Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food review

At a Glance

  • Top 5 Ingredients:
    1. Deboned Chicken
    2. Chicken Meal
    3. Sweet Potatoes
    4. Potatoes
    5. Turkey Meal
  • Type: Freeze-dried raw and kibble
  • Lifestage: Puppy
  • Calories: 396 kcal/cup
  • Protein: 30%
  • Fat: 14%
  • Fiber: 3.5%

Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy is a food formulation comprised of exceptional quality ingredients to fuel each developmental stage of the Blue Heeler puppy’s first year of life. The main ingredient in this diet is deboned chicken. This lean protein is reinforced through the addition of chicken meal to ensure ample amounts of amino acids to support strong and healthy muscle growth.

A diet consistently rated among the best dog foods for Blue Heeler puppies, Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy is complete grain-free. The carbohydrates included in this recipe are taken from high fiber and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. This Merrick puppy offering is highly flavorful, relying on the addition of freeze-dried meat pieces and kibble to encourage hearty eating in Blue Heeler puppies.

Pros

  • Puppies love the taste of this diet. They are particularly enthused about the freeze-dried meat pieces found in it. Even picky eaters enjoy this food.
  • Owners are pleased to report that their puppies shed less when fed Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy regularly.
  • Puppies that struggled with food-related allergies did very well on this diet, finding complete relief from their symptoms.
  • Owners noted that puppies that struggled to maintain a healthy weight easily achieved their ideal body condition when fed this diet consistently.
  • Puppies fed a steady diet of Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy had excellent energy levels.

Cons

  • Some owners dislike that this diet contains no grains. They would prefer to feed a grain-inclusive formula to help prevent dilated cardiomyopathy and to support ideal digestion.
  • A few owners felt this diet was too expensive.
  • Some puppies don’t like the taste of this food and won’t eat it.
  • Some puppies pick out the pieces of freeze-dried meat and ignore the kibble. This problem can be avoided by reserving the meat chunks to feed as a treat at the end of the meal.
  • Several owners noted there was inconsistency in the ratio of freeze-dried meat pieces to kibble in their bags of food.

Instinct Be Natural Puppy Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Dog Food review

At a Glance

  • Top 5 Ingredients:
    1. Chicken
    2. Chicken Meal
    3. Barley
    4. Brown Rice
    5. Oatmeal
  • Type: Dry food
  • Lifestage: Puppy
  • Calories: 468 kcal/cup
  • Protein: 25%
  • Fat: 18%
  • Fiber: 4%

Instinct Be Natural Puppy, one of the best dog foods for Blue Heeler puppies, combines top quality nutrition with an excellent price point to give dog owners exceptional value for their money. This diet includes both freeze-dried pieces of meat and kibble to ensure the food is highly flavorful and appealing to puppies.

The primary ingredients in this diet are chicken and chicken meal. These proteins are easy for puppies to digest and utilize their nutrients effectively to promote good health. A grain-inclusive formulation, Instinct Be Natural Puppy contains no fillers, corn, wheat, soy, by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Pros

  • Most puppies really enjoy the taste of this food. Even picky eaters look forward to their every meal.
  • Owners are pleased with the size of the kibble pieces in this diet, feeling they ideally suited to the needs of Blue Heeler puppies.
  • The stool quality of puppies fed this diet consistently was excellent.
  • Owners expressed they are pleased that this diet is free from some of the most common food allergens for puppies including wheat, soy, corn, peas, and potatoes.
  • This diet is available at a reasonable price point, giving owners the satisfaction of a food that is of exceptional quality for an affordable cost.

Cons

  • Some puppies dislike this food and will not eat it. Another Instinct offering may be a better option for those pups.
  • Several owners expressed that they felt that this food is a little pricey.
  • A few owners noted that this diet has recently had a large increase in price, making it harder for them to continue to afford to feed their puppies.
  • Some owners shared that they would prefer to feed a diet that is grain-free. Instinct has many different puppy foods that are completely free from grains. One of these foods may be a better fit.
  • This diet does not contain any supplements to promote ideal joint health in growing Blue Heeler puppies.

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food review

At a Glance

  • Top 5 Ingredients:
    1. Water Buffalo
    2. Lamb Meal
    3. Sweet Potatoes
    4. Egg Product
    5. Pea Protein
  • Type: Dry food
  • Lifestage: Puppy
  • Calories: 364 kcal/cup
  • Protein: 28%
  • Fat: 17%
  • Fiber: 5%

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy is highly rated by both owners and canine professionals as one of the best dog foods for Blue Heeler puppies. This high performance food has been designed specifically to provide support for active pups like the Blue Heeler. To encourage eating satisfaction, this formulation is highly flavorful and bases its recipe on several different unique proteins including buffalo and lamb meal.

A grain-free diet, Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy includes a wide variety of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables in its formulation. These ingredients promote fluid digestive processes in the Blue Heeler puppy.

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy contains no grains, corn, wheat, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

Pros

  • Puppies love the taste of this food. They consume their every meal with hearty gusto.
  • Owners really like that Taste of the Wild is available in many different flavors, allowing owners to provide their dogs with variety in their meals.
  • Owners feel the price of this food is very reasonable, giving them excellent nutrition and value for their dog food dollar.
  • Owners are pleased with the size of the kibble pieces in this diet, feeling they are the ideal shape, size, and texture for their Blue Heeler puppies.
  • This diet is grain-free. Owners of puppies with food sensitivities are happy about this, feeling the absence of grains is important to helping their pups find relief from their symptoms.

Cons

  • Some dogs dislike the taste of this food and will not eat it. A different Taste of the Wild puppy formulation may yield better results.
  • A few owners indicated they found this diet had a very strong and off-putting smell.
  • Some owners felt the kibble pieces in this diet were too small and had concerns they may pose a choking hazard for their Blue Heeler puppies.
  • Several owners indicated they wished this food was available in a grain-inclusive formulation. They expressed that they prefer to feed a diet that includes whole grains to help their puppies achieve ideal digestion.
  • Some owners feel this diet is rather expensive.

Merrick Grain-Free Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Puppy Food review

At a Glance

  • Top 5 Ingredients:
    1. Deboned Beef
    2. Sweet Potatoes
    3. Peas
    4. Lamb Meal
    5. Potatoes
  • Type: Dry food
  • Lifestage: Puppy
  • Calories: 400 kcal/cup
  • Protein: 28%
  • Fat: 15%
  • Fiber: 4.5%

For an excellent quality diet, owners can definitely rest assured their Blue Heeler puppy’s needs are met with Merrick Grain-Free Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Puppy Food. This diet’s main protein source is deboned beef with vegetables and fruits providing vital carbohydrates.

This diet, rated as one of the best dog foods for Blue Heeler puppies, is free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. It is also both grain and gluten-free.

DHA has been added to assist with brain development.

Pros

  • Owners noticed their puppy’s coat quality improved with a switch to this diet.
  • Puppies fed a regular diet of Merrick Grain-Free Puppy appear to be in excellent health and have strong reserves of energy.
  • Several owners report their puppy’s stool quality is excellent when fed a regular diet of Merrick Grain-Free Puppy.
  • Puppies fed this diet on a regular basis had fewer bowel movements and their stool consistency was normal.

Cons

VICTOR Nutra Pro Active High Dry Low Carb Dog Food review

At a Glance

  • Top 5 Ingredients:
    1. Chicken Meal
    2. Blood Meal Conventionally Dried
    3. Whole Grain Millet
    4. Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols)
    5. Yeast Culture
  • Type: Dry food
  • Lifestage: Puppy and adult
  • Calories: 401 kcal/cup
  • Protein: 38%
  • Fat: 18%
  • Fiber: 3.5%

VICTOR Purpose Nutra Pro is a high protein food that meets all of the high points puppies and active dogs like Blue Heeler puppies need from their diet to thrive. To help fuel the activity levels of a busy puppy, Victor Select Nutro Pro places a high emphasis on exceptional quality proteins with carbohydrates derived from easily digestible grains taking a lower priority in this formulation.

This diet, rated among the best puppy foods for weight gain, has been enriched with the essential vitamins, nutrients, minerals, and essential fatty acids to support good health.

Pros

  • This diet is very flavorful. Puppies love the taste of this food and look forward to their every meal.
  • Puppies fed this diet on an ongoing basis saw great improvements in their coat quality. Owners shared that over time their puppies’ coats became thick, lustrous, shiny, and soft.
  • Owners like that this diet is free from the most common allergens for puppies such as wheat, corn, and soy.
  • The price of this food is quite reasonable, particularly given its excellent quality nutrition.

Cons

  • Owners like that this diet is free from the most common allergens for puppies such as wheat, corn, and soy.
  • A few puppies suffered from mild gastrointestinal distress when fed this diet regularly. This could be as a result of the high protein content, a sensitivity to one of the food’s ingredients, or simply the result of too quick a dietary change.