The best diabetic dog food options for your dog

If your dog has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, then you may have quickly found out that he can no longer eat the majority of foods available for sale at supermarkets and even most of the brands in pet stores. For cost saving measures, almost all of these products are packed full of carbohydrates and sugars which are no go items for diabetic pups. While your vet would love for you to visit him to get your dog's food, you can use a non prescription diabetic dog food that will work just as well. Not all of these products are marketed as "diabetic", and you may need to do some extra detective work to find them, but they are out there. Fortunately, Beanietoes has already done that work for you, and in this article we're going to not only give you some stellar tips for adjusting your dog's diet, but we'll also make some recommendations for new foods you can try that don't require a prescription. Let's start with the basics and talk about what a diabetic dog needs in their diet.
This post contains affiliate links and Beanietoes.com may earn a commission on any purchases you make through those links.

In this article, we’ll cover the best diabetic dog food brands that don’t require a prescription. If your dog has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, then you may have quickly found out that he can no longer eat the majority of foods available for sale at supermarkets and even most of the brands in pet stores. For cost saving measures, almost all of these products are packed full of carbohydrates and sugars which are no go items for diabetic pups.

While your vet would love for you to visit him to get your dog’s food, you can use a non prescription diabetic dog food that will work just as well. Not all of these products are marketed as “diabetic”, and you may need to do some extra detective work to find them, but they are out there. Fortunately, Beanietoes has already done that work for you, and in this article we’re going to not only give you some stellar tips for adjusting your dog’s diet, but we’ll also make some recommendations for new foods you can try that don’t require a prescription. Let’s start with the basics and talk about what a diabetic dog needs in their diet.

What is the goal of a diabetic diet?

Diabetes is a disorder where the body has trouble processing glucose. In dogs, typically this is because their body has decided to stop producing it for whatever reason. In many cases this is thought to be genetic, and certain breeds of dogs are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than others.

When choosing a diet for your dog, you are ideally looking for a food which will not cause insulin spikes. You should be looking for a diet that is both high in fiber and low in problem carbohydrates. Items which will likely cause issues for your dog include wheat, corn, barley, potatoes and other grains or starches. While vegetables are healthy for you pup, they should be ones that are low on the glycemic index. This means you’ll need to check the ingredients thoroughly before purchasing. If you see any of these good ingredients on the label then you might have a winner. This is of course not an extensive list, but these are common items which are used in high quality dog foods in place of lower quality carbohydrates like corn and wheat.

Low glycemic ingredients to look for

  • Sweet Potatoes
  • All Meats
  • Squash
  • Berries
  • Lentils
  • Eggs
  • Carrots
  • Peas
  • Pumpkin

Above are a few ingredients which could make good substitutions for your dog. Most high quality dog foods typically omit corn and wheat and replace them with sweet potatoes. This is often a higher quality carb that will not cause any blood sugar spikes in diabetic animals. All meats are of course okay as protein typically contains no carbohydrates, and most vegetables like spinach, peas and even berries are very low on the glycemic index.

A surprisingly good ingredient here for diabetic dogs is pumpkin. While it scores rather high on the glycemic index, this number may be deceptive, as the glycemic load is actually rated very low, and it is not likely to cause adverse effects for your dog. Pumpkin is high in fiber, low in calories and it’s great for dogs who have sensitive stomachs. It should however be eaten in moderation.

Using this information as a guide, you should be able to find an adequate diet for your diabetic dog. Keep in mind that the main goals of our mission are to find a food that is low in problem carbohydrates, high in protein and high in fiber. If your dog is overweight, then you may want to work on helping him lose a few pounds as it may be complicating his condition, fortunately many of our picks for best diabetic dog food brands will help with that!

Beanietoes top picks for best diabetic dog food brands

Now that we’ve gone over what kind of diet we need to be looking for to properly take care of a diabetic dog, now we can make our recommendations. Beanietoes has curated this list of dog foods which are both low in problem carbohydrates and well balanced to help your dog be healthy and happy. We’ve added several foods in different price points, and it’s likely that you’ll be able to use this list to find something suitable for your pup and his ailment.

#1 – NomNomNow

(Best fresh food option)what brand chow is best for dogs with bladder stones

NomNomNow is a pet food delivery company that specializes in providing fresh meals that are tailored to your dog. All of their recipes are formulated by a vet, and they even can have a specialist help you customize the diet for your dog. Everything is shipped fresh to your door every week, and all of their diets contain a limited ingredient profile that makes it easy to feed dogs on a special diet. The best recipe for diabetic dogs is the Chicken Chow-Wow, it contains healthy sweet potatoes as its carbohydrate, and that means it won’t create a blood sugar spike for your dog. Below you can see a break down of the ingredients for this recipe.

best dog food available

As you can see, this diet offers a very low percentage of carbohydrates that are low on the glycemic index, but it also provides a lot of fiber thanks to the inclusion of yellow squash. A diet that is rich in fiber can actually slow the release of gluclose into the blood stream, and it may also improve insulin sensitivity, which is very helpful for diabetic pups.

One of the best things about this particular food plan is that not only is everything incredibly healthy, but it’s also easier to maintain your dog’s weight. Many diabetic animals are also obese, because their owners don’t know how much to feed them. NomNomNow’s food comes pre-portioned for your dog to help them maintain their weight or reduce their weight to a healthy level. It requires no measuring or extra work from you making it super easy to get your diabetic dog on the path to better health.

This is certainly not the cheapest option on the list, but it is the best. If you’re looking to offer your dog the very best food possible to help with his condition, then this is it. You can visit NomNomNow’s website to learn more about feeding your pup like a doggy king.

#2 – Stella and Chewy’s Dinner Patties

(Best option for pups with sensitive stomachs)

dog food for gas

This freeze dried dog food brand is 95% real meat. The recipe will include just one protein source, but it contains multiple cuts to maximize the nutritional benefits for your dog. For example, the lamb formula not only features lamb meat, but also healthy organ cuts like liver and heart which dogs love. The rest of the food is comprised of high value and low glycemic veggies that are perfect for diabetic pups such as spinach, pumpkin seeds, broccoli and squash. They also supplement probiotics which can help with digestion and gut health for your dog.

When feeding your dog a freeze dried food item you can either give it to them dry or you can choose to reconstitute it with water. The latter is recommended, because many times animals don’t drink as much water as they need to, and this will help to make up for that. The only bad thing about this diet is that it is much lower in fiber than option number one is. You may see fit to add a fiber supplement to your dog’s diet, which may be an easier way to give them fiber without giving them an insulin spike. An easy way to do this is to mix a bit of pumpkin into their food. Just make sure it’s pure pumpkin, and not the pie mix variety with has added sugar. Learn more about this excellent product and see the full ingredients list here.

#3 – KetoNaturals

(Best kibble option)

low carb diabetic dog food

This entry has a good deal more fiber than the last one, and it may be a good choice if you’re looking for a dry kibble food. Though wet foods are likely to be better for pups who are diabetics. The carbohydrates and fiber in this food come from Oat hulls, and since these are low on the glycemic index, this food clocks in at around 8% carbohydrates, which is excellent.

Ketona uses whole chicken for their recipes, a long with pea protein, which gives this recipe a higher fiber content than the previous entry. Peas are also low in carbs and a good choice for pups who are sensitive to carbohydrates like diabetic dogs.

If you’re interested in purchasing a dry food that contains no wheat, soy, potatoes, grains or corn, then this is a good choice for you. This food is also a little more affordable than other options like freeze dried or fresh foods because it’s a kibble. It will be a little more expensive than a high quality dry dog food. They also have a subscribe and save program, and if you sign up for automatic deliveries the company will knock 10% off the price for you for every order. To learn more above KetoNaturals, you can visit the website and see their nutritional breakdown as well. It’s one of the truly low carb kibble foods, and that’s why it makes our list of the best diabetic dog food brands.

#4 – Wysong Archetype

(Best freeze dried/raw diet option)

digestible cat food

If you’re interested in feeding your pup a highly nutritious raw diet which is composed almost entirely of real meat, then this is a solid choice. Wysong’s Archetype diet is a freeze dried meat diet for dogs and cats which is over 95% protein. It comes in a variety of flavors such as chicken and pollock, and it is extremely limited in ingredients. limited ingredient diets are excellent for pups with digestion issues and allergies, because there’s simply less ingredients there to trigger them.

This food is extremely low in carbohydrates, and it is also starch free. That makes it a great choice for diabetic pups who need to cut sugars and grains from their diets. It’s also relatively affordable as far as freeze dried diets go, and Wysong offers pet parents additional discounts if they sign up for their auto-ship program.

You can feed this food to your dog as is in its dry form or you can add water to it to re-hydrate it. This allows for dog owners to have all the benefits of a raw diet and wet food diet, but it also offers them the convenience of a dry food. If you’re interested in seeing the full ingredients list and learning more about this excellent food from a manufacturer who really cares about pet health, then you can do so here.

#5 – Dave’s 95% Meat Dog Food

(Best canned diet option)

non prescription diabetic friendly dog foods

This little known pet food brand is made in the USA, and they have a variety of attractive pet food options for pet parents who are looking to feed their dogs a healthier diet. It was created by a dog lover and small businesses owner, and they have several different foods for dogs suffering from health problems. Their 95% meat dog food option is perfect for diabetic dogs who need to cut needless carbs from their diets. While the ingredients list looks long, most of these items are just vitamins. The recipe is actually very limited in nature, making it great for pups with allergies. Almost all of them stick to one protein source, conquering a common problem area with sensitive pups.

If your diabetic dog also has a weakened immune system due to other ailments such as cancer, then it’s not recommended for them to eat raw foods like the Archetype. This is because the possibility of food borne illness is greater for these dogs, and for them a canned diet is likely better, because they are cooked. Dave’s offers one of the biggest protein and meat offerings around for canned diets, and it’s a great choice to give your dog a ton of valuable meat proteins with the convenience of canned.

They have several attractive flavor profiles available, including chicken, turkey and beef which you can try for your dog. These foods are very low in carbohydrate, and they are more affordable than feeding your pup a raw diet. There’s no grains, no starches, no rice and lots of meat! If you’re interested in learning more about this little known but excellent non prescription diet for diabetic dogs, then click here.

When choosing a food for your diabetic dog it’s important to remember that there is no one size fits all solution. Dogs are individuals, and they have their own preferences. There may be some perfectly acceptable foods that just don’t agree with them or they may just not like them. Even if none of the options in this article work for your dog, you should have enough knowledge now to judge for yourself what makes a good diabetic dog food. There are plenty of non prescription foods out there that are suitable for diabetic dogs, and now you’re ready to find the perfect solution.

Michelle Rei
Michelle Rei
Michelle is a pet parent turned amateur pet product researcher. After adopting a fur baby with digestive issues caused by bad pet food, she's poured hundreds of hours into research to find the best of the best to help him and other pets live happier and healthier lives.
Share this post
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on reddit
Share on email
Share on print
Share on pocket

More From The Beanietoe's Blog

 

Beanietoes.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon or other affiliate networks. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, you’re helping to support our writers and website.