Best Dry Dog Food: 6 Brands With All Natural Ingredients

In a quest to find the best dry dog food, some pet owners may turn to brands that advertise "natural" or "organic" ingredients. It is important for owners to be smart about these labels and realize that not every natural choice is alike.

There is little regulation over these types of claims in dog foods. Each manufacturer may have a slightly different standard for the ingredients they use in these healthier-sounding products.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no official definition for the term "natural" when it comes to dog food.

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The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has developed certain minimum guidelines for best dry dog foods and recommends that for the foods to be considered natural, they should not have artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

Labels that advertise organic dog food should generally refer to the way the products that go into the food have been grown or raised. However, the FDA says that while regulations are being developed, "There are no official rules governing the labeling of organic foods for pets at this time."

Here are six brands that sell under the "natural" or "organic" label, including some of the ingredients they advertise in their best dry dog food as a healthful choice for your pet:

1. Blue Buffalo: This company is devoted to "natural" pet foods. It builds its reputation on creating its best dry dog food with vitamin-packed "LifeSource Bits." These bits include flax seed, parsley, blueberries, kelp, and barley grass, which are made with minimal cooking to preserve the nutrients.

2. IAMs Natural: The IAMs company makes a variety of pet foods. Their IAMs Naturals product line includes vegetables and fruit and is made without "corn, soy, or chicken by-product meal." It also has a grain-free option.

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3. DVP Natural Balance: Dick Van Patton’s Natural Balance Pet Foods include a "vegetarian" dog food and reduced-calorie foods. The vegan option for their best dry dog food includes brown rice, oatmeal, potatoes, and green peas. It also boasts no artificial flavors or colors. The DVP Alpha Grain-Free food includes garbanzo beans, blueberries, zucchini, and apples.

4. Newman’s Own Organics: Newman’s Own Organics Premium Pet Food advertises an organic solution for its best dry dog food. This dry food product is made with organic brown rice, peas, and carrots — and skips the added hormones, antibiotics, or chemicals. The product is certified organic by Oregon Tilth.

5. Purina Beyond: Purina's line of natural dry dog food, called Beyond, carries the tag line "All the nourishment your pets need and nothing they don't." The product is touted as having no corn, wheat, or soy, no poultry by-product meal, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Among the choices is a product called Simply 9, which is made of only nine ingredients.

6. Natural Planet Organics: Among the ingredients in this company’s best dry dog food are peas, apples, blueberries and cranberries, organic turkey, and tapioca flour. They also offer a chicken formula dry dog food made with free-range chicken.

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