Breed Advisor is reader supported! This page contains affiliate links, that at no additional cost to you, may earn a small commission. Find out more here.
After careful analysis, our top recommended low residue dog food is The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe.
It’s specifically formulated to help dogs with digestive issues, containing only high quality ingredients. At 4% fiber content, it’s also beneficial for your pup as the food is easy to digest, and nutrients can be accessed more readily.
Click here to find the best price today!
Low residue dog foods are those that are low in fiber and very easy for dogs to digest. These diets are often used for dogs that have loose stools or are going to the toilet multiple times a day, for example in cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These sorts of diets can be used in the short term, for self-limiting cases of vomiting or diarrhea, or as a long-term diet to help your dog produce more normal stools. Here is what you should be aware of when looking for low residue dog food.
A diet that has a fiber content of 5% or less will be easier for your dog to digest, meaning they can access nutrients more readily. The reduced fiber content can help to slow gut transit time (the length of time it takes food to pass through the digestive tract) and can therefore be helpful if your dog is passing multiple stools a day.
The addition of probiotics to the diet can be helpful to dogs with a variety of digestive issues. Probiotics are gut-friendly organisms that compete with other more harmful bacteria in the guts for space and also help with digestion. Prebiotics are a special type of fiber that acts as a nutritious food source for these bacteria, helping them to thrive.
Low-residue diets tend to be naturally higher in protein than other diets. Since protein is easy to digest, a higher protein diet results in lower residue and fewer poops.
All of our dog food suggestions are carefully selected by professionals. We extensively research the products to check if they’ve been approved by governing bodies before making recommendations. You can read more about our stringent review standards here. And remember, always consult your veterinarian first, before changing your dog’s food.
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food is a diet designed specifically to help dogs overcome digestive issues. One of the best low residue dog foods available today, The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated focuses on a formula comprised of ingredients that are of exceptional quality and that are easy for dogs to digest.
A high protein formula, The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dehydrated takes free-range chicken as its singular protein, a primary ingredient that is included in its whole form and that is rich in amino acids to support a healthy body. Whole grains that are easy for dogs to process have been included as the foundation of the carbohydrates in this powerhouse food.
This diet is free from by-products and preservatives.
Addiction Grain-Free Wild Kangaroo & Apples Dry Dog Food combines incredible flavor with excellent quality nutrition to provide dogs with the health benefits they need from their food. Addiction Grain-Free’s first ingredient is kangaroo, a novel meat that is unlikely to trigger any skin or stomach sensitivities in dogs suffering from digestive issues.
This diet has a limited ingredients list and places a high emphasis on fruits and vegetables that are easy for dogs to digest and that are rich in antioxidants to support a strong immune system.
Addiction Grain-Free, one of the best low residue dog foods on the market today, contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
For dogs suffering from digestive issues, Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe is considered to be among the best low residue dog foods to help provide relief from common symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Rabbit is the primary ingredient in this high quality diet, a meat that is novel to most dogs, and thus, is kind to dogs with food sensitivities to other more commonly used proteins.
LifeSource Bits have been added to provide additional antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to encourage a flourishing immune system. In addition to this, Blue Buffalo Rocky Mountain Recipe contains no corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free, a diet that is rated among the best low residue dog foods, hits all the high points dogs with sensitive digestion need from their meals. Chicken is the basis of this diet. The powerhouse poultry included in this food is both organic and free-range to increase its nutritional profile.
Sweet potatoes are the main carbohydrate in this diet, a vegetable that is easy to digest and packed full of important vitamins and minerals to support good health. 95% of the ingredients included in Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free are certified to be organic, making it an extremely healthy choice for dogs.
One of the best low residue dog foods that offers great nutrition and excellent value for each family’s dog food dollar, it is hard to go wrong with Nature’s Recipe. A diet based on chicken meal, a concentrated protein source of good quality, Nature’s Recipe is chock full of all of the amino acids dogs need to develop strong and healthy muscles.
A grain-inclusive formulation, Nature’s Recipe takes whole rice as one of its carbohydrates. The diet is free from corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Prebiotics have been added to this food to provide a vital help for digestion.
The best low residue dog foods apply their focus to crafting a diet that contains only ingredients that are easy for dogs to digest thus greatly reducing their amount of fecal output. The ideal purpose of this type of food is to create a formula that is full of nutrients that are easily absorbed to provide maximum nutritional benefits to the dog. This naturally translates to smaller stools since the food contains very little waste.
Though low residue dog foods do contain dietary fiber, they focus on soluble fiber which is easier for dogs to break down and utilize effectively. When compared to other types of dog foods, their fiber content may appear as less; however, it is simply concentrated on fiber-rich ingredients that are easy to process.
One of the most common purposes for low residue dog foods is to assist dogs suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. The ingredient profile of these types of diets makes them amenable to helping alleviate both nausea and diarrhea in dogs.
Since dogs suffering from IBD commonly have inflamed digestive tracts, low residue dog foods soothe the digestive system through ingredients that are easy to process and that yield very little output, helping to reduce digestive strain on the dog’s body.
It is always a good idea for owners to assess the quality of their dog’s stool to understand if the food they are receiving is adequate to meet the dog’s needs. Stools that are excessive in size, poorly formed, watery, or extremely odorous indicate that the dog is struggling to properly process its nutrition, and a dietary change may be in order.
In addition to this; if a dog has bowel movements that yield small bits of excrement that are very dense and hard, constipation may be an issue.
Low residue dog food has been specifically formulated with the intent of providing relief on overtaxed bowels and to restore proper stool quality. It ideally should help reduce the size of bowel movements and eliminate any overreaching odors.
One of the most critical elements of any low residue dog food is its emphasis on ingredients that are easy to digest. The overall focus is developing a formula comprised of ingredients that are 85-90% digestible. Other important hallmarks of low residue diets include moderate amounts of fat and a low fiber content.
Dogs gain many health benefits from transitioning to a low residue diet. Among the greatest advantages a low residue dog food may include:
Overeating can be a major cause of gastrointestinal distress in dogs and can also lead to obesity. To prevent this, it is very important for dog owners to determine precisely how much of the best low residue food to feed their dog.
The bag of food selected will offer suggested serving sizes. This is the recommended place to start. Use this as a baseline measure, increasing or decreasing amounts according to the dog’s weight and appetite until the correct portion size is found.
For adult dogs, it is best to select a dog food that contains a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat. Puppies require a diet that is comprised of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat. It is also important to choose a food that has only moderate amounts of fat and that is relatively low in fiber in order to soothe inflamed digestive tracts and improve the dog’s stool quality.
Of primary importance in any of the best low residue dog foods is the diet’s emphasis on ingredients that are easy for dogs to digest well. The formula should be comprised of foods that make the overall diet 85-90% digestible.
For dogs suffering from digestive issues, high protein content from exceptional quality meats is critical. Novel protein sources are an excellent choice as they are unlikely to trigger skin or stomach sensitivities in dogs whose digestive problems may be related to allergies.
A meat-based protein should be the first ingredient in any low residue dog food of good quality. Meat meals are acceptable, but by-products and plant-based proteins may inflame an irritated digestive tract further, and thus, should be avoided.
Healthy fats are very important to any well-balanced diet for dogs. These are best derived from animal origins such as chicken fat or oily fish. However, the fat content should be moderate at best as too much fat can interfere with good stool quality. As a general rule of thumb, between 6-15% is the preferred amount.
Any carbohydrates included in a low residue food should be selected for their low fiber and antioxidant rich profile. Though gluten-free items are recommended, whole grains are also acceptable so long as they are easy to process and soothing to the digestive tract.
Supplements are always an excellent idea to boost the nutritional benefits dogs receive from their diet. Among the best to consider are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives should be avoided as they are often culprits in poor digestion and even the development of sensitivities to certain foods.
For dogs with digestive issues, it is recommended that owners choose a dry kibble over wet food as it offers higher nutritional content.
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in a low residue dog food:
Before you go, save up to 50% on your pet supplies…
SEE TODAY'S BEST DOGGY DEALS ON AMAZON.COM! No Thanks
