Dog owners are getting more and more choosy about what they feed their pets. It’s not from owners being picky for the sake of being picky, though. It’s due to the increased awareness of the importance of feeding a high-quality dog food to our beloved pets.

On my website, Woof Whiskers, I get questions about pet food daily from pet owners. While awareness of the importance of a high quality dog food is growing, it’s getting more difficult to pick out a dog food brand from the growing crowd of companies making all sorts of claims.

The confusion was so great that I actually took the time to analyze over 1,300 dry dog foods this year to learn all I could about the dry dog food industry! In the end, I choose to feed my dog, Sasha, Essence dry dog food.

What Makes Essence a High Quality Dog Food?

Essence has earned a spot on our list of the best dog food brands for a variety of reasons.

• Protein-first philosophy. Our dogs are descendents from wolves and are used to protein-heavy diets and not the junk fillers that many dog foods use. All Essence recipes feature a minimum of 85% animal protein ingredients.

• American Made in their own facilities. Some dog food brands hire out the process of manufacturing their dog food to facilities they don’t operate or control. This can lead to cross-contamination as you don’t know what else is going on in the facility when dog food isn’t being made. Essence owns and operates their facilities in South Dakota and Minnesota.

• Excellent formulas. Essence takes a meat-first approach to crafting dog food formulas given the unique needs of a dog’s diet. My analysis shows that Essence has higher protein, higher fat, and fewer carbohydrates than the industry average dry dog food.

• Ideal for pets with allergies and sensitivities. If your dog has ever had mysterious skin issues from the diet they were on, you know how painful it can be watching your dog in that situation. Essence is free of many common allergens such as grains, peas, and flax seed.

If you’re thinking of switching to Essence, Sasha highly recommends it!