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BOXER
FANCY

How Good
Is Your Dog Food?


How to grade your dog's food

 Start with a grade of 100

1.
For every listing of "by-product"
- 10
2.
For every non-specific animal source reference ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat)  
- 10
3.
If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin  
- 10
4.
For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source  
-  5
5.
If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first 5 ingredients (I.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain)  
- 5
6.
If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients  
- 3
7.
If it contains any artificial colorants  
- 3
8.
If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn  
- 3
9.
If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients  
- 2 more
10.
If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil  
- 2
11.
If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources)  
- 2
12.
If it contains soy or soybeans  
-  2
13.
If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat)  
- 2
14.
If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef)  
- 1
15.
If it contains salt  
- 1
Extra Credit:
1.
If any of the meat sources are organic  
+  5
2.
If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist (not always a true endorsement–I would not add this)  
+  5
3.
If the food is baked not extruded  
+  5
4.
If the food contains probiotics  
+  3
5.
If the food contains fruit  
+  3
6.
If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains)  
+  3
7.
If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free  
+  2
8.
If the food contains barley (some would not agree with this)  
+  2
9.
If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds)  
+  2
10.
If the food contains oats or oatmeal  
+  1
11.
If the food contains sunflower oil  
+  1
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 "fish meal" as 2 different sources)  
+  1
13.
If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin  
+  1
14.
If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free  
+  1
 Scoring:  
 

94 to100+ = A
86 to 93 = B
78 to 85 = C
70 to 77 = D
69 or lower = F

         
  Here are some foods that have already been scored:

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 VanPatten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick VanPatten'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 Beneful / 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
   

Recipe - Dog's Favorite Treat

This is the home made version of a commercial treat called
"Frosty Paws"

32 oz. Vanilla Yogurt
2 Tbs. Honey
2 Tbs. Peanut Butter
1 Banana


Mix in blender, pour into ice cube trays. Put into freezer until hard.

Serve outside...

Enjoy, you good doggies!