Dog food report card

[FieldofDreamsMiniHorses]

I found this on my Mini Forum, does this make sense to you?

Lucy


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DOG FOOD GRADES

Copy provided by Pet Pals, Inc. www.PetPalsInc.org

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 112A+

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 & 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, & 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 & Rice - Score 116 A+

Nature's Variety Raw Instinct - Score 122 A+

Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice - Score 81C

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 87B

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 & Vegetables Adult dry - Score 109 A+

Pro Nature Puppy - Score 80 C

Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach - Score 94 A

Purina Beniful - 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

This is how the grades were determined:

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 rain 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 isn't allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't 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 goup 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

[HersheyK's Dad]

Thanks for this post. It is interesting. Not just the scores, but how they score it. Almost makes me believe that it was not produced by one of the producers.

[AngusFangus]

Hey, I like that! It *is* interesting.

[Tanya]

not sure I agree with all the point scores.

For exampe "meal" is not bad but they subtract 10 points. Chicken meal is not a nono, there are requirements hwen using the term "meal".

what is with "if lamb is the only protein source -2 points"??
more points for having alot of different protein sources (Shouldn't we limit that?)
2 pts for barley?
pts for oatmeal?
If the food is endorsed by any major breed goup or nutritionist, add 5
points??
subtract points for beef?

[jzgrlduff]

Mine got an A+.

[CenTexLabs]

Mine is a 122 A+. So, I am going to say it is a good list. LOL.

[Labs4life]

I've read most of the food posts over the past couple of years and for the most part the list seems to coincide with what members here have said. Interesting list indeed.

[Bob Pr.]

This list is no longer uptodate re: Diamond dog foods (with which I'm familiar) and so it also may be out of date for others I'm not familiar with.

Schell & Kampeter, the mfr of Diamond, Chicken Soup, Premium Edge, Kirkland, and many other labels, split Diamond a couple years ago into a lower grade Diamond line which began containing corn and wheat (it never had previously) and a higher end "Diamond Naturals" (C&R and L&R) which did not contain those grains. The "Diamond Naturals" is extremely similar to the "Kirkland" formulas made for and sold only in COSTCO warehouse clubs.

I see that the Kirkland C&R (which we use) has a high rating, the Diamond is low, but the "Diamond Naturals" is not mentioned at all.

That raises my suspicion that the rating is old, before "Diamond Naturals" came out. But if that's the case, the ratings for Diamond should be higher because its ingredients hadn't been downgraded until then.