# Sticky  How to Grade Your Dog's Food



## Krista

Since there are soooo many questions about food here, I figured this would be useful.

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 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 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
<70 = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored. If you don't see your dog's food here, ask and someone will score it for you.
Dog Food scores:

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 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

Diamond Performance / Score 85 C

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Venison and 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, and 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 and Rice / Score 116 A+

Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+

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

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 87 B

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 and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+

Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C

Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A

Purina Benful / 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


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## MSBOOTS

Thanks this information is very useful.:thumbleft: 
Ike and Lilly have been eating Authority Harvest Baked for a couple months now and are doing very well on it. It scored 116 A+, that makes me feel great!
The pieces are a littlle larger than some but they seem to like it better than the Natural Balance they were on before. It also doesn't upset Lilly's tummy like the other did.


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## Lin

Awesome post! I'm printing this off for future reference!


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## MomofLeo

That is really neat! My dogs are on Canidae, and it scored a 112 A+. I feel good about that grade!


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## Kari

That's a great way to tell, thanks for posting.


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## *Chloe*

thats great i think i scored Nature Diet right it came out at A+ 105


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## rachel

Ohh...thanks so much for posting this!! I just recently (from this forum) found out that Eukaneuba was bad, so I've been trying to learn what foods are good. This should help out a lot! Thanks!!


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## *Nikki*

I feelso good about the foods ive chose now thanks this is very helpful it should be a sticky in the chi question section


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## *Tiffany*

that is very helpful! mine are on timberwolf and they came out to 120 A+ which is great!


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## sourjayne

This is really awesome! Definitely make it a sticky!


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## Blue Velvet Elvis

Very good post. It should lay some of the food question posts to rest too


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## princess_ella

i can't find my dog's food score they they eat Pinnacle Duck and Potato by Breeder's Choice.Can someone please help me figure it out.


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## Poco'sMom

Very informative. Thanks for posting!


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## CarrieQuiteContrary

This is so informative! I give Rylee Royal Canin, I'm glad it scored high!


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## Jennifer Mcfly

Awesome! This is great info! We just switched Chloe to Nature's Variety Raw Instinct (Score 122) and to see how high it scored is wonderful!!!


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## princess_ella

Waiting for my dogs food score anyone can help.i can't find my dog's food score they they eat Pinnacle Duck and Potato by Breeder's Choice.Can someone please help me figure it out.


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## Kari

Can you post the ingredients?  If so, I can try to help.


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## bellachi

I see that Chicken Soup Senior gets a good score,but is it just the senior food that is good or is the puppy and adult food OK too? Justs wondered as I live in Thailand and don't have much selection of dog food to chose from, but have noticed that some stores are now selling Chicken soup food.


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## Krista

bellachi said:


> I see that Chicken Soup Senior gets a good score,but is it just the senior food that is good or is the puppy and adult food OK too? Justs wondered as I live in Thailand and don't have much selection of dog food to chose from, but have noticed that some stores are now selling Chicken soup food.


Most of the foods listed there make similarly graded foods of other types too. So if one type of that brand does well, then the other types are typically good too. Same goes for cat food. It's because the companies that make the good food know what animals need and make sure they get it, with all their foods.


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## princess_ella

the pinnacle potato and duck ingredients:

All Natural Ingredients
Plus Essential Vitamins & Minerals with Added Probiotics
Duck Meal, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Duck, Oat Flour, Potato Fiber, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Toasted Oats, Flax Seed, Quinoa, Grapeseed Oil, Lecithin, Rosemary, Sage, Papain, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Bifidum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Lactis Fermentation Product, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Riboflavin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate. 

the chicken and oats:

Plus Essential Vitamins & Minerals with Added Probiotics
Chicken Meal, Chicken, Whole Oat Flour, Toasted Oats, Tomato Pomace, Fresh Potato, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Quinoa, Dehydrated Mixed Vegetables (Carrot Flakes, Red and Green Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Peas, Tomato Flakes, Celery, Garlic, Spinach and Parsley), Grapeseed Oil, Cottage Cheese, Egg Product, Lecithin, Rosemary and Sage Extract, Papain, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Bifidum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Lactis Fermentation Product, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Cloride, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin A Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Sodium Selenite.

trout and sweetpotato:

Plus Essential Vitamins & Minerals with Added Probiotics
Trout, Oatmeal, Toasted Oats, Herring Meal, Oat Flour, Canola Oil, Sweet Potato, Calcium Carbonate, Flax Seed, Lecithin, Grapeseed Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dicalcium Phosphate, Quinoa, Rosemary, Sage, Papain, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Bifidum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Lactis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin A Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Sodium Selenite.


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## randiik

i just started Joey on this brand and its not in the dog anaylsis


Halo Spot's Stew Chicken Recipe Puppy Food

the ingrediants are 


Chicken, pea protein, whole dry egg, oats, vegetable broth, pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), pea flour, chicken liver, salmon, flaxseed, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea fiber, sweet potatoes, apples, blueberries, green beans, carrots, cranberries, zucchini, alfalfa, inulin, calcium sulfate, potassium chloride, taurine, salt, folic acid, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, choline bitartrate, niacin, pantothenic acid, ascorbic acid, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidobacterium longum, enterococcus faecium, lactobacillus plantarum, calcium iodate, biotin, sodium selenite


will someone rate this for me please 
i started my cat on it also. i almost got the royal cairn but the salesperslon talked me out of it for this brand.. if its not good i am still able to take it back and get the royal cairn!

thank you!


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## OrchardLane

I prefer the dogfoodanalysis.com's formula for calculating the rating of a food. I find the formula posted here is too simplistic to be beneficial as a selection tool.

Here is the information that dogfoodanalysis.com base their decisions on:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/how-do-you-rate-the-foods.html

By law food companies can get away with so much in how they label our pet's food. It is what they don't tell us that can really harm our pets.

We feed Orijen puppy, Orijen Adult and Orijen Senior (as we have a range of ages in our household). All stages of Orijen are rated as 6* foods. We also feed raw food and our Chis have a variety of fresh fruit and veggies as well.

With our rescues especially we see a marked improvement in their skin health, coat health, teeth/breath as well as their stool within a week-2weeks of being on Orijen.

Many of our rescues come to us on vet prescribed diets and do better now on Orijen than their previous foods.

A note about "by products" - yes it can be organ meat - but it can also be a number of other things as well.

This is a quote taken from an informative website "Wording of Pet Food Labels" http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/02.html

*Warning, some readers may find this disturbing*

"By-product: An ingredient produced in the course of making a primary food ingredient; a secondary or incidental product. Feathers are a by-product of poultry meat processing. Feathers which are removed from a carcass during production of poultry meat are then hydrolyzed (pressure cooked with steam until they are an edible gel) which makes them an acceptable feed grade ingredient. Hydrolyzed feathers have been assigned the (IFN) International Feed Number 5-03-795 and can appear on a label as "Poultry By-products." On page 158 in the AAFCO book, Official Publication, 1994, Association of American Feed Control Officials Incorporated, they show: Hydrolyzed Poultry By-Products Aggregate is the product resulting from heat treatment, or a combination thereof, of all by-products of slaughter poultry, clean and undecomposed, including such parts as heads, feet, underdeveloped eggs, intestines, feathers and blood." The IFN assigned to this mix is 5-14-508. Today's regulations allow the entire mix or any part of it to appear on a label as "Poultry By-products." A "Fish By-product" can contain heads, tails, intestines and blood. This fish process residue has been assigned the IFN 5-07-977. A "Meat By-product" could be viscera and blood soaked sawdust from the floors of a packing house where meat is being processed. The meat being processed can be lamb, beef, horse, or any other source. Each one has its own IFN. Some of the animal feed IFN's that contain wood shavings from the floor of a processing facility include "Dried Ruminant Waste" #1-07-526, and "Undried Processed Animal Waste Products" #5-02-790. It is important to note that the amount of wood shavings in either of these two "Meat By-products" is limited and should not be more than 35% in one and 40% in the other. When a pet food label's list of ingredients shows the word By-product you can be assured that there is NO measurable amount of meat in the ingredient. If the ingredient contained enough meat that it could be measured the pet food company would proudly list the MEAT, not just the By-product of that meat's production." 

Yet that is not the worst that can appear in your Chi baby's food. Rendered meat usually shows up in pet food under "meal" or "by products" - usually as a nondescript title. Rendered meat can be anything from dead cats/dogs, road kill, zoo animals - up to the worst of condemned meat. 

If you really want some good information. Here is an article that is filled with some great insight.

http://www.naturalnews.com/012647.html


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## shias-mommy

Oh I feel horrible! I bought Shia Purina.. I guess that was a bad choice!! I was recommended to get her Canidae, which I am deff. going to buy her next week! What a bad mommy I am


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## Tora-Oni

Yes this is really helpful expecially since you did the math on a bunch of popular brands some I know some and I don't know some.


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## vviccles1

shias-mommy said:


> Oh I feel horrible! I bought Shia Purina.. I guess that was a bad choice!! I was recommended to get her Canidae, which I am deff. going to buy her next week! What a bad mommy I am


Please dont feel like a horrible Mom! You are a glorious mama,I can see it in Shias expression. When I got Nia Her bredder gave me a bag of purina puppt chowand I had to ween her off that to solid gold which I personally think is a great food! Keep up the good work with Shia!


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## Ginger Snaps

We use EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+ in both the soft and the dry.

I do have to say I love the size of the dry kibble.


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## Chico's Mum

I orgnized the foods from (A+ to F) It well help me and maybe others to see the best food to the worse easily . 
*Thank you again Krista for Grading the Dog Foods for us*

...............................................................................................

*(A+)*

Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+

Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+

Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+

Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+

Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+

Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+

Innova Dog / Score 114 A+

Innova Evo / Score 114 A+

Canidae / Score 112 A+

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+

Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+

Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+

Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+

Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+

Foundations / Score 106 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+

Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+

Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+

EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+

Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+

Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+

Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+

Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+

...............................................................................................

*(A)*

Nature’s Recipe / Score 100 A

Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A

Solid Gold / Score 99 A

Summit / Score 99 A

Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A

Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A

...............................................................................................

*(B)*

Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B

Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B

...............................................................................................

*(C)*

Diamond Performance / Score 85 C

Member’s Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C

Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C

Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C

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

Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C

Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C

Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C

...............................................................................................

*(D)*

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D

...............................................................................................

*(F)*

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F

Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F

Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F

Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F

Purina Dog / Score 62 F

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F

Purina Benful / Score 17 F

Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F


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## * Bailey & Kahlua's Mom *

Chicken Soup For The Puppy Lover's Soul got an 88/B - We love this stuff for him. 

Our cats eat the Chicken Soup For The Adult Cat Lover's Soul. They are very healthy! 

**Update** We now feed Bailey Nutro Ultra Puppy food.


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## ANABELLE'S MOM

Does anyone have multiple breeds that food scored an A? I'm looking to switch out my food now and am looking for a good multi breed food.


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## Abbey'sMommie

*for those who feed royal canin*

ok so as you all know i have tried 4 types of food for my very very picky puppy, so i have tried orijen, nutro, purina,and now we are doing Royal Canin Mini Puppy 33 and she loves it but my question is for those who have there dogs on this brand of food, is it really good for them, i see on the link it is only a 3star food


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## ANABELLE'S MOM

I tried royal canin and my anabelle didnt like it. She ate the royal canin for jack russell terriers instead and left her food. But on the top of this thread royal canin was an A+ food but that was for boxers and bulldogs i believe.


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## N*T*M*4U

I have tried some of the 6 stars food and my chis don't like them....they picked out Purina ...now I'm gonna tried something else...


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## RescueChiMom

This was so very helpful. Its great to know that my dog's food got an A+


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## lilbabyvenus

Wow! Showed this post to my hubby. All the proof he needed that I wasn't just spoiling our baby. That there's a method to my madness lol.


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## Harley's Mom

I have just been to this site:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews
I agree with some of the analysis they have done although I disagree with some as well. 

Many if not all of their 6 star rated foods are grain free and this is not an ideal diet for some dogs. Some dogs actually get very bad skin problems from the lack of omega fatty acids that are naturally occurring in grains and do actually require some high quality grain in their diets. 

The other problem with grain free diets is that dogs with diabetes are never to be fed grain free. The complex carbohydrates help to regulate blood sugar. Having said that (this is just my little brain working far too much on a Saturday afternoon), dogs with blood sugar control issues like chihuahuas (who as we know are prone to hypoglycemia) would it also not figure that they should also be monitored carefully if fed grain free? Too much time on my hands apparently!

I have a diabetic/epileptic husky so have done a ton of my own research into the whole doggie nutrition thing. My personal opinion is that the best dog food is the one that you can afford to feed on a consistent basis (not like the little stomachs of a chihuahua would gulp down a 40 lb bag of kibble a month) and more importantly one they will eat. The one thing I have learned over the last 10+ years with my very picky husky is that if he isn't going to eat it, it doesn't matter how good it is or how much I paid for it, I will just end up throwing out the leftovers.

Hope I didn't offend anyone, this is only my opinion.


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## ANABELLE'S MOM

*Food advice-kind of long plz read!*

Hello everyone! I recently changed my fur babies dog food and need additonal advice. I have a Jack Russell Terrier and a LC Chi. I tried buying special JRT food and special Chi food but the chi would eat the JRT food and vice versa. I was looking for a multi dog food that gives both dogs the same nutrients. I just bought authority harvest baked adult food. But didn't realize that the kibble itself was a little to big for the chi. But I'm not sure if i'm 100%satisfied with this brand. Can somebody recommend a brand that is good for multi dogs and the kibble size is reasonable for my 5 lb chi. Thank you sooo much!


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## Harley's Mom

Annabelle's Mom - it depends on a couple of things as to which one you want to pick. Cost is a major factor - you have to figure out your budget and work within that. Also, not every dog will like every food. I have spent the last 10 + years dealing with that problem with my Huskies. Usually what happens, one will like something and the other will hate it and then I switch and it is the other one that hates it! Next, do you want to feed grain free or not.

Many people have recommended the Merrick line of kibble and canned foods although none of my dogs have ever taken to it.

Innova makes a really good line of food and the kibble size is not too bad. They make both a grain free (EVO) and regular kibble and the price point is very reasonable for the qualits.

Wellness also has a small dog formula. They are very reasonably priced and they have been a leader is high quality dog food for quite a few years. Wellness also comes in grain free (Core).

Hopefully your local pet food store can give you some samples or guarantee the food so if your dogs don't like it you can take it back for an exchange or refund.


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## lilbabyvenus

Could someone, or has someone, graded Wellness Simple Solutions Rice and Duck formula? 

Ingredients:
Ground Rice, Deboned Duck, Rice Protein Concentrate, Sunflower Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols, A Natural Source Of Vitamin E), Flaxseed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Natural Duck Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Taurine.

EDIT: I think it's 97, but I don't know if I did it right.


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## Intrepia

Ah, this is just what I was looking for.  Recently, I found out about all the bad ingredients in commercial dog food. Tomorrow, I am picking up my new Chihuahua puppy, and I wanted to make sure that he is eating something that is good for him.  So, thanks a lot! This was so helpful.


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## Terri

I am honestly still unsure about what to feed my 2 when they come home in 5 days time.
They are both on Royal Canin at the breeders just now.
Daisy is 3 years old and my puppy Darla is 8 weeks.
I keep swaying between 3, Orijen, Acana and Burns mini bites.
None of those were even mentioned on that list.

On dogfoodanalysis Orijen and Acana are a 6 star food.
Burns i have heard is good too from a few on here.
I honestly dont know much about Royal canin, but it's only a 3 star on the dogfoodanalysis site.
I suppose if the dogs seem healthy and actually eat it, then why change right?
But at the same time i want them to be eating the very best.

There is a lot we cant get here in the UK so am limited too.


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## Terri

I now think i am going to go with Orijen or Acana lol
Have been reading up on other forums too and they always get a good review. 

Have read that Royal Canin have been taken over by Mars and are tweeking the formula to not so good.


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## Jerry'sMom

Terri said:


> I am honestly still unsure about what to feed my 2 when they come home in 5 days time.
> They are both on Royal Canin at the breeders just now.
> Daisy is 3 years old and my puppy Darla is 8 weeks.
> I keep swaying between 3, Orijen, Acana and Burns mini bites.
> None of those were even mentioned on that list.
> 
> On dogfoodanalysis Orijen and Acana are a 6 star food.
> Burns i have heard is good too from a few on here.
> I honestly dont know much about Royal canin, but it's only a 3 star on the dogfoodanalysis site.
> I suppose if the dogs seem healthy and actually eat it, then why change right?
> But at the same time i want them to be eating the very best.
> 
> There is a lot we cant get here in the UK so am limited too.





Terri said:


> I now think i am going to go with Orijen or Acana lol
> Have been reading up on other forums too and they always get a good review.
> 
> Have read that Royal Canin have been taken over by Mars and are tweeking the formula to not so good.


Jerry and Tabitha were started on Royal Canin by their Breeder. What I found out is that the Breeder Program gets a different mix than what we buy off the shelves in stores. It's close but not exactly the same. I have fed Royal Canin Mini Indoor Puppy 27 and have two healthy pups with incredible coats. However, when I tried to change over to Royal Canin Chi 28, Jerry got itchy. 

So we are gradually (over a month) transitioning to Wellness Core Original Formula (Adult). At first, my dogs went wild but they seem to be adjusting to the higher quality food now and are calming down. No itching. Since you have a puppy, you need to find a good puppy food for her first year and I still recommend the Royal Canin Puppy. But for your older girl, you will need an adult food. 

Well, that was a long road to get to this point--you may pick out a lot of foods, but there's no way to know if your pup can tolerate it. Even being littermates, Tabitha and Jerry can not tolerate the same foods 
I shop at PetCo and PetsMart. Both will allow you to return opened bags of food if your dog can't/won't eat it and you have your receipt. Been there, done that...

Can't wait for Daisy and Darla to come home :cheer::cheer:


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## Terri

Thanks Therese.
We have Pets at home here and they really dont have a good selection of dog food.
Dont have Wellness or a load of brands that you guys get over in the US sadly.
Not sure if they take opened food back at Pets at home either if the dogs dont eat it.

Acana do all life stages so i can feed both girls that, i am swaying more towards that.
It is made from the same people that make Orijen too.
Either way i need to get the food online as our pet shops have rubbish IMO.

I know it is trial and error really and what works for one may not work for another.
Will keep them on the Royal Canin for a while though till they settle here with me then start introducing a new one slowly.

Oh and the countdown is on now big time!
Only 4 whole days to wait then on the 5th day i go get them, yay!!!


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## Notorious Charm

Can anyone tell me how Royal Canin for Chihuahua rates?


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## CHITheresa

I feed Amberleah Wellness and it is an A+ but she doesn't like it too much, she will eat if I play with her with it or doctor it up.
So anyone who feeds their chi from the A+ and their dog likes it or loves it what kind do you feed?
They never say how dogs likes the food.


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## jesuschick

This post is so old that much of the information is outdated and I would disagree with some ratings and how to score.

Notorious-here are a couple of sites for you to check:

Royal Canin Breed-Specific Puppy Food | Review and Rating

Dog Food Reviews - Royal Canin Mini Chihuahua 28 - Powered by ReviewPost

2-3 stars out of 5-6. I know a lot of people believe in this food but I would not feed it.


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## CHITheresa

Abbey'sMommie said:


> ok so as you all know i have tried 4 types of food for my very very picky puppy, so i have tried orijen, nutro, purina,and now we are doing Royal Canin Mini Puppy 33 and she loves it but my question is for those who have there dogs on this brand of food, is it really good for them, i see on the link it is only a 3star food


Did your Puppy Not like Orijen? I was thinking of changing Amberleah to this. She is not liking Wellness at all.


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## MChis

I'd see if you could maybe pick up a sample of the Honest Kitchen. They have small boxes, at least where I live, for a few dollars. Great way to see if they like it. It's one of those foods that if they like it...they LOVE it. So may be worth a shot.


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## myfirstchi

does anyone feed Natural Balance? I just put Chi-Chi on this food and I am not sure she likes it.....


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## EmberLuvu

Ooh, I love the rating on wellness. A+ means good.

And really? Purina is that bad? I knew it was terrible, but really... it's THAT terrible?


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## luvbug

If I did it right then 

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed 109 A+


Start with a grade of 100:
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:
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
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
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 *Turkey Meal*


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## LBChi

luvbug said:


> If I did it right then
> 
> Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed 109 A+
> 
> 
> Start with a grade of 100:
> 10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
> 15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
> 
> Extra Credit:
> 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
> 8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
> 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 *Turkey Meal*


Check out dogfoodadvisor.com the info there is much more accurate.


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## Wogetorenk

Great it would help me a lot in this as i recently purchased my new breed of chihuahua and i was wondering and bit concerned for the good diet of my dog


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## chili

Very helpful. Wish I could push the thanks button more than once for this post.


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## CheekoD

Great info THANK YOU!!! I was skeptical with what I was giving my new pup but i'm happy to hear it gets an A+ score. It will definitely be what I will be feeding him.


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## brittanyg

Yes, I think this "formulation" is a great way to make sense of ingredients. But what it doesn't account for is the company making the product. Not all dog companies produce the same quality of food regardless of what is on the label. For example:

"I remember what happened when P&G bought Eukanuba and it wasn't pretty. Quality ingredients being replaced by inferior ingredients, completely unnecessary chemicals and crap kept getting added to the food, the price kept going up and the bag size kept going down."

Procter and Gamble bought Evo, and now I refuse to buy it because I can't trust that its the same quality food that it used to be. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Thoughts?


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## RockyChi

has anyone scored ARCANA? I purchased a trial size for our Chi the other day. He seems to like it.


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## GemFairy

I LOVE this post & all the comments! Thank you everyone <3


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## RandSuz

I know this is an old post, but thank you so much for this. We just joined this group today and the site can be so confusing that I've been thinking it isn't worth the trouble. But then I ran across your post about scoring dog food. We may stick around after all! Thanks again.


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## mikhojiji

thanks so much for this useful in formations .my chihuahua loves you!


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## dallasm78

just put my chi on the adult eukanuba for Chihuahuas thinking it was a good move. we don't have many great options here where I live. what would be a better brand that I maybe can order online for here and have shipped to me?


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## dallasm78

what about royal canin Chihuahua food? what does that rate at?


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## CuddlesMom

If I did the calculations right, then Cuddles's food, Tractor Supply 4Health, gets a grade of 101.

Their Grain Free Duck and Potato recipe would also get a 105 if I calculated it correctly.

I might actually consider switching to their grain free when Cuddles is an adult, since it doesn't cost a lot more than her regular food.


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## Zatara

Halle is very fussy and it's been a nightmare getting her to eat any complete food. I did order some of this food, and she seem to like this one;

Poultry with Squash, Buckwheat & Flower Pollen: 
Muscle meat of turkey, turkey hearts, chicken stomach, squash, tomatoes, buckwheat (3%), millet (3.5%), wheat germ oil, chives, chamomile, linseed, flower pollen, seaweed, organic egg shell, drinking water.
Meat: 54%. 

Terra Canis Puppy Food - Free P&P on orders £25+ at zooplus!


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## miascloset

I'm new here on the forum and am already learning new things!
Thank you!
I'm also a brand new Chi mom so this is a wonderful forum for [email protected]!
I'm currently feeding Mia Merrick so it's an A+ at 127.
Thanks to all!


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## Melesine

dallasm78 said:


> what about royal canin Chihuahua food? what does that rate at?


I can't imagine Royal Canin rating very high from reading their ingredient list. 


Corn, chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, wheat gluten, oat groats, brown rice, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, vegetable oil, 

It doesn't even look like there is meat in it. Chicken by product meal and chicken fat is it. Sure there can be some meat in by product meal but it's generally things like organs and feet. Organs are great, but not when that's all that is fed with a bunch of grains.


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## miascloset

Mine eat 
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+

That's all i've ever fed them.


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## zellko

Sorry, I just have to say this. Corn very digestable???? Have you ever looked at a dog's pooh who eats corn? Have YOU ever eaten too many Fritos? You are being brain washed- beware.


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## zellko

Has anybody scored Fromm grain free?


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## miascloset

I believe if you feed premium food all their life, no matter if it's expensive, you save by being at the vet less.
My GSD lived to 12
My Doxie lived to 15
My Boxer lived to 13
All fed Merrick and I saw the vet rarely.


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## Wicked Pixie

I agree that good food is the cornerstone of health, but do look beyond commercial foods especially kibble, if you want a truly healthy dog.


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## 2chimomma

Ok, I know this is a old thread, but now I'm wondering if I bought the right food. My vet recommended Hill's Ideal Balance for my puppy & gave me a bag. Since I have older dogs I decided to start transition them to this brand so when my puppy gets older I only have to buy one bag, they were on Nutro. Anyone else using Hill's Ideal Balance?


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