Very amiable and even-tempered as our favorite hound in the Charlie Brown series, the Beagle is a gentle, loving, and intelligent dog that can have a really stubborn streak. As scenthounds, there is nothing more appealing than long and meandering walks that allow these hounds to really sniff their world. They’re very playful and will require lots of exercise, lest they develop a number of health problems like hip dysplasia, diabetes, allergies, and a whole lot more.
You clearly don’t want any of these to hamper your dog’s enjoyment of its life. Naturally, you’d want to give only the best dog food for Beagles. Thankfully we’ve got a list especially for you.
The Best Dog Food for Beagles
Give your Beagle a taste of the ocean with this Beagle food from Taste of the Wild. It’s got freshly-caught salmon and ocean fish mixed with lentils, potatoes, and peas to give your pet an interesting mix of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and immunoprotective nutrients that should keep common diseases at bay. The blend of nutrients is also ideal for maintaining your Beagle’s smooth short coat while providing it with the energy to play to the fullest.
It doesn’t come with the usual suspects for canine allergies so you’d feel more confident about giving this to your rambunctious scenthound. The prebiotics and probiotics also help ensure your pet gets all the nutrients delivered to all the cells, making this the best food for Beagles. It’s a formulation that is deeply-rooted in the natural taste of what Mother Nature has to offer. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream is one of 7 dog food recipes mentioned in our Taste of The Wild Dog Food Review.
Calories per serving: 360 per cup
Minimum % crude protein: 25
Minimum % crude fat: 15
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 10 and 3
Top 5 ingredients listed: real salmon and ocean fish meal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peas
Essential fatty acids, prebiotics, minerals, vitamins, 80 million CFUs probiotics
- Brand: Taste of the Wild
- Model: 1576_15_TDP
- Weight: 15 pounds
For your red meat-loving Beagle, Orijen’s Regional Red Dry Dog Food offers a meal that your hound will never resist. In fact, you’d have to get ready to give it some more. With 85% of this Beagle dog food comprising of meat ingredients, it clearly is a meat-lover’s orgasm on a plate. Angus beef, wild boar, Great Plains bison, Romney lamb, Yorkshire pork, pilchard, eggs, herring, mutton, and sardine all contribute to this amazing plate of wild goodness. The remaining 15% of the ingredients are all healthy and wholesome veggies and fruits and none of the usual allergenic suspects.
It’s the best dog food for Beagles especially since it comes with glucosamine and chondroitin that should take good care of your scenthound’s joints as it romps around your backyard and in the woods. The EPA and DHA supplied by its fish ingredients are beneficial for your pet’s intelligence and other brain functioning. ORIJEN Regional Red Grain-Free is one of 7 dog food recipes included in our Orijen Dog Food Review.
Calories per serving: 465 per cup
Minimum % crude protein: 38
Minimum % crude fat: 18
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 12 and 5
Top 5 ingredients listed: Angus beef, wild boar, bison, Romney lamb, and Yorkshire pork
DHA, EPA, chondroitin, glucosamine, essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins
- Brand: Orijen
- Model: NAN-158
- Weight: 28.7 pounds
Your Beagle will love the taste of beef, chicken, menhaden fish, and venison in this Blue Buffalo small breed formulation. It’s got excellent protein plus just the right amounts of dietary fiber to aid in your young hound’s digestion, although its probiotics will also help. The Rocky Mountain recipe brings to your pet the kind of diet that ancestral dogs in this region thrived on, allowing them to frolic in the woods, at the park, or anywhere else the way scenthounds do.
There’s glucosamine to help guard your Beagle against hip dysplasia as well as other joint problems that may crop up. The well-balanced formulation of this Beagle food makes it perfect for maintaining the various physiologic processes that are required by your growing hound.
For more information on the brand, check out our Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review.
Calories per serving: 404 per cup
Minimum % crude protein: 32
Minimum % crude fat: 5
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 10 and 5
Top 5 ingredients listed: deboned beef, real chicken meal, peas, pea protein, and tapioca starch
Glucosamine, essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, prebiotics, 5 probiotic strains
- Brand: Blue Buffalo
- Model: BLU00881
- Weight: 1 pounds
Capitalizing on the natural goodness of Mother Earth, this Beagle dog food from Merrick’s Whole Earth Farms product line comes with slightly lower protein content than other products in this list. However, this doesn’t automatically mean that it’s something you cannot give to your Beagle. The amino acid complexes found in each kibble of the Small Breed recipe are designed to provide the optimal building blocks for the continuing development of your pet’s tissues and organs.
The 4 strains of gut-friendly microorganisms do not only pave the way for a more efficient digestive system, but also help enhance the overall functioning of the immune system. It’s the kind of Beagle dog food that is perfect for those dogs that simply cannot resist the delicious taste of chicken with hints of turkey and salmon.
Read the in-depth Whole Earth Farms Dog Food Review.
Calories per serving: 348 per cup
Minimum % crude protein: 26
Minimum % crude fat: 13
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 11 and 4.5
Top 5 ingredients listed: chicken meal and dried potatoes, chicken fat, peas, and dried sweet potatoes
Amino acid complexes, minerals, vitamins, prebiotics, 4 probiotic strains
- Brand: Whole Earth Farms
- Model: 85560
- Weight: 12 pounds
Featuring high-quality meats forming the core of its protein base, this Wellness Beagle food is perfect for ensuring excellent muscle and organ tissue development of your young pup. It’s a Beagle puppy food that is guaranteed to bring out the best in your puppy, from its brain development all the way to the growth and maturity of its bones, muscles, heart, digestive system, and everything else. One can always rely on the DHA-richness of salmon oil in ensuring the best possible development of your Beagle pup’s brain, making it more intelligent and hopefully less stubborn. There are probiotic organisms as well that boost your pup’s immunity while enhancing its digestion.
Calories per serving: 417 per cup
Minimum % crude protein: 36
Minimum % crude fat: 18
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 10 and 5
Top 5 ingredients listed: deboned chicken meat, real chicken and turkey meals, peas, and potatoes
DHA, EPA, omega-6 fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, prebiotics, 80 million CFUs probiotics
- Brand: WELLNESS CORE
- Model: 88419
- Weight: 4 pounds
If you’ve got a rather picky eater in your young Beagle, then this Beagle puppy food works like a charm. The rich chicken gravy that forms the sauce for the real turkey bits mixed with chicken meat and liver will surely get your young Beagle jumping for more of this blend. It has one of the highest protein contents on a dry matter basis that’s made even more remarkable by the addition of fish oil, giving your young Beagle all the DHA it needs to develop its central nervous system as well as its eyes.
Of course, other essential fatty acids are critical for ensuring your pup gets the best possible skin and coat as it grows into adulthood. The Turkey & Chicken Grill is a flavor that younger pets will surely appreciate whether as a full meal or as a kibble topper.
Take a look at our guide on Dog Food for Picky Dogs.
Calories per serving: 425 per 12.5 oz can
Minimum % crude protein: 10.5
Minimum % crude fat: 9
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 78 and 1.5
Top 5 ingredients listed: real turkey in chicken broth, chicken meat and liver, and potatoes
DHA, EPA, minerals, vitamins, omega-6 fatty acids
- Brand: Blue Buffalo
- Model: BLU10123
- Weight: 9.4 pounds
Formulated specifically for small breeds of dogs like Beagles, this Beagle dog food recipe from Merrick boasts of a 60-20-20 proportion of animal ingredients, vegetables and fruits, and wholesome grains, respectively. While we’ve seen some Beagle food that comes with a much higher proportion of proteins and fats to carbohydrates, this recipe is still way much better than those that have more than 50% carbs.
Your Beagle may be small, but it needs those muscular legs to propel it over terrain and through brushes tracking that scent. Chondroitin and glucosamine are also included into this formulation, further improving your pet’s agility while the essential fatty acids will maintain the integrity of its skin especially after a long day tracking scents in the woods.
You may also like our Merrick Dog Food Review.
Minimum % crude protein: 30
Minimum % crude fat: 15
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 11 and 3.5
Top 5 ingredients listed: deboned chicken, real chicken and turkey meals, peas, and brown rice
Chondroitin, glucosamine, essential fatty acids, prebiotics, 4 probiotic strains
- Brand: Merrick
- Model: 35302
- Weight: 4 pounds
If you’re looking to economize maybe Purina PetCare’s SmartBlend formula should do the trick. It’s a Beagle puppy food that comes with DHA and EPA that your pup requires for optimum eye and brain development. Of course, you’ve got to be careful since this formula comes with corn gluten as well as chicken byproducts. At the very least, the use of chicken as its first ingredient is a plus. It may not be the best food for Beagles, but it sure can satisfy the nutrient requirements of growing Beagles.
Calories per serving: 397 per cup
Minimum % crude protein: 28
Minimum % crude fat: 17
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 12 and 3
Top 5 ingredients listed: chicken, corn gluten meal, rice flour, chicken byproduct meal, and whole grain corn
DHA, EPA, omega-6 fatty acids, minerals, vitamins
- Brand: Purina ONE
- Model: 57011
- Weight: 8 pounds
Nutro’s Whole Essentials is geared primarily for the Beagle that is on the brink of becoming the next Fat Dog. With its reduced calorie and reduced fat formulation, this Beagle food is perfect for making sure your pet stays within its ideal body weight. With grass-fed lamb providing the backbone for this moderate-protein diet, the Healthy Weight Lamb & Rice recipe is every Beagle’s best meal and is proof that even low-calorie diets can also taste great.
Nutro’s philosophy of using only non-GMO ingredients should give you the peace of mind that you’re not giving your pet Beagle anything that may be harmful.
Check out our detailed review of Nutro Dog Food.
Calories per serving: 254 per cup
Minimum % crude protein: 23
Minimum % crude fat: 7
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 10 and 11.5
Top 5 ingredients listed: deboned lamb, rice bran, whole brown rice, chicken meal, and split peas
Linoleic acid, biotin, vitamins, minerals
- Brand: Nutro
- Model: 10157679
- Weight: 30 pounds
Merrick’s Puppy Plate in classic recipe featuring turkey, chicken, duck, and eggs is a delectable meal in a can. Carrots, apples, peas, and sweet potatoes add their own set of nutrients to provide your pet with the kind of meal that is perfect for the rapid growth needs of puppies. Instead of providing your puppy with DHA, this formula deemed it more important to provide the essential building blocks for its young body – amino acids. The various amino acid complexes in this Beagle puppy food are just what growing pups need to ensure all of their organs reach maturity at the expected rate.
Calories per serving: 383 per 12.7 oz can
Minimum % crude protein: 10.3
Minimum % crude fat: 5.5
Maximum % moisture and fiber: 81 and 1.4
Top 5 ingredients listed: real deboned turkey with chicken broth, duck, chicken, and peas
Amino acid complexes, prebiotics, botanicals, lecithin, biotin, minerals, vitamins
- Brand: Merrick
- Model: 20288
- Weight: 5 pounds
Best Dog Food for Beagles Buying Guide & FAQ
Beagle Diet & Nutrition
Beagles have a muscular build. They were also specially bred for hunting, tracking down the scent of prey for miles. And even if your Beagle is no longer a hunter, it will still require higher levels of high-quality protein, moderate amounts of healthy fats, and moderate amounts of energy.
A Beagle deserves the highest possible quality of meat proteins, not plant proteins. The best source of high quality animal proteins is the lean meat of named animals like chicken, beef, pork, venison, and the like. While byproducts can also provide proteins, veterinary clinical nutritionists agree that it is not of the same quality as lean meat proteins. It is for this reason that you should always strive to give your Beagle premium quality meat proteins as the main ingredient.
We would like to emphasize the importance of using only meat proteins as opposed to plant proteins. While it is true that both contain proteins, the essential amino acids found in meats are more complete than those found in plants. Amino acids are the basic units of proteins in the same way as glucose is the fundamental unit of carbohydrates. While it is still possible to use plant-based proteins you will need additional supplements for your dog just so it will be able to obtain the essential amino acids absent in plants.
In addition to high-quality proteins, your Beagle will also need healthy fats. It will be unwise to eliminate fat from your dog’s diet for the simple fact that it is a very important macronutrient responsible for a host of physiologic processes. Without fat, your Beagle’s brain and nervous system will not work properly. Without healthy fats, the skin and coat on your Beagle will not be as smooth, soft, and healthy as they should be. Without fatty acids essential immune system cells, hormones, and other substances will not work properly.
Your Beagle will also require the right amounts of calories. As we mentioned above, Beagles are exceptional hunters using their sense of smell to track down prey. They will never cease going through the bushes, over rocky terrains, and across fields just so they can pinpoint where that interesting smell is. If you have a Beagle that remains true to its nature, then you need to supply it with the appropriate amounts of calories. While carbs are the best sources of calories these should not comprise more than half of your pet food’s composition. Dogs require a protein-based diet, not carbs.
What to Avoid Feeding Your Beagle
Aside from the usual food items that are an absolute no-no for dogs such as chocolates, garlic, caffeine, and onions, just to name a few, it is also important to read the labels of the dog food product that you are purchasing for ingredients that may not be good for them.
Fillers are food ingredients that add bulk to the dog food. The conventional idea about fillers is that they are void of any nutritive value. However, if you look at the most common fillers used in the dog food manufacturing industry, these actually have nutrient values. For instance, corn, rice, wheat, beet pulp, and potatoes are very commonly found in dog food. The problem is not necessarily in the ingredients themselves, but rather the space that they take in the dog food that is supposed to be for premium quality animal proteins.
Fillers are just that – they fill the spaces in between animal protein molecules. Instead of putting more meat proteins, dog food manufacturers would rather ‘fill’ their products with these ingredients that dogs do not necessarily need. Your Beagle deserves premium quality meat proteins. If its dog food has more of these ‘fillers’, then it is not getting the right amounts of meat proteins.
Many dog food manufacturers use meat byproducts in their formulations. It is like a much better substitute for real meat proteins while doing away with carbohydrate fillers. The sad thing is that, while byproducts also contain proteins and micronutrients, the protein they contain is not necessary of the highest quality. It is for this reason that byproducts should never be on a dog food’s first 5 ingredients.
There really isn’t much to say about artificial ingredients like flavorings, colorings, and preservatives. Many of these substances have been proven to be harmful for dogs in the long run. So, don’t.
Beagle Health Problems
Beagles are quite prone to hip dysplasia, a condition whereby the hip socket has not grown and developed normally leading to problems in mobility. Beagle dog food that comes with glucosamine and chondroitin can help strengthen the affected joint capsule, allowing for more normal range of motion of the affected joints.
This dog breed is also prone to a variety of heart conditions, but most especially pulmonic stenosis which occurs because of the narrow connection between the pulmonary artery and the heart’s right ventricle. Epilepsy, hypothyroidism, ear infections, allergies, intervertebral disk disease, cataracts, and diabetes are also quite common. In many of these health conditions, nutrition can play a role in either its prevention or its management or even both.
Best Dog Food for Beagles FAQ:
Q: What should I know about Beagle puppy?
A: Beagles are scenthounds. As such they will be mostly sniffing around your home, in your backyard, and wherever they may venture into. The issue here is in not so much about their sniffing tendencies, but rather the areas where they will be sniffing in. They are especially attracted to the scent of food so it is best to keep your foods at the kitchen counter properly stored. You also need to keep your garbage can closed all the time.
It is important for you to train your Beagle puppy the moment it arrives in your home. From housebreaking to potty training and obedience training, these little bundles of joy need to be trained right from the start. They may be stubborn to train, though, so some pet parents actually employ the help of a professional. This is very important since Beagles are always motivated by whatever it is that they are able to smell.
That being said, it would also be nice to keep a close eye on your pet. Any scent that can catch their acute sense of smell can easily translate to a Beagle becoming an escape artist. They’re full of energy, too. Not a day goes by that a Beagle won’t want to go out and play. If you’re the type of person who clearly doesn’t like interacting or playing with dogs, the Beagle is definitely not for you.
Q: How many calories does my Beagle need?
A: You can actually compute for your Beagle’s own caloric needs by first computing for its Resting Energy Requirement. Take its body weight in kilograms and multiply this by 30. Now add to the result 70 and you’ve got a rough estimate of its RER.
For instance, if your Beagle weighs 30 pounds you will need to first convert this into kilogram which is 13.6 kilograms. Now multiply this with 30 to get 408. Lastly, add 70 and you get and RER of 478 kcal. If your Beagle is a neutered or spayed adult, you will multiply the 478 kcal by 1.6 to get 764.8 kcal. If your Beagle is not spayed or neutered, then the RER should be multiplied by 1.8. If your dog is into light work, multiply the RER by 2; if moderate work, by 3; and if heavy work, by 4.
If you’re talking about a Beagle puppy less than 4 months old, the RER is multiplied by 3. If the puppy is between 4 and 12 months, the factor is 2. If you want your Beagle to lose weight, then giving the RER amount is enough.
Q: How often should I feed my Beagle puppy?
A: All puppies regardless of breed should always be weaned properly from their mommy’s milk. Ideally, puppies should have their exclusive nutrition from their mommies for the 1st 4 to 8 weeks of life. By the 8th week, the Beagle pup can already be started on solids but mostly moist food. Milk replacers are an excellent alternative in case the mother is unable to nurse her puppies.
Puppies at this stage should be fed 4 times a day until they reach around 16 weeks. By 4 to 6 months, the frequency of their feeding can be reduced to 3 times a day. By the 6th month, your Beagle puppy should be ready to be fed twice a day.
Q: Can a Beagle have part of my dinner?
A: The short answer is ‘no’! Most of the foods that we eat as humans are full of unhealthy trans-fats that may be harmful for our pets. Many also come with herbs, spices, condiments, and other ingredients that are a big no-no among dogs such as garlic, onion, dairy products, and even caffeine. You may give them lean meats from chicken, turkey, beef, or pork, but make sure that these are not overly seasoned, not salty, and do not contain any of the fats that we love so much in our foods.
Our Top Pick
The Pacific Stream Grain Free High Protein Dry Dog Food from Taste of the Wild earns our nod as the best dog food for beagles. It has the right amounts of protein based on salmon and ocean fish. The same ingredients give your Beagle the right levels of essential fatty acids while the use of wholesome lentils, veggies, and fruits give a well-balanced and complete formulation that your dog needs. Plus, the probiotic organisms included in the formulation are helpful in boosting digestion and immune function.
Caring for you Beagle typically means choosing the right diet for them. With the list of the best food for Beagles, you’re now several steps closer to having a well-rounded, happy, and healthy Beagle in your family.
Sources:
- Beagle, Vetstreet
- Niki Parker, DVM, What Is the Best Dog Food?, PetMD
