15 Best Turkey Dog Foods – 2023 Reviews & Top Picks

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the turkey America’s national bird? He was overruled in favor of the bald eagle, which is probably just as well since turkeys often wind up serving as dinner for pets and people.

While not the most common bird to serve as the main protein in dog food (that would be chicken), turkey is still found in many recipes. If you’re trying to avoid feeding your dog chicken due to an allergy or are just in the mood to try something new, we’ve got you covered.

We’ve gathered reviews of the 15 best turkey dog foods this year. Canned, dry, or fresh, they’re all represented, so see what we have to say before you make your choice!

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2023

The 15 Best Turkey Dog Foods

1. Ollie Fresh Turkey Recipe – Best Overall

Our pick for the best overall turkey dog food is Ollie Fresh Turkey with Blueberries Recipe. The ingredients in this food are familiar to anyone who’s ever spent time in a supermarket: kale, lentils, carrots, and turkey. Ollie takes these simple ingredients and gently cooks them into a delicious, fresh meal, tailored to your dog’s specific nutritional needs.

They ship it directly to your house on a pre-arranged schedule of your choosing, adjustable at any time. Based on the many glowing user reviews, dogs really seem to enjoy eating this recipe. Because it’s made of whole, fresh ingredients, it is higher-priced than many on our list. It also doesn’t ship to Hawaii, Alaska, or anywhere internationally.

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2. Purina One Natural True Instinct Dry Dog Food– Best Value

Our pick for the best turkey dog food for the money is Purina One Natural True Instinct Turkey and Venison. This recipe packs a pile of protein into its crunchy kibbles, with real turkey doing the heavy lifting regarding nutrition.

It’s made in the USA and contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. It contains added nutrients like calcium and glucosamine for bone and joint health, along with fatty acids and antioxidants. If you want to avoid chicken, this isn’t the right choice for you since it contains chicken meal. Users rate Purina One highly overall, but some dogs seem uncertain about the taste, especially the meaty morsels.

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3. Earthborn Holistic Unrefined Dry Dog Food

Earthborn Holistic is the brand for those who care about where their dog’s food comes from, just like they do their own. Earthborn Holistic Unrefined Smoked Turkey is made with free-range, antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed turkey as the primary protein source.

It’s free of chicken and other common allergens like wheat, featuring grains like quinoa packed with fiber and protein. Unlike many similar recipes, this one also avoids legumes like peas. Plenty of superfood fruits and vegetables add additional fatty acids, antioxidants, and taurine for heart health. Several users noted that Earthborn made their dogs poop a lot, although many appreciated the quality ingredients without peas or chicken. Some thought it was not very cost-effective.

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4. Purina Pro Plan Puppy Classic Canned Food – Best for Puppies

For young turkey lovers, consider Purina ProPlan Classic Turkey Grain-free Entree. It’s high in protein for growing puppies and features DHA to support brain and vision development. It’s made in the USA with no artificial ingredients. Full of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, this puppy food provides balanced nutrition to help your dog grow at just the right pace and build muscle doing it!

Before serving this recipe, check with your vet to ensure grain-free food is okay, as many dogs don’t need to avoid grain. The formula also contains chicken, making it a poor choice for puppies with early signs of food sensitivities.

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5. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Canned Food – Vet’s Choice

Formulated to be gentle on the stomach and nourishing for the skin, Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Turkey Stew also boasts an irresistible, slow-cooked flavor. Turkey, chicken, and rice are featured in this easy-to-digest canned diet. For skin health, you’ll find fatty acids and antioxidants.

It’s made by an experienced dog food brand and has the science and feeding trials to back up the claims on the label. Overall, users had positive things to say about Hill’s. Two common complaints were that the consistency was too thin and runny, and the can was hard to open. Some also noticed issues with their cans arriving dented or damaged after shipping.

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6. Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Dry Food

Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Turkey and Oatmeal is ideal for small dogs thanks to its mini morsels and is made with non-GMO ingredients. It has a blend of proteins and whole grains and is also packed with additional nutrients. With fatty acids, antioxidants, probiotics, glucosamine, and taurine, there’s barely a body system this food doesn’t boost and support.

Many users switched to this recipe when looking for a grain-inclusive formula with quality ingredients, and most gave it positive reviews. Some noted their dogs didn’t like the food’s taste or strong smell. Others were disappointed to find it contains chicken, despite being labeled as a turkey and oatmeal food.

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7. Blue Buffalo Basics Skin and Stomach Care Dry Food

This recipe is a good option for dogs with suspected food sensitivities and is made with a single protein source, turkey. It’s free of chicken, wheat, dairy, and eggs. Although this is the grain-inclusive version of Blue Buffalo Basics Skin and Stomach Care Turkey and Potato, it contains peas and pea fiber.

Peas and other legumes are under investigation by the FDA for potentially causing a heart condition. Blue Buffalo includes pumpkin to assist the digestive process and additional antioxidants for immune health. Many users had success feeding the recipe to dogs with sensitive stomachs. Some noted that their dogs disliked the “Lifesource” kibbles.

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8. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Canned Food

Made with limited ingredients but plenty of turkey, Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey and Brown Rice canned food is full of protein and flavor. It’s also free of nearly every potentially troublesome ingredient you can think of, including peas, chicken, dairy, wheat, and soy. It’s produced in the USA and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The canned food is a bit high in fat compared to some on our list, but most customers mentioned that even picky dogs seemed to enjoy the taste of Merrick. Compared to dry foods, canned diets are less cost-effective, especially for big dogs.

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9. Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Adult Dry Dog Food

Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Turkey, Trout, and Spelt features unique carbohydrates designed to avoid blood sugar spikes. Despite the label, this recipe has chicken meal as the second ingredient, while trout appears much further down the list. Although it’s not the best choice for food-sensitive pups, Nulo includes probiotics for gut health and taurine for heart health. Users were quite satisfied with 100% of reviewers saying they would recommend it to a friend. Even those who said their dogs didn’t like the taste of the food thought the overall quality was excellent.

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10. Hill’s Prescription Diet g/d Aging Care Canned Food

This is a veterinary-specific diet with a very specific purpose, which is why it’s featured lower down on our list. Hill’s Prescription diet g/d Aging care is designed for senior dogs, with carefully researched nutrition formulated to be easier for aging organ systems. Less phosphorous, salt, and protein ease the strain on the heart and kidneys.

Decreased fat content also lowers the stress on the pancreas. Hill’s contains controlled calories and exact amounts of higher-quality protein for further kidney support. Hill’s spends its money on research, not advertising, and you won’t find flashy ingredient labels here. Instead, you find food that gets the job done for your old dog. It requires a prescription and is higher in price, as you might expect.

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11. Canidae All Life Stages Less Active Formula Dry Food

Canidae All Life Stages Less Active Formula contains 27% less fat than the regular formula and is designed for older dogs and overweight ones. Canidae gears its All Life Stages food towards multi-dog households, providing appropriate nutrition for all ages and sizes.

While convenient, you’ll still have to pay careful attention to how many calories each dog is eating because the recipe is dense and could be easy to overfeed. It contains peas, which are an ingredient of concern as we already discussed. Several users found that the kibble is easily crushed and doesn’t hold up well during shipping.

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12. JustFoodForDogs Turkey and Whole Wheat Macaroni Recipe

JustFoodForDogs Turkey and Whole Wheat Macaroni Recipe is made with simple, whole ingredients from a recipe formulated by veterinary nutritionists. With no artificial ingredients or growth hormones, the formula is packaged to be shelf-stable for up to 2 years. Many fresh diets must be stored in the fridge or freezer, which can take up a lot of space, but JustFoodForDogs is easier to store. According to users, dogs love the taste, which includes fresh vegetables and fruit.

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13. Taste of the Wild Prey Turkey Dry Dog Food

Made with only four key ingredients, Taste of the Wild Prey Turkey Recipe aims to be easy to digest and suitable for dogs with food sensitivities. It’s high in lean turkey protein and includes probiotics, fatty acids, and antioxidants. Because dogs tend to develop allergies to protein sources rather than carbs, all pups don’t need to eat grain-free meals.

Grains can provide valuable nutrients; check with your vet before eliminating them from your dog’s diet. Users mentioned that picky eaters may not like Taste of the Wild and noticed some inconsistencies with the quality and appearance of the kibble between bags.

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14. Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs Canned Food

Like all Newman’s Own Dinner for Dogs Canned Food products, 100% of the profits go to charity, which might be reason enough for some to purchase it. However, this Turkey and Chicken canned food is no one-trick pony. It features a triple protein combinations, healthy brown rice, vegetables, and all essential vitamins and minerals. Formulated for all life stages, this is a convenient canned option. Newman’s Own is made in the USA with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Users liked the organic meats but said the consistency could be greasy and unpleasant. Some dogs also dislike the taste.

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15. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food

Rachel Ray may be known for creating tasty cuisine, but most dogs seem to think she does alright on their recipes too. Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Turkey has turkey as the first ingredient, and the company recently changed the formula to decrease the number of peas used. It is low in fat and calories per cup, making it a good pick for dogs that need to shed a few pounds.

Users had overall positive things to say about this recipe, but some said the kibble was too small for bigger dogs and their pups care disliked the flavor.

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Turkey Dog Food

To help you pick your ideal turkey-based diet, we’ve created a short buyer’s guide with other points to consider in your decision process.

How Old Is Your Dog?

Turkey dog foods come in puppy, adult, senior, and all life stages options. A quick way to narrow your choices is by picking based on your pup’s age.

How Many Dogs Do You Have?

Is your pup an only child or just one of the pack? Are you looking for an individualized diet or one you can buy in bulk and feed your whole crew? The answers can help you slim down your options based on cost, convenience, and whether you need an all life stage formulation or not.

Does Your Dog Have Any Health Concerns?

Finally, consider whether your dog has any health concerns, like food allergies that require a special diet. Several turkey recipes are made with limited ingredients and intended to be allergy-friendly, while others feature chicken right after turkey in the ingredients.

Conclusion

As our best overall pick, Ollie Fresh Turkey Recipe offers simple, clean nutrition. Our best value pick, Purina One Turkey and Venison is affordable and high in protein. Earthborn Holistic Smoked Turkey and Ancient Grains is the earth-saving, allergy-friendly option. ProPlan Puppy Turkey Entree is the perfect meal for growth and development. Hill’s Sensitive Stomach and Skin is easy-to-digest and helps the coat glow! We hope our reviews of these 15 turkey dog foods have brought enlightenment rather than continued confusion about dog food shopping.

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Featured Image Credit: Mart Production, Pexels