best dog food for senior dogs australia
Whats the best dog food (in Australia)?
HomeGuides
Whats the best dog food (in Australia)?
Whats the best dog food (in Australia)?
2024 marks a whole decade of Pet Food Reviews, which is pretty impressive if I say so myself.
During that time Ive worked with industry experts, manufacturers, retailers, veterinarians, nutritionists, university professors, Channel 9, and ABC 7.30.
Thanks to this wonderful community which youre a big part of, pet food in Australia is much better today than it was when I started this website. We have better brands, better options, and healthier pets.
2018 saw a Senate inquiry into the safety of pet food in Australia which really highlighted the flaws of our unregulated pet food industry. Even though in 2024 we still have many terrible excuses for dog and cat food, we also have many pet food companies who do better. The proof of this is in the health of all our cats and dogs.
For 2024 Im changing this page up a bit. First Ill recommend what I consider the best of the best dog foods in Australia the ones which are seriously good for your dog, no expense spared.
Then Ill cover what I consider the best dry dog foods based on both formula and also from correlating all the feedback Ive received from Aussie dog owners such as yourself.
I recommend you consider feeding your dog a variety, so even if you cant afford the best of the best dog foods, you can still feed them as part of your dogs diet, or as a topper on top of their regular bowl of kibble.
This is very much a community, so please comment on reviews, give feedback (positive and negative), and share the reviews with your social media communities.
Dont forget to join the mailing list for updates.
The Best of the Best Dog Foods in Australia (2024)
Whether you like the term Ultra Premium, Boutique, or like to support independent Australian pet food companies who offer you the best possible diet for your dog, I highly recommend all the below dog foods.
All these dog foods come with impeccable feedback from other dog owners, and should greatly boost the health of your dog.
In no particular order, these are what I consider the best of the best dog foods in Australia in 2024:
Eureka
Most pet owners have heard of ZIWI Peak, one of the most notable air-dried raw dog foods sold in Australia. As a flagship New Zealand brand its really good, but here in Australia we have another brand equally as good (if not better) Eureka.
Our dogs are more carnivorous than the pet food industry like to admit. Most kibbles are high in carbs (and fillers) which your dog doesnt really need, whereas they thrive more off a diet mostly of raw meat, organs, and bones. Thats exactly what Eureka is.
Eureka is essentially a raw diet combined with really beneficial superfoods, but with the convenience of being air-dried. You can feed it as easily as kibble, but its far more digestible, and far healthier for your dog.
Read the full Eureka review here (youll also find a link which gives you money off your first purchase).
Frontier Pets
Frontier Pets has become one of the most loved Australian pet foods, and continues to be one of the best dog foods money can buy.
Diana and her team in Evans Head are absolute pioneers and have set precedent in creating an absolutely wonderful dog food (and cat food).
Frontier Pets is a freeze-dried dog food. If you dont know what that is, its the best way to ensure a dog food retains the maximum nutrition possible which allowing it to keep for ages. Like Eureka above, Frontier Pets is dried raw, which is what your dog will truly benefit from.
You just add water and let the freeze-dried pieces soak a while before feeding your dog. Easy!
Read the full Frontier Pets review here.
Lyka
Lyka is another Australian pet food success story. The reason because theyre a company with ethics, and their pet food is fantastically healthy for your dog!
Lyka is like Hello Fresh, but for your dog. Its packed with raw meats, organs, bones, and veggies, very slightly cooked, and delivered to your door wherever you are in Australia (unless you live in the sticks).
The amount of positive feedback I have for Lyka, Frontier Pets, and Eureka is ridiculous, but goes to show how good these dog foods are.
Read the full Lyka review here (with a money off link as well!)
Its not just good feedback, its lifechanging feedback. Far too many dogs really suffer on poor quality dog foods, suffering all manner of health conditions, and the above three foods can give your dog a complete turnaround back to health.
The Best Dry Dog Foods in Australia (2024)
Most dog owners feed kibble. I do too, for the simple reason I couldnt afford to feed the above super premium brands all the time I have a mortgage, and I need to eat myself.
A good approach I take is variety, something I consider very important in our dogs diet, and of course our own.
Below are what I consider the best dry dog foods in Australian in 2024 based on formulation (are they meat based, high protein, quality ingredients and so forth), and also based on manufacturer reputation and feedback from Aussie dog owners like us.
I recommend Pet Circle when it comes to stocking up on dog food. I find their prices are almost always the most competitive, and over the years theyve been very good at stocking the pet foods I recommend on this website.
So here you go, in no particular order, some of the best dry dog foods in Australian in 2024:
Best Premium Orijen
Orijen is the absolute benchmark in dry dog food, but unfortunately very hard to get hold of in Australia. Since the pandemic Ive found Orijen tends to be out of stock quite a lot, but if you can find it, and afford it, its probably the best dry dog food you can spend your hard-earned dollars on.
The manufacturer of Orijen was recently acquired by bigwigs Mars (the company who own most dog foods sold in Australia alongside Nestle), but at this stage I have not noticed any drop in quality, and I still consider it the best dry dog food formulation you can buy.
Read the full Orijen dog food review.
Best Australian Petzyo
If you like to buy Australian dog food, then I feel Petzyo would be a very good choice.
Ive had excellent feedback for this brand for a number of years now, and its a very good option if youre looking for a decent dry dog food which is still affordable.
Petzyo cut out the retailer as the middle-man as this means they can produce a quality dog food and sell it to you for a good price. This means you wont find it in the shops, but its easy enough to order from their website (and if you use this link and coupon code PETREVIEW youll get 10% off your first order).
Oh, and the Petzyo raw BARF patties are also very good, so check those out too.
Read the full Petzyo dry dog food review.
Best All-Rounder Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild dog food is sold worldwide, with an excellent reputation worldwide.
As a dry dog food you have a range of grain and grain-free formulas to choose from, with assurances in quality, and decent formulas to boot. Its a brand Ive recommended for many years, and Ive know many itchy scratchy dogs to have a fantastic turnaround in health when switched from many brands of kibble to this.
All formulas are a balance of meat and other ingredients, and considering the affordability makes Taste of the Wild a very good choice for most dog owners.
When it comes to hypoallergenic diets, for when your dog seems to react to other dry dog foods, then also take a look at Taste of the Wild PREY which is a limited ingredient dry dog food of great quality.
Read the full Taste of the Wild dry dog food review.
Best Budget Hypro Premium
A new entry to the best dog food list for 2024, Hypro Premium is a really good affordable choice. Its not the cheapest dry dog food, but I couldnt find anything cheaper than this which I would feed my own dog.
The 20kg bags are very well priced considering the ingredients, and Ive found Hypro as a manufacturer very reputable. They manufactured Meals for Mutts until early 2023 (before MFM switched manufacturer and ran into unfortunate problems), and you will find the formula of Hypro Premium very similar.
Read the full Hypro Premium dog food review.
If the above dry dog foods are still too much for your budget then dont worry, as the guide to more affordable dog foods in Australia may help.
The Best BARF Dog Foods in Australia (2024)
BARF has been a sensation worldwide as a way of feeding our dogs raw with the convenience of little meaty patties.
BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding and was invented by a true blue Australian veterinarian Dr Ian Billinghurst, author of Give Your Dog a Bone.
As great as BARF is for your dog, I see it as having one flaw. Its a flaw of most dog food in general, including dry dog food, air/freeze-dried dog food, rolls, and especially wet mushy dog food it does very little for dental health.
I consider raw meaty bones the best in preventing poor dental health, plaque, tartar, and periodontal disease in dogs, or if youre not keen on feeding your dog raw bones then choose a decent chewable dried meat treat as an alternative.
I also highly recommend the book Work Wonders : Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones by Australian vet Dr Tom Lonsdale if you read one book about dog nutrition, for the sake of your dogs health, then let that book be it.
Back on track, here are what I consider the best BARF dog foods in Australia, in 2024, in no particular order:
Big Dog BARF
Big Dog BARF has been around almost quarter of a century how crazy is that! As one of the original BARF patties in Australia it continues to be a brilliant option.
The other original BARF patty was Dr Bs BARF (originally made by Dr Ian Billinghurst himself, but later sold to Aussie pet food manufacturing giant The Real Petfood Co). The difference between the two is Big Dog uses human grade ingredients, which is far better than pet grade in terms of quality.
You will find Big Dog in most pet food retail stores. If you cant find it, youll likely find the next option instead Proudi.
Proudi
Like Big Dog BARF, the Proudi BARF patties also use human grade ingredients. Thats a great thing.
The small different between Big Dog and Proudi is Big Dog have a small amount of veggies included, whereas Proudi is full carnivore meat, organs, bones.
Personally I consider both of brands of BARF very good, so will leave it up to you to decide. BARF patties are well worth considering as part of your dogs diet, such as alongside a dry dog food, and you could always rotate between Big Dog and Proudi.
Featured dog foods
If you havent found your perfect dog food as yet, then here are some more great options:
Click here for all dog food reviews.
Some of these brands are available direct from the manufacturer. You should find many of them in good pet stores on independent pet shops. I know Pet Circle are very proactive in stocking decent dog foods, as are both competitive on price.
Are dog foods really that different?
The difference in quality between some dog foods and others in Australia is astounding. Some dog foods tell you exactly what theyre made from, usually because theyre made from ingredients which are good for your dog.
But
*Most* dog foods sold in Australia do their best not to tell you the truth.
I have a copy of the Australian standards for Manufacturing and marketing of pet food (AS 5812:20127) which is available here, but youll have to pay $118.76 AUD for the privilege. Hows that for transparency?
The standards, if you do read them, will give you the impression they were written by the pet food industry, for the pet food industry.
On in other words, not for the benefit of you or me as the consumer.
Seasoned Australian vet Dr Tom Lonsdale, author of Raw Meaty Bones and Work Wonders, refers to it as the junk pet food industry, having witnessed first hand the harm caused to our dogs from commercial pet food, for decades.
Dr Lonsdale, unlike most vets, records data on what dog foods were fed to the sick dogs and cats who go through his veterinary practice daily. He attributes most conditions, such as itchy skin, rotting teeth and gums, and other serious illnesses to commercial pet foods.
Needless to say, he has a great deal of credibility on the subject, and those two books are eye-opening.
Ive found the marketing of many brands of dog food so skewed its amazing its legal. I find highly questionable brands benefit from 5 star ratings on various websites, simply because the owner thinks its good because their dog eats it.
Many of those people will readily say its the best dog food in Australia to any social media group wholl listen or ask for recommendations!
How often do people recommend Supercoat as the best dog food, ever? Lots of cereal by-products, wheat, corn, sorghum, or barley in that food for essentially meat-eating dogs.
Just saying.
Your dog will eat a Big Mac theyll probably love it but is that good for your dog? Should Big Macs be rated 5 stars as a dog food?
Alternatively, would you rate broccoli 1 star because your baby refuses to eat it?
Nope.
Hopefully my experience with dog food over many years, combined with gathering so much information and feedback from other dog owners, will help you make a better decision when choosing a dog food in Australia.
Lastly, before I get to some interesting misconceptions about dog food, I want you to take part in helping other dog lovers learn.
Were in this together.
What dog food do you feed? What experiences have you had? What have you learned from others?
Every review has a comments section, and its totally free to use!
Misconceptions about dog food which will change your mind forever!
If youve got this far, thank you its clear you really want to know whats best for your dog!
Heres not one, but two misconceptions about dog food in the world today! In fact, theyve been misconceptions for decades.
When searching for the best food for your dog, always keep these misconceptions in mind. Theyll guide you towards the right decision.
#1 misconception about dog food
Youll be forgiven if this surprises you. We fall victim to clever marketing, and pet food marketers are up there with magicians they know how to trick us.
Most commercial dog foods are grain-based, not meat-based.
Walk down the dog food aisle in any supermarket across the world, and spend time looking at every packet of dog food. What pictures are on the front? What claims do they make?
Ask yourself how many say Rich in Wheat!, Grain is the first ingredient!, Packed with rice your dog will love!, or Made with real corn!.
Any of them?
Now turn those bags around and read the ingredients. Most commercial dog foods are made from grains!
Dont be fooled by grain-free slogans either. They usually swap grains for potatoes, tapioca, or other starchy high-carbohydrate ingredients. Theyll still market it as meaty.
When you read my reviews youll find thats not the only trickery they use to make a dog food appear like the best dog food in the aisle.
Even claims like meat first ingredient doesnt mean theres much of it in the product, so dont be fooled by that one either.
#2 misconception about dog food
If youve read the first misconception about dog food, then this second misconception might not come as a shock.
But sit down, and take a deep breath.
Most commercial dog food is, quite likely, unhealthy.
This may sound like a crazy thing to say, and I hope you dont think Im crazy for saying it.
People have said to me, many times, If it wasnt healthy, they wouldnt sell it.
Personally I think thats crazy, especially given the amount of junk food you can buy.
In 2021, a leaked document from Nestl claimed the majority of its portfolio is unhealthy.
The document, meant for internal use only, was a presentation acknowledging more than 60% of products did not meet recognised definition of health cited from an FT article here.
Did you know Purina is a brand of Nestl? Theyre one of the biggest sellers of pet food in Australia!
Nestl brands in Australia include Supercoat, Purina One, Felix, Fancy Feast, Pro Plan, Friskies, Lucky Dog, Bonnie, Pro Plan Veterinary Diets, Dentalife!
In fact, according to Statista, Nestl made an incredible US $15,422,000,000 with their Purina range of pet foods in 2021.
Thats around 30% of all pet food sold worldwide.
Nestl arent the biggest pet food manufacturer either. The biggest player, making a whopping US $18,085,000,000 in 2021, was Mars.
How many dog foods have you seen with Mars in big letters on the packaging, like you get with the Mars bar?
None?
Fascinating, isnt it?
Yet most of the dog foods in the supermarket aisles are brands by Nestl or Mars.
Go to your local vets and look at the dog foods they recommend. Read the ingredients. Do you think theyre much better?
Most of those brands are also Mars, or Colgate-Palmolive.
When you read my reviews for many of these brands, and others, you can decide for yourself if youre feeding the best dog food.
Oh, and before you turn to an Australian brand instead of one of those big American brands, just keep in mind Australias regulations for pet food are worse, with even less guarantees of honesty, quality, or even safety.
Why choosing the right dog food is vital for the health of your dog
Youve probably got the gist of it already, but what we feed our dogs is vital for their health.
Let me give you some examples
Ive spoken to hundreds of dog owners over the years who didnt realise their dogs itchy skin or rashes were related to diet. Its actually very common, but not really considered.
Most of the time those dogs will be taken to the vet and prescribed some form of medication or expensive prescription diet usually Hills Science Diet, Hills Prescription Diet, or Royal Canin.
Those prescription diets work because they dont contain common allergens namely wheat or cereals. If you dont believe me, compare the ingredients between a dermocare formula and another formula of the same brand.
Those medications merely cover up the issues without addressing the real problem.
In most of those cases any grain free dog food would do the trick, and these are often cheaper.
There are many diet-related illnesses our dogs suffer, and its rarely considered cheap dog foods are the culprit.
Cancer, arthritis, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, IBS, allergies, dermatitis, ear infections, urinary crystals, pancreatitis
All of these can be attributed to diet, which is why choosing a decent dog food is vital for the long term health of our dogs.
Theres some great information about those illnesses on the Frontier Pets website here, which is well worth keeping in mind.
How the list of best dog food in Australia is chosen
All the dog food reviews are written firstly as an overview of the ingredients and analysis, but there are many other factors taken into account. Many brands of Australian dog foods actually come from the same manufacturer. There are many Australian brands of dog food, yet only a handful of manufacturers.
I monitor trends with each manufacturer, so if you find your dog has a reaction to a dog food, or you have any issues, then make sure you say so in the comments.
Australian Pet Owners Group (APOG) have an issue log for most brands of dog and cat food sold in Australia, and its well worth researching any pet food you feed on their website.
With some leading Australian manufacturers Ive gathered many reports of sickness or diarrhoea. For other pet food manufacturers, hardly any at all.
The dog foods on the Best Dog Food in Australia list will change over time, either as formulas change, or feedback and other factors change.
Dog foods I have rated highly in the past have at times been bought up or switched manufacturers and shown drastic changes in quality very sad considering the consumer loyalty which has been built up.
If youve had a positive or negative experience on a dog food in Australia then let me know, add a comment, or through the Facebook page.
Varying your dogs diet is something I see as a good thing, so keep that in mind as well.
Your dog doesnt need to be fed a single brand of dry dog food any more than we would eat a single brand of breakfast cereal for every meal day after day.
In fact, my guide on how to feed a dog (or cat) may offer some guidance!
What about the worst dog food brands?
Some of the worst dog food brands in Australia are actually the most well known. What ads have you seen recently on TV featuring a cute dog apparently loving some brand of dog food?
The reason for this is the big players in dog food make the some of the worst foods. Its why they make so much profit selling a cheap formula with impeccable marketing is a business strategy which works.
Those companies have huge budgets for marketing their products, and not just for ads either by influencing breeder communities, dog shows, University sponsorships and endorsements.
If youre feeding one of those best-selling dog food brands, then read the review on this website, or at the very least look at the ingredients what does it really say about the product?
Dont stick to dry dog food
Theres such a belief a dog should eat the same food from the day hes weened until the day he dies.
Why?
Imagine if we were told to eat a commercial dry biscuit for the rest of our lives?
Always keep in mind dry dog food is a processed product. Yes, its designed to meet the insanely complex nutritional needs of our dogs as one complete package, but that doesnt mean its perfect.
Rotate, add variety, and mix in some wet, BARF, or fresh ingredients. These reviews are mostly dry dog foods, but if you want the best wet dog food in Australia then many of the top rated dry foods have a corresponding wet food.
There isnt a best supermarket dry dog food page on this website, but theres a list of more affordable dog foods which is a balance of price and quality.
Nutrition analysis of the best dog foods
All the foods on the best dog food in Australia list must meet my stringent criteria.
In a nutshell, here are a few:
- Must have sufficient protein and fat.
- Must have sufficient meat ingredients.
- Must not contain any nasty or ambiguous ingredients.
- Must avoid allergenic or problematic ingredients.
- Must have a long standing reputation and good consumer feedback.
- Must conform to AAFCO standards to offer a complete & balanced diet (only applicable to dry/wet dog foods, not applicable to raw dog foods/patties).
I care what you think!
Its taken me a great deal of time, and huge amounts of research to put these reviews together. Ive spent a great deal of time finding research studies, picking through them, and doing my best to ensure theyre not biased, not influenced, and provide valuable facts.
Pet Food Reviews takes up more of my life than I care to admit, but the ultimate goal is for us to have happier, healthier pets, who have the best chance of living a long life.
I cant do that alone. I encourage you to be involved, to add comments, discuss, get in touch, and share the knowledge youve learned with friends, family, and social media groups.
If your dogs allergies clear up, they become more buoyant, more active, or show a new lease of life based on the information on these reviews, then let me know!
And let others know!
The Best dog food in Australia list depends on your ongoing feedback.
The links on the reviews to pet food retailers are also affiliate links, so any time you click and buy a dog food a small percentage will help keep Pet Food Reviews up, running, and up to date thank you!
What is the Best Dog Food in Australia?, updated 2024.
