3 Best Low Sodium Dog Food Brands

I think you’ll agree that it’s down right difficult finding a really great Low Sodium Dog Food product.

Well, not so fast!

We have done the research and found 3 top Low Sodium Dog Food Brands that meet the low sodium criteria.  And, they do so while maintaining quality and delivering a flavor that your pooch will love.

Do You Want The BEST Low Sodium Dog Food?

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In this post, you will learn about:

• How excessive sodium can harm your furry friend
• Which breeds are more susceptible to sodium issues
• What other activities to combine with a Low Sodium Dog Food diet
• Three high quality dog foods that provide a well rounded method of delivering a tasty low sodium diet

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Reasons to Pay Attention to Sodium in Your Pooch’s Diet

Dakota says she enjoys playing with her friend Bobby. He lives next door. She says Bobby currently eats Low Sodium Dog Food because he used to suffer from congestive heart failure.

Where Does Your Dog Get Most Of Its Sodium?

Bobby told Dakota he likes his food very much. But, sometimes he gets a little nostalgic about the food he used to eat. So, I told Dakota some options Bobby can try if he wants to eat a delicious meal while still maintaining safe level’s of sodium.

However, before I gave Dakota the options, we talked about reasons why this type of food can be the best choice for some dogs:

• Food with high levels of sodium can cause kidney failure as well as heart disease
• Even if a dog doesn’t suffer from any of these issues, the risks increase the older they get
• An excessive consumption of sodium can shorten the lifetime of a dog’s heart, making it impossible to manage physical wear caused by aging

Key Takeaway:

Just because your dog currently doesn’t exhibit symptoms associated with sodium consumption doesn’t mean the effects of sodium won’t hit them when they’re older.

Why Excessive Sodium Can Damage a Dog’s Body

Often the main reason owners start feeding their dogs with Low Sodium Dog Food is because the barking buddy has already started showing symptoms.

Health issues like heart failure or high blood pressure are a couple of the common symptoms.

I can’t emphasize this enough:

By the time your fuzzy friend starts to show these symptoms, damage may have already occurred.

It is sad because keeping a controlled level of sodium in a dog’s daily food is sometimes enough to prevent these problems.

Here’s the deal:

Similar to humans, oxygen and nutrients travel through the blood in your dog’s body. If there is something hardening the oxygenation process, the dogs’ systems will start to work at medium or even low capacity.

Whenever one of your own body’s systems is not working at full potential, your body may not be able to respond to a demanding situation.

Well, this is what also happens to your playful pal. It is practically impossible for a dog with heart damage to endure as much activity as a dog that doesn’t suffer from it.

Bottom line:

The consumption of sodium may not have an immediate effect in your dog’s body.  However, some of the issues that can occur as a result of long term sodium consumption are:

• High blood pressure
• Irritability
• Fluid retention
• Coronary heart disease

The amount of sodium recommended for a 33 pounds dog is 100 milligrams per day.

When Should You Buy Low Sodium Dog Food?

Dakota says, even though too much sodium can be harmful, dogs must consume sodium on a daily basis.  So, complete elimination of sodium isn’t the goal.

What’s the real story…

The real story is that sodium is essential for healthy living.  Sodium is important to avoid dehydration, and to keep your nervous and muscle functions working well.

Nevertheless, it is important to keep track of how much of this mineral our canine amigo is consuming.

Most of the time, the amount of sodium in dog food is within the recommended levels. So, if your dog is healthy, then there’s likely no need to worry.

The usual percentage of sodium in a commercial dog food product is between 0.3% and 0.5%.

If you happen try a new type of food and it contains more sodium than one your dog is used to eating, then you should really watch out for your dog’s water consumption.

Why is this important?

A common symptom to know if your dog is having too much sodium is by looking closely at how thirsty they are during the day, especially after each meal.

You must keep in mind that not all dogs are the same. If your dog suffers from cardiac problems it may not be able to pump blood through its body properly if being affected by sodium intake.

That’s not all…

Statistically there are some breeds more likely to suffer from heart diseases than others.  Some of the breeds at risk for heart failure are:

• Beagles
• Saint Bernards
• Chihuahuas
• Golden Retrievers

You can read the full list and get more detailed information of what kind of heart diseases are more common for each breed in this article written by Dr. Joan M. Yarnall, V.M.D., Ph.D.

Recommendations For a Low Sodium Dog Food Diet

Even though a diet with a controlled level of sodium will help your dog if it has a heart disease, there are other things you can do to help your companion. You can also make changes in your dog’s lifestyle to help them with their condition.

Look:

Some things that can be done in addition to a healthy low-sodium diet are:

• Follow an exercise routine. Exercise will help your dog drain fluids as well as to improve its heart’s endurance.
• Drink enough water. The limited amount of salt on a diet may reduce the thirst felt by your dog. Make sure it’s drinking enough water each day.

Dakota says that it isn’t only about changing dietary habits, but about changing the daily routine itself that leads to a healthier life!

3 of the Best Low Sodium Dog Food Products

Now that you know the reasons why it is important to control sodium intake for your precious pooch, Dakota has done the research and is sharing some great options that help with the dietary side of sodium intake.

Based on the characteristics we’ve talked about above, Dakota has selected these best options for a Low Sodium Dog Food.

1. Hill’s Science Diet Small & Toy Breed Dry Dog Food

Hill’s Science Diet provides your dog with the best ingredients, while still supporting a healthy low sodium lifestyle.

It is an American product that includes natural components to provide your good buddy with the right nutrients.

Animal protein is a well known quality food source (MEAT!) for your cute cohort. And, Hill’s Science Diet Small & Toy Breed Dry Dog Food doesn’t disappoint by coming in strong with chicken meal as the leading ingredient.  Other quality ingredients include rice, soybean meal, dried tomato, and pork fat.

That’s not all…

This dog food also comes fortified in Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Zinc, and many other vitamins.

The best part?

Its natural flavor is a plus that your dog will enjoy.  Not only does Dakota like the taste, but her friends also like it.  But, you don’t have to take her word for it, the reviews for this product are through the roof!

We don’t often see reviews this high.  So, we double checked to make sure nothing fishy was going on and plugged the product into Fakespot.  With over 1,000 reviews, Fakespot gives the quality of the reviews an A.

Another great feature about this product is that it promises to maintain its freshness so each time you serve your dog it will be like the meal was just prepared.

An all-natural dry food like this one will help your dog’s digestive process and may also normalize your dog’s stools.

This is a truly top notch dog food while keeping the sodium level at 0.30%!

2. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food – Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula

There is a reason why Natural Balance is always picked as one of the best options for dog food. It is because they follow their home grown successful formula of manufacturing dog food step by step very carefully.

Here’s the deal:

They use top quality ingredients found in nature.  And, they put their products through extensive testing in order to guarantee they’re offering the consumer a very safe product.

These practices result in an uniquely healthy meal. For this reason Natural Balance has established a strong name for themselves in dog food brand circles.

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food – Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula is also designed to help dogs’ digestive process as they age and supports their healthy skin and shiny coat.

Bottom line:

It’s not a surprise to see this product here within the Low Sodium Dog Food options Dakota recommends. It’s not only prepared with premium protein sources and crude fat to help digestion.  It is also fortified with Omega acids such as Omega 3 and 6.

And, it also has maybe the lowest percentage of sodium you will be able to find. Only 0.25%.

3. The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Organic Grain Dog Food

Honest Kitchen has been offering top quality dog food for about 15 years.

So, how did it all start?

Thinking she could do better than what was on the market, the owner Lucy, started this dog food brand with the simple task of trying to make her dog Mosi a healthy and delicious meal. She tried many different ingredients and recipes.

During the experimentation period Lucy determined dehydrating whole food was the best option for Mosi.

The recipe became very popular around town so she decided to industrialize and distribute it. The first recipe was called Verve and it caught the attention of many big manufacturers.

And we can absolutely see the reasons why it became so popular!

The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Organic Grain Dog Food provides all the nutrients and minerals your canine companion needs for maintenance and development.

It also contains quality ingredients such as a high percentage of pure animal protein.  Also, veggies such as potatoes, carrots, peas and celery as well as some banana and oats for a balanced meal.

The best part?

All of these great ingredients are used while keeping its sodium percentage as low as 0.30%. An amazing option if you are looking for high quality Low Sodium Dog Food.

Other References You Might Find Interesting

The following articles are some that you might also find interesting and related to healthy dog food:

• Some Low Fat Dog Food Products to Keep Your Companion Health
• Dog Food To Help Your Pet Produce Low Residue
• Healthy High Protein Dog Food
• Stay Healthy with Low Phosphorus Dry Dog Food

Wrap Up: Low Sodium Dog Food

Our research found that too much sodium can contribute to kidney, heart and other health issues.

The signs that your canine sidekick may be suffering from high sodium side effects are easily identifiable if you know what to look for.  So, educate yourself to keep your best friend healthy.

Do You Want The BEST Low Sodium Dog Food?

YES - GET IT NOW

As always, Dakota encourages you to make any food change at low pace, changing the way you feed your dog progressively and not all at once.  By making gradual changes, your best friend’s digestive tract will thank you.

And remember, if you do see any signs like we’ve described regarding high sodium health issues, please visit your veterinarian to get their input regarding a Low Sodium Dog Food diet.  Bark a nice day!