5 best dog food brands in Japan

If you’ve just moved to Japan and own a dog, getting the very best dog food is necessary. 

Also, if you’re in the country by yourself and are looking for some companionship, a dog is a remarkable option. 

They’re cute, loyal, and very amenable to people and what’s more, you’ll probably get along with everyone because Japan is a dog-loving society. 

For the Japanese, dogs are a national treasure. Not only are they spiritually significant, but they’re also adored by the local population and an increasingly important part of life for a large aging population.

While getting the right dog accessories can significantly enhance your likeability and social acceptance in Japan, you also need to nourish your pet properly so it stays healthy all the time.

In addition to this, if you work outside and spend a lot of time doing so, a happy dog is a great gift to come home to. 

With the right type of dog food, you can get a happy dog every single day. To that end, find below a list of some of the very best options for dog nutrition available in Japan.

5 Best dog food brands In Japan: A Quick Look.

Royal Canaan Digestive support for dogs:

Weight: 3kg
Main Ingredients: Rice, meat
Resolves: Diarrhea, Hyperlipidemia
Vitamins: B6, B1, A, B2, B12, D3
Shelf life: 2 months

Mog Wan Dog Food:

Weight: 1.8kg
Main Ingredients: Chicken, Fruits
Storage: Cool, dry place
Vitamins: A, D3, E
Shelf life: 18 months

Orijen (origin) Original 2kg dog food:

Weight: 0.34kg, 2kg, 5kg, 11.3kg 
Main Ingredients: Chicken, Turkey
Storage: Cool, dark place
Nutritional Additives: Zinc Chelate
Shelf life: 15 months

Iams Proactive Health for Adult Dogs Dog Food:

Weight: 1.2kg, 5kg, 12kg
Main Ingredients: Chicken, Corn
Vitamins: A, B1, B2, B6, B12, D3, E..
Storage: Cool, dry and dark place
Shelf life: 16 months

Science Diet Food for Small Dogs:

Weight: 0.75kg, 1.5kg, 3kg
Main Ingredients: Chicken, Corn ..
Vitamins: B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D3, E
Storage: Cool, dry and dark place
Refrigeration: Two days
Dog Weight: 10 kg and less

Dog food brands in Japan: More Details.

Royal Canaan Digestive Support Dog food:

If you’re in Japan and are looking for a stomach friendly option that’ll guarantee your dogs health and vitality, then the Royal Canaan is the best dog food for you. 

While there are many options available in Japan, you’ll probably want to buy foods that carry all the vital minerals and vitamins that your dog needs.

Great for travelling dogs

If you’ve travelled with your dog, it’s probably important to go about the process of adapting it to its new environment carefully. 

For this, and a lot more, the Royal Canaan is ideal. Not only is it fully adjusted to feed dogs with watery stools and hyperlipidaemia, it’s also fully therapeutic. 

Vitamins and minerals for health and vitality

This means that as you slowly adapt your pet to the new environment, it comes with vitamins B6, B1, A and a whole host of others that serve to provide solid mineral nourishment that it needs to survive.

Stores really well

This meal is also low fat and comes in a 3kg pack which stores incredibly well whether it’s open or close. 

If you’re desperate to go on walks and explore all that Japan has to offer with your pet, then the Royal Canaan feeds great and nourishes your pet even better. 

Mog Wan Dog Food:

If you’re on the market for dog foods which come loaded with the essential nourishment of fruits and vegetables, then the Mog wan food is the best dog food for you!

Balanced diet for everyday meal requirements

While animal proteins make up about 50 percent of the Mog Wan’s nutritional value, it blends tons of vegetables such as asparagus, and bananas to create a very well balanced food source for your pet. 

Vegetable and meat combination for best of both worlds feeling

While you’re probably aware that many dog foods either prioritise vegetables or meat, the Mog Wan creates a finely balanced combination of the very best vegetables, a grain-free formulae as well as vital meat sources to create the best of all worlds for your pet. 

Cellular actor for health and freshness

In addition, at about 1.8kg of net weight, it comes complete with Vitamins A, D3 and E for bone growth, cellular reproduction, cellular protection and muscle strength.

Also once it ships, you get a whole host of ingredients that deliver an incredible experience for you and your pet at all times. 

Tasty experience

All things considered, the Mog Wan dog food draws its philosophy from the great culinary traditions of Japan by creating a compelling mix of high protein, low fats and mineral filled vegetables for an unbeatable, gastronomic experience for your dog. 

If you’re on the market for a great product that takes all the important factors for dog health and vitality into account, then the Mog Wan is the best dog food for you. 

Orijen (origin) Original dog food:

If your pet feeds better on fresh and raw foods and derives most of its nutrients from family meals and the like, the Orijen is the best dog food on any market for it!

Low cost and high value meal option

The Orijen works best if you have to work with a budget in Japan as it keeps the nutrient levels high as it’s crafted to be biologically appropriate. 

Because dogs evolved as hunters, their teeth and jaws are adapted to work best with diets that are rich in meat and the Orijen dog food virtually recreates the prey nutrient dynamic in three ways. 

Very best meat sources for nutritional diversity

First, meats make up at least 85 percent of the total dog food. In addition to this, all foods are either ⅔ fresh, dehydrated or dry so that your pet has the necessary nutritional diversity to thrive. 

To get the best value for your money, store in a cool, dry and dark place. Unopened packs come in a variety of weight classes starting from 2kg and can stay fresh on your shelf for over 15 months. 

Safe for human consumption

Finally, all meals are safe for human consumption and drastically reduce the use of synthetic supplements to Zinc Chelate which improves overall health and immunity to disease. 

If you’re looking for an option that provides biological continuity in terms of nutrition, then the Orijen is the best dog food for you. 

Iams Proactive Health for Adult Dogs:

If you’ve just moved to Japan and own an adult dog, then the Iams proactive dog food is the best dog food for you. 

You’ve probably spent some time searching for the right combination of nutrients that’ll keep your pet sharp and sprightly for a long time to come. 

If this is you, then the Iams proactive health can help you. 

For Dogs one year old and older

Not only is it specifically formulated for dogs 1 year and older, it also comes with proteins sourced primarily from chicken, eggs and other nutrients that enhance your pets cardiovascular strength. 

In addition, it comes in a texture which keeps it crunchy and keeps your dog’s teeth free of germs, plaque and gives it a fresh breath. 

Enhances digestion

While the Iams proactive health for dogs keeps your adult dog looking great on the outside, it also has the same effect on the inside as it works to enhance probiotics which promote easy digestion. 

If you own an adult dog in Japan, the Iams proactive health food is the best dog food for you. 

Science Diet Senior Light Dog Food for Small Dogs:

If you own a small dog, you have to go for the Science Diet dog food for small dogs. 

One of the most rewarding aspects of owning a small dog is how much excitement they always seem to have. While older dogs may spend long hours snoozing during the day

Perfect nutrient blend for young dogs

If you care about helping your dog stay healthy well into its old age, it’s important to start it off the right way. 

The science diet comes with a perfect blend of nutrient-rich foods such as rice, chicken, corn and beet pulp. 

Anti-oxidization for immune system enhancement

It also contains vitamins such as E and C which help to enhance your dog’s health by acting as antioxidants which help your dog maintain a stable immune system and fight off cellular free radicals. 

Free radicals have a devastating effect on your dog’s cells by altering their stable structures and permeability and the Science diet can be invaluable for this purpose. 

Once it ships, you need to ensure that you store it in a cool, dark and dry place. You may refrigerate for a maximum of two days once it’s open.  

Features thin grains for easy digestion

Also, this dog food uses thin grains which are easily digestible and gentle on your puppies tender organs and a calcified base of nutrients which help your dog maintain great skin as well as a healthy mane of hair

If you own a small dog in Japan, then the Science hill dog food for small dogs should be a constant part of your dog care itinerary and is sure to deliver the best dog food experiences you can imagine. 

FAQS

What is the most important thing to consider when buying dog food in Japan?

Who makes it?

While many dog owners obsess over food labels and tend to trust smaller companies because of a perceived sense of community, the data actually indicates that in the United States, even though smaller brands make up only 7 percent of the market, they are responsible for a stunning 83 percent of product recalls. 

While this is neither an indictment of small brands or a veneration of the bigger companies, it is important for consumers to take specific details such as product quality ratings as they provide a fairly objective way to assess brand quality that doesn’t involve squinting at tiny product labels and googling away for hours on end.

Another good way to go is to figure out what specific use case suits your pet and find something that is devoted in some way to solving the problem. 

Many of the products on this list are specific use case items and you can save yourself a lot of time by purchasing any of them that suits your dogs needs. 

Where does it source its ingredients?

Now you’ve found a product that seems to do the deed and a company that looks good on paper.

If you’ll be nourishing your dog on this for a while, you need to figure out who the manufacturers are (many companies manufacture overseas) and where they source ingredients from. 

If you’re anything like me, you’re tired at the thought of this but you need to know, it’s actually a pretty cool way to determine if your choice is worth its salt. 

Many of the biggest players provide extensive documentation on this and if you find a smaller brand that does it for you, you should ask that they provide it to you too. 

Because dog food companies have to operate in a very difficult legal environment, they take extra measures to ensure that all their food sources check out and so, most of the time, a few minutes on google will do the deal. 

How much does dog food cost on average in Japan?

Dog food can cost anywhere from ¥27,000 ($250) to about ¥75,000 ($700), a year depending on the type of dog and how much it needs to eat every day. 

Although you’re likely to feed your dog with similar brands all year long, you might need to switch things up if it falls sick and needs recuperative or therapeutic meals within that period. 

Whatever your budget or price range is, once you get your dogs basic nutrition right, and the vaccinations and preventive medications that it might need, it’ll probably stay healthy all year long. 

CONCLUSION:

If you’ve just moved to Japan, you’ll probably find that dogs are important to people here. 

While dogs can keep the loneliness away since you’ll probably feel a little homesickness in a new country, you’ll find that a small pup or an older hound can help you find and foster new relationships with the people you’ll soon meet. 

To that end, it’s important to get your dog nutrition right the first time. While you’re making a choice, it’s important to ensure that whatever dog food you settle on has specific characteristics such as vitamins which enhance immunity or thin grains which enable easy digestion and a clean dentition for your dog. 

Once you start looking, you’re bound to find a wide variety of options. Take some time to check out the quality of documentation available on food sources and product ratings on the internet. . 

As soon as you’re ready, buy something and watch how your animal reacts. If you feel like something’s wrong, you can find a local vet and ask for his recommendations.

Once you’ve made the right choice, you can be sure that you’ll have an incredible time exploring the sights, tastes and sounds of this incredible nation with your trusty companion.