Edited by: Mike Powell
Reviewed by: Abby TexasLast Update:
The Rundown
Best Overall for Beagles: Rachel Ray Nutrish Just 6 Dry Dog Food
“This dog food is made using six simple, premium quality ingredients combined to provide your Beagle complete nutrition while avoiding common problem ingredients.“
Best for Immune Support: Ziwi Peak Grain Free Dog Food
“This nutrient-dense dog food is made by air drying high quality, freshly sourced ingredients to retain both the nutrients and flavor. It’s loaded with antioxidants that provide a much needed immune boost for your German Shepherd.”
Best Value for Money: Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food
“Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food is loaded with antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and probiotics. It offers complete nutrition for your beagle for a budget-friendly price.”
Beagles are a fun, outgoing medium-sized dog breed. They can be quite a challenge to house train but when you do succeed, you’ll find how extremely gentle and affectionate they can be.
These cute fur balls don’t need a lot of tending to since they don’t shed excessively and do not require extensive grooming. They are, however, prone to some health conditions, most of which are genetic. Knee dislocation is just one example. Obesity, glaucoma, and hypothyroidism are on top of the list, too.
Fortunately, these conditions can be prevented and managed with a complete, well-balanced nutrition. Giving your pooch the best dog food for beagles should help them stay strong, healthy, and well-protected from common diseases that this specific dog breed suffer from.
Table of Contents
- The Rundown
- Best Dog Food For Beagles
- 1. Rachel Ray Nutrish Just 6 Dry Dog Food
- 2. Ziwi Peak Grain Free Dog Food
- 3. Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food
- 4. Wellness Core Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food
- 5. Merrick Grain Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
- 6. Orijen Grain Free Dry Dog Food
- 7. Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food
- 8. Instinct Original Grain Free Dry Dog Food
- 1. Rachel Ray Nutrish Just 6 Dry Dog Food
- Caloric Requirements for Beagles
- How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Beagles
- Questions & Answers
Best Dog Food For Beagles
Here are our top picks for the best dog food for Beagles:
- Best Overall for Beagles: Rachel Ray Nutrish Just 6 Dry Dog Food
- Best for Immune Support: Ziwi Peak Grain Free Dog Food
- Best Value for Money: Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food
- Best for the Heart: Wellness Core Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food
- Best for Beagle Puppies: Merrick Grain Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
- Best Flavor Range: Orijen Grain Free Dry Dog Food
- Best for Healthy Digestion: Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food
- Best Raw Food Option: Instinct Original Grain Free Dry Dog Food
1. Rachel Ray Nutrish Just 6 Dry Dog Food
Best Overall for Beagles: Delicious, well-rounded nourishment for your dog with added joint supplements
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PROS
- Easily digestible, wholesome ingredients providing proper nourishment for your little pooch
- Optimum fat and protein levels for an active beagle
- Contains joint supplements to prevent hip dysplasia
- Limited ingredient to reduce the chances of allergies
CONS
- No real meat
- No veggies or fruits as carbs
Rachel Ray Nutrish Just 6 Dry Dog Food uses an easily digestible, healthy protein source to provide your Beagle an amazing amino acid profile. It’s incredibly limited in terms of ingredient as there are only 6, including lamb which is the main protein source.
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Fewer ingredients do not necessarily mean lesser nutrition. In fact, this dog food provides proper nourishment for your pooch with just this limited number of included ingredients. It avoids a lot of ingredients which may cause allergic reaction in your dog. It’s ideal for breeds like Beagles who are known to be more prone to food sensitivities.
2. Ziwi Peak Grain Free Dog Food
Best for Immune Support: Air-dried raw ingredients which could be served as a dog food topper or a complete meal
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PROS
- Packed with holistic ingredients that help maintain a strong immune system
- No unnecessary carbohydrates or food fillers that do not have nutritional value
- Air-drying process which preserves the nutrients in the food
- Contains dried kelp which help prevent hypothyroidism
CONS
- Biggest bag available is only 2.2lb
- No carb sources included
This air-dried dog food uses free-range beef as its main protein source. It provides a safe, highly concentrated amino acid blend that supports healthy muscle development. The low carbohydrate count is perfect for Beagles as they are known to be prone to obesity.
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This dog food includes superfood ingredients which aid in digestion, enhance skin and coat health, maintain strong joints, reduce inflammation, and support proper heart and brain development. It’s loaded with antioxidants that promote a strong immune system.
3. Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food
Best Value for Money: Delicious, nutritious, and affordable dog food your Beagle will approve
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PROS
- Premium quality, pasture raised lamb as main protein source
- Extremely affordable dog food with premium quality ingredients
- Packed with superfoods which are great sources for antioxidants, probiotics, fatty acids
- Added “K9 Strain” probiotics (and kelp)
CONS
- “Real meat” in the title is deceiving!
- Protein and fat counts are slightly low but not bad
- May not be suitable for pups who are sensitive to grains
Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food features an incredible ingredient list considering its very affordable price. It contains all the nutrients a beagle needs, and even includes kelp to help counter hypothyroidism, which is one of the disorders a beagle can suffer from.
Lamb is an amazing protein-rich ingredient that’s highly digestible too. There’s added probiotics to provide extra support in digestion which is ideal for beagles with extra sensitive tummies.
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The vegetables and fruits are great, wholesome ingredients that provide antioxidants to help maintain a strong immune system. This dog food has an incredible fatty acid profile that keeps the skin properly moisturized and coat shiny.
4. Wellness Core Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Best for the Heart: Optimal taurine and protein levels to help maintain a strong, healthy heart
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PROS
- Optimal taurine content that keeps your Beagle’s heart healthy
- Contains supplements for strong joints
- Good levels of Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids for skin and coat health
- High in protein and fat, which is great for active beagles
CONS
- High calorie – make sure your dog is active when they eat this!
- Quite pricey
This dog food is made with premium quality ingredients, real meat, and vegetables and have plenty of added vitamins and minerals to keep your energetic beagle as healthy and strong as possible. It has a significant amount of taurine which is an essential amino acid that promotes cardiovascular health.
With 34% protein, 16% fat, and 421 calories per cup, this food is definitely more suited to active, energetic beagles.
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The protein comes from great animal sources and will keep their muscles strong and supple. The fat is also high-quality and will help your pup’s metabolism to move along smoothly. Chicken fat and salmon oil make for super Omegas!
5. Merrick Grain Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
Best For Beagle Puppies: Added supplements that support proper growth and development of Beagle puppies
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PROS
- Puppy-specific formula without grains for easier digestion
- Contains supplements for joints necessary for growing pups
- Contains DHA (great for development and growth)
- Ideal blend of protein and healthy fats to maintain weight and support increased energy levels
CONS
- One of the more expensive foods
Beagles are naturally energetic dogs, and puppies are usually even more so. amazon link=”B07WGB2FZ9″ title=”This puppy-specific food” tracking_id=”dogembassy0e_beagles-20″ link_class=”underline_text”/] is formulated specifically for puppies. It uses deboned chicken and chicken meal as the main protein source. Potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, apples, and blueberries contribute to the carbs and antioxidants in this dog food.
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This food has 397 calories in each cup, which is great for developing pups, and those calories in this food are packed to the brim with healthy nutrients. The deboned chicken provides a great protein count, at 28%, to build healthy, strong muscles. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which will help your little guy’s joints stay strong from the start.
6. Orijen Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Best Flavor Range: Tasty, incredibly nutritious range of grain free dog food
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PROS
- Nutrient-dense dog food which comes in amazing flavor combinations
- Rich in meat (fresh and raw) providing a great amino acid blend
- Suitable for dogs of all ages and life stages
- Naturally preserved dog food to lock in flavor and nutrients
CONS
- Quite pricey
- Fairly high calorie, so less suitable for inactive dogs
This nutrient-dense dog food contains 38% protein and a good fat count of 18%. This will give your Beagle enough amino acids to build muscle, and enough fat to metabolize for energy.
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The glucosamine, DHA, and EPA are also great additions for active, young pups, and kelp helps avoid the possibility of hypothyroidism from a young age.
7. Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food
Best for Healthy Digestion: Contains a significant amount of probiotics to help with digestion
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PROS
- Optimum protein content from high quality animal sources
- Contains joint-strengthening supplements
- High quality, wholesome ingredients which are great sources of vitamins and minerals
- Formulated for dogs of all ages and breeds
CONS
- High calorie
- May not be suitable for pups who are sensitive to grains
Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food is “ideal for multi-dog families”, as it’s formulated to be suitable for dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds. If you have more than one dog, this is the best dog food for your family because you can feed it to all your dogs regardless of whether they’re young or older, big or smaller, sensitive or strong. The nutrients are great for any dogs, and it’s simply up to you to make sure each pup gets the right amount.
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The use of meat meal instead of real meat makes it suitable to feed pups no matter their disposition – whether they have sensitive tummies or are strong and healthy, this food will supply the nutrients they need.
This food is good enough quality to be beneficial to a beagle of any age, as well as containing glucosamine which gives a little boost to their joints.
8. Instinct Original Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Best Raw Food Option: Minimally processed dog food which retains flavor and nutrients locked in
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PROS
- Excellent transition food to a raw diet
- High protein and fat counts to support active beagles
- Contains prebiotics & antioxidants for digestive and immune boost
- Nice levels of Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to maintain healthy skin and coat
CONS
- Quite pricey
- High-calorie (and two different calorie counts are shown on the website)
The dog food is a raw-coated kibble, which is an excellent option if you’re transitioning your beagle over to a raw diet.
This kibble is made with a combination of raw and fresh ingredients, so the quality is undeniable.
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They are coated in raw nutrition, so it’s enough to give your pooch that raw taste and get them used to it, but it’s not a totally raw diet. Beagles are rough, tough, and hardy little guys with very little known digestive issues, so a raw diet could be worth a try if you feel your pup isn’t getting the nutrients they need from a commercial dog food. This food is the perfect one to give them a taste and make sure they respond well before moving over entirely.
Caloric Requirements for Beagles
Beagles typically weigh between 25 and 30 pounds (11-14 kilograms) and the appropriate calorie range for this weight is 650 – 900 per day. Of course, this depends largely on your pup – his health, energy levels, and amount of daily exercise will all affect how many calories he should be taking in.
A typical small breed or medium breed dog food has between 300 and 400 calories in a cup of food, so with 2 meals a day and the occasional treat in between, your pup should be hitting these counts quite nicely. If you feel he might be eating a little too much and getting heavy, either adjust the amount of food down or the amount of exercise up to maintain a healthy weight.
How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Beagles
1) Ingredient Quality
The quality of what goes into your pet’s food can never be understated. Beagles can be prone to weight gain if they don’t get enough exercise, so low-quality filler ingredients are bad news.
Some specifics we’ve looked at in the best dog food for beagles are the presence of real meat (preferably the first ingredient), high-quality, natural carbohydrate and fiber sources, the addition of ingredients that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. Additions such as glucosamine are helpful as beagles can suffer from hip dysplasia and intervertebral disk disease.
The ingredients in your beagle’s food can make or break their health and wellbeing, so this is at the top of the list of criteria. You can’t go wrong with dog foods made from healthy, natural, whole foods, and that are minimally processed.
2) Protein Quality
Beagles are lively little fellows, so they need a good amount of protein to keep those muscles strong. What matters most about protein, though, is the source. Plant proteins work well, but they lack some nutrients that animal proteins do and are a little less digestible.
What we’re looking for here is a high-quality animal protein source, preferably as the first ingredient on the list. We want specifics here, so beef, lamb, salmon, or anything along those lines is great. The best dog foods avoid general ingredients like “animal meat” or “animal fat”, and any meat “by-products”.
Be aware that meat “meal” is a good quality protein source as long as it’s specified what meat it comes from. Beef meal, lamb meal, and chicken meal are very high in protein, and are easily digestible sources. Although real meat is always number one, meat meal is an acceptable high-quality protein source.
3) Protein & Fat Counts
Because of their active nature, the best dog food for beagles has a moderate to high protein count and a higher than usual fat count. Protein in a dog food contributes towards strengthening muscles and bones, and fat is metabolized to be used as energy.
Look for dog foods with a protein count of 24% and above (with the exception of specified low-protein options), and a fat count of 15% or higher. Real meat or meat meals (chicken meal, fish meal, pork meal, or lamb meal) are both acceptable sources.
As hypothyroidism is something beagles can suffer from, we’ve also had a look at whether or not the dog food contains kelp, which is a useful ingredient to help stimulate thyroid hormones and keep your pup at a healthy weight.
4) Calorie Count
Beagles like to eat, and if they end up getting less exercise than they should be, the pounds can rack up. If a pup is getting enough exercise, they can eat a slightly higher calorie dog food with no worries, as they will burn it off bouncing around during playtime.
Aim for dog foods with moderate to slightly high calorie counts to help these little guys keep up with their generally energetic dispositions. The rest is up to you and your beagle, when it comes to deciding which one would keep them at a healthy weight.
Beagles typically need between 650 and 900 calories a day, so the best dog foods for beagles will contain enough calories to feed them at least twice or three times a day and hit that goal.
Questions & Answers
What should I consider before buying a dog food for beagles?
When it comes to choosing the best dog foods for beagles, the biggest thing to consider is YOUR beagle. Does he have a sensitive stomach? Is he prone to food allergies? Is she active or more sedentary?
These sorts of questions will make all the difference when it comes to choosing the right dog food for your pooch. Every dog is different, so you will need to consider yours as an individual. Things like calorie count, ingredients to avoid, and protein and fat levels will all depend on the answers to the above questions.
Pups who are quite active, young, and strong, will be able to handle a higher calorie and protein count, while those who are older or less active will need fewer calories. Always consider the important factors in relation to your dog and his or her particularities.
Although beagles are considered medium breeds, it’s totally okay to feed them a small breed food if the nutrients are on-point.
What should I NOT feed my beagle?
Beagles tend to scavenge, so they will end up eating a whole lot of stuff they probably shouldn’t. This makes it imperative that you feed them healthy stuff, whether it’s their daily food, treats, or even scraps off your own plate.
Foods to avoid include hot or spicy foods, chocolate, raisins and grapes, and anything containing caffeine. Avocado is also a no-no. It’s also best to avoid feeding your pup cat food, as the nutrient content is somewhat different and catered specifically to cats. Here is a more comprehensive list of foods that can be poisonous to your dog.
As for ingredients, corn, wheat, and soy should be avoided.
How often should I feed my beagle puppy?
Beagle puppies can be fed kibble from about 8 weeks old. 3 meals per day is recommended, and you should also stick to a strict schedule as this is where training begins. It’s advisable to moisten the kibble with water for their little teeth to dig in more easily. Keep this up until your little guy or girl is 6 months old.
At this point, you want to start working your way down to 2 meals a day. You can slowly start lessening the food in the middle meal and increasing the amount in the first and last meals of the day. By one year old, your beagle should be quite used to eating 2 meals a day.
Can my beagle have a treat off my dinner plate?
Treats need to be kept in moderation, especially if you have a less active beagle. As most of the dog foods for beagles we’ve mentioned above are made with real, natural food ingredients, there is nothing wrong with sharing a little bit of the same from your dinner plate with your pup.
Of course, some human foods are not good for pups, and you can you can check out a fairly comprehensive list here. Also, if you’re feeding your pups tidbits off your plate, be sure they’re not coated in salt, spices, or dressing. The more natural, the better! Also, be cautious with bones – any bone that is cooked can splinter and cause damage, while raw bones are generally safer.
Are there any health issues that could arise from feeding my beagle the foods reviewed?
Beagles are pretty hardy little dogs and don’t tend to suffer from many health issues (especially food-related). Of course, health is also a very individual thing so your beagle may be more prone to certain things than others are. Food allergies can arise, so if your pup reacts badly to a particular food, it may be time to change their diet or see a vet.
There have been concerns about the effects grain-free dog food has on pets, but the FDA has stated that there is no proof of this, so you should rest assured that your dog won’t be likely to have any health concerns in that regard. As long as the grains are good ones like brown rice, oatmeal, and barley, your beagle will be happy.
Apart from that, the food mentioned above is healthy, hearty, and high-quality, so there should be no issues. Most of it is suitable for a small breed or medium breed.
