Grading Dog Food

How does your dog food score? A,B,C,D, or F?

Start with a grade of 100: Grades for some dog foods are given a the bottom of this document.
  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.

A = 94-100
B = 86-93
C = 78-85
D = 70-77
F = 70 or lower

Dog Food scores:

Alpo Prime Cuts
 81
 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy
 114
 A+
Authority Harvest Baked
 116
 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active
 93
 B
Beowulf Back to Basics
 101
 A+
Bil-Jac Select
 68
 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice
 83
 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice
 106
 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice
 107
 A+
Canidae
 112
 A+
Chicken Soup Senior
 115
 A+
Diamond Maintenance
 64
 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice
 92
 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula
 99
 A
Diamond Performance
 85
 C
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium
 122
 A+
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium
 106
 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato
 106
 A+
EaglePack Holistic
 102
 A+
Eukanuba Adult
 81
 C
Eukanuba Puppy
 79
 C
Flint River Senior
 101
 A+
Foundations
 106
 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold
 93
 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium
 73
 D
Innova Dog
 114
 A+
Innova Evo
 114
 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy
 122
 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables
 110
 A+
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice
 84
 C+
Merrick Wilderness Blend
 127
 A+
NaturalLife Nutritional Pet Products Adult Lamaderm
 84
 C+
Nature's Recipe
 100
 A
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice
 116
 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct
 122
 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice
 81
 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy
 101
 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice
 87
 B
Nutro Max Adult
 93
 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice
 98
 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy
 87
 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free
 86
 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior
 95
 A
Nutro Ultra Adult
 104
 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice
 23
 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry
 109
 A+
Pro Nature Puppy
 80
 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach
 94
 A
Purina Ben ful
 17
 F
Purina Dog
 62
 F
Purina Come-n-Get It
 16
 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy
 62
 F
Royal Canin Boxer
 103
 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog
 100
 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult
 106
 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+
 63
 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies
 69
 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice
 97
 A
Solid Gold
 99
 A
Summit
 99
 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry
 120
 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken
 110
 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold
 97
 A