The best dog food for Huskies contains a high amount of protein and limited carbohydrates. Their diet stems back to their ancestors and many companies have begun producing specific food formulas just for Huskies.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to choose the best dog food for Huskies and what exactly goes into it.
Common Nutritional Needs of Huskies
It’s important to understand that the best dog food for Huskies isn’t always the most common one on the shelf.
Your dog requires a unique set of vitamins, proteins, and ingredients that is specific to their breed. Just as people all over the world become used to certain dietary needs, the same is true for our dogs.
Here are some of the unique nutritional needs of your Husky:
High Protein; Low Carbohydrate – Huskies can have a unique need for protein, moderate fat, and low carbs. This is how your dog will get the most out of the calories they eat and be able to convert that food into energy. This is due to their ancestral diet made up of almost entirely protein.
High Vitamins for Eyesight – Huskies are known for hereditary cataracts and other eye problems so it’s important that their food contains a high concentration of vitamins A and E which can be found in a lot of dog food.
High Fiber; Low Calories – Fiber is important for dogs just as it is for humans. It helps break down food and prevent growth of bad bacteria in the gut. For Huskies, it helps with their active lifestyle and helps prevent them from becoming sedentary.
Best Dog Food for Huskies: Top Choices
Here are our top picks for the best dog foods for Huskies.
Front of the Pack Air-Dried Chicken
Best Overall
4.9 out of 5
- Organic care-free chicken and sweet potato as the first ingredients
- Made all naturally by veterinarians in the USA
- Contains only the highest quality ingredients
- Highly nutritious dog food
This food is a 100% all natural choice made with scientific evidence that it’s some of the best dog food around.
Some of the first ingredients include organic cage-free chicken, organic sweet potato, antarctic krill, organic whole eggs, organic oats, and organic beets. All of these ingredients combined are all-natural, whole, and the best possible choice you can provide your pup.
Flavor becomes a concern when you’re dealing with food like this because you want to make sure your pup will like it. There’s no doubt that it’s expensive but it’s also cooked at a low temperature to prevent the food from losing its flavor and any of the nutrients.
A Pup Above: Texas Beef Stew
Best High Quality Dog Food
4.9 out of 5
- First ingredients include natural and high quality protein like beef and beef liver
- Contains a minimum of 16.3% crude protein
- Soft-prepared food aids in digestion
As time goes on we continue to learn more and more about what dogs need and want and one discovery is that their food shouldn’t be much different from what we eat.
As a result, we tend to feed dogs more human grade ingredients and it’s important for your Husky. This food is made with a single source of protein to limit the chances of them having allergies. It also contains superfood ingredients like turmeric, thyme, and parsley. All of these are important for Husky joint health as they age.
Wild Earth Complete Protein Formula
Best Plant-Based Dog Food for Huskies
4.7 out of 5
- All ingredients are in the food with a purpose
- Contains high-quality ingredients like chickpeas and oats first
- All cruelty-free and umami flavored
The goal of this plant-based dog food is to limit the amount of low quality “meat” ingredients included in the package while promoting overall health and sustainability.
Wild Earth does a great job of this while also ensuring your Husky is still getting the protein and vitamins they need through other sources like beans and oats.
One thing we love is that they have a quiz on the site that you can take to determine what formula to purchase for your dog. We recommend taking it for your Husky.
Nutro Natural Choice Healthy Weight
Best Lamb Meal Dog Food for Huskies
4.5 out of 5
- High-quality lamb as the main protein source
- Doesn’t contain GMO ingredients or by-products
- Works for dogs ages one year and older
In the case of Huskies that have a hard time maintaining a healthy weight, Nutro Natural Choice is a great option because it uses lean protein and high-quality ingredients to support an overall balanced diet.
The formula contains deboned lamb, Fresh chicken meal, and whole grain barley as the three first ingredients. Vitamin E, C, and A also help support eye and joint health.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Puppy Food
Best Dog Food for Husky Puppies
4.5 out of 5
- Contains calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth
- Uses puppy-sized kibble for smaller jaws
- Starts with real meat and whole grains as the first ingredients
It’s important to remember that a Husky puppy needs their own food containing important nutrients which may differ from normal adult food.
This formula from Blue Buffalo includes 25% crude protein and 15% crude fat which is essential for growing Husky puppies. The low carbohydrate and higher calorie count in this food is what helps your Husky grow.
Ingredients like L-carnitine and various vitamins are also important for eye, coat, and tooth health, making it an all around great puppy food.
Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream
Best Dog Food for Senior Dogs
4.4 out of 5
- Smoked salmon is high in protein and omega fatty acids
- Great for supporting bones and keeping your dog’s joints healthy
- Rich is specific probiotics to support digestive health
Your dog’s diet needs will change as they age. Obesity, arthritis, and cognitive ability become more important and since dogs primarily rely on their food for nutrition, what you feed your senior Husky is incredibly important.
The first instinct is to immediately cut back on protein because we think it can contribute to weight gain but that’s not always the case. Looking at overall calories is important and that’s part of what makes Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream so great.
It uses leaner protein like salmon to help your Husky still get the protein they need while also reducing their overall calorie intake so they don’t gain weight as they slow down.
American Journey Salmon and Sweet Potato
Best Budget Dog Food for Huskies
4.1 out of 5
- Grain-free but without fillers like corn and soy
- Great for sensitive stomachs
- Contains nutritious vegetables and fish oil for skin and coat health
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you need to settle for low-quality kibble. There are plenty of affordable options out there like American Journey.
This food contains salmon, chicken meal, peas, and sweet potatoes as some of the top ingredients. These contain the necessary protein and fiber your dog needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
With complimentary ingredients like blueberries and carrots, it makes American Journey just as good as some of the more premium options.
Orijen Original Grain-Free Food
Best Grain-Free Dog Food for Huskies
4.8 out of 5
- Contains 85% premium animal ingredients
- First 5 ingredients are fresh or raw protein
- Made in the USA
Orijen is consistently known as one of the best brands of dog food for a reason. Their food is crafted with utmost care and concern for your pups overall health. When it comes to a healthy diet for a Husky, there is very rarely such a thing as too much protein.
This food is loaded with complete animal protein through whole sources like real deboned chicken (chicken meal and chicken fat), turkey, flounder, liver, giblets, eggs, and beans.
Beyond that they even include whole apples, pears, collard greens, cranberries, and more protein through the use of freeze-dried chicken and turkey.
Keep in mind that this food contains a higher concentration of calories and also can result in allergies due to the various amounts of protein sources. This food is primarily designed for working dogs.
Choosing the Best Husky Dog Food
You’ve seen the foods but now the question begs, which food is the right choice for your Husky? Choosing the best food for Huskies isn’t always easy because every dog requires something a little different. The good news is, for the most part, all the foods recommended in this guide will work for your dog depending on their age.
Keep in mind that your dog is a workhorse, an athlete, and quite a humorous fluff ball at times. They require a lot of protein, plenty of calories, and a healthy dose of ingredients to ensure their coat, teeth, and eyes stay healthy through the course of their life.
In the following sections, we’ll review some of the characteristics that make up the best husky dog food and how we decided on these options as our favorite choices.
Do Huskies Need Special Food?
The number one question a lot of Husky owners ask is, “do I need to feed my dog grain-free food”? The answer is, maybe.
Grain-free doesn’t always necessarily mean more protein and less carbs. Much of the time, the carbohydrates are simply transferred to different ingredients resulting in a food that has more calories and is actually less healthy for your dog. Also some grains, like whole grain brown rice, actually contain protein.
In fact, many experts recommend feeding huskies a combination of a raw and commercial-grade food diet.
Keep in mind that Huskies don’t have some of the eating issues that other dog breeds possess. For example, Huskies have an internal dietary clock that tells them when to stop eating so they only eat until they’re full.
Like all dogs, they have ingredients they should always avoid including sugar, avocado, salt, corn, dairy, and cooked bones.
What is the Healthiest Dog Food for a Husky?
There are a few criteria to keep in mind when deciding whether or not a food is healthy for your Husky.
Real meat sources or protein
First, you want real meat as the first ingredient. Of course, if you’re electing to feed your dog a plant-based diet, you just want to make sure that protein is the primary ingredient.
As for the rest of us, whole ingredients like real chicken, turkey, and fish are all important ingredients.
No filler equals good pet nutrition
From there, you want to look for complimentary ingredients like potatoes, vegetables, and sea kelp. Foods that contain corn meal, wheat, and flour are generally lower quality because these are fillers and they don’t do anything for your dog. They simply fill space without providing nutritional value.
A word about by-products
By-products are a tough gray area and a lot of food producers will tell you they’re okay. Lower-quality but popular dog foods from companies like Purina will back up the fact that they include by-products without mentioning the concerns or potential hazards.
By-products are okay as long as the protein is listed. Beef by-products and chicken by-products are fine.
When a label says “animal by-product,” this is usually what you’d like to avoid because the protein and ingredient source is unknown. Chances are it’s a low-quality piece such as intestinal contents, hair, or bones.
Is Blue Buffalo Good for Siberian Huskies?
Yes, Blue Buffalo is considered a quality but budget-friendly brand. They have a great story about their dog Blue that inspired the brand and why they’re so popular.
Another reason we like Blue Buffalo is because they offer a wide assortment of quality foods for those with sensitive stomachs, food allergies, coat and skin issues, and so on. They all contain great protein sources and high-quality ingredients and no matter what formula you buy, you don’t have to worry.
Is Purina Good for Huskies?
While we hate to say that we “don’t” recommend a specific brand, we do believe that there are plenty of better choices besides Purina. Unfortunately, the jury is wide open on whether or not you can trust Purina and we’re merely one source of information.
For us, the proof is in the ingredients. It’s that simple.
If we take Purina One Chicken and Rice as an example. This is one of their most popular offerings and it’s highly recommended with thousands of five star reviews.
So, is it bad for your Husky? No, but is it the best choice? Also, no.
The second, third, and fourth ingredients are rice flour, corn gluten meal, and whole grain corn. These are all fillers and do absolutely nothing for your dog’s health.
It also contains “natural flavors,” salt, and caramel color which are all unnecessary and added to improve the taste and color of the food to make it more desirable. Again, these are not good ingredients for your dog.
How Often do Siberian Huskies Eat?
Not as much as you think
Siberian Huskies don’t require as much food as you’d think. They’ll eat between 2-4 cups per day and will stop when they’re full.
The important thing is protein
They rely on a protein-rich diet and they are known for being picky compared to other breeds. Also, keep in mind that huskies have a hard time losing weight once they’ve gained it. As a result, it’s best to limit their feeding to 2-3 times per day and give them plenty of time to relax after eating to prevent gastric torsion.
What are Huskies Allergic to?
There isn’t any specific list of foods or things that Huskies are allergic to because it depends on the specific dog. The most popular food allergies in dogs are dairy, beef, chicken, soy, and gluten.
So, pretty much anything could be an allergy. The only way to figure it out is to try a certain food on them and see how they like it. You could notice skin allergies, vomiting, or diarrhea as an example of an allergy.
This is where limited ingredient diets come into play. Foods that contain only one main source of protein are a great way to isolate the allergy.
Conclusion
You truly can’t beat the all natural dog food choices but of course, they come at a price that isn’t affordable for everyone. If it fits your budget, Front of the Pack is the best option for your Husky. It has all the best ingredients and truly everything you want to feed your pup.
If it’s unrealistic for you, don’t worry, Nutro Natural Choice is a great option as well and is affordable enough to fit most budgets.
Both of these options contain whole protein sources and high-quality complimentary ingredients. Choosing the best dog food for Huskies isn’t always easy so shop around, try different foods, and see what your pup likes!
