the confidential dog food report 4th andrew lewis & the...

The Confidential Dog Food Report 4thAndrew Lewis & the Healthy-K9.com Team

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Legal Stuff

Copyright

All materials in this book are copyright protected and may not be used commercially, reprinted, distributed, republished or resold in any way unless with prior written consent from the author.

Non-commercial usage is acceptable if the author is referenced by author name and book name.

Disclaimer

The author of this book is not a trained dog health professional. It is the reader’s responsibility to consult with a licensed, practicing Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine (DVM) (or equivalent in your country) before making any changes to your method of feeding, grooming or any other matter of dog care for any dogs for which you have any responsibility or contribute, in any way, to their care.



Table of Contents Tip: This Table is Clickable

Legal Stuff ............................................................. 2Copyright ......................................................................... 2

Disclaimer ....................................................................... 2

Introduction .......................................................... 876-Point Checklist to Get the Very Best Dog Food Brand All the Time ................................................. 9

We look for these 5 ingredients: ...................................... 9

The first 2 ingredients should be: .................................. 10

No ingredient splitting ................................................... 11

None of the 68 Bad Dog Food Ingredients are Included 12

Ingredients to Avoid in Dog Food ........................ 13Menadione ..................................................................... 14

BHA(Butylated Hydroxysanisole) BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), and ETHOXYQUIN (Preservatives) .... 16

Carrageenan .................................................................. 16

Animal Digest (flavoring agent) .................................... 17

Artificial Colors (Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Titanium Dioxide) .......................................................... 18

Animal Fat (Fat source) ................................................. 18

Poultry Fat ..................................................................... 19



Meat and Bone Meal ...................................................... 19

Meat by-product ............................................................ 19

Dried Beet Pulp .............................................................. 20

Egg Product/Dried Egg Product ..................................... 20

9 Very Best, Ultra-Healthy Dog Food Brands in All of North America! ................................................ 22Why It's Worthy .................................................. 24Where to Buy ....................................................... 25A Word of Caution ................................................ 25Complete Ingredients Listing ............................... 25

Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe for Adult Dogs ................. 25

Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe for Adult Dogs .................... 26

Lamb and Oatmeal Recipe ............................................. 27

Why It's Worthy .................................................. 29Where to Buy ....................................................... 30A Word of Caution ................................................ 30Complete Ingredients Listing ............................... 30

Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals® Duck & Sweet Potato ... 30

Fromm Holistic Gold Nutritionals® Adult Gold ............... 31

Fromm Family Classics® Adult ...................................... 32

Why It's Worthy .................................................. 33Where to Buy ....................................................... 34A Word of Caution ................................................ 34


The Confidential Dog Food Report 4th

Andrew Lewis & the Healthy-K9.com Team

Complete Ingredients Listing ............................... 34

Spot's Stew Wholesome Chicken Recipe ........................ 34

Why It's Worthy .................................................. 36

Where to Buy ....................................................... 37

A Word of Caution ................................................ 37


Innova Dog Dry® Adult Dog Food Large Bites ............... 38

Innova Puppy® ............................................................. 38

California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice® ....................... 39

Why It's Worthy .................................................. 40

Where to Buy ....................................................... 42

A Word of Caution ................................................ 42


Adult Dog Formula ......................................................... 43

Advanced Formula ......................................................... 44

Why It's Worthy .................................................. 45

Where to Buy ....................................................... 46

A Word of Caution ................................................ 46


Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe ........................................................................... 46

Complete Health Adult Lamb & Barley Recipe ................ 47

Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe ...................................................................................... 48




Complete Health Healthy Weight Deboned Chicken & Peas Recipe ................................................................... 49

Complete Health Senior Deboned Chicken & Barley Recipe ...................................................................................... 50

Why It's Worthy .................................................. 51

Where to Buy ....................................................... 52

A Word of Caution ................................................ 52


Orijen Adult Dog ............................................................ 52

Orijen Puppy .................................................................. 53

Orijen Senior ................................................................. 54

Why It's Worthy .................................................. 55

Where to Buy ....................................................... 55

A Word of Caution ................................................ 56


Acana Wild Prairie ......................................................... 56

Acana Pacifica ............................................................... 57

Acana Grasslands .......................................................... 57

Why It’s Worthy .................................................. 59

Where to Buy ....................................................... 59

A Word of Caution ................................................ 60


Tuscan Natural Harvest Turkey & Chicken Recipe .......... 60

Popular Brands Not In Our Recommended List .... 61 Click to return to Table of Contents 6


Previously Recommended Brands That We’re Cut Out from the List ................................................. 64




Introduction

Figure 1 - Commercial dog foods are not created equal.

We have established that most commercial dog foods are woefully inadequate, and that the best diet is a homemade diet. But three factors may still sway you towards purchasing, rather than making your own food for your pet.

• You're simply not much of a cook,

• There's the whole (obvious) convenience factor, and

• You may not be confident in your abilities to correctly ascertain your dog's needs, and the appropriate nutritional balance.

As such, for the kitchen-challenged, the impossibly busy, and the faint-of-heart pet owners we have researched and assembled specifically for your convenience the best possible alternative commercial pet foods currently available on the market.

We did the hard work researching which commercial pet feed do not contain ingredients that we believe should be avoided at all cost. First, what are these ingredients and why should you avoid them?



76-Point Checklist to Get the Very Best Dog Food Brand All the Time

Just because you can’t cook for your dog, doesn’t mean you can’t give her healthy meals. There are still good dog food brands out there and we’ve figured out a way for you to easily tell which ones are the good and which ones to stay away from.

Let’s be honest. For most dog owners, going through the ingredients of dog food doesn’t really help as much – especially since half of the time, we don’t even know what such and such ingredient is referring to. Yes, I’ve been there. And I was as confused as you most probably are whenever checking the ingredients of a dog food brand.

But after years of research with my team, we finally figured out how to tell the very good ones from the bad. You’re probably wondering how we came up with this list of recommended dog food brands. No, these companies didn’t pay us to recommend them to dog owners like you.

We’ll give you some insight on our 76-point checklist for weeding out the bad ones to get to the excellent ones.

We look for these 5 ingredients: 1. Real Meat/Muscle Meat – Dogs need protein. It is crucial for their

health, growth and development. Real meat such as chicken,turkey, lamb, beef and fish are all sources of high quality and highlydigestible proteins.

2. Identified meat source followed by the word meal – Such aschicken meal or turkey meal. They are very high in protein as well.But you have to remember that if the meal has imprecise origin(e.g. poultry meal), better stay away from it. Who knows whatanimals were used in it.



3. Whole grains – Whole grains such as barley, oats, and brown riceare a great source of complex carbohydrates and fiber.Carbohydrates are a great source of energy and are also essentialin maintaining the normal functions of your dog’s brain and nervoussystem. Fiber from these grains is also helpful in keeping your dog’scolon healthy.

Of course, if your dog has had allergic reactions from grain, it’s bestto get one that is grain-free. And yes, we have included in the listour recommended grain-free dog food brand.

4. Identified Animal Fat – Such as chicken fat. Again, if theingredient just says animal fat – the imprecision of its origin isworrisome. Best to go for one that identifies the animal source ofthe fat such as “chicken fat”. Fat is essential for absorbing fatsoluble vitamins. It also helps boost the immune system, protectsdogs' nerve fibers and is good for brain health. Fat also promoteshealthy skin and a shiny coat.

5. Vegetables and Fruits - Veggies and fruits are a great source ofantioxidants, phytonutrients, enzymes, fibers, natural vitamins andminerals which are all essential for your dog’s well-being.

Here’s an extra tip. We make sure that these 5 ingredients are among the main ones. So for an excellent dog food brand, these 5 ingredients are listed on top. If you find them listed further down, you’re better off leaving that brand on the shelf.

The first 2 ingredients should be:

1. We make sure that the first ingredient is real meat which is a highquality and highly digestible protein source. We cannot stress furtherthe importance of protein for dogs. Without it, your dog can’t survive.

2. The second ingredients should also be a real meat or an animalspecific meat meal, which is also a high quality protein

So here’s an example of an excellent dog food brand with its first ingredient being high quality and highly digestible protein source –




Ingredients: Chicken, Turkey, sweet potatoes, …

Ingredients: Lamb, lamb meal, …

If the ingredients include an identified animal meal, it should be listed down not as the 1st ingredient – 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th is okay. But not as a first ingredient.

If the dog food brand has the first 2 ingredients as protein source (animal protein source) then all the better.

No ingredient splitting

Pet food manufacturing companies are required to list down all of the ingredients they use in their products as they are. Although this labeling regulation makes good sense, sometimes, this can cause the lower quality ingredients appear further down the list when they’re supposed to be further up. A descending order is followed, the heaviest ingredient in weight gets to be listed first and the lowest ones go further down.

So how do the lower quality ingredients appear further down when in fact they should be listed at the top?

Here’s an example.

Ingredients: Chicken, ground corn, corn gluten, ground wheat, and corn bran, …

By the way, just seeing that this ingredient listing includes corn already sealed my decision not to buy it since it’s no secret that corn is really not a good protein source for dogs but many dog food companies love adding them as cheap protein substitute. But just to explain ingredient splitting better, let’s use the ingredients listing as an example.

You’d think that chicken is the most predominant ingredient. But if you group all the corn ingredients together (ground corn, corn gluten, and corn bran) they may actually outweigh the amount of chicken in the product. But since brands have to list ingredients in its actual form, consumers should be more careful in interpreting the ingredients listing.




None of the 68 Bad Dog Food Ingredients are Included

We made sure that the dog food brands we listed here do not have any of the 68 bad ingredients. We’ll discuss some of these 68 bad dog food ingredients in detail on the next page.

If you wish to see the full list of 68 bad commercial dog food ingredients and a profile of what each ingredient is, why it’s added and why we suggest you avoid it then get yourself a copy of our guide:

“68 Commercial Dog Food Ingredients You Should NEVER Feed Your Dog”




Ingredients to Avoid in Dog Food




Menadione Vitamin K is important to control bleeding. But there is an ongoing

debate on menadione or the synthetic form of Vitamin K.

3 types of Vitamin K

• Vitamin K1 – found naturally in leafy greens.

• Vitamin K2 – produced by the bacteria in a dog’s gut

• Vitamin K3 – the synthetic or man-made form of Vitamin K aka menadione which is added in a number of commercial dog food.

Vitamin K1 and K2 are fat soluble and can be used by the body readily as they are.

According to the National Academy of Science, a dog needs very little vitamin K per serving to sustain life — only one part per million.

Now here’s where the debate stems on menadione or Vitamin K3.

Supporters consider menadione as a necessary supplement that should be added in dog food while the opposing side sees it as a potential toxin. Supporters say that it is important for menadione to be included in dog feed for the following reasons:

• The processing may destroy the potency of the natural vitamin K (K1)

• Intestinal disease can hinder the gut bacteria from producing the natural Vitamin K (K2)

• Not all manufacturers use green leafy vegetables in their recipes.

They further contend that menadione should be considered safe since toxic levels are a thousand times greater than the recommended daily dose.

Critics or the opposing side are concerned about the safety of menadione since a number of studies have cited the following effects of menadione:

• Liver cell cytotoxicity

• Weakened immune systems Click to return to Table of Contents 14



• Potential mutagenic effects

• Damage to the natural Vitamin K cycle

• Hemolytic anemia and jaundice

• Direct toxicity in high doses

• Irritation of the skin and mucous membranes

• Allergic reactions and eczema

This information supplied by the website: DogFoodProject.

The FDA has banned the use of menadione from over-the –counter supplements as large doses of this synthetic vitamin have been shown to cause these dangerous effects.

But should we consider menadione as safe for dogs just because the toxic levels are a thousand times higher than the recommended daily dose?

Here’s why we are concerned.

While it is true that the amount of menadione added in commercial dog food recipes is very little and such trace amounts is almost certainly safe, dogs (with a commercial dog food diet) are fed the same food every day, meal after meal. And this means dogs on commercial food with menadione are continuously exposed to this controversial substance. It is that cumulative exposure that does not sit well with us.

Plus if you check on the nutrient profiles established by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) Vitamin K is not even listed as a required dog food ingredient.

The bottom line for us is this ingredient is banned for human use, so why take the risk on feeding it to our dogs? The combination of being both unnecessary and potentially harmful is enough for us to want to avoid it at all cost, especially when it is so easy to do so.


http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione



BHA(Butylated Hydroxysanisole) BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), and ETHOXYQUIN (Preservatives)

Figure 2 - Avoid feeding your dog, pet food with menadione, carrageenan and BHA & BHT.

These chemicals are used as preservatives or simply to prolong the shelf-life of dog food. They have been banned from human use in a number of countries and in the US, BHT has been banned on baby products.

It’s quite concerning to see these chemicals in dog food as they are possible human carcinogen and in animal experiments they are apparently carcinogenic. Ethoxyquin has been linked to thyroid, kidney, reproductive and immune related illnesses as well as cancer.

Carrageenan

Just like menadione, there is an ongoing debate on carrageenan. Is it safe or is it not safe? Supporters say that it’s a natural ingredient since it comes from seaweed. Sounds not so harmful at all. However, significant research found out that it’s far from natural plus it has been linked to serious health concerns. Click to return to Table of Contents 16



There are 2 kinds of carrageenan – degraded and undergraded. Degraded carrageenan is considered as a possible human carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Cancer. Their research showed that degraded carrageenan led to higher rates of colon cancer in lab animals.

Processors of carrageenan insist that food-grade carrageenan or those added to human food as well as dog food fall in the undergraded category and is therefore safe. However a study showed that not a single sample of food-grade carrageenan could claim with confidence that it is entirely free of cancer-causing material

According to scientific studies, while it is true that degraded carrageenan poses the highest risk of causing cancer, food-grade carrageenan poses similar risks.

The bottom line is, we’d rather be on the safe side.

Animal Digest (flavoring agent)

What is animal digest? This is made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals cooked down into a goopy broth. It is sprayed on or added directly to pet feed to enhance flavor and palatability.

The reason why we are concerned about this ingredient is that no quality control is at play. Animal digest can include “4 D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.

So if you see animal digest on the ingredients of a dog food brand, better leave that brand on the shelf.




Artificial Colors (Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Titanium Dioxide)

Sure those colored kibbles look pretty but your dog does not care on how lovely those colored shapes of kibbles look. Coloring agents are actually intended to get the buyers’ attention.

Figure 3 - Artificial colors, animal fat, poultry fat and animal digest are 4 more ingredients to avoid in dog food.

We recommend that you avoid any pet food with coloring as artificial dyes and coloring agents have been known to cause cancer as well as allergies.

Animal Fat (Fat source)

So why should you be concerned about Animal Fat? Most often Animal Fat is made up of rendered animal fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed not fit for human consumption.

If it’s not good enough for us why give it to your furry loved one?




Poultry Fat Just like animal fat, the origin of poultry fat is not specific. Any kind of

poultry animal can be used so there is no control over quality or contamination.

Meat and Bone Meal Meat and Bone meal is another ingredient that is commonly found in

ingredient listing of commercial pet food. Here’s why we are concerned about this ingredient. The animal part used can be from any source so control over quality or contamination is non-existent. Any type of animal can be used including “4 D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, roadkill, euthanized animals and so on. It can also include pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed (spoiled) tissue.

Meat by-product

Figure 4 - Raw ingredients for meat & bone meal and meat by-products can include 4D animals.

Meat by-products used in pet food are made from organs and animal parts that are either not fit or condemned for human consumption. Meat by-Click to return to Table of Contents 19



product can include bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, heads, feet, and feathers. The dreaded “4 D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter) can also be used.

Since animal parts used in meat by-products can be from any source there is no control over quality or contamination. Just like meat and bone meal, any kind of animal can be used in meat by-products such as, goats, pigs, horses, rats, roadkill, euthanized animals and so on. It Pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed or spoiled tissue can also be included.

Dried Beet Pulp Dried beet pulp is another filler used in many commercial pet feed. It

can damage and irritate your dog’s intestinal tract.

Egg Product/Dried Egg Product Egg waste is now also being converted into pet food ingredients. In the

UK egg and egg products that are not fit to be consumed by human or not intended for human consumption are regarded as animal by-products. They are in the same category as manure and digestive tract content, hides and skins, wool, feathers, shellfish shells and other products of animal origin.

As per the information from Healthypets.mercola.com on "Whole Egg Waste"

According to a U.S. pet food ingredient manufacturer who sells dried egg product, there are three main sources of the whole egg waste used in pet food: 'Grader,' 'Breaker,' and 'Hatchery.'

Grader egg waste comes from egg processing facilities that sell to supermarkets. These eggs need to look appealing when grocery shoppers open the carton. Any egg with a cracked or dirty shell is tossed into an 'inedible' bin.

Breaker egg waste comes from facilities that use eggs in prepared or frozen mixes used by restaurants, bakers and other food service outlets. The


http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/06/egg-product-as-pet-food.aspx



waste that comes from breaker eggs is mostly egg white left after the yolk is separated.

These two types of whole egg waste are, according to the pet food ingredient company, collected daily, kept refrigerated, and dried within a day of collection.

Hatchery waste is liquid from eggs that didn't hatch. It tends to lead to foul odors in the dried egg product, so it presumably isn't used as often as the other two types of whole egg waste.

All three categories of eggs have been deemed unfit for human consumption.

AAFCO defines egg product as:

“Product obtained from egg graders, egg breakers, and/or hatchery operations that is dehydrated, handled as liquid or frozen. These shall be labeled as per USDA regulations governing eggs and egg products (9CFR, Part 59). This product shall be free of shells or other non-egg materials except in such amounts which might occur unavoidably in good processing practices, and contain a maximum ash content of 6% on a dry matter basis.”

Our main concern about egg product is that there is just no way of telling what it is exactly, where it came from or how it was processed before adding it into commercial pet feed. If the dog food brand you trust uses egg product you can get in touch with the manufacturer and query where they source their egg product. They may or may not be using egg waste product.

For a complete list of the 68 bad dog food ingredients we recommend you get a copy of our book 68 Commercial Dog Food Ingredients You Should Never Feed Your Dog.




9 Very Best, Ultra-Healthy Dog Food Brands in All of North America!




By using our 76-point checklist we were able to come up with a list of the very best dog food brands on the market today

These foods are free from questionable ingredients and extremely beneficial for your dog’s health. We can proudly say that this is a list of only the most elite commercial dog foods.

They really are the very best of the very best….there are many brands considered premium and deservedly as they are far superior to most brands available, however, they were still not good enough to make this list.

The manufacturers featured here take commercial nutrition to a whole new level, preferring an holistic or organic bias. They all favor natural ingredients, and avoid unnecessary additives and preservatives.

So, if you insist on using commercial dog food, please use one of these brands as they are the ONLY brands we would ever feed to our own dogs.

However, here at Healthy-K9.com, we all home prepare our dog’s food as it is the best nutrition your dog can ever eat…..another level again above these 9 super-brands.




The Blue Buffalo Company

Figure 5 - The Blue Buffalo Company promises "Unsurpassed Nutrition and Ultimate Protection"

Why It's Worthy

Blue™ is named for the large breed, cancer-stricken Airedale who inspired the creation of this company. They promise, "Unsurpassed Nutrition and Ultimate Protection." The Blue™ dog foods use:

Chicken, Lamb or Fish as the first ingredient Healthy whole grains, vegetables and fruits No animal by-products No artificial preservatives or flavors




Where to Buy

The Blue™ website (http://www.bluebuff.com) features a search engine for locating stores carrying its products in the United States and Canada as well as online retailers.

A Word of Caution The makers of Blue™ recommends a gradual transition to their foods

from your dog's current brand, and offer specific feeding and transition guidelines to do so. Also, only recently did Blue™ remove Menadione from its products. Products labeled with a "best used by" date of October 07 and thereafter are menadione free.

Complete Ingredients Listing

The following are complete ingredients listings for a sampling of the Blue™ dry dog foods:

Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe for Adult Dogs

Ingredients

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Peas, Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene), Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Potatoes, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Alfalfa Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Blackberries, Pomegranate, Spinach, Pumpkin, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Garlic, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-

Figure 6 - Blue™ Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe for Adult Dogs


http://www.bluebuff.com/

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Deboned%20Chicken

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Chicken%20Meal

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Whole%20Ground%20Brown%20Rice

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Whole%20Ground%20Brown%20Rice

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Whole%20Ground%20Barley

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Oatmeal

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Chicken%20Fat%20(preserved%20with%20Mixed%20Tocopherols)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Chicken%20Fat%20(preserved%20with%20Mixed%20Tocopherols)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Peas

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Tomato%20Pomace%20(source%20of%20Lycopene)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Tomato%20Pomace%20(source%20of%20Lycopene)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Natural%20Chicken%20Flavor

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Flaxseed%20(source%20of%20Omega%203%20and%206%20Fatty%20Acids)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Flaxseed%20(source%20of%20Omega%203%20and%206%20Fatty%20Acids)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Alfalfa%20Meal

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Whole%20Carrots

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Whole%20Carrots

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Whole%20Sweet%20Potatoes

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Whole%20Sweet%20Potatoes

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Blueberries

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Cranberries

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Apples

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Blackberries

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Pomegranate

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Pomegranate

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Spinach

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Pumpkin

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Barley%20Grass

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Parsley

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Parsley

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Garlic

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Kelp

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Yucca%20Schidigera%20Extract

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23L-Carnitine



Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Turmeric, Sunflower Oil (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Fish Oil (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Salt, Caramel, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product,

Minerals

Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate

Vitamins

Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride

Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe for Adult Dogs

Ingredients

Deboned Whitefish, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene), Whole Sweet Potatoes, Natural Fish Flavor, Whole Potatoes, Peas, Whole Carrots, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Blackberries, Pomegranate, Spinach, Pumpkin, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Garlic, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Turmeric, Sunflower Oil (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols),

Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Salt, Caramel, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation

Figure 7 - Blue™ Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe for Adult Dogs


http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23L-Carnitine

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23L-Lysine

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Glucosamine%20Hydrochloride

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Turmeric

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Sunflower%20Oil%20(source%20of%20Omega%206%20Fatty%20Acids)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Sunflower%20Oil%20(source%20of%20Omega%206%20Fatty%20Acids)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Chicory%20Root

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Oil%20of%20Rosemary

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Salt

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Yeast%20(source%20of%20Saccharomyces%20cerevisiae)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Yeast%20(source%20of%20Saccharomyces%20cerevisiae)

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Lactobacillus%20acidophilus%20fermentation%20product

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Lactobacillus%20acidophilus%20fermentation%20product

http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/healthy-holistic-blue-life-protection-formula/lpf-adult-chicken-and-brown-rice-recipe/%23Dried%20Bacillus%20subtilis%20fermentation%20product



product, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product

Minerals

Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride,

Vitamins

Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement

Lamb and Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients

Deboned Lamb, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley, Turkey Meal, Peas, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Whole Ground Brown Rice, Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene), Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Whole Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (source of Omega 6

Fatty Acids), Fish Oil (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Alfalfa Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Blackberries, Pomegranate, Spinach, Pumpkin, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Garlic, Dried Kelp,

Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Turmeric, Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Salt, Caramel, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus

Figure 8 - Blue™ Lamb and Oatmeal Recipe




fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Minerals

Calcium Carbonate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Potassium Chloride

Vitamins

Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement




Fromm Family®

Figure 9 - Fromm Family® consider themselves the pioneers of "premium pet food," first introducing the concept in 1949

Why It's Worthy

Fromm Family® offers, "Three incredibly refined product lines," that are naturally formulated in "small batches" for quality assurance. The product lines are Four-Star Gourmet, Holistic Gold Nutritionals and Fromm Family Classics. They consider themselves the pioneers of "premium pet food," first introducing the concept in 1949. Their products are,

Only fresh, natural ingredients, including hand-trimmed meats Free of chemicals, artificial flavors, preservatives, "by-products" or

fillers Highly palatable Easily digestible due to the use of prebiotics and probiotics Corn and wheat-free Formulated with optimum fatty acids ratio Completely guaranteed




Where to Buy

The Fromm Family® website (http://frommfamily.com/) features search engines for both online and brick-and-mortar retailers. Stores carrying its products are available throughout the United States and Internationally. They also include an application to become a dealer, and consider themselves, "selective in [their] retailers."

A Word of Caution

The makers of Fromm Family® do not specify whether the food should be introduced gradually or directly, but they do offer very specific, easy to understand feeding guidelines.


The following are complete ingredients listings for a sampling of the Fromm Family® dry dog foods:

Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals® Duck & Sweet Potato

Ingredients

Duck, Duck Meal, Pearled Barley, Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, White Rice, Dried Whole Egg, Millet, Dried Tomato Pomace, Safflower Oil, Cheese, Flaxseed, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Apples, Green Beans, Chicken

Cartilage, Cranberries, Blueberries, Salt, Chicory Root

Figure 10 - Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals® Duck & Sweet Potato Click to return to Table of Contents 30

http://frommfamily.com/



Extract, Alfalfa Sprouts, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Parsley, Probiotics.

Minerals

Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Cobalt, Iodine, Selenium

Vitamins

Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Choline Chloride, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Riboflavin, Thiamine, Pyridoxine, Folic Acid, Biotin

Fromm Holistic Gold Nutritionals® Adult Gold

Ingredients

Duck, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Brown Rice, Pearled Barley, Oatmeal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chicken Fat, Lamb, Potatoes, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Whole Egg, Salmon Oil, Cheese, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal, Carrots, Lettuce, Celery, Chicken Cartilage, Salt, Chicory Root Extract,

Yucca Schidigera Extract, Probiotics

Minerals


Vitamins


Figure 11 - Fromm Holistic Gold Nutritionals® Adult Gold




Fromm Family Classics® Adult

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Pearled Barley, Oatmeal, White Rice, Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Dried Whole Egg, Beet Pulp, Cheese, Flaxseed,Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Probiotics

Minerals


Vitamins


Figure 12 - Fromm Family Classics® Adult




Halo, Purely For Pets®

Figure 13 - Halo, Purely For Pets® advocates,

Why It's Worthy Halo, Purely For Pets® advocates, "Natural and Holistic Pet Care." Their

food product is:

All natural Of human-grade quality Comprised of USDA-approved chicken and vegetables (carrots,

zucchini, squash, green beans and celery) Free of chemicals, artificial flavors, preservatives, "by-products" or

fillers

Halo contends their product is the equivalent of a balanced, homemade diet, without all the work. They also "guarantee" noticeable health benefits in just 30 days. Halo prides itself in having never been recalled ever.




Where to Buy

Halo's website (http://www.halopets.com/) has a convenient retail locator feature. You can also order directly from their website. Halo encourages you to contact their customer support staff at 800-426-4256 to or via email for feedback on their products, services or the company.

A Word of Caution

Halo does not specify whether the food should be introduced gradually or directly, but they do offer very specific, easy to understand feeding guidelines.


Per their website, the following is a complete ingredients listing for Halo, Purely For Pets® dry dog food:

Spot's Stew Wholesome Chicken Recipe Ingredients

Chicken, Eggs, Pea Protein, Oats, Vegetable Broth, Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid), Whole Peas, Chicken Liver, Salmon, Flax Seed, Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Green Beans, Carrots, Cranberries, Zucchini, Alfalfa, Inulin, Salt, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium

Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product.

Figure 14 - Spot's Stew Wholesome Chicken Recipe


http://www.halopets.com/



Minerals

Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Taurine

Vitamins

Folic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement ,Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin




Natura®

Figure 15 - Natura® Pet Products brand

Why It's Worthy

The Natura® Pet Products brand encompasses 4 pet foods for dogs: Innova, California Natural, Healthwise and Evo which cater to different pet needs and life stages.. Natura® also carries Mother Nature which for healthy pet treats. Natura® pet foods:

Are of human-grade, all-natural quality Are free of "by-products" Use whole pet food ingredients that are nutrient-rich and unaltered Comprised of USDA-inspected chicken, turkey and lamb Use only Grade-A dairy products Are free of artificial preservatives, colors or additives




Where to Buy

Natura's website (http://www.naturapet.com/) features a search engine for locating a local store that carries its products in the US and Canada. The company does not offer online purchasing, nor does it encourage internet retail.

Their website "was developed as a consumer education resource where pet owners can learn about pet nutrition, ingredients and to compare the many brands of pet food side by side." They do include handy tools such as the Feeding Profile Wizard (how much should you feed your pet?), the Product Wizard (which one is right for your pet?), The Comparison Wizard (compare their foods with other popular and comparable brands) and the Ingredient Wizard (detailed information on hundreds of pet food ingredients).

A Word of Caution

Natura® does not indicate whether their different varieties should be offered gradually or can be introduced directly.


Per their website’s Ingredient Wizard, the following are complete ingredients listings for a sampling of the Natura® dry dog foods:


http://www.naturapet.com/



Innova Dog Dry® Adult Dog Food Large Bites

Ingredients

Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols a Source of Vitamin E), Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Peas, Sunflower Oil, Eggs, Apples, Tomatoes, Carrots, Blueberries, Pumpkin, Herring, Salt, Pears, Menhaden Oil, Cottage Cheese, Green Beans, Parsnips, Alfalfa Sprouts, Dried Enterococcus faecium, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Dried Lactobacilus casei, Rosemary Extract

Minerals

Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate

Vitamins

Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E Supplement, Betaine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid

Innova Puppy® Ingredients

Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols a Source of Vitamin E), Herring, Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Menhaden Oil, Apples, Tomatoes,

Blueberries, Carrots, Pumpkin, Eggs, Salt, Pears, Sunflower Oil, Dried Chicory Root Extract, Cottage Cheese, Green Beans,

Figure 16 - Innova Dog Dry® Adult Dog Food Large Bites

Figure 17 - Innova Puppy®




Parsnips, Alfalfa Sprouts, Dried Enterococcus faecium, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Dried Lactobacilus casei, Rosemary Extract

Minerals


Vitamins

Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Betaine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid

California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice®

Ingredients

Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Rice, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Source of Vitamin E), Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Salt, Rosemary Extract

Minerals


Vitamins

Vitamin E Supplement, Betaine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Beta

Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid

Figure 18 - California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice®




Newman's Own® Organics

Figure 19 - More than 70% of all ingredients used in the formulation of all Newman's Own® Organics pet foods are organic.

Why It's Worthy

More than 70% of all ingredients used in the formulation of all Newman's Own® Organics foods are organic.

Organic refers to the food and also to how the food is produced. The growing or raising of organic food is based on a system of feeding and farming that mimics natural ecosystems and maintains and replenishes the fertility of the soil.




Organic foods are also produced without the use of chemical pesticides, are minimally processed and are not irradiated or contain any chemical additives or preservatives.

Newman's Own® Organics foods:

Boast the use of Bell & Evans Chickens, which are raised in a free-roaming, stress-free environment, and fed an all-natural, completely all-vegetable diet that does not contain any types of antibiotics, preservatives, additives, hormones or steroids

Use "chicken meal," provided by Bell & Evans which is said to be preferable to whole chicken meat as it is a concentrated, protein-rich powder containing 10% water and no fat

Are free of all "by-products", chemical additives, artificial preservatives, colors and dyes

Are free of wheat, corn or soy Use organic, nutrient-rich brown rice Are free of brewer's rice Use Probiotics, which promote normal bowel health and help in

digestion and conversion of food into nutrients, and which are added after the food has been cooked, which preserves their effectiveness

Use chelated minerals (joining minerals to a protein), which increases the body’s ability to absorb

Contain high levels of antioxidants, including Ester-C®, which is a potent water-soluble antioxidant that may enhance the absorption of Vitamin C

Are complete and balanced and meet all the nutritional guidelines set by the AAFCO

Additionally, Paul Newman gives away all his after-tax profits from the royalties from Newman’s Own® and Newman’s Own® Organics to educational and charitable organizations. Paul and Nell Newman, "have chosen to donate all of the charity money generated by the sale of the pet food to organizations that support animal well-being."




Where to Buy

Newman’s Own® Organics pet food will be sold initially in independent specialty pet stores nationwide. The website (http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet) features a store locator (for the US only) search engine to assist you. The website also has links to its online retailers.

A Word of Caution

Newman’s Own ® Organics does not indicate whether their different varieties should be offered gradually or can be introduced directly. In addition, because they are available only in specialty stores, these products may be hard to come by in your area. For this writer, the closest store carrying Newman’s Own ® Organics pet foods is 20 miles away.

Further, Newman's Own® website asserts that the use of the phrase "human grade ingredients" on its packaging (as we have seen on many other products) is prohibited by the AAFCO. Nonetheless, they maintain that the use of Bell & Evans chicken and organic grains are human grade and fit for human consumption.


http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet




Per Newman's Own®, the following are complete ingredients listings for a sampling of their dry dog foods:

Adult Dog Formula

Ingredients

Chicken, Organic Barley, Organic Oats, Organic Peas, Chicken Meal, Organic Sorghum, Organic Soybean Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Organic Brown Rice, Organic Millet, Organic Rice, Organic Flax Seed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Organic Carrots, Natural Flavors, Salt, Dried Kelp, Parsley Rosemary Extract, Dehydrated Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product,

Dehydrated Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product

Minerals

Potassium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Iron), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Manganese), Copper Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Copper), Cobalt Proteinate (Source of Chelated Cobalt), Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (Source of Iodine), Sodium Selenite

Vitamins

Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Lecithin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Source of Vitamin C), Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Biotin

Figure 20 - Newman’s Own ® Organics Adult Dog Formula




Advanced Formula

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Organic Oats, Organic Barley, Organic Peas, Organic Soybean Meal, Organic Sorghum, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Millet, Organic Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Organic Flax Seed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Organic Carrots, Natural Flavors, Salt, Lecithin, Parsley, Rosemary Extract, Dehydrated Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product, Dehydrated

Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product.

Minerals

Potassium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Iron), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Manganese), Copper Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Copper), Cobalt Proteinate (Source of Chelated Cobalt), Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (Source of Iodine), Sodium Selenite

Vitamins

Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Source of Vitamin C), Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Biotin

Figure 21 - Newman’s Own ® Organics Advanced Formula




Wellness®

Figure 22 - Wellness® boasts of creating balanced diets, "similar to high quality human diets --a healthy blend of meats, vegetables and grains."

Why It's Worthy

For dogs, Wellness® created balanced diets, "similar to high quality human diets -- a healthy blend of meats, vegetables and grains." Wellness® products:

Use real, USDA-inspected, hormone-free meat as the first ingredient and primary source of protein

Provide healthy fiber and energy via wholesome grains such as rice, barley and oatmeal

Derive all-natural antioxidant protection through the use of fruits and vegetables

Use wholesome vegetable fats and oils for skin and coat health Include Pre- and Probiotics to aid digestion Are free of animal "by-products" and fillers, corn, wheat, soy and dairy Are free of artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT & EQ), colors and flavors Employ a host of phyto-nutrients, vitamins and minerals




Wellness® products include canned and dry formulas for puppies, adults, seniors and special-needs.

Where to Buy The Wellness® line is a product of Old Mother Hubbard® pet foods.

The website (https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx) features a search engine for both online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

A Word of Caution Old Mother Hubbard® recommends a gradual transition to its

Wellness® line over the period of several days.

Complete Ingredients Listing Per the manufacturer, the following are complete ingredients listings for Wellness® dry dog foods:

Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Rye Flour, Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whitefish, Tomatoes, Carrots, Natural Chicken Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Ground Millet, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Chicory Root Extract, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Garlic Powder, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product,

Figure 23 - Wellness® Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe


https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx



Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride.

Minerals

Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate

Vitamins

Vitamin E Supplement, Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin, Folic Acid

Complete Health Adult Lamb & Barley Recipe

Ingredients

Lamb, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Rye Flour, Tomato Pomace, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomatoes, Ground Millet, Natural Lamb Flavor, Carrots, Ground Flaxseed, Spinach, Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Garlic Powder, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus

acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Taurine

Minerals


Figure 24 - Wellness® Complete Health Adult Lamb & Barley Recipe




Vitamins


Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe

Ingredients

Whitefish, Ground Barley, Rye Flour, Menhaden Fish Meal, Ground Pearled Barley, Sweet Potatoes, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Natural Fish Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate,

Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Taurine, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.

Minerals


Vitamins


Figure 25 - Wellness® Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe




Complete Health Healthy Weight Deboned Chicken & Peas Recipe

Ingredients

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Barley, Rye Flour, Peas, Tomato Pomace, Tomatoes, Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Carrots, Ground Flaxseed, Spinach, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Taurine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Garlic Powder, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.

Minerals

Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate

Vitamins


Figure 26 - Wellness® Complete Health Healthy Weight Deboned Chicken & Peas Recipe




Complete Health Senior Deboned Chicken & Barley Recipe

Ingredients

Deboned Chicken, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Rye Flour, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Tomato Pomace, Whitefish, Natural Chicken Flavor, Tomatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Ground Millet, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Blueberries, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Taurine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Garlic Powder, Spinach, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium

Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.

Minerals


Vitamins


Figure 27 - Wellness® Complete Health Senior Deboned Chicken & Barley Recipe




Orijen

Figure 28 - Biologically Appropriate & Made from Fresh Regional Ingredients

Why It's Worthy Orijen boasts of an award-winning BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE™

nutritional philosophy representing a new class of foods, designed to nourish dogs according to their evolutionary adaptation to fresh meat and protein-rich diets.

Grain-free Protein-rich Antioxidant-rich All-natural Highly digestible Nutrient rich for healthy immune system Made with probiotics to aid digestion

Orijen is what we recommend for grain-free commercial dog food brands.




Where to Buy Orijen Nourish as Nature Intended’s website

(http://www.orijen.ca/where-to-buy/) comes with a search engine that locates the store retailer nearest you.

A Word of Caution It’s recommended that you do a gradual transition to Orijen® over the

period of several days.

Complete Ingredients Listing Per the manufacturer, the following are complete ingredients listings

for Orijen® dry dog foods:

Orijen Adult Dog

Ingredients

Chicken, Turkey(ground with bone),whole herring, chicken liver, chicken heart, whole eggs, spinach green pea fiber, turkey liver, turkey heart, whole flounder, ground sunflower seeds, pumpkin, butternut squash, imperator carrots, cranberries, blackberries, blueberries, red delicious apples, bartlett pears, red heart plums, tilton apricots, brown kelp, mixed tocopherols, chicory root, dandelion root, summer savory, peppermint leaf, ginger root.

Vitamins

Figure 29 - Orijen Adult Dog


http://www.orijen.ca/where-to-buy/



Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Pan. Acid (B5), Niacin, Pyridoxine (B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Choline.

Minerals

Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese, Selenium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Iodine

Orijen Puppy

Ingredients

Boneless chicken, chicken meal, chicken liver, whole herring, boneless turkey, turkey meal, turkey liver, whole eggs, boneless walleye, whole salmon, chicken heart, chicken cartilage, herring meal, salmon meal, chicken liver oil, chicken fat, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, yams, pea fiber, chickpeas, pumpkin, butternut squash, spinach greens, carrots, Red Delicious apples, Bartlett pears, cranberries, blueberries, brown kelp, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium.

Vitamins

Vitamin A,Vitamin D3,Vitamin E,Vitamin B12,Thiamine,Riboflavin,Niacin, Pan. Acid (B5),Pyridoxine (B6),Folic Acid,Choline

Minerals


Figure 30 - Orijen Puppy




Orijen Senior

Ingredients

Boneless chicken, chicken meal, chicken liver, whole herring, turkey meal, boneless turkey, turkey liver, whole eggs, boneless walleye, whole salmon, chicken heart, chicken cartilage, herring meal, salmon meal, pea fiber, chicken liver oil, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, yams, chickpeas, pumpkin, butternut squash, spinach greens, carrots, Red Delicious apples, Bartlett pears, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium.

Vitamins

Vitamin A,Vitamin D3,Vitamin E,Vitamin B12,Thiamine,Riboflavin,Niacin, Pan. Acid (B5),Pyridoxine (B6),Folic Acid,Choline

Minerals


Figure 31 - Orijen Senior




Acana

Figure 32 - "We make Biologically Appropriate™ pet foods from Fresh Regional Ingredients"

Why It's Worthy

Acana only uses fresh regional ingredients which in itself is very rare. Acana promises that all their dog foods are:

Biologically appropriate Grain-free Made with fresh regional ingredients Never outsourced Never frozen Preservative-free

We’ve picked out grain-free dry dog foods from Acana that met our

standards.

Where to Buy Acana’s website (http://www.acana.com/store-locator/) has a search

feature that let’s you easily search for a store near you.


http://www.acana.com/store-locator/



A Word of Caution It’s recommended that you do a gradual transition to Acana® over the

period of several days.


for the following Acana dry dog foods:

Acana Wild Prairie

Ingredients

Deboned chicken, chicken meal, green peas, turkey meal, chicken liver oil, field beans, red lentils, deboned turkey, whole egg, deboned walleye, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, chicken liver, herring oil, apples, pears, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach greens, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.

Supplements

Vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Figure 33 - Acana Wild Prairie




Acana Pacifica

Ingredients

Boneless salmon, salmon meal, herring meal, whitefish meal*, green peas, red lentils, boneless herring, boneless flounder, herring oil, field beans, canola oil, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, natural fish flavour, whole apples, whole pears, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach greens, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper

berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary

* ACANA’s whitefish meal contains wild-caught cod, pollock, sole, flounder and halibut.

Supplements

Vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Acana Grasslands Ingredients

Deboned lamb, lamb meal, duck meal, whitefish meal*, whole peas, red lentils, field beans, deboned duck, whole eggs, deboned walleye, duck fat, herring oil, lamb liver, herring meal, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.

* ACANA‘s whitefish meal contains wild-caught cod, pollock, sole, flounder and halibut.

Figure 34 - Acana Pacifica




Supplements

Vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E, zinc proteinate, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.




Tuscan Natural

Figure 35 - Old World Nutrition for New World Needs

Why It’s Worthy

Tuscan Natural boasts that they have created a pet food that simply does not exist anywhere else by combining the most advanced, modern nutritional knowledge along with culinary philosophy from the olde world.

Tuscan Natural promises that: Their product covers the nutritional bases Only Humanely Raised Meats are used Only Sustainably Farmed produce are used There is a rich balance of healthy ingredients Prebiotics and probiotics added

The Tuscan Natural Harvest product line includes one dry dog food.

Where to Buy Tuscan Natural’s website features a store locator

(http://tuscannatural.com/find-us/) so you can easily find the store nearest you.


http://tuscannatural.com/find-us/



A Word of Caution It’s always best to do a gradual transition over the period of several

days.


for Tuscan Natural dry dog food Turkey & Chicken Recipe:

Tuscan Natural Harvest Turkey & Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

Turkey, chicken, chicken meal, lentils, yellow peas, whitefish meal, brown rice, rice, olive oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), chickenfat (preserved with mixed

tocopherols), flax seed, natural flavor, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, sweet potatoes, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried kelp, apples, blueberries, carrots, alfalfa leaf, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, dried Aspergillus niger, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation products

Vitamins

vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement

Minerals

d-biotin, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, cobalt proteinate, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide

Figure 36 - Tuscan Natural Harvest Turkey & Chicken Recipe




Popular Brands Not In Our Recommended List




Here are some of the most popular brands that did not make it in our recommended list. We also included the reason/s why they did not make the cut.

None of these even came close.

Nutro – The use of dried beet pulp which can irritate and damage intestinal tract

Purina Pro Plan – The use of menadione sodium bisulfate, poultry by-product, animal digest, dried egg product, dried beet pulp plus nonspecific animal fat source

Purina One – The use of menadione sodium bisulfate, poultry-by product, animal digest

Purina Veterinary Diets – The use of menadione sodium bisulfate, poultry-by product

Purina Beyond - The use of menadione sodium bisulfate, dried egg product

Purina Beneful – Corn as the first ingredient listed plus the use of menadione sodium bisulfate, animal digest, use of artificial colors

Purina Chef Michael’s – The use of menadione sodium bisulfate, poultry-by product, animal digest, artificial colors

Hill’s Prescription Diet (Dry Weight Loss/Solution) – The use of dried beet pulp

Hill’s Ideal balance – The use of dried beet pulp

Healthy Advantage – Dried egg product, dried beet pulp chicken by-product

Affinity - Animal fat, beetroot pulp

Brekkies – Cereals as the 1st listed ingredient, non-specific meat and meat products, the use of artificial colors




Ol Roy from Walmart – The use of menadione sodium bisulfate, corn listed as 1st ingredient, corn germ meal as 2nd ingredient, meat and bone meal, soybean meal, beef tallow, animal digest, artificial colors

Cesar – The use of carrageenan – a suspected carcinogen

Diamond – The use of dried beet pulp, egg product, non-specific fish meal

Tuffy’s Gold - The use of menadione sodium bisulfite complex, beet pulp, chicken-by-product meal, poultry fat, dried egg product, non-specific fish meal

Tuffy’s Professional Feed Farm – The use of menadione sodium bisulfite complex, poultry-by-product meal, beet pulp, non-specific fish meal, poultry fat, BHA preservative

Tuffy’s Retail/Grocery – The use of corn as the 1st or 2nd listed ingredient, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, meat and bone meal, poultry fat, BHA preservative, non-specified origin fish meal, poultry-by product, animal fat

Tuffy’s Supreme Pet Foods – The use of menadione sodium bisulfite complex, poultry-by product, poultry fat or animal fat, BHA preservative, beet pulp




Previously Recommended Brands That We’re Cut Out from the List

As new brands come onto the market or existing brands improve their offerings, we occasionally have the situation where a brand not on our list is better the lesser of those we do have on our list.

Below are 3 brands we removed from our list for4th edition and replaced with superior brands.

Although they don’t make our top 9, you could still consider them an “honorable mention”.

APD® Select Choice™ – The first ingredient was not real meat.

Canidae® For Dogs – The first ingredient was not real meat.

Holistic Blend® - The first ingredient was not real meat.




So there you have it!

Now you can be sure that your dog gets optimum nutrition from commercial dog food.

Cheers to you and your furry loved ones!


the confidential dog food report 4th andrew lewis & the...

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