In this post we will be looking at the best low carb dog foods for diabetic dogs, I also made sure the foods I am recommending to you are not high in fat because my friend with diabetics told me that too much fat is not good for people with diabetics and I guess that would apply to dogs too.
Summary
Best low carb dry dog foods for diabetic dogs
Overall best
Ketona dog food: 46% protein, 16 % and about 6% carbohydrate, grain, and made in the US. It has 2 different recipes; salmon and chicken.
First runner up
Orijen fit and trim dry dog food: This low carb dog food contains about 42% protein, 13% fat, and 19% carbohydrates. Its first 5 ingredients are fresh poultry and fish ingredients and it does not contain any byproduct meals. It is grain-free and is made in the US
Second runner up
Stella & chewy’s wild red raw blend kibble recipes: This dog food has about contains 36% protein, 18% fat, and 24% carbohydrate. It has three recipes but only 2 are very low in carbs, the red meat recipe which contains beef, pork, lamb, bison, venison, and goat, and the prairie recipe which contains poultry.
It is grain and legume-free, and it is made in the US.
Last runner up
The Purina ONE True Instinct high protein dry food recipes: contain protein of 32%, crude fat of 17%, and carbs of about 28%, and has only two recipes, the real beef and salmon recipes, and the chicken and duck flavour. It is made in the US and is grain-free.
Best low carb wet dog foods for diabetic dogs
Overall best
ZIWI peak original series wet food recipes: contains about 40.9 % protein, 25% fat, and 6.3 % carbohydrate on a dry matter basis, made and sourced in New Zealand. it has a chicken recipe, lamb recipe, mackerel & lamb recipe, tripe & lamb recipe, and venison recipe. It is grain-free.
First runner up
Stella & chewy’s wild red raw blend wet foods
This is good low carb food for diabetic dogs, it contains 46% protein, 13% fat, and about 20 % carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. It has three recipes; the chicken and turkey stew, the chicken and beef stew, and the lamb stew. It does not contain grains, legumes, or potatoes and it is made in the US
Last runner up
Whole Hearted grain-free adult boiled chicken dinner wet dog food: This food has 53% protein, 13.3% fat, and about 21 % carbohydrate on a dry. It does not have grains or soy. It is made in Thailand and USA with globally sourced ingredients.
if you do not really mind the fat content that much, you can check out a wide range of low carb dog food on our review post about dog foods with low carbohydrate content.
Best low carb dry dog foods for diabetic dogs
Overall best
Ketona dog food
This is one of the best low carb dog food for diabetic dogs, it contains about 46% protein, 16 % fat, and about 6% carbohydrate. It does not contain corn, wheat, soy, potato, rice, barley, and sweet potato.
It does not contain by-product meal and artificial flavours and it is grain and tuber-free.
Guaranteed analysis:
Crude Protein (Min.): 46.0%
Crude Fat (Min.): 16.0%
Crude Fiber (Max.): 11.0%
Moisture (Max.): 11.0%
Dietary Starch (Max.): 6.0%
Sugar (Max.): 0.5%
This dog food has two flavors; chicken flavour and salmon flavour. The main ingredients in both flavors are chicken or salmon and they are in larger amounts than in other dog food.
The food is made for adult dogs, so don’t feed it to your young dog.
The food smelled and looked good, I also gave my dogs to taste it and they seemed to be okay with the taste, the kibble is medium (not large, not too small) and it was not too strong or soft.
The manufacturers have a 30-day money-back guarantee on their site, so if you buy it and your dog does not do well on it, you can return it.
These foods are made in the US.
Calorie content (calculated): 3488kcal/kg(ME) or 451kcal/cup(ME).
Reviews (please zoom in)
The food costs about $118.74 for a 24.2-pound bag.
first runner up
Orijen fit and trim dry dog food
This low carb dog food contains about 42% protein, 13% fat, and 19% carbohydrates. Its first 5 ingredients are fresh poultry and fish ingredients and it does not contain any byproduct meals.
It is a whole prey dog food and it is stated on their site that they use free range animals. It is grain-free and it is made in the US.
The kibble size is slightly bigger than regular kibble and it is not as round as regular kibble, it is not hard or too soft and it has a good smell, unlike some dog foods.
It is said to be for all life stages and breeds but I suggest you ask your vet if you want to feed it to your puppy. It was also not formulated to meet the nutritional levels of large breed dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult), so if you want to feed it to your large dog, you need to ask your vet for a better feeding guide.
Calorie content (calculated ME): 3860 Kcal/kg, (463 kcal per 8oz. cup)
Reviews (please zoom in)
It costs about $32 for a 4.5 lb bag at the time of making this post.
second runner up
Stella & chewy’s wild red raw blend kibble recipes
This dog food contains 36% protein, 18% fat, and about 24% carbohydrate. It has three recipes but only 2 are very low in carbs, the red meat recipe which has contains beef, pork, lamb, bison, venison, and goat, and the prairie contains poultry.
The recipes do not contain grains, potatoes, or legumes and they use whole prey ingredients, including muscle meat, organ meat, and cartilage. They are freeze-dried raw coated kibbles with added raw chunks.
The kibble is normal size and it is not hard or too soft as usual I gave my dogs a little to taste and they were okay with the taste, there were also small chunks of freeze-dried raw meat among the kibble.
When I heard it was freeze-dried kibble I thought I might need to preserve it in the fridge but all you have to do is to store it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and make sure it is sealed after opening it.
It can be fed to adult dogs of all breeds and sizes and it is made in the US.
Calorie content: for the two recipes range between 302 to 382 kcal/kg, 403 to 420kcal/cup
Reviews (please zoom in)
It cost about $27 for a 3.5lb bag at the time of making this blog post.
Last choice
The Purina ONE True Instinct high protein dry food recipes
Although this is my last choice for low carb dog food for diabetic dogs (dry food) it is still good. This dry food has only two recipes, the real beef and salmon recipes, and the chicken and duck flavor. They both have crude protein of 32%, crude fat of 17%, and about 28% carbohydrate.
Both recipes don’t contain any poultry by-products meals, so they contain more whole meat which is very good for your dog.
The two recipes are not gluten-free food, so if your dog has a gluten allergy, then you should ask your vet before buying it for your dog.
Glucosamine is part of the ingredients of these foods, it helps to promote healthy joints in your dog and can help reduce the risk of joint problems when your dog begins to age.
The two recipes are not grain-free but the grains are in a small amount.
I gave the food to my dogs to taste and two of them seemed to like it but the other one did not like the taste, the texture and size of the kibble was okay.
The calorie content for both flavors is about 3959kcal/kg, 357 kcal/cup (calculated) (ME).
These foods are made for adult dogs, not for puppies and if you have a pregnant or nursing dog, I suggest you ask your vet if it is okay to feed them this.
Reviews (please zoom in)
The eight-pound pack cost about $15.99 at the time of making the post.
if you do not the fat and you are looking for high protein low carb dog food, you can check here
Best low carb wet dog foods for diabetic dogs
Overall best
ZIWI peak original series wet food recipes
This food has different recipes, it has a chicken recipe, lamb recipe, mackerel & lamb recipe, tripe & lamb recipe, and venison recipe.
These recipes have about 40.9 % protein, 25% fat, and 6.3 % carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. They are 96% PeakPrey ratios of meat, organs, seafood, and bone. They contain superfoods like cold-washed green tripe, New Zealand mussels, and organic kelp.
The ingredients are sourced from New Zealand and their meats are from grass-fed free-range animals. It does not have grains, potato, legumes, glycerine, rendered meat or meals.
All my dogs loved the two flavors I bought for them to taste, it smelled so fresh and it was very meaty and soft.
It is stated that they are made for all life stages and all breeds but I suggest you ask your vet if you want to feed it to your puppy.
The calorie content for the various recipes ranges from about 1250 to 1325 ME/kg (calculated), 212 to 225 kcal ME/level cup (calculated)
Reviews (please zoom in)
It is made in New Zealand and it costs about $57.60 for a 6oz case of 12.
First runner up
Stella & chewy’s wild red wet dog food recipes
This food contains 46% protein, 13% fat, and about 20 % carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. It has three recipes; the chicken and turkey stew, the chicken and beef stew, and the lamb stew.
The three recipes do not contain grains, potatoes, or legumes and they use whole prey ingredients, including muscle meat, organ meat, and cartilage.
It can be fed to adult dogs of all breeds and sizes and it is made in Thailand.
The manufacturers said the meats used are antibiotic and hormone-free, and that their packaging, including the cans, is BPA-free.
This food is like chunks of meat with a broth/stew-like substance
Calorie content: chicken & turkey stew: 922 kcal/kg, 261 kcal/can
chicken & beef stew: 839 kcal/kg, 237 kcal/can
chicken & lamb stew: 763 kcal/kg, 216 kcal/can
Reviews (please zoom in)
It costs about $10 for a case of 3 10 oz cans at the time of making this blog post.
Last choice
Whole Hearted grain free adult boiled chicken dinner wet dog food
This food has 53% protein, 13.3% fat, and about 21 % carbohydrate on a dry matter. It does not have grains or soy.
It can be fed to adult dogs of all breeds and sizes and it is made in Thailand and USA with globally sourced ingredients.
This wet food is chunks of boiled chicken with broth, it looked like human food and not something too processed, and it smelled fresh.
Calorie content (ME calculated): 954 kcal/kg (337 kcal/can).
Reviews (please zoom in)
At the time of making this blog post, a 12.5oz can of 8 cost about $21.
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Important information
I am not a vet, any advice shared in this post is from my personal experience, deep research, and advice from dog parents in the Reddit and Facebook dog groups and dog forums that I am a member of.
A Lot of dog parents are finding it hard to get the best low carb dog food for diabetic dogs, so if this was helpful to you please share it.