There are so many options for dog food on the market nowadays that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the choices. The good news about the many varieties of food is that dogs that suffer from allergies can find relief by changing their diet. Picky eaters can also benefit from the many options available on the market because owners can always try another food if their dog doesn’t like their current brand of food. Choosing between dozens, if not hundreds, of types of dog food can feel daunting for the average dog owner. We’re here to help you by providing you with reviews of the best dog foods for medium dogs on the market so you can make the best choice for your favorite furry friend.

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)

The 10 Best Dog Foods for Medium Dogs

1. The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food – Best Overall

When selecting a food for your medium-sized dog, look for one that contains a blend of proteins and carbohydrates to provide your dog with the energy they need to stay active throughout the day. One dog food brand to consider for your medium-sized dog is The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food brand. Looking for a healthy and sustainable food option for your dog? Well, look no further.

Their pre-made meals are perfect for adult dogs and they’re made with human-grade ingredients. All of the meals are also free of preservatives, additives, and dyes that can irritate your dog’s stomach. The brand only uses real protein that comes from chicken, beef, turkey, and salmon. They also have a convenient delivery option available, so you don’t even have to leave the home to get your dog more food. While this food delivery option will take some planning ahead, it’s definitely worth taking a look at if you want to give your dog the best of the best. The only downside is that being a fresh food subscription service, this food costs a bit more than store-bought foods.

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2. American Journey Active Life Dry Dog Food – Budget Buy

American Journey Active Life Formula Beef, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Dry Dog Food is the best dog food for medium dogs for the money. This food is formulated for the active dog with deboned beef as the main protein source to help keep your active pup’s energy up throughout the day. It also contains nutritional vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and beet pulp to help your dog meet its antioxidant needs. American Journey Active Life Formula Beef also contains a variety of healthy grains, which includes brown rice, barley, and rice bran, to help support your dog’s health.

American Journey Active Life Formula Beef, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Dry Dog Food is currently only available at PetSmart or online at Chewy.com. This food lasts for roughly 6–8 weeks after opening, but it can be stored in an airtight container to help maintain freshness longer.

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3. Purina Pro Plan 30/20 Dry Dog Food

Purina Pro Plan 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food is another good choice for canine athletes, working dogs, sporting dogs, or your highly active pup. The food is formulated with 30% protein with 20% fat to provide the perfect ratio for active dogs to keep up with all their daily activities. Chicken is the first ingredient in this Purina Pro Plan food and it also contains live probiotics to help create a healthy digestive system and support the immune system of active dogs. Amino acids are also added to nourish muscles after periods of high activity.

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4. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Food – Best for Puppies

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food provides for the nutritional needs of your growing puppy. This kibble contains deboned chicken, as well as healthy grains, including oatmeal, brown rice, and barley to help puppies grow and thrive. Essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, are added to support your puppy’s nutritional needs as it grows throughout its first year. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are incorporated to benefit your pet’s skin and coat. The kibble is also very small to help facilitate your puppy’s smaller jaws chewing as well as tartar removal.

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5. Royal Canin Canine Medium Dry Dog Food

Sometimes our medium-sized fur friends have sensitive tummies and need a special diet to help curb digestive issues. Royal Canin Canine Care Nutrition Medium Digestive Care is a prescription diet specially formulated dry food ideal for medium-sized dogs older than 12 months that are experiencing sensitive stomach issues. This dry food helps aid your pet’s digestive with a special blend of fiber and prebiotics to help promote a healthy gut. The special blend of these digestive aids helps to create an ideal stool by creating a stable intestinal flora in the digestive tract.

Chronic digestive issues, such as diarrhea or vomiting can indicate serious health issues for your pet. If your dog has stomach problems, set up an appointment with your vet to get them checked out. Your vet will likely perform an exam, run some tests, and may prescribe a special diet to help your pet’s digestive issues.

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6. Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Dry Dog Food

Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food is another great dog food for medium dogs. The number one ingredient in this dry food is fish, which packs it full of protein (30%) to help support your dog’s overall health. This smoked salmon dry food also contains ancient grains, such as pearled barley, millet, chia seeds, and quinoa to provide additional protein and fiber. This product also contains a proprietary probiotic blend to provide additional digestion support. Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food contains omega fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to support your dog’s overall health.

Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food’s first ingredient is fish, so it should be noted that there may be a strong fishy odor coming from the food. Healthy fats are an important part of a dog’s balanced diet and this food does contain canola oil. If your pet is sensitive to canola oil, you might want to choose a different blend of this popular dog food to avoid digestive upset. Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream also comes in a grain-free option for dogs with allergies. Not all dogs need a grain-free diet to deal with allergy issues, so check with your vet to determine what the best food option is for your pet.

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7. ACANA Singles + Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food

ACANA Singles + Wholesome Grains Limited Ingredient Diet Duck & Pumpkin Recipe Dry Dog Food is an ideal food for animals that need a limited ingredient diet. Duck, whole pumpkin, butternut squash, and oats are the main ingredients in this food for dogs with allergies. The oats, squash, and pumpkin all help provide fiber to support the digestive health of your pet. There are no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors in this Arcana product, so you know your dog is receiving only the best ingredients. It is also free from gluten, potatoes, legumes, and other plant-protein isolates for dogs that have allergies to those common ingredients.

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8. VICTOR Select Dry Dog Food

VICTOR Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food is made in the USA with 77% meat protein in this food provided by quality beef meal. It’s fortified with all the essential minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids that dogs need throughout their life. It is gluten-free but contains healthy grains, such as brown rice, so your dog is still getting all its necessary nutrients.  The food is free of peas, so it’s a good option for dogs that have digestive sensitivities regarding legume products. VICTOR Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Dry Food also contains prebiotics and probiotics to help aid your pet’s digestion.

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9. Natural Balance Fat Dogs Low Calorie Dry Dog Food

Natural Balance Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Formula Low Calorie Dry Dog Food is a good option for medium-sized dogs that are struggling with their weight. Obesity can cause joint issues, cardiovascular issues, and issues with mobility as our pets age. This low-calorie food is formulated to be high in fiber to help keep your pet fuller longer while also supporting better digestion. The higher protein level in the food also helps your pet develop leaner muscle while maintaining a healthy weight. Natural Balance also contains omegas to help support a shiny coat and healthy skin. If you’re looking for a nutritionally balanced food to help your dog lose weight and keep it off, this might be the option for your pet.

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10. Nutro Natural Choice Adult Dry Dog Food

Nutro Natural Choice Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food features chicken as the first ingredient and provides a nutritionally balanced meal for your favorite pet. This food is formulated with essential ingredients, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and a shiny coat. Nutro contains vitamins that are necessary for your pet’s health, such as vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D3, and more. Other tasty ingredients include dried pumpkin, dried coconut, dried kale, dried egg product, dried spinach, and dried tomato pomace. Nutro Natural Choice Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food is a good option for owners looking to feed their dog a chicken dry food with plenty of veggies for a nutritionally sound diet.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Dog Food for Medium Dogs

There are many things to consider when purchasing a dog food that’s right for your medium-sized dog. Here are a few items to consider when determining the best dog food for your beloved furry family member.

Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) Adequacy Statement

The United States has a feed regulation agency called the Association of American Feed Control Officers (AFFCO) that enforces regulations for many animal feed products throughout the country. This association also checks dog food brands to make sure they meet the minimum nutritional requirements, so you know your pet is getting nutritionally balanced food. Commercial pet food products are subject to oversight by this agency, which includes the ingredients, the manufacturing of the food, the distribution of the food throughout the country, labeling of food products, and more. For more information on the AAFCO and what kind of statement to look for on your pet’s food, check out the AAFCO’s reading labels website.

Life Stage of Your Medium-sized Dog

From the puppy years up through the golden years of senior dogs, nutrition is an important aspect of your pet’s life. It is important to choose a food that meets the nutritional needs of your pet throughout its lifetime so it can be your loving companion for many years. Puppies usually need higher protein diets to help them grow and develop properly. After the puppy years, many dogs do well on “adult” diets that contain all the protein, vitamins, and minerals that they need to maintain their general overall good health. Dogs that lead an especially active life may be a higher protein food option to help sustain their bones and muscles through heavy activity. Senior dog formulas will help your aging pet meet its basic nutritional needs and prescription diets may be needed to help provide extra support as needed during their golden years.

Digestive Issues

If your pet is experiencing continual digestive upset, such as diarrhea or vomiting, switching their food may solve the problem. Some dogs do well on higher protein and grain-heavy diets, while others develop loose stools or vomit. If digestive issues are persistent and chronic, contact your vet immediately to set up an appointment. Your dog may have allergies to certain foods and need to be on a prescription diet provided by your vet.

Final Thoughts

The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food is our best overall because of its naturally-sourced ingredient list. American Journey Active Life Formula is our second choice because deboned beef is the primary ingredient.

Our premium choice is Purina Pro Plan 30/20 Dry Dog Food because of the 30/20 protein/fat ratio for active dogs. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Food is our choice for puppies because deboned chicken is sure to satisfy puppy tastebuds.

We hope these reviews helped make your search for the best dog food for medium-sized dogs a little bit easier.

See also:

• CARNA4 Dog Food Review: Pros, Cons, Recalls & FAQ
• Taste of the Wild vs. Acana Dog Food: Our In-Depth Comparison

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Featured Image Credit: Przemek Iciak, Shutterstock