The Best Dog Food Toppers
If you have a picky pup or want to add specific nutrients to their meals, you need to check out dog food toppers. Available in wet or dry form, they are easy to sprinkle on top of your dog's food or mix in to disguise an unfamiliar ingredient. Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, we've done our research to find the best dog food toppers to suit your pet.
What to Look For
Researching dog food toppers, we found the best ones are nutritious, easy to serve, and designed for picky eaters. With these things in mind, our top pick is the dog food topper variety pack from Instinct. This box includes chicken, beef, and lamb toppers in individual pouches, making them easy to pour over your dog’s daily meals. The grain-free pouches are full of wholesome ingredients that won’t disappoint you or your pet. If you have a picky pup in your life, we love the Native Pet bone broth topper. It comes in powder form but can also be mixed with water before pouring over your dog’s food. The rich beef flavor will encourage your dog to eat every last bite in their bowl. Keep reading to discover your new favorite dog food topper.
Instinct Healthy Cravings Variety Pack
If your dog is new to dog food toppers, it only makes sense to want to try multiple flavors to see what they like best. Instinct’s variety pack includes 12 individual pouches in three different flavors. The high-quality lamb, beef, and chicken are served in a rich gravy that your pet will love. Plus, these toppers are grain-free, soy-free, and don’t contain any artificial preservatives or colors.
Pros:
- Designed for large and small breeds
- Natural ingredients support digestion, skin health, and coat health
- Easy to serve straight from the pouches
Cons:
- Some picky eaters may not like the taste or texture
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Toppers Wild Cuts
Bulk up
These dog food toppers from Blue Buffalo are designed to boost your pup’s daily protein intake. This variety pack includes individual beef and chicken packets, each containing high-protein chicken liver and chicken broth for flavor. You can mix the topper into your dog’s dry food or give it to them as a treat between meals. Adding this topper to your dog’s daily feeding schedule will ensure they won’t get dehydrated thanks to the additional moisture.
Pros:
- Safe to feed up to three pouches per day, depending on your dog’s size
- Real meat is listed as the first ingredient
- Enhanced with minerals and vitamins
Cons:
- Only two flavor options in this pack
Nulo Freestyle Dog Food Topper Variety Pack
Tasty treat
It’s normal to want to give your puppy a little extra food and nutrition, especially while they’re growing and developing. These dog food topper pouches from Nulo contain only five ingredients or fewer. And each one provides multiple sources of protein, including chicken, wild-caught salmon, lamb, mackerel, and beef liver. They are all served in a nutritious chicken broth to boost your pup’s hydration. Plus, you can portion each pouch and save the rest in the fridge for the next meal.
Pros:
- Safe to feed to puppies and adult dogs
- Multiple flavor options
- Ideal for picky eaters
Cons:
- Not as affordable as other options due to the high-quality ingredients
Native Pet Beef Bone Broth Meal Topper
Delicious motivation
Getting your dog to eat every meal can be challenging if they have a sensitive palette. But even the pickiest eater won’t be able to resist their food when it’s topped with Native Pet’s beef bone broth. The topper comes in powder form that you can sprinkle directly onto your dog’s dry or wet food for added flavor and nutrients. Or you can mix the dehydrated broth with water to pour over your dog’s food or serve it separately as a flavored drink, encouraging them to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Pros:
- Support joint and heart health
- It can be used for dogs and cats
- The powder doesn’t clump when mixed with water
Cons:
- Not as convenient as a prepackaged food topper pouch
Herbsmith Kibble Seasoning Dog Food Topper
Just a sprinkle
When you want to add flavor and nutrition to your dog’s meals without adding calories, these seasonings from Herbsmith are the perfect solution. This variety pack includes three shakers in duck, beef, and chicken flavors that you can sprinkle directly onto your pup’s dry or wet food. The wholesome ingredients are freeze-dried to retain almost all of their nutritional value. And they don’t contain any preservatives or unnecessary fillers that could harm your pet.
Pros:
- Ideal for picky eaters
- You can sprinkle it on every meal or mix a full bottle into your dog’s food container
- It can be mixed with water to encourage your dog to stay hydrated
Cons:
- The seasonings can clump in the bottles, making it hard to shake out
What is a dog food topper?
Dog food toppers are added on top of your dog’s wet or dry food during mealtimes. They usually come in rich gravy to pour on top or as a nutritional powder that can be sprinkled over the food. Either way, they provide additional nutrition for your dog and encourage picky eaters to eat everything in their bowls. Some dog owners give their pups food topper packets as snacks between meals, especially if they are overly active throughout the day.
How often should I add a topper to my dog’s meals?
Since a dog food topper isn’t designed to be your pup’s main meal or form of nutrition, you’ll need to keep this in mind when feeding them. If you want to give your dog an entire food topper packet, you may need to cut back on the amount of kibble or wet food you give them to prevent overfeeding. It is safe to add a topper to every meal, but consider giving your dog only a small amount of the extra food and saving the rest in the fridge for later.
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