Top Picks: Best Kibble Brands for Your Furry Friend

When it comes to choosing the best kibble for our furry friends, ensuring quality ingredients and nutritional balance is crucial for their health and wellbeing. With a wide array of options on the market, from grain-free recipes to those enriched with vitamins and antioxidants, selecting the right brand can feel overwhelming. Some top contenders consistently praised by pet enthusiasts and veterinarians alike include brands like Blue Buffalo, Royal Canin, and Hill’s Science Diet, known for their dedication to high-quality standards and comprehensive dietary formulations. To explore a detailed list of highly recommended kibble brands along with insights into what makes them stand out, read on below.

Illustration of kibble

Best brands of kibble in 2025

Orijen

Orijen is renowned as one of the top producers of high-quality kibble, boasting an impressive nutrient profile with a dry matter protein content of 43%, fat level of 21%, and moderate carbohydrate content of around 28%. This brand is praised for its high protein content, primarily sourced from animal meat, and its relatively low carbohydrate levels compared to typical dry dog foods. Despite being ultra-processed, Orijen kibble stands out for its minimal use of added vitamins and minerals, indicating higher ingredient quality. However, it is worth noting that the brand was acquired by Mars, which could potentially impact the quality and sourcing of ingredients in the future.

Acana

Acana is renowned as one of the top producers of high-quality kibble, offering a biologically appropriate nutrition profile with 60% animal ingredients and 40% vegetables, fruits, and nutrients. Their recipes, such as the Light & Fit Recipe, feature fresh or raw chicken and turkey as the first two ingredients, with no added grains or low-cost fillers like soy, corn, or wheat. The brand's commitment to nutritional excellence is evident in its dry matter content, which includes 33% protein, 19% fat, and 40% carbohydrates. Acana's products are made in the USA using quality ingredients from around the world, and they have maintained a strong reputation since their production shift to the Kentucky plant, although some users have reported mixed experiences with the new manufacturing location. The brand's formulations are designed to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Adult Maintenance.

Taste of the Wild

Taste of the Wild is a highly regarded brand in the dog food market, known for its high-protein and grain-free formulas that mimic the natural diet of wild animals. Introduced in 2007, the brand is part of Diamond Pet Foods, owned by Schell & Kampeter, Inc. It offers a range of products, including grain-free and ancient grain formulas, with an average protein content of 32% in its grain-free line and 33% in its ancient grain line. The brand is praised for avoiding artificial and anonymous ingredients, and its products are complete and balanced, earning a 4.5-star rating from the Dog Food Advisor. Customers on Chewy rate Taste of the Wild 4.7 out of 5 stars, with 95% recommending it. For more insights, you can read the detailed review on Dog Food Advisor.

Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo, a leading brand in the pet food industry, has resumed significant growth in its volume sales, particularly with its Life Protection Formula, which saw an 8% increase in Nielsen-measured pound volume in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. This growth is attributed to effective advertising highlighting the superiority of its ingredients. Since General Mills acquired Blue Buffalo in March 2018, the brand has driven strong growth, increasing its U.S. distribution by four times and more than doubling its household penetration, contributing to a 15% compound annual net sales growth. Despite some challenges, including supply chain disruptions, Blue Buffalo remains a strong performer, with its pet segment being General Mills' fastest-growing segment globally. The brand's innovative products and expanded offerings, such as the renovation of its Wilderness line and the introduction of new Fresh and Tastefuls lines, further solidify its position as a top producer of high-quality kibble. For more insights on Blue Buffalo's resumed growth, check out this detailed report.

Wellness Core

Wellness Core is a highly regarded brand in the dog food industry, known for its high-protein, grain-free formulas that align with the nutritional philosophy that dogs thrive on a diet mainly comprised of meat. The Wellness Core Grain Free Dog Food features a dry matter protein reading of 38%, a fat level of 18%, and estimated carbohydrates of about 36%, making it an above-average dry product. This brand is particularly popular for its large breed formulas, which include larger kibble size and are fortified with antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. Wellness Core products are free from meat by-products, fillers, grain, corn, soy, wheat-gluten, and artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. The brand has a strong market presence and is recommended for its high-quality protein content.

Canidae

Canidae, a leading producer of high-quality kibble, owned by Ethos Pet Brands, has been a top pet nutrition brand since 1996. Known for its innovative product lines, Canidae offers a range of options such as All Life Stages, Goodness, Pure, and Sustain, with a focus on sustainability and regenerative agriculture, aiming to source over 50% of its plants from regenerative farms. The brand has introduced the Kibble Refill Station to reduce waste and single-use plastics. Canidae's products are recognized for their nutritional benefits, including improved digestion and joint health, and are available in stores and online platforms like Amazon, Chewy, and PetSmart. The company's commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction has earned it several awards, solidifying its position in the premium pet food market.

Merrick

Merrick is renowned as one of the best producers of kibble, offering an above-average, grain-inclusive dog food with a dry matter protein reading of 29.2%, a fat level of 16.9%, and estimated carbohydrates of about 45.9% in their Healthy Grains Real Beef + Brown Rice Recipe. The brand features an average protein content of 30.1% and a mean fat level of 16.8%, earning it a 4.5-star rating from the Dog Food Advisor. Merrick dog foods are produced in the United States, primarily at their facilities in Hereford, Texas, and the company also owns Castor and Pollux Natural Petworks and Whole Earth Farms. Despite some controversial ingredients like menadione, Merrick's products are highly regarded for their nutritional profile. Merrick was acquired by Nestle Purina PetCare in 2015. For more detailed information, you can visit Dog Food Advisor's review of Merrick dog food.

Fromm

Fromm Family Pet Food is renowned as one of the top producers of high-quality kibble, with a rich history spanning five generations. The company, based in Wisconsin, generates an estimated annual revenue of $21.4 million and employs 126 people, with a 6% employee growth rate in the recent year. Fromm is known for its stringent safety and quality standards, using purpose-driven ingredients from vetted suppliers and manufacturing products in their own facilities in Wisconsin. Their product lines, including the Classic, FourStar, and Gold lines, offer a variety of flavors and nutrient levels, catering to different pet needs and preferences. With partnerships like the one with Pet Supermarket, Fromm continues to expand its reach and commitment to pet health and well-being.

Nutro

Nutro is a highly regarded brand in the dog food industry, known for its high-quality kibble products. The Nutro Natural Choice line, for example, features 19 recipes with a mean brand protein content of 26% and is made with grain, typically rice, earning it a 4-star rating from The Dog Food Advisor. Nutro Ultra Dry recipes offer a worthy upgrade with more meat and better ingredients, including non-GMO components and added fruits and vegetables. All Nutro dog food varieties meet AAFCO guidelines for nutritional adequacy. The brand manufactures its products in various U.S. facilities, ensuring quality and consistency.

Hill's Science Diet

Hill's Science Diet is a renowned brand in the pet food industry, known for its science-driven approach to nutrition. With a product line that includes over 47 recipes, Hill's Science Diet offers a wide range of options tailored to different life stages and health needs, such as the Perfect Weight series which provides clinically proven weight management nutrition with visible results within 10 weeks. The brand's products typically feature a dry matter protein content of around 22%, fat levels of 6-15%, and carbohydrate content of approximately 57-64%. Despite some variations in ratings, Hill's Science Diet generally receives mid-tier ratings, reflecting its balanced nutrient profile. The brand is part of Colgate-Palmolive and has seen significant growth, with net sales totaling $1.11 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. For more insights, you can read detailed reviews on their Hill's Science Diet Adult Dry Dog Food.