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Our dog food reviews contain 3 main criteria that affect the final score. Every dog food starts with a score of 10 and loses points based on the number of concerns that are scored against Ingredient Quality and Ingredient Safety. Concerns may be worth 1-3 points based on the level of concern. Brands or lines of food are scored by averaging all of the foods in the brand/line up.

Understanding The Rating Scale

All foods are rated on a scale from 0 – 10. But what do the scores and colors mean?

Very High Risk

0 - 2.4
These foods should be avoided

High Risk

2.5 - 4.9
These foods should be avoided unless nothing better is available

Moderate Risk

5 - 7.4
These foods present an acceptable risk but should be used with caution

Low Risk

7.5 - 10
These foods are considered the most healthy foods and are ideal for feeding

Ingredient Quality

Ingredient Quality concerns remove points based on how detrimental they are to a high standard of quality and range from 1-3. Concerns that remove points from the Ingredient Quality score include: 

While protein from animal sources is an important ingredient that’s highly digestible, the animal source should be named. You will want to see beef, salmon or chicken, not animal, fish or poultry. Unnamed protein sources are of much lower quality, especially meals, which are typically from rendered waste. Learn More

Plant-based protein sources are the least expensive substitute for quality animal protein. Whenever possible, animal sources of protein are preferred because they contain a wider array of amino acids than plant based protein sources and are more digestible. Learn More

Plant-based protein sources are the least expensive substitute for quality animal protein. Whenever possible, animal sources of protein are preferred because they contain a wider array of amino acids than plant-based protein sources and are more digestible. Learn More

Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate but they are used for energy, texture and taste. Starch is also required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria. Learn More

Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate but they are used for energy, texture and taste. Starch is also required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria. Learn More

Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate but they are used for energy, texture and taste. Starch is also required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria. Learn More

Dogs have no known need for fiber, but soluble fiber is fermented by gut bacteria, which supports gut health. Cellulose is an insoluble fiber made from wood pulp and is the least expensive and least functional form of fiber since it’s very poorly fermented. It is included to firm stools. Learn More

When vitamins come from whole food sources, they include the full spectrum of cofactors, which makes them safe and bioavailable. While a couple of added vitamins are acceptable, five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value. Learn More

Five or more added minerals indicate a lower quality food that’s lacking naturally occurring minerals from whole food sources.

Multiple amino acids are typically only found in lower quality foods that rely on less complete plant sources of protein. Learn More

Seed oils, such as safflower, sunflower or flaxseed oil, provide calories and taste. They are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause systemic and gut inflammation. Other oils like soybean are highly processed and may contain trans fats. Studies shows that ultra processed foods are linked to a higher rate of all-cause mortality in humans. Learn More

Sugar is often found in pet food to increase the palatability or as a preservative or humectant. It is a low quality ingredient that can cause unwanted gut changes, obesity and insulin spikes.

Ingredient Safety

Ingredient Safety concerns remove points based on the likeliness that ingredients may cause harm and also range from 1-3. Concerns that remove points from the Ingredient Safety score include:

Heating foods will cause losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Learn More

Canned foods are heated before and during canning, which will cause significant losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Learn More

Extruded foods are heated four separate times during production, which will cause major losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Studies shows that ultra-processed foods are linked to a higher rate of all-cause mortality in humans. Learn More

There are limited safetey studies on geneticaly modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off. Learn More

There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off. Learn More

There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off. Learn More

Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. Foods with the largest reported amount of residue will be penalized, including crops that are known to be spray-dried with glyphosate. Learn More

Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. Foods with the largest reported amount of residue will be penalized, including crops that are known to be spray-dried with glyphosate. Learn More

Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. Foods with the largest reported amount of residue will be penalized, including crops that are known to be spray-dried with glyphosate. Learn More

Antioxidants are used as preservatives for shelf-stable foods to prevent oxidation of fats and degradation of water-soluble nutrients. Natural antioxidants like mixed tocopherols are preferred as artificial antioxidants have limited toxicity studies and may be linked to cancer. Learn More

Colors, iron oxide, caramel and titanium dioxide are dyes added to foods to make them look more appealing to people. They are often used to hide the grey color of rendered ingredients and are linked to health issues. Learn More

Carrageenan is a highly processed derivative of seaweed used as a thickener or texturizer that may be linked to intestinal inflammation and other negative health effects. Learn More

Menadione is a synthetic form of Vitamin K that is not required in dog food. May be linked to immune system dysfunction, oxidative damage to cells, liver toxicity, and allergic reactions. Learn More

Natural flavors are often animal digest or MSG, which are low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. Learn More

Arsenic contamination is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic and the water it’s grown in can be contaminated with arsenic. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues. Learn More

This ingredient (which is one thing, not “meat meal” and “bone meal”) is a very broad definition that allows for tissues from any mammal. This can be comprised of road kill and dead livestock and is one of the cheapest animal ingredients used in pet food. It may be labeled as “beef and bone meal” or “pork and bone meal,” which limits it to those species but does not greatly improve the quality of the ingredient. Learn More

Other Concerns

Other concerns are worth noting but do not hold a point value or affect the score of food. Other concerns include:

Splitting is a technique of manipulating the ingredient list to move certain ingredients higher or lower on the ingredient list. This is often used to disguise the amount of lower quality ingredients in the food, such as corn or peas. Learn More

Expensive or desirable ingredients like blueberries, kale or apples are often added to appeal to consumers but may be in minuscule amounts. If these foods are below salt or other low concentration ingredients, they contribute little or no nutritional value for your dog. Learn More

Farmed fish is less nutritious than wild caught fish and does not contain the same healthy fatty acid balance. Fish farming also threatens wild fish species. Learn More

Product label includes descriptions such as humanely raised, or free-run that suggest ingredients are better quality. These are purely marketing terms that have no legal meaning under pet food regulatory standards. Learn More

Coconut oil has been shown to cause undesirable changes in the gut lining. Learn More

Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease. Learn More

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