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After careful analysis, our top recommended organic dog food is The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Chicken Recipe.
This high quality organic diet is made only from the best ingredients, and is bursting with flavor that dogs love. It’s rich in antioxidants, encourages healthy digestion and is well balanced.
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With many of us choosing to purchase organic food for ourselves, it’s logical that we might also want to buy organic products for our pets. Organic crops and vegetables are produced without the use of synthetic chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers and do not contain any genetically modified organisms. Growth regulators, antibiotics, and livestock feed additives are also not used in the rearing of animals for organic meat. Instead, these farmers rely on more natural methods such as crop rotation, natural manures, and biological pest control. Here are some things to look for when choosing organic food for your dog.
Dog food that contains at least 95% organic ingredients will be certified with an official “USDA Organic” seal on its packaging, but this is uncommon. Most dog foods will only be partially organic, meaning they contain varying levels of organic ingredients (which should be specified on the packaging). Foods that state they are “Made with organic ingredients” contain 70% organic ingredients with some restrictions on the remaining 30%.
If your primary concern is nutrient content for your dog, then there is little difference between organic food and other normal commercial foods. Organic foods are mainly chosen because they contain fewer pesticide residues, which may be a concern for some owners, not because they are nutritionally better for your pet. This may come at an increased cost due to the more labor-intensive farming methods used.
As with any dog food, you should choose a diet that has a good-quality protein source at the top of its ingredients list, with cheaper filler-type ingredients lower down. Most dogs require a protein content of 18% or more in their diet.
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 Grain-Free is an excellent organic food made from only the best quality ingredients to help keep dogs happy and healthy. Honest Kitchen is a diet that dogs love. It is chock full of flavor and is well balanced and nutrient dense to support an excellent body condition and overall good health.
Honest Kitchen is free from grains, taking its carbohydrates from high-fiber, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to boost the immune system and encourage good digestion. This dehydrated food is easily rehydrated with the addition of water, making it convenient for families that travel with their dogs.
This diet contains no corn, wheat, soy, by-products, or added sugars, placing it among the best organic dog foods available today.
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free packs a powerhouse punch with its great taste that dogs love and its nutrient-dense organic formulation. Each ingredient selected for this food is derived from the best quality sources to ensure its safety and nutritional value.
The first ingredient in this food is free-range chicken that has been certified to be organic. Organic sweet potatoes are the main carbohydrate source, a high-fiber vegetable that is rich in antioxidants.
Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids have been added to this diet to support healthy coat and skin. In addition to this, Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free places a high emphasis on the inclusion of superfoods such as organic flaxseed, blueberries, and coconut to support a healthy immune system and joint health.
One of the best organic foods for dogs, Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free meets all of the criteria to be designated 95% organic.
Tender & True Organic is a food that families desiring quality meals for their dogs can feel good about feeding their best canine pal. A diet whose primary ingredient is organic chicken, Tender and True Organic prioritizes top quality proteins that were fed optimal nutrition and raised in humane conditions.
Tender & True Organic is a balanced food which has been enriched with the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to promote excellent health and the achievement of an ideal body weight. The food is formulated in the United States and contains no corn, wheat, soy, grains, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
With such a high emphasis on ease of digestion, Tender & True Organic is among the best organic foods for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
TruDog Feed Me Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried is a food of exceptional quality that is prepared from the finest raw ingredients. This diet is extremely high in protein, containing such whole meats as organic beef, organs, bone, and blood. Herring oil has been added to this food to ensure ample amounts of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to provide vital energy, support for joint health, and healthy skin and coat.
TruDog Feed Me Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried, a diet that has been praised as one of the best organic foods for dogs, contains no wheat, gluten, corn, soy, grains, fillers, antibiotics, artificial flavors, colors, added sugar, salt, or hormones. It is rated as both natural and hypoallergenic, making it an excellent choice for dogs suffering from skin or stomach sensitivities.
Evanger’s Organics Grain-Free Canned Food is a high-quality wet food that dogs love. Each ingredient included in this diet was selected for its excellent nutritional value to support health and wellness in dogs. Evanger’s Organics Grain-Free Canned Food has met the criteria to be classified as an organic food.
This diet contains no soy, corn, wheat, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or by-products, making it an excellent choice for families seeking the best organic dog food to feed their precious pooch.
When it come to the best organic dog foods, it is important to know that not all diets are created equally. The word “organic” itself has become somewhat of a buzzword as companies realize pet owners’ interests in feeding their dogs food that they believe to be the best for them.
Organic and natural dog foods typically are the best for dogs to consume since great care is taken to source ingredients that have been raised in the ideal conditions and that are free from pesticides and other harmful agents. However, there is a difference between what is defined as an organic food and a natural food, and it is important for families to understand this to make the best selection for their dog.
Under the regulations established by the Association of American Feed Control Offices (AAFCO), natural is defined as “a feed or feed ingredient derived solely from plant, animal, or mined sources…not having been produced by or subject to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives or processing aids that are chemically synthetic.”
What this typically means in terms of dog foods which are often filled with items that would seemingly defy this description is that a natural food must be free from corn, wheat, soy, and artificial colors to be designated as “natural.” It is also important to note that currently there are no specific rules that companies must adhere to to market their diets as natural dog foods.
Organic foods are bound by a far more stringent set of guidelines. For a dog food to receive the designation of certified organic, all plants included in the food must have been cultivated without the use of any pesticides, artificial fertilizers, genetic modification, irradiation, or sewer sludge.
Any proteins included in organic diets are also required to be taken from animals which were fed organic materials, provided with the opportunity to roam outdoors, and to have never been subjected to treatment by antibiotics or hormones.
Receiving certification as an organic dog food is a lengthy process with many hoops to be jumped through to accomplish. Regulations surrounding the privilege of labeling a dog food as organic are very strict. As a result, sourcing ingredients of this quality as well as achieving certification is an extremely lengthy and expensive task, meaning the dog food itself is more costly for the consumer as a whole.
Organic dog foods are made from the best available ingredients thus meaning their quality is exceptional. Ingredients are most often included in their whole form, and as a result, the food is nutritionally dense. This means that though a food may come with a higher price tag less of it will need to be fed on a daily basis to achieve the same results as a lesser quality food. So though the initial financial output may be high, savings are realized through fewer health issues and a food that lasts longer.
The amount of the best organic food for dogs each dog will need will depend on a number of factors. Among the biggest considerations are age, weight, activity level, breed, and the type of food itself. As a general guideline, it is a good idea to follow the suggested serving sizes printed on the bag of food. These can be adjusted until the correct portion size is determined.
As with all foods, a dog’s weight and appetite can help families to assess whether meal sizes should be increased or decreased.
Even within organic dog foods, some differences do exist. It is important for owners to take the time to understand what is in any food they are considering purchasing for their dog.
One of the key distinctions in organic dog foods today is labeling. Some organic foods will be marketed as containing organic ingredients while others declare themselves to be all-organic. When a food is labeled “USDA Organic,” this means that the food was certified to contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients as defined by the USDA. Foods that are simply made with some organic ingredients have a lower requirement imposed on them with only 70 percent of their ingredients required to be certified as organic.
It is also important to select a food that specifically labels its proteins. If an organic food simply lists things such as “meats” or “animal fats,” these diets are best avoided.
Within the United States, the FDA is responsible for ensuring a food is suitable for animal consumption. This authority is also regulated by the Department of Agriculture in each individual state. It is important to note that though inspections of food manufacturing plants do occur regularly, notices to comply are not always adhered to, and regulations are not always enforced. This means that not all dog foods that proclaim themselves to be organic truly are.
Always look for the title “certified organic” on any food that proclaims to be an organic diet. Many companies try to avoid this by stating they include certain ingredients that have received the designation of being a USDA organic product. These may contain one item that has been certified as USDA organic while the food as whole is not certified.
As with all dog foods, it is important that the first ingredient in any organic dog food be a meat with whole meats preferable. Carbohydrates may be from whole grains or fruits and vegetables with their main goal being providing excellent amounts of dietary fiber and antioxidants. Lastly, healthy fats provide dogs with the energy they need and are also a vital help in maintaining good skin and coat quality and promoting healthy joints.
Any food suited for the need of an adult dog should contain a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat. Use this criteria as a basic rule of thumb when considering which diet is the best organic dog food.
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in an organic dog food:
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