Is Victor Any Good for Large Breed Dogs?

Victor dog food, a product line owned by Mid America Pet Food is considered a premium brand. But does it really live up to its premium status? Do they have special formulas for large breeds?

Victor dry dog food is ideal for large breed dogs. Made with high-protein meat sources, low fats & calories for optimal growth, plus calcium, glucosamine and chondroitin, it is a choice for building and sustaining body muscle and facilitating proper development of hip and joints for large breeds.

In this post, instead of giving you a list of Victor’s lineup, we will explore Victor dry dog food in detail to help you decide whether or not it is the best choice for your large breed dog.

What to look for when buying dry dog food for large breed dogs?

When shopping for dry dog food for large breed dogs, there are a few things you should be on the lookout for to ensure that you are getting a high-quality product that meets your dog’s nutritional needs:

1. High proteins levels ( 22% and above) to support muscle mass
2. Low caloric content to prevent rapid weight gain
3. Glucosamine and chondroitin for hip and joint development
4. Proper calcium levels to prevent hip dysplasia
5. No fillers, artificial preservatives, or other additives to prevent allergies and sensitivities
6. Probiotics and prebiotics for a healthy digestive system

Victor makes large breed-specific dry dog food

Founded in the 1950s as a family business, Victor a brand of the Mid America Pet Food Company has since extended its product line to include large breed dogs. The brand has large-breed specific formulas as well as formulas for all breed sizes, large breeds included.

Elite Canine formula for large breeds

Victor launched Elite Canine formula, a premium dog food formula specially formulated for large breeds. The formula is available for both puppies and adult dogs.  

“While we have varying VICTOR formulas that are a good option for larger dogs, we know that large breed puppies and adult dogs have specific needs”

Greg Cyr, CEO and president of Mid America Pet Food

The large breed formula is made of high-quality proteins like chicken and fish and natural ingredients for optimal growth of the large breed. Most importantly, it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, the two important nutrients in the support and proper development of the hip and joints. 

Other large breed dog foods from Victor

In addition to the Elite Canine formula, Victor also has other dog foods tailored for all breeds that equally meet the needs of large breed dogs. The foods are similarly made of high-quality meat sources and naturally grown ingredients. They contain essential vitamins and minerals including fatty acids and amino acids to support proper growth and development.

The brand offers dry dog foods for large breeds of all stages from puppies to seniors dogs. They also offer grain-free and grain-inclusive formulas. 

The foods are all manufactured in the United States and are mostly sold in online stores and a few chain stores. The brand is committed to producing safe, nutritional and beneficial dry dog foods for not only large breeds but all dogs in general.

Top 3 Victor Dry Dog Foods designed for large breeds

VICTOR Purpose Grain Free Hero Canine, Dry Dog Food

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Why do we like it?
This is an exclusively formulated high protein dog food that is gluten-free and grain-free. Ideal for active dogs with grain allergies.

Primary ingredients:
Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brown Rice, Oat Groats, Corn Gluten Meal

Features:
• Made in the USA 
• Ideal for active adult large breed dogs
• Made with premium quality high-protein meat sources ( pork, fish and beef meals)
• Uniquely shaped kibble to encourage correct chewing
• Contains a special blend of vitamins, minerals and supplements to boost genetic potential
• Contains glucosamine and chondroitin to supports healthy bone, hip and joint development

VICTOR Purpose Grain Free Active Dog & Puppy, Dry Dog Food

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Why do we like it?
This is an exclusively formulated dog food large breeds of all stages who are particularly allergic or sensitive to grains.

Primary ingredients:
Pork, beef and fish meals.

Features:
• Ideal for large breed dogs of all stages 
• Grain-free and gluten-free
• Packed with high-protein sources
• Contains a mix of vitamins, minerals and supplements to promote optimal growth
• Promotes healthy digestion
• Supports healthy skin and coat

VICTOR Select Grain Free Yukon River Canine, Dry Dog Food

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Why do we like it?
It is a fish-based formula for large-breed dogs with beef and chicken allergies.

Primary ingredients:
Menhaden fish meal, peas, chicken fat, salmon.

Features:
• Ideal for normally active large breed dogs of all stages
• Grain-free fish-based meal
• Promotes healthy digestion
• Supports hip, bone and joint development
• Promotes healthy skin and coat

At a glance: Victor Dry Dog Foods for large b reeds

Here are some of the best Victor dry foods for large breeds.

Why Victor Dry Dog foods is good for large breeds?

Victor dry dog food for large breeds contains a perfect blend of high-quality proteins, fats, carbs, fibers, and essential vitamins and minerals needed for healthy growth and strong immunity. The foods are also well formulated even for the fussiest eaters.  

Here are some of the reasons why you should consider Victor dry dog food for your large breed dog.

It contains high-quality meat sources 

Victor dry dog food is made with high-quality meat sources sourced from all around the United States. Meat sources like fish, pork, meat, and chicken make up more than two-thirds of Victor’s dry dog food.

Contains higher protein content and lower amounts of fats and calories

Victor dry dog foods contain high proteins but low amounts of fats and calories, as is the requirement for large breed formulas.

For instance, the VICTOR Classic Elite Canine has 25% protein, and the VICTOR Purpose Grain Free Hero Canine, Dry Dog Food contains 33% protein.

The high protein formulas help boost immunity and promote proper growth and development. Large breeds particularly require a high-protein meal to build and sustain muscle mass.

On the other hand, the low fats and calories help to prevent rapid body growth and instead promote optimal growth. Large breed dogs require smaller amounts of calories because of their slower metabolism. They only need enough to support their daily activities.

Contains no fillers or additives

Victor dry dog food contains no fillers or additives. Fillers and additives are typically low in nutritional value and do not contribute much to a dog’s diet. They are often used to bulk up the food or to make it more attractive, but they do not provide the necessary nutrients that a dog needs to maintain good health.

If anything, they cause harm. Some fillers and additives can cause gastrointestinal issues, allergies, or other health problems. For example, corn and wheat are common fillers that can cause allergies in some dogs, and even though they are not entirely bad for a dog, according to Dogster, they can cause food sensitivities and allergies when not appropriately incorporated into dog food and used as fillers instead.

Also, preservatives and artificial colors have been linked to health issues in both humans and animals. Dogfoodadvisor lists 6 toxic preservatives that you should never feed your dog. 

The lack of fillers and additives in Victor dog foods should give you confidence that  overall quality of the ingredients used is good quality.

Contains the essential vitamins and minerals

Victor dry dog food also contains the essential vitamins and minerals that are important for the overall health and well-being of all large breed dogs. More importantly, the formulas contain the proper amount of: 

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Glucosamine
• Chondroitin.

These minerals are important for strong joints, bones and teeth. Large-breed dogs are prone to hip dysplasia and other skeletal problems, so it is important to ensure they are getting enough of these minerals.

Is Victor dog food complete and balanced?

Victor’s dry dog food formulas are complete and balanced. They contain a perfect combination of proteins, fats and vitamins needed for the optimal growth of large breeds as given by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines. 

According to AAFCO guidelines, large breed dog food should be formulated to meet the nutritional needs of dogs weighing over 70 pounds at maturity. These guidelines recommend that large breed dog food should contain a minimum of 22% protein and 8% fat on a dry matter basis and that it should provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to support the overall health and well-being of large breed dogs.

AAFCO’s nutritional content

A look at the guaranteed analysis of the  Victor Elite Canine dog food formulated for large breeds confirms that the food is complete and balanced. The percentages fall right within the AAFCO’s requirements.

Is Victor Dog food safe?

Victor dog food is totally safe. There haven’t been any recalls on any of its product lines since launched. There have also been no controversies so far. For the most part,  dog owners have been reporting praises about the food’s quality and affordable price.

This is commendable considering they’ve been in the industry for longer than some of their competitors. This proves that its a reliable and consistent brand that is living up to its name.

What do Large Breed Dog Owners have to say about Victor Dry Dog Foods?

As mentioned earlier, large breed dog owners are satisfied with the quality of dog food. Most have reported that they dogs have been healthy since they started using Victor foods. Most notably is the great price point and the safe and healthy ingredients.

Here’s what some owners had to say about the Victor dry foods for large breeds:

By ducpower89 

I was previously feeding my dog PPP Salmon Sensitive Skin and Stomach. For the past year we’ve had loose stool and he wasn’t eating nearly as much as he should have. Both breeders switched to Victor Professional so I decided to give it a shot as well. Wow! Nearly an instant difference with the amount of shedding, quality of his coat, firm stool, and he loves to eat it! Win, Win, Win. Hopefully we can continue on this trend.

By beans 

My dog Xena is doing excellent after switching to Victor. It has high quality ingredients and is affordable. It is also legume free which is important for her since she is an XL breed more susceptible to DCM. I like how it has multiple protein sources, good for all life stages including large breed, and keeps her stool compact, though do not be alarmed if it is darker in color.

By Heavychewers 

I normally by the high protein kind of this food, the one in the green bag. I wanted to try this one, and although they eat it, they like the other better. I will switch back to the high protein one. I have 5 big dogs (average weight is 70 pounds), and I free feed ( food bowls are always full so they can eat as much and as often as they want). I find that with Victor brand, they don’t eat as much. It’s not full of fillers, and they are satisfied with less. I love this brand, and so do my dogs. I recommend it to all my friends and family. My dogs are healthy and full of energy. It’s the only brand of dog food I will buy anymore.

 By donnie edgell

This dog food has been the best food that I have fed my dogs in years very healthy for them very good on their coat helped heal skin conditions that we’ve never been able to get control of.

By R. Pearson

We have a 4 1/2 month old Czech German Shepherd, and we switched her to Victor Active on January 18th. She came home from the breeder on a raw food diet that was supplemented with Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy. We slowly transitioned her off the raw food. Since we got her, her skin was very dry, and as we transitioned her off of raw food and completely onto the kibble, her coat became more and more dull, and her skin even more dry. We made the decision to try Victor Grain-Free Active Puppy and Beef kibble. We began to transition her on January 17th, and within about 10 days, her skin was beginning to get better, and her coat began to shine about 2 weeks after introducing it. She has been on it now for 6 1/2 weeks and no longer has any dandruff at all. Her entire coat is thick and shiny, and even strangers remark on it. She has also maintained steady growth, is very fit and has gained muscle tone, and she LOVES meal time!

Victor foods have a variety of dry dog foods formulated for large breeds, however, here are their top 3.

Is Victor dog food affordable?

Victor is touted as a premium brand so it goes without saying that it costs considerably higher than most other brands. But when put side by side with other high-quality foods, most users find it a more affordable option.

Conclusion

In short, Victor dry dog foods are premium is a good choice for large breed dogs with high-quality protein meat sources. Every Victor dry food contains prebiotics, probiotics, mineral complexes and selenium yeast, which are good for gut health and the overall well-being of a dog.

Further Questions

Is VICTOR dog food AAFCO approved?

AAFCO literally does not approve any dog food. Yet all Victoer recipes are formulated to meet AAFCO guidelines for complete canine nutrition, such as protein and fat content.

Do vets recommend Victor dry dog food?

Yes, the vets at Veterinarians.org give Victor foods a thumbs up.

Has VICTOR dog food ever had a recall?

Victor dog food has never had any recall since its inception.