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
 		114
 		A+
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice
 		106
 		A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice
 		107
 		A+
Canidae
 		112
 		A+
Canidae All Life Stages Chicken & Rice
 		94
 		A
Canidae All Life Stages Lamb & Rice
 		101
 		A+
Canidae Platinum
 		91
 		B
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+
Doctors Foster and Smith Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Formula
 		101
 		A+
Doctors Foster and Smith Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Formula
 		102
 		A+
EaglePack Holistic
 		102
 		A+
Eagle Pack Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Adult Formula
 		101
 		A+
Eagle Pack Super Premium Large & Giant Breed Puppy Formula
 		97
 		A
Eagle Pack Super Premium Natural Formula
 		96
 		A
Eukanuba Adult
 		81
 		C
Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Formula
 		82
 		B
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+
Natures Recipe Lamb Meal & Rice
 		96
 		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 Max Large Breed Adult
 		85
 		C
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice
 		98
 		A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Adult
 		86
 		B
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+
Premium Edge Lamb, Rice & Vegetables
 		110
 		A+
Premium Edge Puppy Large Breed Lamb, Rice & Vegetable
 		104
 		A+
Pro Nature Puppy
 		80
 		C
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley
 		103
 		A+
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 Large Breed Giant Adult Formula
 		95
 		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 Fish & Sweet Potato (for skin & coat issues)
 		108
 		A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken
 		110
 		A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold
 		97
 		A