Choosing the right dry dog food in Canada can feel like navigating a maze. With countless brands lining pet store shelves and competing online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Pet parents are tasked with selecting the best kibble based on ingredient quality, digestibility, their dog’s specific health needs, and budget. While many expert reviews offer opinions, they often lack a clear framework or consistent criteria, leaving owners to rely on intuition. Our comprehensive study aims to cut through the noise by providing a data-driven approach to evaluating dog kibble brands available in Canada and the USA, focusing on what truly matters for canine health.
Our investigation delved into over 52 dog kibble brands and 96 different formulations. The primary focus was on the ingredient panel, manufacturing processes, and the companies behind the brands. We deliberately excluded factors like price and specific health conditions to maintain a clear focus on nutritional quality. Today, we’re sharing our findings on the healthiest dry dog food brands and those you might want to avoid. For those considering premium options, a now fresh dog food review can offer valuable insights into high-quality ingredients and formulations.
Key Insights from Our Comprehensive Dry Dog Food Review in Canada
Our in-depth analysis revealed several crucial trends and highlighted specific brands that stand out for their superior ingredients and formulations. Understanding these insights can significantly help Canadian pet owners make informed decisions.
- The top 10 dog kibble formulations consistently featured brands known for their commitment to whole foods and limited synthetic additives. These include Carna4 Pet Food, Bixbi Rawbble kibble, Nature’s Logic Dog Kibble, Sunday Pets, Open Farm Dog Food, Acana Kibble, Orijen Pet Food, Nulo, and Petkind. These brands were selected based on their overall healthiness and ingredient quality.
- A notable pattern emerged: smaller manufacturers generally utilize higher-quality ingredients compared to larger corporations. Major players like Nestle and Mars Inc., which own brands such as Hills Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin, and Iams, were found to have a higher propensity for using less desirable ingredients in their formulations.
- Conversely, 24 dog kibble formulations were identified as the “worst” based on our criteria. These brands, including Nutro, Purina Pro Plan, Hills Science Diet, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, and Iams, are often recommended by conventional sources but scored poorly in our independent review due to ingredient quality.
- Larger manufacturers, including Nestle and Mars Inc., were more likely to incorporate questionable ingredients and employ less transparent advertising practices across their various brands like Iams, Purina Pro Plan, and Hills Science Diet.
- Interestingly, our top 10 list for 2025 remained largely consistent with the previous year, with the addition of newer brands like Coevo, Darford Zero G, and Canadian Natural dog kibble, demonstrating sustained quality from established brands.
Top Best 10 Kibble by Manufacturing Country highlighting Canadian Brands vs USA Brands
Top Dog Kibble Formulations Featuring Superior Ingredients
The top-ranked dog food brands excelled because they were more “whole foods” or “synthetic-free” in their formulations. This translates to healthier dog food options when compared to many others on the market. The number one ranked dog food in our study was Orijen Original. The best dog food brands in Canada and the USA for 2025, based on our evaluation, are listed below.
The kibbles in our top 10, even those not entirely synthetic-free, predominantly used chelated minerals and proteinates. They were also more likely to incorporate pre- and probiotics, beneficial for digestive health.
Nulo and Bixbi Rawbble were two brands that impressed us, making it into the top 10. Both brands utilize superior pet food ingredients compared to many other kibbles. Their inclusion was further boosted by extra points for protein digestibility, a critical factor in understanding what your pet truly absorbs from their food.
Only a small fraction of the dog kibble formulations we reviewed (4 out of 91) provided public protein digestibility information. Orijen and Acana offered this data for some of their formulations.
Surprisingly, we found that four of the top 10 kibble formulations had carbohydrate levels slightly above 35%. While carbohydrates are a necessary component in kibble to bind ingredients, high levels are often indicative of cheaper fillers. Generally, we suggest avoiding kibble with more than 35% carbohydrates. The four brands that exceeded this threshold but still ranked high were Carna4 Chicken, Acana Classic Prairie Poultry with grains, Petkind Tripe Dry Single Animal Beef, and Bixbi Rawbble Liberty Dry Chicken (which had the highest carbohydrate content in the Top 10). Their other positive attributes were sufficient to place them in the top rankings.
Exploring Grain-Free and Grain-Inclusive Options in Canada
The conversation around grain-free vs. grain-inclusive dog food has been significant, particularly concerning Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Our review addresses these concerns by evaluating both types of formulations.
Best 10 Grain-Free Dog Kibble in Canada & USA
We have compiled a list of the top 10 grain-free dog kibble options available. Aligning with holistic veterinarians like Dr. Karen Becker, we acknowledge that while dogs can digest carbohydrates, grains are not a biologically optimal ingredient for them. The best grain-free dog kibble options, ranked according to our research, are presented below.
Best 10 Dog Kibble With Grains in Canada & USA
Despite our position on the biological appropriateness of grains, we recognize that some pet owners are seeking grain-inclusive foods due to ongoing concerns about DCM. Based on our research and to address this market demand, here are the top 10 grain-inclusive dog kibble brands. Examining vital grain free dog food reviews can also be helpful for those exploring specific dietary approaches.
Natural Dog Kibble Without Synthetic Ingredients
Our evaluation also focused on identifying the best natural dog kibble options free from synthetic ingredients. These formulas are based on whole foods, which the body can utilize more effectively than isolated synthetic additives. Some recalls have been linked to over-supplementation of synthetic ingredients, leading to issues like vitamin A and D toxicity. Out of the 96 kibble formulations we evaluated, only two brands—Carna4 (oven-baked) and Nature’s Logic—met this stringent standard. Both of these also ranked among the top 10 best dog kibbles overall.
Incorporating Digestibility into Dry Dog Food Quality Assessments
Digestibility is a crucial, yet often overlooked, factor in assessing the quality of dog kibble. It directly impacts how much nutrition your dog actually absorbs from their food.
Digestibility refers to the proportion of food that is absorbed and utilized by the body, as opposed to being expelled as waste. For instance, if you feed 454g of dog food and your dog produces 100g of stool, approximately 354g is digested, indicating a digestibility of about 78%. This allows you to estimate the actual amount of crude protein your dog is absorbing by multiplying the protein percentage on the label by the digestibility percentage. Therefore, if your dog produces large amounts of stool, it suggests they are not efficiently absorbing the nutrients from their food. Large stools are not necessarily indicative of healthy stools.
This information is vital because not all proteins are equally bioavailable or digestible. For example, pet manufacturers might include leather, which is high in protein, but it is not easily digestible or bioavailable. Numerous methods exist for pet manufacturers to use inferior products to artificially inflate crude protein content.
A concerning historical event was the 2007 ingredient supplier contamination of wheat gluten and rice protein with melamine to inflate crude protein amounts. See the FDA case here. In such cases, an ingredient panel might show high crude protein, but the presence of melamine, especially when combined with cyanuric acid in pet food, can be toxic and fatal to pets.
Comprehensive Review: Best Dry Dog Food Formulas in Canada & USA
We were not surprised by the high rankings of brands like Orijen, Carna4, Nature’s Logic, and Acana. While we regularly assess new pet food brands using similar criteria, this comprehensive comparison solidified their positions.
The inclusion of Bixbi Rawbble and Nulo in the top 10 was a pleasant surprise. Both brands consistently use high-quality pet food ingredients. Petkind also impressed us, as some of their previous formulations did not score as highly. The protein quality in Petkind’s current offerings was notable. However, we are not enthusiastic about ingredient splitting with legumes to boost protein content. While the FDA suspects a link between legumes and heart disease, they have not established a definitive cause. We also have concerns about peas due to observed food sensitivities in dogs. Despite these points, Petkind’s formulations appear to be superior to many others.
A side note: Mars Inc. is in the process of acquiring Orijen and Acana, brands ranked among the best kibble formulations. This means a large corporation now influences both top-tier and potentially less desirable brands in the market. To date, we haven’t observed any changes in the manufacturing processes of Orijen and Acana, suggesting Mars is exploring both market segments.
Of the top 10 brands, a majority were Canadian, with some being USA pet food brands and one new brand from New Zealand, underscoring the quality of Canadian pet food manufacturing.
Worst Kibble Frequency by Pet Food Manufacturer showing most large manufacturers
The Worst Dry Dog Food Formulations: Primarily Owned by Large Companies
Our analysis identified 24 dry dog food formulations that scored poorly due to inferior ingredient quality. This was a consistent finding, even among brands marketed as prescription diets.
From the guaranteed analysis, most of these pet food manufacturers included between 39% and 54% carbohydrates in their formulations. This high carbohydrate content, while dogs can adapt to it, is not biologically appropriate. It often signifies the use of cheaper ingredients, compensated for with synthetic additives. Carbohydrates are generally less expensive to store, package, and transport, meaning higher carbohydrate content often translates to bigger profits for manufacturers.
Vegetarian and vegan diets generally scored poorly overall, as meat is a vital component for dogs to thrive. Despite this, some vegan and vegetarian dog kibble options still outperformed certain formulations from Royal Canin, Iams, Purina, and Hills Science Diet.
Based on our review of ingredient panels, brands such as Royal Canin, Iams, Purina, and Hills Science Diet are among those you may wish to avoid.
The concentration of acrylamide, formed during the extrusion process of grains, vegetables, and potatoes, is a concern for all dog kibble, but particularly for vegetarian or vegan kibble, as dogs consume the same food daily. Acrylamides have been shown to cause cancer in animals exposed to very high doses.
Prescription diets generally scored poorly. Technically, they may contravene US federal law by being advertised as drugs, yet they are not manufactured or approved as such. The FDA often overlooks this with a compliance policy. However, prescribed canine diets are notorious for vitamin toxicity issues, such as the Vitamin D Toxicity incident in 2019. Prescribed canine diets frequently appear on recalled pet food lists.
Controversial Ingredients Commonly Found in Dry Dog Food Brands
To ensure thoroughness, we examined dog food panels for ingredients that are potential carcinogens or can damage the liver and kidneys. These include Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHT), Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), Ethoxyquin, Nitrites & Nitrates, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, and Propylene Glycol. However, it is rare to find manufacturers openly including these in their labels, as it would be detrimental to their reputation. If a kibble manufacturer’s suppliers include such ingredients, the manufacturers are not always obligated to disclose them on their labels.
Apart from Menadione, it is quite difficult to find the other controversial ingredients on dog manufacturer’s ingredient panels. Kibble brands that ranked low were more likely to have used two or three ingredients from the “Naughty Ten Pet Food Ingredients to Avoid” list.
Our Approach to Evaluating and Ranking Dry Dog Food Brands
Our study begins with publicly available information, mirroring the starting point for most pet parents. We evaluated the best dog kibble foods by:
- Selecting a diverse range of dog foods, including grain-free kibble, grain-inclusive kibble, vegetarian and vegan kibble, and prescription dog food.
- To control for protein variety, we focused primarily on chicken-based formulations for these pet foods. The kibble had to be adult or all-life-stage formulations.
- As vegetarian and vegan dog foods are marketed as alternatives to meat-based diets, we selected their basic product lines.
- We also included oven-baked dry foods, which are not technically kibble but are marketed as alternatives.
- For comparisons across dry dog food recipes, we removed moisture content from the Guaranteed Analysis and converted all values to a dry matter basis.
Note: This study does not assess whether dogs with particular health conditions would benefit from vegetarian or prescription veterinary diets. Our definition of premium dog food is simply the best, healthiest dog food.
The Role of Meat Content in Dog Kibble Ratings
We begin with the fundamental understanding that a dog is a carnivore. Their teeth are designed for tearing meat and grinding bones, and their digestive tracts are adapted for a primarily meat-based diet with a lower fermentation coefficient and more acidic stomach pH. Dogs also possess limited salivary amylase.
We acknowledge that dogs are adaptable to carbohydrates, unlike cats, making them capable of utilizing carbohydrates in kibble. Kibble production requires some carbohydrate (e.g., grains or non-grain sources like potatoes) to bind the mixture. The process of kibble production is detailed here.
Because dogs can survive on plant matter, they are often misclassified as omnivores, leading to practices like excessive carbohydrate inclusion. The crucial question should not be “what can they survive on?” but rather “what is optimal for dogs?”
Anatomy of a dog showing it is a carnivore
Therefore, we favor dog foods rich in meat protein as this is more biologically appropriate and bioavailable for dogs. The amino acid profile derived from biologically appropriate meat is the most critical factor. For further reading on pet food nutrients, explore our Ultimate Guide to choosing the best pet food.
Criteria for Assessing Quality in Dog Kibble Products
This study aims to determine the best dry dog food brands and formulations for the average dog. We prioritize the dog’s health above all other factors. Our assessment uses the following variables:
Transforming Subjective Assessments into Measurable Data
As this is a scored qualitative study, we broke down the aforementioned variables into individual components. For instance, under “Quality of Ingredients,” we assessed whether the ingredient panel included probiotics or was free from synthetic ingredients. The study assigns each of these individual variables a score of Yes (Y) or No (N) based on its importance.
For each Y or N, the study calculates average points by polling staff to score individual variables from a pet parent’s perspective. This method helps to minimize inherent biases.
Common Issues in Dog Kibble Ingredient Labeling Practices
While the ingredient panel provides a standardized list of ingredients by weight, it has limitations:
- It does not reveal the quality or sourcing of the ingredient. For example, “Chicken” indicates fresh chicken, but it doesn’t specify how fresh or if the chicken is free-range, non-medicated, or sourced domestically versus internationally.
- The ingredient panel does not indicate the exact proportion of each ingredient. While the order by weight is provided, we don’t know if “Chicken, Peas, White Rice, Pea Protein” means chicken is 20%, peas 18%, white rice 15%, and pea protein 10%.
- If this were the case, the combined percentage of pea and pea protein (28%) would make them the primary ingredients, pushing chicken further down the list due to moisture content.
- Manufacturers may “window dress” ingredients to move less desirable components like pea protein lower down the list.
Understanding Canine DCM: Grain-Free vs. Grain-Inclusive Kibble Considerations
There has been significant discussion about veterinarians advising dog owners to add grains to their pet’s diet due to concerns about canine heart disease, or food-related Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Grain in Dog Diets: Assessing Nutritional Necessity
Do dogs require grains in their dry food? The answer is unequivocally NO.
Unfortunately, some veterinarians providing this advice appear to be behind the curve and are causing unnecessary worry for pet owners. The FDA has since backtracked, stating that they are uncertain about the cause of non-hereditary DCM and that the presence or absence of grains is not a definitive reason for DCM.
A 2022 journalistic investigation revealed that “veterinarians who prompted the FDA to consider diet have financial and other ties to the leading sellers of grain-inclusive pet foods.”
Preventing Diet-Related DCM in Dogs: Best Practices for Pet Owners
- Choose a high-quality, whole-foods-based dog food and rotate your dog’s protein sources.
- Incorporate seafood into your pet’s meal once a week or supplement with omega-3 fatty acids.
Concluding Insights and Advice on Selecting Quality Dry Dog Food
Our study revealed that many dog kibble brands lauded in newspapers and some pet websites are, in fact, mediocre in terms of the ingredients they use. Brands like Taste of the Wild, Wellness Kibble, Ultra Performatrin kibble, Blue Buffalo, Go kibble, and the Fromm Gold line fell into the middle of our rankings.
Among the top 25 formulations, we found Zignature Kangaroo, Jinx, Stella & Chewy’s Raw Coated, Wild Red kibble lines, some Open Farm Dog Food Homestead, and Farmina’s N&D Prime lines.
Attached is the full list of over 52 Brands and 96 Formulations, ranked from the Overall Best Dry Dog Food Brand to the Overall Worst Dry Dog Food Brand.
Tips for Choosing the Optimal Pet Food for Your Dog’s Health
For all pet parents, we strongly recommend learning how to read an ingredient panel as the foundational step in understanding dry dog food. We hope you will join us in urging kibble manufacturers to provide more information about protein digestibility. Protein digestibility, along with the proportion of energy derived from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, offers a clearer picture of what our dogs are truly consuming.
Additionally, we recommend supplementing your dog’s kibble at least twice a week with the following to ensure optimal health:
- Wet food: Adding a small amount of high-quality wet food can increase palatability and moisture intake.
- Fruits and vegetables: Safe options like blueberries, carrots, and green beans can provide essential vitamins and antioxidants.
- Healthy fats: A sprinkle of fish oil or coconut oil can support skin and coat health.
- Lean proteins: Cooked chicken, turkey, or lean beef can be a beneficial addition.
How did your brand stack up? Are you surprised by our findings? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments below.
