Best High-Calorie Dog Food of 2023

 What to look for in high-calorie dog food

The considerations when you’re shopping for high-calorie dog food are similar to any kind of food—ingredients, nutrition, life stage and size.

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Ingredients

No matter what type of food you feed your pup, you want to make sure its made with quality ingredients. Look for easily digestible proteins from real meat, like beef, chicken, lamb and fish, plus wholesome grains, fruits or vegetables for added nutrition. And because high-calorie dog food is often made for active dogs, a recipe with additional joint, bone and digestive support can be helpful.

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Nutrition

The nutrition of dog food comes from its ingredients, but you also want to look at the guaranteed analysis to determine the amount of protein, fat and fiber in the recipe. Many high-calorie foods are also high in protein and in fat, but not necessarily. You can find formulas that are lower in fat if necessary. Talk to your veterinarian about the nutrition your pet needs.

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Life Stage and Size

Considering life stage is essential—you can find high-calorie and high-fat dog foods for puppies and adults, and high-calorie dog foods might be ideal for senior pups with lower appetites or who need to gain weight. Rather than being based on breed or size, high-calorie dog food is made for active pups or those who need to gain weight.

 

Pet parent faves

High-Calorie Dog Food Life Stage Dog Breed Size First Ingredient Sizes Available Grain-Free? Avg. Review*

ORIJEN Original Grain-Free High Protein Fresh & Raw Dry Dog Food All Life Stages Most Sizes Deboned Chicken 12 oz., 4.5, 13 and 25 lb. bags Yes 4.8/5

Wholehearted Active Performance High-Protein Beef & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food Adult Most Sizes Beef 5, 30 and 45 lb. bags Yes 4.6/5

Purina Pro Plan High Protein Sport 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food Senior Most Sizes Salmon 6 and 33 lb. bags No 4.8/5

Purina Pro Plan High Protein with Probiotics Chicken and Rice Formula Adult Most Sizes Chicken 6, 18, 35 and 47 lb. bags No 4.7/5

ACANA Grain-Free Ranch-Raised Beef, Yorkshire Pork and Grass-Fed Lamb All Life Stages Most Sizes Beef 4.5, 13 and 25 lb. bags Yes 4.8/5

Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Puppy Recipe Red Meat Dinner Puppy Puppy Deboned Beefn 4 and 22 lb. bags Yes 4.7/5

Wholehearted Active Performance High-Protein Chicken & Rice Recipe Adult Most Sizes Chicken 5, 30 and 45 lb. bags Yes 4.4/5

Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain-Free Beef, Lamb and Potato Recipe All Life Stages Most Sizes Beef 12 and 24 lb. bags Yes 4.8/5

Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Hearty Recipes Variety Pack Wet Dog Food All Life Stages Most Sizes Chicken Paw Pier 6-count of 8oz. wet food packs No 4.5/5

Best High-Calorie Dog Food 

ORIJEN Original Grain-Free High Protein Fresh & Raw Dry Dog Food

ORIJEN Original Grain-Free High Protein Fresh & Raw Dry Dog Food

If your pup lives an especially active lifestyle, consider this high-calorie, high-protein dog food from ORIJEN. It has the most protein and fiber on our list and is low in fat. Made with 85% animal ingredients like free-run turkey and wild-caught fish and infused and coated with delicious freeze-dried liver, the flavor is truly irresistible to most dogs.

    Available in 12 oz., 4.5, 13 and 25 lb. bags

    38% protein, 18% fat and 18% fiber

    First ingredients are deboned chicken and turkey, Atlantic flounder and whole eggs

    Made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients

Wholehearted Active Performance High-Protein Beef & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

Wholehearted Active Performance High-Protein Beef & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

High-calorie dog food provides pups with easily available, yet sustainable energy. This recipe takes 89% of its protein from quality animal sources like beef and pork, plus wholesome rice to provide a highly digestible energy source. Healthy joints and immunity are also important for active pups, so you’ll find glucosamine and chondroitin as well as canine probiotics.

    Available in 5, 30 and 45 lb. bags

    30% protein, 20% fat and 2% fiber

    First ingredients are real beef, brown rice, pork and beef meal

    Formulated without corn or wheat

Purina Pro Plan High Protein Sport 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food

Purina Pro Plan High Protein Sport 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food

If your pup spends their days hunting or running the agility course, Purina created this high-calorie dog food just for them. It provides ultra-concentrated nutrition in each bite to fuel their high metabolism, plus amino acids to nourish the muscles, vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acids for the skin and coat and EPA and glucosamine for joint health. It’s a recipe both you and your dog will love.

    Available in 6 and 33 lb. bags

    30% protein, 20% fat and 3% fiber

    First ingredients are real salmon, corn meal and rice

    Fortified with live probiotics to help support digestive health

Purina Pro Plan High Protein with Probiotics Chicken and Rice Formula

Purina Pro Plan High Protein with Probiotics Chicken and Rice Formula

Probiotics are essential to your pup’s gut health, helping them to digest food and absorb nutrients, and can be a good addition to dog food for weight gain. This Purina recipe has real shredded chicken and crunchy kibble bites to help keep them coming back for more. Vitamin A and linoleic acid help promote a beautiful coat, so your dog looks good on the outside and feels good on the inside.

    Available in 6, 18, 35 and 47 lb. bags

    26% protein, 16% fat, 3% fiber

    First ingredients are chicken, rice and whole grain wheat

    Hard kibble combined with tasty, tender, shredded pieces

ACANA Grain-Free Ranch-Raised Beef, Yorkshire Pork and Grass-Fed Lamb

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ACANA Grain-Free Ranch-Raised Beef, Yorkshire Pork and Grass-Fed Lamb

You don’t need grains in the best high-calorie dog food. This recipe is approximately 60% quality animal ingredients like ranch-raised beef and Yorkshire pork, and 40% fruits and vegetables like whole pumpkin, collard greens and apples. That’s topped off with added vitamins, minerals and probiotics—but never any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Just imagine how much your dog will love it.

    Available in 4.5, 13 and 25 lb. bags

    29% protein, 17% fat and 6% fiber

    First ingredients are deboned beef, deboned pork, beef meal and whole red lentils

    Made in the USA with no added soy, corn, wheat or tapioca

Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Puppy Recipe Red Meat Dinner

Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Puppy Recipe Red Meat Dinner

Looking for high-fiber dog food for puppies? This option from Blue Buffalo is high in protein and fiber, providing the right calories for dogs in a formula that helps them feel fuller, longer. With delicious deboned beef, bison, lamb and venison, antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies, and no corn, wheat, soy or grains that contain gluten, this recipe helps your puppy grow up strong.

    Available in 4 and 22 lb. bags

    30% protein, 15% fat and 6% fiber

    First ingredients are deboned beef, beef meal and peas

    No chicken or poultry by-product meals

Wholehearted Active Performance High-Protein Chicken & Rice Recipe

Wholehearted Active Performance High-Protein Chicken & Rice Recipe

Give your active dog the nutrition they need to live their best life with Wholehearted Active Performance food. The high-protein, high-fat dog food helps support lean muscle and sustained energy, with 89% of protein from animal sources. Plus it helps keep joints strong with glucosamine and chondroitin, so your pup doesn’t have to slow down.

    Available in 5, 30 and 45 lb. bags

    30% protein, 20% fat and 2.5% fiber

    First ingredients are chicken, brown rice and chicken meal

    Formulated without corn or wheat

Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain-Free Beef, Lamb and Potato Recipe

Nature's Recipe Prime Blends Grain-Free Beef, Lamb and Potato Recipe

Grain-free, high-calorie dog food doesn’t have to be boring. This meat-rich recipe uses two protein sources, beef and lamb, and is infused with bone broth for an even more savory taste. It has no corn, wheat, poultry by-product meal or other fillers—but it does have added vitamins, minerals, nutrients and active antioxidants to help support overall health.

    Available in 12 and 24 lb. bags

    30% protein, 13% fat and 4% fiber

    First ingredients are beef, lamb meal, peas and garbanzo beans

    No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives

Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Hearty Recipes Variety Pack Wet Dog Food

Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Hearty Recipes Variety Pack Wet Dog Food

Canned food can be a great dog food for weight gain. Just add a little on top of the dry food to help entice your pup to eat. These recipes from famous human chef Rachael Ray come in three delicious varieties—Chicken Paw Pie, Chicken Muttballs, and Beef Stroganwoof—with no filler ingredients, corn, wheat or soy, and no artificial flavors. They sound good enough for pet parents to eat, too.

    Available in 6-count of 8oz. wet food packs

    9% protein, 5% fat and 2% fiber

    First ingredients are chicken broth, real chicken or beef and dried egg

    No poultry by-products or gluten

*Based on petco.com sales data.

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FAQs About Dog Supplements and Vitamins

Did you know that 75% of dog owners feed their pup dry kibble?

 It’s convenient, can be stored for a long time and is often the most affordable option. But just as all dogs aren’t the same, all dry dog food is not the same, either. There’s large breed dog food and small breed, high-calorie dog food and low-calorie, grain-free and high-fiber. And while you may think that large-breed dog food is high-calorie, it actually tends to be lower in calories and fat. If you’re not sure which diet is best for your pup, the first thing to do is consult your veterinarian.

How many calories does my dog need?

The number of calories a dog should eat per day depends on their breed, size, life stage and activity level, so it’s always a good idea to consult your veterinarian. As a general rule, small breeds under 20 lbs. need 200 to 400 calories per day, medium breeds between 21 and 50 lbs. need 700 to 900 calories per day and large breeds over 50 lbs. need anywhere from 900 to 1350 calories per day. Have a giant breed? Dogs over 90 lbs. may need even more calories than that.