Raw Diet for Beagle Puppy

The best dog food for Beagles will support their active lifestyles and help to keep them at a healthy weight.

Beagles are active hounds, originally used for hunting. However, they also make loving, energetic family pets.

The best food for Beagles will contain a high quality protein. A food that contains joint supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin can be useful, as Beagles are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia.

Let's start by taking a closer look at the different things you will need to consider when choosing the best dog food for Beagles.

Products included in this article were carefully and independently selected by the Happy Puppy Site team. If you decide to make a purchase from one of the links marked by an asterisk, we may earn a small commission on that sale. This is at no extra cost to you.

Best Dog Food for Beagles

Beagles are a medium sized, high energy breed. So they need a good quality food designed for an active dog.

It is important to feed your Beagle on a puppy food until he is fully grown. But, you can gradually switch to an adult recipe when your dog has stopped growing. This is usually at around 12 months.

Puppies need a very different blend of nutrients to adult dogs. They will also need different feeding schedules depending on their age. But you can read more about this here.

Lifestyle will also affect the type of food your Beagle needs. More active dogs will need a higher caloric intake than dogs with a more sedentary lifestyle.

Let's take a closer look at how Beagle health can impact the best food for Beagles.

Beagle Health and Diet

There are some health issues that impact the type of food your dog will need. Beagles, like all dog breeds, are prone to certain health issues.

You can read about these health issues in more detail here. But, read on to see how they connect with the food your Beagle eats.

Hip Dysplasia

One of the health problems that Beagles can be prone to is hip and elbow dysplasia.

This is where the joint of your dog's hip or elbow do not form properly, and doesn't fit together as it should.

Reputable breeders will test the hip scores of dogs they want to breed from, which can help minimise this problem.

But, you can also choose a dog food that has supplements for healthy joints. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two to look out for if you're worried about healthy joints in your Beagle!

Obesity

Obesity isn't something that Beagles are necessarily prone to. But, it's easy for these dogs to put on weight if they are overeating and not getting enough exercise.

The way you feed your dog can actually impact this too. For instance, studies have shown that Beagles who are fed ad libitum (constant access to food) were more likely to put on weight.

So, if you're concerned about your Beagle becoming overweight, make sure you are controlling their energy and caloric intake.

Especially as obesity in dogs can make conditions like hip dysplasia worse.

Allergies

Something else to be aware of, that can affect all dogs, is allergies. Dogs can be allergic to certain ingredients in dog food recipes.

And allergies can affect dogs on quite an individual basis. No two dogs are the same. So it can be a case of trial and error to see what food works for your dog.

If you know your dog is allergic to a certain ingredient, make sure you never buy a food that contains it.

If your dog suffers from allergies, you might want to consider a limited ingredient diet. You might want to also consider a grain free diet.

There was some concern that grain free diets were related to the heart problem dilated cardiomyopathy. If you are worried about this, speak to your vet to learn about the latest research.

Beagle Dog Food Choices

Choosing the type of dog food your Beagle will eat can be a tough decision. Here are some of the types of food you will need to consider.

Kibble/dry food
Wet food
Raw/BARF diets
Grain free dog food
Limited ingredient food

The choice you make will depend a lot on what fits in best with your lifestyle. Some people like to use a mixture of wet and dry foods, and others prefer a natural-style raw meat diet.

If this is new to you, you can read more about the pros and cons of raw food in this guide.

Alternatively, continue reading for some of our favorite foods that fit in with each of the other categories mentioned above.

Remember, the best food for your dog might not be the same as someone else! So, the choice is entirely up to you and how it will fit in with your lifestyle.

Best Dry Dog Food for Beagle Adults

Dry dog food most often comes in the form of kibble. This food type can be great for bulk buying, as it is easy to store and has a long shelf life.

It can also be used easily and conveniently in training. And lots of dogs love the crunch of kibble!

However, it has a much lower water content than wet foods. One study has also suggested that certain ingredients in dry food could be linked to gastric dilatation volvulus.

But, if you've decided to choose dry dog food, here are our top 3 favorites.

Taste of the Wild High Protein Dry Food

The Taste of the Wild High Protein dry dog food* comes in the flavor bison and venison. It can be purchased as a recipe including grains, or as a grain free food.

This is a protein rich choice that has real meat as its main ingredient to support healthy, strong muscles. So, it is a great option for Beagles who lead very active lives.

It also contains added vitamins, minerals and superfoods, to support healthy skin and fur. Plus probiotics to support digestion.

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Dog Food

Another great option is the Blue Buffalo Life Protection formula*. It comes in three flavors with different flavors: lamb, chicken, and fish!

So, if your dog is fussy about the type of meat he eats, you have a great selection.

Real, high quality meat is the main and first ingredient of any of these recipes. Other ingredients include whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

It contains calcium, phosphorus, and other vitamins designed to promote health bones and teeth. Plus, it also has glucosamine to support your Beagle's joints.

Purina Beneful Original Dry Dog Food

Our third option for the best adult dry dog food is the Purina Beneful Original recipe*, which comes in the flavor beef.

This recipe is rich in antioxidants and nutrients designed to support a healthy immune system in your Beagle.

Beef is the main ingredient of this food, which is great for an active breed like the Beagle. Plus, the food is made in American facilities, which might be something you're looking for.

Best Wet Dog Food for Beagles

Some people use wet dog food on its own, or as a supplement to dry kibble food. Wet food can be a great source of water for dogs, and pups often love the smell of it.

However, it can be more expensive than dry dog food, and might not last quite as long. It also can't be used during training.

But, nonetheless, it might be right for you! Here are our favorite wet foods for Beagles.

Purina Beyond Grain Free Wet Food

The Purina Beyond Grain Free wet dog food* is a great choice for Beagles. It comes in a huge variety of flavors, so your dog is really spoilt for choice.

The main ingredient of this wet food is protein and real meat. Plus, it is grain free, if this is something that is important to you.

This food contains no poultry by-product meal, as well as no artificial flavors, preservatives, or colorants.

Natural Balance Ultra Premium Wet Dog Food

The Natural Balance Ultra Premium wet dog food* could be your best dog food for Beagles! This choice comes in four main flavors: beef, liver, lamb, or chicken.

Other ingredients include potatoes, carrots, and brown rice.

Real meat is the main ingredient to promote healthy muscles, which is important for active dog breeds. But, it also contains fibrous ingredients to support your dog's digestion.

This is another food that contains no artificial colors of flavors.

Cesar Gourmet Wet Food

The Cesar Gourmet wet dog food* comes in a huge variety of flavors, including bacon, chicken, pot roast, steak, and more!

You can purchase this food in a variety pack, so that your dog can try a bit of everything.

It comes in ready-to-serve trays, so is easy to prepare. It has no grains, but does include vitamins and minerals to support great digestive health.

Best Raw Dog Food for Beagles

Raw dog food is an increasingly popular way to give your dog a natural diet. It involves feeding raw meats and replicating what your dog would eat in the wild.

Some people don't like the idea of feeding their dog raw meat and bones, and it isn't feasible in some homes with very young children.

But, others say raw diets give their dogs shinier coats, cleaner teeth, and better all round health.

Here are some raw foods you can buy if you want to choose this diet.

Stella & Chewy's Freeze Dried Raw Patties

Stella & Chewy's Freeze Dried raw patties* are a great option for raw fed dogs. These also come in a huge variety of flavors made up of different proteins.

The beef patties, as an example, are made up of 95% grass fed meat, and are made completely in America.

These patties are minimally processed to keep them as close to their natural state as possible.

They can be fed as they are, or rehydrated using water. There is a helpful chart on the back of the packaging to show you how many to feed your dog.

Primal Freeze Dried Dog Food

Another great raw food option is Primal Freeze Dried dog food*. This chicken flavored food comes in nugget sized pieces.

It is grain, gluten, corn, wheat, and soy free. But it has naturally derived nutrients and vitamins. This recipe is made up of 78% chicken.

It requires water to rehydrate the food, and makes 3 pounds of food per bag.

Northwest Naturals Freeze Dried Raw Dog Nuggets

Another of the best raw dog food for Beagles is the Northwest Naturals Freeze Dried raw dog nuggets.*

Not only can this make a great food choice, but can be easily broken apart to make training treats.

It comes in 6 different flavors made up of different proteins, and is made up of 80% meat.

Best Grain-Free Food for Beagles

Grain free food might be suggested by your vet if your dog suffers from allergies to certain grains.

This type of food is popular, and really easy to find. But, some studies have suggested there could be a link between grain free food and dilated cardiomyopathy*.

So, do plenty of research, or speak to your vet if you would like to try this food! Here are our favorite choices.

Nature's Recipe Grain Free Dry Dog Food

The Nature's Recipe Grain Free dry dog food* is a great choice if you're looking for a grain free dog food for Beagles.

It comes in three different flavors: chicken, salmon, and lamb. Real meat is the first ingredient in these recipes.

This food contains no grains, but also no artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors. It also contains glucosamine to support healthy joints.

Wellness Core Natural Grain Free Food

The Wellness Core Natural Grain Free food* comes in a turkey and chicken flavor that your Beagle is sure to love.

This recipe combines real chicken and turkey with vegetables for a mix of vitamins and minerals designed to support your Beagle's overall health.

It contains no grains and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It is also made entirely in the USA.

Canidae Grain Free Pure Ancestral Food

The Canidae Grain Free Pure Ancestral Food* is an interesting choice that your Beagle will love!

Not only is this dog food grain free, but it is also raw coated for an amazing flavor your dog will love.

It comes in three flavors, and contains no wheat, soy, corn, or artificial preservatives, flavors and colors.

Best Dog Food for Beagle Puppies

Puppy food is designed to support puppies through their intense period of growth and development. It is often designed with a smaller kibble size too.

Here are some of our favorite choices for the best dog food for Beagle puppies.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Puppy Food

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein puppy food* comes in a chicken flavor that your puppy will love.

This is a grain free option with a careful blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to support your puppy's growth.

Some of the areas it aims to target for healthy development are your puppy's brain, eyes, muscles, dental health, and more.

Iams Proactive Health Puppy Food

The Iams Proactive Health Puppy Food* is specially designed for medium dog breeds like the Beagle. It has a delicious chicken flavor.

The first ingredient of this recipe is farm raised chicken, a high quality protein to promote the best muscle growth.

This food also has a helpful feeding chart on the back of the packaging, so you know exactly how much you should be giving your puppy.

Royal Canin Size Health Puppy Food

Another puppy food specifically designed for medium sized dog breeds is the Royal Canin Size Health puppy food*.

This food has an immune system support guarantee, and has a specially designed kibble size to make eating easier for puppies.

The Royal Canin food has a helpful feeding schedule on the packaging. And it is easy to transition to Royal Canin adult food if your puppy loves this brand.

Best Dog Food for Beagle Seniors

Older dogs may also need a different type of food to younger adults and puppies. Some dogs develop sensitivities in their old age.

Some of these foods may be perfect for an older Beagle.

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Natural Senior Recipe

The Blue Buffalo Homestyle Natural Senior recipe* is a wet dog food that your senior dog may love.

This is a pate style food that uses chicken as its first ingredient. It is made with no wheat, corn, or soy.

It also contains no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors.

Nutro MAX Senior Recipe

Another great dog food for Beagle seniors is the Nutro MAX Senior Recipe*. This recipe comes in three flavor options – chicken, lamb, or beef.

It contains no by-product meal, as well as no corn, wheat, or soy protein. There are also no artificial colors, preservatives or flavors.

This food also has a complete satisfaction guarantee, so you can get your money back if you're not happy.

Nulo Senior Grain Free Dog Food

The Nulo Senior Grain Free dog food* is another great option. It comes in the flavor trout and sweet potato.

This recipe has 82% animal sourced protein, and also includes glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate which are designed to support hip and joint health. This is great for seniors who are suffering with their joints!

Nulo Senior dog food also has probiotics to ensure the best digestive health in your older Beagle.

How Much Should I Feed my Beagle?

Many Beagle foods will come with a feeding guide on their packaging. The amount of food that is best for your Beagle may depend on their size.

But, the charts on dog foods aren't accurate for every single dog. You can check if your dog is overweight or underweight by simply examining them.

As a general rule, you should be able to feel, but not see, your dog's ribs. If you can see your dog's ribs, it is likely they are underweight.

But, if your dog's body has no definition, and you struggle to even feel his ribs, he is likely overweight.

If you're worried about your dog's weight, take them to see your vet for further advice. You can find out more about Beagle puppies here, too.

Beagle Weight and Diet

Beagles normally weigh between 20 and 30 pounds as adults. Females are often at the lower end of this scale than males.

You can weigh your dog on a normal human scale, but might need to hold them if they don't want to stay on the scales!

If your Beagle is too heavy for you to hold, you can also weigh your dog at the vet.

For now, we will take a look at the best dog food for Beagles who are overweight.

Best Beagle Food For Weight Loss

If your dog weighs a little more than he should, you might want to consider the best diet dog food for Beagles.

This can help get your dog back to a healthy weight. Here are a couple that could be right for you.

Hill's Science Diet Dry Dog Food

The Hill's Science Diet dry dog food* is a kibble food that suggests weight loss will be visible within a 10 week period.

This recipe is a chicken flavor, but contains no poultry by-product meal. It also contains no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.

Plus, as well as healthy weight management, it also aims to provide support for your dog's muscles.

Hill's Science Canned Weight Management Food

Another great option by Hill's Management is their canned weight management recipe.* This is perfect for dogs who like wet dog food, or dogs that dislike kibble.

The recipe is chicken and vegetable. But it is available in either a stew or loaf form.

Like their kibble food, they suggest that dogs eating their canned weight loss food will show weight loss in under 10 weeks.

Best Food For Beagles With Sensitive Stomachs

Some Beagles might experience sensitive stomachs throughout their lives, especially as they get older.

This can be a real problem, especially if your dog is losing weight due to his sensitive stomach.

Speak with your vet to find out what the cause of the problem could be. They might suggest changing your dog food to one your dog feels happier on. Here are some examples.

Canidae Pure Limited Ingredient Premium Dog Food

The Canidae Pure Limited Ingredient dog food* is grain free and comes in a variety of flavors, so there's something for every dog.

The Salmon recipe, as an example, contains only 8 ingredients – the main one being salmon.

It is grain free, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It also has added probiotics and antioxidants to aid healthy digestion.

Purina Pro Plan Focus

The Purina Pro Plan Focus* is designed for dogs that experience sensitive skin and stomachs.

It comes in 3 different flavors with real meat as the main ingredient. This recipe contains no corn, wheat, or soy, as well as no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.

It contains natural prebiotic fiber to promote the best digestive health and glucosamine to support your dog's joints. Purina food also comes with a money back guarantee if you aren't happy.

Hill's Science Sensitive Stomach and Skin Recipe

The Hill's Science Sensitive Stomach and Skin recipe* comes in either chicken flavor, or chicken and potato, which is grain free.

Chicken is the number one ingredient for this food, but it also contains prebiotic fiber to support a healthy gut.

This food has a medium sized kibble, which makes it perfect for medium dog breeds like the Beagle.

Best Food For Beagles With Allergies

Dog food for allergies may contain fewer ingredients, and are often grain free. However, it's important to know exactly what your dog is allergic to so you can avoid that ingredient.

Speak to your vet if you think your dog is suffering from allergies, causing upset stomachs, or sensitive, itchy skin.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Nature's Evolutionary Diet

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Nature's Evolutionary Diet* aims to use the finest natural ingredients in its recipe.

This food is grain free and contains a careful blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which aims to provide the best digestive health for your Beagle.

Key benefits of this food include support for healthy muscles and plenty of energy to support an active lifestyle, which many Beagles lead.

Natural Balance L.I.D. Dry Dog Food

The Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet dry dog food* comes in 8 different flavors, which provides plenty of options if your dog is allergic to certain ingredients.

It is grain free and contains no fillers, or artificial colors and flavors.

This recipe is also available in a canned wet food form, and as treats. So, if it works for your dogs, you have more variety.

Best Food For Pocket Beagles

So far we've looked at the best dog food for Beagles. But, miniature, or pocket Beagles are becoming more and more popular.

They are much smaller than your standard Beagle, so will need a very different type of food. They also often need less food, so don't feed a pocket Beagle the same amount as a regular Beagle!

Here are some options if you have a pocket Beagle.

Instinct Raw Boost Toy Breed Dog Food

The Instinct Raw Boost dry dog food* for toy and small breeds comes in three different flavors.

This is a high protein, grain free formula that has real meat as the main ingredient. It contains freeze-dried raw food pieces, which your tiny pup will love.

The recipe contains glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy joints, and probiotics to promote the best digestive health.

Wellness Natural Pet Food for Small Breeds

The Wellness Natural Pet Food for small breeds* is another great option. It has a smaller kibble size so your pocket Beagle won't struggle when eating.

This recipe is all natural, with no corn, wheat, or soy, and no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors.

It is made in the USA, and has a blend of nutrients and minerals to support digestive health, dental health, muscle growth and joints.

Eukanuba Small Breed Adult Food

The Eukanuba Small Breed Adult dry dog food* is designed for small breeds, rather than toy breeds.

It comes in a delicious chicken flavor, and has a feeding chart guide that you can use. This is based on your dog's adult weight, and their activity level.

It is designed to support healthy brain function, joints and bones, and provide all the energy your active little pocket Beagle will need.

Best Dog Food for Beagles Summary

So, as we've seen the best dog food for Beagles might vary depending on your individual dog. But, generally, they need a high energy food that will support their joints and digestion.

If you're worried about your Beagle's weight, speak to your vet. They may suggest a diet food, or even a high calorie, high protein option.

Do you feed your Beagle with any of the foods on this list? We would love to know what your pup's favorites are, and if you know any great choices we've missed off!

Affiliate link disclosure: Links in this article marked with an * are affiliate links, and we may receive a small commission if you purchase these products. However, we selected them for inclusion independently, and all of the views expressed in this article are our own.

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References and Further Reading

Jeusette, I. (et al), 'Ad Libitum Feeding Following Ovariectomy in Female Beagle Dogs: Effect on Maintenance Energy Requirement and on Blood Metabolites', Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition (2004)
Rettenmaier, J. (et al), 'Prevalence of Canine Hip Dysplasia in a Veterinary Teaching Hospital Population', Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound (2005)
German, A. 'The Growing Problem of Obesity in Dogs and Cats', The Journal of Nutrition (2006)
Kirkby, K. & Lewis, D. 'Canine Hip Dysplasia: Reviewing the Evidence for Nonsurgical Management', Veterinary Surgery (2011)
Freeman, L. (et al), 'Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs: What do we Know?', Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2018)
Bhagat, R. (et al), 'Food Allergy in Canines: A Review', Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies (2017)
Raghavan, M. (et al), 'The Effect of Ingredients in Dry Dog Foods on the Risk of Gastric Dilatation Volvulus in Dogs', Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (2006)

Raw Diet for Beagle Puppy

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