Food is a considerable choice that contains high-quality, natural ingredients. Castor & Pollux Organix Puppy Dry Dog Food is another great choice for dog food. The clean and simple ingredient list is especially beneficial for puppies with super sensitive stomachs.

• See also: 18 DIY Christmas Gifts for Dogs and Dog Lovers (with Instructions)

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Featured Image Credit: Berkay Gumustekin, Unsplash