Ready?!? In alphabetical order, here's our pick of the best rated dog food brands on the market. We use and recommend Fromm.
Acana Dog Food
Addiction Dog Food
Artemis Dog Food
Back to Basics Dog Food
BLUE Dog Food
BLUE Organics
BLUE Wilderness
Dog Whisperer - Cesar Milan Dog Food
Eagle Pack Dog Food
Evangers Dog Food
Fromm Dog Food
GO Natural Dog Food
Holistic Blend
Honest Kitchen Dog Food
Horizon Legacy Dog Food
Mulligan Stew
Nature's Variety Instinct Dog Food
Merrick Dog Food
Dick Van Patten - Natural Balance Dog Food
Nature's Logic
NOW
ORGANIX (Castor and Pollux)
Orijen Dog Food
Party Animal (Canned Only)
Nature's Variety Prairie
Solid Gold Dog Food
Taste of the Wild Dog Food
Timberwolf Dog Food
Wellness Dog Food
Weruva Dog Food (Canned Dog Food Only)
Wysong Dog Food
ZiwiPeak Dog Food
Calculate your own score on your favorite kibble using this scoring rubric.
Start with 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 3 points 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 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 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
Click here for an informative article on how to select the best commercial dog food at a glance.
Unfortunately, dog food recalls are frequent. Animals can be sickened due to salmonella and listeria monocytogenes as well as other problems. Just in the last month there have been two recalls of very popular brands of dog food. Use this link to access the FDA list of animal product recalls.