Edited by: Mike Powell
Reviewed by: Abby TexasLast Update:
Quick Picks
Best Dog Food Topper Overall: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Wild Cuts Trail Toppers
“These delicious, protein-rich, grain-free toppers come in two tasty flavors that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Its real meat flavors feature chicken, salmon, beef, and duck as each topper’s first ingredient.”
Best Value for Money: Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Meal Mixer
“These grain-free toppers are nutritionally dense, rich in probiotics, and full of antioxidants—all for a reasonable price! Its formula features real meat and a medley of fruits and vegetables to ensure a balanced and biologically sound diet.”
Best Organic Food Topper: The Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers
“These human-grade, single-protein toppers are packed with nutrients and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. In this recipe, you’ll find a delectable blend of superfoods alongside four whole meat options.”
Some dogs are finicky eaters—but constantly swapping out brand after brand can become a costly mistake. Instead, you can invest in value-adding dog food toppers.
Also referred to as dog food mixers or enhancers, these palatable treats are an excellent way to get your picky to lick their bowl clean. Simply pour, dash, or sprinkle them into your dog’s regular kibble and watch as they tear away at their meal!
Not only do dog food toppers add a delicious burst of flavor to your dog’s meals, but they also round out in nutritional value. From a single packet, your dog can reap the benefits of added nutrients, antioxidants, proteins, and probiotics.
This comprehensive guide will take you through ten of the most delicious and effective products. You’ll also learn about their nutritional benefits, different types, and what you should consider when purchasing the right topper.
Table of Contents
- Quick Picks
- Benefits of Adding Dog Food Toppers
- Different Types of Dog Food Toppers
- Things To Consider When Buying the Best Dog Food Topper
- What is the Best Dog Food Topper?
- 1. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Toppers
- 2. Stella & Chewy’s Raw Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
- 3. The Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers
- 4. Brutus Bone Broth Hydrating Dog Food Topper
- 5. Flavors Human-Grade Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
- 6. Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers
- 7. Wellness Core Bowl Boosters Dog Food Toppers
- 8. Vital Essentials Raw Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
- 9. TruDog Boost Me Dog Food Topper
- 10. I & Love & You Top That Dog Food Topper
- 1. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Toppers
- Questions & Answers
Benefits of Adding Dog Food Toppers
Dog food toppers are a versatile product that serve multiple purposes. Foremost, they are effective at correcting picky eating habits and are an excellent way to add healthy calories into your dog’s diet.
These supplements are also rich in nutritional extras such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, glucosamine, and antioxidants that increase the overall value of your pet’s food. In addition, underweight dogs will enjoy this product’s ability to increase caloric value.
If you’re skeptical about the nutritional benefits of dog food toppers, many have claimed to see a drastic improvement in their dog’s skin and coat as well as their overall health and energy levels.
Are you catering to a sick dog? Toppers can make their meal far easier to digest and prevent instances of diarrhea. Dogs with weaker teeth may also find them more comfortable to chew. Furthermore, if your dog is on medication, liquid or pureed toppers are an excellent method of disguising less than palatable flavors.
Finally, dog food toppers are an ideal tool for transitioning your pet from one food to another. Most mixers come in multiple flavors that can add interest to any type of kibble.
Different Types of Dog Food Toppers
Dog food toppers come in multiple forms that include the following:
Snacks: Many dog food toppers can double as regular treats, dispensed throughout the day as a reward. These bites come in different sizes that you can scale down for dogs with tinier jaws. You can also incorporate them into your training regimen.
Broths: If your dog is having trouble chewing, incorporating a broth into their regular dry kibble can make it easier to chew and digest. Broths are also effective in increasing a picky eater’s appetite and easing an upset stomach. Note that broths are naturally high in moisture and can affect the consistency of your dog’s stool. If your dog has watery stool, consider incorporating your topper into these stool-sensitive diets.
Pates: Pates are an ideal in-between for dogs with weaker teeth that don’t take well to liquid toppers. Similar in consistency to some wet foods, this familiar texture can do wonders for increasing appetite.
Powders: Dogs with extremely particular palettes may respond better to powdered toppers, which add a touch of appetizing garnish to their meal.
Sprays: While not a popular medium for dog food toppers, you can find these products in spray form. Sprays are ideal for dogs that enjoy texture consistency, as they don’t do much to break down kibble.
Things To Consider When Buying the Best Dog Food Topper
Quality Ingredients
As with anything your dog consumes, a topper should contain all-natural and minimally processed ingredients. When shopping for the right dog food mixer, always give the ingredients list a thorough once-over.
Avoid toppers that contain artificial additives, preservatives, and dyes. Instead, prioritize ingredients like organic, non-GMO proteins, sweet potatoes, and fish oil.
It pays to practice reading ingredient labels, as you never know when you might come across something misleading. For instance, a dog food topper with “beef flavor” indicates that it only contains trace amounts of real beef. Similarly, “chicken nuggets” as an ingredient typically only contain 25% real chicken.
Type of Topper
As previously mentioned, dog food toppers come in various forms. What you select will ultimately depend on what your dog prefers.
If you are feeding an older dog with weaker teeth, your best bet might be a liquid or pureed topper. On the other hand, younger dogs who are voracious eaters might enjoy chunky or crunchy treats better.
Your Dog’s Age & Size
If you own a bigger, more active breed of dog, you’ll want to purchase a dog food topper that is protein-loaded to help sustain their energy throughout the day. Alternatively, your smaller, less active dog may not have the same protein requirements but will demand higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.
How old your dog is will also dictate your choice of topper. Younger dogs with underdeveloped teeth, for instance, may fare better with powdered toppers or products in spray form.
What is the Best Dog Food Topper?
- Best dog food topper overall: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Toppers
- Best value for money: Stella & Chewy’s Raw Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
- Best organic food topper: The Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers
- Best liquid topper: Brutus Bone Broth Hydrating Dog Food Topper
- Best powdered topper: Flavors Human-Grade Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
- Best raw food topper: Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers
- Best grain-free topper: Wellness Core Bowl Boosters Dog Food Toppers
- Best water-based topper: Vital Essentials Raw Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
- Best shredded topper: TruDog Boost Me Dog Food Topper
- Best topper for easy digestion: I & Love & You Top That Dog Food Topper
1. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Toppers
Best Dog Food Topper Overall: Grain-free and protein-rich wet topper recipe packs a flavorful punch featuring bites of real chicken and beef in delicious gravy
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Key Features
- Features tender bites of real beef and chicken as its first ingredient
- Grain-free formula doesn’t contain corn, wheat, or soy
- 100% free of artificial flavors, dyes, enhancers, and preservatives
These meat-rich trail toppers make your picky dog’s meal virtually irresistible. Its formula features chucks of real chicken and beef mixed in with other natural ingredients and mouthwatering gravy.
Its wholesome ingredients are free of any chicken or poultry by-products, corn, wheat, or soy. Instead, Blue Buffalo uses natural fruits, vegetables, and extracts as thickening agents. In addition, it is free of any artificial preservatives and additives.
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This product’s smaller pouch sizes are ideal for use with one meal. It is also easier to toggle between the two flavors, which may come in handy if your dog’s palate bores easily. Plus, its variety packs come with 24 supplemental meals.
Many pet owners claim a long shelf life for this fresh, wet alternative to a raw diet. While costly, its nutritional value outweighs its price tag.
2. Stella & Chewy’s Raw Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
Best Value for Money: Affordable mixers contain 90% nutrient-packed meat, organs, and bones fortified with additional probiotics and antioxidants
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Key Features
- Features cage-free, non-GMO chicken
- 100% organic-certified fruits and vegetables
- Freeze-dried nuggets for a complete meal or a snack
- Enhanced with probiotics to aid healthy digestion
If you don’t have the time to prepare fresh meat and bones in highly specific proportions, this raw dog food topper makes an ideal alternative. For a reasonable price, your dog can thrive on a topper that mimics a biologically appropriate diet with the convenience of a freeze-dried preparation.
This organic and minimally processed topper allows is ingredients to remain in their natural state. Furthermore, it doesn’t contain added hormones, antibiotics, or grains.
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Enhanced with probiotics, this mixer is ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Because it only contains a single protein source, your dog is less likely to experience any allergic reactions.
Smaller, toy-sized dogs will have an easy time chewing these bite-sized morsels that don’t require rehydration to serve.
Owners have also claimed drastic improvements in their dog’s skin and coat, teeth, energy, stamina, and overall health.
3. The Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers
Best Organic Food Topper: Versatile, nutritious ingredients packed into crispy superfood clusters that are fit even for human consumption
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Key Features
- Contains only five whole-food ingredients with 90% real meat chicken
- Added vitamins and minerals make it appropriate to serve as a whole meal
- Doesn’t contain animal by-products or GMO ingredients
This highly palatable topper rich with whole-food nutrition contains only five limited ingredients. Pumpkins, blueberries, apples, and chard make up its vegetable broth while you can select between beef, turkey, fish, and chicken as a primary protein.
Its light and crispy clusters make for an enjoyable chew for dogs that enjoy texture. Its minimally-processed, dehydrated ingredients boast added vitamins and minerals that give your dog’s immune system a much-needed boost.
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Because of how it’s procesed, this dog food mixer has an extended shelf life—you can easily reseal the bag after use.
Made in a human-grade food processing plant, this topper doesn’t contain any corn, wheat, soy, and artificial preservatives. In fact, it’s fit for human consumption—we just aren’t sure about how much you’ll enjoy it!
4. Brutus Bone Broth Hydrating Dog Food Topper
Best Liquid Topper: Low-calorie broth mixture piles on flavor without encouraging too much weight gain
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Key Features
- 100% natural ingredients don’t contain artificial additives
- Fortified with turmeric to aid in inflammation due to over-activity or arthritis
- Contains minimal calories to support dogs with weight loss issues
This ultra-hydrating bone broth is low in calories but rich in nutritional benefits. Its human-grade formula is infused with glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy hips and joints in dogs packing on too much weight.
These two essential ingredients also help reverse cartilage loss, allowing your dog’s bones to become more resilient against stress.
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To further assist in your dog’s weight loss program, Brutus Bone Broth contains only 5 calories per serving. It also contains turmeric to help with pain and inflammation caused by aging, arthritis, or injury.
This non-GMO bone broth is manufactured without any artificial colors, preservatives, and additives. It is also dairy, soy, and gluten-free—plus low in fat and sodium!
You can add this delicious and nutritious bone broth to reconstitute dehydrated food or to boost flavor in their dry kibble. If you’re feeling creative, you can even use it to make a fun, frozen treat during the summer!
5. Flavors Human-Grade Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
Best Powdered Topper: Hassle-free powdered topper is convenient to use and made with human-grade ingredients like beef
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Key Features
- Made with real beef, beef broth, and sweet potatoes for easy digestion
- Low-calorie formula makes it ideal for dogs prone to weight gain
- Mixable with water to help boost hydration
This grain-free powdered dog food topper provides your choosy dog with a much-needed flavor boost. It is formulated with all-natural, simple, and human-grade ingredients such as beef, beef broth, and sweet potatoes to improve energy levels and digestive activity.
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One of its main ingredients is bone broth, which is packed with amino acids and collagen to support healthy joints, hips, and muscles. Its grain-free recipe is low in calories and sodium, which can improve conditions like congestive heart failure and liver disease.
Furthermore, this versatile topper doesn’t contain any soy, corn, wheat, or rice.
You can use this mixer as an instant, powdered topper or mix it with water to create a delicious broth. Another innovative method of incorporating this topper into your dog’s diet is to make ice cube treats, which are enjoyable to eat and easy to digest!
6. Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers
Best Raw Food Topper: Adaptable raw food topper improves your dog’s skin and coat and helps reverse the effects of digestive issues
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Key Features
- All-natural raw topper features cage-free chicken
- Non-GMO fruits and vegetables
- Freeze-dried formula locks in health-boosting nutrients
- Made without grains, corn, wheat, soy, or by-product meals
This freeze-dried topper mimics the pure, real nutrition your dog gets from a carefully formulated raw food diet. It features minimally processed and cage-free chicken with liver. You can also choose from lamb, beef, and turkey varieties.
Alongside its high-quality animal ingredients, it also contains whole-grown fruits and vegetables such as apples, blueberries, broccoli, and carrots that help treat multiple physical ailments. This impressive formula allows your dog to battle celiac disease, debilitating heart conditions, and kidney problems.
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Its freeze-dried formula also helps to remove excess moisture and seal in flavor along with antioxidant-rich nutrients.
Lower down on its list of ingredients are salmon oil and ground flaxseeds, which provide a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids. With these ingredients, you can expect to see significant improvement in your dog’s skin and coat as well as higher, more evenly distributed energy levels.
As with all the highest-quality toppers, this mix-in is manufactured without grain fillers, animal by-products, or artificial preservatives.
7. Wellness Core Bowl Boosters Dog Food Toppers
Best Grain-Free Topper: Single-protein grain-free topper is an excellent choice for picky eaters with stomach sensitivities and poor digestion
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Key Features
- Formulated using only freeze-dried beef as its primary ingredient
- Crafted without wheat-gluten, corn, soy, or meat by-products
- Limited-ingredient and grain-free formula, ideal for dogs with allergies
If your dog is a picky eater, chances are it’s dealing with too many proteins in its kibble. Fortunately, this dog food topper contains only one meat ingredient: freeze-dried beef. However, you can opt to purchase other flavor varieties such as whitefish and salmon, turkey, and chicken.
It is also free of unnecessary chemicals and fillers, so pet owners whose dogs suffer from poor digestion can rest easy knowing there won’t be any problems in that department.
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Other than its primary meat source, this topper also contains other clean ingredients. These ingredients include rosemary, which is a natural flea repellant and even helpful in preventing cancer. It also contains green tea extract, which allows your dog to ward off infections before they become severe.
However, this delicious topper may be lacking in probiotics. If this is something you value, you might want to pair this mixer with a dog food specifically formulated for sensitive stomachs.
8. Vital Essentials Raw Grain-Free Dog Food Topper
Best Water-Based Topper: Rich with organ meat, this easy-to-mix, freeze-dried, raw food topper is highly nutritious and biologically appropriate
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Key Features
- Made with 100% USA beef meat, organs, and bones to mimic a raw food diet
- Does not contain any sugar flavor additions, fillers, or meat by-products
- Freeze-dried raw food formula is easy to digest
Picky dogs that love a versatile meal can enjoy this food mixer in three ways—as a standalone meal, supplement, or topper. It contains locally sourced chicken from America’s heartland with secondary meat ingredients such as fresh, wholesome beef, bone, and organs.
This topper undergoes an ultra-slow freeze-drying process to retain optimal nutritional value and taste. It doesn’t contain any added sugars or artificial preservatives. Instead, it contains plenty of organ meat, allowing your dog to maintain a shiny coat, healthy heart, and strong muscles.
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It also contains herring oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids that help support metabolic functions.
You can dress your dog’s kibble with it raw, but mixing it with water to create a delicious pate is best. It is appropriate for dogs of all breeds and life stages.
Many owners report their dogs creating less, smaller, or firmer waste after incorporating this topper into their diet.
9. TruDog Boost Me Dog Food Topper
Best Shredded Topper: Freeze-dried, free-range beef contains healthy organ meats and ground bone for added taste and nutritional value
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Key Features
- Organ and bone inclusions support healthy teeth and gums
- Contains premium cuts of USA-sourced beef
- Freeze-dried to lock in nutrients and provide added taste
Do you value simple yet effective ingredients? The TruDog Boost Me Dog Food Topper packs an impressive nutritional punch with just one premium cut of USA-sourced beef. This formula also contains herring oil, which is a gentle ingredient for dogs with stomach sensitivities.
If your dog is low on its protein intake, this topper is the right choice for you. Comprehensive beef parts provide a steady release of energy throughout the day.
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Plus, its ingredients are freeze-dried to lock in nutrients and create an enjoyable shredded texture. Don’t worry about harmful additives. This formula doesn’t contain any wheat, gluten, soy, corn, grains, fillers, or antibiotics.
Simply sprinkle 2 tablespoons of this delectable, shredded treat per cup of dry kibble—your dog won’t be able to resist!
Keep in mind that this topper is not meant for use as a meal replacement. Instead, it makes for a welcome supplement that helps improve your dog’s overall health.
10. I & Love & You Top That Dog Food Topper
Best Topper for Easy Digestion: Fortified with vitamins and minerals to promote easy digestion and a healthy coat
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Key Features
- First ingredients listed are real beef, chicken, or duck
- Available in three different recipes to support various needs
- Grain-free topper doesn’t contain corn, wheat, soy, and added gluten
Does your dog regularly suffer from an upset stomach? Is their once-thick coat looking a little dull? This impressive variety of dog food toppers serve multiple purposes—from easing digestion issues to restoring luster in your dog’s coat.
Each recipe supports your picky eater in different aspects. For instance, Top That Boost is rich in superfoods that keep your dog’s immune system in perfect shape.
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All three formulas feature real, non-GMO beef or poultry as their first ingredient, so you can rest assured your dog is getting the proteins it needs. They also contain healthy additives like apples, flaxseed, carrots, and chickpeas.
This grain-free recipe is also free of corn, wheat, soy, and added gluten—dogs with food allergies have nothing to worry about. Instead, it is jam-packed with essential antioxidants, enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals necessary to promote a long, healthy life.
Questions & Answers
Q: Do dog food toppers improve my dog’s health?
A: It depends on how you incorporate them into your dog’s diet. If your dog’s current diet is sufficiently providing the nutrients it requires, food toppers may not make a significant difference. On the other hand, they are also rich with essential ingredients that can round out a lacking diet.
Q: How often should I use dog food toppers?
A: Dog food toppers are safe for daily use. With that said, the frequency at which you incorporate these toppers into your dog’s diet will depend on their specific needs. If your dog is overweight, adding a topper to their daily meal may not be a good idea.
Q: Can I use food toppers as a whole diet?
A: Technically, you can—but be careful. Liquid and powder-based toppers are not appropriate as replacement meals, while using solid mixers as alternatives should only be done sparingly. Consider your dog’s specific nutritional and caloric needs before using a topper as a meal replacement.
