The 5 Best High Fibre Dog Foods Australia: Tested & Evaluated 2024

Dietary fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet. There is truth to this saying when it comes to both dogs and humans. However, there is also a lot of confusion surrounding the topic of dietary fibre for dogs.

In order to know what brands in Australia have the best fibre content, our expert team collaborated with professionals to test various dog foods. After months of research, we will reveal the results of the study with a list of the best brands, with related information that dog owners need to know.

Today, we’ll try to dissolve the fibre mysteries and help you find the best high-fibre dog food for your canine companion.

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Related: What Is the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA)?
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Australia's Best High Fibre Dog Foods Reviewed

Looking for high-fibre dog feed to buy in Australia? We’ve prepared a list of the five best choices. A word of warning: some of these are aimed primarily at dogs who need to lose weight, so keep that in mind when choosing what’s best for your dog.

To keep it balanced, we also included some options for healthy adult dogs, as well as puppies and seniors.

Comparing the fibre contents between foods in an exact way is very difficult, and we get stuck into this later in our informational guide below.

However, what we can say about Petzyo kibble is that it does contain a couple of high-quality sources of soluble fibre. The crude fibre content, according to the guaranteed analysis, is up to 4%, which is a decent amount, especially considering that this refers to insoluble fibre. On top of that, this kibble contains a decent amount of soluble fibre coming from the sweet potato, peas, lentils, and chicory.

Unlike the second option, Hill's dog food, Petzyo offers a lower fibre content but comes from high-quality sources. This is also good because it does not go over 10%, which is a recommended fibre intake for dogs.

Overall, that’s not a crazy amount of fibre like one can see in some therapeutic or weight loss formulas, but for healthy dogs, it might be just enough. Especially considering that too much fibre is not always a good thing.

Related: The Best Australian Made Dog Food

Other than that, it also helps to know that Petzyo is one of the best dry dog food options on the Australian market. They use top-quality ingredients sourced right here in Australia, and ensure all of their recipes are perfectly balanced.

Our dogs LOVE this brand and we also love how healthy this dog food is for dogs of all ages. 

Considering that it is one of the best-reviewed dog food, you can ensure that your dogs are getting the nutrients that they need while acquiring adequate fibre in their meals.

If you look above, you’ll surely notice that this recipe from Hill’s features a monster of an ingredient list. However, the good news is that most of it are the added vitamins and minerals to ensure your pup gets proper nutrition.

Related: Science Diet Dog Food Review

This is probably the dry dog food with the highest crude fibre content on the Australian market (over 10%). On top of that, we can see a variety of fibre sources on the ingredient list including isolated pea fibre and oat fibre as well as flaxseed and beet pulp which are both rich in natural fibre.

Compared to Petzyo, which has a much lower fibre content, this brand has a higher one that goes over the 10% recommended amount, which can be helpful for dogs that need to lose weight.

In short, you can rest assured that this feed is rich in insoluble fibre which bulks up the food and helps your dog feel full as well as soluble fibre which aids digestion.

The main downside? Caution needs to be exercised when feeding this formula. It was designed to help overweight pets lose weight, and it appears to be quite effective when it comes to achieving that goal. However, this also means it’s not a recipe you can feed permanently as having your pet constantly losing weight is not what anybody wants.

We think that this dog food is good if your dog needs to lose a lot of weight. However, it should be given moderately and within a certain period of time.

We also recommend that we seek the guidance of a veterinarian to make sure that our dogs are not losing too much weight but just enough to keep them healthy if we decide to give them this dog food.

This is yet another formula that was designed to help dogs lose weight and coincidentally is very rich in fibre. While this is not a bad thing in itself, definitely consider this recipe thoroughly before you give it to your dog (at best consult your vet) if you are not trying to make them lose weight.

Similar to the second option, Hill's dog food, this brand has better fibre sources that are great if your dog needs to lose weight. It helps improve digestion, and it is specifically formulated for larger adult breeds.

Now, this formula from Advance is certainly not the best you can get for your dog, but it does have its qualities. The reason why we don’t love it so much is that the first ingredient is rice and not meat, followed by chicken meal as the main source of protein. While chicken meal is generally OK for most dogs, there are much nicer sources of protein out there (such as actual meat).

That being said, this formula does include sorghum, beet pulp, and added inulin. This combo is a powerhouse of prebiotic fibre which can do a lot to keep your pup’s digestive tract healthy and active.

What we like about this brand is its decent nutrient profile and low-fat content. This can be a healthier option for dog owners who are looking for a brand that's still made in Australia but with high-quality fibre sources.

This option from Savourlife is one of the rare recipes formulated specifically for puppies that is also high in fibre.

The Savourlife Grain-Free Chicken for Puppies, in particular, contains multiple sources of both soluble and insoluble fibre. First of all, there are the field peas (second on the ingredient list) which are rich not only in fibre but also protein, thus boosting the overall protein content of the kibble. Then, there is the beet pulp, linseed and chicory root, resulting in a nice cocktail of prebiotic fibre.

Unlike Advance, which has rice as its first ingredient, this dog food does not incorporate grains in its ingredients, which is a great option if your dog has allergies, and especially if our dogs need to maintain weight to keep them healthy.

That’s quite a lot of fibre actually, and it’s not what every puppy needs, but some do very well when fed on this kibble. The fibre bulks up the food and keeps your pup feeling full while also supporting the digestive system.

Other than that, this recipe features quite a nice mix of ingredients, although it might not be the most impressive. For example, the first ingredient is chicken meal. While not as nice as actual meat, this is a decent option with lots of protein which might just be what your puppy needs.

We love how this brand does not use preservatives and does not include fillers like grains in its ingredients. This is especially good for dogs that have sensitivities. As fur parents, it is hard to find a dog food that considers these things but is still able to provide food that satisfies our dog's tummies and their nutritional needs.

“Nutritious and delicious”, this option from Ivory Coat was designed specifically for older dogs (7 years and older). As dogs get older, they typically get less active and often start struggling with various health issues. As such, they can benefit from diets that are lower in fat and have a bit of extra fibre to aid their digestive systems.

Compared to Savourlife, which is specifically formulated for puppies, this brand focuses on older dogs which is good because they also need a balanced meal that considers their body's needs in terms of digestion and nutrition.

This is exactly what this formula from Ivory Coat is. In regards to fibre, it includes peas, lentils, and beans which are all highly digestible and rich in fibre. Plus, there is added inulin, pure natural prebiotic fibre.

Other than that, this formula is also rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which keep the coats shiny and support the joint health of ageing canines.

We like how this brand offers balanced nutrition for older dogs, using only natural fibre sources and including some ingredients in their formula to improve our dog's joint health.

Also, we recommend this one because, like the fourth option, it is free from artificial preservatives, so you can ensure that your dog is consuming a healthy meal.

How Much Fibre Is There In My Dog’s Food?

Dietary fibre comes with a host of benefits both for humans and dogs. If you are searching for a dog food high in fibre, you probably already know that. So, we’ll skip the general introduction to the topic of dietary fibre for dogs and go straight to the most important question when it comes to choosing high-fibre dog feed: how do we know how much fibre a dog food formula contains?

Turns out, this question is not as easy to answer as one might imagine. As a pet parent, you probably know that there are usually percentages listed on the back of your dog food package which include protein, fat, and usually (but not always) fibre. The problem is that this number is not a very good indicator of how much actual dietary fibre your dog is eating.

In addition to this, if the numbers on your dog food label are, in fact, the Guaranteed Analysis (the most common although not the only method for expressing nutritional values of dog food), they might not be very exact (2). Crude fibre is listed as a maximum in Guaranteed Analysis, which means there could be any amount of fibre inside the feed in question, the only guarantee is that it does not exceed the percentage listed.

So what is there to do? To give you some comparative idea about how much fibre there is in the dog food formulas on our top list, we still listed the guaranteed analysis percentages, converted to a dry matter basis to make the comparison more relevant (2).

Common Sources of Dietary Fibre In Dog Food

Another way to better understand the fibre contents of a specific dog food is by looking through the ingredient list. The sources of fibre are typically not hard to find. While the exact percentages are not usually listed, looking for fibre-rich ingredients will at least give you a rough idea about the type of fibre included in the formula.

These are the most common fibre-rich ingredients in dog food:

How Much Fibre Do Dogs Need?

Just like most fibre-related questions, this one doesn’t have a straightforward answer either. It seems that everyone agrees that dogs benefit from some fibre in their diet, but no one can give you an exact number.

A commonly quoted number is between 2% and 4% of the total food intake, but more fibre than that seems to work for some pooches too. However, when this number goes over 10% it can start being too much for healthy dogs (especially if we are talking crude fibre, which is a number that does not include all dietary fibre).

Now, there are also therapeutic diets with extremely high fibre contents (well over 10%). They can help treat various conditions, including constipation, managing weight, or even improving diabetes mellitus. However, it’s best to introduce these only in consultation with your veterinarian, just to be safe.

Final Verdict

The best dog food with fibre for your dog? In the end, it will always depend on the specific needs and preferences of your pup. There might even be some trial and error involved because the same thing does not work for every dog.

Take the Petzyo kibble as an example: it’s a great formula with quality ingredients, very well balanced and with a decent amount of fibre. Most healthy dogs will thrive on it, but some canines will benefit from having more fibre in their diet than that. In that case, formulas like Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Weight with an extra high-fibre percentage can work well.

We recommend choosing one according to what your dog needs. It is also best to ask for assistance from your veterinarian in order to find the perfect dog food for your furry companion.

References

1. Heinze, C. R. November 04, 2019. “Fiber Frustrations”. Tufts Petfoodology. Retrieved December 19, 2023. https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2019/11/fiber-frustrations/
2. Freeman, L. M. December 28, 2020. “What Is Guaranteed about the Guaranteed Analysis?”. Tufts Petfoodology. Retrieved December 19, 2023. https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2020/12/what-is-guaranteed-about-the-guaranteed-analysis/
3. Kerns, N. October 19, 2017. “The Facts You Need Before Feeding Your Dog a Fiber Regiment”. Whole Dog Journal. Retrieved December 19, 2023. https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/the-facts-you-need-before-feeding-your-dog-a-fiber-regiment/