This post was most recently updated on July 24th, 2019
It’s quite surprising that for their size, Siberian Huskies aren’t hefty eaters. They can get by with a little food, something that they’ve adapted to as a sled dog. Still, this doesn’t mean that they need fewer calories than other dogs with the same size. The trick here is to find the best dog food for Huskies packed with energy in every bite.
| HUSKY DOG FOOD | DOG FOOD BRAND | EXPERT RATING | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| CANIDAE All Life Stages Dry Dog Food | 
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| Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Dog Food | 
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| Nutro Max Natural Dry Dog Food |
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| Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Dog Food |
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| Crave Grain-Free Adult Dry Dog Food |
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Also, you should know that Huskies are working dogs. It’s important that you give them the right nutrition to keep up with their activity levels. Here, I’ve handpicked 5 of the top dog food products that I recommend for your Husky:
MY TOP PICK: CANIDAE All Life Stages Dry Dog Food
Product Name: CANIDAE All Life Stages Dry Dog Food
Product Description: The CANIDAE All Life Stages Dry Dog Food has the right blend of palatability and nutrition that will surely appeal to your Husky. As an all-life-stages formula, a little creativity will help your Husky like this food as it grows old. With optimal protein, excellent palatability, and balanced nutrition, CANIDAE makes a good choice for Huskies.
Price: $$$
Availability: InStock
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Nutrition
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Palatability
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Formula Quality
Overall
Summary
Ingredient breakdown
The first five ingredients of this dog food include turkey meal, brown rice, peas, oatmeal, and rice bran. This gives your dog high protein content in small bites. Since it also contains brown rice, your active Husky will have an excellent source of energy as well as a dose of fiber for better digestion.
My Sib personally loves the taste, thanks to the real turkey content as well as the addition of salmon oil. Given Huskies’ appetite, you’d want to avoid any allergen that can piss off their taste buds. This CANIDAE dog food is actually free from soy, corn, and wheat which are notorious allergens to some dogs.
Most of all, this contains superfoods like blueberries, carrots, parsley, sage, pumpkin, and zucchini.
Nutrition analysis
Protein – 23%
Fat – 13%
Fiber – 5%
Moisture – 10%
Omega-3 fatty acids – 0.80%
Omega-6 fatty acids – 2.80%
Phosphorus – 1%
Calcium – 1.20%
Chondroitin – 250 mg/kg
Glucosamine – 750 mg/kg
Calorie content – 468 kcal per cup
This food is also packed with minerals like zinc, potassium, iron, manganese, and copper. It’s also enriched with live cultures to promote healthy digestion.
With the addition of glucosamine and chondroitin, your Husky’s joints will always be in check. The calcium content also has the right balance to prevent overgrowth.
Feeding guide
For 4-month old Husky puppies around 5 to 10 pounds, start feeding 1 5/8 cups and increase it as the dog grow old. As for adults weighing 50 to 75 pounds and has daily exercise, feed 2 ¾ up to 3 5/8 cups. For adult Huskies with the same weight but less active, feed 2 ¼ cups to 3 cups.
RUNNERS-UP
For Sibs with allergies:
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Dog Food
It’s also packed with LifeSource Bits. These are cold formed bits packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These act like multivitamin pills which is very important for this breed that’s prone to zinc deficiency.
Highly nutritious, palatable, and affordable – there’s no doubt why Blue Buffalo is a top choice of many pet owners.
Ingredient breakdown
The first five ingredients of this dog food include deboned chicken, chicken meal, peas, pea protein, and tapioca starch. That’s what makes this dog food a powerhouse source of complete protein. Also, the chicken meal provides a dose of glucosamine, an important substance to keep your dog’s joints healthy.
The bag also contains Menhaden fish meal, chicken fat, flaxseed, pea fiber, sweet potatoes, dried kelp, turmeric, and other superfoods.
I must say, this dog food has a long list of ingredients but it doesn’t include corn, soy, wheat, and grains. For Huskies with food allergies, this could be the ideal diet choice.
Nutrition analysis
Protein – 34%
Fat – 15%
Fiber – 6%
Moisture – 10%
Phosphorus – 0.9%
Calcium – 1.4%
Glucosamine – 400 mg/kg
Omega-3 fatty acids – 0.5%
Omega-6 fatty acids – 2.75%
Calorie content – 409 kcal per cup
Since this food contains high protein content, it’s ideal for both senior and very active dogs. This will support muscle growth.
Feeding guide
For Huskies that weigh around 15 pounds, feed ½ to a ¼ cup per day. Huskies that are around 16 to 25 pounds should eat 1 ¼ cup to ¾ cups per day. If you have a Husky that’s more than 100 pounds, feed 4 ¾ cups. Add half a cup for every 20 pounds added to the dog’s weight.
For a natural Husky diet:
Nutro Max Natural Dry Dog Food
This is also appetizing, a great choice to break the monotony of your Sib’s diet. Just make sure that you transition to pooch slowly to prevent any digestive problems.
Boasting an all-natural, zero preservative formula, this will surely improve your dog’s health. It’s wholesome nutrition straight from the bag.
Ingredient breakdown
The first five ingredients include chicken meal, whole grain sorghum, brewers rice, whole grain oatmeal, and chicken fat. This is a nice combination of protein, healthy carbs, and added fatty acids.
Aside from this, Nutro Max is also mixed with real chicken, alfalfa meal, flaxseed, whole brown rice, peas, and chickpeas. Although this contains lots of grains, it’s not a problem for Huskies that aren’t experiencing food allergies.
The biggest advantage here is that Nutro Max doesn’t contain corn, soy, wheat, and other grains that notoriously cause allergic reactions.
Nutrition analysis
Protein – 22%
Fat – 13%
Fiber – 3.5%
Moisture – 10%
Chondroitin – 350 mg/kg
Glucosamine – 100 mg/kg
Calorie content – 324 kcal per cup
With moderate protein content, this dog food is best for adult Huskies with an equally moderate activity level.
Feeding guide
For Huskies that weighs around 50 pounds and has at least an hour of walking exercise, feed 3 cups a day. However, for Huskies that play or work for up to 2 hours, 3 ½ cups are ideal. You should feed 4 cups for very active Huskies or those that are in the move for at least 4 hours.
The manufacturer has a comprehensive feeding instruction based on your Husky’s weight and activity level. Take note that this doesn’t take into account the possible health condition of your pooch.
For the picky eaters:
Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Dog Food
This contains real shredded chicken that will surely perk up your doggo’s appetite. Since it’s also a wholesome protein source, each bite will provide ample nutrition.
The Purina Pro Plan dog food is also packed with probiotics, antioxidants, and highly digestible carbohydrates. You can serve this as a crunchy kibble or a pate by adding some water.
Ingredient breakdown
The first five ingredients on the bag include chicken, rice, flour, whole grain wheat, and poultry by-product meal. This is an excellent combination to provide complete protein and enough carbs for Huskies.
The by-product meal is the source of glucosamine which supports joint health. My dog never had issues with it since it only comprises a small portion of the dog food.
Aside from the delicious ingredients, the Purina Pro Plan Savor is also a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. It has Vitamins A, B-Complex, C, D, E, and K. There’s also zinc, manganese, iron, calcium, and sodium.
Nutrition analysis
Protein – 26%
Fat – 16%
Fiber – 3%
Moisture – 10%
Calcium – 1%
Linoleic acid (Omega-6 fatty acid) – 1.4%
Glucosamine – 440 ppm
Calorie content – 382 kcal per cup
Feeding guide
For Huskies that are 36 to 50 pounds, feed 2 1/3 cups up to 3 cups a day. For larger ones around 51 to 75 pounds, you should feed 3 to 4 cups a day. Lastly, Sibs between 76 to 100 pounds should eat 4 cups up to 4 2/3 cups a day. Add ½ cup for every additional 10 pounds of body weight after 100 pounds.
For very active Huskies:
Crave Grain-Free Adult Dry Dog Food
Aside from the savory flavor, this dog food is also high in protein which is perfect for growing Huskies. In fact, the formula is inspired by the diet of dogs’ wolf ancestors in the wild. In short, it’s grain-free and contains highly digestible carbohydrates.
Ingredient breakdown
The first five ingredients of the Crave Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is composed of real salmon, chicken meal, chickpeas, split peas, and chicken fat. All these five are packed with both animal and plant proteins that will help build your dog’s muscles.
The hearty ingredients also include pork meal, dried potatoes, lamb meal, and dish meal. All of these add flavor and tons of nutrients to every bite of the dog food.
Most of all, this is rich in vitamins and minerals including iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, folic acid, biotin, selenium, and more.
Nutrition analysis
Protein – 34%
Fat – 17%
Fiber – 3.5%
Moisture – 10%
Omega-6 fatty acids – 2%
Calorie content – 443 kcal per cup
Feeding guide
For Huskies that are 50 pounds heavy, feed 2 cups. Those that are around 70 pounds should eat 2 3/4 cups while Sibs around 90 pounds should consume 3 ¼ cups a day. Add half a cup for every 20 pounds added to the dog’s weight after 90 pounds.
The Husky appetite
Compared to other dogs, Siberian Huskies have very interesting eating habits. Although they are big dogs, they only eat a small portion. This can be traced back to their ancestors who got used to pulling sleds in the cold with only a small amount of food available.
It’s common knowledge that dogs like Bulldogs and Labradors will eat as much as they can if you let them into the bag of food. These dogs can get sick by eating too much but they just wouldn’t stop. When it comes to Huskies, it’s a whole different thing.
Huskies will stop eating when they are full. If they are couch potatoes, they will eat less. If they are working and getting a lot of exercise, they will eat more. It’s rare for a Husky to overeat. And if it does, it’s challenging to have them burn the extra pounds.
Some Huskies can be stubborn too and they tend to be picky eaters along the way. If a Sib finds something off in its food, the dog will not go back to eating it for months. In the case of my Husky, he never ate the same food again.
Also, you have to know that some Huskies get tired of their food if you put them in it for a long time. It’s best to cycle two or three different food products to keep their appetite working.
Wet food vs. dry food
It’s a matter of knowing what your Husky prefers. Each dog has their individual eating habits – some would thrive in dry food, others won’t.
Wet food gives added moisture on your dog’s diet. It also has a softer consistency, perfect for pups and Huskies that lost its teeth. Most of all, wet food offers richer flavors and a more stinky smell that will attract even picky eaters.
However, wet food is prone to spoilage. You need to refrigerate the food once you opened the can.
On the other hand, dry dog food has its advantages too. The crunchy kibble can help reduce tartar buildup. Also, it’s packed with more carbs and calories which are ideal for working Huskies. Currently, a lot of dog food manufacturers come up with high-protein dry food to compete with wet food.
The only challenge with dry food is to keep your Husky hydrated. You might also need to moisten it up if you’re feeding kibble to your puppy.
How much should you feed a Husky?
Although Huskies know when to stop eating, the crucial part here is ensuring that you’re giving enough. Also, some Sibs may overeat just like other dogs. So to make sure that this won’t happen, I suggest that you consider the following suggestions:
Based on age:
A puppy Husky will definitely need more than an adult dog. Here’s my general recommendation:
-Puppies
For puppies, I suggest feeding 80% kibble and 20% wet food. This is so the little doggo can adjust to eating solid food slowly. If you don’t have the budget to purchase two kinds of food at a time, moisten up the kibble with warm water.
As a pup, your Husky should be fed three times a day. I suggest following the feeding guide of each dog food brand. Generally, protein content between 25% and 40% will suit a Husky puppy.
Just spread the day’s caloric allotment in three small meals.
-Adults
Once your dog reaches a year old, you can reduce their meal frequency to twice a day. Also, adult Huskies may need less protein, unless they are sporting or working dogs.
Quantity-wise, you definitely have to feed more since your dog’s body has grown bigger. Again, the feeding guide of the dog food you’re giving is the best basis.
Generally, protein content that’s around 25% to 35% will be ideal depending on the activity level of your pooch.
-Seniors
Senior Huskies will become less active, thus the need for higher protein content with a moderate dose of fat and carbs. This is so your dog won’t grow obese while keeping its muscles in check.
Reducing the food quantity is needed. If your Husky has a natural tendency to control its portions, just make sure that the nutrition is sufficient for their health condition.
Based on health condition:
-Pregnant Huskies
You have to understand that pregnant Huskies will need a different dietary approach. You need to switch to a high-calorie diet to support the growth of the puppies. Still, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to feed too much.
Here’s what you need to know:
First 4 to 5 weeks of pregnancy = feed your dog its usual adult dog food
For the last half = add around 30% to 50% more calories to its original food allotment. You have to seek the help of a veterinarian to know how many puppies compose the litter. The bigger the litter is the higher the additional calories should be.
By this time, your dog will gain 15% to 30% more weight as the pups increase its body size. Make sure that you choose a dog food that’s rich in DHA and EPA. This will help in the neurologic development of the puppies. Fatty acids are also important additions.
-Overweight Huskies
Check if you can still feel the ribs of your Husky. If not, you need to reduce the amount of food you’re feeding the pooch. It’s best to remove treats and food scraps to cut the extra calories your dog is ingesting.
You can still feed the same dog food with the amount suggested on the product’s feeding guide. They key here is to give your dog more exercise and playtime sessions. This is the only way you can burn those extra pounds.
What to look for a Husky dog food
-Protein source
Protein should always be the main ingredient of your Husky’s dog food. As a large breed, they need enough and complete protein to sustain their activity levels and even just to prevent muscle loss.
The Association of American Food Control Officials (AAFCO) recommends around 25% to 35% of protein for adult large breeds. For Husky breeders, it can be as high as 40% or 50% for very active dogs.
Make sure that your Sib gets most of its protein on whole meat. This includes salmon, ocean fishes, lamb, venison, turkey, chicken, and more.
Also, you have to be observant when introducing new food to your Husky. Protein sources are also the leading culprits to food allergies.
-Fat content
Not all fats are bad for your dog. The likes of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are important to keep your Husky’s coat healthy.
Also, fats help build nerves, muscles, and tissues. Aside from that, the fat content of your dog’s food is also an excellent source of energy.
-Carbohydrates
Carbs are the main source of energy of your Husky. Just make sure that the dog food contains highly digestible carbs. Choose the likes of sweet potato, brown rice, and other grains. Take note that some Huskies are allergic to certain grains.
If your dog’s food doesn’t have enough carbs to keep up with their activities, you can add mashed sweet potato on their kibble.
-Vitamins and minerals
Always aim to give your Husky lots of antioxidants. Also, the right balance of vitamins and minerals are also crucial to keep health problems at bay.
One thing that you should know is that Huskies are prone to zinc deficiency. If this happens, the Husky will experience hair loss on the lip, elbows, feet, chin, and eye area. It’s best to consult a vet to prevent overdose if you’re planning to supplement zinc to your Husky.
Aside from that, make sure that the dog has the right balance of calcium. Too much of this mineral can cause overgrowth among large breeds.
Conclusion
The best dog food for Huskies isn’t just about finding the best formula. You should also know how to feed it properly to ensure that your Sib is getting optimal nutrition. Do you have something to add on my 5 options here? Let me know below in the comment section!
