A controlled, nutritious, well balanced diet can extend a dog’s life by years. While any vet will tell you that each dog is different, each breed is different, and every dog has different individual nutritional needs, there are certain commonalities (high protein, lean ingredients, glucosamine for healthy joints, etc.) that help veterinarians recommend certain nutritious dog foods. A study by Purina in 1987 showed that leaner cuisine and a set caloric intake can extend a dog’s lifespan by 15% and can help push back the onset of osteoarthritis by three years or more, so what your dog eats and how much of it he or she eats is extremely important.
This study identifies two brands of vet recommended dog food based on a general consensus of veterinary opinions culled from various websites, blogs, and a short phone survey. The study utilizes and compares important dietary values identified by many veterinarians when recommending a nutritious dog food. If your dog needs extra special dog food due to allergies, please visit our article about hypoallergenic dog food.
Vet Recommended Dog Food – Best Dog Foods Recommended by Vets
#1 Pick For Best Vet Recommended Dog Food – Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Dry Dog Food
• Important Ingredients: The most important ingredient used to make Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Dry Dog Food (See it here.) is real chicken to help build lean muscles. The formula is scientifically balanced and includes whole oats and other whole grains to help with digestion. Also, real fruits and vegetables, such as apples, broccoli, cranberries and peas, are used as well.
• Nutritional Value: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Dry Dog Food is filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and nutrients. The balanced formula includes Omega 6 acids and vitamin E (healthy skin and coat), an antioxidant blend with vitamins C and E (strengthens your dog’s immune system) plus Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D3 supplements, a number of healthy minerals and Beta-Carotene.
• Fat & Protein: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Dry Dog Food has a healthy protein content of 24.5% and a fat content of 15%, which is considered to be lean but provides enough essential fats to be healthy.
• Additives: This food contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives but does use vitamin and mineral supplements for balance.
• Vets Take: Hill scientifically develops healthy, balanced meals. The company develops its recipes with the input of staff consisting of over 200 vets, food scientists, technicians and certified nutritionists. Hill also claims right on the bag that this food is the number choice by vets for feeding their own pets, based on an annual veterinarian survey you can verify on their website.
• Benefits: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Dry Dog Food maintains a healthy coat, provides a lean, balanced diet, supports your dog’s immune system, and is easy to digest. Hill states that you will see a noticeable difference in our dog’s coat within 30 days, and also offers a 100% money back guarantee for any dissatisfaction.
• Reputation: Hill is a highly reputable company that receives generally overwhelmingly favorable reviews. The company is U.S. based and all food is made in the United States.
• Cost: A 38.5 pound bag costs $79.97, or $2.07 per pound. Cost is not a health factor, but can be a purchasing factor.
Runner Up For Vet Recommended Dog Food – Orijen Original Dry Dog Food
• Important Ingredients: Orijen Original Dry Dog Food (See it here.) is a biologically designed no grain dog food. It is made up of only regionally sourced fresh and dehydrated ingredients including: deboned chicken, deboned turkey, Flounder, eggs, Atlantic mackerel, peas, navy beans, lentils zucchini, spinach, and other fresh vegetables, and fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, apples and pears. This nutritious dog food is comprised of 85% poultry, fish and eggs and 15% fruits and vegetables.
• Nutritional Value: This nutritious dog food is one of the highest vet recommended dog foods because of its great dietary value. Made of fresh and dehydrated poultry, fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables, it is filled with many needed natural vitamins and minerals, and also boats Omega 3 and Omega 6 acids for a healthy skin and coat and Glucosamine and Chondroitin for healthy joints.
• Fat & Protein: Thanks to all of the fresh fish, poultry and whole eggs, Orijen Original Dry Dog Food boasts an extremely healthy 18% protein rate. The 18% fat is made of natural essential fats and as there is no grain (or potatoes), so the food has only 19% carbohydrates, which helps in regards to maintaining a healthy body weight.
• Additives: The only added supplement listed as an ingredient of Orijen Original Dry Dog Food is zinc. Zinc is important for skin and hair, and a zinc deficiency can even lead to hair loss.
• Vets Take: This food is considered to be human grade food as the company takes such care to use and source local and regional fresh and dehydrated natural ingredients. The company uses a natural philosophy that animals survive in the wild on fresh meats and foods. Therefore they use cartilage and whole fish, in many cases, to supply natural vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins. Even the Glucosamine and Chondroitin in Orijen Original Dry Dog Food, for example, is procured from natural sources and not supplements.
• Benefits: Orijen actually sources the fresh ingredients that it uses for all of its pet food to the region it was procured from. You can view this information on their website. They also claim to have won the most awards of any dog food on the mark. They do post all of their awards on a page on their website so that anyone can review them.
• Reputation: Champion (the parent company of Orijen) is an extremely respected Canadian company that develops human grade food for pets, and only produces food in the United States and Canada. All ingredients are regionally sourced and traceable.
• Cost: At $26.97 for a 4.5 pound back of original food, this nutritious dog food rings in at $5.99 per pound. But it does use only sourced, fresh ingredients.
Means Used to Determine the Best Vet Recommended Dog Foods
1. Data Collection – The research used to determine the best vet recommended dog foods in this study examined a number of important factors. These factors were based on accepted nutritional value standards, Association of American Feed Control Officials standards, and veterinary input and feedback.
All of the data collected from veterinary websites and organizations were qualified as representing the views and input of veterinarians directly. Much of the input and data was collected from the Internet, from websites, from blogs and from informational articles.
A short, small phone survey was also taken from a handful of veterinarians and animal shelters in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The feedback given based on the questions in the survey was also used as a determinant for qualifying the nutritious dog foods analyzed in this study.
All combined this collected data gave a comprehensive view of the things that most vets look for in a nutritious dog food, and while there was no consensus for one specific brand, these two were named or identified more than any other in all of the research and feedback gathered.
2. American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Ranking – All nutritious dog foods that were even considered to be included as the best of vet recommended dog foods first had to meet all important quality standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
The nutritious dog food brands reviewed here all meet the standards of AAFCO complete and balanced dog foods, to be specific. According to AAFCO standards, a complete meal possesses all of the important nutrients that dogs need depending on their age and stage of life, while a balanced meal means that these important nutrients are proportional in the food and therefore healthy.
Questions Asked on Phone Survey About Vet Recommended Dog Food & General Feedback
1. What commonalities do you look for in a nutritious dog food and why are they important?
2. What are the top three nutritious dog foods that you recommend?
3. What should a pet owner look for in a dog food?
4. How important is a lean diet for a dog?
5. How important is fat and how much fat is healthy in a dog’s diet?
6. What are the top 3 most important nutritional values in a nutritious dog food?
The most common feedback to the questions asked in the survey revolved around providing a balanced, healthy, nutritious diet to dogs, including fresh foods and an ample supply of protein.
Fat content was considered important but not the most important factor, as dogs need some essential natural fats as part of a healthy diet.
Protein was also considered to be extremely important to promote strong, healthy bones and teeth. While there were a number of foods found to be recommended by vets, Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Dry Dog Food and Orijen Original Dry Dog Food were the most named, or most vet recommended dog foods, when combining the Internet, all research and the feedback from the survey.
Most feedback also pointed out the fact that there is more to a healthy diet for dogs than simply finding the most nutritious dog food on the market.
While a nutritious dog food is extremely important, things like exercise, monitoring daily caloric intake, and even how many times a day your dog eats (based on the stage of their life) is always important.
Obesity can occur even with the most vet recommended dog food you can find if your dog eats too much of it or does not get enough exercise, for example.
Arthritis is an issue many older dogs face, even those at a healthy weight who eat a nutritious diet. Diets must be adjusted as dogs age and as they go through various stages of their lives. A puppy, for example, should eat 5-6 small meals a day as they grow extremely rapidly and burn a lot of energy, whereas an older dog might only need to eat once or twice a day.
Also, every dog is unique. Some dogs have food allergies or special dietary needs. It is always important to consult with your own vet when it comes to your dog’s health, and this includes nutritional needs and nutritional value.
This mixed-method study offers data and analyzation of feedback and input from vets for easy reference to nutritious dog food brands that many veterinarians, at least, recommend for reasons explained throughout this research.
