The 2020 Kosher for Passover Dog Food List

Because dogs are family members, sharing our homes and mealtimes, joining us in celebrations, and because Jews cannot be in possession of certain grains during Passover, we’ve compiled this list of Passover-approved dog foods that are highly recommended for quality, healthfulness, and taste.

Historically, only grain-free foods were recommended for Passover feeding. However, with recent concerns of heart disease and DCM and its possible association with grain-free dog foods, many pet parents have switched to grain-included diets for their dogs. We’ve named foods with allowable grains (including rice and quinoa) in this updated list.

Sundown April 8th begins the observation of Passover, an 8-day Spring celebration of the freedom of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Through certain rituals, modern day Jews have the ability to relive and experience the true freedom their ancestors gained.

From the evening of April 8th through the evening of April 16th, in recognition of the unleavened bread that the Israelites ate when they left Egypt, Jews do not eat – or keep in their possession – any chametz, or  grains that can become chametz. This includes any food or drink that contains even a trace of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives.

Remember, recipes sometimes change. Please check your dog’s food labels carefully before feeding.

There are many other dog foods that do not contain prohibited grains. This is the only HEALTHY Kosher For Passover list. We have eliminated companies with a history of recalls or products that include corn which, although permitted in dog food on Passover, is not ideal for your dogs.

The Dogington Post 2020 Kosher For Passover Dog Food List

Acana (dry): ONLY grain-free varieties of Acana Dog, Acana Regionals, and Acana Singles
CANIDAE (dry): All varieties of Grain Free PURE, Grain Free PURE Petite, and Grain Free PURE Ancestral
CANIDAE (canned): Grain Free Pure varieties
Canine Caviar (dry or canned): Only grain-free varieties
Earthborn Holistic (dry): All Earthborn Venture varieties, All Grain Free Earthborn Holistic varieties
Earthborn Holistic K95 Formulas (canned): All varieties
Essence (dry and canned): All Original or Limited Ingredient Recipes
Farmina N & D (dry and canned): All N&D Quinoa Functional Canine varieties, N&D Prime Canine varieties, N&D Ocean Canine varieties, or N&D Pumpkin Grain-Free Canine varieties
Fromm (dry): Heartland Gold varieties, Grain Free Gold Coast Weight Management formula, Grain Free Four-Star varieties
Fromm (canned): All Grain Free Pâtés plus Chicken & Rice Pâté, and Salmon & Brown Rice Pâté
Halo (dry): Holistic Grain Free varieties
Halo (canned): Holistic Grain Free varieties
Instinct (raw): Instinct Raw and Raw Signature varieties,
Instinct (dry): Grain Free Raw Boost varieties, Original Grain Free varieties, Limited Ingredient Diet varieties
Instinct (canned): Grain Free Healthy Cravings Pouches, Limited Ingredient Diet Pouches, Grain Free Stews, Original Cans, Limited Ingredient Diet Cans
Lotus Dog Food (dry and canned) Grain Free Oven Baked Kibble, Grain Free Stews and Loafs,
Merrick (dry): Backcountry Raw Infused grain free varieties, Merrick Classic Grain Free varieties, Grain Free Lil’ Plates varieties, Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet varieties,
Merrick (wet): Chunky Grain Free varieties, Grain Free Real Meat varieties, Grain Free Seasonals, Backcountry Grain Free varieties, Grain Free Lil’ Plates varieties, Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet varieties
Natural Balance (dry): All Grain Free L.I.D. varieties, L.I.D. Lamb Meal & Brown Rice, L.I.D. Chicken & Brown Rice, Ultra Grain Free varieties
Natural Balance (canned): Delectable Delights ChopLick’n Stew, Chow-Down Chowder, Gobbler Cobbler, Pawpaya Pilaf, and all grain free varieties
Nature’s Logic (dry, canned, and raw): All varieties
Nulo (dry, canned, freeze-dried raw): Grain free Freestyle dry and freeze-dried raw recipes, all Medalseries recipes, all grain free canned varieties
Nutri-Source (dry or canned): All grain free varieties
Orijen (dry): Puppy, Small Breed, Original, Six Fish, Regional Red, Tundra, Fit & Trim, and Senior varieties
Petcurean (dry): Gather Wild Ocean, Gather Free Acres, all varieties of Now Fresh grain free dog foods, all varieties of Go! Solutions grain free dog foods
Petcurean (wet): All varieties of Now Fresh and Go! Solutions tetra packs
Pure-Vita (dry): Grain-Free varieties
Primal (frozen or freeze-dried raw): Beef, Chicken, Duck, Lamb, Pheasant, Rabbit, Turkey & Sardine, Venison
Solid Gold (dry and canned): All grain free varieties
Stella & Chewy’s (Frozen Raw and Gently Cooked): All varieties of frozen patties or morsels, all varieties of Marie’s Kitchen gently cooked dog food
Stella & Chewy’s (Freeze-Dried): Freeze-Dried Dinner Patties, Stella’s Solutions, Lil’ Bites
Stella & Chewy’s (dry): Stella’s Essentials Grain Free, Grain Free Raw Coated Baked Kibble, Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet, Grain Free Raw Blend
Stella & Chewy’s (wet): Grain Free Stella’s Stew,
Taste of the Wild (dry and canned): Only grain free varieties
Victor (dry): Only grain-free varieties
Wellness (dry): Complete Health grain free varieties, Core Six varieties, Core RawRev grain free varieties, Core grain free varieties
Wellness (canned): Core Simply Shreds, Core Pâtés, Core Hearty Cuts, Core 95%, and Core Mini Meals
Zignature (dry or canned): Only grain-free varieties.

Please note that only Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company offers products under Rabbinic Supervision. However, due to recalls involving the presence of the euthanasia drug Pentobarbital and horse DNA, we do not recommend Evanger’s products to our readers.

There are other Passover-friendly dog foods available in addition to this list. Look for grain-free options or those with rice or quinoa as the only grain(s). While corn is an acceptable grain to feed during Passover, it is proven to be an unhealthy ingredient for dogs and should be avoided. The Passover-approved dog foods on this list would all make excellent choices for feeding your dog year round, too.

Questions & Answers About Feeding Your Dog During Passover:

Still not sure if your dog’s food is acceptable during Passover? Star-K provided answers to commonly asked questions.

Q. Are “grain-free” pet foods acceptable?
A. There has been a proliferation of “grain-free” dog and cat foods on the market. While we still recommend checking the ingredient panel on those foods, they are a good place to start your search for an appropriate food.
Q. Is it necessary to buy a new food bowl for your pet for Pesach?
A. No. However, the bowl used year-round should be thoroughly cleaned before Pesach.
Q. Must pet food with chometz be put away and sold before Pesach?
A. Yes.
Q. Can kitniyos, such as rice and beans, be fed to animals on Pesach?
A. Yes.
Q. What are some common chometz ingredients in pet food?
A. Wheat (cracked, flour, germ, gluten, ground, groats, middlings, starch), barley (cracked, flour), oats (flour, groats, hulled), pasta, rye, and brewer’s dried yeast. Any questionable ingredient should be reviewed by a competent rabbinic authority.
Q. What are some common ingredients which may be kitniyos but are permitted in pet food?
A. Beans, buckwheat, brewer’s rice, corn, grain sorghum (milo), millet, peanuts, peas, rice, sesame, soybeans, soy flour, and sunflower.
Q. Is pet food “with gravy” permitted?
A. Most often gravy contains chometz. Read the ingredient panel carefully.
Q. Are the vitamins or minerals in pet food chometz?
A. They may be chometz, but are batel (nullified) due to the small amount added.

We wish all of our Jewish friends a Happy (and Kosher) Passover.