The 7 Best Dog Foods You Can Buy at Walmart, According To 407 Dogs

Best Overall

Hill's Science Diet

$115 At Amazon $79 At Chewy $79 At PETCO

Hill's Science Diet dog food is always made with human-grade ingredients in the United States with real animal protein (chicken, beef, fish) as the first ingredient.

It's our overall pick for most dogs at any life stage, and among our 407+ dog parents who participated in our panel, Hill's Science Diet received the highest score (tied with FreshPet, Best Refrigerated) for quality ingredients, overall satisfaction, value, and its ability to address their dog's current health needs. The food was also praised for it's ability to aid digestion with consistent, straightforward results from meal time to potty time.

All recipes provided essential vitamins and nutrients, and there are formulations to address weight management, joint discomfort, sensitive skin & coat, and oral care. But the price of this dog food has increased as of late, and the larger sized canned variety could benefit from an improved pull tab lid to make it easier to open without the use of a can opener.

Hill's Science Diet is readily available as both dry kibble and wet canned dog food on Walmart's website, but in-store stock varies by location.

_{Life Stage: Puppy, adult, senior | Food Type: Dry, wet | Breed Size: Mini, small, medium, large, x-large}

Best Refrigerated

FreshPet Dog Food

$19 At Amazon $24 At Walmart $11 At Target

FreshPet offers the freshness, flavor, and nutritional value of making home cooked meals for a dog all conveniently packaged in a resealable bag or a slice and serve roll. FreshPet's quality ingredients and appeal to picky eaters received high marks among our home testers and made this brand of pet food tied for top score with our Best Overall pick, Hill's Science Diet.

When browsing Walmart's vast selection of FreshPet's food, you'll likely notice that the majority are available for same-day pickup or delivery and not shipping. The food must remain refrigerated at all times to preserve the freshness and once a packaged is opened, it should be consumed within seven days.

All recipes are made with human-grade ingredients, including farm-raised chicken, fish, beef, eggs, fruits and vegetables, all sourced and manufactured within the United States.

Within FreshSelect's dog food offerings, there are grain-free recipes along with small breed and puppy-specific formulations, but it can be more difficult to find some of the flavors and there isn't a senior specific recipe. Each resealable bag offers protein-rich, nutritionally balanced morsels that are easy to serve, and the sausage-shaped roll is easy to slice and cut into pieces that align with your dog's size, but it's also soft and easy for them to chew.

_{Life Stage: Puppy, adult | Food Type: Refrigerated | Breed Size: Small, medium, large}

Best Budget

Iams Proactive Health Dog Food

$30 At Amazon $10 At Chewy $67 At Walmart

Iams offers kibble and canned dog food with recipes to provide essential daily nutrition along with formulations for specific health needs that are common among dogs, including weight management, joint and bone support, digestive maintenance, and the wonderful puppy and senior eras of life.

Meat or fish is the first ingredient in all of Iams food for dogs, but recipes also include by-product meals. The flavors and textures are enjoyed by dogs, but their human guardians participating in our testing collective would like to see more vegetables added to Iams recipes.

_{Life Stage: Puppy, adult, senior | Food Type: Dry, wet | Breed Size: Extra small, small, medium, large, extra large}

Best Kibble

Purina Pro Plan Adult Complete Essentials

$50 At Amazon $20 At Chewy $70 At Walmart

Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials dog food offers protein-packed kibble in a variety of flavors made with meat (chicken, beef, turkey, or lamb) or fish as the first ingredient. Each serving is fortified with antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals to keep a dog's immune system and digestive track functioning properly, and more than 50 dog parents in our testing collective fill their dog's bowl with a recipe from this brand citing their vet's recommendation as the lead determining factor in their choice.

There are two primary recipes for adults, Chicken & Rice and Beef & Rice, along with variations for small breeds, large breeds, puppies, and seniors. But recipes often include by-product meals, corn gluten meal, and/or pea protein. The latter of which (pea protein) is suitable for dogs in small doses and is primarily found Purina Pro Plan's Sensitive Skin and Stomach recipes.

_{Life Stage: Puppy, adult, senior | Food Type: Dry, wet | Breed Size: Small, medium, large}

Best Wet

Blue Buffalo BLUE Homestyle Recipe Wet Dog Food

$45 At Amazon $36 At Chewy $6 At Walmart

Blue Buffalo's dog foods are always made without by-product meals, corn, soy, wheat, artificial flavors, or preservatives, and, according to our panel of 400+ dog parents, Blue Buffalo's wet food is appetizing and easy to digest, and can help improve the condition of a dog's skin and coat.

All of Blue Buffalo's meat-first recipes are made with human-grade ingredients and enhanced with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that dogs need. Blue Buffalo has several lines of wet food for dogs to meet the dietary needs, health issues, and flavor preferences of all dogs, including Wilderness (high in protein), Blue Delights (small breed), and Blue Basics (for skin and stomach care).

In 12.5 ounce can, Blue Buffalo recommends serving 1/2 to 3/4 of a can per for every 10 pounds of your dog's weight, The wet food from Blue Buffalo can be mixed with the brand's dry food (also found at Walmart), but be sure to adjust the portion size according to directions listed on the product label to avoid overfeeding your dog.

_{Type: Wet, dry | Life Stage: Puppy, adult, senior | Breed Sizes: Small, medium, large}

Also Great

Purina ONE Dog Food

View On Amazon View On Chewy View On PetSmart

Purina ONE's wet and dry food recipes are made with natural ingredients and fortified with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Plus, over 40 real dog parents in our testing survey credit Purina ONE with effectively alleviating their dog's health issues, including sensitive stomachs and weight management.

Purina ONE is more widely available, and at a lower price point, than Purina Pro Plan (they share Nestlé Purina PetCare as a parent company), and recipes are likely to be in stock at a Walmart location and their website.

All Purina One recipes are manufactured in the United States and optimized for general maintenance and health, which options to support specific health concerns, joint issues, cognitive support, and skin sensitivities.

_{Life Stage: Puppy, adult, senior | Food Type: Dry, wet | Breed Size: Small, medium, large}

Best for Weight Management

Purina Pro Plan Adult Weight Management Dog Food

$72 At Amazon $21 At Chewy View On Petsupermarket.com

According to a survey published by the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention, more than half of dogs in the U.S. are overweight, which means they are 10 to 20 percent heavier than their ideal weight. Although the problem is so prevalent, many pet owners don’t even realize their dogs weigh more than they should. Too many treats and an overflowing food bowl can be linked to problems like arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Talk to your vet, who may suggest switching your dog to a weight management food like this one from Purina Pro Plan. 

This has 15 percent less fat than other similar formulas from Purina. It comes in a chicken and rice recipe as well as a shredded blend which has crunchy kibble with some chewier chicken pieces. There are also formulas for large and small breeds. The feeding chart suggests how much food to offer daily based on weight as well as how much to feed if you’d like your dog to lose about 25 percent of their weight.

_{Life Stage: Adult | Available Flavors: Chicken and rice, shredded chicken and rice | Primary Ingredients: Chicken, rice, poultry by-product meal}

Best Treats

Zuke's Mini Naturals

$8 At Amazon $8 At Chewy $17 At Walmart

These soft training dog treats are quite enticing to pups. They come in all sorts of interesting flavors, so if your dog doesn’t like chicken, try salmon or peanut butter and oats. There are also three recipes just for puppies that are smaller and have added omega-3 DHA and EPA to support brain development, according to the brand. Each flavor has some type of meat protein or peanut butter as the main ingredient.

These treats are meaty and tempting, which makes them perfect for getting your dog’s attention. They are small and only about 3 calories per treat, but they are soft enough that you can tear them into even smaller pieces for tiny pets. They’re so soft that they are easy for senior dogs with dental issues.

Zuke’s treats have no fillers, by-products, or artificial ingredients. They’re made in the U.S. with no corn, wheat, or soy.

_{Life Stage: All | Available Flavors: Chicken, peanut butter & oats, salmon, beef, duck, rabbit, lamb and chickpea (puppy), pork and bacon (puppy), salmon and sweet potato (puppy) | Primary Ingredients: Meat protein, rice, vegetables, fruit}