How We Research Dog Food
Throughout our decades of writing and editing pet and veterinary publications, we have interviewed many veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists. We have also had the opportunity to feed our own dogs many different brands and types of food.
It is important to note that our veterinary experts did not specifically endorse any of the products in this guide. When you think about it, this makes sense, as most vets agree that the best food for each dog varies based on a variety of factors. So to make selections for this guide, we consulted four veterinarians, including a board certified veterinary nutritionist and a professor of animal science and nutrition, on what qualities to look for in a healthy dog food and what to avoid. From there, we use the information collected to guide our selections.
All foods in this guide are complete and balanced according to the American Association of Food Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines, contain high-quality ingredients, and offer the appropriate levels of protein, fat, and fiber for their respective categories.
When making decisions, we also refer to the educational resources of the American Association of Food Control Officials (AAFCO) and the Global Nutrition Guidelines published by the World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians (WSAVA).
What to look for in dog food, in order of importance:
AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement: This is the most crucial factor in determining whether or not a dog food is healthy. Any food you give your dog must say on the label that it meets the nutritional standards set by the AAFCO. This means that the food is “complete and balanced” for the dog’s life stage. You can learn more about these standards and definitions on the next slide.
Guaranteed analysis: This is where you will find the percentages of the most important nutrients in food: protein, fat, fiber, and moisture. Sometimes you can also find other nutrients like glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega fatty acids in the guaranteed analysis. It’s worth checking if the brand routinely tests its finished product to make sure it meets standards, Shepherd says. (You can usually find this information on a brand’s website.) All the foods in this guide are moderate to high protein (AAFCO minimums are 22% for puppies and 18% for adults) and low to moderate fat (AAFCO minimums are 8.5% for puppies and 5.5% for puppies. Adults).
List of ingredients: Navigating the ingredient list doesn’t have to be intimidating. The first thing to look at the top of the list is animal protein sources. You will find them in the top slot of all the foods that appear in this guide. Whole meat is ideal, but it tends to be quite heavy due to the water content. With dry foods, that water is removed, so the meat content may not be as high as it appears. Also, you don’t need to discard meat meals, which are generally made from animal parts that humans don’t eat. These can be excellent sources of protein if they are of high quality. Since the water has already been removed, they may even contain more protein than whole meat.
Healthy extras: Some foods contain additional ingredients intended to support skin, coat and joint health, Swanson notes. Examples include long chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA; usually from oils or flours of marine origin), omega-6 fatty acids (safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, linseed, etc.), glucosamine, chondroitin, green lipped mussels and additional vitamins (vitamin A, biotin) and minerals (
zinc
, copper). Probiotics, prebiotics, and yeasts can also benefit a puppy’s immature GI tract, and probiotics can help boost general immunity in older dogs.
Calorie content: Dogs can start to gain weight if they consume excess calories. That can cause health problems, so look for the calorie content in kilocalories, ok / cal, on the nutrition label. If your dog is not very active, he will need fewer calories, and if your dog is very active (for example, a performance or working dog), he will need much more calorie-dense meals. Helping your dog feel satisfied with his food is really important and volume can help with that. Ideally, you want your dog to eat as much food as possible while staying within his ideal daily calorie range. Check out this calorie calculator to determine how many calories your dog needs. In general, foods that achieved this balance scored higher in our selection process. As always, your vet can also help you determine if you are feeding your dog the correct amount of calories.
Feeding trials: If a food has undergone feeding testing in addition to a laboratory analysis of the food’s ingredients, that is a huge advantage. “Food testing is expensive to do, and food testing backed foods are made by companies that put a lot of resources into quality control,” says Shepherd. If the nutritional adequacy statement on the label says something like: “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures confirm that [product] provides complete and balanced nutrition for [life stage], “means that, through feeding tests, the food has been shown to be palatable, digestible and able to sustain pets over time.
Expert formulations: When choosing a dog food, it is very important to consider who actually decided what the food would include. You want to look for companies that have a doctoral-level nutritionist with experience in canine nutrition on staff, Shepherd says. The brand should also employ food scientists working with nutrition experts. For this guide, we prioritize brands that have a dedicated nutrition expert on staff to align with the WSAVA recommendations.
Top Tier Ingredients: Despite the marketing messages, human-grade, organic, wild-caught, or cage-free products are not necessarily healthier for your pet. But, if you care about the well-being of the animals you eat (and your pets), these ingredients are a bonus. And, unlike farmed fish, wild-caught fish is not treated with
antibiotics
or medications, so they may be better for your dog, too. You will also find some foods with meat and eggs from chickens and turkeys without cages.