What’s The Best Dog Food For Rottweilers? Reviews & Buyer’s 2022 Guide

Rottweilers are one of the best large breeds with a life expectancy of eight to ten years. This breed makes awesome family pets. They are working dogs that were originally used for herding. Rottweilers are protective of the people they love, which makes them great guard dogs.

Owners of this dog breed often wonder what is the best food for a Rottweiler puppy or adult. In this review, we will guide you through the best dog food for Rottweilers, show you the benefits of each recipe, and offer guidance on feeding pups and seniors.

We already did all the research for you. If you’re in a hurry and just want to see the best dog food for Rottweilers, here are our top choices.

PRODUCT / PRODUCT DETAILS

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PRODUCT DETAILS

1. Taste Of The Wild Wetlands Grain-Free, Roasted Fowl Recipe

Great option to improve your dog's digestive health
Contains ingredients that give your dog a taste of the wild
Best food for Rottweiler puppy
Adequate protein sources for healthy muscles
Provides EPA and DHA

2. Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free, Smoked Salmon Recipe

Does not contain eggs or egg products in the ingredients
Rich in essential fatty acids Rottweilers need
Promotes digestive health
Boosts your dog’s immunity
Fats will keep your dog's skin and coat shiny

3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free, Chicken Recipe

Promotes strong immunity that prevents health issues
Grain-free diet
Natural ingredients make it a good choice for Rotties with sensitive stomachs
Promotes a healthy oxidative balance
Glucosamine and chondroitin promote teeth, joints, and bone health

Top 8 Best Dog Food For Rottweilers

1. Taste Of The Wild Wetlands Grain-Free, Roasted Fowl Recipe

If you are looking for the best dog food for a Rottweiler that is grain-free and protein-rich, this canine diet provides an excellent choice for adults as well as puppies. It comes with duck as the top content and rich source of protein.

Roasted quail, roasted duck, and chicken meal provide glucosamine. Smoked turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, potato protein, and pea protein will also meet the high protein requirements dogs need.

Besides having ingredients like tomato pomace that provide soluble fiber, this dry dog food brand uses its proprietary probiotics that are specifically designed in a way that caters to your dog’s digestive health. The food features 80 million live active cultures. It contains dried chicory root that carries fiber, which provides a means to fuel prebiotic bacteria.

With a variety of quality ingredients like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, blueberries, and raspberries, this dry dog food is rich in antioxidants, and micronutrients like zinc, selenium, and vitamin E as well as essential fatty acids.

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2. Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free, Smoked Salmon Recipe

With salmon as the top ingredient, this formula has quality protein sources and the fish oil provides EPA and DHA omega 3s which are vital to Rottie adults and puppies. It gives your hound a taste of its natural diet while providing adequate nutrition and promoting coat and skin health.

This diet features dried chicory root and millions of live active cultures that take care of your dog’s digestive system. This dry dog food kibble also contains fat and a list of carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, and lentils to keep your dog’s energy levels high. Ingredients like raspberries, tomatoes, and blueberries are great antioxidants.

This large breed dog food contains adequate levels of much-needed micronutrients like zinc, selenium, and vitamins to prevent diseases.

PROS

Does not contain eggs or egg product
Provides a high-quality novel diet with lots of proteins for balanced nutrition
Will keep your dog’s digestive system healthy
Does not contain grain, wheat gluten, fillers, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives

CONS

3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free, Chicken Recipe

This quality dog food has enough proteins to give your adult Rottweiler healthy muscles. The diet comes with the nutritious LifeSource bits that are contained in Blue Buffalo food products. The bits are designed to provide your dog with the much-needed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for a strong immune system.

This high-protein grain-free Rottweiler dog food brand is designed to meet the life stage requirements of your dog. It is made with a variety of natural ingredients that add value to the recipe. This diet features fish meal and flaxseed that provide omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for a shiny coat. Chicken meal promotes healthy bones and joints and better mobility.

Fat and carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, peas, and potatoes will meet the energy requirements of your dog. Fruits like blueberries and cranberries in this dry food provide adequate nutrients for a healthy dog while dried tomato pomace provides the soluble fiber they need.

PROS

Does not contain poultry by-product meal
Does not contain ingredients like corn, wheat, soy, artificial preservatives or flavors
Rich in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for a strong immune system
Promotes strong teeth, bones, and joints

CONS

4. Taste Of The Wild High Prairie Grain-Free, Roasted Bison & Venison Recipe

Your hound will love the roasted flavor in this high-protein recipe. With bison as the main animal protein source and the top ingredient, this diet contains high-quality and easily digestible protein sources like chicken meal and lamb meal that will give your dog strong muscles.

This dry dog food contains the signature K9 Strain Probiotics which are specially formulated to maintain a healthy gut. Each pound of this formula contains 80 million live and active cultures. When combined with the dried chicory root, these probiotics promote a healthy digestive system.

Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and peas are the complex carbohydrates in this recipe that support an active lifestyle and playfulness while keeping calories low to prevent obesity. Ocean fish meal will provide omega fatty acids that will keep your dog’s skin looking sleek.

This large breed dog food will provide the necessary antioxidants, vitamins, and other chelated minerals that meet the nutritional needs of a healthy dog.

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5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula For Adult, Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

This chicken and brown rice recipe meets the nutritional requirement for an adult Rottweiler. It has deboned chicken ingredient as the main protein source, which promotes muscle development in your dog. It does not contain chicken byproduct meal.

This dry food contains a list of natural ingredients like brown rice, oatmeal, barley, alfalfa meal, garden vegetables and fruit that are low in calories and provide the much-needed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to prevent health issues.

The whole grain like brown rice and ingredients like barley, and oatmeal combined with chicken fat form an excellent source of energy for dogs with a high activity level.

This adult dry dog food contains the calcium and phosphorous Rottweilers need for strong bones. It contains flax seeds that will make your dog’s skin shiny and healthy. Glucosamine promotes joint health which is necessary for an adult Rottie. And the best part is that this kibble does not contain allergens like corn, wheat, or soy.

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6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness For Adult Grain-Free, Rocky Mountain With Red Meat Recipe

This high-quality dog food for adult Rottweilers is a great substitute for dogs that are sensitive to chicken ingredients or any other poultry. It comes with high protein sourced from deboned beef that will make your dog strong.

It also contains a variety of meat protein ingredients like beef meal, deboned lamb, venison, and fish meal while alfalfa meal and pea protein provide a plant protein. Canola oil and flax seeds provide a source of omega fatty acids.

This adult dry dog food contains fat, real veggies, and fruits like cranberries that provide a lot of nutrients, antioxidants, and energy canines need to lead a healthy lifestyle. The L-Carnitine will keep your dog from becoming obese while glucosamine will support your dog’s mobility as it gets to the senior stage.

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7. Zignature Zssential Grain-Free, Multi-Protein Formula

This is a limited ingredient formula that is a great food option for Rottweilers with sensitive stomachs. It does not contain allergy triggers like grains, eggs, gluten, corn or corn meal, soy, and tapioca starch. This grain-free recipe also has low-calorie content and does not contain potatoes and chicken.

This adult and puppy dry dog food formula provides animal-based proteins with turkey as the first ingredient. It will give your hound lean muscles. It also contains ingredients like turkey meal, salmon, lamb meal, and duck meal. The recipe also contains supplements like vitamin E that provide the nutrients your dog needs for a long life.

Peas, chickpeas flour, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and the high-fat content from things like salmon oil will meet the energy needs of your dogs. In addition, the Taurine and L-Carnitine also provide a means to keep your Rottweiler’s weight at a healthy level and promote better heart function.

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8. Wellness CORE Grain-Free, Wild Game Duck Recipe

This formula is also one of the best foods for Rottweilers. Rottweilers need high-quality protein that this food provides in ingredients such as duck, lamb meal, chicken meal, wild boar, and rabbit. They promote lean muscles in your dog.

This diet will provide your dog with wholesome nutrition from fruits and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale, carrots, parsley, apples, and blueberries that are low in calories. It also contains vitamin E supplement.

Quality ingredients such as chickpeas, peas, lentils, and chicken fat will give your Rottweiler the energy he needs to be active all day. The formula has few calories and contains things like glucosamine, chondroitin, and taurine for a healthy weight, strong joints, and minimum heart problems.

This adult dry dog food for Rottweilers comes with omega fatty acids from ground flaxseed for healthy fur. Probiotics promote gut health.

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4 Common Health Problems

A fact about Rotties is that they are prone to many health issues common to a large breed. You can reduce the occurrence of these health problems by sourcing your dog from a trusted breeder who has eliminated specimens that have health issues from the specimen pool.

Make sure you stick to foods for Rottweilers that are nutritious and balanced. You can also go for Eukanuba breed-specific dog foods that will keep your Rottweiler healthy. By learning the nutrients your dog needs at every stage, you can keep it healthy.

1. Bloat

Deep-chested breeds are at the highest risk of bloating, and Rottweilers fall under this category. Bloat is a painful and life-threatening condition that is characterized by a swollen stomach that can be filled with gas or fluids.

The dog will appear to be in distress and will drool, pace, or retch without vomiting. Pet owners are advised to rush to a veterinarian immediately they suspect this condition.

Bloat can result from:

Overeating
Eating too fast, which causes the dog to swallow a lot of air
Drinking too much water before or after a strenuous exercise and before or after eating. Dry dog food, especially, can cause it

Go for diets that support a regular elimination schedule and reduces gas and bloating. A formula like Holistic Select is a good option for reducing stomach bloat.

2. Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a common problem in large and giant dog breeds, and Rottweilers being a large breed, are prone to this painful genetic disorder. It occurs when the hip bone and hip socket fail to develop or fit properly in what is known as osteochondritis dissecans. [1] They rub and grind together instead of sliding smoothly. In a severe form, joint problems can cause arthritis.

Symptoms are decreased movement and activity. You will notice reduced thigh muscle mass, stiffness, reluctance to rise, jump, run, or climb stairs. The dog may also show lameness in the hind leg or have a swaying or “bunny hopping” walk. Rotties are also prone to getting elbow dysplasia.

If you got your pet from a responsible breeder, they will have received clearance from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) on all specimens. These clearance rules out conditions like joint diseases, spinal stenosis, and others before breeding.

You can also avoid exercises that stress the hip area, and keep your dog at a healthy pup or adult weight by using dog food with low-calorie content. Go for dog foods for Rottweilers that provide a diet rich in calcium, glucosamine, and chondroitin for proper bone development.

Eukanuba breed specific dog food, for instance, can provide the nutrients your dog needs to be healthy. They also have a 3D dental defense system for oral health.

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3. Osteosarcomas

Rottweilers are prone to osteosarcomas, i.e. bone cancer. Studies show a link between its occurrence and spaying and neutering dogs at an early age. Bone tumors have also been linked to the height and weight of a dog.

It is characterized by intermittent lameness and swelling at the site of the tumor that is painful, red, and hot to the touch. Treatment can involve surgery, amputation, or chemotherapy.

4. Hypothyroidism

This is a condition common to medium and large breed dogs of middle age, and Rotties being a large breed are often victims. In hypothyroidism, the Rottie experiences low thyroid levels due to inflammation or shrinking of the thyroid gland.

Rotties with hypothyroidism show symptoms like weakness, loss or thinning of hair, excess shedding or scaling, inability to tolerate cold, and irregular heat cycles in females. Thyroid medication can correct the problem. You should also go for breed-specific dog food suitable for hypothyroidism that is minimally processed, such as whole foods.

The dog food should also be high in antioxidants, and offer plenty of the micronutrients Rottweilers need like vitamin A and D, iodine, zinc, selenium, and iron. A product like alfalfa meal is also known to help with thyroid problems.

Important Features to Consider

Here is a Rottweiler feeding guide that will ensure your Rottweiler is getting the nutrients they need for complete wellness.

Animal Proteins

Your best friend will need a diet rich in animal protein to build and maintain lean muscle mass. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and aid in the development of tissues and the production of hormones.

Make sure animal meats and meat meals are on top of the ingredient list of the dog food you choose. Some common meat sources are deboned chicken, beef, or turkey. Chicken is especially low in calories but pork should be given in small amounts due to its high-fat content.

Many pet parents worry that whole proteins carry high-water content which when removed, causes the protein to occur further down the ingredient list of the dog food. And this reduces the amount of amino acids the dog gets.

They, therefore, prefer to have meat meals, like chicken meal, pork meal, or salmon meal as the first ingredient. This is okay as long as the meat ingredients used in the meat meal have been identified.

Consider feeding your Rottweiler the best dog foods with an average protein percentage of 25-35%. Given that Rotties develop slowly and take an extra six months compared to other breeds to reach full maturity, giving him excessive proteins may undermine his natural growth.

The best dog foods will not contain animal byproducts like chicken by-product meal. These proteins may be from animal sources but they lack the kind of complex profiles of amino acids pure animals carry.

Antioxidants

The best dog food will contain antioxidants that provide health benefits like protecting the cells of your pup from harmful free radicals. They will also strengthen their immune system. Antioxidants can help your Rottweiler fight serious health problems, such as cancer which is common with this breed.

Things like natural colorful fruits and vegetables are excellent for your pooch. Food ingredients such as sweet potato and carrot can give your dog plenty of beta carotene, which is also a great antioxidant.

Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help your Rottweiler have a healthy intestinal tract by combating bad bacteria and facilitating proper digestion. Probiotics will also help your Rottie become regular in pooping.

The best dog food Rottweiler will contain a variety of these beneficial bacteria that dogs need and plenty of prebiotics like beet pulp to support the growth of good bacteria.

Vitamins And Minerals

Essential vitamins and minerals are necessary in Rottweilers’ food for proper cell function, metabolic processes, and blood flow. Vitamin A in dog foods for Rottweilers is especially helpful in preventing progressive retinal atrophy, which leads to blindness.

The list of ingredients in dog foods for Rottweilers should contain things like liver, fish liver oil, egg yolks, sweet potato, carrots, green beans, spinach, and kale which provide vitamin A, folic acid, and other much-needed vitamins and nutrients.

Being a large breed, minerals like calcium present in the best dog foods will keep your Rottweiler’s bones strong without causing an overgrowth. Excessive calcium has been known to cause osteochondritis dissecans in large breeds.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids are necessary for a healthy heart, strong immune system, and a shiny coat. While Omega 6 fatty acids are present in most meats, fats like sunflower oil and vegetable-based products, Omega 3s come from fish oils in fatty fish like herring and some seeds like flaxseed.

However, dogs have to turn the Omega 3 fatty acids in plant sources, which is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are the types of fatty acids present in fish oil. And since dogs’ bodies are not efficient in this conversion, the best food for Rottweiler dog will have fatty fish as the source of Omega 3s.

Tips For Feeding A Rottweiler

The basic rule applied in a Rottweiler food chart is that the amount of food you give your Rottie per day should be two to three percent of his body weight. For example, for a Rottie of adult size weighing 200 pounds, you can give him four to six pounds of dog food per day.

You can provide any amount of food in this range depending on the size, age, activity level, and health condition of the adult dog and the type of dog food. Going above this range of your dog’s calorie needs puts your Rottie at the risk of obesity. You can also get a vet’s recommendation on the number of times and amount of food to feed him.

Rottweilers tend to eat fast, which causes bloating. One way dog owners can prevent this is by feeding the Rottweiler using a small feeder or increasing the number of times you feed him.

Come up with a means to feed him two small meals instead of one big one. In addition, go for Rottie food with large-sized kibble to encourage more chewing, a crunchy texture will prevent plaque and tartar buildup.

The feeding schedule of a pup is different. For a Rottweiler pup between 3 and 8 weeks, feed four times a day. If he is between two and six months, feed three meals a day. You can find a way to feed the puppy every five to six hours and give a healthy snack like puppy chow in between meals.

The best Rottweiler puppy food will contain a nutrient profile of 23-25% proteins, 12-15% fats, 1.2-1.5% calcium, and small kibble size.

You should dig up information on pet food recalls when choosing food for your Rottweiler. For instance, the massive recall that happened in 2007 affected trusted food brands like Royal Canin and Nutro max.

According to the FDA, there was reason to believe that some of the food in the ingredient lists of these brands that had been imported into the USA from China were killing dogs and cats.

Before making the purchase, you should also find information about the brand from dog food reviews. Candid reviews will provide vital information on contents like byproducts, artificial colors, and other negative features in the recipe. A review will also give you an idea of what to expect from the food.

Check the food label for details on the food’s shelf life, feeding recommendations, and ingredients that can cause food sensitivities in your pet. Stuff like the protein profile of the food, fiber sources, and whether the food is an adult recipe, puppy recipe, or senior recipe will also influence your choice in pet food.

You should also pay attention to the health conditions of your pooch and diet requirements. A diet with a blend of human-grade ingredients is also a great option if you want improved vitality and strong immunity in your Rottweiler.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Rottweilers high maintenance?

No, Rottweilers are not high maintenance. They require minimal grooming. Brushing the short fur every few days and giving an occasional bath will do.

Can I feed my Rottweiler raw meat?

Yes, you can feed your Rottweiler raw meats. It is a high protein diet that is rich in fats. But it’s not a good idea if your Rottie has kidney and liver failure, pancreatitis, immunosuppressive diseases, digestive issues, or is undergoing chemotherapy. Puppies also should not be fed raw meats.

The FDA recommends ensuring that your Rottie is getting enough phosphorous and calcium during the raw meat ingredient diet. It is best to keep an eye on him to prevent choking on bones. Do not mix raw food diet with processed dog foods.

How do I keep my Rottweiler healthy?

You can keep your Rottweiler healthy by providing nutrient-rich dog food with adequate fats and carbs for energy. Exercise him daily and watch him closely for signs of health problems. Schedule regular visits to the veterinary to check the well being of your Rottie.

Conclusion

One of the best dogs you can have at home is a Rottweiler. Rottweiler diet, like food for all other breeds, should have a wide variety of nutrients sources that promote health and wellness in your Rottie’s body.

It should have plenty of fiber for proper digestion and gut wellness, fats, and carbs for energy, proteins, and the much-needed vitamins and minerals, which is why our top choice is: Taste Of The Wild Wetlands Grain-Free, Roasted Fowl Recipe. You should also exercise your dog daily and keep in mind the health problems many Rotties face.

Editor's Choice

Taste Of The Wild Wetlands Grain-Free, Roasted Fowl Recipe

Great option to improve your dog's digestive health
Contains ingredients that give your dog a taste of the wild
Best food for Rottweiler puppy
Adequate protein sources for healthy muscles
Provides EPA and DHA

Kathy R. Conner

Kathy is a licensed veterinary surgeon and writer in Miami. With over 20 years of experience in deal with pets and small animal, she hopes to share her knowledge on what she learned throughout her life to all animal lover. On her free time, she likes to attend Yoga and Meditation classes.

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