How To Grade Your Dog's Food

[Tai's Mom]

I ran across this on another board. I thought it was pretty interesting. I'm feeding my 2 (chow and shih tzu) Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium because it's for all life stages. It scored pretty high. I know all life stages isn't the best way to go, but I can't keep Tai out of Gizzie's food and vice versa. Anyway, here's what I ran across.
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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", "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 3points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 morepoints

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 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

94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D

69 = 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 Benful / 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

[fillyok]

This was on Craigslist in Virginia. Ran across it when looking for that lost Chow. It has most of the same info, but went into more detail on different brands.

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 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

[Laura]

I just bought Innova today. Seems it scored well. Now maybe I can put this food issue to rest once and for all! I was torn between it and Solid Gold but the store has to special order SG so I figured I would forget and then it wouldn't be there and it would be a hassle. Innova they keep in stock.
PS: If anyone says anything bad about Innova I may start yanking my hair out and buy Alpo .

[Red Dragon]

Lord God in Heaven, don't let Jeff see that ProPlan Turkey and Barley score, he will no doubt have a coronary trying to dispute that! By the way, that is one of the foods I feed my dogs and I am very pleased with it.

[Red Dragon]

I just bought Innova today. Seems it scored well. Now maybe I can put this food issue to rest once and for all! I was torn between it and Solid Gold but the store has to special order SG so I figured I would forget and then it wouldn't be there and it would be a hassle. Innova they keep in stock.
PS: If anyone says anything bad about Innova I may start yanking my hair out and buy Alpo .

Depends on which Innova, some are way too high in protein for a Chow. I wouldn't switch to Alpo though.

[Jeff&Peks]

Lord God in Heaven, don't let Jeff see that ProPlan Turkey and Barley score, he will no doubt have a coronary trying to dispute that! By the way, that is one of the foods I feed my dogs and I am very pleased with it.

What's there to complain about they gave Diamond, Alpo and dick van patton large scores, we all know about those 3. Even at that Nutro got a higher score then Proplan but as you said on all the other food rating websites "worthless" just a bunch of woman sitting around reading the ingredients off the sides of bags. When an actual Nutritionist does a study on foods then I will listen, Nutritionist have done a study "all manufactured dog foods are crap no matter who makes it". Except for one Nutritionist he was feeding Propln to his motherin-law. I only see one proplan, for sensitive stomachs, the rest didn't even make the lists.

"Lord God in Heaven"

Whats God got to do with anything, As they said in Rambo, God didn't make the dog food I did, actually it was God didn't save your A^s I did but the same thing. Good Rambo movie by the way probably better then the first 3 or 4 Rambo movies.

[Laura]

Sam I bought the Innova for puppies...doing pup food for one more bag then both are going on adult. I didn't buy the EVO but was thinking of getting the chicken variety of it in adult..is it the one too high in protein? They had like 10 different kinds...makes my head hurt!

[Red Dragon]

It doesn't take much to get you revved up Jeff. Sorry to inform you that this food blew your Nutro away. ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+ . As for the rest, they just weren't listed. I also feed ProPlan Lamb and Rice if someone has a score for that one?

[Red Dragon]

Sam I bought the Innova for puppies...doing pup food for one more bag then both are going on adult. I didn't buy the EVO but was thinking of getting the chicken variety of it in adult..is it the one too high in protein? They had like 10 different kinds...makes my head hurt!

I think the Evo was around 40% protein if I remember right, way too much. I haven't paid alot of attention to their foods, but with puppies around 28% protein is good, and they need about 16-18% fat. A little less protein (24-26%)for an adult and about the same range in fat would be correct.

[Jeff&Peks]

Where does it say anything about ProPlan Turkey and Barley score all I see is Purina = 4 F's and one A if that were a school report card you would be repeating grammar school, everyone gets an A in PE, but this survey must be for under privileged foods because as I said Diamond, Alpo and Dick what's his name all scored higher.


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

"It doesn't take much to get you revved up Jeff"

Don't hear me screaming and crying all the time do you I just like messing with farmers.. I could care less what people feed their Chows I gave that up long ago, Vets and meds will always be the choice no matter what. You notice lately I've been pushing wolfking and innova along with Nutro, Innova is way to rich for pekoe but thats just one blend not all their foods. What really cracks me up is people asking you about food now you knows it time to give it up, Obviously people don't care what they are shoving down their Chows mouth if they are asking you for advice. Long live China and proplan.

[Red Dragon]

Jeff, now I wasn't real good in english class when I was in school, but even I can find the Turkey and Barley score, it happens to be in the very first post.

Viva La ProPlan!!!

Good luck with that other hog slop!

[TJordan]

Laura just go with regular Innova, The Evo has way to much protein, at least it did for Butters. He had the runs all the time. He is doing great on Innova reg. His coat is full and beautiful you can tell a big difference in him. HE has been on it for about a year.

[Laura]

Thanks Sam and Tammy! I will stick with regular Innova...no EVO...and eye the poop for a while to see how they do.