Dog Food Question

[Emmie1020]

Does Anyone have a suggestion for me to put my dog on a special food. She is Super active and free feeds but is still really Ribby and solid Muscle. I try to keep weight on her but her motabalism is so High. Any Suggestions?

[renegade]

I personally really don't like to free feed dogs. I find that most dogs actually eat less this way than if you do set meals. Switching to mealtimes can result in less eating for a few days, but they generally tend to figure it out quickly. It's a function of supply and demand - if you limit the supply, the demand goes up. I have a write up on feeding meals and why I think it's important at: http://tellatail.com/articles/Mealtimes.html. The biggest reason though is to alert you when there is a health issue (dog's appetites are frequently an early warning system when something is wrong).

That said, I do have one of my dogs who is very high energy and high metabolism and I feed him a high protein/high fat food (Innova Evo). I definitely would not feed this food to my other dogs as they would get fat on it quite quickly! Ren eats 3.5 cups per day of Evo to maintain his 63lb weight, while Zack and Jasper eat only 2.5 cups per day of a normal protein/fat food to maintain 65/67lb weight. Huge difference in activity level and metabolism between them! If you are going to feed a high protein diet over a long period, I've heard you need to be concerned about the effects on their system (just like you would with humans) - haven't researched it beyond that as my only other option for ren would be to feed ~5 cups/day of a regular food or to switch to feeding a raw diet which my husband isn't willing to do...

Nutrition and food is a hot topic for a lot of people - I'm sure you'll get a lot of different opinions on this :)

Whole Dog Journal is a good journal to subscribe to as far as getting info on nutrition, diets, raw feeding, home cooking, supplements, etc. Their website is: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

[renegade]

By the way - what are you feeding now?

[PrinceAndyFlores]

we use the eukanuba athletic dog food. It is pretty expensive but works great!!!!

[renegade]

From my research over the past several years on feeding my dogs (and having a dog with major allergies), and from teaching pet dog and puppy classes for the past several years as well I've come to a few conclusions.

My first conclusion is that if what you are doing works for you, then there's nothing wrong with it :)

There are 3 "tiers" of commercial dog food (this is according to wendy and is just an opinion). There's the "crap" that nobody should be feeding their dog. Then there's the "medium" level that includes the eukanuba, science diet and iams brands as well as others and then the "high end" level of foods. My distinction between medium and high end is if a food has corn or meat by-products (the parts of the animal such as beaks, hooves, etc) then it's medium level. If it doesn't have corn or meat by products and doesn't have a ton of weird stuff in the ingredient list then it's high end. There are many, many high end food brands and it's impossible to just recommend one. So many things to consider such as protein source(s), protein and fat levels, which grain is used, allergies and sensitivities, etc.

Then there's the decision of which supplements your dog needs added to that food such as salmon oil, glucosamine, skin supplements, etc.

Then there's the people that home cook or feed raw - I haven't gone to that level of research as much as I do think it's probably the most ideal way to go.

I know feeding your dog can be an emotional topic for some so I do just want to reiterate that this is just my opinion and if what I think is different from what you think I mean no offense. In fact, I'm always trying to learn more about nutrition for dogs, so I'd love to hear what your research and experience has turned up.

[Emmie1020]

Thank You All.... I am Currently Feeding Just Iams. Its Hard for me not to free feed cause of My Chihuahua's. But the Food Needs to Change For Both Charity and Her Brother Panzer.. He has Lost More Wieght Since we Moved To 12 Acres of Land for them to run and Hunt Rabbits all day. But it May not be bad Weight Loss. He has Gained and she has Gained Muscle in Places I didn't Even know Dogs had Muscles.. LOL..... :)

Well I will keep a Eye out for What Everyone has Recommended...

[Sassy Girl]

Wendy - you posted some really good info...I totally agree on free feeding, I don't recommend it at all to anyone I know either.

I feed my dogs Innova EVO RM - Red Meat. I have found this works for my pack, even w/the many different breeds and body types. Gunner actually used to be one of my more difficult to maintain, he was very thin for over a year and it didn't matter how many cups of food I would give, I couldn't pack it on. After two years of searching we landed on the EVO RM. I tried several of the top tier foods that friends had recomended however I am happiest w/the results from this food.

Another area I've found that people are misinformed on is the amount to feed their dogs. I was told by a student that he fed his dog 6 cups per feeding - and this guy was not alone. You only need to feed your dog enough to maintain a healthy body weight. Now that we're hitting winter, really think about how much you feed your dog considering the lower activity levels in the winter.

There is a wealth of info on the web, here's a pdf on body weight. Vets use a 9 point scoring system to evaluate body condition, this gives you three nice examples: http://www.purina.com/dogs/health/AdultBodyCondChart.pdf

[cbrrescuemom]

and occasionally Deli Fresh.................. Hmmm, the entire chessie crew eats EVO - Kona, Stanley,Tonka and Ida. Perhaps it is our secret weapon!

My short list for adopters contains food made without corn, wheat, or soy. Foods with high quality protein sources have been proven to extend the health of dogs. And, you feed less volume.

Will your dog live on lower quality foods, yes, but experience has shown me that the incidence of skin, ear, coat and major health problems will be much higher.


EVO - grain free
Solid Gold - Barking At The Moon (grain free) available at PetCo
Wellness - Core (grain free) available at PetSmart
Canidae - All Life Stage - not grain free but a very good food -
Natural Balance - Ultra - not a grain free but a very good food - available at PetCo
Natural Balance also makes a grain free variety

[SplishSplashCrash]

No free feeding. :(

I feed raw.

[Lori&Dexie]

Raw here also. I would love to see a picture of your dog that you say is too thin. If she is muscled and otherwise healthy I would not worry about the thin. I keep my group very lean and muscled and my vet is thrilled. I would not free feed and would switch to a high end food. I know innova is great for putting on weight, but again if she is very active she is not going to gain fat.

[SplishSplashCrash]

Natures Variety is a nice kibble. They also have easy to feed raw if you want to ease into that.

http://naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1136

You just don't want to see corn, corn meal, fillers such as wheat and grains (remember we are feeding dogs not horses :rolleyes:), by products, brewers rice and anything you can't pronounce or figure out what it is :) in the first ten or so ingredients. You will find a lot of commercial dog food has corn as it's first ingredient. :(

[ssejrnv]

Well,
I have 5 dogs that are mostly different breeds and different ages and I just can't stand feeding everybody a different food. Currently I am feeding EVO for all my dogs. I switch back and forth between poultry and the red meat for added variety. All of my dogs do great on this food and although it is expensive I pick up a lot less waste in my yard and everybody maintains their weight even though they are on a high activity schedule. Even in winter mine do 3-5 miles a day on the treadmill along with flyball, herding and agility worked into the week. I too agree though I haven't seen your dogs, what you are describing is a well conditioned dog not a dog that is too thin. In the end as long as what your feeding is a premium food and works for you then your doing right by your buddy.
JJ and crew

[Stanley]

And don't forget healthy treats such as fruits and veggies. You would be amazed how many dogs go bonkers over fruit and veggies. Stanley will do cart wheels and backflips for a piece of lettuce.

[Miriam]

I totally agree with the no corn or by-products. By- products include intestines which no one can digest so it all ends up in your yard! I feed Nutro Ultra. It is salmon,lamb and chicken.Meal only, no by-products or corn. Brown rice is in there. It has probiotics and a bunch of natural immune system builders, kelp , cranberry. lycopine... The coats on my dogs are amazing and we have no ear or skin problems. As far as the free feeding goes, I do free feed as I have a Rottie which is a mastiff breed. It is better for them than gulping down their food all at once. I have been blessed with dogs who aren't so crazy about food that they can't regulate themselves. We live on 14 acres and they taste God knows what, so I love that the probiotics are in there to keep their guts healthy. I agree with the comment that whatever you are using, if it works for you, stay with it. The scare with the bad food was awful! I did a bunch of research about making my own food and found that is way too expensive because dogs need a bunch of nutrients like Taurine, and other amino acids that are necessary for their brains to function correctly. It would cost a fortune to add all of that in. The vet said that they can live on raw but was concerend about the dog becoming more ferrel on that kind of diet. Is that true? Would like to know more about that from those of you that feed raw.

[Lori&Dexie]

I have to laugh at the "raw makes dogs ferel" statement as a doctor I work with told me my dogs would become carnavores if I fed them raw meat. Dogs are carnavores! Anyway, feeding raw does not make them ferel as they do not associate what you are giving them with live animals. Feeding raw is not for everyone and you have to decide what works best for your dog. I just like it because my dogs do great on it and I do not have to worry about them eating stuff they do not need.

[Little Gunner]

Check out the link. It has a plethora of information about dog food. I personally don't recommend IAMS (not that there is anything wrong with it.) If you purchase IAMS at Costco, "i" believe you are better off buying the Kirkland Signature instead. I feed Gunner Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance. You will find it on the link. I also add my own secret ingredients with every meal ;-).
Just my 2 cents worth...

http://dogaware.com/ "Dog Feeding Info."

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb236/bigairgunner/Worldbest.jpg

[Sardo]

Another false statement is that intestines it is not digestable. Intestines are area very important part of a raw diet. I feed partial raw and kibble and part of their raw diet is tripe, heart, liver, Kidneys and all that good stuff.

[SplishSplashCrash]

The vet said that they can live on raw but was concerend about the dog becoming more ferrel on that kind of diet. Is that true? Would like to know more about that from those of you that feed raw.

Oh goodness no! If the dog is catching and killing the animal it might make them more agressive but there is no way on earth that eating meat could make a dog less socialized or wel-behaved (which is what ferrel is).

My favorite one myth is now that the dog has tasted blood they will kill. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

www.rawmeatybones.com
Read Tom Lonsdales book for free, that is a good place to start your research

[Miriam]

Thanks...I will pass that on to the vet. I live in Texas and also rurally. The hardest part of my business is educating folks who think a dog is to be tied outside and left alone!
Is the raw diet expensive? What about issues with their guts, like e-coli?

[Miriam]

Went to the website you gave me...looks very interesting! I read afew articles and my questions have been answered. I think the diet is not for my pack as we have chickens, ducks and guinea hens. No bugs on our place! So, to keep the issues seperate, I will feed what I already feed. I do give them all bones on a very regular basis and the food I feed is hard. Plus, they get hooves to chew on, as well. If I had only my pack and no clients here, I would consider this diet. I think it has merit. One other question...I thought dogs were omnivores...?

[Sardo]

Catching and killing an animal does not make it any more aggressive neither. There are plenty of huntings dogs out there that will catch and hold prey while the handler finishes the job and this does not make them any more aggressive than your average pet.

For me personally, grains don't belong in a dog's diet, it is unecessary and only benefits the dog food companies to keep costs down.

These are the ingredients in Nutro Ultra

http://www.ultraholistic.com/adult.shtml

Three of the top five ingredients are rice in different forms and the reason for this is to keep the chicken meal at the top of the list making you think that chicken is the main ingredient which is not, rice is. Rice is rice, some are better than others but it's still rice and that is the main ingredient in the Ultra line and many other foods out there.

[Miriam]

Thanks for the information:)
I have a small business that is hoping to get big...training/boarding resort.
I would love to be able to do the right thing for all considered...how could I feed a raw diet while they are with me and then they go back home to their old diet?:-P
I sincerely want to look at this issue as I am passionate about the health of my girl:)
Rotties get cancer easily and so I did research and believed what I read about the Ultra. When her coat got so beautiful and she was the correct weight,and all..I thought we were doing the right thing.
Anymore info would be desired...I can feed my dog anything I deem fit, and feed the boards something else...but for now, the boards are in my home and we all eat together.

[Sardo]

I'm not saying there is anything worng with Nutro but it's just not for me. I just wanted to point out what exactly you are feeding. You have to look at the ingredients alot closer and question certain ingredients and if it's there multiple times in different forms than ask yourself why.

[Miriam]

I did question...a lot, before I chose what to feed her. I wanted to 'do the right thing' from the very start:)
According to those I questioned, a brand new vet that just got out of school and hopefully had the newest research in her brain and on her shelves, the food merchants,and reading all of the labels on every bag and container in PetsMart.
So, it seems that this is a very complex issue and that maybe there are others out there, like myself, who thought they were doing the best for their companion that they could.
The research I read about cooked diets for the canines cautioned against adding the wrong supplements so I decided that was not the road for me.
I am so willing to try a RMD for my girl.
What do you feed every day and how much does it cost? How hard is it to get what you need without driving all over the place?
Thanks a lot for your challenge...it will make me a better dog owner :)

[renegade]

I know that not everybody lives in a location that gives them multiple options for stores that carry dog food, but I know here in the bay area that Petsmart has by far the smallest selection of high quality dog foods. Pet food express seems to have quite a few choices. Since I feed Evo (which by the way is grain free), I go to the local feed store to purchase it. We also have a few smaller pet food stores in the area that seem to carry a lot of high quality foods. So, if you have other options than petsmart you may want to check them out.

[renegade]

Also, I bet if you contacted a food supplier such as nature's variety that has the "raw" option to their kibble that they'd be willing to work with you to find a store in your area that would stock it or order it for you. Actually, my vet carries/sells Nature's Variety (and is nice enough to sell it to me at cost for my non-athletic dogs) so you could even talk to your vet about becoming a supplier.

[SplishSplashCrash]

Catching and killing an animal does not make it any more aggressive neither. There are plenty of huntings dogs out there that will catch and hold prey while the handler finishes the job and this does not make them any more aggressive than your average pet.


I meant catching and killing for the purpose of eating.

Ever seen a jack russel around rabbits? :)

[Sardo]

I also feed Evo and whole prey model raw. I still feed Evo because going to competitions with raw is not feasible right now, so I might start feeding premade raw at competitions and just keep it on ice. For me, it's really not that expensive because we have alot of mexican meat markets that carry all sorts of goodies at a good price.

[SplishSplashCrash]

Oriental markets always have great raw meaty items for a god price. That is where I get Crash's pig hearts.

99 Ranch Market is a local chain, but just google an oriental or ethinic market in your area

[Sardo]

I meant catching and killing for the purpose of eating.

Ever seen a jack russel around rabbits? :)


your talking about a jacks natural tendency to kill varmin because that was what they were bred for.

[Miriam]

Please give me a sample daily diet :)
After reading all of that stuff, I am a bit confused as to exactly what to feed each day so she gets what she needs without it consuming my whole day.
So far it looks like they need chicken, turkey, beef and they need it rotated?
Would a couple of chicken wings or drums and a raw egg do it for a 90lb dog?

[Miriam]

Duh! I just read the other posts.
So,
Evo and Nature's Choice? We only have PetsMarts and Petco's here in my area. I am calling my feed store right now to see if he can get the Evo. Who makes it?

[SplishSplashCrash]

go to sitstay.com and look in the discussion board archives for raw feeding.

There is so much information and research that goes into it. Every dog eats different amounts and types of meat and organs.

[Sardo]

Duh! I just read the other posts.
So,
Evo and Nature's Choice? We only have PetsMarts and Petco's here in my area. I am calling my feed store right now to see if he can get the Evo. Who makes it?

Innova,

If you call or go to their sites they usually have a store locater. Also another good kibble is timberwolf and you can order it online and I believe the shipping is free.

[renegade]

Innova Evo website is here:
http://www.evopet.com/products/

Nature's Variety site is here:
http://www.naturesvariety.com/

[Sardo]

Please give me a sample daily diet :)
After reading all of that stuff, I am a bit confused as to exactly what to feed each day so she gets what she needs without it consuming my whole day.
So far it looks like they need chicken, turkey, beef and they need it rotated?
Would a couple of chicken wings or drums and a raw egg do it for a 90lb dog?


The best prices I have found for premade which you would not have to do anything is http://gooddogdiet.com/

[Lori&Dexie]

Please give me a sample daily diet :)
After reading all of that stuff, I am a bit confused as to exactly what to feed each day so she gets what she needs without it consuming my whole day.
So far it looks like they need chicken, turkey, beef and they need it rotated?
Would a couple of chicken wings or drums and a raw egg do it for a 90lb dog?


The basic raw diet starts with 2% of your dogs Ideal body weight. 10% of that should be organs (of that 10% - 5% liver) and 10% bone. So lots of meat, a little bone and little organ. You can adjust as needed for your dog. It is best to start with just one protein source - like chicken for at least 2 weeks and than move to another protein source. I would wait at least a month before starting organs. The idea of raw is looking at the overall diet and not the daily diet. So if you feed a couple of meals that have a lot of bone you than want to feed several very meaty meals to get an overall balence of 80/10/10. At first it is overwhelming, but after time you just relax and have fun with it.

[Miriam]

Thanks to all of your ideas and info :) I just got off the phone with a lady who sells the BARF diet. Going to go see her next week. She will help me with what to add to the BARF to help with the cost Luckily, I already have a chest freezer that stays pretty empty :) So, off with an ice chest to her place I go!
Y'all are great!

[Little Gunner]

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 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 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

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

Dog Food scores:

Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 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
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 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+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Nature's Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+



Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

[Stanley]

Put some of these dog treats under the Christmas tree this year.
http://www.hare-today.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=65

[Lori&Dexie]

Thanks to all of your ideas and info :) I just got off the phone with a lady who sells the BARF diet. Going to go see her next week. She will help me with what to add to the BARF to help with the cost Luckily, I already have a chest freezer that stays pretty empty :) So, off with an ice chest to her place I go!
Y'all are great!

Just stay away from grains some BARF people feed.

[Miriam]

Just stay away from grains some BARF people feed.

Spoke to the lady about the grains and she does not use any, at all. Interesting story that got her into the BARF. Her great dane had many allergies and the vet was reccomending he be euthanized...he was 2 at the time. She went to BARF and now he is 10! She was speaking of
RMB's I could keep, like the chicken backs, necks... to help with the cost of the BARF. I called a place in Dallas and the
Steve's diet is highly reccomended but way out of my league in cost. I don't think we eat that well, LOL
So, once again, thanks for the enlightenment. I have a lot more homework to do before choosing the new diet for my Mabel. By the way, we call her Mabela the Babela and can't imagine life without her.

[Miriam]

Put some of these dog treats under the Christmas tree this year.
http://www.hare-today.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=65

The chicken feet will be a huge hit! Now, how to keep them a secret for Christmas...

[lablvrNMiami]

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 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 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

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

Dog Food scores:

Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 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
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 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+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Nature's Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+



Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Thanks a ton for all of the info. When choosing a new food for my Angel I went to www.dogfoodanalysis.com and researched until I thought my eyeballs were going to fly out of my head! However, I did come up with a mix of Blue Buffalo foods that Angel loves. I mix equal parts (3/4 c each) of blue organics w/ blue wilderness and 1/4 can of blue canned food in addition to this I put a dollup of plain white yogurt on her food twice daily. I've seen a significant improvement in her skin and coat and we are all happy with that!