wilderness salmon dog food

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

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food Review (Dry)

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third ingredient is dehydrated chicken. Dehydrated chicken is considered a meat concentrate and contains more than four times as much protein as fresh chicken.

Plus (unlike chicken meal) dehydrated chicken is not exposed to high temperatures during processing, so it preserves more of the meats natural nutrients.

The fourth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

The fifth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The seventh ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, theres probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

The next ingredient is salmon meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.¹

The ninth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesnt sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

After the natural flavor, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided theyve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Blue Buffalo product.

With 7 notable exceptions

First, we find alfalfa pellets. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds, chicken rations, hog rations and other formula feeds.

Next, we note the use of alfalfa nutrient concentrate, a vitamin and mineral-rich extract made from alfalfa.

Even though it contains over 50% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And plant-based products like this can notably affect the total protein reported on the label a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

In addition, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, its also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dogs digestive tract.

Next, we find dried yeast, which can be a controversial item. Dried yeast contains about 45% protein and is rich in other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

Whats more, a vocal minority insists yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something weve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, we feel yeast should be considered a nutritious addition.

We also note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

Next, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

And lastly, this recipe uses sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 38%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 38%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 37% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 40% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 42%.

Which means this Blue Buffalo product line contains

Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, alfalfa products and dried yeast, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.