Choosing the best dog food for Jack Russells can be a bit of a challenge, to say the least. Typically the dog food which is readily available, convenient and mass-marketed are usually the sort of dog food that is full of nasties, generally low quality and not very good for them. To help you find the best Jack Russell food we’ve put together this resource to help you. We want to ensure all the Jack Russells out there are being fed proper healthy food :).
In this article, we will try and cater for all needs especially when it comes to budget and will list all the best Jack Russell dog food options at different budgets. However, we have also ensured that we have only included the best and healthy dog food for Jack Russells. Dog food that does not include the usual artificial colours, flavouring and fillers.
Each of the Jack Russell Terrier dog food option listed below are from Amazon. So you will be able to read other people’s reviews and experiences with them.
We have made sure we only list the very best food for Jack Russells. The kind that we would feed our very own very much loved Jack Russell.
Our Top Pick – Dry Food
- Higher level of prebiotics to help...
- Extra essential dental minerals to...
- Tailored level of L-Carnitine to help...
- No artificial preservatives, flavours...
Our Top Pick – Wet Food
- Natural grain free wet dog food...
- High meat content of 75 percent which...
- Our complete dog food is grain free...
- No sugars, artificial colours,...
Best Dog Food For Jack Russells
When trying to work out which is the best Jack Russell food, try and remember:
- To go for a Balanced diet
- Always choose good quality ingredients
- Which are free of preservatives, colourings and flavourings
- Look for nutritional statements such as “complete”, “balanced”
- Learn to understand the ingredient lists
We will go into more detail on these items below. Once you ave a good grasp if these then you will be in good stead to buy the best food for your doggie.
Nutritional Statements For Dog Food
Dog food companies have to adhere to strict guidelines from the regulators which are overseen by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). So as an example if a dog food were to state on its packaging that its food is complete and balanced then that claim has to be validated.
This can be validated in one of two ways:
- The analysis of the ingredients or the actual recipe has to meet the guidelines for the Nutrient Profile. Look out for statements on the packages that look like; “… is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles”
2. The second way to validate these claims is to undergo controlled trials with dogs. For this method lookout for a variant of the following on the packaging; “animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition”.
Reading The labels
Another way that the Regulators can help us buyers is by having strict rules on the way dog food is labelled. The Food and Drug Administration enforces the following rules with labels:
- The 95% Rule – For a dog food to claim it contains a single ingredient then the food must be made up of 95% of that ingredient (not including water). For an example say the dog food is called “Beef For Dogs” then at least 95% of the ingredients must be beef
- The 25% “Dinner” Rule – If the labelled ingredient makes up between 25% and 95% then it falls under the “Dinner” rule.
- The 3% “With” Rule – When the mentioned ingredient only makes up no more than 3%.
- The Flavor Rule – This is the surprising one for many of us. This means that the label can include any meat it likes on the packaging as a “flavour”, even if there isn’t a trace of that meat in the food. As long as a detectable flavour can be detected by specially trained animals.
Reading the ingredient list
The most important thing to know when reading the ingredient list is that ingredients are ordered by weight. Often ingredients that contain large amounts of moisture such as beef, chicken, poultry or fish are usually placed near the top. However, there may be equally or more important ingredients lower down the list that don’t contain so much water
Best Dry Food For Jack Russells
Dry dog food or “kibble” is convenient, good for dog’s teeth and can provide important nutrients that dogs can’t get elsewhere.
Eukanuba Dry Dog Food For Jack Russell
Specifically created for Jack Russells you really can’t go wrong with Eukanuba For Jack Russells. This Jack Russell specific food contains the right amount of omega-6 and 3 fatty acids that Jack Russells need to have healthy skin and coat. This will also help reduce shedding which can be an issue for some households. It includes L-carnitine which helps to reduce body fat, keeps joints healthy and muscle nice and lean. It is also designed to keep their teeth nice and healthy.
Ingredients
Dried Chicken And Turkey (>30%), Maize, Wheat, Animal Fat, Rice, Sorghum, Barley, Dried Beet Pulp (>25%), Chicken Digest, Dried Whole Egg, Fish Oil,
Lily’s Kitchen Adult Chicken & Duck
The ultimate dog food for Jack Russells when it comes to the best ingredients. Lily’s Kitchen Adult Chicken & Duck contains 38% of freshly prepared meat (Chicken 31% Duck 7%), full of fruits, vegetables and botanical herbs with no derivatives, preservatives or fillers. They only use freshly prepared meat and no dried meat or meat meals. Just 100% natural ingredients of the highest quality. Simply fantastic quality dog food!
Ingredients:
Freshly Prepared: Chicken (31%), Duck (7%), Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lentils, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Chicken Liver (4%), Eggs, Chicken Gravy, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil, Apples, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries, Botanical Herbs (Alfalfa, Golden Rod Cleavers, Dandelion Root, Nettles, Celery Seed, Rosehips, Marigold Petals, Burdock Root, Milk Thistle, Chicory Root), Vitamins and Minerals.
Royal Canin Dog Food Jack Russell Complete
ROYAL CANIN® Jack Russell Terrier Adult is specifically formulated with the nutritional needs of a Jack Russell. It is specifically designed to maintain muscle mass, protect their skin and coat, and help with dental care. Nutrients such as B vitamins, amino acids and fish oils are fantastic for the skin and coat. The unique shape and size of the kibble will reduce tartar buildup and promote good oral health.
Ingredients:
Dehydrated poultry protein, rice, maize, wheat, vegetable protein isolate*, animal fats, hydrolysed animal proteins, beet pulp, maize gluten, minerals, fish oil
AATU Free Run Chicken
AATU Chicken is made by an Ethically Awarded independent British company that handcrafts its recipes in small batches. AATU Chicken is naturally made without artificial colours, preservatives and artificial flavours and without GM ingredients. They use an interesting method of cooking the fresh meat and protein using their ‘low & slow”TM method which they state makes the food easier to digest. To reduce any potential allergies, it’s completely grain, white potato and Gluten free.
Crave High Protein & Grain-Free Dog Food with Lamb & Beef
Inspired by nature Crave aims to satisfy a dog’s natural appetite by providing high-quality ingredients, a lot of fresh meat and grain-free.
This food has a very high protein percentage of 60% which comes from fresh meat which is fantastic for supporting strong and healthy muscles.
We like the fact that’s it’s free from maize, soya and dairy which make it a particularly good option if your Jack Russell has a delicate stomach.
Ingredients:
Beef 20 Percent (including fresh beef (17 Percent), beef greaves protein (0,7 Percent)), dried lamb protein(16 Percent), dried chicken protein (16 Percent), poultry fat (10 Percent), turkey digest (3 Percent), potato flakes, lentils, pea protein, dried beet pulp,
tapioca starch, minerals, dried apple pulp, sunflower oil, rosemary extract.
Best Wet Food For Jack Russells
Now let’s take a look at the best wet food for Jack Russell Terriers. We have some great options here for you, ranging from very fair priced up to the top end of the budget, all containing top-notch Ingredients.
Forthglade Grain-free Variety Adult Dog Food
The Forthglade Grain-free variety pack is a great dog food for Jack Russells, especially considering the low price. At the time of writing, each punnet costs £1.15p which is a great price for the quality you’re getting. Its meat content is high at 75% meaning your Jack Russell will get all the protein it needs whilst burning off all that energy. The variety pack consists of 4x Turkey, 4x lamb and 4x Duck which provides a nice variety for your dog. The grain free element will also help if your Jack Russell has a sensitive tummy.
Ingredients
Turkey with Sweet Potato & Vegetables Composition: Turkey (75%), Sweet Potato (4%), Carrots (2%), Peas (2%), Minerals, Linseed Oil (0.5%), Seaweed (0.45%)
Nature’s Menu Dog Food
This wholesome dog food from Natures Menu is a complete and nutritionally balanced dog food perfect for a Jack Russell. Natures Menu doesn’t contain any meat derivatives or meat meals, instead their can’s have a minimum of 55% meat. Their meat is human grade meat and from fresh whole cut meat. It’s free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.
Ingredients
Chicken – Chicken (min 55 percent), Potato (min 8 percent), Carrots (min 6 percent), Peas (min 4 percent), Sun_flower oil (<1 percent).
Beef with Chicken – Beef (min 37 percent), Chicken (min 18 percent), Potato (min 8 percent), Carrots (min 6 percent), Peas (min 4 percent), Sunflower oil (<1 percent).
Lamb with Chicken – Lamb (min 30 percent), Chicken (min 29 percent), Carrots (min 6 percent), Peas (min 4 percent), Brown Rice (min 4 percent), Sunflower oil (<1 percent).
Chicken with Salmon – Chicken (min 34 percent), Salmon (min 25 percent), Carrots (min 6 percent), Brown Rice (min 4 percent) Peas (min 4 percent), Sunflower oil (<1 percent).
Butcher’s Grain Free With Tripe Mix
Butcher’s Grain-free Tripe Mix comes in a pack of 24 and at the current time of writing only costs 0.72p. That’s a fantastic price for those you are on a tight budget but don’t want to compromise on the quality. That’s because Butcher’s Grain-free Tripe Mix has really good ingredients. Its grain free and has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. It’s a complete and balanced recipe which means your Jack Russell is getting a good range of nutrients. They only get their ingredients from British farms and suppliers and the use of tripe is a really big plus as they love the taste and it’s a super-food for dogs
Ingredients
British & Irish Farmed (Chicken 34%, Tripe 13%, Beef 3%), Minerals
Lily’s Kitchen Grain Free Multipack Wet Dog Food
The Lily’s Kitchen grain free multipack comes in at the higher end of the price range but boy is this a great dog food and perfect dog food for Jack Russells. Their ingredients really are top-notch; they use freshly prepared meat which doesn’t contain any meat meal, bone meal or rendered meat. It has lots of vibrant and tasty vegetables and botanical herbs which provides a really good range of nutrients. Their recipes don’t contain any cheap fillers – like wheat, corn or soya – and don’t contain any nasties.
Ingredients
Wild Campfire Stew: 65% Freshly Prepared: Venison (40%), Pheasant (15%), Salmon (10%). Potatoes (3%), Butternut Squash, Green Beans (1%), Apples, Vitamins & Chelated Minerals, Hemp Oil. Botanicals & Herbs: Golden Rod, Nettle, Aniseed, Celery Seed, Rosehips, Marigold Petals, Cleavers, Seaweed, Alfalfa, Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root, Burdock Root.
Fishy Fish Pie: 60% Freshly Prepared: Turkey (30%), Herring (15%), Salmon (15%). Potatoes (4%), Peas, Carrots, Spinach, Vitamins & Chelated Minerals, Hemp Oil. Botanicals & Herbs: Golden Rod, Nettle, Aniseed, Celery Seed, Rosehips, Marigold Petals, Cleavers, Seaweed, Alfalfa, Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root, Burdock Root.
Sunday Lunch: 60% Fresh Chicken, Potatoes (4%), Sugar Snap Peas (2%), Carrots, Spinach (1%), Apples, Vitamins & Chelated Minerals, Safflower Oil (0.1%). Botanicals & Herbs: Golden Rod, Nettle, Aniseed, Celery Seed, Rosehips, Marigold Petals, Cleavers, Seaweed, Alfalfa, Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root, Burdock Root.
Cottage Pie: 60% Fresh Beef, Potatoes (3%), Carrots (3%), Apples, Green Beans, Broccoli, Vitamins & Chelated Minerals, Flaxseed. Botanicals & Herbs: Golden Rod, Nettle, Aniseed, Celery Seed, Rosehips, Marigold Petals, Cleavers, Seaweed, Alfalfa, Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root, Burdock Root.
