Best American Made Dog Food (Review and Buying Guide) – Top Dog Tips

Are you looking for the best American-made dog food? Then you came to the right place!

Today, we will guide you in choosing the best American-made dry dog food.

Here’s a preview of the best American-made dog food products that you can find on the Amazon market.

7 Best American Made Dog Food

Dogs love fresh meat, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

But, it might be time-consuming for you to prepare the food they need while you are busy with your work.

For this reason, the best way is to give them food with balanced nutrition.

This Merrick grain-free contains the five best ingredients, e.g., debone beef, lamb meat, salmon meal, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.

Benefits:

Healthy Energy Levels

This benefit comes from its most acceptable ingredient: deboned beef.

It is rich in protein and healthy fats that help your dog maintain weight and increase its energy level.

Building Healthy Joints

The maximum level of glucosamine and chondroitin in this kibble gives your dog healthy joints.

Aside from that, it also enables them to hop and run as they want.

Healthy Skin and Shiny coat

Lastly, omega fatty acids maintain their clear skin and shiny coat.

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Finally! If you want a complete meal with minimal ingredients, then this Castor & Pollux Pristine is the best fit for your dog!

Its primary ingredient is salmon which is rich in high-quality protein and omega-3.

And the additional vitamins come from sweet potatoes, blueberries and apples, and other organic ingredients.

Benefits: 

Great Source of Protein

Proteins from the salmon meat help your furry friend regain energy and strength.

Grain-Free and with Healthy Grain Recipe Options

The ingredients, e.g., sweet potatoes, are healthy and grain-free.

Also, it contains many vitamins such as vitamin A, C, and B6 and has antioxidants that are good for your dog.

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This product improves your dog’s total balance and nutrition because chicken is a good protein source.

It is also a good source of vitamins and minerals.

Other than that, flaxseed, richness in carbohydrates, fiber, zinc, and many more, are beneficial ingredients to this product.

Note: Check the ingredients before buying them because your dog might have allergic reactions.

Benefits:

Contains high-quality Animal Protein

All IAMS products contain high-quality protein, vitamins, and other minerals your dog needs.

100% Complete & Balanced Nutrition

All ingredients provide a completely balanced meal that contains no artificial flavors or preservatives.

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This dog food from Bil-Jac is for senior small breed dogs. The kibble is small, easy to chew, and is best for bad teeth.

Its finest ingredients are chicken, oatmeal, and yams that give complete diet nutrition for your canine.

For over seven decades, Bil-Jac has become a trusted brand, serving super-premium dog foods. So, they won’t disappoint you.

Benefits:

Supports Immune System

Proteins from fresh chicken produce amino acids. These amino acids have three types:

• First is the Arginine that supports your dog’s immune system.
• Next are Leucine and Lysine, which help build stronger muscles.

Natural Source of Nutritious Vitamins and Minerals

Aside from proteins, Bil-Jac dog food is rich in omega-three and fatty acids. It also nourishes the skin and helps produce a shiny coat.

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The Holistic Health Extension for large bites is now out in the market. Made with real deboned chicken and brown rice.

This dog food meets the AAFCO requirements for dog nutritional programs. Even USDA approves them.

It contains no by-products, corn, animal fats, gluten, soy, artificial flavoring, and preservatives. In addition, it’s also rich in carbohydrates and other vitamins.

Benefits:

Easy to Digest

Small-batch and the slow cook would develop a safer, more nutritious, and easily digestive meal.

Make a Good Appetite

Its finest ingredients have a nutritious and delicious taste, from the deboned chicken to the carbs of brown rice. Therefore, this combination of meals makes a good appetite.

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Do you want food that’s good for all dog stages? Then this Tender and True dog food is the right choice!

Besides, this product has certification from the Animal Welfare and USDA organic.

Benefits:

Rich in Healthy Vitamins

The organic ingredients are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for your pup.

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Lastly, this brand is the best pick for your growing puppies as it is a good source of protein.

Its first ingredient is the buffalo combined with roasted bison, venison, lamb, and chicken, perfect for building your pet’s strength.

The fruits and vegetables like raspberries, blueberries, and tomatoes supply the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your pooch needs.

Benefits:

Pasture-Raised Bison & Pasture-Raised Venison

Both the roasted bison and roasted venison provide highly digestible protein with a roasted flavor your dog will anticipate for it!

Species-Specific Probiotics 

The K9 Strain Probiotics are only for dogs and added after the cooking process to ensure viability.

Each pound of the Taste of the Wild provides 80 million live, active cultures that support healthy digestive and immune systems.

Ideal for Adult Dogs

Designed to provide complete nutrition and help maintain good health.

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Factors to Consider in Choosing the Best American Made Dog Food

Dog’s Age

For Puppies: 

Puppies require more protein than adult and senior dogs. So, feeding them solid food is vital between 3 and 8 weeks.

According to studies, puppies at this age need plenty of water, amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals for bone growth, physical development, and adaptability.

As a result, any deficiency will lead to growth impairment and dehydration.

For Adults:

Adult dog food has sufficient nutrients for overall growth and development. It mainly consists of vitamins, calcium, fatty acids, minerals, and proteins.

Therefore, a nutritional diet paired with exercise contributes to a well-balanced lifestyle for your dog’s age.

For Senior Dogs:

Feeding a senior dog can be challenging because the dog food you are choosing can significantly contribute to the changes your dog goes through at this phase.

Most senior dogs experience arthritis because of old age, while some experienced vision or hearing loss. These are the reasons why nutritional care is critical for these dogs.

A senior dog needs low-calorie dog food, but it must have high fiber content, fatty acids, and proteins.

Breed Size

Small-breed:

For small breed, relying on tons of vitamins, minerals, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are essential.

Choosing a well-balanced meal consisting of few but healthier ingredients is ideal.

Medium-breed:

Medium breeds have less aggressive metabolism than any breed size. So, a healthy supply of vitamins, fatty acids, proteins, and minerals is essential.

Also, note that medium-breed dogs should have smaller stomachs than large-breed dogs.

Large-breed:

Larger dogs are the most active. They need high-quality dog food with proteins, fibers, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

Large-breeds are more prone to diabetes, heart diseases, and bloating than small and medium dogs.

So, just like humans, moderation is the key when feeding large-breed dogs.

Canned or Dry Food?

Canned or Wet Food:

Wet food is an excellent source of hydration for dogs. It’s suitable for dogs with health conditions such as disfigured teeth and similar abnormalities, as this is easy to consume for them.

However, canned food items can cause dental problems, e.g., bad breath, tooth decay, etc.

Note that canned foods lose nutrients when stored for too long.

Dry Food:

The rough texture of dry dog food helps in your dog’s dental care, e.g., cleans bacteria and dirt in the teeth.

Also, dry dog food contains high nutrient contents, which help eliminate conditions linked to contaminated fillers.

Although there is nothing right or wrong in choosing dog food, still, you need to feed your pet with the food he wants.

When deciding on either dry or wet food, you need to consider your dog’s dental and medical conditions, as well as his lifestyle.

Read the Label

Initially, the dog food should be AAFCO-approved to ensure a healthy and nutritional product.

Being AAFCO-approved means that it meets the required health standard to promote growth and development to your dog.

Aside from being AAFCO-approved, dog food should also be grain-free to combat the meat content and whole protein food.

Food Allergies

If your dog has skin sensitivity, a thin coat, and skin redness, then you have to be cautious in choosing what to feed to him.

Nowadays, food allergies are rampant with dogs. So, if you find your pet frequently scratching, consider running an allergy test on your dog.

While some people confuse allergies with food intolerance, poor digestion and lactose intolerance are the symptoms of food intolerance in dogs.

Food allergy symptoms include itching, skin redness, poor coat quality, and skin or ear infections.

Following your dog’s age, gender, and breed, knowing the proper ingredients and dog food is vital when dealing with extreme food sensitivities.

Expiration Date

First, look for labels such as “best before” or “use by date” to know the product’s shelf life.

Because of that, manufacturers put instructions on how to effectively store the product to avoid spoilage and maintain its quality.

Also, brands with a high value offer the best packaging on their products.

Some factors such as BPA-free wet food cans, high-quality plastic pouches, and more portable packaging have a higher chance of having a longer shelf life.

Best American Made Dog Food – Common Questions

Why Are American-Made Dog Foods Preferred Over Foreign Stuff?

American-made dog food considers being a top-of-the-line meal option because of these factors:

• High-Quality Control Standards: American-made products are subject to federal regulations to help lower the risk of unsafe ingredients.
• High Safety Standards: The USDA and FDA ensure that safety standards are correctly executed by creating and packaging food for our pets.
• Relatively Affordable: Although American-made goods are more expensive than low-quality dog food, they are cheaper than the products in Western countries.

Are All Dog Foods Made in the USA High Quality? 

Unfortunately, not all dog foods made in the US are high-quality. Some are from Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

While American-made products can be a good indicator that your dog food choice is excellent, that shouldn’t be the only basis.

Instead, as pet owners, we need to take time to choose the right dog food for our fur babies.

Also, it’s essential because different kinds of dogs have different needs.

Aside from choosing US-made dog food, there are still many things to consider when buying food for your pet.

What Ingredients Should I Avoid?

Before you purchase any dog food for your pal, be wary of these ingredients on the label:

• Melamine can cause kidney failure, depending on the dose and the dog’s size.
• BHA, BHT, and Ethoxyquin increase liver enzymes in the blood and raise hemoglobin pigment in the liver.
• Propylene Glycol is on the list because it is an artificial ingredient. However, considered safe by the FDA.
• Carrageenan can inflame the gastrointestinal tract and can cause cancer.
• Meat Meal is the product of the process where the scraps of diseased and dead animals are heated up.
• Food Dyes or Corn Syrups are artificial colors and sweeteners. Dogs don’t need sweeteners, especially not with an ingredient with a high glycemic index and no health benefits.
• MSG can boost the flavor of the food, but it has low nutrient value. Also, many are allergic to it.
• Sodium Hexametaphosphate is a chemical ingredient that can have adverse effects when ingested.

Once you start reading dog food labels, you’ll notice how common these toxic ingredients are.

So, it’s best to choose a dog food that includes human-grade, high-quality meats, fruits, and vegetables, to ensure the safety of your pet.

READ NEXT: 12 Dog Food Made in the USA

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