Does your dog’s food get a passing grade?

We have all been there, staring at a dog food label trying to decipher if the bag of kibble we are about to purchase is actually good for our little fur baby. Picking up various brands and formulas, and comparing ingredients, only to realize they all potentially sound like they would be good for our dogs. Dog food is big business, evident by the countless marketing campaigns and elaborate commercials on prime time tv. All the manufacturers want us to believe that their food is the best and healthiest option for our dogs, showing us images of juicy steak cubes, beautiful whole vegetables, luscious golden grains, but as most educated dog food buyers will tell you, what we see on those commercials is very far from what actually goes into the making of dog food. While deciding what food to buy for your pet can be a mixture of various factors such as price, availability, and if your dog actually agrees to eat it. Trying to pick a food based on what will be the healthiest option for your dog can become very confusing. Thankfully there is help out there.

DogFoodAnalysis.com is a web site dedicated to information as well as reviews and ratings of dog food based on the information provided by the product manufacturers. The site was originally created in 2005 as a resource for a group of Boxer enthusiasts, but quickly grew in popularity as a great online resource for any one trying to make an educated choice of what food to buy for their dog. What reason do the site’s creators give for putting together this fountain of knowledge? “Because commercial pet food is, historically and on average, so incredibly awful. ” They wish to educate the public about the stark reality of commercial dog foods, just how horrible some of them are, but more importantly with each review they include clear reasons for their conclusions. Simply reading some of their reviews can be an educational experience in how to view dog food labels.

Each review dissects the food label with detailed commentary of each ingredient used. From ingredients at the top of the label: “The first ingredient in the food is a named meat product, but since this is lamb inclusive of its water content (about 80%) and this ingredient will weigh only about 20% of its wet weight once water is removed (as it must be to make kibble) it is unlikely that this is the true first ingredient in the food. It is the sole named meat product in the food.” to additives listed at the bottom of the label: “BHA and BHT are allowed in dog food products but are banned or heavily regulated in human food production due to the belief that they are carcinogenic.”

The reviews are direct and to the point. A final comment given to Pedigree’s Large Breed formula reads: “Overall, this is one of the lowest quality products reviewed on this site. It receives a 1* rating due to the unavailability of anything lower.”

Curious to see if your dog’s food gets a passing grade? You can look for it on the Alphabetical index of dog food reviews.