Best High-Protein Puppy Food 2024

We think Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy is the best high-protein puppy food for several reasons. 

With deboned chicken as its first ingredient, this recipe has a protein content of 28%. It’s designed to suit all breeds, and provides all the protein your pup needs to develop and maintain lean  muscle.

Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, recommends Merrick (among other brands) to her clients. “Merrick products are made with high-quality, whole food ingredients, and they use no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors,” she explains.

This Classic Healthy Grains Puppy recipe features omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, glucosamine and chondroitin for strong joints, and DHA for brain development. And because it’s made in the USA, we reckon there’s a lot to like about this Merrick puppy food.

To find out more about this fur-iffic brand, read our full Merrick dog food review.

Searching for a high-protein fresh food diet that’ll put a smile on your pup’s face? Raised Right has got you covered. This human-grade pet food subscription service dishes up high-protein, low-carb, limited-ingredient recipes.

To sign up, simply enter a few details about your dog and Raised Right will put together a custom meal plan. Raised Right has Beef Puppy Growth, Chicken Puppy Growth, and Turkey Puppy Growth recipes, all of which meet the AAFCO food nutrient profiles for growth.

“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. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants. “Their ingredients can also be traced back to the source, and each batch is tested for safety.”

If you like the sound of that, sign up to Raised Right today. And if you want to do a little more digging on this brand, check out our full Raised Right dog food review.

If you’re searching for a pet food that meets strict sustainability and animal welfare standards, and that offers a high-protein diet for your puppy, look no further than Open Farm Grain-Free Puppy Chicken & Salmon Recipe.

Open Farm is committed to sourcing ingredients from humane and ethical sources, and allows you to trace each ingredient in your bag of dog food back to its source. 

This puppy recipe has 32% protein content, includes the goodness of ingredients like pumpkin and coconut oil, and includes prebiotic fibers to support healthy digestion.

Even better, Open Farm is another brand that Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, recommends to her clients:

“Open Farm dog food is formulated with high-quality ingredients and does not contain any artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors,” she says. “The company also prioritizes the use of ethically sourced and humanely raised ingredients.”

For a closer look at this brand's products, recall history, and more, dig into our Open Farm dog food review.

Taste of the Wild pet food is designed to provide nutrition from the types of protein sources that your dog’s ancestors would’ve eaten in the wild. And if you’re searching for a high-protein diet for your fur-baby, its High Prairie Puppy Recipe and Pacific Stream Puppy Recipe are both well worth a look.

Featuring 28% and 27% protein content respectively, these formulas both offer easily digestible nutrition for your puppy. Each recipe includes DHA for cognitive development, and comes with small bits of kibble to make it easy for your pup to chew.

“Taste of the Wild offers both wet and dry dog and cat foods for all life stages incorporating species-specific probiotics, antioxidants from ancient grains, fruits and seeds, and omega fatty acids,” says Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants.

So if you’re searching for a high-protein puppy food, be sure to add Taste of the Wild to your shopping list, and read our full review of Taste of the Wild dog food to learn more.

Searching for a high-protein wet dog food for your puppy? There are plenty of good reasons why you should check out this Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables recipe from Blue Buffalo. 

This recipe features real chicken as the first ingredient to promote muscle development and help meet your pup’s energy needs. 

Chicken liver is also included as a source of protein along with carrots for beta carotene and fiber, sweet potatoes for potassium and B vitamins, and fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids.

Available in 12.5-ounce cans, this recipe also includes wholesome fruits like cranberries and blueberries to provide crucial antioxidants and vitamins for your growing pup. And with no chicken by-product meals or artificial flavors or preservatives, you can rest assured that you’re providing high-quality nutrition for your fur-baby.

For the full scoop on this pet food company, read our Blue Buffalo dog food review.