5 Best Corn-Free Dog Food Brands: Updated for December 2023

Why is corn bad?

Is corn-free dog food the best option?

There is a great deal of controversy out there regarding the use of grains in dog food. Many vets and animal nutritionists argue that dogs are carnivorous animals, though this isn’t strictly true. A dog is a scavenging carnivore, not an obligate carnivore (like a cat).

This means that while dogs are more biologically adapted to deriving nutrition from animal products, they do have a limited ability to digest plant foods.

Even so, meat is an important component in a dog’s diet – the most important component. Grains can provide your dog with carbohydrate energy, dietary fiber, and essential nutrients, but not all grains are created equal.

Certain whole grains like brown rice, barley, and oatmeal are considered digestible for most dogs and they offer a decent nutritional profile. Corn, wheat, and soy products, on the other hand, don’t offer the same benefits.

Even whole-grain corn can’t be considered a valuable addition to dog food because it is simply too low in beneficial nutrients and too likely to trigger food allergies or sensitivities.

Some vets argue that corn is a good source of protein, but you have to remember that meat proteins are much more valuable to dogs than plant proteins.

While corn may not cause a negative reaction for all dogs, it simply isn’t a high-quality ingredient for dog food.

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Whether or not your dog is actually allergic to corn, there is no reason to feed your dog a food that contains this particular grain.

Not only is it low in nutritional value, but it is hard for dogs to digest and it comes with a high risk for triggering food sensitivities and digestive issues.

If you want to avoid these problems for your dog, don’t choose a dog food that contains corn ingredients. Here is a quick review of the top five corn-free dog foods to feed your dog:

1. Canidae PURE Sky Adult Dog Food with Fresh Duck
2. Wellness CORE Original Recipe
3. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Formula
4. Instinct Raw Boost Recipe with Real Duck
5. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Flatland Feast

 

1. Canidae PURE Sky Adult Dog Food with Fresh Duck

First 5 Ingredients: Duck, Duck Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas

The Canidae company got its start in 1996 and, in the two decades since, has rapidly risen through the ranks to become one of the top brands of natural pet food. Canidae is an independent and family-owned company, so you can count on them to have your dog’s best interest at heart.

This brand makes every effort to support local businesses and each of their formulas is an example of high-quality, balanced nutrition.

Canidae produces all of their own pet foods at their Ethos Pet Nutrition facility located in Brownwood, Texas where they adhere to the strictest standards for quality and safety.

Canidae only uses the freshest meat, poultry and fish in each of their formulas, as well as digestible carbohydrates and fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you’re looking for a corn-free dog food, then this Canidae formula with fresh duck is a great option to consider.

As a limited ingredient diet, this formula is made with a novel source of protein and carbohydrate as well as a small number of main ingredients to reduce the risk for triggering food allergies and sensitivities.

This formula is entirely grain-free and meat-rich proteins make up the first three ingredients. Following the fresh duck, duck meal, and turkey meal comes sweet potato and peas for carbohydrate energy and chicken fat for essential fatty acids.

This recipe is supplemented with chelated minerals to ensure maximum nutrient absorption as well as dried fermentation products for probiotic support. In addition to being rich in nutrients, this formula is also loaded with natural flavor your dog won’t be able to get enough of.

Choosing a healthy diet for your dog is of the utmost importance. Just as important as evaluating a pet food product for the ingredients it does contain is making sure that the product does NOT contain anything that could harm your dog or cause digestive issues. To safeguard your dog, be sure to choose a corn-free dog food like one of the recipes reviewed above.

2. Wellness CORE Original Formula

First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas

The Wellness pet food company follows a holistic approach to pet nutrition, designing their recipes in a way that nourishes your dog’s body from the inside out.

Every formula is made with your dog’s best interest in mind, using only the freshest, natural ingredients to ensure complete and balanced nutrition.

Wellness has been around for over 80 years and has grown and changed with the pet food industry, always seeking to be the best of the best.

From a single recipe of oven-baked dog biscuits, Wellness has grown into one of the top brands of natural pet food, offering four different product lines.

The Complete Health line of products features life stages and breed-size formulas while the CORE lineup includes a variety of grain-free options. The Simple line features Limited Ingredient Diets and TruFood offers baked dog foods made with fresh ingredients.

When it comes to grain-free and corn-free dog foods, this Wellness CORE recipe offers protein-rich nutrition and an abundance of natural flavor. This formula is designed to support your dog’s optimal health through the use of fresh meats, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

It features deboned turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal as the top three ingredients, supplemented with potatoes and peas for carbohydrate energy.

With chicken fat as the main source of fat, this recipe offers concentrated energy and it is supplemented with chelated minerals for maximum nutrient absorption and dried fermentation products for probiotic support.

In addition to being free from gluten and grains, this formula doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Simply put, it is a great choice if you’re looking for a corn-free dog food recipe.

3. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula

First 5 Ingredients: Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas

The Taste of the Wild dog food brand understands that dogs are descended from wild wolves and therefore they crave real meats and natural flavors.

This brand produces only premium-quality, grain-free dog foods that are formulated to mimic the ancestral diet of wild dogs.

Every recipe is loaded with quality meats like roasted venison and bison, supplemented with gluten-free carbohydrates like garbanzo beans and other legumes.

Although Taste of the Wild only offers a limited selection of dry and wet food products, each of them is properly formulated not just to meet, but to exceed your dog’s nutritional needs in the most delicious way possible.

Though Taste of the Wild offers several dry dog food recipes, their High Prairie Canine Formula with Roasted Bison and Roasted Venison is one of their top sellers. This protein-rich recipe is packed with real, roasted meats with 32% crude protein and 18% crude fat.

Guaranteed to provide your dog with the protein and energy he needs, this recipe is also designed to cater to his cravings for fresh meat flavor.

It features buffalo, lamb meal, and chicken meal as the top three ingredients, followed by sweet potatoes, peas and potatoes for carbohydrate energy and canola oil for healthy fat.

This formula is supplemented with chelated minerals for maximum nutrient absorption and probiotics for digestive support. There are also plenty of antioxidants, not to mention natural sources for key vitamins and minerals.

4. Instinct Raw Boost Kibble Duck & Turkey Meal Formula

First 5 Ingredients: Duck, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Eggs

Nature’s Variety is an independently owned and operated pet food company based in St. Louis. This company is aptly named because they strive to deliver high-quality nutrition with plenty of fresh, natural ingredients in each of their pet food products.

Nature’s Variety understands that the quality of your dog’s nutrition matters for his long-term health and longevity, so they don’t cut any corners when it comes to their ingredients and their manufacturing processes.

This company actually offers two separate brands – Prairie and Instinct. The Prairie brand features wholesome, natural recipes for dogs and cats that are also very affordable. The Instinct line features premium-quality recipes including dry food, wet food, raw food, and freeze-dried food.

If you are looking for a high-quality, corn-free dog food to feed your canine companion, it will be hard to do better than this formula from Instinct.

As part of the raw boost product line, this product features protein-rich kibble infused with freeze-dried raw pieces to ensure unbeatable natural flavor.

This formula is made with duck, turkey meal, and salmon meal as the primary ingredients and the main sources of protein. It is supplemented with gluten-free and grain-free carbohydrates like tapioca and green peas, plus plenty of healthy fat from chicken fat.

This recipe offers a whopping 35% crude protein with 20.5% fat and just 5% crude fiber, making it an incredibly nutrient-dense formula for dogs in all life stages.

5. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Flatland Feast Recipe

First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Peas, Tapioca Starch, Pea Protein

The Blue Buffalo Company is dedicated to treating pets like members of the family by providing them with high-quality diets made with the freshest ingredients available. Blue Buffalo understands that a healthy dog is a happy dog, so they don’t cut corners when it comes to their products.

None of Blue Buffalo’s recipes include corn, wheat, or soy ingredients and they are all free from by-products and artificial additives. Blue Buffalo offers four distinct product lines catered to the individual dietary needs of different dogs.

The BLUE Life Protection Formula line features life stages formulas made with natural ingredients and the Freedom line is entirely grain-free.

The Basics line includes Limited Ingredient Diets made with novel proteins and carbohydrates while the Wilderness line features meat- and protein-rich recipes designed in keeping with your dog’s natural evolutionary diet.

This Wilderness Turkey, Quail and Duck Formula is a new addition to the Blue Buffalo lineup and it is a great example of high-quality, corn-free dog food.

This formula is packed with turkey, quail, and duck to meet your dog’s needs for a protein-rich diet and it is supplemented with digestible grain-free carbohydrates like sweet potatoes and green peas.

You’ll also be glad to know that this formula features fresh fruits and vegetables like carrots, blueberries, and cranberries to provide your dog with natural sources for key nutrients, including antioxidants.

Plus, like all of Blue Buffalo’s products, this formula is supplemented with LifeSource Bits which consist of a proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals to ensure complete and balanced nutrition. Best of all, this formula is loaded with natural meat flavor that your dog is sure to love.