The best grain-free dog food in 2026 (with the FDA DCM caveat baked in)

This list comes with a disclaimer that we can’t ignore. In 2018 the FDA opened an investigation into a possible link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious heart condition. The investigation isn’t conclusive. The proposed mechanism keeps shifting. Some studies have pushed back on the link entirely. But the original signal hasn’t been fully ruled out either.

If your dog is healthy and you have no specific reason to feed grain-free, our suggestion is to stay with grain-inclusive food. Read our grain-free DCM guide for the longer version of the reasoning.

If you have a specific reason to feed grain-free (a diagnosed grain allergy, which is rare, or persistent GI symptoms that resolved on grain-free), the brands below are the ones we’d start with. We’ve leaned toward grain-free recipes that don’t use peas, lentils, or chickpeas as the primary protein replacement.

What we look for in a grain-free recipe (given the DCM context)

• Lower legume inclusion. Recipes that don’t lead with peas, lentils, or chickpeas in the first six ingredients.
• Animal protein dominant. The protein should come primarily from named animal sources, not from pea protein or legume protein concentrates.
• Sweet potato or other tuber as the primary carbohydrate. The pattern that wasn’t flagged in the FDA case reports.
• Brand transparency about taurine. The mechanism keeps shifting, but brands that test for and supplement taurine appropriately are taking the issue seriously.
• Clean recall history. Particularly important in the grain-free category given the elevated scrutiny.