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To ensure your dog lives a long, healthy life, you need to make sure that his body weight stays within the proper range. This is especially true for large breed dogs, who are extremely susceptible to weight gain.
This will often require you to look for a low fat food to reduce his caloric intake. We’ll try to help you do this below, by reviewing five great low fat dog foods for large breed dogs. Just be sure to compare the options presented carefully, so you can select the best product for your pet.
Use Care When Selecting a Low Fat Dog Food
You don’t want to run out and buy the first low fat dog food you see. Rather, you’ll want to make sure you select a high-quality food that meets your dog’s specific needs.
It is always important to consider your dog’s age, breed, growth rate and feeding schedule when trying to select a low fat food. It’s also important to consider any health problems or special needs that he may have when making your selection.
In fact, you should always consult your veterinarian when trying to help your dog lose weight, or anytime you make a substantive change to his food or feeding schedule.
Additionally, you’ll want to look for a few important characteristics when selecting a new food:
- High-quality dog foods should feature a whole protein at the beginning of the ingredient list.
- High-quality dog foods do not contain artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
- High-quality dog foods are usually made in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Western Europe.
- High-quality dog foods are usually rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
- High-quality dog foods are usually full of antioxidant-rich ingredients, including brightly colored fruits and vegetables.
Reasons Why a Large Dog May Need Low Fat Dog Food
Dogs can require low fat foods for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common include:
- Obesity
- A sensitive digestive system
- Food allergies
- Pancreatitis
- Veterinary recommendations based on other ailments
5 Best Low Fat Dog Foods for Large Breed Dogs
Annamaet Grain-Free Dog Food is a holistic, US-made dog food that features chicken, duck and herring. It is specifically designed to help your dog lose weight in a healthy, controlled manner.
Rating: 4.8
Price: $$$$
Pros:
- Designed specifically for overweight dogs
- Great for large breed dogs, puppies and adult dogs with conditions such as pancreatitis
- Made in the USA
- Grain free
- Naturally preserved
- Made with meat such as duck, chicken, and herring
Cons:
View Price on Amazon
Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe is a nutritious and delicious dog food that seeks to provide your dog with an evolutionarily appropriate diet. Made with a number of nutritious meats, fruits and vegetables, this grain-free food is a great choice for many large-breed dogs.
Rating: 4.6
Price: $$$
Pros:
- Formulated specifically for large breed dogs
- Grain free
- Made in the USA
- Contains high-quality ingredients
- Made with meat such as beef, chicken, and turkey
- Formulated with glucosamine and chondroitin
Cons:
- Fairly expensive
- Comes in only 22 lbs. bag
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Solid Gold Dog Foods is a holistic diet, specifically designed for large- and medium-sized dogs. Made with responsibly sourced bison meat, this food is sure to provide your dog with all of the protein he needs, while reducing the amount of fat in his diet.
Rating: 4.6
Price: $$$
Pros:
- Formulated specifically for large dogs
- High-quality ingredients
- Comes with recommended serving sizes listed
- Made in the USA
- No corn, wheat or soy which are common allergens for dogs as well as potato free
Cons:
- Not grain free (other types of grain are used)
- Fairly expensive
View Price on Amazon
This Solid Gold recipe is also made with holistic and nutritious ingredients, but it is designed to help your dog lose even more weight than the previously reviewed recipe. This recipe features Alaskan Pollock, which is a great lean protein for dogs.
Rating: 4.6
Price: $$$
Pros:
- Holistic weight control food formula that is ideal for adult dogs of all sizes
- Made with real meat such as pollock, turkey, and chicken
- High-quality ingredients
- Comes with recommended serving sizes listed
- Made in the USA
- No corn, wheat or soy which are common allergens for dogs as well as potato free
Cons:
- Fairly expensive
- Is not grain free (other types of grain are used)
View Price on Amazon
Wellness Complete Health is a high-quality dog food that is packed with a number of different nutritious ingredients your dog will love. Made with deboned chicken and brown rice, this recipe should help your dog lose weight without suffering from reduced energy.
Rating: 4.4
Price: $$$
Pros:
- Complete food formula for a large dog’s diet
- Made in the USA
- High-quality ingredients
- Made with real meat such as chicken, whitefish, and salmon
- Has strict sourcing of where ingredients are from so as to provide quality food for your pet
- No corn, wheat or soy which are common allergens for dogs
Cons:
- Fairly expensive
- Is not grain free (uses other grains)
View Price on Amazon
An Alternative Approach (Making Your Own Dog Food)
If you ever feel like the dried food or wet food varieties aren’t giving your loving pup enough nutrition or even the right nutrition, you can make your own pet food instead. This allows more control over what your pet is really getting in their food nutrition wise, and permits you more liberty in excluding anything that is causing health issues for your pet.
If you ever feel like the dried food or wet food varieties aren’t giving your loving pup enough nutrition or even the right nutrition, there is always the raw food diets and making your own pet food; this allows more control over what your pet is really getting in their food nutrition wise, and permits you more liberty in excluding anything that is causing health issues for your pet.
There are many recipe guides and books to steer you in the right direction of making your own homemade dog food. These guides include The Healthy Homemade Dog Food Cookbook, Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs, or Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats.
All of these books and guides offer a wide selection of tips, tasty recipes, and other important nutritional information regarding your dog’s health needs
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Although good dog foods are often more expensive than low-quality foods, they are safer and more nutritious than economy-priced foods, and they’ll usually taste better too. However, it is hard to put a dollar value on your pet’s health and well-being.
All five of the foods listed above are high-quality products, which should serve your dog well. If your dog needs to lose weight, any of the five listed above are good options. Nevertheless, we’d consider Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Dry Adult Dog Food the best option of the five.
