Choosing the right food for your husky can be a daunting task. Huskies are high-energy dogs that need a balanced diet to support them through their needed exercise. Searching online or in stores will provide you with hundreds of options, so how can you narrow it down?
The best dog food for huskies should be high in animal-based protein to support their muscles. It should be easy to digest and may contain nutrients or probiotics to boost gut health. In particular, there should be a focus on containing vitamins to support healthy joints and a healthy coat.
Don’t panic; we know this is a lot to look out for! That’s why we’ve done the hard work and compiled our favorite tried-and-tested dog foods for huskies. We’ve included recommendations for huskies in all life stages, from puppies to seniors, so be sure to read the whole list.
In a hurry? Take a quick look at our top recommendation for the best dog food for huskies below!
First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, deboned turkey, flounder, eggs, whole Atlantic mackerel
- Made with 85% animal ingredients
- High in protein for active dogs
- Based on a ‘biologically appropriate’ diet
- Grain-free
- More expensive per lb than other kibbles
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How To Choose The Best Dog Food For Huskies?
Huskies are a very high-energy breed. They can easily power through over 2 hours of exercise per day and, as a result, burn a huge amount of calories.
If you’re adopting a husky for the first time or looking for a new brand to switch your husky to, there are some things you should look out for in dog food to ensure it can provide the proper nutrients to keep them healthy and support their lifestyle.
To begin with, the first ingredient in any dog food you buy for your husky should always be some form of protein. It should be a high-quality protein source, such as deboned chicken or whole mackerel, rather than animal byproducts.
The protein source usually matches the flavor that the dog brand is labeled with. Protein is crucial for supporting your husky’s muscle tone and providing them with enough energy to complete their needed daily exercise.
Next, take a look at what nutrients and vitamins have been added to the dog food. Many dog foods include fruits and veggies or artificially added vitamins to give extra benefits. For huskies, we recommend looking for dog foods which specifically support joint health, immune health, and coat appearance.
Another addition you might notice is fatty acids or fish oils. These are great for huskies and will help to keep their coats looking shiny and their skin feeling healthy.
The final thing we look out for are food brands which specifically mention digestion. Some dog foods are designed to be easy to digest for example with added fiber or probiotics. It’s important for your husky to digest their food properly to make sure they’re receiving all of the nutrients they need and to prevent unnecessary weight gain.
What Ingredients Should You Avoid In Husky Dog Food?
Although all dog food should be technically safe for your husky to eat, certain ingredients are best avoided to prevent digestive issues. The biggest cause of digestive problems from dog food is filler ingredients.
Looking through the ingredient list of any new dog food is a quick and easy way to tell whether it’s made from high-quality ingredients or mostly packed with filler ingredients. These fillers, such as soy and corn, offer no nutritional value to your husky but are used by dog food companies because they are cheap and bulk up the food’s weight.
Because huskies are already prone to hypothyroidism which can lead to them being overweight, it’s important that every calorie counts! Always make sure your husky’s food does not contain any fillers within the first five listed ingredients.
Alongside this, you should avoid foods that contain artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. These are included to make dog food appear better than it really is, and their inclusion is a quick way to determine whether a food is using high-quality ingredients.
If a food is really high enough quality for your husky to enjoy then there will be no need to pump it full of unnecessary artificial ingredients to make it more appealing. Our exception to this rule is of course artificially added nutrients and vitamins, as these serve a real health benefit to your husky.
One final thing we’d like to bring to your attention is that some research conducted by the FDA suggests that certain dog foods that contain high amounts of specific ingredients can increase the risk of a dog developing canine heart disease. The foods that are listed are:
- Peas
- Lentils
- Other legumes
- Potatoes
We advise you to avoid giving your husky any dog food that has these ingredients listed within the first three ingredients to ensure the bulk of the food is not made up of them. If you are concerned, please consult your vet for further advice.
The Best Dog Food For Adult Huskies
Let’s start with our recommendations for the best dog food for adult huskies. All these brands are tried and tested by our husky friends worldwide and have earned their stamp of approval. We’ve also highlighted the first five listed ingredients for each dog food to make it easy for you to find them.
1. Orijen Original Premium Dry Dog Food
First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, deboned turkey, flounder, eggs, whole Atlantic mackerel
- Made with 85% animal ingredients
- High in protein for active dogs
- Based on a ‘biologically appropriate’ diet
- Grain-free
- More expensive per lb than other kibbles
Our favorite dog food for huskies is Orijen’s Orginal Premium Dry Dog Food, made with 85% quality animal ingredients. Orijen has made their food grain-free and packed full of nutrients to promote a healthy immune system in your husky.
We love this dog food for our huskies because Orijen has designed it with active dogs in mind. As a result, their original formula dry dog food is higher in protein than other kibbles on the market, making it ideal to support a husky’s build.
Remember that this high protein content can cause loose stools in less active dogs; hence, we don’t recommend it for senior huskies with a more relaxed lifestyle.
Although this dog food is a little pricier than other available kibbles, it’s also made with much higher quality locally sourced ingredients. The added cost is worth it to know our huskies are getting the best nutrition available.
2. Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Grain-Free Dog Food
First 5 Ingredients: Water buffalo, lamb meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, peas.
- Contains K9 probiotics to improve digestive and immune health
- Grain-free recipe
- Designed to mimic a wolf's diet
- Supports an active lifestyle with easy-to-digest protein
Next on our list is a kibble designed with a husky’s history in mind. Taste of the Wild’s High Prairie Canine Food supports a husky’s modern lifestyle while providing them with nutrients from the same sources their wolf ancestors would have gotten them from.
This food is packed full of flavor for your husky to enjoy, and so it’s often our go-to recommendation for owners of fussy-eater huskies. Their High Prairie mix is made with pasture-raised roasted bison and venison, but they have a wide range of equally delicious flavors for your husky to try.
Taste of the Wild has designed its dog food to have easily digestible protein to support active dogs better. Alongside this, they’ve carefully chosen their included vegetables and added nutrients to ensure adult dogs get the most balanced and beneficial diet.
One final benefit – this food includes an added strain of K9 probiotics, designed specifically for dogs and added after cooking to maintain viability. These live bacteria support your husky’s digestive and immune systems.
3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Natural Dry Dog Food
First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Dried Chicken, Oatmeal, Barley
- Based on a natural diet
- High protein to support strong muscles
- Contains healthy complex carbohydrates for quick-release energy
- Antioxidant-rich to support immune health
Our final dog food recommendation for huskies is Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness Natural Dry Dog Food.
Like Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo created this dog food based on ‘nature’s evolutionary diet.’ Each portion is packed with meat and a perfectly balanced blend of protein, fats, and healthy complex carbohydrates such as oats and brown rice. These carbohydrates provide quick-release energy to help better support a husky’s active lifestyle.
Another great benefit of this kibble is that it contains antioxidant-rich ‘LifeSource’ bites. These are a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals vets have selected to support immune health and life stage requirements.
Remember that this blend isn’t grain-free but is an excellent option for huskies with more tolerant stomachs. Blue Buffalo has grain-free options, which can be found here.
The Best Dog Food For Husky Puppies
Siberian Husky puppies need to eat a different diet from their grown-up counterparts to make sure they can grow properly. Puppy food is typically more calorie-dense than adult food, as puppies need to eat more calories per pound of weight than an adult husky.
It is also usually easier to digest and richer in certain nutrients that promote the growth of strong joints and muscles.
We’ve included our top three favorites to keep your puppy healthy and looking forward to their next mealtime!
1. Orijen High Protein Puppy Dry Dog Food
First 5 Ingredients: Deboned chicken, deboned turkey, flounder, eggs, whole Atlantic mackerel
- Packed full of tasty meat-based proteins
- Based on ‘biologically appropriate’ diet
- Grain-free
- Ingredients are fresh and not outsourced
- High cost per lb
To fuel your husky puppy with the very best ingredients, we recommend Orijen’s High Protein Dry Dog Food.
Much like their adult dog food, Orijen’s puppy formula contains 85% quality animal ingredients, ensuring your husky will get the protein they require to grow and be strong. Orijen has also ensured that the first five ingredients are fresh or raw protein sources, which comprise the bulk of the dog food.
Their puppy dog food is suitable for all dog breeds, but they also have a large puppy blend, which is appropriate for huskies.
2. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Puppy
First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran
- Limited ingredient diet
- Made with USA farm-raised chicken
- Contains fiber for easy digestion (brown rice)
- Packed with amino acids to build strong muscles
- Difficult to get outside of the US
Our next recommendation for husky puppy food is from Natural Balance, a brand best known for its ‘limited ingredient diet’ dog food.
As the name suggests, this dog food uses only essential ingredients. These have been carefully chosen to ensure the kibble is both tasty and full of the necessary amino acids and fibers to support muscle growth and digestion.
Not only that but the size and shape of the kibbles have also been carefully selected to suit a puppy’s smaller mouth.
Although Natural Balance has a wide range of flavors available, we recommend trying the Chicken and Brown Rice formula for your husky puppy because the primary ingredients are protein sources.
3. Taste of The Wild Grain-Free Puppy Food
First 5 Ingredients: Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes
- Made with real salmon providing fatty acids that support skin and coat health
- Contains dog-specific probiotics to support digestive health
- Small kibbles to suit smaller puppy mouths
- Grain free
Another repeat brand on our list – Taste of The Wild’s Pacific Stream Puppy Food is our best taste pick for husky puppies.
As we discussed earlier, Taste of the Wild formulates all of its dog food to replicate the natural diet of wolves, our husky’s ancestors. As a result, their natural flavors are irresistible to husky puppies!
Keeping puppies in mind, this kibble is designed to fit smaller mouths and is also packed with added nutrients such as DHA to support your husky’s growth. We specifically love their Pacific Stream flavor as the included salmon provides fatty acids that help a husky’s coat to grow healthy and beautiful.
Taste of the Wild has also included their signature K9 probiotic strain in their puppy food, encouraging the development of a healthy gut microbiome in your husky.
The Best Dog Food For Senior Huskies
Senior huskies can usually be fed any dog food that states ‘suitable for all life stages.’ Still, we recommend switching to a specially formulated senior dog food once they reach their later years to maintain their health better.
As your husky ages, their body will slow down, so it’s easier for them to gain weight and become more sluggish if they aren’t fed suitable food.
For huskies, an ideal senior dog food would be lower in calories and fat but higher in nutrients that can support joint health and coat health specifically.
1. Merrick Grain-Free Senior Dry Dog Food
First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Turkey Meal
- Contains fewer calories and fat to help senior dogs maintain a healthy weight
- Supplemented with glucosamine and chondroitin to keep joints and hips healthy
- Grain free
Finally, onto our top pick for senior huskies – Merrick’s Grain Free Senior Dry Dog Food.
Although many of the brands we know and love produce food formulated for senior dogs, we’ve noticed that they aren’t very specific on what they’ve actually changed. In some cases, we’ve found that the senior food is practically identical to the adult food, which isn’t necessarily a problem but also doesn’t justify it being recommended.
Merrick, however, has made it very clear that senior food is designed specifically for senior dogs. Not only that, but their added benefits are particularly suited to huskies.
Firstly, their senior dog food is made with less fat and fewer calories to help your husky maintain a healthy weight as they age.
Next, they’ve added a whole range of nutrients and vitamins to support your husky through their twilight years. The key addition, in our opinion, is the high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin, which keep your husky’s joints healthy and specifically help their hips.
Finally, this dog food is protein-packed and includes tasty ingredients for your husky.
In Summary
Finding the right food for your husky is easy when you know what to look for.
A husky’s diet should be high in protein, contain no filler ingredients within the first five ingredients listed, and include nutrients supporting joints and a healthy coat.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or get in touch at info@themalamutemom.com.
