There is little doubt that Walmart is a popular retail store.
Shoppers flock to their physical stores and shop online every day. What you may not know, though, is that if you know what to look for you can find some of the best dog food at Walmart for your furry friends.
In the dog food market, there are plenty of things to avoid, watch for and understand.
In this review, we will cover what should and shouldn’t be in your dog food ingredient lists. We will also look at the best options you can find at Walmart for each life stage of your pup.
Our quick take
You don’t need a pet store to feed your dog well. Walmart carries several brands that list a named meat first. Our pick for most adult dogs is Merrick Grain Free Real Texas Beef & Sweet Potato (32% protein, deboned beef first). For large breeds on a budget, Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice is a solid grain-inclusive choice, and Blue Buffalo Life Protection Senior suits older dogs. We found all three listed on walmart.com.
Before you buy any food at Walmart (or anywhere), check that a named meat comes first and that the bag says the food is “complete and balanced” for your dog’s life stage. Browse dog food at Walmart.
| Food | Best for | Type | Protein (min) | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrick Grain Free Texas Beef & Sweet Potato | Most adult dogs | Dry, grain-free | 32% | Chewy · Amazon |
| Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice | Large breeds, budget | Dry, with grains | 20% | Chewy · Amazon |
| Merrick Grain Free Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato | Puppies | Dry, grain-free | 26% | Chewy · Amazon |
| Nutro Puppy Tender Beef Bites in Gravy | Puppies who like wet food | Wet | 8% | Chewy · Amazon |
| Blue Buffalo Life Protection Senior | Senior dogs | Dry, with grains | 18% | Chewy · Amazon |
| Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior Turkey & Chicken | Seniors who need wet food | Wet, pâté | 8% | Chewy · Amazon |
Wet and dry protein numbers can’t be compared directly, because wet food is mostly water.
How to Read an Ingredient Label
The FDA has made ingredient listings mandatory, and the manufacturers must adhere to certain rules about what and how they list. Knowing those rules will help you not only identify what is in the dog food but how much.
The first thing you need to know is that every ingredient must be listed. If it is a whole ingredient or a byproduct of mixing two others, it still must be on the list. Secondly, the ingredients with the most content (by weight) are listed first.
What this means to you, is that when you look at the ingredient label, the first ingredient is generally the item with the most content in the kibble. By generally, we mean that this can be slightly misleading.
For example, chicken is very high in water content. Even if the chicken is listed first, once the chicken is cooked and the moisture is gone, other ingredients may have total content in the final kibble.
Best Dog Food at Walmart
The choices are vast and varied depending on the size of your Walmart or if you are shopping online. With a little research, you can find the best dog food at Walmart for your pup. Here are the best choices, sorted by life stage.
1. Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Chicken Meal
Protein: 20.0% min
Fat: 12.0% min
Fiber: 3.5% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: All Lifestages, Large – Giant Breeds
This kibble delivers more vitamins and minerals than most other dry foods have total ingredients.
They also don’t use white potatoes for those that are looking to steer clear of those for various reasons. Chicken is the first ingredient, and the full first five are listed above.
Designed to be packed with flavor and vitamins to promote strong, healthy growth, digestion, and metabolism, it is made for the needs of large-breed adults.
What Customers Like
- All natural ingredients, including farm-raised chicken for healthy growth.
- Mixes well with wet food as a topper.
- Little waste and easy to portion.
Common Complaints
- Bags for large breed, standard and small breed formulas look identical and easily mixed up.
- Doesn’t hold up well with water if mixing for gravy.
2. Merrick Grain Free Texas Beef & Sweet Potato
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Beef, Pork And Bone Meal, Salmon Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes
Protein: 32.0% min
Fat: 15.0% min
Fiber: 3.5% max
Moisture: 11.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: All Lifestages, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Merrick Grain Free formulas use sweet potatoes and white potatoes as the binding agent for the kibble (and flavor, of course), instead of wheat.
You also won’t find any corn or rice in the ingredient list either. What you will find is a lot of meat proteins from beef, lamb, and pork.
Along with the potatoes, you will also find apples, blueberries, and peas.
What Customers Like
- Has a lot of natural vitamins and minerals to promote growth and bone support.
- Easy to eat kibble mixes well with water or wet food for a topper.
- Natural antioxidants to improve immunity and blood health.
Common Complaints
- Some picky eaters may not like all the flavors.
- Contains white potatoes which some people want to avoid in their dog’s diet.
Puppy Foods
3. Merrick Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Salmon Meal
Protein: 26.0% min
Fat: 16.0% min
Fiber: 4.5% max
Moisture: 11.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: Puppy, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Merrick Grain Free also has a puppy formula with even more vitamins, and minerals included.
Aimed at promoting proper growth rates and nutrition to keep the active puppies moving, digesting and bouncing around, the small, easy to eat kibble has a lot of meat proteins to go along with the vegetables.
Deboned chicken and chicken meal are the first two ingredients.
What Customers Like
- Easily mixes with wet food or water for more flavors and edibility.
- Has all the vitamins a growing puppy needs in one bag.
- Keeps puppies active and healthy.
Common Complaints
- Picky eaters may find that the flavors aren’t agreeable.
- Contains white potatoes and peas which some want to avoid.
4. Nutro Puppy Tender Beef, Pea & Carrot Recipe Bites In Gravy
First 5 ingredients:
Beef, Chicken Broth, Pork Broth, Peas, Chicken
Protein: 8.0% min
Fat: 3.5% min
Fiber: 1.5% max
Moisture: 82.0% max
Food Type: Wet, Stew
Best for: Puppy, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
This wet food comes in a single serve contain for easy portioning. You will also find high levels crude proteins and crude fats that puppies need to maintain bone health and grow at healthy, proper rates.
It also mixes easily with dry food if you want to add moisture and flavor to your puppy’s kibble.
What Customers Like
- The formula has been revamped with added flavors to appease more dogs.
- Easily mixes with dry food for added proteins.
- Stores easily and serves quickly.
Common Complaints
- Some flavors aren’t liked by the picky eaters.
- Can still purchase the older formula, which can become confusing.
Senior Dog Foods
5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Senior
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Chicken Meal
Protein: 18.0% min
Fat: 10.0% min
Fiber: 7.0% max
Moisture: 10.0% max
Food Type: Dry
Best for: Senior, All Breeds
Blue has long been a standard value brand that is overly enjoyed by most dogs. One of their best formulas is the senior variety. It has added vitamins and minerals to support older bones and joints and also helps to keep the metabolism and digestion working properly.
Deboned chicken is the first ingredient, followed by brown rice and oatmeal.
What Customers Like
- No soy, corn or wheat included in the recipes.
- Easily digested by older systems.
- Can be mixed with wet food or water.
Common Complaints
- Rice and grains can take longer to digest, leading to less frequent feedings.
- Overeating is possible, leading to late-stage obesity.
6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Senior
First 5 ingredients:
Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Potatoes
Protein: 8.0% min
Fat: 6.0% min
Fiber: 1.5% max
Moisture: 78.0% max
Food Type: Wet, Pâté
Best for: Senior, All Breeds
Special Diet: Grain-free
Blue also has a senior wet food formula that pairs well with their dry food. Alone it is a great source of meat proteins, added vitamins, and minerals for a healthy late stage life. The added nutrients promote bone health and joint lubrication to keep even the oldest dogs more active.
Turkey is the first ingredient, followed by chicken broth and chicken.
What Customers Like
- Easily digested wet formula pairs well with dry food.
- Added nutrients for bone and joint health.
- Great flavors most every dog loves.
Common Complaints
- Can be too protein rich hen mixed with dry for some breeds.
- Maybe too soupy in its consistency at times.
Content to Look For
Another thing to watch for is the wheat content. You will notice on certain labels that there are a lot of wheat items listed in a row. Some companies use wheat as the main protein.
By listing chicken first, for example, they can say they are a chicken protein dog food. Though, when you read the label, chicken may be listed first, but five different types of wheat are listed next.
The FDA has mandated that all single source meats must be listed by type. This means if the major meat source is turkey, then the label must state it is a turkey.
However, there are some loopholes for meat-like ingredients. Meat byproduct and meat meal, for example, can be sourced from several different sources.
On the label the manufacturer is only required then, to list “meat” as the meat source. The problem here is that it can be any type of meat, including fowl, pork, beef, fish, raccoon, weasel, etc. We will cover things to avoid in a later section., including the term “meat.”
The final important note about reading the ingredient list is that individual vitamins and minerals can be listed separately, but they do not have to do so.
However, if the vitamin or mineral is from a secondary source, they are not required to list the exact item. As an example, you may see fish oil. This is generally an omega-3 fatty acid, but it could also be omega-6 fatty acids.
Most vendors want their vitamins and minerals listed and will do so. However, if you don’t see the actual vitamin on the list, you will need to look for the vitamin source.
Ingredients to Look For
While you are examining the label, there are certain things you will want to look for. Having these ingredients on the list is crucial to your dog’s overall health. You may also be told by your veterinarian to ensure there are certain foods included in their diet. The following list is the ones you will want in your dog’s food.
Real Meat
Real meat should always be the first listed ingredient. The meat should be listed by name as well. Chicken is one of the most common first ingredients, but it can also be things like turkey, beef, pork, buffalo or any other meat protein.
Dogs are omnivores that do best on plenty of animal protein, and they digest and use meat proteins better than most plant proteins. That’s why we like to see a named meat as the first ingredient.