Top Healthy Dog Food Brands for Optimal Nutrition

The labeling on most types of dog foods is often difficult to interpret, so many times it's hard to understand what is healthy and what isn't. All pets need a balanced diet consisting of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Several brands of dog food are healthier than others, and are good choices if you're looking for an alternative to the "big name" commercial brands.

Newman's Own

Newman's Own contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The ingredients include natural chicken raised without antibiotics; organic soy meal, brown rice, barley, peas, flax seed, oats and carrots; parsley; and kelp. This dog food does not contain no poultry byproducts, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, steroids, no chemical additives or artificial flavors, making Newman's a healthy choice.

Innova

Innova is another healthy dog food choice because it's also all natural. For example, turkey, chicken and chicken meal are the first three ingredients listed in the Innova adult dog food formula. The food does not have any chemical or artificial preservatives. The food focuses on fresh ingredients from all five food groups, making Innova a healthy dog food option.

Flint River Ranch

Flint River Ranch dog food does not have any meat or grain by-products, color additives or synthetic preservatives such as BHA and BHT. It contains only human-grade, natural ingredients that are slowly oven-baked under carefully controlled conditions. This makes digestion easier for dogs. Flint River's line of dog foods is recommended by veterinarians as well.

Karma Organic

Karma Organic is 95 percent certified organic, which means it has no artificial preservatives, flavorings or fillers. The ingredients include a combination or organic meats, fruits, vegetables and grains, and the dog food does not contain any pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified ingredients.

Natural Choice

Natural Choice contains all natural ingredients, including vitamins and minerals that help your dog maintain healthy skin and a lustrous coat. It also helps maintain strong, healthy joints. Natural Choice has a team of experts at the The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, where they do research to determine the formulas that contribute to optimal pet health.

Do It Yourself

According to Dr. Martin Goldstein, DVM, "You can boost your pet's health profoundly by making one simple decision. All you have to do is change his diet from commercial-brand fare to something you may never have imagined giving him: real food. The fresh food you buy at the market for yourself is the food you should give your pet, too." If you want to ensure the optimal health of your pet, consider making your own healthy dog food comprised of whole foods.