For some dogs, bison chow is the way to go. This new ingredient is gentle on the stomach and suitable for allergy sufferers.
Bison used to be widespread in North America. However, as Europeans colonized the continents, this giant mammal was pushed to the brink of extinction.
Today there are about a million bison spread across reserves and farms. Most of the bison meat consumed by dogs and humans comes from these bison farms.
As their numbers continue to increase, their meat becomes cheaper, making it more accessible to the general populace. A few decades ago, finding bison dog food was nearly impossible, but now it's not all that rare.
There are countless reasons why you would want to take advantage of this unique source of protein.
Why you should trust us
I've been a dog owner and health fanatic all my life. We've reviewed hundreds of different dog foods over the years so we have an expert's view of what's currently on the market. All of our reviews are based on scientific evidence, not marketing campaigns or hearsay. We carefully keep up to date with the latest research so we can only recommend the best for you and your pets.
Before being included in an article, any bison dog food must pass a rigorous review process that includes more than just superficial information. We calculate all our own macronutrient data. While paying attention to the ingredient list, we also consider macronutrient ratios and withdrawal frequency.
content of the article
- Why should you feed your dog bison meat?
- Is bison good for dogs?
- How We Chose the Best Bison Dog Food
- Reviews of the 5 best bison dog foods
- The best bison dry dog food
- Grain Free Bison Dog Food
- Bison food for dogs with allergies
Reviews of the 5 best bison dog foods
our choice
Merrick Real Bison, Veal + Sweet Potatoes
- Contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health
- 100% free from preservatives, fillers, corn, wheat, soy and gluten
- Boneless bison ingredient #1
Doggypedia rating:5/5
Calorie content:3708 kcal/kg
The first 5 ingredients:Boneless Bison, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Boneless Veal.
Macronutrients (dry matter basis):
- 42.7% protein
- 19,1 % Fett
- 29.21% carbohydrates
The best bison dry dog food
This Merrick brand bison dog food contains boneless bison as the first ingredient. No matter why you are looking for a bison dog food, bison as the first ingredient always bodes well.
As a second and third ingredient, this dog food contains other protein sources. If your dog doesn't currently have any allergies, having several different sources of protein can help prevent allergies from developing. If your dog isn't allergic to anything on the ingredient list, this food is still a perfect choice. However, if your dog is allergic to chicken, beef, or turkey, you should avoid this food.
The rest of the ingredient list includes a variety of vegetables like peas, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. This is not the best vegetable for dog food for a number of reasons. The most important of these reasons is that these ingredients may be linked to a specific heart condition that is becoming increasingly important according to the canine populationFDA.
Peas also contain quite a bit of protein. You can eliminate the amount of protein in the diet by increasing it. However, they do not contain all of the essential amino acids our dogs need to survive, making them an incomplete protein. This is something to consider when looking at the protein content of this food.
A positive aspect of this food is its high calorie content. Your dog will likely need less of this food than other foods, which can save you quite a bit of money in the long run. This feed is a bit more expensive than most, but you should be aware that this feed is also more popular than most. Highly recommended for large breeds and small breeds.
Recovery Information: And
runner up
Holistic celebration of the Great Plains born in the earth
- L-carnitine to support a healthy metabolism
- Complete egg protein with omega-6 fatty acids
- High amounts of vitamins E and C
Doggypedia rating:3,5/5
Calorie content:3780 kcal/kg
The first 5 ingredients:Bison Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca, Dried Egg.
Macronutrients (dry matter basis):
- 35.56% protein
- 20 % Fett
- 35.56% carbohydrates
Grain Free Bison Dog Food
This food is decent. It's not the best option for your dog, but it's not one of the worst either. The first ingredient is bison meal, which is a high-quality source of protein. “Food” simply means that the food has been chopped up and then processed. This is a similar process to steaming, except the food is cooked until most of the moisture is removed.
In other words, the bison meat is cooked into a highly nutritious meat powder substance. This contains all the nutrients of regular meat, expect it to be very concentrated. Because of its concentrated nature, your dog can often get more nutrients from powdered meat than from whole meat. In general, meat meal has four times the protein of whole meat!
However, peas are included as a second ingredient. Peas are not very nutritious, but they are high in protein. However, they do not contain a complete protein. They are often used to inexpensively increase the protein content of dog food since peas are much cheaper than meat. In addition, they were linked by the with DCMFDA, an increasingly common heart disease in dogs.
The macronutrient content of this food is also not very large. The carbohydrates are much higher than we would like at 35%. In fact, this food contains just as much protein as it does carbohydrates! This is a sure sign that this food likely contains more filling vegetables than meat.
Recovery Information:none
runner up
Receta from Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain with bison
- L-carnitine to speed up metabolism
- No chicken for dogs with allergies
- Made with LifeSource bits.
Doggypedia rating:3,5/5
Calorie content:3636 kcal/kg
The first 5 ingredients:Boneless Bison, Fish Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch.
Macronutrients (dry matter basis):
- 33.33% protein
- 20 % Fett
- 37.78% carbohydrates
Bison food for dogs with allergies
Blue Buffalo creates this decently popular dog food for bison. It's decent, but not one of our favorites. The first ingredient is boneless bison, the best choice for red meat. The second ingredient is fish meal. Fish is another "new" ingredient, meaning not many dogs are allergic to it. If your dog has allergies, this food may be a suitable option as long as your dog is not allergic to fish.
However, the third ingredient is not as high-quality. Peas have been linked to certain dietary heart conditions in dogs and are often considered a "filling vegetarian." They are not particularly nutritious.
They contain a lot of protein. Many companies use them for this reason to increase the protein content of this food. However, peas are not a complete protein and are fairly low in taurine, an essential amino acid that dogs need for a healthy heart. If they're getting too much protein from peas, they're probably not getting all the nutrients they need.
The macronutrient content of this food is also not very good. Carbs are high at over 37%. We prefer to see carbs under 20% when possible. Protein could be much higher, as could fat. The fat is only 20% when it should be at its best.
Recovery Information: And
runner up
Solid Gold bison and brown rice recipe
- Small kibble food for small dogs
- Made from lean bison
- No wheat, corn or soy.
Doggypedia rating:3/5
Calorie content:3745 kcal/kg
The first 5 ingredients:Bison, sea fish meal, peas, oats, chicken fat.
Macronutrients (dry matter basis):
- 31.11% protein
- 20 % Fett
- 40% carbohydrates
For smaller dogs, this might be a better option. It is made from bison and sea fish, both of which are suitable for allergic dogs. The kibble is too small for small breeds to eat.
However, we have a few complaints about this meal. Peas are included, which doesn't work well in most dog foods. They are an incomplete source of protein and contain only a few of the amino acids your dog needs to thrive.
Carbohydrates are also extremely high at 40%. That's a lot higher than we'd like to see. The fat is also fairly low at just 20%, which is probably due to lean bison being the first ingredient.
We mainly recommend thisI think for small breed dogsYou just can't eat the best options on this list.
Recovery Information: And
runner up
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Sweet Potato and Bison
- grain free
- Added omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed to support skin and coat health
- Unique animal protein for severe allergies
Doggypedia rating:2,5/5
Calorie content:3460 kcal/kg
The first 5 ingredients:Sweet Potato, Bison, Potato Protein, Pea Protein, Canola Oil.
Macronutrients (dry matter basis):
- 22.22% protein
- 11,11 % Fett
- 57.78% carbohydrates
This dog food is by no means the best. However, it is one of the few bison dog foods that does not contain any other protein ingredient. If your dog is allergic to bison, this dog food might be a good fit. However, we do not recommend this food to most dog owners for various reasons.
First off, the ingredients list isn't very good. The first ingredient is sweet potatoes. We strongly recommend choosing foods with meat as the first ingredient. Also, sweet potatoes are just one acceptable ingredient for dogs. They are high in starch and not particularly rich in nutrients. The second ingredient is whole bison, which is an appropriate choice.
Another problem with the ingredient list arises from the inclusion of different plant-based protein sources. This protein is not complete, which means it doesn't contain all the amino acids your dog needs. It is often used to bulk up dog food since vegetables are much cheaper than meat. In addition, pea protein in particular is used, which has been linked to heart problemsFDA. This is because peas lack taurine, an essential amino acid needed for heart health. When dogs get most of their protein from taurine, they may be lacking in this amino acid.
Second, the macronutrient content of this food is not good at all. The carbohydrates are too high and there isn't enough protein or fat. The inclusion of pea protein combined with the low amount of protein makes us concerned it may not contain enough amino acids to keep your dog healthy.
We really only recommend this food if your dog has severe food allergies and you have no other choice.
Recovery Information: And
Why should you feed your dog bison meat?
Bison meat is much less common on the market than other meat sources. Of all the different animals commonly found in dog food, chicken and beef are by far the most common. Even in dog food that claims to contain another protein source, it's not uncommon to find chicken and beef in the ingredients list.
Because chicken and beef are so ubiquitous, it's not uncommon for dogs to be allergic to them. Dogs don't develop allergies like humans do. Instead, if dogs eat too much protein for too long, their bodies also lose the ability to break it down. This activates your immune system, which triggers the allergic reaction.
Bison is not a very common ingredient in dog food, just like venison and rabbit. Dogs are not exposed to it very often, so they are much less likely to become allergic to it. If your dog is allergic to other protein sources, bison can often be a helpful option.
Of course, your adult dog can also become allergic to bison if he eats too much of it. Therefore, we recommend rotating your dog's protein source frequently to avoid developing possible allergies. It's also a good idea to choose foods that contain multiple calorie sources.
Bison is also not particularly expensive in most cases. While you'll typically only find bison in quality dog food, it usually doesn't cost anything more to go for a quality bison dog food.
Additionally, bison has a variety of nutritional benefits that your dog can benefit from.
Is bison good for dogs?
Yes, the bison has a number of wonderful benefits that make it suitable for dogs. First off, it's one of the leanest meats out there, which also makes it one of the highest-protein meats.
Inin total, it consists of 86.8% protein and only 6% fat. For comparison: beef has about 30% fat. Also, much of the fat in bison is made up of omega-3 fatty acids, which are the "good" fats.
Bison is also quite high in vitamin B. These vitamins help dogs convert the food they eat into usable energy, so obviously they're very important. As you can imagine, dogs need B vitamins to survive.(fuente)
Bison may help fight inflammation, or at least is less inflammatory than other meats. It contains large amounts of selenium, a mineral that acts as an antioxidant. Like all antioxidants, it can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. This can be helpful for dogs that have certain medical conditions, such as: B. Arthritis.
This meat is also quite high in zinc, which is a critical nutrient. Helps your dog's immune system function properly and improves cell function. (fuente)
Because it's leaner than most meats, bison is also rich in iron, so much so that it's quite different from beef and poultry. It is usually much lighter and redder than other meats.
All animals need iron, including our dogs. Without it, your body can't produce enough blood, which can make you feel light-headed and lose your energy.
How We Chose the Best Bison Dog Food
The amount of bison dog food available has slowly increased over the years. Dog food manufacturers are beginning to understand that many pet parents are drawn to these unique proteins, which is why many have started making their own bison formulas.
This can make choosing the best bison dog food difficult. Luckily we're here to help.
By ranking each dog food, we put your dog's nutrition first. This means we prefer food that is close to what our dogs would naturally eat in the wild.
studiesfound that when dogs are in complete control of their diet, they tend to eat a diet that is 30% protein, 63% fat, and 7% carbohydrates. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find a dog food that matches this formula. However, our goal was to select foods with the highest possible fat and protein content.
Because bison is a very lean meat, most of the dog foods on our list are fairly low in fat, especially if they use bison as their sole protein source.
We also consider the ingredients list of each food. While not all "controversial" ingredients are by any means bad, like by-products, some are not the best choices for our dogs. In particular, we kept an eye on the fountain pens. Often these take the form of refined grains like white rice, but some vegetables can also be used as fillers.
We also prefer that the protein comes from a meat source. Plant sources do not contain all of the necessary amino acids for your dog to thrive.
We've also considered the additional ingredients that each food contains, including natural flavors, probiotics, vitamin B12 supplements, vitamin E supplements, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, and other beneficial ingredients.
Finally, we considered how much bison was actually in the meal. In some cases, foods would be labeled "bison" but don't actually contain much bison. Others would list bison as the first ingredient, followed by a long list of chicken parts. While we've included a few where they particularly impressed us, we did point out that they didn't just include bison in the review.
Read more dog food reviews:The best food for picky eatersÖThe best dog food with beef