Best Dry Grain Free Dog Foods

The following is a list of our best dog food brands… each known to include at least one dry grain free dog food.

To qualify, each dry kibble must have been rated four or five stars by the Advisor.

And of course, it must be grain free.

If you know of a dry grain free dog food you feel should have been included on this list, please feel free to share your suggestions in the Comments section below.

Or if you’re searching for some suggestions yourself, remember to browse our readers’ Comments below to get some more ideas.

For more information about grain free dog food, be sure to check out these links…

Best Dry Grain Free Dog Foods

The following is a list of our top-rated dry dog food brands. Each line has been shown to contain at least one grain free dog food.

Pattyvaughn

Here is a link with info and a list of foods that appropriate for large breed dogs. As long as the kibble size isn’t too large you can feed the same to your Frenchie.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/
Cynthia

Hello everyone!

I currently have a 10 week old yellow lab and an 8 week old french bulldog. My vet recommended that I switch both of them to grain-free dry food and mix it a little with wet food.

Any recommendations for these two breeds?

Thanks!
Cindy

Golden, I sooooo agree with & second Kimberly’s response above.

Also tremendously helpful is swimming, as it builds muscle weightlessly to support the joints, while not placing stress or pressure on the joints. One of our purebred GSDs lived until 15 yrs 8 months with this type of lifestyle. Good genes (ethical breeding) + good food + healthful care/supportive exercise and mental stimulation . . . plus, of course, lots of love . . . can make the difference.

Food & supplement anti-inflammatories (additional to glucosamine): bromelain ( from pineapple), papain (from papaya), ginger, Omega 3 rich food & oil, garlic, curcumin (from turmeric), yucca are all potent anti-inflammatories; also copper at 1 mg a day & (natural) Vit E at 400+ IU a day. Many common foods/spices have mild analgesic properties, such as cinnamon, and are inexpensive & easy to add.
Cindy

I think that Timberwolf’s Platinum formulas may have been inadvertently left off this list.

All are grain-free, and the representative sample reviewed on this site was awarded 5 stars.

I absolutely LOVE this line of foods, have fed Timberwolf for many years to my GSD “hard keeper” working dog (& beloved companion), and am beyond thrilled that Mark (the owner) is now offering both a full line of high protein/lowcarb (+ grain-free) “Platinum” formulas as well as keeping the moderate protein “Classic” formulas. (The Classic formulas are still very high quality at a lower price point, and some dogs may do better either the Platinum or Classic lines.). I cannot recommend the foods & company highly enough. I believe in rotating their foods.

At the same time, I swear by feeding plentiful fresh whole homemade foods in the diet, just as Timberwolf also recommends (honestly).
http://www.facebook.com/kimberly.caissie Kimberly Dawn Caissie

for Golden, I was told by my vet to give my German Sheppard one pill of glucosamine a day……just like what humans take. Give it to the dog in a piece of cheese or a snack.
Ginny

My sheltie puppy is doing well on Fromm Puppy.
Golden

Any suggestions for a 10 year golden retriever who is beginning to shows signs of hip issues?
Happy Dogs of New England

Our rescue, http://www.HappyDogsUSA.org uses Diamond Naturals Grain-free and our dogs thrive on it. We specifically use the beef and sweet potato. They have amazing coats, eat less and therefore, less messes. Our dogs love it, too!
melllymel

Great Life is the best ever!
apotropoxy

Thank you to all!
Michele

Thanks! I’ll check those out and talk to my vet. I’m so afraid of what the food and the steroids are doing to my girl…
Shawna

I hope it is helpful once you start researching. Here’s a couple of my fave articles on lectins.

This one is a primer on lectins (no indepth info)

“Lectins are problematic because they are sticky molecules that can bind to the linings of human tissue, especially intestinal cells. In so doing, they disable cells in the GI tract, keeping them from repairing and rebuilding.1 Therefore, lectins can contribute to eroding your intestinal barrier (leaky gut).

If you have any lectin-related health issues like arthritis, allergies or autoimmune disease, our experience shows it is very helpful to reduce your intake of lectins, especially from wheat. It’s also very important to balance immunity by working on stress management and gut health.” http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2009/07/lectins-a-little-known-trouble-maker/

This one goes into way more detail. http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

And this site is owned by vet Dr. John Symes (aka Dogtor J). http://dogtorj.com/lectins-the-missing-links/
Pattyvaughn

NutriSource has a couple of grain frees that are easy to transition to and have a reasonable price.
apotropoxy

Any ideas on a good grain free dry food for a 10 year old, 50 lb. sweetheart?
Pattyvaughn

Good luck.
Michele

Thanks, I think it’s worth a shot. Everything I try, I make sure to go slower than a snail sliding backwards, but it all seems to backfire. But I will try this food. I have read their website and it seems worth try. At this point I’ll try anything that doesn’t seem harmful!
Michele

Shawna this is VERY interesting information, thank you very much. I will do some research on lectin. No, nobody has brought this up but it seems to fit from what you say.

I have tried to find a holistic vet but unfortunately in my area there just aren’t any. I keep looking, asking, doing internet research but the closest one is three hours away. This is a problem for me but I may try to get her there somehow anyway.

I appreciate everyone’s answers, thank you.
Storm’s Mom

NutriSource, hands down. I’ve fed both.. NutriSource is part of my rotation, TOTW is not. My guy just did sooooooooo much better on NutriSource.
sandy

I’d go with Nutrisource also! I use it on my fosters and all do well. I’ve give them the Lamb and the Heartland Select formulas.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

Nutri Source… it’s a great, budget friendly food that’s readily available most places and a much better track record than TOTW, which is made by Diamond.
Pattyvaughn

NutriSource!!
Trish

Taste of the Wild or NutriSource?
Shawna

Oh my goodness!!!! You’ve been through the ringer with her!!!

Has anyone ever mentioned “lectins” to you? Lectins are a “glycoprotein” in certain foods that, with long term feeding, can cause gut symptoms including leaky gut. There are lectins in MANY foods and different people/pets are affected by different lectins. My husband reacts to pinto bean lectins. I react to dairy lectins. My dog reactins to the lectins in gluten grains. I have a friend whose dog reacts to green bean lectins. And I know two now who react to pea lectins.

My Guess is that Annie was initially reacting to a lectin in whatever food she was eating. In additon to lectins causing leaky gut they can also cause arthritis.. A young dog with arthritis — I would personally suspect lectins.

Once the gut leaks proteins from other foods pass through the gaps in the digestive tract and into the blood stream. The immune system can freak out over this and an allergy is created. Now not only is the lectin food an issue but any undigested food protein that gets through. This happened to my dog. Barley caused the leaky gut and then she became allergic to three more foods — the foods that she ate the most often.

In all honesty, at this point I think you will need a lot more support than a few supplements and a different food .. Her immune system over stimulation needs to be addressed as well as weaning her off the prednisone. You have to identify what the allergens/intolerances are (and due to the leaky gut there could be MANY).

I think your best bet would be to see a really good holistic vet.. They can help address the emotional as well as physical aspects of her illness… It took 9 years to get her to this point, it’s going to take a LONG time to get her well and she will experience symptoms while healing (referred to as a healing episode or cleansing crisis) that will make you think she is back sliding when in fact she is getting better and her liver is able to clear more histamine etc out of her system.
Praying for you both!!!!!
Crazy4cats

Hi Patty-
That link brings you to the organic chicken formula. There is actually a grain free variety too. Not sure if it is new or not. I was wondering about it too. Pretty reasonable for grain free. I just posted a comment about it under the by nature link asking if anyone has tried it.
Guest

Sorry to read this unfortunate and probably for most parts, unique situation with your dog. If your dog tried other “holistic” type foods, and given everything you explained, I personally, highly doubt that Brothers dry food is going to make any difference.

This may sound harsh, but the equivalent of your dog in the wild would simply not survive, as per Natural Selection. I personally, would not give up hope and keep searching for a solution. As a staunch raw advocate, I almost always advise transitioning dogs back to what nature intended. But in your dog’s case, it seems that would be ill-advisable.
Pattyvaughn

My 14 month old pup had many of those same issues from the time I got him at 8 weeks old until he was close to 6 months old. Fortunately, I happened to read the right thing at the right time from someone else whose dog was having the same issues but was getting better. I switched to Brothers Complete Allergy formula and some raw and within 2 1/2 months I had a new dog and I haven’t looked back since. I don’t know if the damage is already done with your dog, but you might want to consider getting some samples and adding just a few pieces to her food, and then a few more, you know, a rrreeeaaalllyyy slow transition and see if this is the answer you’ve been looking for.
Michele

Oops I see that Seacure is the supplement that I tried from Dr. Becker, plus one other. Oh well… I thought maybe it was an HA dog food. Thanks though!
Michele

Thank you ALL of you for your responses. I am going to try to simplify what has happened throughout her life and what I’ve tried. Here goes!

Vet diagnoses “sensitive stomach” at age 8 months. Annie still able to eat anything (including a plastic bottle that she found waaaaaay under a porch).

Age One: Occasional bouts of tummy ache/soft stool. Still ate anything that I fed her (quality foods).

Age Two-Five: Many bouts of the above, plus arthritis and arthralgias caused (IMO) by vaccination, which I no longer do other than Rabies. Some vomiting.

Age Six: Severe stomach aches. Lots of trips to vets (many different opinions). Several bouts of pancreatitis. Diagnosis of leaky gut syndrome. On and off of steroids.

Age Six (again): Consultation with professional nutritionist. Annie switched to Wellness (rotated proteins within the brand) with fantastic results. Annie happier and healthier than I’d ever seen her.

Age Seven: Back down again. Got to the point where she almost died. Put on Purina HA with excellent results. Diagnosed with leaky gut syndrome.

Age Eight: We moved. Annie missed my parents and didn’t like the new place. Her symptoms got worse and she was put on antacids, steroids etc. long-term.

Age Nine: Started trying every supplement out there, including Dr. Becker’s enzymes. Annie’s reaction to all of these was either vomiting, diarrhea, or both, plus depression. Started experimenting with foods to see if there was ANYTHING out there that she could eat so that I could take her off the HA and start trying to build a homemade diet for her (under the guidance of her nutritionist). Fail. Annie couldn’t eat anything other than the HA.

And that’s where we stand. She has been to at least six vets, maybe more, I lost track. She has been evaluated at a fancy clinic. She has/had a nutritionist. I tried different feeding positions. I tried banging my head on the wall and begging the food gods. What do you do with a dog that can’t eat ANYTHING? I love her so much and feel like the Purina is going to cause an early death. Plus the long-term steroids are causing problems now.

The question about why, if the HA works, does she still need to be on meds, well, after I moved, she just fell apart and needed extra help. It’s been two years but I’ve been unable to take her off any of them.

If I can locate the Seacure I will definitely give it a shot!

Thank you again everyone!
Guest

One other thing, I’m wondering if a specific veterinary pro-biotic called Protexin could help. I couldn’t tell you much about it, other than that a Dr. Bruce Syme recommends in a lot of cases. Any way, I’m off to bed as I’m on the other side of the world. I sincerely wish you good luck in finding a helpful resolution for your poor beloved pooch.
Shawna

What a nightmare for you both!!!!!

What happens, what symptoms, when she can’t tolerate something?

There is nothing special about Purina HA (ingredient list wise at least) except the protein, soy–eeeek, has been hydrolyzed. Meaning it has been broken down into amino acids so the digestive tract doesn’t have to do it.

Seacure is another hydrolyzed protein, made from white fish, that has had amazing results at repairing the digestive tract and getting quality protein into very ill pups and people. Whole Dog Journal has a great article on it called “Securing Seacure”. I used it several years back for my dog with colitis. She is intolerant of chicken.

Aloe and slippery elm are other products that help coat and help in the healing process of the digestive tract. Chlorella and/or spirulina are two more products worth researching. Spirulina is an excellent source of highly available/digestible protein. And the chlorphyll in both products help remove toxins etc from the digestive tract.

Have you ever got a second opinion with her?

Have you tried JUST enzymes with no other fiber etc? Maybe it is the fiber she is reacting to not the enzymes. Or the yeast plant based enzymes are grown on? Enzymes should be made by the body so it seems odd to be intolerant of them. Also try differing kinds. Papain in papaya, bromelain in pineapple etc. Dr. Becker has a primarily animal based enzyme that may be worth trying?

Have you tried giving her a homemade diet short term — like turkey and sweet potato or pumpkin? One of the posters here has a pup that reacts to peas. Peas are in most kibbles so it would be hard to get away from if not trying to. Egg can be another culprit.

If the Purina HA is working why does she have to be on the meds? Are there additional complications?

Have you ever considered working with a nutritionist? Monica Segal, Lew Olsen, Mary Straus, Kymythy Schultz are all ones that might be able to help formulate a homemade or partially homemade diet.

Hope something I posted is helpful to you!!!!!
Guest

Wow, your dog’s I’m guessing is very rare. It’s as as almost her stomach and digestive system is not of the canine world. I wonder if your dog has had 3 years of Purina HA customisation and hence almost irreversible damage. Added enzymes and probiotics and even prebiotics is so advisable for such problems and extremely healthy for the digestion and good stomach and intestinal flora. I personally think that your dog’s problem will not be an overnight fix. I think that you still should add rich organic yoghurt or kefir and raw eggs, and add it to the Purina HA because to Purina’s delight your dog’s system is unfortunately so used to it now, that that could be part of the problem of the system rejecting proactive natural help.

You really need the expertise of an experienced holistic thinking vet. I could pull out my book by Dr. Barbara Fougere and see if she has a suggestion for such a problem. Or maybe in this case literature from Dr. Richard Pitcairn may assist despite his more vegetarian approach which contradicts a normal dog’s carnivorous dietary needs. Maybe you could check out the Mercola website to see if Dr. Karen Becker has some articles regarding your dog’s case, since she is big on the avenue of online conveying of her holistic message to pet owners and that she is in your neck of the regional woods figuratively speaking.
Michele

Nothing. I’ve tried all kinds of natural yogurt, kekir, etc. Feeding her on the ground I haven’t tried, but I hesitate because I live in a rental on a golf course and there is nothing but toxic chemicals on this ground. She can’t tolerate digestive enzymes. I bought a product called Phytomucil because I had seen reviews from people with dogs on HA foods, and their dogs got better on this supplement… well, my dog can’t tolerate this one, either! It well may be hopeless but I thought I’d try you guys. Thanks for your response!
Pattyvaughn

Can she tolerate a small amount of yogurt? Or kefir or some fermented goat milk something? Those are natural sources of probiotics. Also, feeding her some food outside on the ground would get a small amount of soil based organisms. Go slow and try to build up her tolerance. Have you ever tried digestive enzymes for her. She may not produce enough of her own.
Michele

There seem to be so many wonderfully knowledgeable people here so I’m posting this and asking for help. I have a 10 year old Carolina Dog who has had a sensitive stomach all her life and got to the point where she almost died. The vet has her on Purina HA (yeah, i know) which she has been on for at least three years. I know what a bad food this is, but every time I try to introduce something new into her diet she starts eating grass like a horse and gets reflux and a tummy ache. She can tolerate a small amount of mozzarella cheese here and there for her pills, plus a TB of Wellness 95% chicken in her food to encourage her to eat it. She is on prednisone, zantac and diazapam. She can not tolerate any supplement, probiotic, or anything that supposedly will help her overcome this problem. Have any of you ever had a dog like this? Thanks for any thoughts.
leowong

You might want to look into Nature’s Logic http://www.natureslogic.com/ingredients/
Guest

I think almost everything comes from China nowadays. No firm has much of a choice. China pretty much owns most countries in their back pockets figuratively speaking. I think most of the latter half of the ingredients list for probably any reasonably affordable processed pet food, comes from China.

The good news is, you can do something about it. To ensure that the food you buy doesn’t have ingredients that comes from China, you can pay a visit to your local butchers store, meat market, supermarket, fruit market and fish market and buy raw meaty bones, offal, whole fresh fish, and fruits. Then, the only affiliation that doing such, might have with China, is that such businesses may owe money to their banks/bank lenders, who in turn owe money to China. But at least, your dogs and cats will be a whole lot healthier. I believe mine are.

And remember, a raw meaty bone a day, helps keep the vet away!
Kerry

Why in the world would you want to feed a dog a vegan diet? Humans are omnivores and can live a relatively healthy life on a plant only diet but dogs and cats are carnivores and need animal protein and the essential amino acids that are only provided by animal protein if they are going to be healthy. To force a vegan diet on an animal that is designed by nature to eat other animals is like forcing a vegetarian animal like a horse or cow to eat a meat only diet. Highly unhealthy. Feed the dog a high quality meat based food and it will be much much healthier.
Pattyvaughn

If you post the ingredients list and the guaranteed analysis or a link to their website, someone or other will pop in and comment on it.
Nevermind, here is a link
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/by-nature-organics-dry/
http://www.facebook.com/pam.goodine.9 Pam Goodine

I have a puppy and I was thinking of trying by nature organics grain free for him but its not on the list, so now I am unsure
Julie

My 3 year old dog (terrier, beagle mix) was just diagnosed with cancer. Any suggestions of good grain free dogs food for this?
Michele

Did you ever solve this mystery? “Now Fresh” is a great food. The cough could be due to something else and just be a coincidence. Are the three that coughed all the same breed and different from the other dogs? Just curious!
http://www.facebook.com/sheryledwardsblanford3 Sheryl Edwards Blanford

I also have 3 large dogs from 75-95 and my fosters are always about 40 lbs and sick. My 3 have allergies to grain and my fosters always respond better to grain free with their issues. I also work at a pet store and have done some research on my own…My gang ( 3 cats included ) are all on grain free. I love Taste of the Wild and it has helped all of mine get thru issues, But it is starting to break the bank. So i switched them to the Costco brand Natures Domain ( made by the same company as TOTW ) it works just as good for my gang. In Illinois they are 35 lbs for about 32.00 dollars. which is a great deal. My furry ones can not have beef or chicken so I use the fish version. Also Diamond has the new Diamond Naturals line of grain free. Again in Illinois a 28 lb bag is 39.99.
Hound Dog Mom

Hi Dol E. Deaad –

I hear you – I have three large dogs (68 lbs. – 110 lbs.) and with the amount they eat, I’m always looking for ways to cut costs. Tractor Supply is carrying a new grain-free line of 4Health (the gf line is manufactured by Ainsworth – not by Diamond like the grain-inclusive 4Health varieties), it runs about $36.99 for 30 lbs. Rachael Ray came out with a new grain-free food (also made by Ainsworth) that’s $22.98 for 14 lbs. Earthborn generally runs about $47 for 28 lbs and most feed stores have a frequent buyer program (buy 10 bags, get one free). NutriSource grain-free runs about the same price as Earthborn and usually has frequent buyer programs as well. If you aren’t opposed to using foods manufactured by Diamond – Diamond Naturals has a new grain-free line that’s pretty budget friendly, Nature’s Domain can be purchased at Costco and Taste of the Wild runs under $50 for a large bag.
http://www.facebook.com/deaddolly56 Dol E. Deaad

Need opinions, please. I’ve got 7 dogs…all breeds from 15 pounds to 115 pounds. I’ve been feeding them Wellness and they love it — but it’s so freaking $$. I spend about $90 every 2 weeks and that’s with the auto ship discount. I need a grain free as one of my dogs (bulldog) does better on that. Any recommendations that won’t break the bank as Wellness is now doing?
http://www.facebook.com/debbie.hoylekniskern Debbie Hoyle Kniskern

Thanks… I read no further than the formula that was chosen to break down. The Pork and Duck does look great:)
Guest

That’s because American Natural Premium has several different lines or recipes, of which two are completely grain free. If you check the grain free pork and duck and the ocean fish and potato and you’ll find this is why it makes this list.
http://www.facebook.com/debbie.hoylekniskern Debbie Hoyle Kniskern

I would call myself a dog food checker as a hobby since I have Goldens with issues so rely on multiple sources and was surprised to see American Natural Premium on your list since your own criteria says it must be grain free and there is brown rice and oatmeal… are these not grains in your opinion? I do thank you for providing so much info so we can make informed decisions in this confusing world of dog nutrition:)
http://twitter.com/NewsFeedToday Cheryl Kissell

I was surprised Nature’s Recipe didn’t make any of your lists. For 25 years…their motto “Every Ingredient Counts” has made them my choice. I used to feed my dogs Eagle Pack but when 1 got a tumor and the other breast cancer…I stopped using that food as none of my previous dogs have had those kind of issues…and the ONLY difference was the food I fed them
Candice

while price is a factor, what is MORE important to me is, do they source any ingredients from china?
http://www.facebook.com/jack.tripper.3950 Jack Tripper

i guess to recap the answer to your question, best 4star grainfree deal: nature’s domain $0.87-$0.93/lb. best 5star grainfree deals: earthborn holistic grain free $1.35-$1.57/lb and victor grain free $1.40-$1.50/lb.
http://www.facebook.com/jack.tripper.3950 Jack Tripper

its a 4.5 star food that’s over $2 a pound, even when you buy quantity. i get a 4 star for under $1 a pound, without buying as much at a time or waiting for delivery (nature’s domain). even when adding a 5star wet food to it (cuts in gravy), i’m still paying less. they’re both grain-free as well.
Midwest dog dad

To answer the cost of price vs quality we use Nature’s Select Pet Food. Dog food advisor says quote “a 5 star food at a 3 star price” They cut out the middle man and deliver the food right to our house!
Hound Dog Mom

Cheapest 5 star grain-free would probably be Earthborn – like you said – or Victor which runs about $1.39/lb.
Hound Dog Mom

I believe the cheapest 5 star foods would be Pro Pac (High Performance, Puppy, Small Breed Puppy) @ ~$0.74/lb., Diamond Naturals (Extreme Athlete, Small Breed Puppy) @ ~$0.86/lb. and Native Performance Level IV @ ~$1.20/lb.
http://www.facebook.com/jack.tripper.3950 Jack Tripper

im not certain if its the cheapest 5star grain free or not but earthborn holistic is $1.25-$1.50 per pound which is a lot cheaper than a typical 5star.
http://www.facebook.com/jack.tripper.3950 Jack Tripper

i think nature’s domain would be the cheapest four star food at under a buck a pound. i would be curious which five star food is the cheapest per pound.
Brinny

I have done that for popular puppy foods. I could make one for this list as well. Any suggestions on what site I should use for my price data?
Donald

Just started looking into these dog food reviews. Has there been a consensus made of the best deals for the grain free dry food?

Authority’s looks to be the best price so far (cost per pound?).

Also, a lot of places have specials for repeat business. What are some of the best deals like this?

Thanks for any help.
Hound Dog Mom

The pre-mix?
mary

i give my lab (she’s 8 years old)V dog. I started about 6 months ago. She itches all of the time (always has)but her coat seems to be very shinny. is there other Vegan dog food i can give to my dog.
Pattyvaughn

Gee, funny coincidence that 3 people in a row respond to a 10 month old post using the same words, I think not.
http://www.facebook.com/linda.morrell.14 Linda Morrell

I fed my dogs TOW (high prairie) but after a couple of years I switched to Infinia, which is a wonderful 5 star brand dog food and it also has a grain free line. My dogs seem to really like it. Bonus> If you buy 8 bags, you get the 9th one free. Just ask for the coupon voucher at the check out stand and then they will check it off every time you buy a bag. You have to stick with buying the same size bag to get a free bag. Oh yeah…Infinia cost less too than TOW.
http://www.facebook.com/linda.morrell.14 Linda Morrell

Infinia is a wonderful 5 star brand dog food It also has a grain free line and my dogs seem to really like it. If you buy 8 bags, you get the 9th one free. Just ask for the coupon voucher and they will check off every time you buy a bag. You have to stick with buying the same size bag to get a free bag.
http://www.facebook.com/linda.morrell.14 Linda Morrell

Infinia is a wonderful brand also. It also has a grain free line and my dogs seem to really like it, even dry.
Mema

95% of all bagged dry food list the KKup = calories per cup ……….it’s will be on the bag as K Kup = so many calories per cup ……………on some bags it is hard to find but if you search for it you will find it .
islandpride

Any comments about Happy Dog grain free dry food ?
Debra

Zignature is on your Best Dry Dog Food list and it’s grain free, so how is it not on this list? It should be.