The Best 10 High Fiber Foods For Your Dog

Introducing high-fiber foods for your dog has lots of health benefits. But finding a high-fiber dog food that your dog will actually eat can be difficult.

We know. Some dogs can be picky when it comes to healthier dog food. Every dog wishes that garbage dog food had nutritional value. But it doesn’t. And you value your pet’s health, so check out our buying tips and list of the best high fiber foods for dogs.

If you want to go a step further, consider Rogue Pet Science's awesome fiber food toppers pumpkin for dogs and turmeric for dogs. We use these dog food toppers every day at home and know your dog will benefit too!

Benefits of High Fiber Dog Food

There are loads of benefits in feeding your dog high-fiber dog food:

Regulates bowel movements
Prevents constipation
Helps weight management
Builds the immune system
Reduces bloating
Fortifies against illness and infection
Lower risk for colon cancer

And The American Kennel Club states that fiber can improve Diabetes Mellitus. But not all fiber is created equal. Certain fibers are better for your dog’s health.

Check Your Labels for Fiber

You want a high fiber dog food that is high in insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is the best because it reduces bloating, relieves constipation, and ensures regular bowel movements. Veterinary therapeutic diets often contain high amounts of insoluble fiber.

It also helps with weight management for dogs. Dogs love to eat. Their stomachs are bottomless pits. When dogs eat dog food rich in insoluble fiber, it expands their digestive system, so they feel fuller sooner, making them less likely to overeat. Fiber helps dogs feel fuller longer, which is great if they have restricted diets due to health concerns.

Most dog food labels list dietary fiber as crude fiber. This is an old but standard way of measuring fiber, so it can be challenging to learn how much insoluble fiber your dog is actually getting.

Choosing High Fiber Foods for Your Dog Improves Their Health

Adding high fiber dog food, supplements, treats, and food toppers to your dog’s diet will dramatically improve your dog’s health. It will help manage their weight, regulate bowel movements, and build a stronger immune system, contributing to a longer lifespan.

Rogue Pet Science uses only proven ingredients to create all-natural pet supplements and vitamins to improve your dog’s overall nutrition and gut health. Rogue Pet Science offers natural, high fiber, and nutritious dog treats and supplements to improve the health of your dog.

Want to improve your dog’s skin, coat, joints, and digestion? Rogue Pet Science offers many products that will enhance your dog’s gut health.

Fiber for Dogs: The Best Natural Fiber Sources

There are many natural sources you can feed your dog to make sure they get the extra fiber in its diet. We've listed some of the best natural fiber sources:

Beet Pulp

Found in many high-fiber dog foods, beet pulp is a stringy, colorless byproduct of sugar beet that contains a crude fiber content of between 11-19%. Because it is easily digested, it is a common ingredient in dog food.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin puree is another delicious natural source of fiber for dogs. Use pumpkin puree as a food topper to your dog’s food for extra fiber. Pumpkin puree has 7.1 grams of dietary fiber per cup. But when you first introduce pumpkin to your dog’s diet, do it a teaspoon at a time to make sure it sits well with your dog’s digestion.

Want an easy way to add pumpkin to your dog’s diet? Shop Rogue Pet Science” s Pumpkin Pro for Dogs, an easy-to-use pumpkin powder that can help your dog’s digestion and stress management issues.

Ground Flaxseed

Ground flaxseed contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for your dog’s skin, coat, nervous system, and brain, and also includes 2 grams of fiber for every tablespoon. You can easily add a tablespoon to your dog’s food by:

Sprinkling onto their food.
Mixing it with peanut butter.
Rolling it into a ball for an easy treat.

Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens are an excellent low-calorie source of fiber. For every cup of dark greens, there are 0.6-2 grams of fiber. If your dog likes to eat dark greens, then cut the greens up small for them to digest easily. Unfortunately, iceberg lettuce isn’t an adequate source for fiber.

Apples

Apple slices are a fantastic way to add extra fiber to your dog’s diet. One medium apple contains about 3 grams of fiber. Apples also help clean your dog’s teeth. But be careful not to give your dog too many slices for their weight and size and never feed them the core or seeds.

Carrots

Baby carrots are healthy natural snacks for dogs that are high in fiber. Containing 2.8 grams of fiber, carrots are an easy treat to add fiber to your dog’s diet. And carrots have been proven to improve your dog’s liver and kidney function.

Brown Rice

While recent trends for grain-free food are popular for dogs, research shows that grains are actually an excellent fiber and protein source for dogs. Brown rice is a high-quality natural source of fiber for dogs, containing just over 3 grams of fiber per cup.

The 10 Best High Fiber Foods for Dogs

Finding the right high fiber foods that your dog will want to eat is difficult. Here’s our list the top ten best high fiber foods for dogs that are dog-approved:

1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Dry Dog Food

The Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Dry Dog Food is rich in vitamins, omegas, and fiber. It also contains high-quality protein and wholesome whole grains.

2. Rogue Pet Science Pumpkin for Dogs

The Pumpkin Pro Food Topper is an excellent source of fiber to increase nutritional diversity and manage loose stools. Made from pumpkin, fermented turmeric root, fermented ginger root, and acacia gum that is organic and human-grade whole food.

It helps reduce stress and helps your animal get control of their loose stools almost overnight. For animals with sensitive stomachs, this food topper is a staple.

The Pumpkin Pro Food Topper is an excellent source of fiber to increase nutritional diversity and manage loose stools. It is made from pumpkin, fermented turmeric root, fermented ginger root, and acacia gum which is organic and human-grade whole food.

It helps reduce stress and helps your animal get control of their loose stools almost overnight. For animals with sensitive stomachs, this food topper is a staple.

Not sure if fiber is right for your dog? Read Rogue Pet Science’s Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about dog nutrition.

3. Purina Pro Plan with Probiotics Shredded Blend High Protein Dry Dog Food

Purina’s Pro Plan dog food uses a high-protein formula with real chicken as the first ingredient. It contains 4% crude fiber and includes several essential vitamins and a probiotic. It also has a great flavor that dogs love.

4. Bernie’s Perfect Poop Health Supplement

As a 4-in-1 health supplement, it combines high fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes to boost your pet’s digestive system. It helps to heal and maintain a happy gut by relieving digestive issues and bolstering your pet’s immune system.

5. Taste of the Wild Grain-Free High Prairie Natural Dry Dog Food

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Natural Dry Dog Food is made with real bison meat, vitamins, omegas, probiotics, fruits, and vegetables. It is a grain-free formula that is highly digestible.

6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain-Free Adult Dog Food

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Adult Dog Food is made with real salmon, vegetables, omegas, fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. It contains 6% crude fiber and is a favorite among dogs.

7. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food for Sensitive Stomach and Skin

A favorite among veterinarians, Hill’s Science Diet uses a prebiotic fiber to improve gut health. The highly digestible dog food is formulated and packed with vitamins and omegas to improve coat and strengthen heart health.

Want to improve your pet’s skin, coat, joints, and digestion? Rogue Pet Science has an Origins 5 in 1 food topper that will enhance your dog’s gut health.

8. Crave Grain Free High Protein Adult Dry Dog Food

The Crave Grain Free High Protein Adult Dry Dog Food is made with salmon and other ocean fish to have 34% high protein. It’s formulated for small to medium size dogs. It contains 3.5% crude fiber.

9. Stewart Dog Biscuits

Stewart Dog Biscuits are a high, insoluble fiber supplement made from peanut hulls. The fiber dog biscuit helps the dog feel fuller faster and adds bulk to your pet’s diet. Stewart Dog Biscuits are specially designed for dogs with special needs and restrictive diets.

10. Zesty Paws Probiotic Bites for Dogs

The Zesty Paws Probiotic Bites for Dogs is a digestive supplement to regulate bowel movements and relieve an upset stomach. These small probiotic chews are easy to digest and very tasty.

Do Dogs Really Need Added Fiber?

Most dogs already get enough fiber from their diet naturally since most dog foods contain adequate fiber sources. However, some breeds may need more fiber, depending on their digestion. You should consult with your veterinarian to determine if your dog needs more fiber in its diet.

While fiber can aid your dog’s digestion and relieve constipation; fiber can also cause gas and diarrhea if your dog has too much fiber. It’s a delicate balance. That’s why it is so important to talk to your vet to find out if more fiber is right for your dog.

How Much Fiber Does My Dog Need?

Most dogs need about 2-4% of their diet to contain fiber. But you’ll want to talk to your vet if your breed needs more or less. This is something you really shouldn’t diagnose on your own. Too much fiber can do damage too.

Soluble Fiber vs Insoluble Fiber

Dietary fibers are increasingly recognized as an important functional ingredient in pet food given their interactive role with the intestinal environment and the influence to the microbiome. The main distinctions in functionality are between soluble versus insoluble fibers or fermentable versus non-fermentable fibers.

These different kinds of dietary fibers are equally important to cats and dogs and can be found in many different plant-based ingredients. The two types of dietary fibers have specific functionality and unique benefits that should be taken into account, such as health benefit association, total fiber content and composition, palatability, and technical properties.

Soluble fibers - Prebiotic effects

“Soluble fibers able to be broken down by gut microbes to make beneficial biomolecules not made or sourced elsewhere”

Soluble fibers dissolve in water and gastrointestinal fluids when they enter the stomach and intestines and are fermented in the large intestine to become a substrate for the ‘good’ microflora in the gut. These beneficial microflorae ferment the fibers into volatile short-chain fatty acids, resulting in an increase in their population in the gastrointestinal tract.

This process is described as a prebiotic effect and has specific benefits for the health and well-being of cats and dogs. Prebiotics, in general, contribute to the diverse and balanced gut microbiota, which reinforces the natural defensive response to pathogenic and toxigenic bacteria. Thus prebiotics offers an effective reinforcement against digestive disorders, such as diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease.

They help the animal to digest food more efficiently. Prebiotics acts as food for probiotics, which can also be added to pet food directly. After the body has digested these, postbiotics are formed, which include nutrients, antimicrobial peptides that slow down the growth of harmful bacteria, and volatile short-chain fatty acids that aid healthy bacteria to flourish. Soluble dietary fibers for use in pet food are available from different plant-based sources, such as carrots, oats, peas, beans, apples, and beets.

Prebiotics can also be found in certain specific ingredients, such as Miscanthus grass, which contains Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) prebiotics. An exception among plant-based sources of prebiotics are galactooligosaccharides (GOS), which are non-digestible, soluble fibers manufactured from lactose (milk sugar) in cow’s milk, and are also known as second-generation prebiotics. A specific benefit of GOS is that they help to reduce fecal odor.

The most notable post-biotic derived from probiotics processing soluble fiber is the fatty acid called butyric acid. Its role in keeping the “tight gap junction” of the intestinal lining closed is critically important to the health of the pet…..

Insoluble fiber - Intestinal motility & bowel function

“ Insoluble fiber sources are not able to be broken down by digestion or the microbes in the GI tract and serve as bio as to help food pass through the intestinal tract “

As opposed to soluble fibers, insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water or gastrointestinal fluids and pass through the intestinal digestive tract fully or mostly intact. As an indigestible material, insoluble, non-fermentable fibers have no intrinsic nutritional value. They contribute to good gut health, however, by stimulating bowel functioning and aiding digestion and regularity. Insoluble fibers stick to other by-products of digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby stimulating intestinal tract movement and the processing of waste.

Due to their excellent water-retention capacity, insoluble fibers help to regulate the consistency and water content of stools. Acting like a sponge, they can either retain fluid to soften the stool or absorb water to add form to the stool. This helps to prevent both constipation and diarrhea, results in better stool quality, and helps to prevent anal gland problems. Insoluble fibers can also be used for weight management by adding bulk to pet food.

Depending on the specific length of the fiber, insoluble fibers can have additional benefits, including helping to keep teeth clean and feline hairball control. Fibers of the right length have the ability to bind loose hairs in the stomach, causing them to pass along into the duodenum and through the digestive system until the hairs and fibers are finally excreted with the feces. This decreases the need for cats to eject hairs from the stomach by vomiting them as hairballs.

Depending on the type of fiber, insoluble fibers may partially ferment into short-chain fatty acids that stimulate the ‘good’ microflora in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby acting like a prebiotic. By far the highest amount of insoluble fibers can be found in purified cellulose powder, wood fibers from which the lignins and hemicellulose have been removed through a so-called sulfate process. Due to the chemical process used to produce purified cellulose powder, however, it is not always considered a fully natural product.

Insoluble dietary fibers for use in pet food are also available from a range of different natural sources, such as miscanthus grass, wheat bran, corn fiber, beet pulp, soybean hulls, carrot, or seaweed.

Functional Fruit and or vegetable fibers

Different kinds of pomaces are derived from fruits or vegetables from side streams from human ingredient processing for juice extractions. Plenty of beneficial vitamins and other bioactive compounds remanded in the pomace fraction aside from the beneficial fiber ratios

Tomato pomace contains 36% dietary fiber with most of it insoluble fiber

Contains lycopodium which has antioxidant properties
Adds specific flavors to help with taste

KC Strips, KC bites are both soft jerky formulas developed by Rogue Pet Science that uses human-grade tomato pomace as part of the old-world German formula that created the unique taste of their treats.

Apple Fiber contains 63% insoluble fiber

a strong source of pectin, vitamin A, and vitamin C

Rogue Pet Science developed the most multi-functional fiber product for gut-related stress issues in their Pumpkin Pro product, which contains fermented and non-fermented fiber sources that include apple pomace to add flavor and small natural sources of micro-nutrients. This upgraded formula will be availed in early 2022.

Carrot fiber as a Functional Ingredient

natural source of carotene, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants
Carrot fiber still carries accessible macro-level nutrients (5% crude protein & 21% carbohydrates)
helps with gut content hydration which aids in gut motility (i.e. keeping the food mass moving through the pipe) with rehydration of 1 to 26% retention value

Specific benefits of Fermented Oats

1,4 beta-glucan
helps maintain blood sugar levels in pets and aids in maintaining normal fat levels in the blood, specifically cholesterol

Beneficial product inclusion examples

No pre-fermented products are on the market at this time. Rogue Pet Science will be the first to have pre-fermented oats blended with their innovative Fermented Greens Plus product launching in 2022

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