Dog Food Ratings

When it comes to good dog food, you have to do a little research. First things first, don't beleve what the marketing department has put on the bag.

They would have your believe that their products are the best and most complete balanced food you can feed your pet. To put it bluntly, they are lying.

Dr. T.J. Dunn D.V.M."There is ample proof that today's pet dogs and cats do not thrive on cheap, packaged, corn-based pet foods. Dogs and cats are primarily meat eaters; to fill them up with grain-based processed dry foods that barely meet minimum daily nutrient requirements has proven to be a mistake."

Dry food can be a viable part of the dogs diet. In no way shape or form sould it be their only source. This is a recipe for disaster. Even the best premium foods are still processed.

Dogs need fresh meat in their diet. Beit raw, canned, something you cook and share. For more information please read our Healthy Dog Food page for starters.

These ratings were reached using Sarah Iricks' method of grading dog food, which uses a very detailed points system to determine the overall value/quality of an individual food.

Grading:

• 94-100+ = A
• 86-93 = B
• 78-85 = C
• 70-77 = D
• 69 = F

If your food is not listed below, use the above rating system to find out where it stands.

• For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points for being sketchy!
• For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points for being sketchy!
• If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
• For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points for being sketchy!
• If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
• If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
• If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
• If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
• If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
• If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil,subtract 2 points
• If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
• If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
• If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
• If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
• If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

• If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
• If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
• If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
• If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
• If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
• If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
• If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
• If the food contains barley, add 2 points
• If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
• If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
• If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
• For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "beef" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
• If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
• If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

OK, now see if your food is in this list allready done.

ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

• Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
• Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
• Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice/ Score 106 A+
• Canidae / Score 112 A+
• Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
• Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
• Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
• Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
• Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
• Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
• Eagle Pack Holistic / Score 119 A+
• Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken / Score 114 A+
• Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy / Score 94 A
• Eagle Pack Natural / Score 94 A
• Eukanuba Large Breed Adult / Score 83 C
• Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
• Flint River Ranch / Score 92 B (non-specific fat source)
• Foundations / Score 106 A+
• Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 A
• Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
• Iams Large Breed / Score 83 C
• Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
• Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
• Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
• Kirkland Signature Puppy Chicken, Rice and Vegetable / Score 108 A+
• Natural Balance Duck and Potato / Score 114 A+
• Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
• Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal / Score 85 C (non-specific fat source)
• Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
• Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice / Score 85 C
• Ol Roy / Score 9 F
• Pedigree Complete Nutrition / Score 42 F
• Pedigree Adult Complete / Score 14 F
• Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
• Pro Plan All Breed / Score 68 F
• Pro Plan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
• Purina Benful / Score 17 F
• Purina Dog / Score 62 F
• Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
• Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
• Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
• Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
• Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
• Science Diet chicken adult maintenance / Score 45 F
• Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
• Solid Gold Bison / Score 123 A+
• Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison / Score 136 A+
• Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
• Wolfking Adult Dog (Bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Like I said above, this is in no way a complete list of good or bad dog foods. Use common sense and read your ingredients. Please look through our other pages for good supplements, homemade dog food, raw food, etc.