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 it’s 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 (2023)
Image Product Details
Best Overall
American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato
Real deboned salmon as the first ingredient
Grain-free recipe
Contains salmon oil and flaxseed
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Best Value
Purina Pro Plan Adult Shredded
Real salmon as the first ingredient
Fortified with live probiotics
Vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acids to nourish coat and skin
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Premium Choice
Spot and Tango Unkibble Duck & Salmon
Salmon and duck are the main ingredients
Rich in protein
Contains healthy fats and fiber
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Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free
Free from grains, by-products, artificial flavors, and preservatives
Affordable yet high-quality
Contains salmon as the first ingredient
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Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Salmon
Salmon is the first ingredient
Improves skin and coat health
Affordable
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The 9 Best Salmon Dog Foods
Our favorite salmon dog food overall is the American Journey salmon 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.
Food form: Dry
Crude protein: 32% min
Crude fat: 14% min
Crude fiber: 5% max
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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 dog’s skin and coat healthy. However, this food contains a high amount of peas and legumes, which are not useful in a dog’s 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
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 dog’s skin and coat health.
Real deboned salmon as the first ingredient
Grain-free recipe
Contains salmon oil and flaxseed
- Real deboned salmon as the first ingredient
- Grain-free recipe
- Contains salmon oil and flaxseed
Contains high amounts of peas, lentils, and legumes
- Contains high amounts of peas, lentils, and legumes
Food form: Dry
Crude protein: 26% min
Crude fat: 16% min
Crude fiber: 3% max
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
Cons
High-fat content
3. Spot and Tango Unkibble Duck & Salmon Dog Food – Premium Choice
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Food form: Wet
Crude protein: 68% min
Crude fat: 30% min
Crude fiber: 88% max
A premium choice of salmon dog food is the Spot and Tango Unkibble duck 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.
Real salmon as the first ingredient
Fortified with live probiotics
Vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acids to nourish coat and skin
- Real salmon as the first ingredient
- Fortified with live probiotics
- Vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acids to nourish coat and skin
High-fat content
- High-fat content
The salmon and duck 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, duck, and other wholesome ingredients.
Pros
Salmon and duck are the main ingredients
Rich in protein
Contains healthy fats and fiber
Cons
Cannot be purchased in stores
Nature’s 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 dog’s immune system and help keep your dog in good health.
Salmon and duck are the main ingredients
Rich in protein
Contains healthy fats and fiber
- Salmon and duck are the main ingredients
- Rich in protein
- Contains healthy fats and fiber
Cannot be purchased in stores
- Cannot be purchased in stores
Food form: Dry
Crude protein: 25% min
Crude fat: 12% min
Crude fiber: 4% max
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
Cons
Low protein content
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.
Free from grains, by-products, artificial flavors, and preservatives
Affordable yet high-quality
Contains salmon as the first ingredient
- Free from grains, by-products, artificial flavors, and preservatives
- Affordable yet high-quality
- Contains salmon as the first ingredient
Low protein content
- Low protein content
Food form: Dry
Crude protein: 26% min
Crude fat: 14% min
Crude fiber: 5% max
This simple and natural recipe has a moderate level of protein, with a balance of fat and fiber for an affordable price, although has large-sized kibble unsuitable for smaller dogs.
Pros
Salmon is the first ingredient
Improves skin and coat health
Affordable
Cons
Large-sized kibble
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.
Salmon is the first ingredient
Improves skin and coat health
Affordable
- Salmon is the first ingredient
- Improves skin and coat health
- Affordable
Large-sized kibble
- Large-sized kibble
Food form: Dry
Crude protein: 32% min
Crude fat: 14% min
Crude fiber: 4.5% max
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
Cons
Pricey
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.
Real deboned salmon as the first ingredient
Features high levels of omega fatty acids
An ideal combination of fats, fiber, and protein
- Real deboned salmon as the first ingredient
- Features high levels of omega fatty acids
- An ideal combination of fats, fiber, and protein
Pricey
- Pricey
Food form: Dry
Crude protein: 24% min
Crude fat: 10% min
Crude fiber: 4% max
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 it’s 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
Cons
Pricey
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.
Limited ingredient formula
Does not contain added peas, lentils, legumes, or soy
Features real salmon as the first ingredient
- Limited ingredient formula
- Does not contain added peas, lentils, legumes, or soy
- Features real salmon as the first ingredient
Food form: Wet
Crude protein: 8% min
Crude fat: 5% min
Crude fiber: 5% max
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
Cons
High-fat content
This limited-ingredient dog food from Blue Buffalo contains a single animal-sourced protein—salmon—as the main ingredient. It also includes pumpkin, peas, and potatoes which are easily digestible carbohydrates. This formula features the brand’s exclusive LifeSource Bits which are a combination of selected antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins chosen by veterinarians and animal nutritionists.
Made with fish from MSC-certified fisheries
Made from high-quality ingredients
Grain-free recipe
- Made with fish from MSC-certified fisheries
- Made from high-quality ingredients
- Grain-free recipe
Food form: Dry
Crude protein: 20% min
Crude fat: 12% min
Crude fiber: 6% max
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 dog’s 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
Limited ingredients
Free from chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, and eggs
Ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs
- Limited ingredients
- Free from chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, and eggs
- Ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs
Low protein content
High fat content
- Low protein content
- High fat content
Buyer’s Guide – How to Purchase 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 and many dogs who 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 dog’s 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
Related Read: 10 Best Salmon Oil Supplements for Dogs: Reviews & Top Picks
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
- 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 it’s affordable and salmon is the first among many great ingredients in this dog food. Our next favorite, 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!
Featured Image Credit: Irina Kozorog, Shutterstock
