There's no legal definition of high protein dog food. Manufacturers apply the term as they see fit, which is why this page holds everything from ordinary complete foods up to Orijen & Ferguson Highest Protein lines. The percentage on the bag is the start of the question, not the answer.
Where the protein comes from matters more than the number
Two foods can show the same protein percentage and be nothing like each other. One gets there from meat. The other tops it up with maize gluten, pea protein or potato protein, which are cheaper and less useful to a dog. Read the composition rather than the claim.
Orijen Original is 38% protein and 85% animal ingredients, which is about as far as this goes. Our own Ferguson Original is 80% poultry and fish to 18% vegetables, also at 38% protein, and costs considerably less per kilo.
Why so much of this page is also grain free
Most of the foods here are grain free as well, and that isn't a coincidence. Take the cereal out and something has to fill the gap, usually more meat alongside potato, peas or sweet potato. So a grain free food tends to be higher in protein by default, whether or not that was the point.
If grain free is what you're actually after, our grain free dog food range is the better place to start.
High protein for weight loss, which sounds wrong but isn't
Several foods on this page are weight control recipes. Orijen Fit & Trim and Acana Light & Fit or Ferguson Scottish Salmon Adult Light all sit here.
The thinking is that protein stays high while fat comes down, so a dog loses fat rather than muscle and stays fuller between meals. If that's why you're here, our weight management dog food page covers the alternatives.
When you don't need any of this
Most pet dogs do perfectly well on a mid-protein complete food. If yours holds condition, has a decent coat and firm stools on what they're eating now, there's nothing here to fix and you'd be paying more per kilo for it. Our dry dog food range has the sensible middle.
It earns its money on a dog that struggles to keep weight on, one doing a lot more than an average week's walking, or one whose coat and condition have never been right on a cereal-heavy food.
One thing to raise with your vet rather than decide yourself: if your dog is being treated for a kidney or liver problem, don't move them onto a high-protein food without asking first.
Change it slowly
These foods are richer than what most dogs come off. Mix the new food in over seven to ten days, increasing the proportion each day.
Loose stools in the first fortnight are almost always the changeover rather than the food. People give up on a good food for that reason more often than for any other.
Where to start
For most dogs, Ferguson Original 80/20 is the sensible entry point. Same protein figure as the dearest food on this page, made for us, and the cheapest way into an 80/20 recipe.
If you want the top of the range and price isn't the issue, Orijen Original is the one, and it's the best-reviewed food we sell.