If you have a Mastiff, you’re well aware of their size and that they can consume quite a lot of food. But the thing about Mastiffs is that they are prone to obesity, and large dogs often don’t live as long as smaller ones. With that being said, it’s important to feed them high-quality and nutritious dog food for them to live a long and healthy life.

Mastiffs are also muscular dogs, so the best food for them should be high in protein to keep their muscles in good shape. The food should also be low-fat to help them maintain a healthy weight. Luckily, you don’t have to spend time searching, as we’ve compiled a list of the best dog food for Mastiffs, along with reviews of each one to help make your decision easier.

A Quick Look at Our Favorite Choices in 2024

The 10 Best Dog Foods for Mastiffs

1. Ollie Fresh Beef Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall

We highly recommend considering Ollie Fresh Beef with Sweet Potatoes. As the name suggests, this food is made with completely fresh ingredients. Everything is human-grade and carefully cooked in one of Ollie’s facilities. When it arrives at your door, the food is frozen. You can simply thaw it out and feed it to your canine.

While this food can be a bit expensive for a large dog, it is worth it if you have the money to spend. It doesn’t get much healthier than fresh, premium dog food like Ollie.

This food’s first ingredient is beef, and you can tell. You can see the ground beef mixed with all the other ingredients, so you don’t have to doubt what is in this food. Other ingredients, like sweet potatoes, are also included, which help provide your dog with complete nutrition.

Plus, this formula is completely fortified. Therefore, unlike home-cooked fresh food, it meets all your dog’s dietary needs and then some. This formula is AAFCO-approved and designed for the life stages of all dogs, including Mastiffs.

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2. American Journey Chicken and Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dog Food – Budget Buy

There are quite a few reasons why we think American Journey Chicken and Sweet Potato Grain-Free dog food is the best dog food for Mastiffs for the money. For starters, it’s budget-friendly while still containing high-quality and nutritious ingredients. Chicken is the main protein source, but it also contains turkey, which are lean meats that will keep your Mastiff’s muscles in good shape. This food is also high in protein while low in fat and calories, so it’s a great choice for helping dogs maintain a healthy weight.

This dog food also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which supports bone and joint health, and omega fatty acids, including DHA, which supports skin and coat health and eye and brain development. It’s also rich in fiber from peas and sweet potatoes, which can give your Mastiff energy and make the food more easily digestible. The only downside is that your Mastiff may not like the flavor if he prefers something other than chicken.

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3. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dog Food

Our third choice is Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dog Food. This food is very high in protein at 32% minimum, and the first three ingredients are animal protein sources, which is exactly what you want in dog food. Bison and venison combined with chicken and lamb create a yummy flavor that your Mastiff will surely love. This food also contains sweet potatoes and dried chicory roots that aid digestion.

K9 Strain Proprietary Probiotics and prebiotics and antioxidants help support healthy digestion and a healthy immune system so that your Mastiff can live a healthy life. It also contains vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids that support a healthy coat as well as provide energy to your dog. The one downside is that this food is a bit higher in fat than other dog food. Fat is also necessary for proper muscle function, but the fat content may be too high if your Mastiff is overweight. Other than that, this is a quality and affordable choice.

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4. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice Food

Puppies, whether they are a large breed or small breed, often require certain nutrients that aren’t found in adult dog food. But since Mastiffs are large breed dogs, dog food that is specially formulated for large breed puppies is the best choice for them. That’s why we like Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe as the best food for Mastiff puppies. This food contains 26% minimum protein, which seems a bit high for puppies but it’s great considering that it will help your Mastiff’s muscles develop as he grows up into an adult.

This dog food also contains DHA, which is important for puppies of any breed as it helps their brain develop properly. Plus, having chicken as the main protein ingredient means your puppy will love the flavor, especially if this is the first food he tries. One downside to this food is that it contains barley, a grain that can be hard for some dogs to digest if they have a sensitive stomach.  It may be necessary to keep a close eye on your puppy until you know whether he can tolerate food with grain in it. The other downside is the price; it may not be the best choice if you’re on a budget.

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5. Orijen Original Grain-Free Dog Food

Let’s get the downside to this food out of the way first. It’s expensive, so we’ve listed it as our premium choice. But if you can afford the price, it’s one of the best foods you can feed your Mastiff as it contains meat as the first five ingredients, including chicken, turkey, and fish. As you can imagine, it’s very high in protein, and the mixture of meats creates a flavor that even picky dogs should love.

This food also contains many fruits and vegetables, such as beans, pumpkin, squash, apples, and cranberries. These ingredients help to provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your Mastiff won’t get from meat. This dog food also contains no artificial flavors or preservatives, and every ingredient has a role in helping to keep your dog healthy.

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6. American Journey Salmon and Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dog Food

We like American Journey Salmon and Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dog Food because it is made with high-quality ingredients and more affordable than other high-quality dog foods. It’s also high in protein, low in fat and calories, and grain-free. The main ingredient is salmon, which is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps support a healthy heart.

This food also contains fruit and vegetable ingredients, such as beets, blueberries, and carrots, that provide additional vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants that help support a healthy immune system. It also contains DHA, which supports brain and vision health. The only downside is that with the main ingredient being salmon, some dogs may not like the taste, and some customers say that the kibble is too hard for older dogs to chew.

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7. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Adult Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe is the equivalent of our puppy-recommended product, except that this food is for large-breed adult dogs. If you decide to go with the puppy version for your Mastiff, why not give the adult version a try, too? This food is lower in protein, fat, and calories than other dog foods, including the puppy version, but it’s a good choice if you want to keep your Mastiff at a healthy weight.

This food also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which help promote joint health, and omega fatty acids, which help promote healthy skin and coats. It also contains calcium and other minerals for bone and teeth health and antioxidants for immune system health. However, it is not the cheapest dog food on this list, although it is cheaper than the puppy version.

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8. Rachael Ray Nutrish Big Life Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice

Rachael Ray Nutrish Big Like Hearty Beef, Veggies, and Brown Rice Recipe dog food is one of the only dog foods on this list with beef as the first ingredient. It’s worth a try if your dog doesn’t like chicken-flavored dog food. This food is also higher in protein but lower in fat than other dog foods, and it’s low in calories as well, so it’s great for keeping muscles while also keeping your Mastiff at a healthy weight.

Like other dog foods, this formula contains glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health and carrots and peas high in fiber to make this food more easily digestible. Plus, it’s specially formulated for large breed dogs over 40 pounds. The downside to this food is that it is a bit more expensive than other foods.

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9. Victor Select Ocean Fish Formula Dog Food

Victor Select Ocean Fish Formula Dog Food is not necessarily for large breeds, nor is it high-protein dog food. But we like it because it contains many nutrients to keep your Mastiff healthy. The main protein ingredient is fish, so some dogs may not like the flavor, but if your dog loves fish, then it’s one of the best meats for keeping his heart healthy. It’s also low in calories and fat to help your dog maintain a healthy weight.

This food also contains many vitamins and minerals that target different aspects of your dog’s body to keep it functioning properly. Plus, it’s a good choice for puppies as well. Another thing to be aware of is that this food is on the expensive side compared to some of the other foods on this list.

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10. Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed Chicken and Rice Dog Food

Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed Chicken and Rice Formula is designed for Mastiffs and other large breed dogs that weigh 50 pounds or more. Containing 26% minimum protein and 12% minimum fat, this food can help your dog maintain his ideal body weight, provided that he gets the right amount of exercise. It also contains glucosamine for joint health and probiotics and prebiotics that support digestive health.

Although this food does contain chicken as the first ingredient, one of the downsides is that it also contains chicken by-product meal, which isn’t the best quality. Finally, this dog food is a little more expensive than some of the other dog foods that have slightly better and more nutritious ingredients in them.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Mastiffs

Now that you’ve seen all of these different dog foods that we think are good for Mastiffs, you may be left with more questions than answers about which one to choose. After all, we’ve given you a lot of information about the different ingredients and nutrients that are found in each of these dog foods.

You may also be trying to figure out which one is going to be the easiest on your wallet while still giving your Mastiff the nutrients that he needs to stay healthy. But don’t worry because we’ve created this Buyer’s Guide to answer any questions you may still have with the hope that it can help you choose the best food for your dog.

Ingredients

One of the first things you should pay attention to when choosing dog food is the ingredients. The ingredients are what are going to give your dog the nutrients that he needs to stay healthy. Here are some key ingredients and nutrients to look for.

Meat-Based Proteins

Dogs, in general, need food high in meat-based proteins, as these contain the most important nutrients needed to keep your dog healthy.

But considering that Mastiffs are such large dogs and often have a lot of muscle mass, feeding them food high in protein is essential for helping to keep them in shape. The best dog foods should have some kind of meat listed as the first ingredient, but preferably as the first three ingredients. Steer clear of meat by-products if they are not clearly named, as this allows variations that might affect the quality. Prefer food with clearly named organs such as “heart” or “liver”.

We should also mention that it’s important to choose food that contains meat that your dog likes; don’t buy food that is higher in protein if your dog won’t eat it. But when it comes to high-protein dog food, they come in various flavors so you’re sure to find something your dog loves.

Plant-Based Ingredients

Dog food containing fruits and vegetables is also better because these ingredients often provide nutrients that meat does not. Examples include antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help keep different parts of your dog’s body healthy, such as the brain,  skin, coat, and immune system. But, these ingredients are not as important as meat, so again, always choose a food that contains meat as the first ingredient.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin

Being large dogs, Mastiffs are prone to joint problems such as hip and elbow dysplasia, which can lead to them developing other problems such as arthritis. Because of this, you may want to choose a dog food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which help support joint health and can reduce arthritis pain if it were to develop.

DHA

Finally, you may want to consider looking for food that contains DHA, especially for Mastiff puppies. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid commonly found in fish or fish oil. All puppies and even adult dogs can benefit from DHA as it helps support brain development in puppies, which can make training them easier and help older dogs maintain a healthy heart and vision.

Health and Age

Another important thing to consider when choosing food for your Mastiff is his health and age. Mastiffs aren’t the most active dogs, so they can easily become overweight without a balanced diet. You don’t want to choose food high in fat and calories, especially if your Mastiff already weighs a bit more than he should. It’s a good idea to talk to your veterinarian if your dog is overweight to see what amount of fat and calories he or she recommends before choosing dog food.

Something else we’ve mentioned throughout our reviews is grain-free dog food vs. food that contains grains. Grains aren’t necessarily bad for dogs, but some dogs can be allergic or have sensitivities or intolerances to them, particularly grains that contain gluten. You know your dog, and if he or she has trouble eating or digesting certain foods, it may be better to try a grain-free option.

Finally, consider the age of your dog, as puppies or senior Mastiffs may need different food than healthy adult dogs do. Puppy food formulas often contain different nutrients that are crucial for healthy development and tend to contain smaller kibble as well to make the food easier to eat. Food for senior dogs tends to contain smaller and softer kibble as well but is also lower in fat so that it is better suited for a slower metabolism.

Budget

The last thing to consider when choosing dog food for your Mastiff is your budget. Remember that high-quality dog food is the best thing for a Mastiff, and these foods are often pricey. However, some high-quality dog foods are more budget-friendly than others, and many dog foods come in different-sized packages as well in case you need to go cheaper for a month or two.

You should also remember that just because certain dog food is more expensive, it doesn’t mean it is better for your dog than a cheaper alternative. It all depends on your dog and what nutrients and ingredients will benefit him the most. Many high-quality dog foods are affordable while still being nutritious.

Conclusion

We hope you found these reviews and Buyer’s Guide helpful for choosing food for your Mastiff. We think that the best overall food for Mastiffs is Ollie Fresh Beef with Sweet Potatoes because it offers amazing nutrition and convenience. The best dog food for the money goes to American Journey Chicken and Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dog Food due to being affordable but high in protein and low in fat and calories. Our third pick is Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dog Food because it contains tons of nutrients for your dog. Whichever food you choose, we hope that your lovable and big-hearted Mastiff loves it and that it can help him live a long and healthy life.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

• Majorca Mastiff
• Mountain Mastiff (Bernese Mountain Dog & Mastiff Mix)
• Mastador (Bullmastiff and Labrador Retriever Mix)

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Featured Image Credit: Ricantimages, Shutterstock