Best Dog Food for Whippets: Top Nutritional Choices for Energy and Health

Whippets, an English Breed descendant of the Greyhound, are a regal, steady and ultra-fast running dog. At top speed, an adult Whipp can reach 35 miles per hour. Needless to say, as a Whippet owner, you will need plenty of running room and high fences.

I wrote this article to give dog owners like me more information about the nutritional needs of the Whippet breed and what dog foods fulfill those.

Further, I will help you find the best dog food for Whippets and my other top choices, and provide details on why these are perfect for your graceful dog.

Breed Overview

Pedigree: Purebreed
Size: Adult dogs from this breed grow to a height of 18 to 22 inches 
Weight: Fully-grown Whippets weigh between 17 to 25 pounds
Energy Level: Nearly high energy
Lifespan: 12-15 years

Fast Facts

Whippets have a very strong prey drive. That’s because they were originally bred to run after and capture game. On the downside, this hunting instinct can make them incompatible with small pets (like cats or rabbits) unless you train them at a very young age. Otherwise, they’ll just see your smaller animal as another prey.

These dogs are excellent for city dwelling, particularly in places where neighbors’ houses are close together. Whippet puppies and adult Whippet pups rarely bark, and they’re quite friendly towards everyone. 

Those short coats of theirs? Those can shed — frequently. I suggest doing a regular weekly brushing to keep those hairs from off your clothes and couch. 

 

Our Top Dog Food Brands for Whippets

As most Whippets tend to be picky eaters, it is important to find a food that not only tastes good but one that leaves little waste.

This can be a trial and error process, but we have some of the best and most nutritional brands listed for you here to get you started.

1. Nom Nom Beef Mash

For those of you who have read my previous articles, you will be familiar with Nom Nom and my love for the brand. It’s part of my pups’ regular diet so I speak from experience about how good its recipes are. As a dog owner, I can say that it’s one of the best food choices you can give your pet because everything used are natural ingredients only.

For this review, we chose Nom Nom’s Beef Mash. The main animal protein here is ground beef. It’s not the only animal protein, though. There are eggs too to provide additional protein support and all the essential amino acids your dog needs to boost his immune system and repair body tissues. The rest of the primary ingredients are made up of vegetables and oils. 

Now oil is a good source of essential fatty acids (also called omegas, particularly 3 and 6), which are derived from dog foods because the body can’t produce them. In this recipe, these fatty acids come from fish oil and sunflower oil. 

Fish oil is often given as a supplement for dogs to help with heart health, provide relief from the symptoms of food allergies like itching, and reduce joint pain. So I can only point out the benefits of having it included as part of your pup’s daily dog food diet.

As for the carb content, that’s provided by the russet potatoes and peas. While energy is best sourced from animal protein, dogs also needs carbohydrates. Carbs are more easily broken down than protein and are great for short-term plays and exercise.

Key takeaways:

Nom Nom is known for its gently cooked dog food recipes that it custom makes according to your dog’s unique profile. So factors such as your dog’s activity level, weight, age, breed, and all are taken into consideration when formulating each meal. That’s something that can’t be said for commercial brands you’d find in the market. 

You get dog food that targets your dog’s nutritional needs perfectly. If your dog’s stomach is sensitive, or he needs to watch his caloric intake, or he needs more energy, this high-quality diet should be able to meet all of your pup’s needs because it’s made just for him. It’s the best dog food for Whippets I can think of.

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2. Kismet Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe

Formulated with high quality protein sources that include real salmon, salmon meal and fish meal, this grain-inclusive dog food formula should be able to provide your pup with long-lasting energy with its meaty formulation. Aside from the fish listed above (first five ingredients), it also contains freeze-dried beef nuggets. 

The brown rice, pearled barley and sweet potatoes provide the carbohydrates your pup needs for short but intense plays. See, while proteins provide long-lasting energy, they also take a longer time breaking down. Carbs, on the other hand, break down faster so they’re best for when your dog needs energy now.

Along with the proteins and carbs, this dry dog food recipe also contains natural antioxidant support from real fruits and vegetables and dried chicory root for prebiotic support and healthy digestion.

Key takeaways:

I generally like this one because it is chock full of meat, though the company offers only 2 recipes. The dog food is affordable, yet there are none of those fillers you’d expect from other brands within the same price range. 

It’s a balanced diet, has all the essential nutrients your adult dog requires, a grain-free formula, and has no artificial preservatives. It’s almost perfect, except that it has canola oil. Not that canola oil is bad for your pup (in fact, it offers a lot of benefits), but if you are leaning towards less processed ingredients, well, canola oil leans towards the opposite direction. 

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3. Jinx Beef, Brown Rice & Sweet Potato

A Whippet is a highly active dog that needs loads of energy for vigorous play, which is why a Whippet’s diet should be high in protein. 

This Jinx recipe leads with chicken but levels up the protein content with its inclusion of turkey meal and menhaden fish meal. It’s a pretty meaty dish with lots of animal protein ingredients in the first five and more further on. If your pup has a taste for red meat, this one’s for him.

The carbohydrates in this dish are pearled barley, brown rice, sweet potatoes and peas. Wonder why these are often found in kibbles? It’s because a sweet potato is high in dietary fiber and is excellent for the digestive system. Peas and barley are much the same, and they also provide protein as well.

Now for essential fatty acids, I often suggest finding a dog food that uses animal sources to supply these. It’s because animal fats provide the most concentrated forms of energy, much more than fats from produce. This dry dog food recipe uses two premium kind— beef fat and fish oil. 

Want healthy skin and coat for your pup? It’s also the fat you have to watch out for. It contains the vital nutrients that make for healthy skin, glistening coats and itch-free skin. And this formulation has that in spades.

Key takeaways:

In my opinion, this kibble is tops for pups who need plenty of long-lasting energy. The crude protein is at a bit high at 27% when the minimum for adults is only 18% on a dry matter basis. That means your playful pupper has plenty of fuel to spare for a whole day’s worth of adventure. He won’t be a lazy couch potato, that’s for sure.

The animal protein is also limited to beef, turkey and fish (not a common allergen), which is a definite plus for sensitive stomachs that can’t handle other proteins. And it’s worth noting that has no wheat, soy or corn, sensitive canines should have no problem with this food.

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4. Halo Holistic Turkey, Turkey Liver & Duck Recipe

Halo also uses sustainably-raised, cage-free turkey as the very first ingredient (which I think is awesome, by the way), along with a wholesome variety of garden vegetables and nourishing oils.

The protein content is not very high. In fact, it is quite average for dry dog food. But the animal proteins are all premium. Aside from those animal proteins listed above, the recipe also contains turkey liver and duck. 

Organ meat might not sound good to us pet parents, but it is perfectly safe and absolutely healthy for your pup. Not to mention super tasty for dogs. Serve your pet Whippet food that has liver in it, and he will thank you. And the nutritional benefits are off the charts since liver contains tons of vitamins C and B6, niacin, folate, riboflavin, and so on.

Since this is grain-free food, your dog must get his carb fix elsewhere. That’s where the peas, chickpeas, lentils, and sweet potatoes come in. These are fuel and fiber sources, giving your dog energy along with a healthy digestive system. The fiber keeps waste moving at a regular and healthy rate.

Key takeaways:

The nutritional value of this dry food recipe can’t be dismissed. Yes, the protein content is a little average, but its wholesome ingredients are right up there. Non-GMO ingredients? Cage-free turkey? No antibiotics? Check, check, and check. It’s a healthy grain-free dog food that you won’t be embarassed to feed your pup.

That said, if I could change anything, I’d wish for more meat ingredients and less carbs in this dog food. The fiber is also high, which might work on some dogs, but ideally, it should be lower.

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5. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon (Grain-Free)

Grain-free and high in protein? This quality food by Blue Buffalo makes the cut for your grain-sensitive but highly active canine. Just look at the protein content. I find 34% to be more than enough to fuel the active lifestyle of the most energetic doggos.

The leading animal protein here is deboned salmon, which is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. As you probably know, omega fatty acids contribute a lot to skin health. These support the immune system and decrease inflammation. They also give your furry friend a beautiful, shiny coat that you just want to run your hand through.

Aside from salmon, the Blue Buffalo brand also included chicken meal, fish meal, and egg product to make the animal protein levels higher. There peas here too, which also contain protein, but most of the protein content is supplied by animal sources.

Since this dry dog food is grain-free, the fiber has to be found elsewhere. And that somewhere is dried tomato pomace. If you’re wondering what tomato pomace is, it’s really nothing more than the dried mixture of tomato skins, pulp, and seeds that remain after the fruit is processed.

As for fat, this brand takes it from chicken. Dogs consume fats to fuel their muscles for movement (as a reserve form of energy).  Fat also helps keep your dog warm during cold weather and protects his organs. And healthy fats from chicken is one of the best your dog can have.

Key takeaways:

I’ve thoroughly checked this recipe and it is good. The protein content alone has impressed me, mostly because I have active pups who need lots of it or they look bored and lethargic if they don’t get enough. It’s a nicely balanced diet for your adult dog.

That said, the recipe does have a minor “negative.” It uses tapioca starch, which is mostly carbs and has little fiber, protein, or nutrient content. At this point, it’s mostly a filler. The brand can totally do away with it and still come up with a good dog food formula. 

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6. I And Love And You Naked Essentials Lamb & Bison Recipe