Comparing the dog foods

Jackson Jambalaya ^ | January 20, 2010 | Kingfish

[prplhze2000]

Took food donations to local animal shelter the other day and compared Science Diet while i had a bunch of other different brands to compare it to. Now wondering why people think it soooo much better when it has the same ingrediants as the cheap stuff.

"Think Hill's Science Diet is so good because well, its sold at the vet or it has the word Science in it? Check out the first few ingrediants in the Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Original Dry Formula: "Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal.."

Now lets compare it to similar formulas by other expensive brands...."

[Nachum]

I have been told by almost every dog expert I have ever asked that there is a difference in dog foods, despite the label’s similarities. It is not just the ingredients listed, it is the parts of the animals used, proportions, and other additives.

[Paradox]

So this guy compares the ingredients list of various dog foods, and uses this to declare that they are all the same? Sorry, but this is simply ignorance, and I say that as someone who buys the cheapest dog food he can for his dogs (but I do supplement with meat).

[Dr. Sivana]

There are better dog chows that cost less than Science Diet. Our dog has done very well on PMI Exclusive (Purina Mills is NOT the same as the regular Purina store brand, complicated corporate history). It actually costs less than the Science Diet. You can get stuff that’s a little better that costs more. There’s a lot out there.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com

Has more info than you would want to know.

[HighlyOpinionated]

I was feeding my dogs Purina Pro-Plan weight maintenance, but due to cost decided to try Purina’s Fit and Trim.

My usually persnickety pets are eating the less expensive Fit and Trim.

[red tie]

Subject: How to Rate Your Dog Food

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
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 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

Permission to cross post.

[AZLiberty]

Don’t know about dog foods, but Costco cat food has been terrific for our 12 cats, at less than half the price of Science Diet.

[NavyCanDo]

I really got to be a label reader when it come to dog food. My dog (a Shiba Inu) reacts badly to products with wheat gluten. Maybe an alergy, the vet said. Gets a yeast infection in the paws and ears when he has it.

[Qwackertoo]

I feed my two Shelties Canidae. Good stuff but not easy to find. Only 3 stores in my county sell it.

[truthguy]

I have two large Labradors and they thrive on Nutro-Max Active Adult. Very easy cleanup.

[RnMomof7]

Thanks for the link

[bigfootbob]

There are big differences in food. Science Diet is overrated, IMHO. I have tried many, I like the Kirkland Signature, not so much the Dick Van Patten’s brand or the higher end Purina stuff, too much output. I feed my high energy McNabb, AvoDerm Premium Dog food. Low output and boy, does it make his fur shine.

[red tie]

I received that rating system write up from our dog trainer. I just sent her an email to see if she can tell me where she got it since I noticed the source wasn’t on it. The one she recommends and uses is one you may not be aware of. It is called “A Taste of the Wild”. Check that one out. There are at least 3 types for cats and dogs. One has Bison and Antelope, Another has Wild Foul, the third Salmon. All three also have vegetables in it. The one I like after this brand is Blue Diamonds with similar ingredients.

[mother]

I have an 11 month old Samoyed. He has been raised on Pro Plan Lamb & Rice and has done very well on it. We just recently switched him to Pro Plan Select Turkey & Barley. Very small output and goes even less then on the regular Pro Plan.

[catnipman]

Same with Science Diet for cats. It’s ingredients are low-end crap.

Compare Authority brand canned cat food with canned Science Diet and you’ll be shocked.

[red tie]

“I really got to be a label reader when it come to dog food. My dog (a Shiba Inu) reacts badly to products with wheat gluten. Maybe an alergy, the vet said. Gets a yeast infection in the paws and ears when he has it.”

Had a dog with the same problem. We had to steer clear of chicken. You might try Blue Diamond Lamb & Rice or Fish and Potatoes if they don't contain wheat gluten.

[qam1]

Nothing beats plain ole table scraps

Remember, the meat used in pet food is such poor quality that it would be illegal to use in a hot dog!! You are better off just buying a pack of cheap frankfurters and/or sausage and giving fido that.

[La Lydia]

Hands down the best for my dog: Verus
http://www.veruspetfoods.com/

[Joe 6-pack]

My dog prefers tabbies and calicos over most other flavors.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Here is a longer list:

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 Oatmeal / Score 101 A+
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 Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
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

Besides the criteria that you listed, one other thing you have to look out for is whether or not the manufacturer uses ethoxyquin as a preservative for fats and fish meals. It is not allowed in human food, but is allowed in pet foods, and it is a carcinogen. To further complicate matters, you can’t just look on the ingredients list to see if ethoxyquin is there. If they source fish meal with it already added by their supplier, they do not have to list it in the ingredients because they didn’t add it themselves. Also, some dog food manufacturers claim that it is destroyed in processing, while others claim it is definitely NOT destroyed and remains in the food.

I frequent a discussion board for Yorkshire Terriers, and someone there contacted every manufacturer they could to find out if ethoxyquin was in their dog food. Most of them gave very direct answers. What I found notable was that Diamond said that they had it in their dog food, and they were at the epicenter of the fiasco regarding melamine contamination of dog food. Besides their own brands, they also contract manufacture for four premium brands — Artemis, Canidae, Taste of the Wild, and Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance. The first three — Artemis, Canidae, Taste of the Wild — all readily admitted that their foods contained ethoxyquin. However, Natural Balance danced all around the issue, and after several emails, never gave a direct answer. They are one of the brands that claim the carcinogen degrades during processing. I would never feed any of those four brands, even though they are otherwise, outside of the ethoxyquin issue, very good foods.

The brands I found that meet the criteria as excellent are Acana, Merrick, Evo, Fromm, Honest Kitchen, Innova, Wellness, California Natural, and Nature’s Variety. (This is not an all-inclusive list, it’s just the ones I’ve been able to find locally).

I’ve also found that feeding the super premium foods is actually cheaper than feeding the grocery store crap. The grocery store crap is full of fillers (like corn) that don’t satisfy a dog and pass right through them, so a dog has to eat a much larger serving size to get satisfaction and get the amount needed for proper nutrition. So much more waste. The super premium bag might cost more, but the bag lasts a lot longer and I save money in the long run. (As an example, Iams recommends feeding a 25 lb dog 4 cups per day, on Solid Gold they would only need 1.5 cups per day). You can actually SAVE money by feeding the premium brands.

Right now I’m feeding the Prairie line from Nature’s Variety. There are five different “flavors” (beef, chicken, lamb, venison, and salmon) kibble, and six flavors in their wet food, as well as frozen raw. You can switch between any of these without transitioning and they never get bored. I have a senior that gets bored easily, and she readily eats this stuff. It’s “All Life Stages,” so I can give the same food to my four month old pup.

Here is another good site for dog food comparisons:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/