"Never trust a dog to watch your food."
The top reviews and information on the best dog food come from owners and others who are motivated by their love of dogs rather than their desire to sell something. The most credible advice and test reports we could find are from humane societies, veterinarians, breeders, discussion boards, dog clubs, trainers and pet owners.
In 1998, Consumer Reports magazine tested dog and cat foods, but the results caused uproar when it was discovered that the testing methods weren't scientific and the results weren't accurate. In response to manufacturers refuting these findings, Consumer Reports published a correction, stating that it had incorrectly measured some minerals and fatty acids in pet food, and editors promised to re-do the test. However, Consumer Reports hasn't published a dog-food comparison since 1998.
The dog lover sites and articles generally fall into two categories: Sites that tout an alternative idea, such as feeding raw or homemade dog food, and sites that make an honest attempt to review and compare dog food brands. An example of the first type is an article on NJboxers.com called "BARF for Beginners," which explains the basics of a raw dog food diet (BARF is an acronym for Bones And Raw Food). An example of the second type is GoodDogMagazine.com, which features reviews of selected products that are tested by the magazine staff's own dogs. DogAware.com and AnimalArk.com are two Web sites that focus on ingredients and dog food labeling as the basis for recommendations for the best dog food.
We found a great deal of information on dog-food ingredients, including details on the manufacturing process, and exposés about the origins of dog-food components. Few reviews actually recommend specific brands of dog food, and we found many reviews that instruct dog owners to rotate between three foods your dog likes. While most reviews stop short of declaring any best dog food, reviews are remarkably consistent about ingredients lists, and what pet owners should look for when reading dog-food labels. However, armed with the dog-food information below, you'll be able to identify other high-quality foods for your pet as well.
Pet-nutrition experts say that the best dog food is made from human-grade ingredients like meat, whole grains and vegetables. What you don't want is a lot of filler as the primary ingredients; these are items that have less nutritional benefit. According to the Animal Protection Institute, dogs can absorb almost all the nutrients from white rice, but grains like oats, flour and wheat have almost no nutritional value for dogs. Corn products aren't very valuable either, and peanut hulls have no value at all.
Reviews agree that the primary ingredient in dog food should be meat-based protein, not corn meal, flour or corn gluten meal. The primary ingredient in Purina Dog Chow (*est. $14 for a 22-pound bag) is ground yellow corn rather than meat. The primary ingredient in Alpo Prime Cuts (*est. $9 for an 18-pound bag) and Pedigree Complete Nutrition (*est. $14 for a 22-pound bag) is also ground yellow corn. Better choices include Natural Balance Ultra (*est. $21 for a 17-pound bag) , which includes chicken, brown rice and duck as its primary ingredients. Innova Adult Formula dry dog food (*est. $20 for a 16.5-pound bag) lists turkey and chicken as the first two ingredients. Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul dry food is an especially good value (*est. $16 for an 18-pound bag) . Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, whole-grain brown rice and whole-grain white rice are its primary ingredients, and there are no chemical preservatives.
According to reviews, better quality dog food results in a healthier coat, fewer digestive problems and firmer stools. Since your dog will absorb more nutrients from better quality dog food, less will be passed as waste.
Dog food ingredients
Dogs love meat and they need protein. Unlike cats, who need high amounts of protein and no carbohydrates at all, dogs need as much as 50 percent carbohydrates, but reviews say meat should be the first ingredient, followed by more absorbable grains like rice. If you've read any dog-food labels, the term "by-product" appears a lot. Meat by-product consists mainly of animal parts that are not used for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissue and intestines. If a label says "chicken by-product," all the parts must come from chicken; the same goes for lamb, beef, etc.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to by-products in dog food. Some say that because a dog in the wild would eat the entire animal when killing prey, including skin, organs and bones, some amount of by-products in dog food is just fine. What you don't want, say reviews, is unidentified by-products, often listed as "meat by-products." Experts say this could include zoo animals, road kill and according to Jessica Smith's article for NewsTarget.com, '4-D' livestock (dead, diseased, disabled, dying). Most shockingly, "meat by-products" can even include euthanized dogs and cats. In 1990 the American Veterinary Medical Association and the FDA confirmed that some pet food companies were using the bodies of euthanized pets as by-products in their foods. It turns out that this practice wasn't widespread, but limited to small rural rendering plants and a few other assorted links in the pet food manufacturing chain. For these reasons, reviews that do approve of some by-products in pet food say that dog owners should look for specific origin, such as 'chicken by-product' or 'lamb by-product.'
The other -- and prevailing -- school of thought is that by-products should be avoided entirely, and that a dog's diet should contain meat, vegetables and absorbable grains, not ground up bones and organs. These critics say that it's simply too hard to know what exactly is included in by-products, and some say that these unwanted animal parts may contain bacteria or even parts from cancerous animals.
Dog food companies are making moves to get away from using artificial preservatives in dog food. Chemicals used as preservatives, like BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin, have been under scrutiny, and many companies are switching to natural preservatives like vitamin C (ascorbate) and vitamin E (tocopherols). Reviews say natural preservatives are much safer.
Dry dog food vs. canned dog food
Although dry dog food is convenient to store, pet nutritionists, such as DogAware.com's Mary Strauss, say that canned food can be better than dry food, mostly because it contains fewer preservatives (since the canning process itself acts as a preservative). Canned dog food generally has less grain in its ingredients, and of course it has more moisture, which helps keep a dog hydrated and benefits the urinary tract. Most reviews say that a balance of canned and dry food is a good idea. Furthermore, there is no inherent dental benefit in dry dog food.
Dry dog food usually contains more filler and grain, and due to the manufacturing process, some experts say that dry food isn't very palatable to dogs all by itself. According to the Animal Protection Institute, that's why dry dog food is often sprayed with animal fat, sometimes obtained from restaurants disposing of used cooking oil. If you open a bag of dog food and it smells rancid, you should return it for a refund immediately.
Store brands vs. premium dog food
Pound for pound, store brand dog food is obviously a lot cheaper; a 40-pound bag of Natural Balance costs about $37 while a 35-pound bag of Alpo costs about $20. However, many pet-nutrition experts say that the initial cost difference doesn't tell the whole story. According to veterinarians at The Pet Center.com, due to the higher-quality ingredients in premium food, your dog will actually eat less compared to inexpensive dog food: "Immediately you will notice that when feeding a high quality, meat-based food, the dog will need to consume fewer cups of it per day than a cheap diet." An added benefit is that since more of the food is absorbed as nutrients, your dog will pass less solid waste.
These statements are supported in tests at Good Dog Magazine. Editors write, "In one test we ran, we had to feed five times as much of the Economy brand dog food to get the same nutritional benefits of the Super-Premium. Despite the lower cost per bag of the Econo brand, it costs you more to feed than a Super-Premium, because you use more bags."
Experts also point out that suggested serving sizes are just that -- suggestions. Feeding needs vary greatly depending on your dog's breed and activity level, and serving-size guidelines are merely a good jumping off point. A dog that spends all day running around in the yard will obviously need more food than a sedentary dog. Observation will tell you if your dog needs more or less food.
Best dry dog food
In the dry food category, Natural Balance Ultra Premium (*est. $21 for a 17-pound bag) is notable for its organic dog-food ingredients, quality meats and lack of by-products. On the Petco Web site, 13 out of 13 customers gave this product either 5 or 4.9 out of 5 possible points. Also, 45 dog owners reporting to RateItAll.com say they've had good luck with Natural Balance. Overall, it gets better scores from owners than store brands, and even some expensive brands like Science Diet and Wellness. Most owners comment on their dogs' overall health, energy, shiny coat and lack of digestive problems with this food, though a few owners say their pet's coat seemed too dry while on Natural Balance. Top ingredients include chicken, brown rice, duck and lamb-meal.
Another top dry food is Innova Adult Formula dry dog food (*est. $20 for a 16.5-pound bag) , which scores an overall rating on Epinions of 4.5 out of 5 possible stars (based on 24 reviews). It also rated 4 stars (out of four) in a comparison done by AnimalArk.com. The top ingredients in Innova dry food are turkey, chicken and chicken meal, which far outranks typical grocery store dry foods such as Alpo, which lists ground yellow corn, beef, bone meal and soy meal as its top three.
The primary ingredient in Purina Dog Chow (*est. $14 for a 22-pound bag) is ground yellow corn rather than meat. The primary ingredient in Alpo Prime Cuts (*est. $9 for an 18-pound bag) and Pedigree Complete Nutrition (*est. $14 for a 22-pound bag) is also ground yellow corn. Nutro Max Adult Chicken and Lamb dry food (*est. $17 for a 17.5-pound bag) lists chicken meal, ground rice, wheat flour and corn gluten meal as its primary ingredients. This company uses natural tocopherols as preservatives rather than the more suspicious Ethoxyquin, one of the chemical preservatives that some critics say has been linked to cancer.
If you don't want to spring for expensive Natural Balance or Innova dry dog food, some store brands appear to be better choices than others. Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul (*est. $16 for an 18-pound bag) is less expensive than premium brands, but it has top-quality ingredients: Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, whole-grain brown rice and whole-grain white rice are its primary ingredients, and there are no chemical preservatives. It's more expensive than Alpo, but less pricey than Natural Balance.
Chicken Soup dog food costs less than Iams Dog Chunks (*est. $22 for a 20-pound bag) , yet it has better ingredients. Iams lists its primary ingredients as chicken, corn meal, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken by-product meal and ground whole grain barley. Science Diet has a reputation as a premium brand, and many owners say their veterinarian recommended it to them (vets get a commission for selling this food); Science Diet Lamb Meal and Rice Recipe (*est. $23 for a 20-pound bag) lists lamb as its first ingredient, but after that, there isn't much meat on the list: Brewers rice, rice flour, ground whole grain wheat, ground whole grain sorghum, corn gluten meal and cracked pearled barley. In fact, animal fat is the only other meat-derived ingredient on the whole list.
Canned dog food
When evaluating canned dog good, scrutinizing ingredient lists is the best way to judge. We found a couple of recommendations for Canidae canned food, including a plug at AnimalArk.com. Canidae's chicken and rice formula (*est. $1.15 per 13.5-ounce can) lists chicken, chicken broth, lamb, chicken liver, brown rice, barley and egg at the top. Eagle Pack Holistic (*est. $1.15 per 13-ounce can) also gets high ratings in reviews and from pet owners. In its beef formula, the first few ingredients are beef, beef broth, beef liver, ocean fish, oat bran, carrots, peas, potatoes and dried egg product. With both of these brands, there are no chemical preservatives.
In less expensive canned food like Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy with Beef (*est. 80¢ per 13-ounce can) , beef doesn't appear for quite a while on the ingredients list: Water, meat by-products, wheat flour, beef, whole rice and wheat gluten. Plus, Alpo contains unidentified meat by-products.
Pedigree Choice Cuts with Beef (*est. 80¢ per 13-ounce can) is better. After water (used for processing), top ingredients are actually meat: Poultry, beef, meat by-products, wheat flour and wheat gluten. But again, the meat by-products are not identified. Nutro Max is probably a better choice. Its Beef and Rice formula (*est. $1 per 12.5-ounce can) contains primarily beef broth, beef, chicken, beef liver and chicken liver.
Purina's new Beneful meals for dogs have been much hyped in the press and in ads, but there's evidence that Beneful is mostly about marketing. The primary ingredient in Beneful Beef & Turkey Medley With Green Beans, Carrots & Wild Rice (*est. $1.75 per 10-ounce tub) isn't any of these ingredients; it's wheat gluten (followed by liver, beef, turkey, green beans and meat by-products).
Life stages dog food
Choosing the proper food got even more challenging when manufacturers started labeling their foods as being suited for certain life stages, such as puppy, large adult or senior. According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the body that governs and regulates pet-food labeling, there are only two true designations: A formula for puppies and one for adult dogs. Puppy formulas generally have more calories and protein. Products labeled "senior" and "large breed" mean the food meets requirements for regular adult food. There's nothing regulating those additional terms when they're used on dog-food packaging.
In addition, "lite formulas" can be misleading, and most labels don't give calorie breakdowns. If you want to know the calorie count, contact the manufacturer. The phone number or Web address should be on the label. According to Linda Bren, "A pet food can claim to be "light" or "lean" only if it meets AAFCO's standard definitions for these terms. These definitions differ for dog and cat food and also depend on the moisture content of the food. The words "light," "lite" and "low calorie" all have the same meaning. The words "lean" and "low fat" also mean the same. But "less calories" and "reduced calories" mean only that the product has fewer calories than another product, and "less fat" and "reduced fat,” mean the product is less fatty than another one."
If your pet is overweight, formulate a diet and exercise plan with your veterinarian.
Important Features: Dog food
Reviews say the following about shopping for dog food:
Change dog foods periodically, and alternate between dry dog food and canned food. Canned food is generally better nutritionally than dry food because it contains fewer grain ingredients and fewer preservatives. Many experts say you should change brands every few months as well, which will ensure that any nutrient deficiencies in a particular food won't have long-term effects. Find three or four foods your dog likes and alternate between them.
Look for certification by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). According to the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, "An AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement is one of the most important aspects of a dog or cat food label. A 'complete and balanced' pet food must be substantiated for nutritional adequacy by one of two means. The first method is for the pet food to contain ingredients formulated to provide levels of nutrients that meet an established profile. The alternative means of substantiating nutritional adequacy is for the product to be tested following the AAFCO Feeding Trial Protocols."
Choose a food that has whole meat or whole meat meal (lamb meal, chicken meal, etc.) as its top ingredients. Grain sources should also be whole grains, as opposed to meat or grain by-products. Rice is better than corn or wheat.
Avoid BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin as preservatives. A better choice would be foods preserved with tocopherols (vitamin E) or vitamin C (ascorbate).
Observe your dog carefully when trying a new food. Some dogs need more protein and some need less, just as some dogs need to eat more than others, depending on activity level. Look for changes in coat and skin, along with stool consistency.
