Dog food from New Zealand always seems to be good quality, which is a good reason to choose such a brand.
Unlike the bags of biscuits made in Australia, New Zealand brands tend to be air or freeze-dried which are much easier for your dog to digest.
Another great benefit is almost all New Zealand dog foods have green lipped mussels – fantastic for joint health! But that’s not all…
If free-range, grass-fed, organic, highly digestible New Zealand dog foods are your thing, below are what you can buy in Australia!
ZIWI Peak (Air-Dried / Canned)
ZIWI Peak has to come first, simply because it’s legendary worldwide. The brand has been around for many years and has upped-the-game in pet food quality.
You can consider ZIWI Peak a raw or whole-prey diet which has been air-dried to keep it fresher for longer. Yes, it’s expensive, but the health benefits for your dog over a regular kibble are tenfold.
If you have a small or toy breed dog and a healthy income you’ll be fine, but if you have a hungry breed like mine it may not be viable as their sole dog food. If that’s the case, use ZIWI Peak as part of the diet, a “topper” (i.e. mixed with their regular food), or if you have a puppy it’s an excellent healthy training treat.
ZIWI Peak treats, especially the tough chews, are also really good. These should help your dog keep their teeth clean and healthy (or you could feed raw meaty bones).
The canned version of ZIWI Peak is just as good as the dried food.
Related: ZIWI Peak dog food review
Zealandia (Pate)
The Zealandia pates are in a class of their own. The difference in quality compared to the wet foods you find in the supermarket is astounding.
Take the Goat pate for example. The ingredients are goat, liver, lung, green tripe, heart, kidney, green mussel, and nothing unhealthy whatsoever.
I realise some of those ingredients sound gruesome, but they’re wonderful for your dog. In fact, those ingredients are what all dogs should be fed. We’d likely have many more healthy dogs.
Related: Zealandia dog food review
K9 Natural (Freeze-Dried / Canned)
Like ZIWI Peak above, K9 Natural has been a class leading dog food for many years, being sold in many countries worldwide.
Again, you can consider this a raw diet, freeze-dried for even better shelf life than air-dried. K9 Natural dog foods all contain a mouth-watering range of meats, organs, ground bone, blood, and various other nutrients chosen for the health of your dog.
When I say mouth-watering I mean for your dog, not for you. I know you’re not a blood-thirsty vampire, but this stuff is great for the health of your dog.
K9 Natural tends to have a higher fat content than ZIWI Peak, but I’m surprised it isn’t more popular than it’s air-dried cousin.
K9 Natural also offer canned dog foods which are just as good, but it’s a case of what you prefer (and sometimes what’s on sale!)
Related: K9 Natural dog food review
Woof (Freeze-Dried)
Woof dog food is very similar to K9 Natural above. So similar in fact, you may choose one or the other based on how pretty the bag is.
However, Woof can be found in some supermarkets which may make it a good option for you. It doesn’t come in as big a bag size as K9 Natural, but that’s fine if you have a smaller dog.
Woof actively market their “small batch” food as a treat or topper as well as a complete and balanced dog food in it’s own right.
Manuka honey is a nice addition, as well as green lipped mussels (which are in all dog foods listed so far!)
Related: Woof dog food review
Tu Meke Friend (Canned)
Tu Meke Friend dog food isn’t as readily available as most of the above. The main retailer seems to be Pet Circle, but that probably means you can buy this cheaper than ZIWI Peak and K9 Natural cans. The ingredients are pretty much on par, although there’s a small inclusion of potato and sweet potatoes.
This may suit you better if, like most of us, you need to buy food for yourself as well.
Out of all these New Zealand dog foods I confess Tu Meke Friend is the only one I haven’t tried, but I should.
Related: Tu Meke Friend dog food review pending – remind me!
What New Zealand dog food do you feed, and why!?
Hi! I have tried both the venison and the lamb wet dog food and my one-year-old Shih-poo loved both of them! My only concern is that Tu Meke Friend seems to have a higher fat content (if I’m reading the information on the label correctly) than some of the other Kiwi brands. A review would be most welcome, and thanks so much for all your hard work!!
Hi! Just wondering when you were publishing the Tu meke revies. Thanks!
My dogs LOVE Tu Meke Friend – and we’ve tried ALL – ziwipeak, woof, orijen, open farms, zealandia, lyka, frontier, lifewise, meals for mutts. We tried all and settled on Tu Meke Friend for treats & air dried (we use as treats), feed organic raw we make ourselves, and rotate Lifewise, Meals for Mutts and Zignature kibbles.