Dog Foods should NOT contain....

* Meat By-Products - These "second class" products are not handled as carefully as whole meat.  A few examples of what Meat By-Products are: carcass of slaughtered chickens, such as necks, beaks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines.  Also beware of food containing "animal by-products" this can be just about anything.

* "Generic" fats or proteins - "Animal Fat" or "Poultry Fat" for example, can come from just about anywhere: recycled great from restaurants, or unwholesome mystery mix of various fats.  The preferable ingredient would be "Chicken Fat."  An example of generic protein is "mean meal" (as opposed to better quality "lamb meal.")  The generic term indicated that the ingredient is actually a mixed bag of ingredients, coming from a number of sources.

* CORN, WHEAT and Soy - Many dogs are allergic to these ingredients in any form.  Corn has NO nutritional value what so ever.  It is used only as a cheap filler.

* Food Fragments - (brewers rice, corn gluten, ect.)  Most foods contain at least one fragment, as makers economize where it least hurts the food. Beware of a product that contains several fragments of a single food.  Please know that the law dictates that each ingredient is listed separately by weight. So when you see a list of ingredients that begins with "lamb, rice flour, rice bran, brewers rice.. " you should be aware that the product is mostly rice, despite the fact that lamb was first on the list.

* Artificial Preservatives - These include BHA and BHT which are chemical preservatives that have been banned for human consumption in many countries, however it is yet to be banned in dog food in the US.  Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative not approved for human use, therefore should not be used in the food we feed our dogs.

* Sweeteners - Including corn syrup, sucrose and ammoniated glycyrrhizin, added to attract dogs to what without it would be an unappealing food.  Dietary Sugar can aggravate health problems in dogs, including diabetes.

* Specific Supplements - Such as salt, ascorbic acid; very acidic and could cause stomach problems, brewers yeast; potential allergen, dried kelp; high in sodium, lecithin; comes from soybeans and corn.

Many foods, such as Science Diet, Iams, and Purina and so many others found at the grocery store and pet stores DO contain some or all of the above ingredients.  These foods and many other low quality foods contain very poor ingredients.  It is up to you, the pet owner to do your homework to ensure you are feeding your pet the best food possible.  Label reading is very important when choosing a dog food.  It is a competitive market; take the pictures and label claims lightly, but scrutinize the actual ingredient list.

Dog Foods SHOULD Contain:

* Superior sources of protein - This means either whole, fresh meats or single-source meat meal. (For Example, chicken meal rather then poultry meal.)

* A whole-meat source listed as one of the first two ingredients - Meat is the most important and natural source of protein for canines.

* Whole, unprocessed grains and vegetables - An unprocessed food has a great chance of having its nutrients and enzymes intact.

Now that you have read some of the basics, what foods meet most of the criteria listed above?  We have put together a short list of dog foods from our own research we feel would be the optimum choice of nutrition for your beloved dog/s.  (We only recommend the formulas listed, other formulas from the same maker may not meet the criteria, as so many makers have several lines of food.)  Most of the foods listed below have 24% protein. (Dry Dog Foods Only)

1 Star=ACCEPTABLE    2 Stars=GOOD    3 Stars=VERY GOOD    4 Stars=EXCELLENT    5 Stars=TOP of the LINE