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Pet Food Rating + Comparison Chart

120K views 319 replies 186 participants last post by  doglover11 
#1 ·
Trying to find the right kibble to feed? What works for one may not work for another, but this article can help you to find the right one,

How to grade your dog's food: Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product" , subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal
or
fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5
points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first
five
ingredients (I.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are
all
the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2
meats
in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2
points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is
allergic
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic
to
wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic
to
beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add
5
points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3
points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2
points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) 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 "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are
pesticide-free, add 1 point

Score:
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 and below = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored.

Dog Food scores:
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
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
D*ck (Silly censors lol) Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
D*ick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / 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 for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A
Confused by an ingredient? Want to compare foods? Natura Pet offers a handy encyclopedia and dog food comparison chart, http://www.naturapet.com/default.asp

This site explains AAFCO standards,
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1661&articleid=662

Thought I'd throw all of these together because I know from experience that finding a good kibble can be difficult.
 
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Reactions: SweetMelissa
#2 ·
Thanks, I was just looking for that under my fav list but couldn't find it. I had seen it before and thought I had marked it!
 
#4 ·
TheBullBeastLover said:
this means i should get butterscotch off purina puppy chows? i see dog chow and purina beneful, and purina come and get it but now puppy chow but i guess all 3 of those are bad so is the pupppy chow
I personally wouldn't feed Purina products, but many swear by Purina one. But one could easily get a better food for the same (Or slightly higher price). Canidae is a good middle-of-the-road feed, and is often no more expensive than the hyped-up grocery store brands.
 
#6 ·
we changed from iams to canidae three weeks ago. i posted a thread. wondering if it was worth the extra $7 a bag, now i see that it is well worth it. we also but 1 1/2 tsp of wet canidae in their food also. i can see a change in their coat (not shedding as much) and muscle tone looks better. i wish that i took a picture of them before we started to feed them canidae.:hammer:
 
#148 ·
I use this food for my Schnauzers before I got my pitty and they loved it, I also love the fact that they have the meat rolls if you want to slice it for training or just for extra flavor to the dry food.

I have also used Evo Red meat which can get expensive for pitty but it was also good.
 
#8 ·
BlueDiva said:
D*ck (Silly censors lol) Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

so being the highest score unless i missed something, this would be a good choice? im sick of feeding diva nutro for many reasons. anyone have any experiance or comments?
Natural Balance is an excellant feed, but was also involved in the recall. I quit feeding it for that reason, but my dogs were doing great on it. What I really like is that it comes in different varieties, so alternating between protein and carb sources is easy.

J. HUFF said:
Look into Solid Gold. It a great product that can be purchased in most PetCo stores.
Honestly, my dogs did not do so well on Solid Gold, and I will equate that to the very low fat content of the food, something like 6-8%.
 
#10 ·
BlueDiva said:
do you know if they have been resolved from the ban? I checked the site but i didnt notice.
I'm almost positive that the recall has died down and that all Natural Balance products are safe.
 
#11 ·
ok wheh, cause i tossed the nutro last night and picked her up a bag. I got her the extra sausage looking tube food also to mix in and for treats. I got her some DVP treats also. she seemed to love it, infact she tried to tear the tube off the wall as i was picking up the kibble bag.
 
#12 ·
BlueDiva said:
ok wheh, cause i tossed the nutro last night and picked her up a bag. I got her the extra sausage looking tube food also to mix in and for treats. I got her some DVP treats also. she seemed to love it, infact she tried to tear the tube off the wall as i was picking up the kibble bag.
I use the tube as a treat during training sessions, the mutts love it.
 
#14 ·
italianwjt said:
ok. so where would i be able to get Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium, or canidae? i dont think ive seen them at petco/petsmart + where does eukanuba fit on this scale?
I found the DVP @ petco, they has a whole row just for that line including tube food and treats. they also offered a allergie food. diva likes it alot and its getting hard to keep the little yorkie out of her food. now if she would just get back to solid waste...
 
#15 ·
BlueDiva said:
I found the DVP @ petco, they has a whole row just for that line including tube food and treats. they also offered a allergie food. diva likes it alot and its getting hard to keep the little yorkie out of her food. now if she would just get back to solid waste...
lol. how long has diva been on it, and do u notice a difference in her coat, build, energy level?

how much is it a bag/lb?
 
#16 ·
J.HUFF said:
Look into Solid Gold. It a great product that can be purchased in most PetCo stores.
I know some of you probably still feed Diamond but it is one of the worse foods you can feed. anyway when they have the afltoxin problems they purchased Solid Gold and changed the formula

Please look into the product before purchasing.

Deb
 
#17 ·
BlueDiva said:
D*ck (Silly censors lol) Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

so being the highest score unless i missed something, this would be a good choice? im sick of feeding diva nutro for many reasons. anyone have any experiance or comments?
why r u tired of feeding nutro?
 
#18 ·
italianwjt said:
why r u tired of feeding nutro?
well her waste has never been completley solid and the smell is enough to make you pass out. she will eat the nutro but you almost get the feeling shes looking at you like "cmon dad is this the best you got?" shes never really hyper about food time but she gets jelious when bella gets hers. I dont like the low protien percentage or the amount of other ingredients. and last it seems like nutro was keeping her at the bare minimum for growth.
 
#19 ·
well i dont know if this was a ploy by dick van patton's corp. but i went out this morning to a petstore to get dvp. an employee told me to get solid gold, but after the neg. response on that, i got dvp. the only reason i went there was to get dvp anyways. now its just a feeding and waiting game.

i also purchased the dvp lamb log, holy cow did they go crazy over that. i had complete and utter attention.
 
#20 ·
Nature's Variety???

What do you guys think about this brand? I have a 3 month old that I was feeding Bil-Jack but he just would just eat a little bit and be done. I picked him up at 2 months and the breeder was feeding him Purina Beneful which is crap. So I heard this was good and wanted to know you guys opinions.

Healthy, Natural Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Montmorillonite Clay, Ground Flaxseeds, Natural Chicken Flavor, Alfalfa Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Sea Salt, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite), Chicken Liver, Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Apples, Carrots, Peas, Cottage Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver, Freeze Dried Turkey Hearts, Pumpkinseeds, Ground Chicken Bone, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Rosemary Extract, Sage, Clove.

Prairie Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Medley for Dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile for All Life Stages.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 26.0%
Crude Fat (min) 14.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.4%
Moisture (max) 10.0%

Calories
391 per cup

Other Nutritional Data
Calcium (min): 1.41%
Phosphorus (min): 0.90%
Vitamin E (min): 128.4 IU/kg
Vitamin C* (min): 50 mg/kg
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min): 2.12%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min): 0.56%
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Vitamins
Carotene: 5.63 mg/kg
Vitamin A: 19220 IU/kg
Vitamin D: 2433 IU/kg
Vitamin E: 128.4 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid: 50 mg/kg
Thiamine: 12.28 mg/kg
Riboflavin: 8.88 mg/kg
Pantothenic Acid: 19.63 mg/kg
Biotin: 0.45 mg/kg
Folic Acid: 0.36 mg/kg
Choline: 3379 mg/kg
Vitamin B12 0.12 mg/kg
Vitamin B6 4.4 mg/kg
Niacin: 58.79 mg/kg
Iodine: 3 mg/kg

Minerals
Sodium: 0.41%
Potassium: 0.65%
Chloride: 0.79%
Magnesium: 0.12%
Sulfur: 0.23%
Manganese: 29.78 mg/kg
Iron: 272.90 mg/kg
Copper: 24.80 mg/kg
Zinc: 244.10 mg/kg
Selenium: 0.41 mg/kg

Amino Acids
Methionine-Cystine: 0.96%
Methionine: 0.55%
Cystine: 0.41%
Lysine: 1.77%
Tryptophan: 0.30%
Threonine: 1.251%
Isoleucine: 1.17%
Histidine: 0.67%
Valine: 1.38%
Leucine: 2.37%
Arginine: 1.59%
Phenylalanine-Tyrosine: 1.20%
 
#21 ·
Looks like excellent ingredients, however, I'm not sure if they were involved in the recall. I did a google search and found this:

You might want to check your bag of food, if it matches the article.

http://www.itchmo.com/natures-variety-releases-statement-about-instinct-chicken-meal-formula-4873

Nature's Variety Releases Statement About Instinct Chicken Meal Formula
Posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 4:17 pm in National Dog, Cat & Pet Info, Dogs, Pet Food Recalls & Safety.
By Emily Huh


On February 27, Nature's Variety released this statement about their Instinct Chicken Meal Formula due to customer complaints about dogs having loose stools and occasional vomiting:

Recently, some of our customers who are feeding Instinct™ Chicken Meal Formula grain-free kibble for dogs have experienced loose stools and occasional vomiting. If your dog has experienced this and your bag of Instinct Chicken Meal Formula displays a "best if used by" date of 1/3/09 or 1/10/09, you may return it to your retail store for a replacement or refund. The "best if used by" dates are located on the back of the package.

Please be assured, Nature's Variety has not changed the formulation of Instinct Chicken Meal Formula grain-free kibble for dogs. However, recent changes in production facilities caused these two code dates of product to differ enough from our previous product to cause some digestive upset in some dogs.

At Nature's Variety, we make all of our products with integrity and care for the health of your companion animals, and we deeply regret this situation. We will continue to take any and all necessary steps to assure the quality of our products. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks again for choosing Nature's Variety.

Nature's Variety stated that the digestive trouble was happening because:

In essence, the two affected production batches of food are more nutrient-dense relative to our regular production batches. In other words, the Instinct chicken kibble produced on January 3rd and 10th is a richer food than your dog is accustomed to, which may cause some digestive upset, similar to transitioning diets.
 
#110 ·
I have found this website more than useful....

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost
Also not to be a downer, but this site is not to be completely trusted in my opinion. I followed it to the t, for a while, until most of the food they recommend gave my dog horrible diarrhea, and or gas. These are not vets, nutritionists, or trainers, it's just someone who came up with a website. Go ahead , ask them for their credentials like I did, see what they say. Again it's a good start, it's just not the Gospel, just someone's opinion who reads labels.
 
#24 · (Edited)
good posting...

I am happy to see Science Diet, Pedigree, Eukanuba and many more in the one star section, too bad there is not a "no star" or "negative star" section

Didn't expect to see Canidae in the 4 star section...

as for the top rated food Artemis Mix I could be wrong but isn't 42% protein a bit strong...maybe that's strictly an adult food I was just browsing

I still don't understand the dog food "AVODERM" aren't Avocados toxic to dogs...

I wonder what the ratings are based of in this...
 
#25 ·
So much great information here, thank you guys. I'm planning on changing Kasha's food this weekend too, a mix of raw and kibble. I'm leaning towards Innova Dog brand, and mixing in some raw chicken maybe, kibble in the AM, and Chicken in the PM? Would I have to feed anything w/the Chicken or is it enough by itself?
 
#26 ·
I agree with the protein portion... I was feeding my dog Solid Gold Cub food but he was getting diarrhea from it. I read about it a little furthur and it was too strong in protein... so I downgraded back to Natural Choice... I have also fed my dog Evanger's dog food as well... Great stuff...
 
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