The 15 Best Dog Foods For Saint Bernards

How to Choose the Finest Saint Bernard Dog Food

The optimal diet for your St. Bernard is a balancing act. That’s because there are certain nutritional needs for your puppy at various ages.

However, what are these phases, and how much food should they consume at each?

When you add in additional concerns, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of feeding your gentle giant. And that’s when this manual comes in handy. We’ll go through the essentials of providing your St. Bernard with timely care and attention.

What to Look for in Foods Regarding Nutrition

To choose the best dog food for your St. Bernard, you must first learn about its unique nutritional needs.

A healthy, balanced diet consists of a number of components, including but not limited to:

Protein

A high-protein diet is essential for all dogs if they want to develop lean muscular mass. For the St. Bernard, this is especially crucial because of the dog’s massive size.

However, a dog food blend’s superiority should not be determined just by its protein level. The high protein needs of dogs are easily met by the majority of commercially available formulations.

Whether or whether a protein is useful depends on where it came from.

Check the label to see what kind of protein is used as the main component. You should probably go elsewhere for dinner if you don’t see whole chicken, cattle, buffalo, or fish listed as an ingredient.

Meat-based “meals” aren’t nearly as appealing as ones with better components, especially when it comes to the protein they give.

Fat

Feeding your dog fatty foods can seem like a horrible idea, especially if you have a breed of dog like a St. Bernard that is predisposed to becoming overweight.

The healthy fats your dog needs on a daily basis. The protein and carbohydrates your dog consumes are converted into energy and stored in this fat.

Of course, there are additional benefits to a chubby St. Bernard. They aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), which strengthen the immune system and provide a shiny coat and strong nails.

Pay particular attention to the delicate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in a St. Bernard puppy’s diet. To reduce inflammation in your dog’s body, these two components operate in tandem.

Cancer, heart disease, and inflammatory bowel disease are all helped by omega-3s because they reduce inflammation. In contrast, omega-6s increase inflammation within their bodies, which aids their white blood cells in their fight against infection.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are essential for your dog because they give energy through caloric intake. It’s no secret that St. Bernards have a far higher calorie need than the average dog.

But it doesn’t imply you can eat any carb-heavy dish you want. Finding out where these carbs come from is just as essential as knowing where your dog gets his protein, especially when it comes to St. Bernards.

Dogs of this breed are especially vulnerable to food allergies since many of the carbohydrate sources used in commercial dog food are themselves allergens.

Look for a brand that has complex carbs like chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and brown grains if you can. If your loved one has a sensitive stomach, they are a better option for providing them with excellent carbohydrates.

Fiber

Dogs may be predominantly carnivorous, but they also require fiber to maintain digestive health. But if they eat too much fiber, they’ll start to feel bloated.

Vegetables, lentils, and beans are common ways to increase the fiber content of your dog’s diet. An ideal fiber content would be between 3 and 5 percent.

They maintained a diet similar to that of a Saint Bernard for the entirety of their existence.

As your dog ages, their nutritional needs may alter, and you’ll need to adjust their food accordingly.

Puppy

St. Bernard puppies have special nutritional needs, including a higher protein diet. This guarantees that they have access to the vitamins, minerals, and protein they need to bulk up with strong muscles.

There has to be at least 22% protein and 8% fat in what they eat.

The needs of large-breed puppies will be catered to by high-quality puppy food like Iams ProActive Health Smart, mentioned above.

Adult

Finding a steady equilibrium is essential as you enter adulthood. Maintain a reduced fat content (8%-12%) while feeding your puppy a diet high in protein (20%-26%) for the foreseeable future.

Switching to a low-fat formula can help them acquire the calories they need to sustain their huge bodies while reducing their likelihood of becoming overweight.

If you’re looking for a reliable staple food that can fulfill these needs, Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is a great option.

There is no need to reduce the fat level so much if your dog leads an active lifestyle. If you’re looking for something with more “meat,” we recommend Taste of the Wild High Prairie.

Senior

The less active your dog is likely to be as it matures, the more attention you should pay to their food. Obesity in older dogs is a major health risk that can exacerbate preexisting illnesses.

Additionally, a senior formula is available for big breeds from the Blue Buffalo Life Protection brand. We would choose this dog first if we were seeking for a senior St. Bernard.

It’s still quite rich in protein and very low in fat, but it adds some much-needed fiber and fluid to the mix as well.

Conclusion

If you want St. Bernard to thrive, you need to think more about the food you give him. Their huge size and special nutritional needs require nothing but the best to satisfy their hunger.

Hopefully these reviews have helped you narrow the field when choosing the best diet for your dog.

Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Dry Dog Food is the best solution for healthy people on the go. Your dog will have plenty of energy to play and run around all day thanks to its high protein content and healthy fat content.

For the money, however, Eukanuba Large Breed is the best dog food out there. Although it is less expensive, it still provides your dog with everything they require to thrive.

However, if you are the parent of a St. Bernard that is an adult, be careful to modify it properly. As they age, the effect of their enormous size becomes more noticeable. A specially created dog food like Blue Buffalo Life Protection Senior Large Breed is just what they need.

BestForPets (bestforpets.org) hopes you can find the best dog foods for Saint Bernards for your pet.

Reviews

The Finest Quality Adult Dry Dog Food from Eukanuba for Giant Breeds

We’d want to feed our dogs the highest-quality food available, but sometimes it’s just out of our price range. Feeding a large dog like a St. Bernard, in particular, can add up quickly when investing in high-quality food.

In contrast, Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Dry Food is a great option for your pet. And there isn’t a better cheap dog food for St. Bernards.

Granted, it’s not grain-free and includes maize and wheat, but chicken is still the first component. Your huge dog’s brain needs vitamin E, and this meal has plenty of it. Also, with 13% fat content, the Eukanuba recipe falls into the “reduced fat” category and can help you keep your dog’s weight in check and prevent obesity.

Adding more protein would really round it out for us. The 23 percent protein level is adequate but not great.

Pros

• Low-cost food availability
• Most of the ingredients are chicken.
• An abundance of fat
• Excellent vitamin E source.

Cons

• More protein is required to complete the recipe.

 

It’s best for puppies to eat Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Dry Dog Food

Puppies of the St. Bernard breed are unique. Eventually, they’ll be bigger than a standard adult dog, and that’s before they even reach full size. So, they need a diet that’s just for puppies.

In addition, the Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy mix is a top-notch option. It’s specially developed to meet the nutritional needs of growing pups like St. Bernards, and it contains 22 essential elements that are also present in your dog’s mother’s milk.

This meal has 27% protein and lists chicken as the first ingredient. In any case, this is not a grain-free dish. It’s made from both corn and wheat ingredients.

You should keep a close eye on your dog when you first introduce this food since St. Bernards are more likely to develop food allergies than other dogs.

When it comes to St. Bernard pups, we recommend this meal.

Pros

• Made especially for canines of huge build.
• Mother’s milk contains critical nutrients.
• Affordable

Cons

• Gluten from wheat and corn products

 

Grain-Free Dry Dog Food With the Wild Flavor of the High Prairie

We’ve settled on Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, High Prairie. Taste of the Wild is now widely recognized as a reliable canine nutrition option.

To see why, just look at the formula. The mixture is grain-free, and it features actual buffalo as its principal component.

To make sure your dog has all it needs to lead an active, healthy life, the mix was developed to be readily digested while yet providing a wealth of nutrients including vitamins, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids (both omega-3 and omega-6).

There are nine distinct natural ingredients that contribute to the food’s high protein content (32%).

Pros

• A whopping 32% protein!
• Satisfactory levels of fat (18%)
• Grain-free
• There are nine different kinds of natural protein.
• Numerous anti-oxidants and omega fatty acids

Cons

• Pricey

 

Dry Dog Food with Added Vitamins and Minerals, by VICTOR

For those who want to save money without sacrificing quality, VICTOR Hi-Pro Plus is a great alternative to our top recommendation.

This dog chow is packed with protein, with 30% coming from the combination of beef, chicken, and pig meals that make up 88% of the total protein.

However, a high fat content (20%) is also included in this formulation. St. Bernards tend to gain weight easily, so it’s important to keep them active if you feed them this.

The VICTOR mix also contains grains. However, in order to reduce the likelihood of allergic reactions, it is prepared with gluten-free grains like sorghum. Because of this, it’s a fantastic option for St. Bernards that suffer from allergies.

Pros

• The protein content is rather high
• Affordable
• Gluten-free

Cons

• Low-Carb Diets With High-Fat
• Contains grains

 

Food for Adult Large-Breed Dogs by Hill’s Science Diet, Dry

If you have faith in scientific diets, you already know about Hill’s. They have the best science-based mixes I’ve ever tried. Nonetheless, you will be aware of the high cost of this fare. It’s the priciest dog food here by a long shot. However, this is not a reason to avoid it.

In fact, using a scientific diet for your dog is a great method to dial in precise nutritional amounts. Dogs need a wide variety of nutrients, not only protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

It can be difficult to provide these, even with high-quality dog food like the one we recommend. Hill’s Science Diet’s meticulous development of their recipe guarantees that your dog will get all the nutrients it needs.

This mixture has a low 11% fat content, but its 20% protein content is lower than that of some of our other top choices.

Pros

• Organic glucosamine and chondroitin
• Contains an anti-oxidant mixture
• Ingredient one is actual chicken.
• Generous Supply of Omega Fatty Acids
• Trim (11% fat)

Cons

• Costs a lot of money.
• Subpar Protein Content (20%)

 

Dry Dog Food, Blue Buffalo’s Life Protection Formula

If your canine has a bit of a weight problem, you’ll probably want to shift them over to a quality dog food that’s reasonably low in fat yet retains a sufficient protein level.

And Blue Buffalo Life Protection does exactly that. This dog food will aid in keeping your St. Bernard at a healthy weight thanks to its 22% protein content and low fat level (only 12%).

And while the combination isn’t grain-free, it incorporates complex carbs including as brown rice, oats, and barley to give nutritious energy to keep your pooch energized.

Nonetheless, this dog chow doesn’t come cheap and comes at a premium price. And if you’re pup’s already keeping a healthy obesity-free lifestyle, you might want to select for a diet with even more protein.

Pros

• Low in fat
• Has complex carbohydrates
• Great for dogs on a diet

Cons

• Expensive
• Lower protein content

 

The Dry Dog Food from Purina Pro Plan for All Life Stages

Your St. Bernard may be a ball of energy, unlike some dogs that prefer a quieter existence. In such case, they’ll require the proper fuel to keep operating.

Big, energetic dogs should eat Purina Pro Plan All Life Stages. The 30% protein composition is optimized for growing lean muscle mass, and the 20% fat content will keep them going strong all day long.

Furthermore, this mixture has been boosted with a special probiotic combination to support your dog’s digestive system. The recipe isn’t grain-free, though; it calls for whole-grain cornmeal, gluten meal, and germ meal. Stay away from maize products if your St. Bernard has digestive issues.

Pros

• The protein content is rather high
• Quality fat content
• Affordable

Cons

• Packed with corn

 

Dry Dog Food from Diamond Naturals for All Life Stages

There are times when you need a dog meal that is comprehensive without being difficult. Diamond Naturals All Life Stages Dry Food does this for you and your dog.

Is it devoid of unnecessary ingredients? Check. Can I expect satisfactory amounts of protein and fat from it? Check. Is there a cost involved? Check.

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about this dish, but that’s part of what makes it so delicious. This dry dog food has all the essential nutrients and is a perfect addition to any dog’s diet.

Pros

• Content in Protein (26%).
• Protein Content (2%), Fat Content (16%), and Carbohydrate Content (0%).
• No fillers, just complex carbohydrates
• Affordable

Cons

• There is no standout feature

 

Nutritional Deficiencies in Large-Breed Dogs Treated with Nutro Dry Food for All

Like many other dog diets, Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed recipe has a lot of potential but falls short in practice. Chicken by-product meal, filler grains, and synthetic tastes and colors are all absent from the mixture.

It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin from natural ingredients to further aid in joint health.

But the nutrition isn’t quite as good as it seems given the promises and the ingredients. Its protein level is low at 21%, while its fat content is even lower at 13%.

There are plenty of other, more appealing alternatives. Omega fatty acids, which are essential for a healthy immune system, are also absent. This isn’t a bad enough reason, though, to rank it at the bottom of our list. It’s about as natural as it gets, after all.

The cost is really what sets this apart. It’s nearly as expensive as the scientific diet, but without the extra nutrients.

Pros

• No leftovers for dinner
• Absence of filler granules
• Organic glucosamine and chondroitin

Cons

• Costs a lot of money.
• Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency
• Protein and fat levels are just okay.

 

It’s the Rachael Ray Nutrish Just Natural Dry Dog Food

We generally have nothing but adoration for Rachael Ray’s Nutrish brand of dog food. It’s a reliable low-cost substitute for nutritious dog food.

However, the Just 6 method utterly fails to deliver. Only six components, including vitamins and minerals, go into this unique mixture. However, rice makes up two of the top three components.

Lamb meal is the most abundant component, followed by rice and beet pulp. At the very end of the list, you’ll find something that resembles a substantive component. Those are basically chicken fat and “natural pork flavour,” though.

In terms of nutritional value, it certainly delivers. Several other products have a considerably greater potential to improve your dog’s health, and they only differ from this one in having 20% protein and 13% fat.

It is recommended that you try Nutrish PEAK Grain-Free Natural Open Range if you want to see the full potential of Rachael Ray’s Nutrish.

Pros

• Affordable
• Initially, it is the protein found in meat that is used.

Cons

• Two of the top three components are rice.
• Not much protein
• Added nutrients are scarce.