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Ingredient file // Fruit or vegetable

Dried Apples

Real fruit fiber with a sugar catch

Dried apples are apple pieces or powder with most of their water removed. They add sugar and fiber to kibble. A dog trial found changes in gut markers at a substantial dose, but did not show that a typical recipe improves health.

Role in the food Supporting nutrient
What it is
Apple flesh, with or without peel, dried and cut or milled for use in pet food.
Made from
Whole apples or trimmed apple flesh
Main job
Fruit carbohydrate and fiber
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Concentrated sugar in large servings
Not the same as
Dried apple pomace

Straight answer

Is Dried Apples safe for dogs?

Treat it as fruit, then judge the food

If dried apples sit after the main protein, fat and starch ingredients, read them as a fruit and fiber addition of unknown size. Check the finished food's nutrient analysis and feeding adequacy statement. Pass over claims that apple antioxidants protect your dog.

Why it is in the food
Fruit carbohydrate and fiber

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 23 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

4%

140 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 17 brands. 122 dry dog food, 13 wet dog food, 5 dog food topper.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 17. In the top five of 3 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

41%

Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 59% of foods.

Price per lb

Foods with it $3.42
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 102 priced foods, 5% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

27%

of the foods that list it are from Nulo. 17 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Fruit processors dry apples to make pieces and powder that store more easily than fresh fruit. Commercial lines use washed and trimmed apples; fruit rejected for fresh sale supplied the apples in a dog study.1,2,7

  1. 01 // Source Apples Processors use commercially grown fruit; the dog study used whole Fuji apples rejected for human sale.
  2. 02 // Process Clean and cut Commercial fruit is washed, trimmed and cut, often after peeling and coring.
  3. 03 // Process Remove water The cut fruit is dried; researchers instead ground whole apples before drying them on heated drums.
  4. 04 // Output Dried apples Pieces, dice or powder are supplied for mixing into pet food and treats.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

232.3

g/kg fiber

Total dietary fiber measured in the ground whole apples used for a dog trial. Commercial cut apples need not match that sample.

Total dietary fiber 232.3 g/kg1
Insoluble fiber 159.2 g/kg1
Soluble fiber 73.2 g/kg1
Crude protein 35 g/kg1
Fat 20.7 g/kg1
Ash 20.7 g/kg1

These figures describe one dried, ground whole apple sample. Supplier specifications for cut apples show much more sugar than fiber. Peel, variety and preparation change the mix, so the name promises no fixed fiber amount.1,2,6

Why it is in the bag

A small fruit fiber addition, amount unknown

  1. Main nutrition
  2. Supporting nutrient
  3. Does a job
  4. Mostly filler

Dried apple adds real fiber and fruit sugar. One tested sample was about 23% fiber by dry weight, and in a dog trial a diet with 9% apple raised fecal butyrate, a gut marker rather than a health outcome. Labels list ingredients by weight and no bag discloses the dose, so when it sits well down the list, its fiber contribution is likely small.1,5

  1. 01

    Adds fermentable fiber

    Apple fiber includes pectin. In a dog trial, dried whole apples changed fecal fermentation markers, though the researchers measured no clinical health benefit.1

  2. 02

    Supplies fruit carbohydrate

    Drying removes water while leaving the fruit's sugars in a compact ingredient. A label shows where apples rank by weight, not how much sugar they add.5,6

  3. 03

    Uses economical drying

    Hot air drying is relatively inexpensive, and drying gives fruit rejected for fresh sale another outlet. Suppliers offer apple pieces and powder at commercial scale.1,2,6,7

  4. 04

    Adds fruit label appeal

    A fruit supplier promotes apples for their appeal on pet food packaging. That marketing value does not tell an owner whether the finished food is well formulated.7

How much One dog study tested diets containing 3, 6 and 9% dried whole apple; a bag does not disclose its recipe's amount.1,5

Our read // The claims

What the evidence supports

Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.

  1. Brands say

    Dried apples bring fiber to kibble

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    The ground whole apples tested in a dog study contained 232.3 g/kg total dietary fiber on a dry matter basis. That is a real fiber contribution, though a bag does not disclose its apple dose or fiber contribution.1,5,9

  2. Brands say

    Dried apples improve a dog's gut health

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    In a 30 day comparison involving 16 adult dogs, a diet with 9% dried apple raised fecal butyrate and changed some bacterial groups. Those are gut markers, not proof of better health at a commercial food's undisclosed dose.1,5,9

  3. Brands say

    Apple antioxidants protect dogs from disease

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    A laboratory analysis identified 30 phenolic compounds in dried apple slices, while another found that oven drying reduced measured antioxidant capacity. Neither study fed dogs or tested disease outcomes. Protection from apple in kibble is unproven.2,3,7

  4. Owners say

    Sweet dried apples make kibble tastier

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    In a paired preference test, dogs showed no significant preference for the diet with 9% dried apple over the control. The fruit contains sugar, but that tested recipe did not appeal more to dogs.1

  5. Owners say

    Dried apples fix loose stools

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    Dogs in the feeding trial ate diets with up to 9% dried apple, yet stool scores did not improve. A little dried apple on a kibble label is not a tested treatment for diarrhea.1

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Dried apples supply sugar and fiber, so they have nutritional content. Their presence does not make a food healthier: the ingredient list gives no amount, and the main dog study measured gut markers rather than a health outcome.1,5,6

  2. Q02

    Is apple pomace the same thing?

    No

    Dried apple pomace is the material left after apples are pressed for cider. Dried apples are dried fruit. A dog paper used “pomace” in its title, but its methods say researchers ground and dried whole apples.1,4

  3. Q03

    Will it firm loose stools?

    No proof

    The dog trial found changes in fiber digestion and fecal output, but stool consistency did not improve. Dried apples in an ordinary food have no tested dose for treating loose stools.1

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Nulo 38 / 117
  2. Nature's Logic 32 / 32
  3. Annamaet 15 / 20
  4. Nutro 14 / 71
  5. NutriSource 9 / 91
  6. Rachael Ray Nutrish 4 / 19
  7. Only Natural Pet 4 / 5
  8. Bil-Jac 4 / 32
  9. Natural Balance 4 / 48
  10. Abound 3 / 20

Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.

Plus 7 more brands.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Mixed Tocopherols 77%
  2. Chicken Fat 51%
  3. Chicken Meal 44%
  4. Chicken 34%
  5. Turkey Meal 34%
  6. Citric Acid 28%
  7. Sweet Potatoes 26%
  8. Lentils 26%
  9. Natural Flavor 25%
  10. Millet 25%
  11. Flaxseed 23%
  12. Peas 21%

On the shelf

Foods that list Dried Apples

140 foods in our catalog list it. These 60 list it highest on the label.

The Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food TopperThe Honest KitchenThe Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 2 on the labelThe Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Dog Food TopperThe Honest KitchenThe Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 2 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Sardine Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Sardine Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 8 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Lamb Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Lamb Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelNutro Chicken Entreé topped with Bites of Real Chicken & Spinach Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Chicken Entreé topped with Bites of Real Chicken & Spinach Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelAnnamaet Aqualuk Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Aqualuk Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 9 on the labelAnnamaet Extra Formula Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Extra Formula Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 9 on the labelNutro Chicken Entrée Paté with Tomatoes & Carrots Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Chicken Entrée Paté with Tomatoes & Carrots Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelRachael Ray Nutrish Dish Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe with Veggie & Fruit Blend Dry Dog FoodRachael Ray NutrishRachael Ray Nutrish Dish Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe with Veggie & Fruit Blend Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelAbound Grain Free All Life Stages Salmon & Sweet Potato Dry Dog FoodAboundAbound Grain Free All Life Stages Salmon & Sweet Potato Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelRachael Ray Nutrish Dish Beef & Brown Rice with Veggie & Fruit Blend Dry Dog FoodRachael Ray NutrishRachael Ray Nutrish Dish Beef & Brown Rice with Veggie & Fruit Blend Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelNulo MedalSeries Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodNuloNulo MedalSeries Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the label
Show 48 more
The Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers Grain-Free Fish Recipe Dog Food TopperThe Honest KitchenThe Honest Kitchen Proper Toppers Grain-Free Fish Recipe Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 4 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Turkey Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Turkey Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Venison Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Venison Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 9 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Chicken Feast Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Chicken Feast Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Beef Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Beef Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Pork Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Pork Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelAnnamaet The Best Adult Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet The Best Adult Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 10 on the labelAnnamaet Best Large Breed Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Best Large Breed Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 10 on the labelAnnamaet Original Puppy Formula Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Original Puppy Formula Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 10 on the labelAnnamaet Best Small Breed Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Best Small Breed Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 10 on the labelAnnamaet Ultra High Protein Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Ultra High Protein Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 10 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Duck & Salmon Wet Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Duck & Salmon Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelAnnamaet Manitok Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Manitok Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelAnnamaet Option Medium & Large Breed Salmon Formula Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Option Medium & Large Breed Salmon Formula Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelAnnamaet Original Senior Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Original Senior Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelAnnamaet Re-juvenate Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Re-juvenate Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelAnnamaet Small Breed Salmon Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Small Breed Salmon Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelAnnamaet Sensitive Skin and Stomach Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Sensitive Skin and Stomach Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelNutro Ultra Senior Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Ultra Senior Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 12 on the labelAnnamaet Grain Free Lean Formula Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Grain Free Lean Formula Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelAnnamaet Salcha Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAnnamaetAnnamaet Salcha Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelPurina Beyond Simply Grain-Free White Meat Chicken & Egg Recipe Dry Dog FoodPurinaPurina Beyond Simply Grain-Free White Meat Chicken & Egg Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelNutro Ultra Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutroNutro Ultra Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish with Superfoods Paté Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelRachael Ray Nutrish Big Life Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice Dry Dog FoodRachael Ray NutrishRachael Ray Nutrish Big Life Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelNulo MedalSeries Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodNuloNulo MedalSeries Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelEarthborn Holistic Western Feast Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodEarthborn HolisticEarthborn Holistic Western Feast Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelSimply Nourish Source Adult - Salmon, High-Protein, Grain Free Dry Dog FoodSimply NourishSimply Nourish Source Adult - Salmon, High-Protein, Grain Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNulo MedalSeries Lamb & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodNuloNulo MedalSeries Lamb & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Sardine Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Grain-Free Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Pork Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Pork Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Canine Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelNulo MedalSeries Small Breed Turkey & Chickpeas Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodNuloNulo MedalSeries Small Breed Turkey & Chickpeas Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Beef Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Pure Naturals Chicken Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Turkey Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Turkey Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Sardine Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Sardine Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Pork Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Pork Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Lamb Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Lamb Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Canine Beef Meal Feast Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Land & Sea Recipe Dry Dog FoodNature's LogicNature’s Logic Distinction Grain-Free Land & Sea Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelOnly Natural Pet Canine PowerFood Grain Free Dry Dog FoodOnly Natural PetOnly Natural Pet Canine PowerFood Grain Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelNulo MedalSeries Large Breed Turkey & Peas Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodNuloNulo MedalSeries Large Breed Turkey & Peas Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelNulo MedalSeries Weight Management Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodNuloNulo MedalSeries Weight Management Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the label

On labels as

Other names for this

Manufacturers do not all use the same wording. These all mean the same thing.

Dried Apple

Sources

What we read

Checked September 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Effect of dietary inclusion of dried apple pomace on faecal butyrate concentration and modulation of gut microbiota in dogs Archives of Animal Nutrition, 2021 // Journal
  2. 2 Using HPLC-MS/MS to Determine the Loss of Primary and Secondary Metabolites in the Dehydration Process of Apple Slices Foods, 2023 // Journal
  3. 3 Impact of Drying Processes on Bioactive Phenolics, Vitamin C and Antioxidant Capacity of Red-Fleshed Apple Slices Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 2011 // Journal
  4. 4 Official Names and Definitions of Feed Ingredients Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2024 // Regulator
  5. 5 Reading Labels Association of American Feed Control Officials, n.d. // Regulator
  6. 6 Nutritional Composition: Dried Apples Tree Top, n.d. // Industry
  7. 7 Fruit Adds “A-Peel” to Pet Food Formulations Tree Top, n.d. // Industry
  8. 8 Pet Parents: Beware of These Four Fall Toxins ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, n.d. // Nonprofit
  9. 9 Pet Food with Quality Ingredients Annamaet, n.d. // Industry
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

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