Dog Food : Ratings of Sources

Our AssessmentThis website analyzes dry dog foods based on their ingredient content and the author's experience. Foods are rated for quality and cost, and pros and cons are listed. Discussion is brief but adequate. The author leaves no doubt which foods he thinks are best and worst. Foods with high meat content, such as Innova Evo and Wellness Core are highly rated but expensive. Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul is identified as a top choice that's more reasonably priced. A couple of dog foods available in supermarkets get decent -- though not top -- ratings. Some well-known brands -- such as Purina Dog Chow -- are highly criticized for the use of cheap fillers and by products.

Our AssessmentEach year, Whole Dog Journal publishes a list of "approved" dry dog foods. The criteria used are rigorous, with an emphasis on high-quality protein sources. Foods with nonspecies-specific protein sources, byproducts, artificial flavors or colors, preservatives or sugars are disqualified, as are foods from manufacturers that are not completely forthcoming about who makes their dog foods and where. Though dominated by high-end foods, the list is extensive and access is only available to subscribers. No attempt is made to rank or rate the foods on the list. A separate list of approved canned foods is also published annually, but has not been updated for 2010.

Our AssessmentDog Food Reviews offers a ton of articles and lists dealing with all aspects of dog nutrition, including food. Features on the site include a list of the top dog foods in the eyes of the site's editors and brief, ingredient-based reviews of dog food varieties. Site visitors can also rate the various foods. The associated Dog Food Chat forum is home to some lively and highly opinionated discussions on best and worst foods and ingredients.

Our AssessmentThis site is owned by a pet store with two locations in Orange County, Calif. The site has all the usual sales links, such as toys, bowls and treats, but it also has one page devoted to nutrition, which is well researched and in agreement with other sources. There are no ratings or recommendations, but there's a list of foods to avoid because they contain byproducts, corn meal and added animal fat. Editors say most foods that can be bought in supermarkets or large retailers (such as Walmart) should "generally be avoided."

Our AssessmentThis website is operated by a wildlife advocacy organization. In this article, editors discuss byproducts, chemicals, molds, bacteria and other toxins present in dog foods. The article goes into great detail about how pet food is manufactured. Ingredients are discussed in depth, and recommendations are made regarding what to look for (and what to avoid) in commercial food. No products are specifically rated or recommended, but the information found here is excellent.

Our AssessmentThis government site goes into great detail about labeling regulations and industry standards. A great resource for devout label-readers, the article gives guidelines for spotting label trickery, including, for example, the "95 percent rule," which states that products that use meat, poultry or fish in their names (such as "tuna cat food") must contain at least 95 percent of the named ingredient. Another example is the "25 percent rule." If the named ingredients make up at least 25 percent of the product but less than 95 percent, the name must include a qualifying descriptive term, such as "beef dinner for dogs." No pet food guidelines or ratings are found here, however.

Our AssessmentPetco is a large pet supply company that lets customers provide reviews and ratings of dog food and other products. Although many foods get only a handful of ratings, some, such as Natural Balance (dry and canned), get high grades in dozens of reviews. Navigation is slowed by the fact that the number of ratings is hidden until you click through to the product page.

Our AssessmentThis online pet supplies retailer specializes in natural products. The site gives readers the opportunity to provided feedback on the dog foods they have purchased. Ratings are provided right on the main page, but these would be more useful if the number of ratings were provided, as is done at Zootoo.com. Some brands and foods get lots of feedback, and others get a handful of reports or none at all. Reviews list pros and cons and a bottom-line opinion about whether the reviewer would recommend a dog food to a friend, along with a brief write-up. Reviewer identities are verified prior to their reviews being posted. Innova dry dog food is a stand out choice among customers, drawing perfect scores across the board in more than 25 reviews. Most other dog foods draw only a handful of reviews.

Our AssessmentThis site offers a downloadable pamphlet based on a 600-page report on dog and cat nutrition (*Est. $265). It provides useful information such as the calories needed per day by type of dog and weight, daily recommended allowances for vitamins and minerals, the different supplements found in dog food, feeding practices and more. No dog food ratings are included, however.