We spend a lot of time thinking about feeding ourselves, and our families, and it’s easy—find a recipe, order takeout, or sign up for home delivery. And mostly, eat what tastes good! But how do you pick an all-important food for the one family member that can’t tell you what tastes good or doesn’t?
Picking a puppy food is critical—it starts your pup on the road to adulthood and lifelong health. Here are some reviews on the top foods, so you can go about finding the right food for your furry family!
A Glance At Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Purina ONE Natural Puppy Food
Top ingredient is chicken
Supports the immune system
Promotes healthy skin and coat
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Best Value
Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy
Number one ingredient is chicken
Great all around food that is a great value
Puppies love the taste
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Best for Large Breeds
Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed
Good for large breed puppies
Reputable brand
Promotes strong bones and strong teeth
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Best for Small Breeds
Royal Canin Small Puppy
Specifically for small breed puppies
Smaller kibble size is easier to eat
Includes a blend of antioxidants and vitamins
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Best Canned Puppy Food
Royal Canin Puppy
Good for puppies that don’t like dry food
Good for puppies that need more moisture in their diet
Can be used as a main food, or added on top of dry food
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The 9 Best Vet-Recommended Puppy Foods
Purina is a long-established brand of pet food, with veterinary science backing the product. This food is readily available, and a great value for the money. Plus, puppies seem to like it! As the best food overall, it’s good for puppies, tasty, and will set your puppy in the right direction to grow well, given the higher protein levels. It is not tailored to a specific breed size, which makes it especially convenient if you are feeding multiple puppies of different sizes!
No artificial ingredients or colors
High protein for growth
Great value
No artificial ingredients or colors
High protein for growth
Great value
- No artificial ingredients or colors
- High protein for growth
- Great value
Pros
The top ingredient is chicken
Puppies love the taste
Cons
Might not be the best food for large-breed puppies, which have different growth requirements
Dry food, which some puppies might not prefer
2. Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy – Best Value
Iams is a traditional maker of pet foods, so it has a long reputation in the industry for making quality foods. This is one of the best puppy foods for the money, balancing both quality and value. And it’s easy to find—making it a great option for all-around feeding or to use as a mixer with other foods.
The top ingredient is chicken
Puppies love the taste
- The top ingredient is chicken
- Puppies love the taste
Might not be the best food for large-breed puppies, which have different growth requirements
Dry food, which some puppies might not prefer
- Might not be the best food for large-breed puppies, which have different growth requirements
- Dry food, which some puppies might not prefer
The number one ingredient is chicken
Great all-around food that is a great value
- The number one ingredient is chicken
- Great all-around food that is a great value
Pros
Easy to find online or in stores
Puppies love the taste
Balanced nutrition
Cons
May not be ideal for puppies that don’t like chicken
3. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Food – Best for Large Breeds
Easy to find online or in stores
Puppies love the taste
Balanced nutrition
- Easy to find online or in stores
- Puppies love the taste
- Balanced nutrition
May not be ideal for puppies that don’t like chicken
- May not be ideal for puppies that don’t like chicken
Hill’s Science Diet is another reputable company making quality diets for dogs and cats, and this particular food is no exception. Because large breed puppies have different growth rates than other breeds, this food is formulated specifically for those needs, which can be important in preventing issues down the road.
Specific for large breed puppies
Highly reputable brand
- Specific for large breed puppies
- Highly reputable brand
Pros
Good for large breed puppies
Reputable brand
Cons
May be difficult to find in stores
Not ideal for houses that also have small-breed puppies
4. Royal Canin Small Puppy – Best for Small Breeds
Royal Canin is a reputable company making quality diets for dogs and cats, and this breed-size-specific diet is no exception. Based on the needs of smaller breeds, the kibble size and shape are tailored to the feeding preferences of small dogs. It is worth trying, to see what your small-breed puppy thinks!
Good for large breed puppies
Reputable brand
- Good for large breed puppies
- Reputable brand
May be difficult to find in stores
Not ideal for houses that also have small-breed puppies
- May be difficult to find in stores
- Not ideal for houses that also have small-breed puppies
Formulated specifically for small breed puppies
Meets higher energy needs of small breeds
Reputable brand
- Formulated specifically for small breed puppies
- Meets higher energy needs of small breeds
- Reputable brand
Pros
Specifically for small-breed puppies
Smaller kibble size is easier to eat
Cons
May be difficult to find in stores
May not be suitable for households that also have large-breed puppies
5. Royal Canin Puppy – Best Canned Puppy Food
A different choice than dry food, Royal Canin Puppy canned food provides more moisture and a very different texture. Many dogs have a preference for one over the other, but it is a good idea to expose puppies to both types when they are growing up.
Specifically for small-breed puppies
Smaller kibble size is easier to eat
- Specifically for small-breed puppies
- Smaller kibble size is easier to eat
May be difficult to find in stores
May not be suitable for households that also have large-breed puppies
- May be difficult to find in stores
- May not be suitable for households that also have large-breed puppies
Pate-style food is easy to eat
Contains added nutrients to help the puppy’s GI tract
- Pate-style food is easy to eat
- Contains added nutrients to help the puppy’s GI tract
Pros
Good for puppies that don’t like dry food
Good for puppies that need more moisture in their diet
Can be used as the main food, or added on top of dry food
Cons
Can be difficult to find in stores
Bulkier to store than dry food
6. Purina Puppy Chow – Best Availability
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Formulated for growing puppies
No artificial ingredients
Purina Puppy Chow can be found in most stores and online with relative ease. Also a favorite of pups, due to its taste and crunch, it’s good for a pinch, or as the main food.
Good for puppies that don’t like dry food
Good for puppies that need more moisture in their diet
Can be used as the main food, or added on top of dry food
- Good for puppies that don’t like dry food
- Good for puppies that need more moisture in their diet
- Can be used as the main food, or added on top of dry food
Can be difficult to find in stores
Bulkier to store than dry food
- Can be difficult to find in stores
- Bulkier to store than dry food
Formulated for growing puppies
No artificial ingredients
- Formulated for growing puppies
- No artificial ingredients
Pros
Easy to find in grocery stores
Good value
Cons
The primary protein is beef, which may not be ideal for some puppies
7. Purina ProPlan Lamb – Best Chicken and Beef Alternative
Common protein sources in Purina ProLamb puppy food include beef and chicken. For pups that might not enjoy the taste or smell of beef or chicken, or who have sensitivities to either of these proteins, this is a good alternative.
Easy to find in grocery stores
Good value
- Easy to find in grocery stores
- Good value
The primary protein is beef, which may not be ideal for some puppies
- The primary protein is beef, which may not be ideal for some puppies
Good alternative protein
High in protein
Contains probiotics to support immune and GI health
- Good alternative protein
- High in protein
- Contains probiotics to support immune and GI health
Pros
Suitable for all breeds
Fully balanced diet
Cons
Some dogs may not like a lamb
8. Purina ProPlan Puppy Sensitive Skin and Stomach – Best for Sensitivities
Some puppies have issues with softer stools or vomiting, that just don’t seem to go away, no matter what you try. Same with skin—some puppies have dry skin, or poor haircoats, that just doesn’t seem quite normal. Purina ProPlan puppy food made specifically for these types of issues can sometimes be helpful.
Suitable for all breeds
Fully balanced diet
- Suitable for all breeds
- Fully balanced diet
Some dogs may not like a lamb
- Some dogs may not like a lamb
Good choice for puppies with stomach upset
Helps with dry skin and poor haircoat
- Good choice for puppies with stomach upset
- Helps with dry skin and poor haircoat
Pros
Easy-to-digest formula
Most puppies like the ingredients
Cons
Might not resolve skin or GI issues
Pickier pups may not like the taste
9. Pedigree Puppy Growth & Protection – Best for Fussy Eaters
Pedigree is a classic dog food brand, and their puppy food is also tasty. For pups that might be on the fussier side, sometimes simple is best, and this often hits the spot.
Easy-to-digest formula
Most puppies like the ingredients
- Easy-to-digest formula
- Most puppies like the ingredients
Might not resolve skin or GI issues
Pickier pups may not like the taste
- Might not resolve skin or GI issues
- Pickier pups may not like the taste
No high fructose corn syrup
No artificial flavors
Crunchy texture
- No high fructose corn syrup
- No artificial flavors
- Crunchy texture
Pros
Good for most breeds
Easy to find in most stores
Cons
Might not be suitable for large breeds
The bag doesn’t reseal
Buyer’s Guide: What to Consider When Choosing Your Puppy’s Food Brand
While choosing a puppy food can be daunting, breaking the process into steps can be helpful.
Good for most breeds
Easy to find in most stores
- Good for most breeds
- Easy to find in most stores
Might not be suitable for large breeds
The bag doesn’t reseal
- Might not be suitable for large breeds
- The bag doesn’t reseal
First, it is hugely important to consider the company making the puppy food you purchase, in addition to the value, availability, and taste of the food. Pet foods in recent years have made news for containing imbalanced vitamins and minerals, or for being contaminated with bacteria—neither of which is desired when you have a growing puppy. Therefore, stick to the brands that have been around for a long time, and then decide what your puppy would like, based on what is available.
When buying puppy food, once you know what food your pup likes, it is often a better value to buy a bigger bag. There are mixed opinions about whether you should stick only to one food, or change things up now and again, to get your pup used to different types of foods. There are no hard and fast rules, so it’s worth both speaking with your vet about this idea and experimenting to find out what works best for your pup.
Don’t forget that many companies now make foods that are tailored not only to specific-sized puppies but also to different breeds. These foods are based on lots of data and research—as happy puppies that eat them often report—so make them a consideration as well, if you have one of these types of puppies.
Also, know that some of the more reputable companies will often reimburse you for a bag of food if your puppy doesn’t like the flavor, which means you can worry less about buying food for the first time.
Final Verdict
Picking a puppy’s food is not an easy challenge, but hopefully, these reviews make the process slightly easier. Our choice for the best overall food is Purina One, which we like for its availability, and because pups love the taste! The best value food we found was Iams Proactive, which was harder to find, but a good value, and well-liked by pups. For large-breed puppies, Hill’s Science Diet is a great choice to keep your pups growing healthy.
Featured Image Credit: Switlana Sonyashna, Shutterstock
