Grade your dog's food!!

[Sophie and Lili's Mom]

This was sent to me by one of my most respected breeders.


**EDIT - a friend found the orginal author:
The author is Sarah Irick aka fredalina. She says - "If you want to e-mail me with questions or comments, you can at fredirick@hotmail.com. This is my "spam" address, so put "Dog Food Grading" in the subject line or i'll probably delete it mistakenly."



Scroll down to see the list of dog food that have already been scored. If your dog food is not listed and you rate it, PM me and I will edit my post and add it.

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", "brewer's 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 morepoints

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 isn't allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't 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

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

Here are some foods that have already been scored. If you don't see your dog's food here, ask and someone will score it for you.

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

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Dick 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 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 for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

[Michelle]

Woo Hoo!!!!
Mine got 122+ point,,
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium :banana: :banana: :banana:
Heidi and Princess eat this mixed with some Solid Gold and Innova for their morning kibble meal and then their evening meal is raw..

[Lisa]

That is a very cool post!! Is it okay if I sticky it? Mine eat the Raw medallions, but this is very good information.

[Sophie and Lili's Mom]

Feel free Lisa. I am researching the orginial source so we can give them proper credit.

[areese]

I came up with 111 for Chicken soup adult dog formula..

[Helen]

Hmm, I think mine got an 84. (Nutro Natural Choice, Lamb and Rice small bites)

I'm impressed with the score the Pro Plan got. I'm going to have to check the price on that the next time I go to the store. Interesting post, thanks!

[catstamm]

OK Jen Jen eats Canidae platnium and the other girls eat Natures Variety Priare Venison....not on the list and I threw the bag away :( ..... anyone else know????

[Courtney]

Hey Zandra can I cross-post this? Let me know.

I am guessing raw food scores 100!?

[oceangirls]

Thank you! Definitely would make a good "sticky"

[Sophie and Lili's Mom]

Hey Zandra can I cross-post this? Let me know.

I am guessing raw food scores 100!?


Sure...I did :)

[Laurie' s Dachshunds]

I don' t know about mine~ Purina Puppy Chow...
Anybody know if it's OK? My vet said it was great for my dogs.

[Alex's Mom]

As far as I can tell, i/d scores 105 points...and so it should! :)

[Lisa]

If anyone feels like doing math to give Laurie a score on the puppy chow, here are the ingredients

Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, chicken by-product meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), soybean meal, brewers rice, beef and bone meal, beef, sugar, pearled barley, sorbitol, animal digest, salt, tricalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate, zinc proteinate, choline chloride, DL-Methionine, added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 2), vitamin supplements (E, A, B 12, D 3), manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, copper proteinate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, calcium carbonate, brewers dried yeast, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.
D-4037

The term by-product means blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, and almost all the other parts not generally consumed by humans go into the food. And not only is the corn all sugar, but they put ACTUAL sugar into the food :wtf2: If you ever want to change their food, you might want to try www.dogaware.com they have lots of great information.

Laurie, here are the ingredients from the Natural Balance Ultra Premium for comparison:
Chicken, Brown Rice, Duck, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols-a source of Vitamin E, Citric Acid, and Rosemary Extract), Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Canola Oil, Brewers Yeast, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Dried Kelp, Sodium Chloride, Parsley Flakes, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplements, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Lysine, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Inositol, Folic Acid (Vitamin B, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), D-Activated Animal Sterol (source of Vitamin D-3), Biotin, Ethylene Diamine Dihydriodide (source of Iodine), Cobalt Sulfate, Vitamin K Supplement, Sodium Selenite.

[Nancy]

Hum, I havent heard of some of the brands listed. Maybe I should switch....

[catstamm]

I found the ingredients in my food.....I'll try to figure it out later.... unless anyone else uses it and knows the answer????
Nature's Variety Praire Venison
INGREDIENTS
Venison Meal, Millet, Oatmeal, Barley, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Pumpkinseeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Natural Lamb Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Folic Acid), Sea Salt, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite), Chicken Liver, Inulin, Amaranth, Quinoa, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Freeze Dried Venison, Pineapple, Rosemary Extract, Sage, Freeze Dried Lamb Hearts, Freeze Dried Lamb Liver, Apples, Carrots, Ground Lamb Bone, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Chicken Eggs, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Alfalfa Sprouts, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Sage, Clove
Yum....whats for dinner?

[Courtney]

From my rough math it looks like Purina Puppy Chow scores a 66 or F. It is widely known to be one of the worst foods....sorry Laurie. Please check out www.dogaware.com for some recommendations on a new one!

[catstamm]

Courtney an I next???? I hate math ....haha

[Courtney]

As far as I can tell, i/d scores 105 points...and so it should! :)

Canned i/d scores an 88 or B. I have bolded the undesirable ingredients.

Ingredients: Water, egg product, turkey, rice, corn meal, pork liver, soy fiber, taurine, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, calcium carbonate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement).

Dry i/d scores a 62 or F.

Ingredients: Corn meal, brewers rice, dried egg product, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, pork fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), soy fiber, chicken liver flavor, vegetable oil, taurine, ethoxyquin (a preservative), minerals (dicalcium phosphate, salt, potassium citrate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement,, vitamin E supplement, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement).

[catstamm]

Cortney....am I next? :confused: Your great at this ....your HIRED!!! :rotfl:
Since you are the food guru...do you have any tips for "Dilute Alopecia"????

[Helen]

ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+

I just checked out this one, and I got nowhere near a 103. I couldn't find "ProPlan Natural" but I thought it might mean "ProPlan Select Natural Turkey Formula" which has barley in the first three ingredients. I calculated a 76, which might be a little off, but obviously is nowhere near a 103. Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up. (Of course, I could have messed the whole thing up. :))

[Lisa]

I didn't do the math Cat, but Nature's Variety Prairie is on dog-a-ware as one of the top foods. :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

[laura]

Wonderful! Thank you for trying to find the source...that would put the period at the end of the sentence!

[Lisa]

I found this site, I hope it's the originator.

http://pets.families.com/blog/grade-your-dog-food

[quavec]

DVP's NB 122 A+ :cheer2:

[Courtney]

Hey Cathleen, which by the way is my sister's name... :)

Just by looking at the ingredients I can tell that the NV is a good food. But just for you (tee hee) I did the math and...

107 or A!


And for the alopecia, I would do fish oil like Jill said if you aren't already. But like she also said, it may be something that the dog will always have no matter how good a food the dog is on....

[Tex]

Ok, question....is the rating for Royal Canine adult blend for the dachshund one or a generic "adult" dog formula? I know this thread's been here a while, but I just switched Julie over to the Royal Canine Dachshund and she loves it. She's already lost a little weight on it (plus got John to stop feeding her table scraps!). I'm guessing since the other Royal Canine foods scored well, the dachshund blend would too.....thoughts?

[catstamm]

tHANKS COURTNEY....ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO I STARTED ADDING 100% WILD ALASKAN SALMON OIL TO THERE FOOD....I'LL LET YA ALL KNOW WHAT THE VET SAYS ON WEDNESDAY ABOUT THEIR COATS...OOPS SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS...I didn't mean to yell :rotfl:

[Jen]

Tasha has Evo 114 for breakfast, and Stella and Chewey's raw chicken medallions for supper, so I think we're ok!

And yes, she gets salmon oil once a day which has helped with the hair loss she had on belly and behind the ears.

[Claudine]

Glad to see that Wellness rec'd. such a high score. I have all three of my weiners on it, thanks to my daughter's good advice. She is a dog-a-holic and manages a doggie day care/obedience school in Los Angeles. She guilted me about the brand I had been feeding ( won't even tell you!) until I took her advice. Pups really love it, too. They gobble it up!

[badgerdogbren]

We use NB 122 A+ and RMB (fresh venison killed on our own property) as well so I know our dogs are healthy. Canine nutrition is so very important I hope everyone really takes a look at this. : )

[Chaotic42]

It's been a long day and my math might be off (not a good thing for a math major to say), but it looks like Eukanuba's Dachshund Formula gets a 93. I didn't count Vitamin E as a preservative and I don't know the food's hormone/organic status:

-
Chicken
Chicken By-Product Meal (Natural source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine)
Corn Meal
Ground Whole Grain Sorghum
Ground Whole Grain Barley
Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E)
Natural Chicken Flavor
Brewers Rice
Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed)
Dried Egg Product
Fish meal
Brewers Dried Yeast
Potassium Chloride
Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E)
Salt
Vitamins:
--Vitamin E Supplement
--Ascorbic Acid
--Beta-Carotene
--Vitamin A Acetate
--Calcium Pantothenate
--Biotin
--Vitamin B12 Supplement
--Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1)
--Niacin
--Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2)
--Inositol
--Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6)
--Vitamin D3 Supplement
--Folic Acid
--Flax Meal
--Sodium Hexametaphosphate
--Calcium Carbonate
--Choline Chloride
Minerals
--Ferrous Sulfate
--Zinc Oxide
--Manganese Sulfate
--Copper Sulfate
--Manganous Oxide
--Potassium Iodide
--Cobalt Carbonate
Dried Chicken Cartilage (Natural source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine)
DL-Methionine
L-Carnitine
Rosemary Extract
-

[TaraS]

Skittles gets Nutro Ultra Adult small bites which (by my meager math skills) scores an 82 (booo...) so I'm off to Petco armed with my list of better scores! Nothing but the best for Skits!

Editing to show it's ingredient list:Lamb Meal,
Ground Rice,
Whole Brown Rice,
Rice Bran,
Rice Flour,
Dried Plain Beet Pulp,
Lamb,
Potato Protein,
Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E),
Rice Protein Concentrate,
Natural Flavors,
Pea Protein,
Soybean Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E),
Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tochopherols, a source of Vitamin E),
Potassium Chloride,
Salt,
Egg Product,
Dried Kelp,
Choline Chloride,
Taurine,
Vitamin E Supplement,
Zinc Sulfate,
Zinc Proteinate,
Ferrous Sulfate,
L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C),
Biotin,
Garlic Flavor,
Potassium Iodide,
Vitamin A Supplement,
Calcium Pantothenate,
Vitamin B12 Supplement,
Riboflavin Supplement, (source of Vitamin B2), P
yridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6)
thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1),
Sodium Selenite,
Manganese Proteinate,
Manganous Oxide,
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity),
Vitamin D3 Supplement,
Folic Acid.

[Sophie and Lili's Mom]

Skittles gets Nutro Ultra Adult small bites which (by my meager math skills) scores an 82 (booo...) so I'm off to Petco armed with my list of better scores! Nothing but the best for Skits!

Unfortunately, you are unlikely to find "the best" at PetSmart or Petco. Smaller mom and pop type pet stores, feed stores and even online are the places to look. I feed Premium Edge which I can get at the local feed store. I adore Timberwolf Organics but at something like 2 dollars a pound, I just cannot afford it any longer.

[LUVMYGUNNER]

Gunner and Petunia have been on Taste of the Wild and loved it. I get it at the local Hay and Feed. Right now for a couple of months they are on Blue Buffalo weight management cause they have to loose some weight. I just bought a bag of Wellness Core reduced fat, and I will put them on that, once the bag is gone. I also bought both at the Hay and Feed

[Sophie and Lili's Mom]

Gunner and Petunia have been on Taste of the Wild and loved it. I get it at the local Hay and Feed. Right now for a couple of months they are on Blue Buffalo weight management cause they have to loose some weight. I just bought a bag of Wellness Core reduced fat, and I will put them on that, once the bag is gone. I also bought both at the Hay and Feed

Taste of the wild is pretty good. You can get it at PetSmart but it will be cheaper at a feed store.

[Barb]

Gunner and Petunia have been on Taste of the Wild and loved it. I get it at the local Hay and Feed. Right now for a couple of months they are on Blue Buffalo weight management cause they have to loose some weight. I just bought a bag of Wellness Core reduced fat, and I will put them on that, once the bag is gone. I also bought both at the Hay and Feed

Petco has increased the lines of foods they carry. I have been feeding Solid Gold and they now carry it. After Irma posted about the Wellness Core reduced fat, I thought I would try that for Rudy. Petco carries it too.

[alfina]

Petco prices for Solid Gold are a rip off. I used to pay $12.99 for a 4 lbs bag. I went to a independant pet supply store and it was $8.99 there. Now I pay $20 for a 15 lb bag! Barb, you may want to call around.

[LUVMYGUNNER]

Taste of the Wild is not sold at our Petsmarts, Petco's--you might mean Blue Buffalo. They just started selling Blue Buffaloe there. The Hay and Feed here.. ordered it for me, to get G&P's weight down fast and it realy has worked. Gunner now can fit into a size 16 girth harness, where as before the surgery he had a girth of 19 inches. I know a girl that used it, to bring a rescue down from 26 lbs to 16, in a matter of a few months. She also used green beans as a filler.
I just bought a bag of Wellness Core fat free, that they will go on after that bag is gone..... I have also not seen Wellness at any Petsmart or Petco's either here in Az--might be different areas. I heard they carry Natural Balance also. I like the grain free foods-which Blue Buffalo is not but I wanted to get a bag and try it..its lower in protein and fat than any other food I checked out.
If anyone knows of another weight management that is good and grain free please be free to let me know. Eventually when I get a freezer I want to go with pre-made raw for one meal.

PS..Hope they they didn't change the formula's on these foods.... since Petsmart, Petco is starting to carry them...
Taste of the Wild and Wellness Core have always had a 5 star rating...but with newer foods always coming out..YA never know.
I don't know money wise.. what they run at other stores... but I pay 11.99 for both Wellness and Taste of the Wild here at the Hay and Feed and thats a small bag.

[Otto'sMom]

I fed Daisy May Velveeta Shells and Cheese tonight :D Wonder where that scores, :lol: (she won't eat anything, I'm trying EVERYTHING I can think of.)

[LUVMYGUNNER]

Hey thats my type of food..

[Barb]

Petco prices for Solid Gold are a rip off. I used to pay $12.99 for a 4 lbs bag. I went to a independant pet supply store and it was $8.99 there. Now I pay $20 for a 15 lb bag! Barb, you may want to call around.

Wow - what a difference - although higher than yours, I pay just a little over $10 for the 4 lb bag ! And get every 10th bag free!

[LUVMYGUNNER]

Barb did you get yours at a Petsmart/Petco.... and they have where you get one free every 10th one?

[alfina]

They have 10th bag free at every Petco. They just charge you more for each bag you buy. So, at the end you ARE paying for that 10th "free" bag

[Barb]

Barb did you get yours at a Petsmart/Petco.... and they have where you get one free every 10th one?

Yup - Petco. I get a coupon in the mail - good for a free bag !!! That is Solid Gold.

I got the Wellness Core there also, not sure if the free one applies, but I got 3 of the small cans of Wellness canned food, with the purchase of the bag,

[TaraS]

I graded Eukanuba's adult small breed and came up with a 72.

[LUVMYGUNNER]

You ought to try the Merricks canned foods--mine love them especially the one that has real chicken wings in it. Merrick is also a great dry food-grain free. Mine are real fussy about what canned foods--they don't like anything that looks like mush.

[silverselkie56]

129 - Just switched the furkids to Earthbound Holistic. I mix the Small Breed and Primitive Natural together and feed the mix. Have been considering the adding the Ocean Fusion into the mix.
They had been on Taste of the Wild. The Earthbound is more expensive. The pups do not eat as much of it and digest more, so less poop and like the taste better. I had my supplier (feed store) check with Taste of the Wild to find out where they get their ingredients and they would not tell her, so when she checked about the Earthbound, they were happy to answer all questions. I like to know where the ingredients come from and how it is processed. I am just as picky about my own food (probably pickyer about the pups food).
Added to the fact the for each UPC you mail back to them, they have a program called UPC's for trees and they plant trees in areas that have been deforested.