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Best Limited Ingredient Dog Food of 2023*

Our list of some of the best limited ingredient dog food is full of options that are tried and tested by pet parents. Check out the most-purchased LID dog food and find the one that’s best for your pet.

 
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What to look for in limited ingredient dog food

Ingredients

Limited ingredient diet dog food is specially crafted to help reduce the amount of ingredients that your pup is exposed to. Since this is the case, choose the ingredients you do allow in their diet wisely in high-quality formulas.

Health Benefits

Some pet parents choose limited ingredients dog food because it helps their dog manage digestive issues, sensitive skin or other health concerns. Other dog parents might choose it to more closely follow a “clean eating” lifestyle. Look for the right solutions that work for the reason you’re choosing to feed your dog limited ingredient dog food.

Quality and Value

Find high-quality dog food that offers good value for the amount you receive and at a price you feel comfortable paying.

Discover pet parent favorites

Canidae PURE Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Limited Ingredient Grain-free Recipe Dry Dog Food
Wholehearted Grain-free Limited Ingredient Salmon Recipe Dry Dog Food for All Life Stages and Breeds
Merrick Grain-free Limited Ingredient Diet Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Acana Singles Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-free High Protein Beef & Pumpkin Dry Dog Food
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Salmon & Sweet Potato Formula Dry Dog Food
Wholehearted Grain-fee Limited Ingredient Lamb Recipe Dry Dog Food for All Life Stages and Breeds
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Duck & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food
Canidae PURE Grain Free Limited Ingredient Real Lamb & Pea Dry Dog Food

Pet parent faves

Some of the best limited ingredient dog food has been used and loved by Petco pet parents. Our fan favorites include recipes with hearty protein, like chicken or beef, as the primary ingredient. Even with a limited number of ingredients, these formulas still manage to pack in healthy carbs and all the good stuff your dog needs to maintain their energy level and keep a healthy weight.

Here are some of our best-selling LID food choices that are wholesome and yummy.

CANIDAE PURE Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Limited Ingredient Grain-free Recipe Dry Dog Food

CANIDAE

PURE Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Limited Ingredient Grain-free Recipe Dry Dog Food

The Canidae PURE limited ingredient dog food formula offers a well-rounded meal that’s grain-free and made with a limited number of easily recognizable wholesome ingredients. Real salmon is paired with the wholesome goodness of sweet potatoes without any corn, wheat or soy. Plus, this tasty recipe is hypoallergenic for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Features:
  • Available in 4 lb., 12 lb. and 24 lb. bags
  • 10 key ingredients or less
  • Packed with premium, clean proteins
  • #1 ingredient is real salmon
  • Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat support
  • Grain-free for sensitive stomachs
  • Antioxidants for immune system support

Merrick Grain-free Limited Ingredient Diet Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food

Best LID Dog Food for Allergies

Merrick

Grain-free Limited Ingredient Diet Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food

If you’re looking for a limited ingredient dry dog food that’s grain-free and provides great nutrition, this real salmon and sweet potato recipe from Merrick can be an excellent choice. With just 10 key ingredients, this formula can be ideal for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies. And amino acids, vitamins and minerals provide all the balanced nutrition your adult dog needs.

Features:
  • Available in 4 lb., 12 lb. and 22 lb. bags
  • Grain-free and gluten-free to support digestion
  • Real deboned salmon is the #1 ingredient
  • Specially formulated for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies
  • No grain, gluten, soy, corn, wheat, dairy, eggs, artificial colors, preservatives or flavors
  • Crafted in Hereford, TX kitchen and cooked in the USA

ACANA Singles Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-free High Protein Beef & Pumpkin Dry Dog Food

ACANA

Singles Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-free High Protein Beef & Pumpkin Dry Dog Food

The Singles limited ingredient beef and pumpkin recipe is loaded with 65% high-quality beef from a single animal source and complemented with richly nourishing whole pumpkin. It provides complete nutrition for dogs in a tasty formula with premium ingredients only from curated farmers, ranchers and fishers. Made in their award-winning Kentucky kitchen.

Features:
  • Available in 4.5 lb., 13 lb. and 25 lb. bags
  • Single protein limited ingredient dog food
  • No peas, corn or plant-protein isolates
  • Superfood sweet potatoes rich in fiber support gut and digestion
  • Enriched with taurine, essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support circulation and immune system
  • Made in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients

Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Salmon & Sweet Potato Formula Dry Dog Food

Natural Balance

L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Salmon & Sweet Potato Formula Dry Dog Food

Feed your dog a simple premium dry dog food with fewer ingredients, including real salmon as the first ingredient paired with easily digestible carbohydrate sources like sweet potato. This salmon and sweet potato recipe contains everything you want to feed your dog and nothing that you don’t—with no added peas, pea protein, lentils, legumes, corn, wheat or soy.

Features:
  • Available in 4 lb., 12 lb. and 24 lb. bags
  • Real salmon is the #1 ingredient
  • Produced in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients
  • Formulated with board-certified clinical veterinarians, animal nutritionists, research scientists, design engineers and pet feeding analysts

Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Duck & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food

Natural Balance

L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Duck & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food

This dry dog food duck and potato formula is made with farm-raised duck as the first ingredient alongside limited, easily digestible carbohydrate sources. It has no added peas, pea protein, lentils, legumes, corn, wheat or soy. Natural Balance provides a simpler premium dry dog food diet with fewer ingredients providing optimal nutrition.

Features:
  • Available in 4 lb., 12 lb. and 24 lb. bags
  • Farm-raised duck is the #1 ingredient
  • Produced in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients
  • Formulated with board-certified clinical veterinarians, animal nutritionists, research scientists, design engineers and pet feeding analysts

CANIDAE PURE Grain Free Limited Ingredient Real Lamb & Pea Dry Dog Food

Best LID Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs

CANIDAE

PURE Grain Free Limited Ingredient Real Lamb & Pea Dry Dog Food

Give your dog a well-rounded meal without any grains, corn, wheat or soy. This hypoallergenic recipe uses a limited number of wholesome ingredients ideal for pups with sensitive stomachs. With high-quality premium proteins paired with farm-grown peas and veggies, your dog will enjoy goodness in every bite.

Features:
  • Available in 4 lb., 12 lb. and 24 lb. bags
  • 10 key ingredients or less
  • Packed with premium, clean proteins
  • #1 ingredient is real lamb
  • Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids support skin and coat
  • Grain-free for dogs with sensitive stomachs
  • Antioxidants for immune system support

We’re here to help

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Learn More About Limited Ingredients Dog Food

What exactly is limited ingredient dog food? It’s not a regulated term, but generally speaking, LID food pares down the list of ingredients. This can help eliminate allergens and other common problem ingredients, but that doesn’t always mean the food has exclusively healthy food.

Other times, limited ingredient puppy food and dog food only has a single grain or protein. Limited ingredient dog food can still have carbohydrates—which are needed for energy—such as sweet potatoes and brown rice.

The formulas used in LID food varies by product and company. You can find grain- free limited ingredient dog food, limited ingredient dog food with grain, and limited ingredient food with exotic meats.

Some of the most common ingredients in dry and fresh dog food with limited ingredients include: rabbit, fish, duck, pork, chicken, lamb, potatoes, rice, peas and oatmeal.

If you are switching to a LID food because of an allergy or digestion issue, make sure to talk with your veterinarian about which ingredients are most conducive to a healthy diet for your pup.

Gluten-free foods are not the same as limited ingredient diet dog food. Dog foods without gluten remove the most common grains, including wheat, rye, and soy. Limited ingredient foods also remove some common ingredients—but may still contain gluten

The short answer is no. Some food with limited ingredients still features wheat, rye, and other grains. It’s also worth noting that grain-free and gluten-free are not the same thing. Even if you find a grain-free LID dog food recipe, it could still be unsafe for dogs with a gluten intolerance. In short: the top grain-free dog food is often considered limited ingredient dog food, but read labels carefully if your pup has specific dietary needs.

Limited ingredient grain-free dry dog food or raw dog food can be appropriate for almost any breed of dog. However, there may be specific reasons that draw you toward a limited ingredient recipe. Talk to your vet about switching to LID food if you suspect the following:

  • The extra fillers in traditional food are causing your dog to gain an unhealthy amount of weight
  • You think your dog might be allergic to something, but you can’t nail down what it is
  • Your dog is experiencing chronic skin issues, including flaky or itchy skin
  • Your pup has developed digestive issues leading to gas, diarrhea, vomiting or other gastro-related problems
  • You have noticed that your dog’s coat is becoming thinner or duller
  • Traditional food is no longer appealing to your pet and they are losing weight

As with any diet switch, if you’re changing to one of the best limited ingredient dog food brands, there are a few best practices. You’ll want to introduce the new food over a week or two. Mix your dog’s current food with the new limited ingredient food over time, until you have totally switched to the new food. This gives your dog’s digestive system a chance to acclimate to the new recipe.

If you are trying to seek out an allergy, you’ll also want to limit other food and treats while you make the switch. This allows you to better determine if the old food was the problem. If you’re not trying to identify an allergy, you may still want to stick with the new food for at least eight weeks to see if it improves your dog’s health, weight and overall wellness.

Ready to make the switch? Dry limited ingredient dog food is great for dogs with tummy trouble or weight problems, if approved by your vet. You may also want to consider switching to a wet food or a raw food if you have a senior pup who is having problems with chewing hard food. Either way, LID food options tend to have fewer fillers and more protein-rich formulas. Shop our best-selling brands and formulas to give your pup the very best.

*Based on petco.com sales data.

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