15 Best Low Protein Dog Foods – (Find Our Our Top Picks)

Your dog’s nutritional needs are a serious matter. A balanced diet is what they need to lead a happy life. If that’s not provided, then things can take an ugly turn.

The statement above isn’t made to scare you. But we know how much owners love their baby dogs and what lengths they shall go to ensure that their furball is at the top of their health conditions always.

That’s the reason we are here to discuss your dog’s protein needs.

It’s a common misconception that high protein means good food. That’s far, far away from the truth. Not every dog needs a diet high in protein.

Giving high-protein diets to your dogs can make them sick. Many dogs visit the vets because their health deteriorates with the constant consumption of high-protein foods.

We, by no means, are saying that protein is bad for your furbaby. We are just mentioning to you the harms that high protein diets can bring to your dogs if their consumption is unmonitored. The best practice would be to always be in constant communication with the vet.

That shall help you decide if your dog needs a protein-rich diet or will a low-protein diet will suffice your dog’s nutritional needs.

Our Top Picks

Because a lot of dogs end up with serious health problems like kidney diseases (even renal failure), liver diseases, allergies, etc.

The list goes on. So for a healthy pupper, the nutritional needs should always be under check. But there are cases where dogs need a low-protein diet. That’s usually the case when dogs develop a disease or are at risk of catching one.

A little about the dog’s macronutrient needs

A dog’s nutritional needs can be complex. A healthy dog needs all the right macronutrients. Imbalance can cause them to falter.

The good part about dogs is that, unlike humans, they display symptoms if their diet is off-track.

For instance, they may be too jumpy, too lazy, itch a lot, their urinary schedule may change, etc.

The point here is that depending upon the cause of imbalance, the dog can show the related symptoms. As an observant owner, you’d know.

The safest that you can be is by taking your dog to the vet daily and discussing their nutritional needs. They’ll make the necessary examination and run the tests to find your pet’s perfect dietary needs.

If they find any nutritional anomalies or detect health problems, then they shall tell you the right diet changes that should be made.

Suppose the results indicate the need for a low protein diet for your dog, then here are the 15 best options for you to consider.

We have listed these options with their pluses and minuses so that your decisions become easy and informed. Let’s have a look at the list:

The Best low protein foods for dogs

1-Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+

This food traces its origins almost a century back. A man was traveling with his sick German Shepherd who came into interaction with Dr. Mark.

The doctor analyzed the dog and found out it was suffering from kidney disease. Long story short, that dog gave birth to the Hill’s Science Diet in the 1930s. Let’s get to the pros and cons of the food.

Key features

The first ingredient of this food is made with your dog’s favorite- chicken. It even contains dried beet pulp. The food is made with the intention of helping sick dogs recover well. This is often recommended for dogs with renal issues.

2-Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight

This one beats the price point when compared to other competitive food options in the market. The Blue Buffalo is designed to straight provide nutrition without anything fancy. It has a high amount of carbs which, by comparison, lowers the protein and fat content.

Key features

Blue Buffalo Life Protection is a good option for regular consumption. It offers 326 calories for your dog per cup. It’s ideal for those owners who are looking for food options that assist weight loss in their puppers.

3-Nutro Ultra Weight Management Dry Dog Food

This one sources its proteins from lamb, chicken, and salmon, which makes it a good food option for your dogs. It also contains a variety of other superfoods to balance out the proteins. It contains kale, chia, and even blueberries. Overall, the protein numbers for this one are pretty balanced.

It’s designed to help dogs shed some extra pounds and become fit.

 

4-Natural Balance L.I.D. Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

There is no doubt that chicken and beef are dogs’ first choices when it comes to food, and since Natural Balance provides a grain-free dog formula for your furball, second-guessing it would be silly. It is right there in the name. If you are looking for a well-balanced diet for your dog, then Natural Balance’s dog food is surely the way to go.

Key features

It’s a well-rounded diet for dogs available on the market. It’s grain-free and well-balanced nutrition for adult pets that severely helps with digestion is enough to go on. Secondly, this highly reputable brand provides extremely high-quality products at surprisingly reasonable rates as compared to its competitors.

5-Royal Canine Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Dry Food

This 50 plus years old brand is all about quality and showcasing pet health. Not just with cats and dogs, but the founder was an animal lover in general, as his fondness started with bulls and horses. He realized that a good diet could have a significant impact on animal health.

Ever since, he has made sure to provide the best quality food source for pets, and honestly, he nailed it. What was once just a result of a soft heart turned into an international business!

Key Features

This formula mainly targets breaking down struvite stones and aiding the prevention of calcium oxalate stones. Secondly, it significantly improves bladder health and helps your pet recover from any bladder or urinary disease.

6-Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Dry Dog Food

The wordplay the owners have done with the brand’s title is honestly remarkable. It signifies the fact that every dog who relied on this brand as their only source of food has lived surprisingly long lives.

Moreover, the owner recently got interviewed by the oh so lovely Ellen on the Ellen Show. This speaks a lot in terms of reputation and brand loyalty from their consumers. Nevertheless, for your peace of mind, the pros and cons of this product are as follows:

Key features

Their brand portrayal might be a little off point, but they sure make up for everything once their product is consumed. If you browse through their website, you will only see comments about how long their pets lived all thanks to Gentle Giants! And as you have already read the pros and cons, you surely get the gist of their greatness.

7-Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Canned Dog Food

Purina Pro Plan is indubitably the best in terms of providing specific solutions for specific problems. Speaking, if you browse through their website, you will find different products for different needs.

For example, you can even find special veterinary diets for pets with chewing issues. When it comes to tackling problems, Purina knows how the dog food game is played

Key Features

Honestly, everything about Purina Pro is truly remarkable. Excessive orders by customers are also something to focus on. If you look closely, you’ll see hundreds of positive reviews on each of their products.

Additionally, Purina Pro tends to go overboard when adding supplements. Magnesium sulfate and calcium carbonate are just a few of the enrichments.

8-CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Bison, Lentil & Carrot

Want to feed your best friend real food? Then CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Bison, Lentil & Carrot is surely the way to go. It’s specially formulated to cater the dogs with sensitivities. All in all, this all-rounder treat composed of ten blessed full ingredients will surely leave your dog in awe.

Key features

Utter brilliance. That is the only way to describe it. As mentioned earlier that it is made up of ten simple ingredients; its deliverance and effectiveness are amazing.

As you probably know by now that most companies tend to go overboard on digestive health, CANIDAE also did the same. However, when you combine them with the original ingredients that were initially used, you get the healthiest byproduct!

9-Mattie’s Treats Kidney Disease Dog Treats

Sadly, kidney diseases also exist in dogs, and their prevalence might shock you. However, unlike humans, if given proper care, dogs tend to show speedy recovery against such diseases, and therefore, Mattie’s Treats play a major role in this success.

This brand’s foundation is solely the loss of a golden retriever named Mattie, and after her death, the owners took it upon themselves to do something about it. 18 years later, the company has had major successes in the dog food market. Let’s go through the pros and cons of this remarkable product!

Key features

Since this treat’s sole purpose is to cater to dogs suffering from kidney diseases, the protein input is only 6.8%. Moreover, it doesn’t comprise wheat, soy, and corn. And the best thing about Mattie’s is that a portion of the profits is donated to further the research of kidney diseases in canines. So not only are you helping your dog but you are also making a difference!

10-Holistic Select Weight Management Chicken Meal

As the name suggests, Holistic is making an effort to help dogs with weight issues. Whether your dog is overweight or underweight, this tasty treat will surely show some difference.

Key features

As this product mainly targets dogs with weight issues, the supplements involved in this are humongous. Fewer calories and a grain-free diet specially designed to promote a less active lifestyle. Secondly, to ensure seamless digestion and enhance total body health, nutrients such as digestive enzymes and natural fibers are mixed into this tasty recipe.

11-Wonder Dog

This UK-based company is very well established and has a solid reputation going on for them. In terms of customer satisfaction, finding a dissatisfied customer might be a demanding task as Wonder Dog tends to keep their customers above everything else.

Moreover, Wonder Dog is a family-owned business, and since it incorporated 3 generations, you can rest assured of product consistency.

Key Features

Wonder Dog aims to further the cause of making our little best friends as healthy as possible. However, this does not mean that they have neglected dogs with kidney issues and require a low protein diet. As mentioned above that this company has a vast variety of products, finding an adequate treatment for your dog should not be a problem.

12-Diamond Naturals Light Formula Dry Dog Food

In all honesty, the best gift you can give your pet companion is good nutrition, and surely Diamond Naturals is the way to go. Strictly made in the U.S.A., this family-owned company is best known for using ingredients of the highest quality that are domestically made. Some of these ingredients include fruits, vegetables, and real lamb protein.

Key features

In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, this tasty treat comes along with several extra nutrients. Chondroitin, glucosamine, and L-Carnitine are just some of the few nutrients which are added for your pal to maintain the ideal body weight whilst also gaining the nutrients your dog rightfully needs.

13-Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplement Calming Care Probiotic Powder for Dogs

Purina has always been adamant about the health of pet animals, especially those who require a strict nutritious diet. Surely enough, you must have come across at least one vet in your life who blindly trusts Purina as they are well aware of their expertise.

Nevertheless, their success is well deserved due to the fact that they collaborated tirelessly with well-known veterinarians in order to formulate the best dog food ever.

Key features

The main thought process behind the making of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets was to assist veterinarians across the country in nutritionally aiding pets with health conditions. Therefore, not a single ingredient used in the making would harm your little furball in any way!

14-Solid Gold Holistique Blendz Sensitive Stomach Dog Food

Surprise your furry friend ten folds with a bowl of this tasty and nutritious treat. If you want a meal that your pet would never resist, you should most definitely opt for Solid Gold Holistique Blendz.

Since the name itself suggests that it’s for dogs with sensitive stomachs, you can rest assured of your dog having trouble with digestion.

Key features

It features a well-balanced diet between ocean fish meals along with whole grains such as pearled barley and brown rice for an irresistible taste.

Without the addition of any potatoes, your pet dog will surely receive the nutrition it needs. Lastly, as mentioned above, thanks to this treat, your partner’s gut health are also in safe hands.

15-Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Renal Support S Dog Food

Lastly, we have Royal Canin’s meal strictly formulated to improve your pet’s kidney health. As you probably know by now that kidney diseases among dogs are more common than you would expect, it is essential that you feed your dog a low protein diet.

The S in the name stands for “Savory”. Therefore, if you’re looking for a diet that won’t affect your canine’s kidneys in any way whatsoever, you should surely opt for Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Renal Support S Dog Food.

Key Features

Significantly assists with kidney functions with accurate antioxidant complex fatty acids compressed from fish oils, targeted protein levels, and low phosphorus. Additionally, it helps adjust the appetite with a highly palatable energy-dense chemistry to reduce meal volume.

Low Protein Dog food

Protein is a necessary macro for your dog. Without it, even routine functioning can be a challenge. But not every dog can take in the high protein diet.

In fact, the ones with kidney issues, liver issues, weight issues, etc., should be kept far away from this macronutrient in high quantities. While many companies proudly market their food as a high protein diet, it’s not always right for your fur baby.

Various aspects of your dog’s life can determine its food requirements. For instance, if you get him to lead a physically active life, then he may just be fine with regular foods. Or if their breed is such that it requires high protein food, then that’d be fine as well.

It can also depend upon their size, age, and overall routine. It is always best to consult a vet about your pet’s protein requirements. If you are unsure or would want to take precautions, then you can mix your dog’s regular food with some low protein formula to create a balance.

You can do this every couple of months so that you don’t unnecessarily deprive a normal dog of its required protein intake.

Low protein dog food is specially made to fulfill certain requirements in a pet’s diet. Reading this article shouldn’t make you worried at all.

But if you are concerned, then consulting a vet can be the best option. They can guide you better and give a verdict on whether your beloved pupper needs to shift to something low protein or not.

Let’s now explore the whys for low-protein dog foods. What is it that makes them different from the regular foods that are available in the market?

Features of Low Protein Dog Food

The intent behind producing low-protein dog food is to fulfill the dog’s protein needs without getting them malnourished.

For the most part, the sources of protein are changed compared to the other regular foods in the market. That makes it light on the stomach and makes digestion easy for the upper.

Other micronutrients are added to balance out the reduced protein and provide extra health benefits.

Many food brands make low protein food variants to help ill dogs heal and recover better. Consider it similar to the human ways of eating.

It’s usually fine what we eat when we are doing just fine. But when we get sick, we switch to a lighter diet so that we heal better.

Makes sense? It absolutely does.

Here are some common features of a low protein dog diet:

As you see, these foods are designed with a holistic approach to your dog’s health. A low protein canine diet isn’t there to make your dogs protein deficient. It’s there to keep them healthy while being low on protein.

Because low protein provision to your dogs can also invite harm to them. There are severe health conditions that develop as a result of low protein consumption. So it is definitely left up to you how you manage your pooch’s nutrition.

If you have a healthy dog, then a mix of normal food with occasional low food diets can work just fine. But you need to be mindful of your dog’s food consumption if they are facing health conditions.

Your vet can be the best source of information, and it is safest to consult them whenever you are in doubt or want to change your pet’s diet.

What Canine Conditions Require Low-Protein Diets?

As mentioned above, not all dogs require low protein diets. It depends upon a lot of factors. For instance, their age, size, weight, activity levels, etc., can be the determinants deciding their protein requirements.

But there are certain dogs with health conditions that need low protein diets. High proteins can actually cause irreversible damage to the organs, and your furbaby can even die untimely.

The most common is the kidney condition where the dogs require low protein diets. Kidneys are where the amino acids of the dog’s body are handled. For dogs with faulty kidneys, high proteins can put unnecessary strain on the kidneys and even result in renal failure.

Those dogs whose kidney issues have been diagnosed should surely be switched to the right low-protein food so that their problem isn’t aggravated further. Also, when kidneys develop stones or gallbladders develop stones, that’s also the time to consider a diet switch.

There are times when routine health issues can also call for low protein foods to help them heal better.

Another condition that requires low protein diets is liver problems. The liver, like the kidneys, also assimilates and deals with proteins. When the liver isn’t functioning right, excess protein can put unnecessary stress on the organ.

Your dog will surely show signs when any such problem arises. You just need to be watchful enough of their behavior. Anything unusual shouldn’t be ignored. Lethargy, weight gain, weight loss, laziness, etc., all can be signs of a serious underlying problem.

Any anomalies should be taken to the vet, and you must ask them whether a diet change is necessary or not.

Is a Low-Protein Diet Right for My Dog?

Yes. There’s absolutely no harm in keeping your dog on a low protein diet if there’s a need. In fact, there are several health benefits to doing so. But you don’t just get up one day and decide that you’ll make a dietary change for your pet.

The foods that are made are well tested and launched in the market only after they make it to the health standards of the dogs. Therefore, there’s nothing to worry about when giving these foods. However, your dog’s nutrition is what you should take into account.

We suggest that you consult a professional before making any changes. They shall better guide you after looking at your dog’s health and nutritional needs. That’s the safest way to go about it.

Because unmonitored food changes can also be detrimental to your dog’s health. Occasional low-protein food portions here and there may still be okay but don’t make permanent food decisions without consultation.

You may unintentionally push your dog into the way of harm. That can even mean that the furbaby catches chronic diseases. Down below, we shall have a look at the few side effects for you to realize how damaging an unneeded low-protein diet can be.

What Are the Side Effects of a Low-Protein Diet for Dogs?

A low protein diet is only good for the dogs who need it. If you give them such foods without any need, it can easily lead their systems to collapse.

Protein is an essential macronutrient that healthy dogs need in sufficient quantities. Low protein diets are only given to the dogs who need to be taken away from the excess protein. Even those dogs may display symptoms of protein deficiency.

Firstly, protein plays an important role in the development of the immune system. Low protein diets can compromise a dog’s immune system. It can also cause mood swings in the pupper. But that’s not all.

Many dogs can display unique signs of deficiency like sweating, physical exhaustion, etc. Plus another common sign would be loss of muscle mass. Protein is the primary element that makes up the dog muscles.

These signs can show up in the dogs that are recommended low-protein foods. For those who eat these foods without the need can display even more heightened symptoms.

Therefore, we advise you to take your pupper’s diet seriously. If you have any questions, consult a vet before making any decision. Deciding to make changes on your own may not be a good omen for your furbaby.

Why Low Protein May Be Needed?

A low protein diet is usually recommended for dogs with severe health issues.

Dealing with kidney issues is one situation where a low protein diet is commonly needed. It’s done to contain the kidney damage and hopefully reverse the situation.

Basically, a low protein diet is meant to be given to make the dog’s system work easily. And to reduce the load on the internal organs.

When the issues are resolved, the dogs are slowly removed from this special low-protein diet and brought back to normal foods.

Coming back to the situations where low protein diet becomes necessary, liver diseases and bladder stones are other health conditions where a low-protein diet becomes a necessity.

Again, there may be situations when even a healthy dog may be recommended a low protein diet by a vet. It all depends upon what the professional thinks is best for you. Low protein diet is also recommended for short periods for overweight dogs.

Following is the list of usual problems where a low protein diet is often made compulsory:

Again, don’t go on the internet to search for the symptoms of these diseases and self-diagnose a health problem for the dog. If there’s something concerning, then take your fur buddy to the vet and seek professional help.

Guide to Low-Protein Dog Foods

Let us now run through some numbers and see the numeric protein requirements for the dogs.

Protein Requirements for Dogs     

An average dog ideally requires 1gm of protein per pound of their body weight. That’s the requirement per meal.

So if your pupper is a 30lb one, they’d need 30gm protein per meal.

Low-Protein Diet Food Percentages

As the heading suggests, low protein diets contain a lesser percentage of this macronutrient than normal foods.

Typically, these foods contain 13%-18% protein. The percentages can depend upon the food category and brands. Plus, some foods are made to treat specific diseases, and that can also impact the protein percentage in the food.

Low-Protein Foods for Puppies

Puppies have a higher protein requirement than adult dogs. That’s because they are in their developmental stage. Low protein diets aren’t generally recommended for puppies unless absolutely necessary.

Low-Protein Dog Food and Calories

Calorie requirements for dogs depend upon a lot of things. So do the protein requirements. Even two dogs who are on a low protein diet will not have the same consumption numbers.

It depends upon the size, breed, age, and overall nutritional requirements of the dogs.

Final Words | 15 Best Low Protein Dog Foods

Low protein diets are given to dogs for specific purposes. If you read this article and feel that your dog may need a low protein diet, then don’t act upon the instinct. Visit the vet and let them guide you better.

If your vet detects an issue and asks you to make a dietary switch for the pupper, then you may choose any of the above-mentioned foods.

Last update on 2025-11-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API