Best Dog Food for Cane Corsos 2024

Written by Kevin Hughes

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 11/01/2023, edited: 01/22/2024

Best Dog Food for Cane Corsos 2024 image

The Wag! team conducts independent research and consults pet experts to curate our recommendations. This content is supported by our affiliate pet partners and we may receive a commission on the links provided.


The Cane Corso is a large dog with a muscular build. A high-energy breed, it heralds from a background of working on farms, herding livestock, hunting, and guarding homes; tasks that required physical strength. To help maintain this active lifestyle, the Cane Corso needs the correct type of diet — even if this working dog has become more of a domesticated pet in many homes, he or she will still require the right levels of nutrition to properly thrive and stay in tip-tip shape.

Don’t automatically assume a big dog needs big meals, either. Because Cane Corsos can be prone to becoming overweight, portion control is important — so this dog needs food specially formulated for large breeds, rather than double or triple helpings of everything.

So, what is the best dog food for a Cane Corso? There’s lots of choice out there, but we’ve handpicked a few of our favorites, including dry, wet and fresh dog food.



Overview

Ollie

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Best fresh food

Ollie offers a range of fresh dog food, using human-grade ingredients — in fact, the company claims its recipes are the ‘closest thing to feeding your dog human food’. There are five different recipes in its fresh range: beef with sweet potatoes; chicken with carrots; turkey with blueberries; lamb with cranberries and pork with apples.

Recipes are vet formulated, and slow-cooked at low temperatures to enhance flavor and deliver maximum nutrition. The meals are then frozen, so you can just defrost portions in the fridge 24 hours before your pup’s dinner time. 

We’ve highlighted Ollie’s fresh range here as being among the best dog food for a Cane Corso, but there are other options, including a half fresh plan and a mixed bowl plan, which combines fresh and baked food.

Read our comprehensive review of Ollie’s Dog Food here.

Ollie Dog Food

Ollie Dog Food

Why Wag! Loves It

  • Made with human-grade ingredients
  • Personalized meal plans created specifically for your dog’s age and breed
  • No fillers or artificial flavors

Considerations & Concerns

  • Subscription-only service
  • Fresh recipes can be expensive
  • Food is delivered frozen — so you’ll need adequate freezer storage space

What pet parents say about Ollie

“My dog was bloated all the time and would have diarrhea frequently. We switched to Ollie and there was an instant difference. The diarrhea stopped within the first couple days - doing a slow incorporation of the food. He hasn’t had any since and we’re working on month 3 of the food. Bloating is also gone and (he) looks like a normal dog with more energy.”

“My girl Bella loves Ollie! She was somewhat of a picky eater before. Not now, she gobbles it up. Ollie delivers on time. They pack the food to keep it cold excellently. It’s so easy to feed her. I know she’s getting healthy fresh food.”

Read more reviews on Trustpilot.

Product image sourced from the OIllie website. Copyright Ollie Pets, Inc.



Raised Right

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Vet recommended

A Cane Corso needs a diet that’s high in protein, and Raised Right’s range definitely meets that criteria. Its recipes — which have been formulated by veterinarian Dr Karen Becker — are created using a minimal ingredients list. They’re low in carbohydrates; some recipes have less than 2% carbs, and you won’t find any fillers such as wheat, corn or rice included.

Recipes are available for adult dogs and puppies still in the growing phase; if you’re searching for the best dog food for a Cane Corso puppy, this comes highly recommended. It’s been endorsed by Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants and a pet nutrition expert. 

“Raised Right offers a human-grade dog food consisting of only whole foods and no fillers or synthetic additives such as vitamin and mineral powders,” says Dr. Jeremiah. “Their ingredients can also be traced back to the source, and each batch is tested for safety.”

For adult dogs, the selection includes Original Turkey, Original Beef, Original Chicken and Original Pork recipes. There’s also Turkey & Pumpkin Paté, Beef & Pumpkin Paté, Pork & Pumpkin Paté and Chicken & Pumpkin Paté. For young Cane Corsos, there’s Turkey Puppy Growth, Beef Puppy Growth, and Chicken Puppy Growth.

All Raised Right recipes are wet dog food.

Raised Right Dog Food

Raised Right Dog Food

Why Wag! Loves It

  • Vet recommended by Wag!
  • Made with human-grade ingredients
  • Every batch cooked is lab tested before release to ensure safety

Considerations & Concerns

  • More expensive than other options
  • Food has a relatively short shelf life

What pet parents say about Raised Right

”I had been using gently cooked dog foods for a while when I came across Raised Right. I was astonished at how much higher in protein it was over all the other foods. I switched over and noticed right away why. It has absolutely no fillers in it. I’d never go back to anything else.”

“My dog, a Cane Corso, loves his Raised Right! We feed him in his crate and when he sees us opening a batch, he runs to his crate and waits while he drools. I love that it has few ingredients and no synthetics.”

“Above and beyond human grade pet food for my four pups. This food has clean fresh ingredients. Highly recommended for anyone with a dog. Mine love it. Excellent packaging and shipping.”

Read more reviews on Raised Right.

Product image sourced from the Raised Right website. Copyright Raised Right Pets LP.



Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight Recipe

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Vet recommended

As we know, Cane Corsos love their food and sometimes a little too much — there’s a high chance of them putting on weight if they don’t follow the right type of diet. Merrick offers a vast range of different products, catering for just about every size and life stage of dog — you can read our full review, here — but we’ve picked out one in particular that suits the Cane Corso.

Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight Recipe is our choice as one of the premium types of best dry dog food for a Cane Corso — especially if you’re concerned about your pup’s weight. It’s packed full of protein but doesn’t have any extra calories or fat content, so your dog will feel nice and full after eating without putting on additional pounds. 

There’s currently just a single recipe in the Grain Free Healthy Weight product line. All ingredients in it are natural, including the primary ingredient of deboned beef; that’s followed by chicken meal, sweet potato, potato, peas and turkey meal. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which help to keep joints healthy — particularly important on large breeds like the Cane Corso.

Merrick products are also approved by Dr. Jeremiah, who notes their “high quality, whole food ingredients,” alongside the fact they use no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors.”

Merrick Dog Food

Merrick Dog Food

Why Wag! Loves It

  • Vet recommended by Wag!
  • No grain, corn, soy or gluten
  • Full of protein

Considerations & Concerns

  • Priced higher than some other alternatives so won’t suit all budgets
  • Some customers have reported issues with damaged packaging

What pet parents say about Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight 

“This has been the only “diet” food that I’ve found to fill up my pup. I’ve tried many, many foods (prescription & store bought) that leave him begging him for more the minute his bowl is empty. For some reason, he eats this food slower & it keeps him full until the next meal. Time will tell if he loses weight but it’s a winner so far!”

“One of our dogs can be really picky and she seldom will eat kibble out of my hand, although she does eat her dinner with no problem. I gave her a small handful of the Grain Free Healthy Weight Recipe and she gobbled it down and looked for more. Our other dog eats anything, so it wasn't a fair test with him. As to the product itself, I trust Merrick and we've been using Merrick grain free for years.”

Read more reviews on Chewy.

Product image sourced from the Chewy website. Copyright Merrick Pet Care.



Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food

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Vet recommended

The Blue Buffalo range of dog food is extensive, with recipes covering all life stages and others targeted specifically to ease certain health conditions; our overall review of Blue Buffalo dog food is here.

With the dietary needs of the Cane Corso in the spotlight, we’ve zeroed in on Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness range. It’s a protein-rich dry food that is inspired by the lifestyle of wolves; lots of real meat, carbs in the form of wholesome grains, including rice and barley, to maintain energy levels, and antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to keep your dog’s immune system ticking along nicely.

What makes it a great choice as the best dog food for Cane Corso? Well, it’s been formulated specifically for Corsos and other large dog breeds, with glucosamine and chondroitin to help manage joint issues and aid mobility. Recipes are available for all life stages: puppy, adult and senior dog, and there’s a dedicated large breed product line. Flavors include chicken, salmon and duck.

The Rocky Mountain Recipe is the most expensive in the range. The Red Meat recipe includes deboned beef, lamb and venison; there’s also a version with bison meat.

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness range gets the seal of approval from Dr Georgia, too. “They offer formulations containing limited ingredients, which may be beneficial for dogs with certain dietary sensitivities,” she adds.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food

Why Wag! Loves It

  • Recipes have real meat as the first ingredient
  • Recommended by Wag! Veterinary consultant, Dr. Georgia Jeremiah
  • Specially formulated for large breeds
  • All life stages available

Considerations & Concerns

  • Premium Rocky Mountain Recipe range is on the pricier side, especially for pet parents with more than one dog
  • There have been some recalls for Blue Buffalo food in the past

What pet parents say about Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness

“We tried this and he loves it! He's a 140lbs Cane Corso/Pitbull mix so he eats a ton! So far it's gentle on his stomach and has tons of all natural ingredients in it (that) we love!”

“My dog absolutely loved Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain recipe red meat! It's a dry dog food formula that's packed with delicious red meats like beef, bison, and lamb. As a dog who loves meat, this is definitely one of his favorite meals. Not only does it taste great, but it's also packed with lots of healthy ingredients like sweet potatoes, peas, and other veggies. His coat has been looking shinier and my energy levels have been up since he started eating this food.”

Read more reviews on Petco.

Product image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Blue Buffalo Company Ltd.



Orijen Senior Dry Dog Food

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Best for senior dogs

As your Cane Corso enters its senior years, he or she will need a specially-formulated diet to help stay as fit and healthy as possible. The best food for a Cane Corso as the breed ages should deliver the protein the dog needs to maintain muscle mass, without increasing its chances of becoming overweight. And, it’s always recommended that it contains nutrients to ease and manage any potential health issues.

We’ve picked out the Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog Food recipe from Orijen as being one of the best foods for older Cane Corsos. The food is packed with WholePrey animal ingredients, mimicking the kind of raw meat diet dogs were raised on centuries ago; Orijen lists the first five ingredients in its recipe as fresh or raw chicken, raw turkey, salmon, whole herring and chicken liver. 

Read more about the wider Orijen dog food range here, and our shortlist of best food for senior dogs here

It’s gluten free and grain free — which can be a good option if your dog is prone to allergies — and it’s been formulated to provide support for aging hips and joints, improve digestive health, and keep skin and coat in good condition.

Orijen Dog Food

Orijen Dog Food

Why Wag! Loves It

  • Recipes have up to 85% animal ingredients
  • Produced in Canada
  • High in protein
  • High meat content

Considerations & Concerns

  • Quite expensive for the largest bag available — 23.5lb
  • Some reviewers report a strong fish smell from the food
  • Relatively high fat content

What pet parents say about Orijen Senior Dry Dog Food

“We found this Orijen food and he LOVES it! He actually runs to his dish when I’m filling it, and I don’t even get all the food in there before he starts eating.” 

“We feed the dogs in two bowls each. One bowl contains boiled chicken or beef, human grade. The other bowl contains Orijen senior (for the older guy) and Orijen original formula for our younger girl. They eat the Orijen first. That is a thumbs up dog review!!!!”

“My dog Po has been on this for probably the past 3 months and I am keeping him on this food until he passes. He absolutely loves this food. I wish Orijen had a couple other proteins for senior dogs but I make sure he gets what he needs. Po is a very buff boy on this food. If you want your senior dog to lose all that fat and (have) some muscle mass I recommend this food.” 

Read more reviews on Chewy.

Product image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Mars Petcare US, Inc.


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