If you want to find the best dog food for beagles, you’re in the right place! Beagles are loyal companions and make great hunting dogs. They’re playful and good-natured which leads to their popularity. In fact, did you know they’re the only breed to rank in the top 10 for pet owner popularity every decade since the 1880’s?
With a healthy diet, Beagles can live 10-15 years. But, they love their food, which makes them prone to obesity and other health complications. You don’t want that, so knowing how to feed your prized pooch a healthy diet is crucial. Let’s dive into this in greater detail!
10 Best Dog Food for Beagles in 2021
So what is the best dog food for beagles?
Keep in mind that any time you plan on changing your pup’s food brand, you want to do it gradually. This means mixing in a little of the new food with their current brand. Talk to your vet first to make sure they’re okay with this; if your Beagle has health issues, they may want you to switch cold turkey.
Comparison Table: Top 10 Options
The table below contains all of our picks for your Beagles. If you see one you like and want to learn more, keep scrolling to read through our detailed roundup that is in the same order (price ranges from lowest to highest).
| Image | Name | Formula | Ingredients | Cost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Taste of the Wild: Pacific Stream | -Grain Free | -Salmon -Sweet Potatoes -Potatoes -Peas -Tomatoes -Blueberries |  |  |
 | Royal Canin Beagle | -Breed Specific | -Corn -Chicken -Rice -Wheat -Beets -Peas | | |
 | Canidae All Life Stages | -Multi Dog | -Chicken -Turkey -Lamb -Rice -Peas -Potatoes | | |
 | Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe | -Grain Free -Poultry Free | -Beef -Fish Meal -Peas -Beef -Egg -Tomato | | |
 | Nature's Variety Instinct | -Limited Ingredient -Grain Free | -Turkey -Peas -Tapioca -Coconut Oil | | |
 | Blue Buffalo Basics | -Limited Ingredient -Grain Free | -Turkey -Potatoes -Peas -Tapioca -Pumpkin | | |
 | Wellness CORE Grain Free Small Breed | -Grain Free -Small Breed | -Turkey -Chicken -Potatoes -Peas -Tomato -Fruits & Veggies | | |
 | Orijen Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food | -Whole Ingredients | -Chicken -Turkey -Fish -Eggs -Peas -Beans | | |
 | Merrick Classic Small Breed | -Small Breed | -Chicken -Peas -Turkey -Rice -Blueberries -Alfalfa | | |
 | Fromm Gold Small Breeds | -Small Breed | -Duck -Chicken -Eggs -Lamb -Cheese | | |
After you check out some of these brands and types of dog food for beagles, make sure to read through our buyers guide that contains tips on what to feed your beagle.
1. Pacific Stream Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
- Cost- $1.75/pound
- Formula- Grain Free
- Protein- Salmon
- Other Ingredients- Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Tomatoes, Blueberries
This is hands-down one of the most popular online dog food brands. It has superior quality, without breaking the bank. Like Orijen, it’s also grain-free making it a fabulous option for Beagles. Plus, it’s an excellent choice if your dog suffers from skin allergies or a sensitive stomach. It doesn’t contain the usual ingredients that trigger these ailments.
Some Beagle owners claim this dog food helped their pooch lose weight. As we’ve already said, obesity is a massive issue for this breed. If that’s a problem for your Beagle, consider switching to Pacific Stream. You can source a 30lb bag for as little as $43.99 — what a bargain! We love this option as the best dog food for hunting beagles.
2. Royal Canin
- Cost- $2.20/pound
- Formula- Breed Specific
- Protein- Chicken
- Other Ingredients- Corn, Rice, Wheat, Beets, Peas
There are plenty of dog foods specifically designed for Beagles. It’s often debated whether dog food can be tailored to suit precise dog breeds. However, there’s more and more evidence suggesting this is true.
Royal Canin produces food formulated explicitly for Beagles, more specifically, adults over ten months. The aim is to provide them with the necessary nutrients that enhance both bone and joint strength. It also takes into account the Beagle’s inclination for obesity.
3. Canidae Life Stages
- Cost- $1.48/pound
- Formula- Multi Dog
- Protein- Chicken, Turkey, Lamb
- Other Ingredients- Rice, Peas, Potatoes
Old Beagle’s are more likely to suffer from both obesity and joint issues. Canidae Life Stages is the best dog food for senior beagles, as it helps to tackle both these issues.
4. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe- Cost- $2.50/pound
- Formula- Grain Free, Poultry Free
- Protein- Beef, Fish Meal
- Other Ingredients- Egg, Tomato, Peas
Their small-breed dog food is excellent for Beagles. The formula also boasts a 100% grain-free recipe, with high-quality meat. The first ingredient listed on the packaging is deboned beef, which is famous for being an excellent source of protein for dogs.
This formula also contains a few antioxidant-rich fruits, veggies, and five probiotic strains. When combined together, this is the perfect recipe for ensuring your Beagle gets all the nutrients they need.
5. Nature’s Variety Instinct
- Cost- $2.73/pound
- Formula- Limited Ingredient, Grain Free
- Protein- Turkey
- Other Ingredients- Peas, Tapioca, Coconut Oil
Unfortunately, Beagles are prone to allergic reactions after eating, resulting in skin irritations. If your dog’s suffering, you’ll notice them scratching and itching themselves all over their body. If this is a problem for your Beagle, try changing their food to a recipe that’s blander. Nature’s Variety Instinct is one of the best dog foods for reducing skin irritation in Beagles, so give that a try!
They also make it in a canned version, making it the best wet dog food for beagles.
6. Blue Buffalo Basics
- Cost- $2.38/pound
- Formula- Limited Ingredient, Grain Free
- Protein- Turkey
- Other Ingredients- Peas, Potatoes, Tapioca, Pumpkin
Sometimes Beagles struggle to digest their food. If your pooch suffers from:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Excessive gassiness
As gross as that sounds, as a responsible pet owner you need to pay attention to these signs! There could be a few reasons why your dog’s suffering from a dodgy stomach, but it could be as simple as their stomach not agreeing with the brand of dog food they’re eating.
Try gradually switching their food to Blue Buffalo Basics. This brand offers a formula with limited ingredients. This rapidly reduces the chances of triggering your Beagle’s sensitive stomach. If that still doesn’t work, take your dog to the vet for a checkup.
7. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Small Breed Dry Dog Food
- Cost- $3.42/pound
- Formula- Grain Free, Small Breed
- Protein- Turkey, Chicken
- Other Ingredients- Potatoes, Peas, Tomato, Fruits & Veggies
This dog food boasts a high-protein recipe, packed with probiotics and fatty acids. This definitely helps to keep your Beagle both happy and healthy. Unlike the options above, this formula is 100% gluten-free. Again, this is a more expensive option, but you won’t be disappointed by the quality!
8. Orijen Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
- Cost- $3.60/pound
- Formula- Whole Ingredient
- Protein- Chicken, Turkey, Fish
- Other Ingredients- Eggs, Peas, Beans
This is one of the best dry dog food for Beagles. It’s one of the most nutritious dog foods on the market and perfect for Beagles because it’s grain free. If you look at the ingredients, you’ll see plenty of named meats listed within the top line. This makes this food an excellent source of protein for your dog. But, it comes at a price: it’s very expensive!
Regional Red is another of Orijen’s recipes, and we love this formula! It’s two-thirds meat, comprised of a variety of components including muscle, cartilage, and organs. For an idea of how good the quality is, the first 16 ingredients listed on the packet are animal-based. Additionally, this formula contains tons of healthy fruits, vegetables, and probiotic strains.
9. Merrick Classic Small-Breed Recipe
- Cost- $4.50/pound
- Formula- Small Breed
- Protein- Chicken, Turkey
- Other Ingredients- Peas, Rice, Blueberries, Alfalfa
The first ingredient in this formula is deboned chicken, as we already know is an excellent source of protein for your pooch. It also contains animal fats and carbs that are easy for Beagles to digest. This allows them to burn energy as they go about their day.
Last but not least, this recipe boasts fresh fruits and vegetables that are not only delicious, but they’re also very nutritious. Plus, this dog food’s affordable, making it ideal if you want to feed your pooch a healthy diet on a budget.
10. Fromm Gold Small-Breed Adult Dry Food
- Cost- $5.40/pound
- Formula- Small Breed
- Protein- Duck, Chicken, Lamb
- Other Ingredients- Egg, Cheese
The first ingredient listed is duck, which is why this recipe’s made it onto our top ten list. It’s high-quality and specifically designed to nurture smaller breeds like Beagles. If you’re after a dry food, it doesn’t get much better than this. It’s an excellent source of concentrated energy.
What To Look for When Shopping for Beagle Food
There are a few things to consider when shopping for the best Beagle food. This is especially true if your Beagle suffers from hypothyroidism. This is a pretty common health complaint for middle-aged dogs between four and 10 years. Vets recommend reducing your Beagle’s fat intake, so be sure to watch out for that when purchasing your dog food.
Also, if your pooch endures diabetes, opt for a low-glycemic diet. This helps to ensure your Beagle remains a healthy weight.
3 Things You Need to Know Before Buying Dog Food for Beagles
Given their tiny stature and love of food, there are three things that every Beagle owner must consider before buying dog food.
1. Protein is Key
Like any dog, high-quality protein is an absolute must. Dogs are carnivores. They’re designed to eat meat. You need to feed your Beagle protein from a premium source to ensure their bodies use it efficiently. For example, dog foods based on chicken, lamb, beef, etc.
Excellent quality foods will include several complete proteins (like the ones listed above) at the beginning of the ingredients list. Not grain or carbs.
Top Tip:
Both whole types of meat and meat meals are excellent sources of protein.
- Whole meats: these are ingredients like chicken, beef, fish, lamb, etc.
- Meat meals: this is a concentrated form of whole meat, i.e. the water’s extracted from them. Usually, meat meals contain way more protein than whole meats.
In addition to protein, Beagles also need healthy fats. Some of their essential vitamins are fat-soluble, so it’s imperative for their wellbeing. Look for named fat sources, like chicken and fish oil. These help to keep both their skin and coats healthy.
2. Things to Avoid
Meat “digests” and meat “by-products” are NOT good quality protein sources. If you’re out shopping and see either of these descriptions labeled on dog food, put them back on the shelf, and walk away! Often, these feature things like corn, wheat or chicken meal as the first ingredient, and they’re not good for your pooch!
You should avoid artificial colors and flavorings like the plague. Decent quality dog foods taste amazing for dogs because they’re full of nutritious ingredients. Whereas, low-quality brands make up for their poor ingredients by using additives that make the food tastier for them.
Plus, colorings can trigger dangerous allergies for your dog, causing them unnecessary discomfort and pain; which is the last thing any compassionate pet owner would want!
3. Portion Control is Critical
The average Beagle weighs between 20-25 pounds. This means they can either eat dog food formulated for small to medium breeds, or food designed specifically for adult dogs. Beagles require roughly 30 calories per pound of their body weight, each day if you want to maintain their weight.
However, smaller Beagles and pups need more energy and therefore require close to 40 calories per pound. Therefore, an average 20-pound beagle should consume anywhere between 600 to 800 calories each day. With that in mind, here are our top ten favorite dog food brands.
