Overview
Dog food ranges from low-nutrient food, chocked with fillers and chemicals, to the more nutritious, well-balanced ones. Unfortunately, most popular supermarket brands and the brand names you would recognize are mediocre at best and, at worst, the equivalent of junk food. The winners in best quality are probably names you haven't heard. According to petfoodratings.net, the following brands have been analyzed and are considered to be the best quality dog food.
Chicken Soup
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul is packed with quality proteins, wholesome grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, flaxseed, vitamin supplements and natural preservatives. This brand contains no low-quality by-products or grains, such as corn or wheat. Chicken Soup can be found at major pet store chains and animal specialty shops. The price is comparable to supermarket brands.
Blue Wilderness
The Blue Buffalo Company founders originally were pet lovers whose dog Blue was diagnosed with cancer. In doing research, they discovered that cancer was the number one cause of death in dogs and was linked to environmental toxins. They set out to create a product with healthy, wholesome ingredients to help provide protection against such toxins. Sold at Petsmart, Blue Wilderness provides high quality meats, grains, fruits, vegetables, vitamin supplements and heart-healthy fats, such as herring and flaxseed oil. It contains no cheap grain fillers, no gluten and no meat by-products or chemicals.
Orijen
Though the product contains few ingredients, each packs a healthy punch. To ensure quality, Orijen contains no pre-packaged ingredients. Instead, the company uses ingredients found at local farms. Listed as "human grade," the ingredients include high protein choices such as meats, fish and whole eggs. Orijen also uses white potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables and heart-healthy oils. Orijen can be found at pet specialty shops and health food stores.
Innova Evo
On a bag of Innova Evo, you'll find another short-ingredient list. There might be few ingredients, but the company packs in quality protein in the form of whole meats, cheese and eggs. Vegetables are used, but very few preservatives. Innova contains no fillers or animal by-products. It also has no grains, which makes it especially good for dogs with wheat allergies. The company has earned certifications from the American Institute of Baking Superior Rating Certification and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Production Certification.This product can be found at pet stores and animal health care clinics
Wellness
Wellness offers a grain-free food, too, and is especially designed for dogs who are allergy sufferers. All Wellness products have a high content of high-quality meats and heart-healthy oils. Wellness ingredients are rated by the USDA as "fit for human consumption" and their grain-free Core line of food is recommended by "The Whole Dog Journal." It can be found at pet stores, animal health care clinics and health food stores.
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