10 Best High Fiber Dog Foods – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

A high fiber diet is often advised for. In some cases, this type of diet might be recommended by a veterinarian, especially if your dog suffers from constipation or diarrhea after eating.

Specialty high fiber dog foods usually contain anywhere from 4% to 12% fiber levels. For an average-sized dog, weighing approximately 50 pounds, this is the equivalent of feeding 12 cups of pumpkin in a single day. These foods really are high in fiber.

Most of these foods are available without a prescription. They increase the size and weight of your dog’s stool, making it easier to pass and helping to prevent constipation. Fiber also absorbs water, so it solidifies watery diarrhea, therefore hardening your dog’s stools.

With plenty of choice on the market, it makes choosing the right brand and the right food difficult. To help, we have studied some of the most popular foods and compiled a list of reviews of the best foods. Whether you’re looking for the best high fiber dog food for small breeds or large breeds, keep reading!

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (Updated 2024)

The 10 Best High Fiber Dog Foods

1. Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Fiber Dog Food – Best Overall

Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Fiber Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble consisting of chicken by-product meal, brown rice, and brewer’s rice as its primary ingredients. Chicken by-product meal is not the most appealing of ingredients, being made from food processing leftovers, but it does have a high protein concentration.

It also contains corn and other corn derivatives. It has slightly lower than average protein and higher than average carbs. It has 3.6% fiber content, which is not the highest, but this Royal Canin high fiber food is well-loved by owners and dogs alike, is suitable for dogs of all sizes and breeds, but it is on the pricey side. Despite the cost, however, if your veterinarian has advised you to feed a high fiber food, this makes an excellent choice of dry kibble.

Overall, this is the best high fiber dog food for small breeds and large breeds alike.

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2. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food – Best Value

With primary ingredients of chicken and chicken meal, Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites Small Breed Dry Dog Food is packed with carbohydrates to give your small breed dog extra energy. It also includes omega oils that will keep your dog’s coat healthy and shiny. Cranberries help your dog control stress, and the formulation is rich in peas, beets, and carrots, which give the recipe approximately 4.5% fiber concentration.

The ingredients do include alfalfa, which is included for its high fiber levels, but it is more commonly associated with horse feed than dog food. Unfortunately, the food does contain artificial coloring, iron oxide. This gives the food a red color, which obviously isn’t for the benefit of the dog but to appeal to owners. Another reason that this food has been kept from the top spot is that it does not include any probiotics, which are used to coat high-quality food and make it easier for your dog to digest the kibble.

The food is well balanced, with average levels of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and it is very well priced, being the cheapest food, per pound, in our list of reviews. This makes it the best high fiber dog food for the money.

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3. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dog Food – Best for Puppies

Blue Buffalo’s Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food has a good 5.6% fiber content, and its primary ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, and oatmeal. You will also find flaxseed, which is a good source of omega-3 and soluble fiber.

Alfalfa meal is included in the food, which helps boost the fiber level, but is a common ingredient in horse feed.

The formula does not include any artificial colorings, which is a positive, but it does contain garlic. Garlic is considered a somewhat controversial ingredient in dog food. Although there are some claimed benefits to the ingredient, it is toxic in large quantities and there are many critics that believe it is still damaging even in smaller amounts. Dried yeast is another controversial item found in this food, although unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, it should be fine in the volumes found in the food.

The Blue Buffalo formula has average protein and fat levels, as well as carbohydrates, and is considered the best brand for puppies because of its small kibble and the inclusion of a probiotic coating that will help your puppy digest the food more easily.

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4. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

The CORE Grain-Free Dry Dog Food from Wellness comes in a variety of flavors, including an ocean whitefish, herring, and salmon recipe. The poultry-free recipe has higher than average protein levels and lower than average carbs.

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Dry Dog Food has 7% fiber thanks to the inclusion of ingredients like pea and tomato pomace. There is also flaxseed, which not only adds soluble fiber to the mix but also omega-3 oil. One of the benefits of the Wellness CORE mix is that it is a grain-free recipe. Some pets suffer from allergies or may be intolerant to grains. This can lead to itching, flaky skin, and other symptoms including gastric distress. If you have eliminated other potential causes of these allergy symptoms, it could be the grain in your dog’s food that is causing them discomfort.

CORE is an expensive food, but it gets a lot of its nutritional ingredients from high-quality meat protein sources, in particular from whitefish, herring, and salmon, in this recipe, and does not rely on the addition of excessive amounts of vegetable or fillers. It is also happily lacking in controversial ingredients, with only tomato pomace and pea fiber considered slightly controversial because they are deemed to only have moderate nutritional benefits.

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5. American Journey Healthy Grain-Free Dog Food

American Journey Healthy Weight Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is another grain-free recipe, this time combining chicken and sweet potato as its primary ingredients. It has approximately 5.5% fiber content and is considered to have higher than average protein content as well as below-average fat and carbs.

This is another high-quality, premium food, that contains no truly controversial ingredients. It does include plain beet pulp and pea protein, both of which are scorned for their minimal nutritional value, but they are non-harmful and non-toxic. Beet pulp is only considered controversial because it is considered a filler, but it is high in fiber, hence its addition in this food. Pea protein is also considered a filler, but it is high in concentrated proteins so it does have nutritional benefits.

Among other beneficial additives, American Journey has included taurine, which is an amino acid that encourages the healthy function of the heart muscle. This has been included because, although taurine is not an essential mineral for dogs, it has been shown to be lacking in dogs on a grain-free diet. With this being a grain-free food, its inclusion is considered beneficial.

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6. Natural Balance Fat Dogs Low Calorie Dog Food

Natural Balance Fat Dogs Low Calorie Dry Dog Food is high in fiber, with approximately 11.5% fiber content, and is geared towards overweight dogs that need to shed pounds.

As such, Natural Balance has very low-fat content, which is achieved through the use of ingredients such as beet pulp, pea fiber, alfalfa meal, and dried tomato pomace. In a lot of cases, these ingredients would be considered moderate to low quality because of their low nutritional benefit. But when they are used to reduce calories, they provide a beneficial source of protein and fiber.

The primary ingredients are chicken meal and salmon meal. These are considered forms of meat concentrate and have much higher concentrations of protein than standard meat. This recipe is also high in garbanzo beans, which are also referred to as chickpeas. These are high in protein, although vegetable protein is not considered as beneficial or as high quality as meat protein.

Natural Balance does contain brewer’s yeast, so you should avoid this food if your dog is known to have an allergy to this particular ingredient. Also, while there are no studies to back this up, there is a growing number of people who claim that brewer’s yeast increases the likelihood of dogs developing bloat.

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7. Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food uses buffalo as its main ingredient and has around 4% fiber content, which is about average for this type of high fiber food. It has average protein and fat levels, although these could still be higher to benefit most dogs.

The formula is grain-free, but there is a long list of ingredients that mean this food is unlikely to be suitable for those dogs that do suffer from food allergies. However, it does include fresh vegetables and fruit, while the beef, venison, and other meat ingredients encourage strong and robust muscle growth. There are no artificial additives or preservatives.

Your dog will also benefit from the probiotics that improve digestion and make it easier for them to benefit from the nutritional ingredients. Added vitamins include omega-3 and omega-6, although there are foods with a more optimal level of omega-6. This food may not have enough protein for highly active dogs but should be more than sufficient for less active canines.

There are no ingredients that are considered unsafe for canine consumption, and only the pea protein and potato protein are considered low quality, which makes this a premium quality food, despite the long list of ingredients.

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8. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Dog Food

Blue Buffalo claims to use a recipe that harks back to the days when wild dogs would have thrived on a diet that was rich in meat protein and free from ingredients like grain. Many food manufacturers include ingredients such as corn because they are cheap and help to increase protein and other nutrient levels. In reality, however, protein derived from these sources is not as good quality or as beneficial for your dog as meat protein. Some dogs can also be sensitive to grain ingredients, which can lead to itchy skin, excessive scratching, and gastrointestinal complaints.

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Dry Dog Food formula has 6% fiber and, thanks to the inclusion of fish meal and flaxseed, among other ingredients, it also offers decent levels of omega-3 and omega-6. It does contain yeast, which is another potential irritant, but unless your dog is allergic to this particular ingredient, it should be considered perfectly safe in the levels included.

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9. Earthborn Holistic Meadow Grain-Free Dog Food

With a 4.4% fiber ratio, Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast Grain-Free Dry Dog Food has a moderate level of fiber. Its primary ingredient is bison meal, which is a concentrated form of bison with a high protein level. It also has a high concentration of peas, which helps provide natural fiber.

Another major ingredient is canola oil. Canola oil is considered a controversial additive because it is derived from GM rapeseed. With that said, it is a good source of omega-3, although not as biologically available as essential oils from fish.

The food is considered to derive a lot of its protein from good quality meat ingredients, but the existence of canola oil, coupled with the pea protein and pea fiber that are found in this formula are not good quality, especially considering the premium price tag attached to this particular food.

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10. Blue Buffalo Basics Diet Dry Dog Food

Blue Buffalo is known for producing some high quality, premium foods, including grain-free and high fiber foods. The Basics line has less of a premium price tag. One way in which Blue Buffalo has kept the price tag down by using a recipe that is high in carbs. Carbs are a cheap way of filling a dog up, but they do not provide the nutritional value that your dog needs.

This food is considered to have a higher than average carb rating. It does have a 6.7% fiber concentration, which is considered above average, although its fat content is not that low for a food labeled diet.

The Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Dry Dog Food also contains canola oil, which is derived from GM rapeseed and does not provide the same omega-3 concentration as good quality fish oil. Dried yeast is also found in this food, and as well as being a potential allergen, there are a number of owners that claim it increases the likelihood of dogs contracting bloat.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the best High-Fiber Dog Food

Types of Fiber for Dogs

There are two types of fiber that dogs can get in their diets: soluble and insoluble fiber. It is important that dogs get both soluble and insoluble fiber in their diet. Check the bag to see if your high-fiber dog food includes both of these types of fiber. Sometimes, soluble fibers will be called prebiotics.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water, which means that by the time it reaches your dog’s colon, it is in liquid form. This fibrous liquid serves as food for the bacteria in your dog’s gut. The more food the bacteria get, the better your dog’s digestive health will be. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, which allows it to clump up and make more robust feces clusters. Larger feces will help your dog remain regular, clear out the colon more effectively than soft stools, and help your dog feel full and satisfied, which will cause them to eat less, which is good for beating obesity. Dogs should receive both types of fiber for the best results. Many people simply focus on insoluble fiber at the expense of soluble fiber.

What Does Fiber Do for Dogs?

Fiber has a number of benefits for dogs. First, fiber helps regulate your dog’s digestive system by feeding bacteria in the gut and promoting regular defecation. Fiber works to combat both irregular bowel movements, soft stools, and constipation. A healthy amount of fiber will ensure that your dog remains regular and produces healthy poop. According to the American Kennel Club, a healthy amount of fiber in the colon can “guard against issues like cancer, obesity, and diabetes.”

Check the Ingredients

You want to check the ingredients of any dog food before committing to it. Ingredients that provide fiber include things like cellulose, fruits and vegetables, kelp, and pulps. You have to ensure that your dog is getting a blend of soluble and insoluble fiber. Cellulose, for example, is soluble. Physical insoluble fibers come from things like fresh fruits and vegetables. You want to pick dog food that has a good blend of ingredients that promote a healthy fiber balance.

Budget

Dog food, especially quality or specialty foods, can be expensive. It is important that you make a budget and stick to it. Dogs can eat a lot of food, and you will be investing a lot of money per month into your dog’s food. High fiber dog foods are often more expensive than standard kibble, and the price can become substantial over time.

It is a good idea to know roughly how much food your dog eats on a monthly basis so you can craft an effective budget. For example, if your dog goes through 30 pounds of food per month, you can then get an idea based on the brands you are interested in of how much you can expect to pay per month to feed your dog a high fiber diet. You don’t want to buy food that is going to stress your finances, but you also do not want to end up with a low-quality product because you are looking for a good deal.

Save Money With Autoship Options

If you are worried about your budget, you can potentially save a lot of money per year using autoship options. Many online retailers will offer savings if you agree to sign up for a certain number of bags per quarter. For example, you could save 20% if you agree to sign up to receive one 30-pound bag of food per month for 3 months. This is an easy way to ensure that you always have enough food for your dog and save money. Look into what kind of autoship options your preferred retailer offers because the savings could be substantial, especially over the course of a year or even the course of your dog’s lifetime.

Conclusion

Fiber is an essential part of a dog’s diet. It can harden soft stools while also avoiding constipation. If you have been advised to give your dog a diet that is high in fiber, you should still ensure that you are feeding a formula that has appropriate protein, fat, and carb levels while also providing other essential vitamins and minerals to help ensure your dog is healthy and active.

In our search for the best high-fiber food out there for our dogs,

We found that the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Fiber Dry Dog Food, although a little on the expensive side, offered the best quality. Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites Small Breed Dry Dog Food is not only great for small dogs but is ideal for little dogs that need a little extra fibrous help.

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