~ Grading Your Dog Food  ~

Looking at the ingredients of your dog's food, find the ingredient listed on the table below.  Starting with 100 points, add or subract the points given fro each ingredient and total the points.  Print this sheet to total your points for each item.  The grade scale is listed at the end of the table.

INGREDIENT
Points
(Add or Subtract)
New Score
For every listing of "By-Product"

-10

  
For every Non-Specific Animal Source ("Meat" or "Poultry", Meat, Meal or Fat) reference
-10
  
For every Grain "Mill Run" or Non-Specific Grain Source
- 5
  
Same Grain ingredient used 2 or more times in the first 5 ingredients. 
(example: ground brown rice, brewer's rice, and rice flour are all the same grain)
- 5
  
Corn listed in the top 5 ingredients
-2
  
Protein Sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients
- 3
  
If Lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources)
- 2
  
Food is baked not extruded, points
+ 5
  
Food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist
+ 5
  
Animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free
+ 2
 
Vegetables have been tested for pesticides and ARE pesticide-free
+ 1
  
Any of the meat sources are organic
+ 5
 

For every different specific animal protein source, other than the 1st one.   (example: Count "chicken" & "chicken meal" as only 1 protein source, BUT count "chicken" & "fish" as 2 different sources)
+ 1
 
IF THE FOOD CONTAINS:
BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin
- 10
  
Any Artificial Colorants
- 3
  
Ground Corn or Whole Grain Corn
- 3
  
Any Animal Fat (other than Fish Oil)
- 2
  
Soy or Soybeans
- 2
  
Salt
- 1
 
Wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat)
- 2
  
Beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef)
- 1
  
Fruit
+ 3
 
Barley
+ 2
  
Probiotics
+ 3
  
Vegetables (NOT Corn or Other Grains)
+ 3
  
Flax Seed Oil (not just the seeds)
+ 2
  
Oats or Oatmeal
+ 1
  
Sunflower Oil
+ 1
  
Glucosamine & Chondroitin
+ 1
  
TOTAL POINTS HERE
  

Grade Scale

100+ = A+          94-100 = A          86-93 = B          78-85 = C          70-77 = D          69-below = F

 

SEE THE DOG FOODS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SCORED. 
For convenience we have listed the dog foods Alphabetically by Brand & then Numerically by Score

Alphabetically by Brand
Brand
Score
Grade
Authority Harvest Baked
116
A+
Bil-Jac Select
68
F
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
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium
122
A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato
106
A+
Eagle Pack Holistic<
119
A+
Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken
114
A+
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy
94
A
Eagle Pack Natural
94
A
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult
83
C
Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice
87  
B
Flint River Ranch (non-specific fat source)
92
B
Foundations
106
A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold
93
A
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium
73
D
Iams Large Breed
83
C
Innova Dog
114
A+
Innova Evo
114
A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables
110
A+
Kirkland Signature Puppy Chicken, Rice and Vegetable
108
A+
Natural Balance Duck and Potato
114
A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice
87
B
Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal (non-specific fat source)  
85
C
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy
87
B
Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice 
85
C
Ol Roy
9
F
Pedigree Complete Nutrition
42
F
Pedigree Adult Complete
14
F
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice
23
F
Pro Plan All Breed
68
F
Pro Plan Natural Turkey & Barley
103
A+
Purina Beneful
17
F
Purina Dog
62
F
Purina Come-n-Get It
16
F
Royal Canin Bulldog
100
A+
Royal Canin Dachshund 28 Formula
97
A
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult
106
A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice
97
A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+
63
F
Science Diet chicken adult maintenance
45
F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies
69
F
Solid Gold Bison
123
A+
Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison
136 
A+
Wellness Just for Puppy
117
A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken
110
A+
Solid Gold Wolfking Adult Dog (Bison)
97
A
Numerical by Score
Brand
Score
Grade
Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison
136 
A+
Solid Gold Bison
123
A+
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium
Score 122
A+
Eagle Pack Holistic
Score 119
A+
Wellness Just for Puppy
Score 117
A+
Authority Harvest Baked
Score 116
A+
Chicken Soup Senior
Score 115
A+
Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken
Score 114
A+
Innova Dog
Score 114
A+
Innova Evo
Score 114
A+
Natural Balance Duck and Potato
Score 114
A+
Canidae
Score 112
A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables
Score 110
A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken
Score 110
A+
Kirkland Signature Puppy Chicken, Rice and Vegetable
Score 108
A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato
Score 106
A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult
106
A+
Foundations
106
A+
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley
103
A+
Royal Canin Bulldog
100
A+
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula
99
A
Royal Canin Dachshund 28 Formula
97
A
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice
97
A
Solid Gold Wolfking Adult Dog (Bison)
97 A
A
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy
94 A
A
Eagle Pack Natural
94 A
A
Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb)
93 A
A
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice
92 B
B
Flint River Ranch (non-specific fat source)
92 B
B
Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice
87 B
B
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice
87 B
B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy
87
B
Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal (non-specific fat source)
85
C
Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice
85
C
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult
83
C
Iams Large Breed
83
C
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium
73
D
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies
69
F
Bil-Jac Select
68
F
Pro Plan All Breed
68
F
Diamond Maintenance
64
F
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+
63
F
Purina Dog
62
F
Science Diet chicken adult maintenance
45
F
Pedigree Complete Nu
42
F
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice
23
F
Purina Beneful
17
F
Purina Come-n-Get It
16
F
Pedigree Adult Complete
14
F
Ol Roy
9
F