Admin A gentle giant, the Rhodesian Ridgeback is a beloved family member in many households around the world. These medium-large-sized, sweet, and sensitive dogs are equally intelligent and energetic, making them the perfect friend, playmate, and jogging partner if that’s your thing. They’re also a healthy breed for the most part, with a lifespan averaging 10–12 years.
In terms of health issues, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are prone to joint issues1 like hip and elbow dysplasia. They also love nothing more than playing and exercising, so picking out high-quality dog food to support their joints and energy level is key.
If you’re not sure where to start, these reviews are a round-up of our top recommendations for Rhodesian Ridgebacks. If your Rhodesian Ridgeback has health issues, we recommend running any dietary changes by your vet first to make sure the new food would suit them.
It’s also a good idea to bear in mind that not every type of food will be suitable for every dog as every dog is an individual with unique needs. While we chose these products based on largely positive reviews, there’s no cast-iron guarantee that a product will sit well with your dog or that they’ll enjoy it.
A Glance at Our Winners in 2023
The 10 Best Dog Foods for Rhodesian Ridgebacks
1. Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall
| Main ingredients | Beef, chicken, turkey, or lamb (depends on the recipe), various vegetables (depends on the recipe) |
| Protein content | Baked food 26% min, Fresh recipes – 10–12% (varies by recipe) |
| Fat content | Baked food – 16% min, Fresh recipes – 5–10% (varies by recipe) |
| Calories | Baked food – 3850 kcal ME/kg, Fresh recipes – varies by recipe |
If you’re looking for the convenience of having your dog’s food delivered to your door on a scheduled basis, you should consider Ollie Fresh Dog Food. Ollie is a dog food delivery service specializing in baked and fresh recipes. By taking a quick quiz on Ollie’s website, you can get personalized meal recommendations based on your dog’s calculated optimum calories per day, their activity level, age, breed, and what they like or don’t.
Ollie also takes into account any allergies or sensitivities your dog may have. The fresh recipes are made up of high-quality protein sources (beef, lamb, chicken, and turkey) depending on the flavor your dog likes best and are packed with healthy fruits and veggies like sweet potatoes, kale, butternut squash, blueberries, and cranberries.
Ollie is our overall best dog food for Rhodesian Ridgebacks pick for its high-quality ingredients and personalized approach.
2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free – Best Value
| Main ingredients | Deboned chicken, chicken meal, peas, pea protein |
| Protein content | 34% min |
| Fat content | 15% min |
| Calories | 3599 kcal/kg, 409 kcal/cup |
This grain-free chicken recipe by Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dry Dog Food is our best dog food for Rhodesian Ridgebacks for the money recommendation. High in protein (34% min), nutritionist-developed, and formulated to keep dogs as healthy and active as possible, we think this is an option worth considering for energetic Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
The first ingredient is real chicken followed by chicken meal—we like that the meal protein source is named, which is a good indicator of quality. It also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and LifeSource Bits, which are an antioxidant blend in the form of small kibble pieces. On the downside, some dogs weren’t keen on the LifeSource bit and picked them out.
3. Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Mobility Large Breed
| Main ingredients | Chicken meal, brewers rice, whole grain sorghum, brown rice |
| Protein content | 17% min, 28% max |
| Fat content | 12% min |
| Calories | 367 kcal/cup |
Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Mobility is designed to support your dog’s joint and hip health. Chicken meal is the main ingredient followed by brewer’s rice, and the recipe also contains EPA from fish oil. EPA is good for keeping your dog’s joint cartilage in good shape, which in turn helps keep them mobile and active.
This recipe has received plenty of reviews from happy customers citing how well it went down even with finicky eaters and some say that there have been notable improvements mobility-wise. Of course, not every dog enjoyed it. A few users weren’t happy with the kibble size and found it too large for their dogs. As Rhodesian Ridgebacks are pretty large, though, it might be a good fit.
4. Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Food
| Main ingredients | Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain sorghum, whole grain brown rice |
| Protein content | 26% min |
| Fat content | 14% |
| Calories | 3622 kcal/kg, 379 kcal/cup |
For puppies, we recommend this large breed recipe by Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Food. Formulated for puppies up to 18 months of age, it’s made with real chicken and other ingredients include kale, and spinach—two vitamin-packed vegetables that are a source of iron, antioxidants, and beta-carotene.
This formula also contains DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids to support brain health and glucosamine and chondroitin to support the developing joints. Some users found that this recipe was helpful for their puppies with sensitive stomachs, so it may be a good choice for puppies with digestive problems. Some users praised the quality of the food but commented that their dogs just weren’t keen on the flavor.
5. Merrick Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients | Deboned salmon, chicken meal, brown rice, barley |
| Protein content | 25% min |
| Fat content | 16% min |
| Calories | 3739 kcal/kg, 396 kcal/cup ME |
Our fifth choice for Rhodesian Ridgebacks is this Merrick Healthy Grains salmon recipe which is made with brown rice and ancient grains including quinoa. This is another recipe containing glucosamine and chondroitin for joint and hip health and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to help keep the skin and coat shiny and healthy.
Best of all—it’s made with real deboned salmon, which is great for immunity and fighting inflammation. It’s also a good source of protein which keeps the muscles in good shape. According to positive user reviews, the kibble size is perfect and it’s a good choice for picky eaters. Others found the kibble size too small for larger dogs.
6. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Food
| Main ingredients | Salmon, barley, rice, oatmeal |
| Protein content | 26% min |
| Fat content | 12% min |
| Calories | 3,511 kcal/kg, 373 kcal/cup |
If your Rhodesian Ridgeback has a sensitive stomach or skin, you might want to consider this Purina Pro Plan formula designed for dogs with these issues. It contains natural prebiotics, live probiotics, and oatmeal to aid digestion, as oatmeal is especially easy on the stomach. Sunflower oil is a source of omega-6 and nutrient-packed real salmon is the first ingredient.
Some happy users commented that this recipe worked well for their sensitive dogs and that they spotted a reduction in unpleasant symptoms like itchy skin and diarrhea. Others weren’t so happy about a possible recent formula change and found the kibble too powdery.
7. Wellness Complete Health Adult Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients | Lamb, lamb meal, oatmeal, ground barley |
| Protein content | 24% min |
| Fat content | 12% min |
| Calories | 3,655 kcal/kg, 417 kcal/cup ME |
This Wellness Complete Health Adult Lamb & Barley recipe is, as its name suggests, formulated to support your dog’s whole-body health—immunity, skin, coat, eyes, teeth, gums, and the digestive tract. It contains antioxidant-rich blueberries and spinach, flaxseeds for an omega boost, and added taurine, vitamins, and minerals.
Lots of users commented on the flavor and how much it was enjoyed by their dogs and praised the kibble size. Some dogs weren’t keen on the flavor, but this can happen with new foods. If your dog has a chicken allergy, we recommend staying away from this recipe as even though lamb is the main ingredient, it still contains chicken fat.
8. Purina One Natural Smart Blend Dry Food
| Main ingredients | Lamb, rice flour, whole grain corn, whole grain wheat |
| Protein content | 26% min |
| Fat content | 16% min |
| Calories | 3,972 kcal/kg, 380 kcal/cup |
This Purina One formula is another recipe supporting overall health. The first ingredient is real lamb—a quality protein source to support muscle development. Vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, and selenium support the immune system. If your dog isn’t a fan of lamb, there are other flavors available, including chicken.
It appears that most reviewers would recommend this product, with many praising the great taste and how their dogs can’t wait to wolf it down. Negative reviews mostly point to dogs not enjoying it, but this is always a risk we run with new foods. It’s also important to be aware that this product contains chicken by-product meal as well as lamb, so it’s not a good choice for dogs with poultry allergies.
9. Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie with Ancient Grains Recipe
| Main ingredients | Water buffalo, pork, chicken meal, grain sorghum |
| Protein content | 32% min |
| Fat content | 18% min |
| Calories | 3,920 kcal/kg, 445 kcal/cup |
Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie is a popular dog food brand that creates high-protein recipes based on what dogs would be eating in the wild. As such, this formula is made with a range of meat sources—water buffalo, pork, chicken meal, and roasted bison—and ancient grains. So, if your dog has exotic tastes beyond the standard protein sources typically included in dog foods, this one might be worth a shot!
Judging by the user reviews, this formula went down a treat with plenty of dogs, with tastiness and the quality of the ingredients being cited as two of its winning points. Some users found that it didn’t sit well with their dogs, though, and it’s important to note that this recipe contains chicken meal, so be careful if your dog has poultry allergies.
10. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe
| Main ingredients | Turkey, turkey broth, turkey liver, carrots |
| Protein content | 8% min |
| Fat content | 6% min |
| Calories | 1,194 kcal/kg, 421 kcal/cup |
If your Rhodesian Ridgeback is more of a wet food fan, you might want to give this Blue Buffalo turkey recipe the once over. Apart from turkey, it contains a variety of garden vegetables including peas and sweet potatoes. Two things we can really appreciate about this wet food are that it can be offered as a meal or treat and that it contains no by-product meals—an indicator of high quality.
According to reviews, plenty of users’ furry friends are enjoying this recipe, and some especially appreciated that it’s made with turkey instead of chicken for a change. As with almost every product, though, a few users commented that their dogs weren’t happy with the taste and texture, and some complained of cans arriving dented.
Buyer’s Guide: Picking the Best Dog Food for Rhodesian Ridgebacks
When it comes to choosing suitable dog food for your Rhodesian Ridgeback, it’s easy to feel bowled over by all the options on the market. The easiest way to choose a brand is to narrow your options down based on a few factors, including:
If you’re ever uncertain or have any doubts about the best kind of food for your dog, your vet is the best person to ask. They’ll be able to recommend brands they trust and that they consider best for your dog’s needs.
Conclusion
To recap our top picks if you’re still a little on the fence, we chose Ollie’s dog food delivery service, which uses high-quality ingredients and offers customized meal recommendations as our best overall choice. Our best value pick was the protein-rich Blue Buffalo’s chicken recipe from its Wilderness range and we went for the Hill’s Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility Large Breed Recipe as our third pick.
We picked these products based on their suitability for large breeds, their high-quality protein sources and ingredients, mostly excellent user reviews, and, in some cases, their potential health benefits like joint care and mobility. We hope you’ve found these reviews useful and can click away with at least one perfect food for your smart, sweet Rhodesian Ridgeback in mind!
Featured Image Credit: Couleur, Pixabay
