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There are a few reasons dogs might have trouble keeping weight on. Perhaps they’re an active breed that burns through their calories, or maybe they’re a malnourished or underweight rescue puppy or adult dog. Intestinal parasites, digestive problems, dental issues (particularly in senior pups), diabetes, liver disease, cancer, and other medical conditions can also cause your dog to lose too much weight.
If your dog needs help putting some pounds back on, the best dog foods for weight gain tend to have higher calorie, protein, and fat content. They’ll also include additional nutrients that support overall health, which varies by breed and age. Before you switch up your dog’s eating habits, however, it’s best to talk to your vet about any changes in diet or body condition so they can tailor a plan to your pup’s specific needs.
Once you’ve consulted with your vet, you’ll find a huge range of dog food options for weight gain. To narrow down the list, we’ve rounded up a list of brands that follow AAFCO guidelines. We’ve also converted the guaranteed analysis into dry matter so you can better compare different food types. Here’s what we discovered!
Best Dry: Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Working Dog Recipe
Dr. Gary’s offers breed and size-specific foods, and this working dog recipe is an all-around high-protein and calorie-dense dry food blend geared toward active dogs who burn a lot of energy. However, it’s also suitable for any dog needing a high-calorie diet to gain or maintain weight.
Chicken and catfish comprise the meat protein profile, supplemented with healthy grains like oatmeal and brown rice. New Zealand green-lipped mussels and glucosamine add anti-inflammatory properties to support the joint health of active dogs, and menhaden fish oil and flaxseed offer a balanced ratio of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.
Key Nutrients:
- 4,375 kcal/kg
- Protein: 27%
- Fat: 24%
- Fiber: 4%
Best Grain-Free: Orijen Tundra Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
If you and your vet decide your dog needs to gain weight and go grain-free, this Orijen recipe is high in calories and protein. It boasts 85% animal ingredients, with the first five being fresh or raw. Whole-meat proteins include lamb, venison, duck, and a few varieties of fish, making up the extra-high 45% protein content. Organs and bones add extra nutrients, and supporting ingredients like beans, butternut squash, and pumpkin provide healthy fiber.
Key Nutrients:
- 3,860 kcal/kg
- Protein: 45%
- Fat: 20%
- Fiber: 6%
Best Raw: Instinct Frozen Raw Bites Grain-Free Wild-Caught Alaskan Pollock Recipe
Raw food is minimally processed and usually high in protein and fats. Instinct specializes in raw dog food in a variety of formats, including frozen, freeze-dried, or mixed with kibble. With all the options, you can see which style of food your pup likes best while also giving them the benefits of raw food to gain or maintain weight.
This Alaskan pollock recipe includes beef and beef organ meat to round out the very high protein content (50%). Salmon oil adds essential omega fatty acids, and healthy produce like carrots, apples, squash, and miscanthus grass provides extra fiber.
Key Nutrients:
- 1,171 kcal/kg
- Protein: 50%
- Fat: 23%
- Fiber: 8%
Best Wet: Ziwi Peak Canned Dog Food Original Series
Loaded with single-source protein, moisture, and healthy fats, this New Zealand company’s beef recipe keeps the ingredient list short and wholesome. Enhancements include green-lipped mussels, which provide a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin.
The other recipes in this canned food line have similarly strong protein and fat profiles and include more novel combinations, such as tripe and lamb, venison, mackerel, and lamb, so your pup can get some variety (ideal for picky eaters).
Key Nutrients:
- 1,075 kcal/kg
- Protein: 36%
- Fat: 25%
- Fiber: 9%
Best Topper: Stella & Chewy’s Duck Duck Goose Meal Mixers
One easy way to bulk up your underweight pup’s meals is by mixing in a healthy calorie-dense meal topper, like these dehydrated raw mixers by Stella & Chewy’s. Available in several flavors, these recipes have short ingredient lists that lead with freeze-dried raw protein.
If your dog has allergies or food intolerances, there’s likely a recipe here that will work for you. The Duck Duck Goose formula, for example, is made up of a combo of duck, turkey, and goose. It’s free of peas, lentils, and potatoes and is high in protein at 40%.
Key Nutrients:
- 5,370 kcal/kg
- Protein: 40%
- Fat: 40%
- Fiber: 5%
Best Prescription: JustFoodForDogs Veterinary Diet Critical Care Support
For dogs who have lost their appetite (and weight) due to an illness, like liver or kidney disease, JustFoodForDogs has a fresh food prescription recipe high in calories and fat. Ground beef, chicken thigh, and beef and chicken liver create a tasty, meaty blend for dogs who need extra enticement while adding to the 37% protein count. Long-grain brown rice and coconut oil aid digestion, and flaxseed, safflower oil, and fish oil provide essential fatty acids to soothe inflammation.
We particularly like the fact that JustFoodForDogs offers a flexible purchasing plan. Turn on Autoship to have your food delivered regularly, pick up your recipes at a pet store near you, or buy online via sites like Chewy or Petco.
Key Nutrients:
- 2224 kcal ME/kg
- Protein: 37%
- Fat: 34%
- Fiber: 11%
Best Dehydrated: The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food
If you need something that’s easier to store than fresh recipes, The Honest Kitchen keeps it simple with limited and healthy ingredients that are gently dehydrated and human-grade—simply add warm water and serve! Available in several flavors, the chicken recipe contains the most calorie-dense formula at 485 calories per cup.
Minimally processed to maximize taste, the ingredients are also finely diced before dehydrating to help digestion. Dehydrated chicken, barley, potatoes, and flaxseed comprise the first four ingredients, adding to an average protein count (but on the higher end at 27%) and slightly higher fat content (15%).
Key Nutrients:
- 4270 kcal/kgkcal/kg
- Protein: 27%
- Fat: 15%
- Fiber: 4%
Best Subscription: Ollie Lamb Dish With Cranberries (Verified Review)
Real lamb, squash, kale, and chickpeas are among the handful of ingredients that go into this popular, fresh food that Rover pups have reviewed and enjoyed. One of the perks of this subscription plan is that you can get portion sizes and recipe recommendations customized to your specific dog. All you have to do is fill out a questionnaire when you sign up. This personalization (along with your vet’s guidance) can be extra helpful when figuring out how much food your dog needs to gain weight.
Each recipe contains just one source of meat protein, ideal for dogs who have allergies or food intolerances. Ollie also offers a baked kibble version in beef and chicken if you prefer dry dog food over fresh.
Key Nutrients (for Lamb Dish With Cranberries):
- 1,804 kcal/kg
- Protein: 38%
- Fat: 27%
- Fiber: 8%
Best for Puppies: Adirondack Natural Grain Goodness for Puppy and Performance Dogs
This dog food is formulated for both growing puppies and high-performance adult dogs. With 33% protein and 22% fat, the recipe is well above the AAFCO’s nutritional standards for puppy growth (22% protein and 8% fat), making it a top contender for malnourished rescue pups who need some extra help putting weight back on.
Reviewers praise it for helping their active dogs keep weight on, as well as for dogs who are pickier eaters. At around $2.20 a pound (per 25-pound bag), it’s also a decent budget choice compared to other foods high in calories and protein.
Key Nutrients:
- 3,812 kcal/kg
- Protein: 33%
- Fat: 22%
- Fiber: 4%
Best for Senior Dogs: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior High Protein Natural Evolutionary Diet
Senior dogs who need to gain or maintain weight may need a higher-protein and calorie-dense food than standard recipes for dogs aged seven and up. Blue Wilderness Premier Blend leads with chicken and salmon for a 33% protein content measured on a dry matter basis. It also has 428 calories per cup of food. It’s a little lower in fat than some active adult formulas at 14% but still falls in the average range.
Featuring glucosamine and chondroitin, this recipe supports senior joints and bones. Flaxseed and fish oil also aid in a healthy skin and coat.
Key Nutrients:
- 3,431 kcal/kg
- Protein: 33%
- Fat: 13%
- Fiber: 8%
How We Chose
The products featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing, a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms, and interviews with veterinary experts. We chose dog food formulated according to AAFCO’s nutrient profiles for dogs, prioritizing nutritionally complete recipes high in protein, calories, and fat. Our picks are also influenced by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pets, who are never stingy with their feedback.
