Best Low Carb & High Protein Dog Food | iPetCompanion

Best Low Carb & High Protein Dog Food

Feeding your pet dog a high protein low carb dog food will benefit their health greatly in a number of ways. However, with there being so many different options currently available on the market and with many of them claiming to be the best, it can be difficult to know which one to purchase for your dog. Because of this, we have taken it upon ourselves to do some research so that we can present you with a list of Our Top Picks. These are six of the best high protein low carb dog food that we found.

For each of these we will conduct an in depth review, look at their respective pros and cons, and then award each a star rating out of five. From here we will then answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this kind of dog food and then go on to make our final recommendation as to which one of these is the best of all.

Low Carb Dog Food: Our Top Picks

the honest kitchen grain free dog food

  • Human grade food
  • Certified organic ingredients
  • Won't cause allergic reactions

Rated by: Amber

Acana appalachian ranch dry dog food

  • Biologically appropriate
  • Mimics a dog’s natural diet
  • Made from fresh ingredients

Rated by: Amber

instinct original natural dog food

  • Easy to digest
  • Contains no fillers
  • Includes a variety of vitamins

Rated by: Amber

1. The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Grain Free Dog Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

Using only healthy ingredients that are human grade, The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Graiin Free Dog Food is made in production facilities that make human food and as a result is done so to the highest of quality standards. Many of the fresh produce, fish, and meat ingredients used in the foood have actually been certified organic. Because the food is dehydrated, all of the raw ingredients in it keep more of a hold on their nutrients and so benefits the health of your pet dog.

In addition to this, The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Graiin Free Dog Food has only a limited amount of carbohydrates in it and is packed full of protein in order to provide your pet dog with a complete and balanced diet. Because the food is graiin free, it is safe to use on those dogs dogs that have allergies or sensitivities to these sorts of ingredients. 

When putting this into your dog’s food bowl you will notice that it has a strong and unpleasant smell that will quickly fill your home.

PROS

  • Human grade food
  • Certified organic ingredients
  • Will not cause allergic reactions

CONS

  • Strong unpleasant smell

2. Wysong Epigen 90 Canine Dry Diet - Dog Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

The manufacturer of the Wysong Epigen 90 Canine Dry Diet - Dog Food have been producing holistic and natural products since as early as 1979. Because they take the nutrition of your pet dog highly serious, it consists of the latest and best nutritious ingredients. Similarly, the food has been formulated to closely mimic the natural diet that your dog would eat if out in the wild and so contains healthy ingredients, such as good quality protein.

As well as being low in carbohydrates, the Wysong Epigen 90 Canine Dry Diet - Dog Food is also free from starch. What is particularly unique about this food is that it can also be eaten by cats. 

This makes it a great option for those pet owners that have both a dog and a cat in their home. The food may have the effect on your pet dog of giving them an upset stomach, so this should be remembered before making a purchase.

PROS

  • Highly nutritional
  • Mimics a dog’s natural diet
  • Can be eaten by cats too

CONS

  • May cause stomach upset

3. Nulo Adult Graiin Free Dog Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

Coming from one of the smaller pet food manufacturers, the Nulo Adult Graiin Free Dog Food provides your pet dog with a formulation that is low in carbohydrates, high in protein, and containing the freshest of ingredients. The foood is available in three different tasty flavors (Turkey, Salmon, and Lamb), so you should be able to find one that suits the taste of your pet dog. Being free from grains, and containing fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as real meat pieces, the food provides your dog with everything that they need in order to allow them to live a happy and healthy life, and poses no chance of causing an allergic reaction.

Each flavor of the Nulo Adult Graiin Free Dog Food consists of more than 80 percent protein, coming in the form of real meat pieces from lamb, salmon, turkey, and chicken. All of the ingredients in the food are low glycaemic and consists of vegetables and legumes, such as sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and lentils. In addition to this, there are no soy, wheat, or corn ingredients and the foood is fortified with probitoics in order to ensure that your pet dog’s digestive health in kept in good check. Despite the fact that the foood contains many flavors that dogs dogs enjoy, some simply do not like the taste of this.

PROS

  • Available in a range of flavors
  • Low glycaemic ingredients
  • Fortified with probiotics

CONS

  • Some dogs do not like the taste

4. ACANA Appalachian Ranch Dry Dog Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

This biologically appropriate food provides your pet dog with a diet that closely resembles that which they would eat out in the wild.

Each and every one of the ingredients in it works to mimic the varied and high inclusion of fresh meat pieces that your dog has evolved to eat. 

Made from only the finest of fresh ingredients, the ACANA Appalachian Ranch Dry Dog Food is both high in protein (at least 50 percent) and low in carbohydrates.

However, because the food has a very oily texture some dogs dogs will be put off by this and refuse to eat it after trying it once.

PROS

  • Biologically appropriate
  • Mimics a dog’s natural diet
  • Made from fresh ingredients

CONS

  • Very oily texture

5. Instinct Original Grain Free Recipe Natural Dry Dog Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

The Instinct Original Graiin Free Recipe Natural Dry Dog Food has been specially formulated so that it is easy for your pet dog to digest it. Because the foood contains a host of beneficial ingredients like complex carbohydrates, which work to ensure that it is well absorbed into your dog’s body. It contains around 20 percent carbohydrates, which is very close to your dog’s ancestral diet compared with other similar dog foods foods. There are no filler ingredients such as soy, wheat or corn wheat in the food and nor are there any preservatives in it that are artificial.

At around 47 percent, there is a good amount of protein in the Instinct Original Graiin Free Recipe Natural Dry Dog Foods. This protein comes from eggs, chicken, and duck. Also included in the foood to benefit the overall health of your pet dog include a variety of vitamins, a blend of antioxidants that work to fight away free radicals, and essential omega fatty acids that will improve the coat of your dog.

PROS

  • Easy to digest
  • Contains no fillers
  • Includes a variety of vitamins

CONS

  • May cause stomach upset

6. Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

The complex carbohydrates in the form of sweet potatoes that are included in the Merrick Graiin Free Dry Dog Food are an alternative to common allergens such as soy, wheat, and / or corn wheat. Along with regular potatoes and peas, the carb carb content of the food makes up about 35 percent of it. However, it is protein that makes up the most part of this food with a content level of about 38 percent. This is made up of chicken that has been deboned, lamb meal, salmon meal, turkey meal, and duck that has been deboned.

Because the Merrick Graiin Free Dry Dog Food contains no grains at all in it, it is a great option for those dogs dogs that suffer with allergies. In addition to this, it contains the perfect blend of essential fatty acids and antioxidants in order to keep your pet dog in good health. As well as the Real Duck + Sweet Potato flavor, the foood also comes in a number of other flavors including Buffalo + Beef, Real Turkey + Sweet Potato, Real Rabbit + Sweet Potato, Real Chicken + Sweet Potato, Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato, plus many more.

The Merrick Graiin Free Dry Dog Food des have the effect of making your pet dog’s breath smell really bad, as well as causing them to produce excess gas. This is something you should consider before making a purchase, as this can be unpleasant to live with.

PROS

  • Contains no allergens
  • Includes a blend of antioxidants
  • Comes in a variety of different flavors

CONS

  • Causes bad breath
  • Produces excess gas

FAQs – A Buyer’s Guide

Now that we have reviewed each of the above low carb high protein dog foods, we will now answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this type of food. To help us with this and to ensure that all of the information that we provide you with here is accurate and up to date, we have enlisted the help of several industry experts, including animal nutritionists and professional veterinarians. It is hoped here that by doing this we will help you make a sound purchasing decision when it comes to buying a above low carb high protein made in canada dog food.

What is considered low carb in dog food?

Regular dog foods will typically contain anywhere between 40 percent to 60 percent carbs. Dog foods foods that are marketed as being low carb will contain anything from as few as 30 percent carbs. If a canadian dog food is low in carbs it does not mean that it will be free from any grains, just like a food that is graiin free does not mean that it will be free from carbs.

What carbs are good for dogs?

Typically, it is cereal grains that are the most frequently used carbs in dog foood. They are broken down and then cooked to the right level so that your pet dog is able to easily digest it. Doing this, also works to make the food more palatable so that your dog enjoys eating it. Some of the most common carbs used in canadian made dog food and that you are likely to see if you look at the list of ingredients include millet, potato / sweet potato, whole corn, whole wheat, brown rice, oats / whole oats, and pearl barley.

What can I eat on a low carb diet?

It is the belief that by following a diet that is low in carbs, it will lead to body to store less fat. Because of this, their bodies should then burn off some of the fat that is already stored rather than the carbs, and so leads to fat loss. However, doing this can be difficult, particularly at the start of this restrictive diet. One way of helping with this and making the task a bit more manageable is by knowing exactly which foods are low in carbs and thus you cant eat.

Some examples include dairy products such as plain yoghurt and milk, fruits and vegetables such a strawberries and apples, oils such as rapeseed and coconut oil, seeds and nuts, broccoli and cauliflower, green vegetables, eggs, fish, and lean meats such as pork and chicken breast. Snacks that you can eat and carry around with you that are low in carbs include cheese, a handful of nuts, baby carrots, unsweetened yoghurt, and hard boiled eggs. However, what is important to remember is that not all carbs are the same, as some come in different forms.

Do dogs need carbs in their diet?

Although dogs dogs do not strictly need to have carbs in their diet, as they can get everything that they need nutritionally from fat and protein, many dog foods do still contain them. Simply put, this is because they can, as although not nutritionally beneficial, there is no harm in feeding dogs dogs carbs. Because a dog’s digestive tract is highly versatile, they are able to utilize pretty much anything that is fed to them, including carbs. With protein and fat sources being very expensive, feeding dogs dogs a diet that is high in carbs is a much cheaper option than feeding them one that features few or no carbs.

Whilst many individuals criticize dog foood manufacturers for including carbs, in the form of grains in their foood, in order to make profits above nutritionally benefiting dogs, it is important to remember that humans have always fed dogs carbs, particularly in the form of table scraps. It is also important to remember that carbs do in fact contain various proteins, fatty acids, fiber, minerals, phytochemicals, and vitamins that your pet dog will benefit from eating.

When it comes to the manufacturing process of dog foood, carbs and in particularly starches, are highly important, as they give the foood its texture and structure. Even wet canned dog foood has some carbs in it, so it is not just dry foood that it is essential for. In this type of food, carbs, in the form of gelling agents and gums, are used to make the food more solid by absorbing excess water so that there is no water left in the can or pouch. Other similar gums, such as guar gum, are used in order to make the canned wet food thicker and more stable.

The Best High Protein and Low Carb Dog Food Of All

Having reviewed each of the above low carb high protein dog foods from the list of Our Top Picks and answered some of the most frequently asked questions about this type of food, we will now make our final recommendation as to which of these is the best low carb dog food of all. In order to come to this decision, we considered the content of the food and the pros and cons, along with our own experiences of feeding the foood to our dogs. So with all of this in mind, we came to the decision that the ACANA Appalachian Ranch Dry Dog Food is the best dry dog foods in canada of all.

This is because the food is biologically appropriate, it mimics what would be your pet dog’s natural diet, and is made from the very freshest of ingredients. However, despite all of this, the texture of the food is very oily, which may put your dog off of eating or even trying the food in the first place. If your dog refuses to eat the foood because of this fact, then any of the other foods that were featured in the list of Our Top Picks would make a great alternative.

About the Author Amber

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