# Dog Food Advisor Website



## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

I don't know if you are familiar with this website:

www.dogfoodadvisor.com

but, it is totally dedicated to reviewing all dog foods (dry, wet, raw, etc.) and is chalked full of great info, imho. They seem to go by star ratings with 5 stars being the highest. There wasn't a food I could think of that I couldn't find on the website. And it isn't owned by a pet food company, so doesn't seem to be biased in its ratings.

They list the ingredients and other vital info, and the other great thing is that if you're interested in a particular food, they have a store finder. You list your zip code and they find a store close to you that carries that particular food. In fact, I found a new store, about a mile away from me, that I didn't even know existed. It carries all the really good brands that you can't get at the PetSmart or PetCos -- so I'm excited about locating it. The girls and I will be checking it out this weekend.

It even goes into the various foods for each brand -- I found, for example, that one type of canned from Blue Buffalo has a 4 star rating while a different type of Blue Buffalo canned has a 5 star rating. This is just an example of the kind of info the website has. Seems to be very in-depth.

Anyway -- since we get so many questions about foods (all the time), I thought that I would share this website.

Maybe I should sticky it. Please let me know what you think.


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## MoonDog (Jun 6, 2011)

I'm so glad you posted this Lynn! This is where I learned about the Costco brand (Kirkland) dry food being rated above average. It's a fraction of the cost of what Phoebe and Finnegan have been on.


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

Lynn, this is a great site! I believe Marj posted in a thread a while back and since then I have bookmarked it in my favorites. I definitely think this should be a sticky!


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

It's even got a place to sign up for e mail alerts in the event of a recall.


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

This isn't a site run by a veterinary nutritionist, nor a veterinary professional for that matter. Please get your nutrition information from veterinary nutritionists!!!! Nutrition is just as important for our pets as it is for our selves.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

spookiesmom said:


> It's even got a place to sign up for e mail alerts in the event of a recall.


I also get these & it means I don't have to go back & check each day! 
YES Lynn, great idea, make it a sticky:thumbsup::thumbsup:.


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## yukki (Aug 22, 2007)

Thank you, Lynn, for posting this. I am very concerned about what my boys eat so I am very anxious to dig into that site. I am going to sign up for their newsetter, too! Thanks again!


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## gidget'smom (Mar 11, 2012)

I find this website very informative. I also have the formula that is used to come up with the dashboard analysis which is different than the quaranteed analysis on the container that dog food come in if any one is interested in the formula. I have learned other interesting things on that website concerning certain ingredients in dog foods such as foods containing sodium selenite as opposed to selenium yeast and which is best in the opinion of the writer of the article and why. The other thing I enjoy about that website is the forum part. At the bottom of most if not all pages are people who make statements and responses. Now, I keep in mind that it is people's opinions and they may or may not be educated, but I still enjoy reading them and deciding for myself what I take from them. As far as the site not being run by a veterinary nutritionist or veterinary professional, in my opinion, I have been given information by someone who told me they were a animal nutritionist and it was incorrect information. Also, there are many veterinarians who sell Science Diet in their offices, so I have to question whether being a vet makes them worthy of making me listen to them on nutrition more than the person who established this website.


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

There's a BIG difference between someone who calls themselves an animal nutritionist and a board certified veterinary nutritionist who is a veterinarian. 

There's been many, many years of veterinary nutrition research and one has to be very careful where they get their information. Veterinary nutritionists are the experts. 

Science Diet has collaborated for a long time with veterinary schools on nutrition research and they have a veterinary nutritionist on staff. Many, many dog food companies don't.

There's a lot of criticism of AVMA and their funding. If you'll look closely behind the critics and their websites, they're funded by commercial sources too. Most who don't even have college level veterinary nutrition experience.

The world is run by sponsorshipw/advertisements these days - this forum, dog shows, holistic veterinary conferences, AVMA, . . . . . . 

There's a whole of of research done that wouldn't otherwise be done if it weren't for funding by commerce. I'm personally glad there is a collaboration between certain dog food companies and veterinary nutrition research.


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

I had another thought regarding nutrition for our pets. 

When our pets or we get seriously sick, we try to get our pets or ourselves to a specialist as fast as we can, to be treated by someone who is trained and competent. Yet a lot of you are falling for the nutrition advice of people and companies who have no real expertise in veterinary nutrition. It's more of a marketing gimmick than expertise. 

For example, when my local vet. thought Karli had a portosystemic shunt, I travelled to the nearest veterinary school where there were experts trained in portosystemc shunts and testing. Now that I have a serious genetic immune disorder, am I going to follow the advice of some dentist or someone handing out vitamin water? NO! I'm going to one of the best immunologists in the area.


Just because someone has a book, a newsletter, or website, doesn't make them an expert in what is best to feed our pets.

I will keep repeating this, because I think nutrition for our pets is important. The best source for veterinary nutrition is from veterinary nutritionists who are board certified. The latest canine nutrition news is going to come from veterinary schools who are doing science based veterinary nutrition studies around the world.

So much of what is posted on dog forums is coming from people and companies who do not have evidence/science based nutrition information. There's only a handfull of dog food companies who have a veterinary nutritionist on staff.

I have had a college level human nutrition course and I know how complex and important nutrition is. Still yet, I leave my nutrition information up to the experts. 

I have no trouble using a site such as the one listed above to get pet food recalls, but that information is available from veterinary sources too. In fact, this is probably where this person gets their information.


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

Thank you for posting that. I only use the site for recalls, and Science Diet doesn't seem to have them. My past dogs ate it all their very long lives with far less health issues than I read about here. I trust my vet. He says it's ok to feed. He has the education to say that. I don't.

This is a hot topic, so I will shut up


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

spookiesmom said:


> Thank you for posting that. I only use the site for recalls, and Science Diet doesn't seem to have them. My past dogs ate it all their very long lives with far less health issues than I read about here. I trust my vet. He says it's ok to feed. He has the education to say that. I don't.
> 
> This is a hot topic, so I will shut up


I don't think you need to be quiet, I think this is all very interesting and important things to bring up.

This is going to be a long post.

I like these dog food rating websites and when I first started reading about dog food I was all about them. I still think they are important. I also feel like the people running them are usually self proclaimed experts - and sometimes they do know quite a bit, however none of us have all the answers.

We need to take them with a grain of salt. They are useful tools, especially for analyzing ingredients. Ingredients are important-quality and source. Source isn't often defined on these sites and with the china food issues, I think we all realize know that it's a very important thing to look into.

I was also very much against certain foods-Science diet, Royal Canine....but the more I started to read, the more I realized, you have to look into the company itself. Who is behind the company? What type of feeding trials do they do? Do they own their own facilities? 

There are brands I will do my best to deter people from-Pedigree, Beneful-you know the ones-however I feel confident in Science Diet and Royal Canine. Yes, I do think Hills tries to to sway things in their favor, when it comes to vets and when it comes to dog food in general-however I also feel they stand behind their product and they put out a decent product.

You can get the finished product by using fresh foods-more whole meats-or you can get it by adding vitamins and minerals and all kinds of suppliments-or both. I feel like foods like Science Diet and Royal Canine are more filler infused with nutrients-which is not necissarily bad, it is just a different way of coming to the same end.

Lots of testing, lots of trials-few recalls, open to the public. To me, that is huge.

I still prefer Fromm, above all others, I like the ingredients, I like the customer service, they own their own facilities, and I like where the ingredients come from. I like the recall list.

I like acana-though I believe champion pet foods is highest on the latest 'fad' list. I think they have gone full force with the dog is a carnivore is a wolf mentality (if you believe that more power to you, I don't necissarily disagree) and they have a special white paper that was written that will convince most anyone they are right. (maybe). I like them, I like their source of products, their customer service, the ingredients-but I do find the fad thing a bit flaky. Still, one of my favorite companies.

Freshpet, fresh ingredients, fresh food, I like the quality, the company, but again, lets face it, this is a fad food that has found it's nitch. That isn't necissarily bad but it is what it is.

Don't get me wrong, I hope some of these fad foods are here to stay-but I recignize they are all tailored to make us, the consumer, believe they are the very best. Any company can tweak a paper to make their point of view seem like the right one.

And not all foods work for all dogs! My beloved Fromm is a horrible choice for some dogs. These links are great to share, as long as we also bring up the other points that people will want to consider


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## gidget'smom (Mar 11, 2012)

I will agree that just because someone call themselves an animal nutrionists does not make them one, but I am going to hold to my personal opinion that just because Science Diet may staff a veterinary nutritionist it makes their food an excellect choice that I am willing to feed my dog. I need only to look at the ingredients to know I much prefer Ziwipeak or Acana or Fromm. I once asked my previous vet about Merrick, and he had not even heard about it. How can I consider him an expert in nutrition when he has not even heard of a food that I consider well-known? I agree that the nutrition of our pets is extremely important and possibly websites such as dogfoodadvisor and those like it may be sponsored by organizations with ulterior motives (although I'm certainly not saying they are just saying it's a possiblity), but it's also a possiblity vets push Science Diet because they get financially compensated and not because they have a conviction that it is superior nutrition.


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## Bibu (Jun 3, 2010)

This is a website I hadn't come across yet. Thanks for posting it, Lynn!

I usually refer to DogAware.com: Diet & Health Info for Man's Best Friend which is written by a good friend of Kissy's littermate's skin mom. It has great advice on nutrition and several health issues. It helps you understnd these conditions and foods in simple words. Here is the link on diet: DogAware.com: Diet Options for Dogs


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

gidget'smom said:


> I will agree that just because someone call themselves an animal nutrionists does not make them one, but I am going to hold to my personal opinion that just because Science Diet may staff a veterinary nutritionist it makes their food an excellect choice that I am willing to feed my dog. I need only to look at the ingredients to know I much prefer Ziwipeak or Acana or Fromm. I once asked my previous vet about Merrick, and he had not even heard about it. How can I consider him an expert in nutrition when he has not even heard of a food that I consider well-known? I agree that the nutrition of our pets is extremely important and possibly websites such as dogfoodadvisor and those like it may be sponsored by organizations with ulterior motives (although I'm certainly not saying they are just saying it's a possiblity), but it's also a possiblity vets push Science Diet because they get financially compensated and not because they have a conviction that it is superior nutrition.


Nicely put....I especially agree with the last sentence.
MOST vets have not even heard of Fromm, Now, Merrick, Ziwi Peak, etc. etc. and thats because they are not getting paid to promote it....but they sure are familiar with Royal Canin and Science Diet. Mmmm wonder why.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

gidget'smom said:


> I will agree that just because someone call themselves an animal nutrionists does not make them one, but I am going to hold to my personal opinion that just because Science Diet may staff a veterinary nutritionist it makes their food an excellect choice that I am willing to feed my dog. I need only to look at the ingredients to know I much prefer Ziwipeak or Acana or Fromm. I once asked my previous vet about Merrick, and he had not even heard about it. How can I consider him an expert in nutrition when he has not even heard of a food that I consider well-known? I agree that the nutrition of our pets is extremely important and possibly websites such as dogfoodadvisor and those like it may be sponsored by organizations with ulterior motives (although I'm certainly not saying they are just saying it's a possiblity), but it's also a possiblity vets push Science Diet because they get financially compensated and not because they have a conviction that it is superior nutrition.


:goodpost:

My vet has said that both Royal Canin and Science Diet provide substantial funding to the major veterinary schools and that is why their products are so well known among vets. 

Another source of information that I like is Whole Dog Journals' annual dog food lists. You do need to be a subscriber to access the lists, one for canned and one for dry, but it seems to be very comprehensive.


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## tokipoki (Jun 20, 2012)

I like DogFoodAdvisor just as a reference point for more research. If you stick to 4 and 5 star formulas, that weeds out most foods based in grains like corn/wheat/soy or foods with a low meat content. I also like using it to quickly get the Dry Matter Basis already calculated for certain formulas so I can compare different brands across the board. Ingredients and nutritional content are only a couple factors when I choose a dog food though.

I still contact companies to learn more about their practices and other things like where they source ingredients from. And I find out whether they've had recalls in the past and how the company handled it. 

I also like to look at user reviews (which there are a TON of on DFA). I don't base my choices solely on what other people say but it definitely is an important factor. If a significant number of people with small breed dogs experience issues with a food from a good company with a formula that has an excellent ingredients list, I will be more likely to find another option before trying that food. It's pretty arbitrary I guess since different dogs will react differently to the exact same formula but I think it's important to know what other dog's experiences were like (positive or negative). 

This website is just a breakdown of the back of a bag essentially. And the author of the website is a dentist and does not claim to be any kind of expert that he is not. I've seen several times where people on that website have him asked for food recommendations and he simply tells them he is not in the position to make decisions like that for them and that they should contact the company or others familiar with the product, which is respectable. It's easy to tell people not to feed their dogs Kibbles n Bits but as far as advising which option to select between higher quality foods, it really is about trial and error and what works best for YOUR dog. 

Overall, I love DogFoodAdvisor! Great resource! I do get a little bummed when he chooses a different formula to review than the one I'm interested in from a certain line but it's still helpful.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

I certainly didn't mean to suggest that we use this website as our guide to what to feed or not feed, but that it was another resource tool to look at.

I also like the Whole Dog Foods Annual List, but often they don't go into the specific food within a brand, imho.

Each fluff is different and does respond differently to foods. For example, Lacie thrived on a particular brand of Raw and it made Tilly throw up every time she took a bite of it. So, of course, common sense, along with education, research, etc. is a must. 

I don't necessarily believe that Vets are the best when discussing various dog foods. It's not where their expertise lies and they often do "push" Science Diet and Royal Canine, if for no other reason that these are the 2 manufacturers of prescription foods. They do have overall knowledge about nutrional needs, but not necessarily about a specific brand of food.

But, I do believe that the DogFoodAdvisor website is another good tool to help us with food choices. But it is just one of many tools that we can use. If I fliter by 4 and 5 stars, it really helps eliminate the foods that we would probably never feed and also introduces us to some that we may know nothing about. I was also very happy that their search engine found a store close to me that carries a brand I've wanted to try that others here on SM have raved about. Means I didn't have to spend a lot of time calling around town.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Bibu said:


> This is a website I hadn't come across yet. Thanks for posting it, Lynn!
> 
> I usually refer to DogAware.com: Diet & Health Info for Man's Best Friend which is written by a good friend of Kissy's littermate's skin mom. It has great advice on nutrition and several health issues. It helps you understnd these conditions and foods in simple words. Here is the link on diet: DogAware.com: Diet Options for Dogs


My vet actually recommended that site to me for diet, home-cooking. Mine rarely get kibble these days. Penny only if she is being picky and refusing the home cooking LOL. 

I will do what seems to work well for my dogs, unfortunately even for the nutritionists, ideas on what is right changes all the time. one year fat is bad, the next carb, etc etc etc. 

My Sophie, lived happily until 14 with a rare visit to the vet. She lived on Iams until she got bad bladder stones, after surgery was on the Royal Canin SO. She died of CHF. would she have been healthier on other food? I have no idea. She probably wouldn't have got bladder stones though.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Lacie's Mom said:


> I don't necessarily believe that Vets are the best when discussing various dog foods. It's not where their expertise lies and they often do "push" Science Diet and Royal Canine, if for no other reason that these are the 2 manufacturers of prescription foods. They do have overall knowledge about nutrional needs, but not necessarily about a specific brand of food.
> 
> But, I do believe that the DogFoodAdvisor website is another good tool to help us with food choices. But it is just one of many tools that we can use. If I fliter by 4 and 5 stars, it really helps eliminate the foods that we would probably never feed and also introduces us to some that we may know nothing about. I was also very happy that their search engine found a store close to me that carries a brand I've wanted to try that others here on SM have raved about. Means I didn't have to spend a lot of time calling around town.


I agree. For an occasion kibble I looked up on here the most recommended high quality. :thumbsup:


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