Premium Dog Food Comparison

You want the best for your dog, but not all dog foods are alike. You may think if you pay more, you are buying the best food for your dog. That is not necessarily true. Some middle-priced premium dog foods have excellent ingredients, in comparison to more expensive brands. Once you learn to read the labels and interpret the meaning of the ingredients, you can choose the best food for your dog, based on nutrition and your dog's needs, not based on price.

Premium dog foods usually include meat, whole grains, and vegetables. Potato, rice, barley, and oats are the common carbohydrates. Lamb and chicken are popular proteins. If byproducts are used, they are specifically labeled, such as chicken byproducts. More expensive dog foods use potato instead of rice, barley, and oats. Innova EVO and Orijen use potato instead of grains. In 2009 the prices for Innova EVO are $25 for a 13-pound bag; 2009 prices for Orijen are $35 for a 15-pound bag.

Premium dog foods never use meat byproducts, which could be any type of meat. Beef is not an ingredient in premium dog food, because it is food intolerant. Premium dog food does not use gluten, which has little nutritional value. Animal digest is rarely used in premium dog food, either. This is the dry or liquid byproduct of the food-making process. You will not find fillers, corn products, flour, wheat, or peanut hulls, which can cause food intolerance. However, some premium dog foods do contain cornmeal. Eukanuba and Iam's ProActive contain cornmeal. In 2009 prices for Eukanuba are $26 for a 15-pound bag; in 2009 prices for Iam's ProActive are $23 for an 18-pound bag. Science Diet, recommended by many veterinarians, contains corn gluten meal and whole-grain corn. In 2009 prices for Science Diet are $30 for a 20-pound bag.

Premium dog foods contain natural preservatives, such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (tocopherols). The chemicals BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are not used in premium foods for preservatives. Look for other vitamins as well. Nature's Recipe, besides containing lamb meat, rice, barley, and potato, contains antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, as well as vitamin E. In 2009 prices for Nature's Recipe are $32 for a 20-pound bag.

Premium dog food gives dogs a healthier skin and a healthier coat. They have fewer digestive problems, and their stools are firmer. Because the food is more nutritious, there is less waste. However, more expensive dog foods can cause digestive problems in some dogs. Innova EVO may cause stomach upset, because of the high meat content.

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul uses chicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, barley, and whole-grain rice. In 2009 prices are $23 for 18 pounds, less than Eukanuba, Iam's and the higher-end dog foods that use potato instead of grains. When comparing premium dog foods, look for the percentage of protein and carbohydrates. According to Consumer Search, dogs need 50 percent carbohydrates. Meat should be the first listed ingredient, followed by healthy carbohydrates such as potato or whole grains. Even though some of the more-expensive dog foods are grain free and rely on potato for the carbohydrate, dogs do well with healthy grains such as rice and barley. If your dog has difficulty digesting the high protein in some of the more-expensive dog foods, consider less-expensive foods that still have quality meat and whole grains.