9 Best Foods To Feed an Adult and Puppy Vizsla in 2024 + Our Exclusive Feeding Tips

Choosing a dog food can be one of the most important things you do as a pet owner. Not only do you need to pay attention to the specific dietary needs of the breed, but also to the needs of your dog, their size, activity level, and more. It can be a daunting task because there are so many choices out there from traditional dry foods to fresh, human-grade foods and everything in between.

One of the most common questions we are asked by our readers about Vizsla concerns their dietary requirements and recommended feeding schedules. So, by popular demand, today we are going to tell you what you should (and shouldn’t) be feeding your Vizsla (and how often you should be doing it).

Let’s get started.

What To Look For In A Good Vizsla Dog Food

Vizslas have a few dietary requirements that need to be taken into account when choosing a food. That being said, we will list some things to look out for (and some things to avoid) below.

Allergies

Vizslas are well known to have reasonably sensitive stomachs and they suffer from allergies more so than other breeds. This isn’t an issue in all Vizslas and the majority of them will not have any problems whatsoever, but it’s certainly something you need to be watching out for.

There are no foods that are specific to the breed that is likely to cause an allergic reaction so watch out for the traditional allergens. Things like dairy, soy, chicken, and eggs are common offenders, grains such as oat and wheat are the worst.

Keep an eye out for any rashes, coat shedding, diarrhea, and excessive flatulence when feeding your pooch a new food. If you notice any symptoms you should switch foods immediately and then book an appointment at the vet to get your dog tested to find out what the allergy is (so you can avoid it in the future).

Protein

You may already know that dogs need a huge amount of protein in their diet. Almost all dog food on the market has a decent amount of protein in it so it’s something that is already taken care of for you. This being said, it’s always good to know a little bit more about the needs of your pooch – so we mention it in most articles.

Artificial Preservatives

Artificial preservatives are something we highly recommend you avoid feeding a dog of any breed. They are less common in decent quality foods, but you’ll still find them in abundance at the lower end of the market. The rule of thumb we like to use is that if we wouldn’t eat it for health reasons, then neither should our dogs (within reason).

It’s very rare you’ll find us recommending a food that contains artificial colors or preservatives (and none of the products we’re going to mention later contain them).

Best Value Food for a Vizsla

American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal (a source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Turkey Meal
Key Features :

• Grain free
• Budget-friendly
• High quality ingredients
• Protein rich

We’ve scoured the internet to find what we think are the best foods on the market suitable for adult and puppy Vizslas (more on this later). To get our section of recommendations started we’re going to talk about what we think is the overall best value food for adult Vizslas.

We recommend this food as the best value product time and time again, but quite honestly not many products even come close in terms of cost to quality ratio.

The salmon and sweet potato mix from American Journey provides what we consider to be a premium quality food at a budget price point. They’re a well known, well-respected brand that goes above and beyond to squeeze as many nutrients into every product as possible without pushing up the cost.

For example, the salmon that makes up the bulk of the protein in this product is often considered to be one of the most expensive (and highest quality) ingredients commonly used in dog food. Many brands only use it in small quantities alongside other protein, but it’s found in abundance in this food. Salmon is well known for containing a whole heap of omega oils and amino acids that are great for keeping coats glossy, keeping shedding to a minimum, and keeping joints healthy too.

It’s a completely grain free food which is great for keeping allergies away and all of the carbohydrates come from complex sources (mainly sweet potato and chickpeas). At around $30 for a big bag, it’s great value for money, if you’ve not tried it yet – we highly recommend you do.

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food

Healthy Ingredients : Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils
Key Features :

• Human-Grade
• Cooked to Order
• Portioned Individually for your dog
• Auto-ships direct to your door

Ollie is a great fresh food option if you are in the market for a super premium dog food for your Vizsla. Just like fresh food diets are gaining popularity with humans, they are becoming popular with pets. Ollie boasts all slow-cooked ingredients which helps them to maintain their nutritional integrity, and the recipes are all human-grade. There are no artificial flavors or fillers in any of their recipes, so you can be sure that your dog is getting whole, fresh ingredients and nothing more. When you sign up for Ollie, you will fill out a profile to help them create a customized recipe and delivery schedule that will suit your pup. The food is delivered to your doorstep and stored in your fridge or freezer, ready to serve when your pet needs it. Although Ollie is more expensive than other dog foods, there are a lot of added benefits that make a fresh food diet something to consider!

UnKibble by Spot and Tango Beef and Barley Recipe

Healthy Ingredients : Beef, Barley, Flax, Carrots, Green Beans, Beef Liver
Key Features :

• Slowly dried at low temps
• Human grade ingredients
• Comes with custom portion scoop
• Convenient delivery service

UnKibble by Spot and Tango is a dry dog food made with human-grade ingredients and no artificial flavors or preservatives. The simple and healthy recipes are developed by veterinarians, so you can be sure that your pet is getting only the best. The three recipes include the beef and barley featured here, chicken and brown rice, and duck and salmon. If you like the idea of fresh food, but need a lower price point or your dog prefers dry food, this might be for you. When you sign up, you create a unique profile that will include the correct portion size, just for your dog. You won’t have to guess or measure, just follow your pet’s personalized plan and use the scoop specially sized for your dog. Spot and Tango has never been recalled, either.

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes

• Deboned chicken is a great protein source
• Dogs love the taste
• Added zinc
• Contains oats

The word wholesome has become a bit of a buzzword in the dog food industry in recent years. Many brands claim to provide wholesome food, but few actually do (Taste of the Wild is one of the good ones). The protein in the mix is found from real deboned chicken (not chicken meal) which contains a bunch of fats, oils, and vitamins to keep your pooch in tip-top condition.

There are no artificial colors or preservatives and they’ve added things like zinc to stop shedding and keep coats glossy. The complex carbohydrates in the mix come from brown rice to provide energy (but there is a small amount of oats in the mix too).

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal (source of Glucosamine), Chicken Meal (source of Chondroitin Sulfate), Peas
Key Features :

• High nutrient absorption
• Great protein sources
• Yucca Schidigera makes stools smell better
• Grain free

Another great food we came across is Wellness’s Core product that provides everything your dog needs to be healthy in an extremely balanced product. The protein is mainly derived from poultry (chicken, turkey, and chicken meal) which can cause allergic reactions in a very small number of Vizslas – but it’s uncommon. However, poultry is also one of the most easily digestible protein sources too, which means your pooch will absorb more nutrients pound for pound of food. It’s completely grain free, it’s packed full of antioxidants and probiotics, and it even contains Yucca Schidigera extract to reduce the smell of your pooches “droppings”.

Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed Dry Dog Food

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes
Key Features :

• Super high-quality ingredients
• Chicken protein
• Natural probiotics and antioxidants
• Reputable brand

This excellent food from Merrick is another one of our regular recommendations. It’s a premium food with a slightly higher price tag than other foods on the market. However, if only the best will do for your pooch, this is a food you should seriously consider. It uses real chicken as a protein source (not chicken meal) and is 100% grain free. All of the carbohydrates come from complex sources (sweet potato) and the added natural antioxidants and probiotics (from tomato and blueberry) aid your dog’s digestion.

Solid Gold Wolf Cub Bison & Oatmeal Puppy Formula

Healthy Ingredients : Bison, Ocean Fish Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Peas
Key Features :

• Features probiotic support for gut health
• Made with nutritious whole grains
• No corn, wheat or soy, which are common allergens for dogs

Solid Gold provides the controlled levels of calcium your puppy needs for good bone development along with a balance of the highest quality, fresh bison protein and a blend of 20 nutritious superfoods. Solid Gold is America’s first holistic pet food, and has over 40 years of experience developing transformative nutrition for pets. All of their balanced recipes have 20 nutrient-dense superfoods and clean, high-quality proteins.

Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes
Key Features :

• Wholesome grain-free dry puppy food with chicken
• Made with 60% protein and healthy fat
• Has high levels of omega fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin

Serve your dog a classic meal with Merrick Grain Free Dry Puppy Food Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe. This dry food for puppies is made with 60% protein and healthy fat, with deboned chicken as the number one ingredient. The remaining 40% includes produce, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other natural ingredients to create a complete and balanced diet that’s great for all breeds, including your Vizsla. It’s has small kibble size for little mouths and includes DHA to encourage cognitive development. This grain and gluten-free dry dog food is developed with high levels of omega fatty acids to help promote healthy skin and a shiny coat while glucosamine and chondroitin support hip and joint function. It features high-quality whole foods sourced from trusted farmers without any corn, wheat, soy, gluten or artificial preservatives.

Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food

Healthy Ingredients : Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Egg Product, Tapioca
Key Features :

• Cage-free chicken is the first ingredient
• Free from grains, potato, corn, wheat, soy
• Made in the USA

Instinct Raw Boost Large Breed Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken & Freeze-Dried Raw Pieces Dry Dog Food is high in animal protein and features bites of freeze-dried raw meat throughout. It’s made for puppies to unlock their potential to thrive, by putting the benefits of raw nutrition into every bowl. It also features cage-free chicken as the first ingredient for the protein your Vizsla needs for energy to grow and play. This recipe includes natural DHA for brain and eye health—and it all comes from the finest ingredients from around the world.

How Often Should You Feed A Vizsla

Adult male Vizslas when fully grown should weigh between 45 and 65 pounds, females should be a little lighter coming in at around 40 to 55 pounds. At around 55 pounds you should be aiming to feed your pooch around 1400 calories per day to maintain their weight.

Puppy Vizslas require a much higher calorific intake per day relative to their size. To give you an estimated amount when they weigh around 35 pounds they should be fed around 1100 calories per day. However, as always, you should stick to what the manufacturer of your food recommends as they are all different.

Feeding schedules are reasonably standard for Vizslas. Adults should be fed twice a day in most cases. Puppies can be fed between 3 and 4 times per day while they are still young. By the time they’re about a year old you should be aiming to have them down to two meals a day.

You may already know that Vizslas are a very emotionally sensitive breed that doesn’t respond well to harsh punishment and training. The recommended way to train them is through positive reinforcement instead of scolding (which usually means treats).

It can be a little too easy sometimes to give a few too many treats when training your pooch in this manner. Keep an eye on the number of additional calories that are being consumed by your dog when training them. If it’s getting a little bit excessive, consider reducing the portion size of their main meals to compensate for it.

Vizslas are renowned for being super easy to train thanks to their high intelligence. This combined with their extreme athletic prowess and stamina makes them a popular breed for competition and sport. The rigorous training involved in preparing for competitions takes up much more energy than would be expended by a normal pet. Be sure to bump up the daily calorie intake of your pooch if you’re planning on training them hard and having them compete.

The same is true if your Vizsla is going to be a working dog helping you hunt. Ensure they’re not going hungry by adding more calories to their diet on days that they are working with you (around 1500 calories per day).

Best Foods to Feed A Vizsla

In the next two sections, we are going to be focusing on foods that are specifically good for adult and puppy Vizslas (as their needs are very different from one another). Here are our top food recommendations for Vizslas.

Vizsla Dog Food Comparison Table
Rank	Product	Price	Rating
Best Value	American Journey Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.49/lb	A+
Human Grade	Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Save 50% Here	Varies	A+
Best Dry	Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Try It Here	Varies	A+
#1	Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.42/lb	A+
#2	Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed Dry Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$3.07/lb	A+
#3	Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.63/lb	A
#4	Solid Gold Wolf Cub Bison & Oatmeal Puppy Formula  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.30/lb	A+
#5	Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.27/lb	A+
#6	Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$5.00/lb	A

Conclusion

So there you have it, everything there is to know about feeding a Vizsla.

As long as you keep an eye out for allergies they’re a reasonably easy dog to feed a balanced diet to. We highly recommend our value pick (as it really is great value), but any of the products on this page are more than worthy of your consideration.