The Best Diet Dry Dog Food

Recent studies indicate that 30 to 40 percent of pets in America are overweight. Like their human counterparts, overweight dogs are at risk for a range of health problems. A dry kibble that is low in fat and high in fiber is the best diet to get your dog to reach a healthy weight. While there are many options available, ranging from commercially-available kibble to cooking your own, these four brands (listed in alphabetical order) are consistently ranked as some of the best diet dry kibble.

Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo's BLUE Weight Control Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe (www.bluebuff.com) is a diet dry food containing a mix of chicken and grains. High in protein (20 percent) and low in fat (6 percent), this food provides a healthy balance of protein, grains and vegetables. Blue Buffalo also claims a specialized blend of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals designed to protect dogs from environmental toxins.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul

This brand (www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com) offers an Adult Dog Light formula that is high in protein (20 percent) but low in fat (6 percent). In addition, this food provides a high level of fiber. While many high-quality diet dog foods can be expensive, this is reasonably priced, though sometimes difficult to locate.

Innova

Naturapet's Innova EVO Reduced Fat formula (www.naturapet.com) has a very high meat content---the first four ingredients are meat---and the kibble is grain-free. The food is very high in protein (52 percent) and low in fat (15 percent), though the ratio makes this food particularly suited to adult large breed dogs. While this food is low in fat, the formula preserves healthy fatty acids.

Old Mother Hubbard Wellness Core Reduced Fat

Old Mother Hubbard's Wellness Core Reduced Fat (www.wellnesspetfood.com) is another grain-free option. This dry food has a high level of protein (33 percent) delivered through five different meat sources, and it also has a very low level of fat (9 percent). The ingredients that comprise the rest of the formula include good-quality fruits and vegetables including potatoes, sweet potatoes and blueberries.

Royal Canin

Royal Canin (www.royalcanin.us) offers several diet dry dog food options, including formulas specialized for small and large breeds. In addition, Royal Canine has two specialty Calorie Control products, one with High Fiber and one with High Protein, each designed to meet a dog's specific set of health requirements. With the wide array of options, Royal Canin's dry diet dog foods meet any specific health needs.

Considerations

Regardless of which food you choose for your dog, any high protein dry food, especially one with a large quantity of meat, requires a transition period. Begin by feeding your dog her current food with a small amount of the new food to see how she reacts. If she seems to transition without digestive upset, slowly shift the ratio until you've successfully phased out her current food.