High Fat Dog Food: Which Dogs Need It, Which Don't, and How to Feed It

High fat dog food is a dry food with roughly 18% fat or more on the guaranteed analysis, against the 5 to 15% found in most adult kibbles. Fat carries about 8.5 calories per gram, more than twice protein or carbohydrate, so a high-fat food packs more calories into every cup. That is what working dogs, sport dogs, hard keepers and underweight dogs need, and what sedentary or overweight dogs do not. Bully Max PRO Series 31/25 is the high-fat, high-protein option in our lineup: 31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup. Here is how to tell whether your dog should be on one.

Family-owned since 2009 · Made in USA · Every batch triple tested · Zero recalls · 50,000+ 5-star reviews · Dog Food Advisor 5/5

The highest-fat, highest-calorie food we make:

HIGH FAT, HIGH PROTEIN: PRO SERIES 31/25

31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup from chicken meal and chicken fat. Built for working, sport and hard-to-keep-weight-on dogs.

$79.97 · 16 lb

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What Counts as High Fat Dog Food

Look at the guaranteed analysis on the bag, where fat is listed as a minimum percentage. The Merck Veterinary Manual puts most commercial adult dog foods at 5 to 15% fat on a dry-matter basis, and puppy foods at 8 to 20%. Anything above that range is a high-fat food by comparison:

General ranges for dry foods. Bully Max: 25/11 Lamb 11% fat; 24/14 Puppy 14%; 30/20 Chicken and Beef 20%; PRO Series 31/25 25%.

Fat percentage and calories per cup move together. A 350-calorie kibble is usually 10 to 14% fat. Bully Max 30/20 at 20% fat is 535 calories per cup; PRO Series at 25% fat is 600. The fat is where the extra energy comes from.

Why Fat Is the Fuel for Hard-Working Dogs

Pet food labels count 3.5 calories per gram of protein, 3.5 per gram of carbohydrate and 8.5 per gram of fat. A dog that needs more energy can either eat a bigger bowl of a moderate food or a normal bowl of a high-fat one. For a dog in work, the second option wins for three reasons:

• Smaller meals before work. A sport dog fed 2 cups of a 600-calorie food carries less bulk than one fed 3½ cups of a 350-calorie food, which matters before a pull, a run or a day in the field.
• Energy without more protein than the dog can use. Protein builds and repairs muscle, but it is an inefficient fuel. Merck notes that fat is what accommodates the extra demands of work, stress, growth and lactation. A high-fat food lets protein do its job and fat do the heavy lifting.
• Appetite. Hard keepers often stop eating before they reach their calorie need on a bulky food. Denser food closes the gap.

How much more do these dogs need? A typical neutered 60 lb adult needs about 1,335 calories a day (1.6 × RER); the same dog in heavy training can need 2 × RER, about 1,670, and more in cold weather. See how many calories does a dog need for the table by weight, and understanding performance nutrition for how fat, protein and timing fit together.

Which Dogs Should Eat High Fat Dog Food

• Working and sport dogs. Weight pull, protection sports, hunting, herding, sled work, slat mill and treadmill conditioning. These dogs burn through a maintenance food and lose condition in season.
• Hard keepers. Lean, high-drive dogs that eat the chart amount and stay thin. Intact males in particular.
• Underweight dogs and rescues, once a vet has ruled out a medical cause. A calorie-dense food fed for the target weight is how they gain without a huge bowl. Read is my dog underweight for the body condition check and plan.
• Dogs in cold weather that live or work outside and need more energy to stay warm.
• Nursing dams, whose energy needs can run several times maintenance. Ask your vet about feeding during pregnancy and lactation.

Which Dogs Should Not

Fat is calories, and calories a dog does not burn become body fat. A couch dog on a 25%-fat food will gain. Beyond that, some dogs should avoid high-fat diets on medical grounds: dogs with a history of pancreatitis, dogs with certain digestive or metabolic conditions, and dogs on a vet-prescribed low-fat diet. If your dog has ever had pancreatitis, or has recurring vomiting or diarrhea, ask your vet before raising the fat in the diet. For an overweight or less active dog, a lower-fat food like Bully Max 25/11 Lamb (11% fat, 415 calories per cup) lets you keep the bowl full while cutting calories.

High Fat Should Also Be High Protein

Fat supplies the energy; protein supplies the material for muscle, coat, immune cells and recovery. A food that is high in fat but ordinary in protein (say 25% fat, 22% protein) fuels a working dog but does not support repair. Look for a named meat meal first and protein of 30% or more alongside the fat. That is the logic of the 31/25 ratio in PRO Series and the 30/20 ratio in the Bully Max adult foods. The searches people run for "high protein high fat dog food" are the right instinct. Our guide to how much protein a dog needs explains the protein side.

Highest Calorie Dog Foods: How Bully Max Compares

Bully Max formulas by fat and calories

Every Bully Max food is meat-based and made in the USA. The fat level is what separates them:

Protein and fat are guaranteed-analysis minimums; calories per 8 oz cup. Figures from each product's label data on shop.bullymax.com.

For a line-by-line comparison against other brands' performance foods, see Bully Max vs Purina Pro Plan Sport and the dog food comparison chart.

How to Switch to a High Fat Food Without Stomach Trouble

Fat is the nutrient most likely to cause loose stool when it jumps overnight. Go slowly and feed less than you think:

1. Mix over 7 to 10 days. 25% new food for two days, then 50%, then 75%, then 100%. Hold a step longer if stool softens.
2. Recalculate the portion. If you were feeding 3½ cups of a 350-calorie food, the same calories are 2 cups of PRO Series. Keep the old scoop and you will overfeed by 75%.
3. Two or three meals a day. Smaller meals handle fat better than one large one.
4. Judge at six weeks. Weight and muscle take 6 to 12 weeks to show. Weigh every two weeks and adjust 10% at a time.

Loose stool that lasts more than a day or two, vomiting, or a dog that goes off food needs a vet call. The full transition schedule is in how to switch your dog to Bully Max.

Adding Fat Without Changing Foods

If your dog is on a food it does well on and only needs a modest calorie boost, add fat on top instead of switching. Bully Max Omega-3 Salmon Oil adds healthy fat plus EPA and DHA for skin and coat in a daily pour. Power Chews for Weight Gain add 1,800 calories per bag with probiotics. Both are easier on the gut than a sudden change of kibble.

ADD BULLY MAX OMEGA-3 SALMON OIL

Wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil with omega-3, 6, and 9 plus EPA and DHA. An easy daily pour for skin, coat, and overall health.

$32.99 · 1 bottle

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FAQ

What is considered high fat dog food?

Roughly 18% fat or more on the guaranteed analysis. Most adult dry foods run 5 to 15% fat. Bully Max 30/20 is 20% fat and PRO Series 31/25 is 25%.

Is high fat dog food good for dogs?

For working dogs, sport dogs, hard keepers, underweight dogs and dogs in cold weather, yes: fat is the most efficient fuel and the calories fit in a smaller bowl. For sedentary, overweight or pancreatitis-prone dogs, no. Ask your vet if your dog has a medical history.

What dog food has the highest fat and calories?

Among Bully Max foods, PRO Series 31/25 at 25% fat and 600 calories per cup. Across the market, performance and sled-dog foods run 20 to 30% fat; check the calories per cup on the bag, since that is the number that decides how much you feed.

Can high fat dog food cause pancreatitis?

A sudden large fat load is a recognized trigger in susceptible dogs, which is why vets prescribe low-fat diets after pancreatitis. Healthy, active dogs on a gradual transition tolerate high-fat foods well. If your dog has had pancreatitis, do not feed a high-fat diet without your vet's okay.

Will high fat dog food make my dog gain weight?

Only if the calories exceed what the dog burns. Fed for the target weight, it puts weight on a thin dog; fed to a couch dog by the old scoop, it adds fat. Recalculate the portion by calories per cup and check body condition every two weeks.

Is high fat dog food good for puppies?

Puppies need moderate fat (8 to 20%) in a growth formula with controlled calcium, not a performance food. Bully Max 24/14 Puppy is 14% fat and suitable for large-breed puppies under AAFCO guidelines.

Fuel the Work

If your dog trains, competes, works or just will not hold weight on a normal food, move the calories into the fat and feed a smaller bowl. PRO Series 31/25 does that with 600 calories per cup and 31% protein from chicken meal. For an active adult that is not quite a hard keeper, 30/20 at 20% fat is the step below. See dog food for working dogs and dog food for underweight dogs for the plan that fits your dog.

25% fat, 600 calories per cup

The highest-fat, highest-calorie food Bully Max makes, with 31% protein to back it up. Made in the USA, triple tested, zero recalls.

HIGH FAT, HIGH PROTEIN: PRO SERIES 31/25

31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup from chicken meal and chicken fat. Built for working, sport and hard-to-keep-weight-on dogs.

$79.97 · 16 lb

ADD TO CART

Save 10% with autoship on every bag of PRO Series.

Family-owned since 2009 · Made in USA · Every batch triple tested · Zero recalls · 50,000+ 5-star reviews · Dog Food Advisor 5/5