As a dog parent, the most important thing is to keep your dog healthy. This is mainly possible by the food we feed our dogs. For this reason, choosing our dog’s diet is not just a pick-and-go game. It involves having a detailed understanding of your dog’s nutritional needs as well as their interests, allergies, and veterinary advice among other things.
Now, most dog foods in the market are made using chicken. This is because it consists of a lean source of animal protein and fats, loaded with healthy nutrients such as selenium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron, and is relatively inexpensive.
Unfortunately, chicken is one of the most common food allergens for dogs and the last thing a dog parent wants to experience is seeing their dog suffer from a food allergy.
Remember that not all dogs will be affected by chicken-made food therefore it is important to observe what affects your dog and to what extents.
If you are not sure whether you should feed your dog on a chicken diet, here are two main health reasons why you would feed a chicken free diet. The first is because of food allergies. This could be preexisting allergies or you feel the need to avoid overexposure which would also lead to allergies.
The second reason is to ensure proper nutritional balance in your dog’s diet. This can be done by rotating your dog’s food to avoid deficiencies or excesses of essential nutrients and vitamins.
While you are here, some of the ingredients you can look for in your dog food instead of chicken are buffalo, duck, kangaroo, lamb, mackerel, pork, rabbit, salmon, turkey or venison.
Best 10 Poultry Free Dog Food
If you are looking for the best poultry free food for your four-legged friend, then you are in the right place. We have taken our time to go through the numerous brand and types of dog foods in the market to ensure that we provide you an easy way out in the search for the best dog food without chicken. Below are our top ten choices.
#1) CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Adult Dry Dog Food, White Fish & Salmon
CRAVE Grain Free High Protein Adult dry dog food is crafted with real white fish as the first ingredient and supplemented with salmon natural vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. This grain-free dog food is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of all dogs regardless of their body size. It has 34% high-quality proteins that support strong, lean bodies, and provides the energy dogs need with carbohydrate sources such as peas.
The protein formula is formulated with no chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, colors or even preservatives.
Key features
- Real whitefish is the first ingredient
- Grain free carbohydrate sources, like peas provide energy
- Supports a strong, lean body with 34% high protein
- Formulated with no corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
- Grain free carbohydrate sources, like peas provide your pup with extra energy
- Formulated to meet the nutritional needs of small to large adult dogs
Bottom line– CRAVE is rich in high-quality animal proteins with the full meaty flavor dogs love. It will help support the maintenance of strong, lean muscles. It is suitable for all dogs including from young to seniors.
#2 Taste of the Wild Roasted Bison and Roasted Venison High Protein Real Meat Recipes Dry Dog Food
This Taste of the Wild dry dog food is made roasted bison and venison real meat as the number one ingredients, providing an optimal amino acid profile and protein rich diet for lean strong muscles. Fruits and vegetables are also added as superfoods for hard-working antioxidants fatty acid blend for skin and coat. The dry dog food contains optimal levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids that help support healthy skin and a shiny coat.
This Taste of the world dog formula is nutrient rich and highly digestible with species-specific proprietary probiotics that survive and thrive in the GI tract.
Key features
- Made with high protein ingredients and added vitamins and minerals
- Contains no grain, corn, wheat, filler
- No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives are added
- Sweet potatoes and peas provide a nutrient rich and highly digestible meal
- Made in the USA
Bottom line– the dry dog food offers a taste sensation like no other. It provides your dog with the taste of the world they crave, with added nutrients for a healthy life.
#3) Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Dry Dog Food, Beef, Pea & Brown Rice Recipe
Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Dry Dog Food is made from simple ingredients and essential nutrients that you can trust. This real beef, pea and brown rice recipe is a delicious, dog-friendly formula that has real beef as the number one ingredient, to provide high-quality protein for support of lean muscle. It also contains veggies that add fiber to help support healthy digestion as well as added vitamins and minerals.
Key features
- S. farm-raised beef is the number 1 ingredient
- Natural prebiotics help support healthy digestion
- No artificial flavors or artificial preservatives
- No poultry by-product meal, filler, wheat, or wheat gluten ingredients
- Contains added vitamins and minerals
- 100% complete and balanced nutrition
Bottom line– This premium dog food recipe provides well-balanced nutrition for your dog with no wheat, gluten, poultry by-products, fillers, artificial flavors or artificial preservatives.
#4) Nature’s Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
Nature’s Recipe Grain Free dog food offers a nutrient-rich and delicious meal with sermon as the number one ingredient. It is made with nutrient-high carbohydrate sources such as sweet potato and pumpkin to create a flavorful dry food for your dog. Sweet potatoes and pumpkin ingredients create grain-free, easy-to-digest dog food that doesn’t get in the way of all that delicious salmon.
This formula offers dietary fiber provided by sweet potatoes for healthy digestion as well as omega fatty acids in salmon for the great brain and muscle development of your dog. Every ingredient is well chosen for the benefit of your four-legged friend.
Features
- Salmon is the number 1 ingredient
- Contains no corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-product, or artificial flavors and preservatives
- Added vitamins, minerals and nutrients
- Grain-free recipe Healthy and easy-to-digest
- Nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources are easy-to-digest energy sources to help your dog stay active and healthy.
Bottom line– this grain-free and poultry-free dog food contains a variety of essential nutrients and minerals that help provide specific nutritional or functional benefits.
#5) Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Limited Ingredient Diet Dry Dog Food
This dry dog food by Rachael Ray is made with a mix of just six simple, natural ingredients with added vitamins and minerals. Lamb meal is used as the number one ingredient followed by the rest five wholesome ingredients.
Key features
- Lamb meal is the #1 ingredient
- Just 6 easily-digestible, natural ingredients with added vitamins and minerals
- Contains no corn, wheat, soy, or gluten ingredients
- Contains no poultry by-product meal, artificial flavors or artificial preservatives
Bottom line– This Rachael Ray dry dog food is a limited ingredient diet that may help dogs avoid food sensitivities and allergies.
#6) Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food with Grains
The Natural Balance L.I.D. dog food is a limited ingredient diet that is suitable for adult dogs of all sizes. It is made with real lamb as the number one ingredient with a delicious taste that dogs love. It also has brown rice which contains fiber to help support healthy digestion.
With the essential vitamins and minerals added, this delicious lamb and brown rice formula dog food is complete and balanced for adult dogs of all sizes.
Key features
- Features real lamb as the number 1 ingredient
- Provides essential amino acids to help build strong muscles
- Made with no gluten ingredients
- Suitable for adult dogs of all sizes
- Produced in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients
Bottom line– this limited ingredients food is formulated to provide essential amino acids that help build strong muscles.
#7) Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat Real Salmon and Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
This Diamond Naturals dry dog food is made with wild-caught salmon and zero grains, making it great for dogs that may have food-related skin sensitivities. It is also for the maintenance of healthy skin and coat in any dog, from puppy to senior. The dog food also contains tasty vegetables along with an array of superfoods that provide energy-rich carbohydrates and immune-system-supporting antioxidants.
The dog food is nutrient rich and highly digestible with proprietary, species specific, probiotics that survive and thrive in the GI tract.
Key features
- High-quality proteins from wild caught salmon and zero grains
- Contains optimal amino acid profile for lean strong muscles
- Enhanced with superfoods and guaranteed probiotics, for optimal nutrition and digestive support
- Made with added vitamins and minerals
- Contains fatty acids for skin and coat as well as essential hypoallergenic ingredients
- Contains no corn, wheat, filler; no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives added
- Made in the USA with scientifically advanced food safety protocols
Bottom line– this dog food formula provides your dog with a complete nutrition in a rich salmon flavor he or she will love. It is ideal for dogs with food-related sensitivities.
#8) Whole Earth Farms Grain Free, Natural Dry Dog Food
This Whole Earth dry dog food is formulated with high quality, natural ingredients that deliver complete and balanced nutrition for your dog. The high quality protein meal is made with natural ingredients with added vitamins, minerals and nutrients to help support easier digestibility, less shedding, shinier coat, increased energy, stronger nails and healthier skin.
This food provides a complete and balanced nutrition for your dog.
Key features
- Made with high-quality proteins like pork, lamb and beef
- Grain free and poultry free dog food great for dogs with sensitive stomachs
- Contains added vitamins, minerals and nutrients
- Contains no grains, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
Bottom line– Cooked in America using the Earth’s best ingredients, this dry dog food features high-quality protein in a flavorful blend of pork, beef and lamb.
#9) Purina ONE SmartBlend Natural Sensitive Systems, Digestive Health Adult Dry Dog Food
Purina ONE SmartBlend is formulated with real salmon as the number 1 ingredient and protein-rich kibble for a delicacy that your dog will love. The kibble is rich in vitamin E and Omega-6 fatty acids that help promote healthy skin and coat. The premium dog food recipe features a combination of rice, oatmeal and other high quality ingredients that deliver an easy to digest nutrition for your four-legged friend.
Crafted by a veterinarian recommended brand, this Purina ONE SmartBlend Adult dry dog food contains added vitamins, minerals and nutrients with zero fillers making it suitable for dogs with natural sensitive systems. Each serving of the formula has high protein levels to help support strong muscles and a healthy heart, as well as natural sources of glucosamine to support joint health. The crunchy kibble also helps clean your dog’s teeth and keep their gums healthy.
Features
- Features real salmon as the number 1 ingredient
- Protein-rich crunchy kibble
- High quality ingredients
- Easily digestible for dogs with sensitive systems
- Contains no fillers, no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Glucosamine helps to support healthy joints
- Antioxidant blend to help support a strong immune system 100% complete and balanced nutrition
- Veterinarian recommended
Bottom line– all the ingredients used have a specific purpose in ensuring your dog has safe, complete and balanced nutrition. The high protein quantity in every serving helps to support your dog’s strong muscles, including a healthy heart, and natural sources of glucosamine help support joint health so that he can maintain his active lifestyle.
#10) Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet, Grain Free Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
This BLUE Basics dog food is a delicious, limited-ingredient diet made from fewer ingredients that are selected with care to prove helpful to dogs with food sensitivities. The recipe starts with real meat from a single animal protein source (turkey) not often used in dog food and includes pumpkin and easily digested carbohydrates.
This dog food also contains a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are carefully selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists to support immune system health, life stage requirements, and a healthy oxidative balance. It lacks any artificial flavors or preservatives.
Key features
- Made with real turkey as the number one ingredient to help support strong, lean muscles
- Features real meat, fruit and vegetables
- Fish oil and flaxseed provide fatty acids to help support skin and coat health, beneficial for dogs with food sensitivities
- It lacks any chicken (or poultry) by-products, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy or eggs
- Contains added potatoes, peas and pumpkin to support gentle digestion in your dog
- Has no grains that contain gluten, making it a good option for dogs with a sensitive stomach
- Calorie content: 3,495 kcal/kg, 364 kcal/cup
Bottom line– this dry dog food is specifically formulated with essential proteins and carbohydrates to help meet energy requirements and promote a healthy lifestyle for your dog.
Things to Avoid When Choosing Dog Food
Preservatives– preservatives should be avoided in dog food and if they are used, always opt for natural ones like vitamin E and C. This is because artificial/chemical preservatives such as BHA, Propylene Glycol and BHT are toxic and should therefore be avoided.
Byproducts– when we talk of byproducts we refer to the leftovers of a slaughtered animal for example chicken that are not fit for human consumption. They may include feet, livers, lungs, brains, kidneys, stomachs and spleens among many others. They are of low or no nutritional value to the dog.
Overcooked ingredients– just like in human food, overcooking or processing reduces the nutritional value of dog food by denaturing proteins.
Rendered fat– this contains low or no nutrients hence not beneficial to your furry friend. Rendered fat might also contain harmful microorganisms that can result in health complications such as pancreatitis.
Unknown ingredients– it is not advisable to feed your dog unfamiliar things or food. You should always consult the vet before changing or introducing new food to your pet. It helps you make an informed decision about the diet of your dog based on their nutritional requirements. You will have to understand which ingredients can be dangerous when used in dog food.
Allergenic foods– if your dog develops an allergy reaction to a certain type of food, it is good to avoid that food.
Conclusion
Your dog might eat everything you place in front of them. I will say lucky you as other dogs have issues when it comes to food allergens. Ingredients such as poultry may result in serious health conditions for them. If your dog is allergic to poultry or the products, feel free to try any of the above-discussed foods which we believe are the best ten poultry free dog foods we have in the market today.
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Dr. Candy, a holistic veterinarian and certified raw dog food nutrition specialist, graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2009 with a DVM and has since specialized in companion animal nutrition, advocating for species-specific diets. With a background in wildlife rehabilitation and oil spill response, she combines holistic health and conventional medicine in her unique approach to treating chronic diseases, allergies, and autoimmune conditions in pets. As the owner of a veterinary practice in Colorado and an author, Dr. Candy is dedicated to educating pet parents and improving the health and happiness of animals.
