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5 Best Salmon Dog Foods (2024)

How to Choose the Best Salmon Dog Food

Salmon is a powerhouse protein that dogs just love. There are many reasons to consider making the switch to a food that lists salmon as one of its protein sources. It is an extremely healthy meat filled with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, critical nutrients to nourish skin and coat and provide dogs with the energy they need to maintain an active lifestyle.

Joint health is also supported by the oils found in this flavorful fish. With so many benefits to be gained from a switch to a salmon-based diet, it is not hard to see why dog foods with salmon are among the best diets around!

Salmon is also believed to act as a powerful brain booster, encouraging cognitive function through its healthy fats such as DHA and APA. This is particularly helpful for young puppies undergoing sensitive periods of growth as well as for senior dogs experiencing some brain impairment.

Many types of fish contain ample servings of amino acids, and salmon is no exception. These vital nutrients assist with such important things as ensuring proper hormone function and building cartilage.

Salmon is also extremely rich in many important vitamins and minerals required for health and wellness both in people and in dogs. These include magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.

But perhaps the biggest selling point when it comes to dogs is salmons potent flavor. Dogs love it canned, grilled on the barbecue, oven-baked, or as part of their daily kibble quota.

When selecting the best salmon food for a dog, it is important to carefully read labels to understand what the diet contains. Whole salmon is the best choice for dogs, and this is particularly important for dogs suffering from allergies or skin and stomach sensitivities as any additional ingredients may incur further health problems.

When it comes to choosing the best salmon dog food, one of the biggest considerations is whether you opt for wild-caught salmon or farm-raised salmon. Wild-caught salmon is considered to be the most natural and has fewer ingredients added to it, making it a healthier choice for your pup.

Additionally, wild-caught salmon is typically sourced from sustainable fisheries and contains a higher level of omega-3 fatty acids than farm-raised salmon. On the other hand, farm-raised salmon is often raised in large tanks with more added ingredients and a lower omega-3 content.

Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Dog Foods with Salmon

Determining the correct amount of the best salmon food to feed a dog can be difficult. The best course of action is to consult the bag of food and follow the suggested serving size as a basic guideline. This can be adjusted with the dogs weight, appetite, and activity serving to help with ascertaining the proper portion size.

Care should be taken not to overfeed the dog as weight gain can occur rapidly. Measure all food and monitor intake to prevent the dog from becoming overweight.

Dietary Requirements for Dog Foods with Salmon

Any salmon-based diet that is ideal for dogs to enjoy should contain salmon or salmon meal as its first ingredient. Whole salmon is the best choice, but meat meals offer dogs excellent quality nutrition as well. By-products are not often seen in salmon; however, should a label list them, they should be avoided.

Should a diet contain plant-based proteins such as corn, wheat, or soy, they are best left on the shelf. These are common allergens for many dogs and can neutralize some of the positive effects of salmon. Diets containing these ingredients cannot be considered among the best foods with salmon for dogs.

Carbohydrates included in a salmon-based diet should be easy for dogs to digest. Unless a dog has expressed sensitivity to grains, they may freely eat a grain-inclusive or grain-free formula without any ill effects.

The primary importance of any food included in a salmon-based diet is its fiber and antioxidant content. These items promote good digestion and a strong immune system to protect against disease.

Healthy fats are a vital element in a dogs diet. Salmon contributes a powerhouse punch of this all on its own; however, the addition of such ingredients as chicken fat, salmon, or herring oil provides additional benefits through their omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to encourage healthy skin and coat.

Any salmon-based diet that is optimal for a dogs daily food should contain a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.

Things to Look for in the Best Salmon Dog Food

Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in premium salmon dog food:

• Whole meat or meat meal proteins heading up the ingredients list
• Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
• Enriched with probiotics, digestive enzymes, and helpful supplements
• Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
• Includes healthy fats such as chicken fat or salmon oil

9 Best Salmon Dog Foods in 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Many dog owners are choosing to feed their dogs food that contains salmon as the main ingredient because of the benefits this fish has to offer their dogs in terms of nutrition. Salmon is a common ingredient in high-quality dog foods as its a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids that support dogs immune systems and help decrease inflammation while nourishing dogs skin and coat health.

With these benefits in mind, we have reviewed some of the best salmon-based dog foods available on the market.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

The 9 Best Salmon Dog Foods

1. American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Dog Food Best Overall

Our pick for the best overall salmon dog food is the American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato dry dog food because it features real deboned salmon with high protein and essential amino acids needed to keep your dog healthy. These proteins and amino acids work together to help your dog develop leaner muscles, with an exceptional flavor that will entice your dog to eat it. Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are included in this recipe to provide your dog with lasting energy, along with fruits and vegetables (such as carrots, dried kelp, blueberries), beneficial fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants to fulfill dogs nutritional requirements.

Aside from real salmon being one of the first ingredients on the list, this food is also rich in omega fatty acids. These fatty acids include DHA which promotes healthy brain and eye development and also keeps your dogs skin and coat healthy. However, this food contains a high amount of peas and legumes, which are not useful in a dogs diet.

Pros

• Real deboned salmon as the first ingredient
• Grain-free recipe
• Contains salmon oil and flaxseed

Cons

• Contains high amounts of peas, lentils, and legumes

2. Purina Pro Plan Adult Shredded Blend Salmon & Rice Dog Food Best Value

The best salmon dog food for the money is the Purina Pro Plan Salmon Blend dog food as you get a 33-pound bag of quality dog food for an affordable price. This food contains real salmon as the first ingredient with an enticing flavor that appeals to even fussy dogs. It contains vitamin A and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) to nourish your dogs skin and coat health.

Natural prebiotic fiber sourced from wheat bran has also been added to nourish specific intestinal bacteria for digestive health. This food has a moderately high amount of protein, and very high fat content, so it is best to feed this food to active dog breeds that are not prone to obesity.

Pros

• Real salmon as the first ingredient
• Fortified with live probiotics
• Vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acids to nourish coat and skin

3. Spot and Tango Unkibble Cod & Salmon Dog Food Premium Choice

A premium choice of salmon dog food is the Spot and Tango Unkibble cod and salmon dog food. This is a subscription-based dog food service where you can build a meal plan for your dog online and have the food delivered right to your door. There are various meal plans and pricing options available with limited and wholesome ingredients in each recipe.

The salmon and cod recipe has these two foods as the main ingredient in the food. In addition to these meats, this recipe includes tapioca, flaxseed, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, apples, chia seeds, and parsley. Since this is a subscription-based dog food delivery service, you can only choose the meal online and you cannot purchase the food separately in a pet store.

The addition of seeds in this recipe is used to dry out the food and create a balance between the salmon, cod, and other wholesome ingredients.

Pros

• Salmon and cod are the main ingredients
• Rich in protein
• Contains healthy fats and fiber

Cons

• Cannot be purchased in stores

4. Natures Recipe Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Dog Food

Natures Recipe Grain-Free dog food is easy to digest and contains real salmon as the first ingredient, followed by nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as sweet potato and pumpkin which help to aid in proper digestion for your dog. The fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients in this dry dog food help to support your dogs immune system and help keep your dog in good health.

This salmon-based food does not contain added corn, wheat, soy protein, poultry by-product, and no artificial flavors or preservatives. The fiber in this food is aimed to help support dogs with sensitive digestive systems, especially those that are sensitive to grains as this food is entirely grain-free. This food does have a low protein content in comparison to the balance of fat and fiber, though.

Pros

• Free from grains, by-products, artificial flavors, and preservatives
• Affordable yet high-quality
• Contains salmon as the first ingredient

5. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Salmon & Sweet Potato Dog Food

This is a grain-free dog food from Racheal Ray Nutrish that contains real salmon as the first ingredient along with other wholesome ingredients such as sweet potatoes, peas, tapioca, and beet pulp, aimed to improve the health of your dog. It contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and instead, these potentially harmful ingredients are replaced with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that support dogs joint and digestive health while promoting healthy skin and coat from the omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

This simple and natural recipe has a moderate level of protein, with a balance of fat and fiber for an affordable price, although it has large-sized kibble unsuitable for smaller dogs.

Pros

• Salmon is the first ingredient
• Improves skin and coat health
• Affordable

6. Merrick Grain-Free Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe

The Merrick Grain-Free Salmon dog food is made with 60% protein and healthy fat with deboned salmon as the main ingredient. The remaining 40% includes fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other natural ingredients to form a dog food high in protein and fat with decent fiber content. This dog food is grain and gluten-free and is developed with high levels of omega fatty acids to promote healthy skin and coats in dogs along with glucosamine and chondroitin to support hip and joint mobility.

It features high-quality food sourced from trusted farmers without the inclusion of corn, wheat, soy, and artificial preservatives. This food is slightly more expensive than other salmon-based dog food on the market for the amount of food you get, though.

Pros

• Real deboned salmon as the first ingredient
• Features high levels of omega fatty acids
• An ideal combination of fats, fiber, and protein

7. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet Potato Formula

Salmon is the first ingredient in this limited ingredient dog food from Natural Balance, along with sweet potatoes which are an easily digestible source of carbohydrate for dogs. This dog food has been formulated by a team of board-certified clinical veterinarians, animal nutritionists, research scientists, design engineers, and pet feeding analysts with years of experience to ensure that the food meets the nutritional quality that Natural Balance guarantees.

Unlike many other salmon-based dog foods, Natural Balance has excluded peas, pea protein, lentils, legumes, corn, wheat, and soy from the recipe to ensure its suitable for dogs with sensitive stomachs. It is pricey for the volume of food you receive, but the quality makes the price worth it.

Pros

• Limited ingredient formula
• Does not contain added peas, lentils, legumes, or soy
• Features real salmon as the first ingredient

8. Purina Beyond Alaskan Cod Salmon & Sweet Potato Canned Dog Food

This high-protein wet dog food from Purina contains line-caught Alaskan cod as the main ingredient, while also including salmon, sweet potato, and natural prebiotic fiber. The fish in this canned dog food has been responsibly sourced from fisheries that earn MSC certification. This natural dog food is full of vitamins and minerals to ensure your dog is receiving balanced nutrition from each can.

It contains no corn, wheat, soy, or poultry-by products and is entirely grain-free. There are also no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, although this food has a comparatively high fat content.

Pros

• Made with fish from MSC-certified fisheries
• Made from high-quality ingredients
• Grain-free recipe

9. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Salmon & Potato Recipe

This limited-ingredient dog food from Blue Buffalo contains a single animal-sourced proteinsalmonas the main ingredient. It also includes pumpkin, peas, and potatoes which are easily digestible carbohydrates. This formula features the brands exclusive LifeSource Bits which are a combination of selected antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins chosen by veterinarians and animal nutritionists.

It also contains gluten-free grains which makes it safe for dogs with sensitive stomachs to eat and is free from chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy, and eggs, which may further upset your dogs stomach. Since it is a limited-ingredient dog food, each ingredient has been carefully picked for its health benefits without the addition of any unnecessary by-products. One downside to this food is that it has a low protein content and fairly high-fat content.

Pros

• Limited ingredients
• Free from chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, and eggs
• Ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs

Cons

• Low protein content
• High fat content

Buyers Guide How to Find the Best Salmon Dog Food

Why Choose Salmon Dog Food?

Dogs thrive on meat-rich diets full of quality proteins, and salmon is generally preferred over other types of meats because it is easy for dogs to digest. Many dogs that have sensitive stomachs can thrive on salmon-based dog food. Salmon is a high-quality ingredient and it is a great ingredient to incorporate into your dogs daily diet. It is ideal for all dog breeds and the benefits are usually noticeable within the first month of switching your dog to food rich in salmon.

Benefits of Dog Food With Salmon

• Improves brain development in puppies and fetuses of pregnant dogs
• Reduces inflammation
• Improves dogs skin and coat health
• Provides relief to certain skin conditions
• Aids in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
• Improves collagen production

Conclusion

Of all the salmon-based dog foods we reviewed in this article, the American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe is our top choice overall as its affordable and salmon is the first among many great ingredients in this dog food. Our next favorite is the Purina Pro Plan Adult Dog Food known for its high protein and vitamin content. Our premium choice is the Spot and Tango Unkibble recipe because it runs through a convenient delivery service and the food is delivered fresh for your dog.

We hope our in-depth reviews have helped you choose the best salmon-based food for your pooch!

FeaturedImage Credit: Irina Kozorog, Shutterstock