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Feeding a picky dog can be an uphill challenge. If your dog isn’t enthusiastic about its meals, you may want to consider changing things up. Some dogs may be picky eaters due to taste, allergies, anxiety, or dental issues, but some dog kibbles can please dogs with any of these problems.
The best dog kibble brands for picky eaters include Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, ORIJEN, Nutrish, and Instinct. These kibbles have all of the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals while packing a remarkable flavor that’s sure to please picky dogs.
So, let’s talk about the best dog kibble options for you and your picky pup. We’ll discuss things that make some dog kibbles better than others and what to look for in a good dog food brand. We’ll also list some of the best-loved dog kibble brands that offer plenty of nutrition and appeal so that you can always give your dog the tasty, healthy food that they deserve.
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What To Look For in a Good Kibble for Picky Dogs
If your dog is picky about their food, they may just not like the ingredients in their usual kibble. Sometimes, dogs can have sensitivities to the ingredients in their foods, or the kibble may upset their stomach. When you’re looking for quality food for your dog, there are several things that you should look out for, especially if your dog is picky about its food. These include:
- Quality meat and fish. Like humans, dogs are naturally attracted to foods with tasty, natural meat and fish ingredients. Foods with real meat also usually have more protein than dog kibble with animal by-products, making them much healthier.
- Healthy fats. Healthy fats — such as flaxseed oil, canola oil, and fish oils — are essential for your dog’s healthy growth, and they can help your dog feel fuller for longer.
- Grain-free. Some dogs who seem like picky eaters may have an allergy. Many dogs are sensitive to grains such as wheat, corn, and soy, so finding a healthy, grain-free dog food may be the key to satiating your dog’s appetite. If there are grains in the food, look for whole grains, such as brown rice.
- Organic ingredients. Getting dog foods with organic ingredients isn’t just a healthy option, but it’s an excellent way to ensure that your dog’s kibble doesn’t upset their stomach.
- No fillers or additives. Fillers and additives — such as colorants, preservatives, and sweeteners — are just as bad for your dog as they are for you. Fillers also offer no nutritional value, which could cheat your dog on the nutrition they need to stay healthy. When looking for quality dog food, avoid additives and artificial ingredients.
To make finding the right dog kibble simple for your picky eater, we’ve put together a list of the best dog food brands specifically for them. These brands have impressive ingredient lists and have received excellent reviews from proud pet owners. No matter what brand you pick from this list, their foods are sure to please you and your pup.
Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild wins the number-one prize on our list of excellent dog kibbles for picky eaters. That’s because they only use ingredients that wild dogs eat, making their dog kibble formulas extremely healthy and appetizing. They ensure that the number one ingredients in their foods are farm-raised meats, such as venison, bison, lamb, salmon, fowl, and turkey.
They also use additional protein sources like beans and other legumes to add protein to their dog kibble blends. Taste of the Wild only uses whole, healthy grains — such as quinoa, millet, sorghum, and chia seeds — to make their dog kibbles tasty, textured, and nutritious.
By leaving out processed grains, by-products, colorants, and fillers, Taste of the Wild is one of the most wholesome and nutritious dog kibbles on the market. They even include probiotics in their foods to help dogs with digestive issues and immune system imbalances. Just look at their ingredient lists. Their recipes are full of recognizable meats, vegetables, fruits, grains, vitamins, and minerals that promote health.
Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo dog kibbles are another popular, time-proven option for picky eaters. Blue Buffalo offers several different formulas, including grain-free, high-quality meat, high-protein, prescription, and more. Because they cater to your dog’s health needs, Blue Buffalo kibbles are some of the most nutritionally rich and healthy options on the market.
Blue Buffalo foods never use corn, soy, or wheat in their food formulas, as well as meat by-products, sweeteners, fillers, or additives. Because they care about formulating the healthiest dog kibbles, their food formulas are very delicious and nutritious for all dogs, regardless of their needs. They mix their dog kibbles with LifeSource Bits, containing all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that dogs need to thrive.
They limit the major ingredients to chicken, beef, fish, brown rice, flaxseed, blueberries, cranberries, carrots, and potatoes in their dog foods. Still, in total, there are over 160 different ingredients that they use to formulate their kibbles. All of the ingredients in their dry foods are real meat, vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats.
They also have formulas tailored to various breeds, sizes, health issues, and activity levels, making blue Buffalo sure to have an excellent option to please even the pickiest of dogs.
Wellness
Wellness is a dog food brand that caters explicitly to picky eaters and dogs with digestive issues. There are many Wellness formulas, no matter your dog’s needs. They offer raw kibble, digestive formulas, wholesome grains formulas, and food toppers. With all of their natural, healthy options, all catered to picky dogs, Wellness Core is an excellent kibble brand for anyone whose dog seems uninterested in their food.
All of their foods contain extra fiber and probiotics to encourage good digestive health. They also use natural meats and healthy whole grains — such as oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa — to give their foods a great taste without upsetting your dog’s stomach.
They also use nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and oils — such as flaxseed, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, blueberries, yucca — and added vitamins to give your dog everything that they could need from a nutritional perspective.
They have several different lines of formulas that are well-suited for picky eaters. Their Core foods are all high-protein, making these kibbles much more appetizing to the pickiest of eaters. Their Complete Health formulas are also an excellent option since they contain unique and delicious ingredients that will support your dog’s overall health.
They even have a product called Bowl Boosters, which are small, flavorful treats that you can add to your dog’s food to make it more appealing and tasty. No matter what formula you choose, Wellness dog kibbles are some of the best and most appealing foods on the market.
Rachel Ray’s Nutrish
Rachel Ray’s Nutrish dog food contains a blend of kibble and dry dog food that is both tasty and nutritious. All Rachel Ray dog foods contain no preservatives, additives, or colorants, making them an excellent option for picky eaters. They’re also gluten-free and only use whole grains — such as brown rice — to add texture and body. Nutrish contains real meat, vegetables, and fruits, making Nutrish a well-balanced and nutritious dog kibble option.
Their SuperMedley kibbles are highly recommended for picky eaters since they contain naturally sweet and delicious ingredients, such as sweet potatoes, yeast, blueberries, peas, chickpeas, and beetroot. They also have a wide variety of meats, including salmon, chicken, and beef.
Nutrish dog foods are widely available, and they’re very inexpensive, especially compared to other grain-free dog foods. All proceeds from Nutrish foods also offer medical care, food, and shelter to stray and shelter dogs, making Nutrish an ethically good option as well.
ORIJEN
Orijen dog kibbles mimic the foods that dogs have eaten in the wild for millennia. Using fresh, whole meats, cartilage, organs, and edible bones, ORIJEN kibbles provide a well-balanced diet with all of the protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that dogs need to thrive. Many of their blends also use eggs, legumes, peas, and probiotics to add protein and digestive enzymes to your dog’s diet.
ORIJEN dog kibbles are absolutely and completely grain-free. Since their dry dog foods don’t contain any cereal grains, they supplement their kibbles with more protein and nutritious ingredients. ORIJEN formulas use fruits and vegetables that are easy to digest to add more essential fats, vitamins, and minerals. Many of their foods include apples, pears, pumpkin, squash, greens, and carrots to their food blends.
With all of the natural ingredients and meats that go into ORIJEN dog foods, even the pickiest eaters can’t resist their kibbles.
Instinct
Instinct takes pride in their raw recipes, which are healthier and tastier to dogs. Instinct kibble’s natural dog foods are never cooked or processed. Since their chefs freeze-dry the ingredients instead of cooking them, the nutrients and delicious taste of the kibble’s ingredients are kept.
They also offer frozen raw meals, kibble mixed with raw, freeze-dried pellets, and kibble coated in raw ingredients. Their raw, freeze-dried pellets are an excellent product to buy for picky eaters since the ingredients are nutritious and tasty, and you can mix them with any kibble. No matter what Instinct product you choose to feed your dog, they’re sure to be excited about meal times, even if they’re normally a picky eater.
Instinct dog foods have three times more protein from raw meats than most kibbles. This extra boost of protein is sure to be delicious to your pup, and it can help them grow and stay healthy. Their dog kibble formulas include 70% meat and 30% non-GMO fruits and vegetables.
They use sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, squash, salmon oil, flaxseed oil, and blueberries to add extra vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and antioxidants to their foods to make them highly nutritious. Their foods also don’t include any kinds of grains, which can help your dog digest their food. The natural blends and ingredients are sure to please picky eaters who want more digestible, raw-tasting kibbles.
Diamond Naturals
Diamond dog kibble is well-balanced, and it offers plenty of delicious ingredients that are sure to please your picky dog. All Diamond Naturals dog foods include probiotics, superfoods, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, fruits, vegetables, and farm-raised meats, all essential for a healthy and happy dog.
Diamond never adds preservatives, additives, fillers, or flavors to their foods, making them much healthier than other mainstream kibble brands. Still, the taste of the natural ingredients and densely nutritious kibble comes through, making it yummier to all dogs. Their recipes are also gluten-free, which can help if you’re unsure if your dog is picky because of a gluten allergy.
Since they use meats like chicken, beef, lamb, and salmon, their foods are protein-rich, making them more appealing to dogs. Their meats are ethically sourced, only using cage-free chickens, pasture-raised beef and lamb, and real salmon. They also use brown rice to add texture and an excellent taste to their kibble blends.
Diamond Naturals offers different food formulas for small breeds, large breeds, active dogs, puppies, and senior dogs. With all of the holistic, natural kibble options from Diamond Naturals, your pup is sure to be happy with their kibble.
Solid Gold
Solid Gold dog foods are incredibly healthy, having grain, gluten, and potato-free, kibble options, making them an excellent choice for dogs with digestive problems and allergies. Every Solid Gold formula contains plenty of digestive probiotics and essential fatty acids that’ll help your dog digest their food.
They use natural meat ingredients with great tastes — such as bison, lamb, beef, quail, chicken, venison, and salmon — to make their foods packed with protein and fantastic flavors. All of Solid Gold’s recipes include pumpkin, carrots, blueberries, and cranberries to add essential vitamins and antioxidants while supporting digestive health.
They also use healthy oils — such as flaxseed and salmon oil — to supplement their foods with omega-3 fatty acids, essential for healthy growth and nervous system development. Solid Gold kibbles have high-protein options too, which can make a big difference to a picky eater.
Summary
If your dog is picky, there are still plenty of great kibble options that are sure to make them excited for meal times again. The best dog foods for picky eaters are gluten-free, include real meat, are high-protein, contain no fillers or additives, and have nutritious ingredients. Providing your dog with the proper nutrients is the key to getting your picky dog to enjoy their food, and buying kibble from any of these brands will surely help your dog get the most out of their meals.
Sources
- Howard Pet Adoption Center: What to Look for in Your Dog’s Food
- Taste of the Wild: Formula Finder
- Blue Buffalo: Why Choose Blue Buffalo?
- ORIJEN: Dog and Cat Food
- Instinct Pet Food: For Dogs
- Diamond: Dog Food
- Wellness Pet Food: Natural Dog Food
- Nutrish: Natural Dog Food
- Solid Gold Pet: Dry Dog Food
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