From the Dog Food Advisor

What’s the Best Dog Food?

After considering dozens of criteria, we determined that the best dog foods should contain:

So, after reviewing hundreds of dog food brands representing more than 4,300 different recipes, we narrowed our choices down to a few shorter lists.

 

Purina Beneful Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Purina Beneful Dog Food looks like a below-average dry product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 31%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 48% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.

Near-average protein. Below-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal and soybean meal in this recipe, and the soybean germ meal and canola meal contained in the grain-free recipe, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Purina Beneful is a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of named by-product meal as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 2 stars.

Not recommended.

Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based on our estimate of their total meat content and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.

 

TruDog Dog Food (Freeze-Dried)

TruDog Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

Each recipe below includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the product’s official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza [U]
TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Gourmet Gobbler [U]
TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.

TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza
Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Ingredients: Beef, beef tripe, beef lung, ground beef bone, beef liver, beef heart, beef kidney, beef blood, beef fat, herring oil (natural source of vitamin D), mixed tocopherols (natural antioxidant), d-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E)

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With three notable exceptions…

First, we note the inclusion of beef blood, which consists mostly of water. And although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to humans, blood is naturally rich in protein (albumin), vitamins and minerals.

Next, herring oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high-quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, herring oil should be considered a commendable addition.

And lastly, we find no added vitamins or minerals on the ingredients list. We would assume these essential nutrients are provided by the food ingredients in the recipe.

TruDog Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, TruDog Dog Food looks like an above-average raw product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 43%, a fat level of 30% and estimated carbohydrates of about 19%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 46% and a mean fat level of 23%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 23% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.

Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a raw product containing an abundance of meat.

Bottom line?

TruDog is a freeze-dried, meat-based raw dog food using a generous amount of named meats and organs as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (Dry)

It is important to feed your fur baby good dog food with real meat. You don’t have to feed your dog as much with higher-quality food.

From Whole Dog Journal

Dear Fellow Dog Lover,

You want the best for your dog – especially when it comes to his food. You read labels and try to choose the brand and formula that will nourish your furry friend.

That’s why you’ll be as shocked as I was, to discover that dozens of today’s top-selling brands – names you thought you could trust, like Beneful, Pedigree, Purina and more – may not contain the wholesome, healthy ingredients you want for your dog.

Take Beneful. The package makes it look like manna from heaven with a healthy pup, fresh veggies, and what look like real chunks of meat. Unfortunately, the pictures make the food seem better than it is. The reality is this stuff is AWFUL for your dog. It’s full of sugar, artificial colors, and 3 unnamed animal sources. And very little vegetables.

Or look at Kibbles ‘n Bits Bistro Meals Grilled Chicken Flavor. If only it contained the grilled chicken they show on the bag instead of loads of low-quality ingredients and “animal digest” – the real source of the chicken flavor.

Another terrible food is Pedigree Complete Nutrition for Adult Dogs. Made with an inferior, cheap source of protein, it’s a wonder it could maintain any dog’s health – much less an adult dog’s!

And wet foods fare no better than dry…

The label on Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy Homestyle with Beef makes it look like big pieces of beef covered in gravy. But if this is your dog’s dinner, she’s getting some of the lowest-quality sources of protein, held together by wheat gluten! Even Iams ProActive Health Chunks is full of by-products that are often linked to all sorts of health problems.
 
 
Is your dog’s food full of used restaurant grease?
When you see “animal fat” on a label – you probably think chicken skins or beef trimmings. But, pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use all sorts of low-quality fats, even USED RESTAURANT GREASE, as generic fat sources. To make sure your dog gets healthier fats, look for labels that use a named species of animal as a source of fat, like chicken fat or duck fat.
 
 
What’s more, you could be paying for healthy ingredients that aren’t even in the bag. For example, because omega-3 fatty acids are so healthy, dog food manufacturers started adding DHA and EPA (highly beneficial fatty acid supplements) to many dry foods. However, they are notoriously fragile and short-lived. Plus, exposure to oxygen makes them turn rancid – and potentially dangerous – very quickly.

So, how do you know which foods can help boost your dog’s health and even add years to his life – and which ones you never want to put in his bowl?

Start a risk-free subscription to The Whole Dog Journal, the monthly publication that’s dedicated to bringing you proven, natural solutions for keeping your dog healthy and happy for life! Filled with reviews of food, dry, wet and raw, The Whole Dog Journal is unlike any other publication.
 
 How dry dog food causes cancer!
When manufacturers add low-quality ingredients imported from places without adequate safety oversight, and low-cost ingredients that are often shipped and stored without refrigeration – it makes it easy for these ingredients to become rancid. Rancid fats destroy the nutritive value of the proteins and vitamins in food so much, your dog can suffer from deficiencies even though he is eating well. What’s worse, these rancid fats can cause diarrhea, liver problems, arthritis, heart problems and even cancer! Don’t risk your dog’s health. Subscribe to The Whole Dog Journal now.