Choosing the best food for your husky is a lot like picking out a new car. There are plenty of options to choose from and most of them are great but which one excites you the most? You want to think about your pup, what they like, what they don’t like, and what unique characteristics make them who they are.
Beyond all that deep and philosophical stuff, it’s all in the ingredients. We’ll help you decide based on years of experience testing and reviewing dog food. Let’s get into it!
8 Best Dry Food Options for Huskies
Overall Best Dry dog food for Huskies
Front of the Pack Air Dried Chicken
4.8 out of 5
- Air-dried to preserve flavor and nutritional value
- Complete balanced diet
- Backed by science and formulated by vets
This recipe is about as close as you can get to a completely raw diet without all the downsides of it. With raw food, it has a short shelf life, is more expensive, and requires you to refrigerate it. With Front of the Pack, you’re able to give your Husky all the vitamins and nutrients they need without having to worry about maintaining the high food standards.
One thing we really like about Front of the Pack is that you actually fill out a questionnaire in the beginning and they develop a formula that works for your pups specific needs.
Whatever it is your dog needs be it sensitive food, skin issues, or scratching; Front of the Pack will develop a unique formula that works for them.
Best Grain-Free dry dog food for huskies
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free
4.7 out of 5
- 32% crude protein and 422 calories per cup
- Real meat and vegetables as the first ingredients
- A family business based in the USA
Taste of the Wild is a unique option because it uses water buffalo as the first ingredient. A lot of dog owners may wonder about the benefits of feeding your Husky such a unique protein but it’s actually great for bone and joint health and the development of lean muscles.
If you find that your Husky has an issue with putting on weight or you notice that they’re a little less limber with age, this could be a great switch for them. The formula also has a variety of complimentary ingredients like blueberries, yucca, and a ton of healthy bacteria to promote gut health.
Best Affordable Dry Food for Huskies
Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Formula
4.7 out of 5
- 32% crude protein and 470 calories per cup
- Does not contain corn, wheat, or any fillers
- Great for coat and skin health
If you think that affordable food means sacrificing quality, think again. You just have to look a little harder and not be so willing to accept the marketing schemes used by the big companies. Diamond Naturals isn’t as popular as some of the other options but it’s affordable and the proof is in the ingredients.
The first few ingredients include chicken meal, chicken, ground white rice, and chicken fat. These are all solid ingredients and there are a number of great complimentary ingredients lower down the list. It’s also an exceptional source of healthy bacteria and vitamins from various fruits.
Best High Protein Dry food for huskies
Orijen Original Grain-Free
4.9 out of 5
- Contains 85% premium animal ingredients
- 38% crude protein per serving
- Freeze-dried coating to preserve flavor
We’re big fans of Orijen and that’s part of the reason why this formula received such a high rating. This is one of the best foods on the market as long as you have the budget for it and your dog isn’t allergic to anything.
It contains a wealth of protein from sources like chicken, turkey, flounder, mackerel, liver, herring, and a ton of beans and other legumes. The problem with this variety is that you can never be too sure what’s causing your dogs allergies if you notice them licking or scratching themselves.
That said, the recipe has an extremely high protein content at 38% so if you have a working or highly active Husky, this is the food you want to feed them to give them the energy they need.
Best Dry Dog food for Husky Puppies
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Chicken Recipe
4.5 out of 5
- 36% crude protein is great for energetic puppies
- Great list of first ingredients
- Contains a large number of great complimentary ingredients
Choosing the best dry food for Husky puppies is all about finding a recipe that gives your pup the right amount of protein, carbs, and fat. This is a high protein recipe designed to feed your dogs appetite while properly developing their bones, joints, skin, and coat.
It also contains ingredients that ensure the development of lean muscles which prevent your dog from putting on too much weight. Some of the first ingredients are deboned chicken, chicken meal, pea protein, and peas. While the peas are usually considered a lower quality ingredient, it’s important that pups take in extra calories to accommodate their more energetic nature.
Best Dry Dog Food for Senior Huskies
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Lamb and Brown Rice
4.6 out of 5
- 22% crude protein and 370 calories per serving
- Contains lean protein sources
- Great for dogs with sensitive stomachs and allergies
As our dogs age, we need to be more careful about what we feed them. They don’t need as many calories and they will generally benefit more from leaner protein sources like lamb. Lamb is one of the best options for seniors because it helps maintain lean muscle development and healthy joints.
This is a specific large breed formula which uses a large kibble so if your Husky does have any dental issues they may have a hard time chewing this food. You could always soak it in water or broth to make it easier though.
The lower protein and calorie content is helpful for aging Huskies so they aren’t consuming too many calories as their energy level goes down.
Best Dry food for Huskies with Sensitive Stomachs
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin
4.4 out of 5
- 20% crude protein and 382 calories per serving
- Crafted with plenty of vitamins and minerals for healthy skin and coats
- Designed to be highly digestible
When your dog has a sensitive stomach, one of the best things you can do is limit the amount of protein sources they eat and restrict the overall ingredient list. The best dry food for Huskies is whatever works best for your dog and this recipe from Hill’s is a great choice.
The first ingredients are chicken, brewers rice, chicken meal, and yellow peas. There are quite a few filler ingredients there but it’s important to understand that this isn’t an active dog formula, it’s designed for a more sedentary pup that simply needs something that is easier to keep down. This recipe is a great choice if your Husky fits that description.
Best Natural Dry dog food for a Husky
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Chicken and Brown Rice
4.7 out of 5
- Grain-inclusive formula with lower protein
- Contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals
- Uses glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy joints
We chose this recipe because of the quality of ingredients and overall likeability of the recipe specifically for Huskies. A lot of Husky owners swear by this food and we know that the brand overall has a stunning reputation. It uses real protein as the first ingredient with a variety of healthy complimentary ingredients following after.
You’ll also find super food options like chia seed and pumpkin as well which contain antioxidants and amino acids to support your pups immune system. Glucosamine is also a great ingredient for aging pups that may be dealing with lower back and joint issues.
Choosing the Best Dry Food for Huskies
Let’s talk about some of the factors we used to decide on these foods. Choosing the best dry food for Huskies seems like a simple task but it’s not when there are so many poor quality options and slimy marketing tactics reeling you in.
The goal of this guide is to cut through all the nonsense and show you nothing but the truth. In the following sections, we want to help you understand the why behind the foods we recommend.
Is Wet or Dry Food Better for Huskies?
The reality is, if you have a hard time feeding your dog dry kibble, they may prefer wet food. There is no right or wrong answer to this question but you’ll want to pay close attention to the wet food you choose because a lot of them contain harmful ingredients like corn syrup and excess salt.
In many cases, dry dog food also contains ingredients that are important for dental health. If you’re having a hard time getting your Husky to eat, consider mixing a little wet food in with the dry food.
How Much Dry Food Should a Husky Eat Daily?
According to this Siberian Husky feeding chart your pup should be eating between 2-4 cups of food each day. This breed is unique in the fact that they won’t continue eating once they’re full. Even if there is food in front of them, they’ll stop.
This fact means that Huskies are less prone to weight gain. The most important thing to understand is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to feeding your Husky. Every dog is different and requires different things at various points in their life.
Should Huskies Eat Grain Free Food?
No matter what you read, grain-free is not always better. There are many cases where feeding your dog grain-free food makes sense but simply following it because you “think” it’s better isn’t the right choice.
Some dogs have gluten sensitivities just like humans and in this case, feeding them a grain-free diet can be the right choice.
In many cases, food sensitivities can have nothing to do with the grain in the food and can actually be the cause of various ingredients including protein, sugar, salt, or artificial flavoring.
Is Purina Good for Huskies?
While our objective is not to “bash” specific foods, we’re well known for our dislike of Purina but it’s all backed by evidence. When all else fails, turn to the ingredients. Their recipes contain a lot of flour, corn, soybean meals, and by-products which are simply known to be low quality ingredients and fillers.
Is it the worst food on the market? Absolutely not. But, there are better options that aren’t much more expensive so we believe that most people still buy Purina simply because they don’t know that it’s not the best option.
What is the Healthiest Dry Dog Food for a Husky?
Choosing the best dry food for Huskies comes down to knowing your pup. What types of ingredients do they like? What do they dislike? What makes them happy? What makes them sad? So on and so forth.
The reality is, there’s a lot more “healthy” food options out there than “not-healthy” options. Most of the recipes you find on sites like Chewy are decent enough to be considered a good food.
That said, if we have to pick the healthiest dry dog food, we would say something from brands like Orijen, Taste of the Wild, Wellness, and even Merrick. These brands are consistently providing high-quality foods and they don’t stray from that.
No matter what recipe you buy or what protein source it uses, all the ingredients are the same past the first few and they usually are great complimentary vegetables, fruits, and probiotics.
What Dog Foods Should You Not Feed Your Husky?
You know the best food, now let’s talk about the worst. Some of the worst brands include:
- Iams
- Dog Chow
- Kibbles ‘n Bits
- Purina
- Cesar
No matter how you doctor these up, many of them contain artificial flavoring, artificial coloring, sugar, salt, corn, and soybeans. All of these ingredients aren’t necessary in dog food and no matter what they tell you, they don’t belong there.
Final Thoughts
Front of the Pack Air Dried Chicken is the winner for a variety of reasons. It combines all the best ingredients that you’re looking for in a high-quality dog food and even improves the preparation process to preserve flavor and nutrients.
Best of all, you don’t have to refrigerate it so it can sit on the shelf without going bad just like any other dog food.
The best dry food for Huskies that meets more of a traditional standard would have to be Orijen Original Grain-Free. We love this brand and think that the high protein and calorie content is great for active Huskies.
