Edited by: Mike Powell
Reviewed by: Abby TexasLast Update:
The Rundown
Best Overall: Wellness Core Dry Dog Food
“The Wellness Core Dry Dog Food will keep your active Boxer from having any stomach issues. Its high protein content and the added probiotics that aids in digesting food will keep your dog healthy and full of energy.”
Best Runner-up: Nature's Recipe Dry Dog Food
“Nature’s Recipe Grain Free Dry Dog Food is formulated with highly digestible and fiber-rich ingredients. It is ideal if you’re trying to avoid any allergens for your dog while giving it a well-balanced diet.”
Best Value for Money: Diamond Naturals Light Dry Dog Food
“The Diamond Naturals Light Dry Dog Food provides everything your Boxer needs at the most affordable price. It’s made of superfood ingredients that have high fiber content.”
Boxers have sensitive stomachs. The breed is known to have digestive issues and choosing the right dog food for pooch can be quite a challenge.
Finding the right dog food product that is not only delicious but nourishes your beloved pet as well is extremely important.
To help you find the best choice, we’ve reviewed 11 high-quality dog foods for your Boxer. They’re all great options, and we’re sure you’ll find something that is perfect for your goofball!
Table of Contents
- The Rundown
- 11 Best Dog Food For Boxers With Sensitive Stomachs
- 1. Wellness Core Dry Dog Food
- 2. Nature’s Recipe Dry Dog Food
- 3. Diamond Naturals Light Dry Dog Food
- 4. Diamond Care Dry Dog Food
- 5. Holistic Select Dry Dog Food
- 6. Solid Gold Dry Dog Food
- 7. Merrick Dry Puppy Food
- 8. Nulo Dry Dog Food
- 9. Blue Buffalo Dry Dog Food
- 10. Acana Singles Dry Dog Food
- 11. Royal Canin Dry Dog Food
- 1. Wellness Core Dry Dog Food
- What to Look For When Buying Dog Food For Boxers With Sensitive Stomachs
- Questions & Answers
- Conclusion
11 Best Dog Food For Boxers With Sensitive Stomachs
1. Wellness Core Dry Dog Food
Premium Option: Allergen-free, high-protein kibble
PROS
- High protein, moderate in fat for active Boxers
- Avoids common food allergens
- Vegetables and fruits for minerals and vitamins
- Added probiotics for digestive help
CONS
- Somewhat expensive
- Your dog’s breath may smell fishy
Wellness Core dog foods are aimed at dogs who live active lifestyles, and the Wellness Core Dry Dog Food is no different. If your Boxer has a sensitive stomach but is otherwise energetic and active, this protein-allergen-free kibble would most likely be a good choice.
It contains high-quality protein sources, fruits and veggies, and all the added supplements a Boxer may need to stay healthy and happy.
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Balanced, Complete Nutrition
Although this isn’t specifically a sensitive stomach formula, Wellness Core makes kibble of the highest quality that contains all-natural, real food ingredients that are easy to digest. Four fish protein sources means your Boxer can avoid common protein allergens.
An array of vegetables and fruits bring high levels of vitamins and antioxidants. They also contribute to a fiber count of 7%, which should go a long way towards helping dogs with chronic diarrhea.
You’ll also find joint supplements, Omega fatty acids, and probiotics to assist with easy digestion.
If your Boxer needs a limited ingredient choice, Wellness Simple could be the right thing. It’s slightly lower in protein and fat than this one, and you’d need to supplement with glucosamine separately if you choose to buy Wellness Simple.
2. Nature’s Recipe Dry Dog Food
Best Runner-Up: All-natural, easy-to-digest formula
PROS
- Slow-burning carbs like sweet potato and pumpkin
- Choice of three different proteins
- Highly digestible formula
- Grain-free and high in fiber
CONS
- “Poultry fat” is vague and doesn’t give an indication of the quality of the ingredient
- Lamb flavor contains chicken meal, so not suitable for dogs sensitive to chicken
Nature’s Recipe is, as its name suggests, all-natural and healthy. Every one of their three flavors contains a couple of good quality proteins, and a few high-fiber vegetables.
The Nature's Recipe Dry Dog Food gives your Boxer everything they need to settle a sensitive stomach and enjoy the taste of their kibble at the same time.
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High-Quality Vegetables and Protein Source
One of the great things about this dog food is that it comes in three different flavors; Chicken, Lamb, and Salmon. Each recipe also contains sweet potato and pumpkin, which are slow-burning carbohydrates that will give your Boxer energy as the day goes.
It’s important to note that the lamb flavor also contains chicken meal as a protein source, making it unsuitable for Boxers who are sensitive to chicken.
You won’t find any artificial ingredients in these recipes. What you will find, in addition to the premium quality ingredient list, is glucosamine for strong bones and joints, taurine for heart health, added minerals and vitamins, and good levels of Omega fatty acids.
3. Diamond Naturals Light Dry Dog Food
Best Value for Money: Great for less active Boxers
PROS
- High in fiber, at 8%
- Contains healthy grains
- Superfood ingredients
- Very affordable in comparison to others
CONS
- The fat count may be too low for active Boxers
The Diamond Naturals Light Dry Dog Food is our choice for Boxers whose parents are budget-conscious. It’s packed with premium quality ingredients, but also has a super nice price tag attached to it, which is no reflection on its quality at all.
Because of its very low fat count, we don’t recommend this as a permanent solution for your Boxer. It would be a good choice to use when your Boxer’s stomach problems flare up, until their digestion has eased up.
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Good Choice for Less Active Boxers
We truly believe that this kibble will be helpful for both Boxers with sensitive stomachs and their parents. The only catch is that the fat count may be too low to power an active Boxer through their day, and they may feel lethargic and be far less active than usual.
If you do choose to use it for a less active Boxer or as a temporary measure for an active pup, you can rest assured knowing that your dog will be getting a dose of really high-quality ingredients.
There’s plenty of veggies and fruits and even some superfoods on the ingredient list. That accounts for the fiber content of 8%.
Unlike other foods in this price range, this one contains glucosamine, chondroitin, added vitamins, antioxidants, probiotics, and L-carnitine.
4. Diamond Care Dry Dog Food
Best Meat-Free: High in egg white protein
PROS
- Meat-free, protein comes from egg white
- Formulated with complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs
CONS
- Not suitable for Boxers who are sensitive to potato
- Doesn’t contain glucosamine
If your Boxer really struggles with meat sensitivities, the Diamond Care Dry Dog Food is for them.
The best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs doesn’t have to contain meat as a protein source. This one uses egg white protein to give your Boxer a perfectly adequate protein count.
It may be problematic for Boxers who have an allergy to or intolerance of potatoes.
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Limited Ingredient List
You won’t find many ingredients on this list. While it may be a slight disadvantage in terms of lacking vitamins, it can also be a good thing, as bland food can improve a sensitive stomach.
In addition to the egg product, you’ll find a small amount of potato protein. Potato is also the first ingredient, so it’s the main carbohydrate source.
Despite there being no meat in this recipe, the protein count is strong at 25%, with a perfectly adequate fat count of 13%.
You’ll also find added vitamin E, and high levels of Omega 6 fatty acids. It also gets a thumbs-up for its proprietary K9 Strain Probiotics, which helps to make this dog food highly digestible.
5. Holistic Select Dry Dog Food
Best With Grains: High fiber count from gluten-free grains
PROS
- Healthy grains and healthy fiber
- Added probiotics, antioxidants, and taurine
- Fish-based protein to avoid common allergens
- Chelated minerals added to help digestion
CONS
- No real meat, meat meal may disagree with some dogs
The best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs doesn’t necessarily have to be grain-free. We’ve chosen the Holistic Select Dry Dog Food as our best adult dry dog food with grains, as it contains healthy, fiber-rich, gluten-free grains that stimulate the digestive system.
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Healthy Grains, Healthy Fiber
You’ll find grains such as brown rice and oatmeal in this dry dog food formula. They’re an important part of the fiber content, and the addition of vegetables like beet pulp and pumpkin and fruits like blueberries and cranberries make this a well-balanced dry dog food.
Apart from the high-quality ingredients, your Boxer will get a dose of antioxidants, probiotics and prebiotics, joint supplements, and healthy heart supplements.
You won’t find real meat in this formula, but instead meat meal. Anchovy, sardine, and salmon meal make this highly digestible and nutritious, but may cause smelly breath!
6. Solid Gold Dry Dog Food
Best Without Glucosamine: High-quality kibble for dogs on a joint supplement
PROS
- Good protein and fat counts for active Boxers
- Single protein source recipe
- Nutrient-dense superfoods
- Added probiotics and prebiotics
CONS
- Not suitable for dogs who aren’t on a glucosamine supplement
Although the best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs should contain a joint supplement, if your dog is already on a separate bone and joint supplement, you can get away with a dog food without glucosamine. The Solid Gold Dry Dog Food is our choice!
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Near-Complete Nutrition
This grain-free recipe is packed with healthy superfoods that offer a dose of antioxidants to keep your Boxer’s immune system strong.
Another useful addition is DHA, which helps to keep eyes and brain cells sharp. If you’re also looking for a food for Boxers with sensitive skin, this one would work well as it contains great Omega levels.
7. Merrick Dry Puppy Food
Best for Boxer Puppies: Rich in DHA for healthy development
PROS
- Senior-specific formula
- Grain-free and avoids chicken
- Joint supplements for aging joints
- Contains pure probiotic strains
CONS
- May cause fishy breath
A Boxer puppy dry dog food isn’t necessarily the same as an adult dry dog food. A puppy dry dog food needs to tick certain boxes, and the Merrick Dry Puppy Food does exactly that. Your Boxer puppy should thrive on this grain-free formula.
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Everything A Growing Puppy Needs
The qualities of the best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs don’t change for puppies. All that’s needed is a slightly different number of nutrients and some extras, which is what this food provides.
We like that this food comes in beef and chicken varieties.That means your dog can avoid protein that may trigger an allergy.
The ingredient list looks good, with deboned meat as the first ingredient, followed by slow-burning carbohydrates. Further down the list there are additional protein sources, such as lamb meal and salmon meal.
DHA, glucosamine and chondroitin, and Omegas round this food off nicely.
8. Nulo Dry Dog Food
Best for Boxer Seniors: Lower in fat for less active dogs
PROS
- High protein, moderate in fat for active Boxers
- Avoids common food allergens
- Vegetables and fruits for minerals and vitamins
- Added probiotics for digestive help
CONS
- Somewhat expensive
- Your dog’s breath may smell fishy
Seniors also need the best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs. The Nulo Dry Dog Food contains a few protein sources, but avoids chicken and beef, which are common allergens.
It also contains all the supplements senior large breed dogs may need to stay strong and healthy as they age.
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Senior-Specific Dog Food
This senior dry dog food is lower in fat than most adult dry dog foods, but remains high in protein, thanks to a variety of animal proteins.
It’s a grain-free dry dog food too, with carb sources like legumes, a few dried veggies, and dried fruits.
L-carnitine is super to help seniors regulate their metabolism. Joint supplements are a good addition, as are probiotics for better digestion.
9. Blue Buffalo Dry Dog Food
Best Limited Ingredient: Fewer ingredients, less chance of sensitivities
PROS
- Limited ingredients mean less chance of allergies
- Four different flavors for variety
- LifeSource Bits for extra nutrients
- Helpful for both sensitive stomachs and sensitive skin
CONS
- May be too low in protein for some dogs
A limited ingredient diet may be the best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs. The Blue Buffalo Dry Dog Food is our choice. Each recipe contains a single source protein, a few veggies, and a few fruits. It’s easy to avoid problem ingredients.
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Simple Recipes for Digestive Health
There are four recipes to choose from: Grain-free Duck and Potato, Grain-free Salmon and Potato, Grain-free Lamb and Potato, and Grain-free Turkey and Potato.
The common allergens of beef and chicken are avoided entirely, which is a bonus for Boxers with sensitive stomachs. They also contain joint supplements and vitamins.
The only potential issue is that they’re quite low in protein. A couple of high-protein snacks may be in order between meals.
10. Acana Singles Dry Dog Food
Best Flavor Variety: Even picky eaters will love this recipe range
PROS
- Five interesting flavors
- Single source protein, easy to avoid problem ingredients
- Contains DHA and EPA, making it suitable for all life stages
- Taurine and vitamins for immune system support
CONS
- May not be suitable for dogs who are sensitive to legumes
The best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs doesn’t have to be bland or boring. The Acana Singles Dry Dog Food comes with five unique, healthy choices, so if your dog is a picky eater, there’s enough variety to stop him getting bored.
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Complete Nutrition for All Life Stages
As well as their impressive recipe range, one of the best things about this grain-free dry dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs is that it’s suitable for all life stages. That means you can feed it to your dog and their furry siblings, no matter their breed or age.
The addition of DHA and EPA is fantastic for puppies and seniors. Joint supplements are necessary for every large breed dog. Good levels of Omegas, taurine, and added probiotics make it very well-rounded.
11. Royal Canin Dry Dog Food
Best Boxer Breed-Specific: Includes some helpful supplements
PROS
- Specially designed kibble shape
- Contains an antioxidant complex
CONS
- Contains some low-quality ingredients
If you want a breed-specific food, the Royal Canin Dry Dog Food food would be our pick. We’ll be honest and say that we believe it’s the lowest-quality option on this list, thanks to the inclusion of low-quality ingredients like chicken by-product meal and wheat gluten.
These kinds of ingredients can make Boxers with sensitive stomachs feel worse, as they’re often not easily digested and can even affect the immune system.
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The Good
Designed specifically for Boxers older than 15 months, this adult dry dog food contains a lower protein, higher fat content than others.
It also contains helpful ingredients like taurine (for heart health), glucosamine and chondroitin for joints, DHA and EPA, and L-carnitine, which is good for digestion.
What to Look For When Buying Dog Food For Boxers With Sensitive Stomachs
Protein Source
Protein is not only necessary to build your Boxer dog’s muscles and keep them strong, but it also breaks down fairly easily in the stomach, so a high-quality protein should be the first ingredient in a dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs.
Stay away from meat by-products, as they’re far less easy to digest. Meal meal is acceptable, but may make your dog’s system work harder to digest it. A single-source, real meat protein as the first ingredient is highly preferable.
Fiber Content
The optimal fiber count in the best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs is around 5%. If your Boxer suffers from regular diarrhea, increasing their fiber count slightly could help settle their sensitive stomach.
Healthy fiber is found in plant ingredients. You want to see healthy fruits, vegetables, and even possibly gluten-free grains on an ingredient list. Brown rice is a good choice, as are slow-burning carbs like potatoes or sweet potatoes.
If you’re going for a food with grains, we recommend choosing one that has fruits and vegetables as well as grains.
Fat Content
A high fat count can actually make diarrhea worse. That makes this a bit of a catch-22 situation, because Boxers are high-energy dogs who need a decent fat count to keep their energy levels up.
If your Boxer is very energetic, he may be used to getting more fat in his diet. But choosing a new dog food that doesn’t exceed 15% fat could be exactly what he needs to ease his stomach up.
Your Boxer should adapt to the lower fat count quite easily, but if he is lethargic or seems depressed, a quick trip to the vet could be in order.
Vitamins and Minerals
Sometimes you’ll find vitamins and minerals on the guaranteed analysis list of a dog food. Other times you’ll see them on the ingredient list.
Either way, the best way to know if there are good amounts of vitamins and minerals in a Boxer food is to look for fruits and vegetables.
Plant ingredients are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Your dog can get some vitamins from meat and grains, but it’s not quite the same.
The best food for Boxers should definitely have an abundance of fruits and veggies in it, or at the least, a few vegetable carb sources.
Grain Fillers
By this, we mean look out for them so you can avoid them. Corn, wheat, and soy are low-quality grain fillers that are used by pet food manufacturers to bulk up dog foods.
The problem is that they add almost no nutritional value to the kibble. They do, however, add a lot of calories. These grains contain gluten, which often also aggravates sensitive stomachs.
The dry dog food you choose should be free from low-quality grain fillers. Acceptable grains include oats, brown rice, millet, barley, quinoa, and sorghum.
Ingredient Quality
Dogs with sensitive stomachs need to be more careful about what they put into their bodies. By that, we mean that their pet parents need to be more careful what kibble they buy!
Natural ingredients are a must for sensitive tummies. All-natural, wholesome ingredients are digested more easily, and contain vitamins and minerals to boost the immune and digestive systems.
Low-quality filler ingredients do nothing for a dog’s health or nutrition. Choose real food ingredients with a quality protein as the first ingredient. This is the basis of a super healthy dog food for Boxers!
Questions & Answers
Do Boxers Have Digestive Problems?
Every dog breed is prone to certain health conditions, and unfortunately Boxers are known for having digestive problems.
Some breeds are just susceptible to food allergies and intolerances. Boxers are more so, because the breed has a tendency to suffer from an inflammatory bowel disease known as Granulomatous Colitis, or Histiocytic Ulcerative Colitis.
What is Boxer Colitis?
Boxer Colitis, as we mentioned above, is an inflammatory bowel disease that Boxer dogs often suffer from. It shows up commonly in Boxers under the age of 4 years.
In a nutshell, it’s a disease in which the Boxer’s digestive system overreacts to normal gut bacteria. This results in excessive and regular diarrhea.
If your Boxer displays the following signs and symptoms, they could be suffering from this condition:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Mucus in the stool
- Pain and discomfort when defecating
- Increased frequency of defecation
If you notice your Boxer struggling with excessive defecation or if they appear to be in pain or discomfort, it’s worth a trip to the vet.
Although there’s no guarantee that treatment will cure the disease, it can be managed through careful diet and lifestyle changes.
What is the Best Dog Food for Boxers with Sensitive Stomachs?
The best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs is hard to pinpoint. There are some boxes the kibble should tick, but ultimately it will depend on the dog, their tastes, and their lifestyle.
Food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs should have a moderate to high protein content that comes from a wholesome, real meat source. A single source protein is recommended, and it’s best to make sure your dog isn’t intolerant of any particular proteins before choosing a food.
Fruits and vegetables should be next on the ingredient list. A grain-free dog food isn’t a necessity, but it may be the best dog food for some Boxers. If you do choose to go with grains, go for gluten-free ones.
Make sure the kibble you choose contains joint supplements glucosamine and chondroitin, L-carnitine for help with metabolism, and probiotics and prebiotics.
Conclusion
Making the switch to the best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs can help your dog feel like a puppy again!
Although the severity of Boxers’ sensitivity varies immensely, a simple diet change can make a huge difference to your dog’s comfort and wellbeing.
Every dog food on this list is healthy, wholesome, and good for Boxers with sensitive stomachs. Choose carefully, though. If your dog is sensitive to specific proteins (of which chicken and lamb are the most common) their health won’t improve if they’re eating a food containing that meat source.
Choosing the best dog food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs can make a significant difference to your Boxer’s quality of life! It’s an investment, so why not try something new and see how they improve?
