Best Dry Grain Free Dog Foods For Dogs with Grain Allergies

Best Dry Grain Free Dog Foods For Dogs with Grain Allergies

Best Dry “Grain Free” Dog Foods

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I HIGHLY recommend feeding your dog and even your cats a high quality dog food and if they have allergies I recommend a grain-free formula.

In the wild, your dog or cat’s diet would consist primarily of meat-based proteins and the occasional fruit and vegetable. Grain were also consumed but very little.

Grains have also been found to cause or irritate some pet’s food allergies, especially skin allergies (corn allergies are VERY common in dogs). Grain is also harder to digest, especially for older pets.

Most low-grade dog foods that say they’re healthy.. are lying. Pay attention to the first ingredients listed in your dog’s kibble… if it’s corn. Switch.

You might say… But my dogs love Old Roy!

Yeh, well, our kids also LOVE McDonald’s, but you would not feed your kids that every day..right?

Dog food companies add fillers, sweeteners, and yummy artificial flavors to CRAPPY kibble so that dogs will eat it.. and YES, they may even like it, but crappy kibble still provides them with very little nourishment, if any at all.  

Me at Petsmart picking out dog food

Me at Petsmart picking out dog food

Read my post on the BEST and WORST dog food brands for more info on what brands don’t make the cut.

Some of the benefits of feeding grain free (not limited to):

May decreases food allergies, increase appetites in picky eaters, increase energy, ease the passing of stools, reduce stools, and decrease weight for obese dogs or cats.

Best Dry “Grain Free” Dog Food List

The following is a list of top-rated dry dog food brands:

See our step-by-step guide on how you can spot a top recommended dog food at a glance!

For a more detailed look, visit DogFoodScoop.com and their ratings criteria for dog food.

In alphabetical order, here’s their pick of the best-rated dog food brands on the market

Dog Food Ratings in alphabetical order:

Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
Dick Van Patten’s Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member’s Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Nature’s Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

DIY DOG FOOD RATING INFO:

Remember that you can learn how to use this dog food ratings system yourself by taking a look at this Dog Food Comparisons page and the Dog Food Rating Table! Your dogs health is worth it right?

How To Grade Your Dog Food

Start with a grade of 100:Feed your dog the best you can afford.  It pays off in the long run!

  • For every listing of “by-product”, subtract 10 points

  • For every non-specific animal source (“meat” or “poultry”, meat,  meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points.

  • If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

  • For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source,  subtract 5 points

  • If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the  first five ingredients (i.e. “ground brown rice”, “brewer’s rice”, 

  •                       â€œrice flour” are all the same grain), subtract 5 points

  • If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than  2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3

  • If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

  • If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

  • If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

  • If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil,  subtract 2 points

  • If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is  allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

  • If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

  • If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t  allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points

  • If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t  allergic to beef), subtract 1 point

  • If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

  • If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

  • If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points

  • If the food is baked, not extruded, add 5 points

  • If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

  • If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

  • If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

  • If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

  • If the food contains barley, add 2 points

  • If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

  • If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

  • If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

  • For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein source, but “chicken” as two different protein sources), add 1 point.

  • If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

  • If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point.

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