New Dog Food Evaluation Page

[Vela]

If anyone is interested to see where the food they feed lies in the food chain of kibbles, this is an interseting site. A canned version will also be put up eventually.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

BTW no need for anyone to get defensive, it's just information for those who want it, not a personal attack, and nobody told anyone what to feed or not feed. If you aren't intersted in the info or disagree with it don't read it. Nobody is trying to change anyone's mind. Everyone take what you want out of it.

[lv4dogs]

Thanks Vela. I'm always checking out different kinds of pet foods, comparing them, reading reviews, asking for opinions etc... I can only guess that this will be nothing but helpful for me & many others. :D

[K9soul]

I admit I'm a bit thrilled to see the EVO I started my two on a month ago is one of the top 4 foods for quality kibble :D. Thanks for the link, I find this very interesting and educational.

[MomToThree]

I feed Gracie Canidae, which I saw was 5 stars. Not bad. But I will be looking into the 6 star food over the weekend and get a back of it to give her.

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

I am in shock that Eagle Pack is listed as a 2 star formula! It says it is because of the use of Corn and Beet Pulp. Eagle Pack should be a 5 star formula, considering it is one of the only foods recommended for Giant Breed puppies. People should be looking at the benefits of each dog food and NOT the ingredients that are used. Many pet food companies use corn to "up" their protein levels in the food. High quality foods such as Eagle, use MEAT as their ONLY source of protein.

The Corn Myth


There is much myth and misinformation on the Internet regarding this topic of allergies and it‘s relationship to food stuffs. The internet is a tool to quickly disseminate information to a large portion of the general population. And with this capability, there is truthful information circulated, as well as the "intentional" distribution of misinformation or propaganda used in new marketing techniques.

Sometimes these tactics are done to try and dissuade the public from the use of a competitors product or to gain momentum for a particular cause. In short, the internet is the new venue for propaganda and it is often difficult for the average user to sort out the truth from the myth. One example of propaganda is the myth that corn causes allergies in dogs.

First, corn is one of the best natural sources of coat and skin conditioners like Omega 6. It has an overall digestibility is 90% and carbohydrate digestibility is 99%. In the instance of Eagle Dog Foods use of whole corn, Eagle grinds whole corn fresh for their products and they do not use any genetically engineered corn. It is bought from local farmers and no pesticides are applied from the day the seed is planted until the corn is picked. High quality whole corn is an excellent carbohydrate that is "used" as a carbohydrate source, not counted as protein source and it is not listed first on the ingredient panel. The fact is, legitimate research shows whole corn, to be considered very low on the list of foods that cause allergic reactions.

Before jumping on the bandwagon against corn used as a carbohydrate in a diet, you need to understand there is one cause for allergic reactions and that is a problem with an immune system. But there are many triggers for an "allergic type" reaction, some include: Genetic predisposition for Inhalant Atopic Dermatitis, Contact Dermatitis, Vaccines reactions (Purdue Study- Vaccine Mediated Responses), Candida Albicans (see Systemic Yeast Infections), Flea bite or Insect bite Determatitis, Thyroid and/or Hormones and in rare cases, food allergies.

Itchy skin is one of the most common complaints of pet owners but the reasons for itchy skin can be numerous.

*Poor quality kibble
*An unbalanced diet - raw, homemade or kibble
*Over supplementing with vitamins, minerals and oils.
*A disruption of a balanced kibble by adding vitamins, minerals and human foods
*An unbalanced Omega 6:3 Ratio (when owners start adding oils to an already balanced diet.)
*Missing dietary enzymes - lost in cooking and processing of food.
*Allergies to foods
*Intolerance to certain foods
*Contact allergies to other substances such as detergent, carpet fresh, lawn sprays.
*Suppressed immune function due to vaccines, medications and lack of variety in diet.
*Systemic Yeast Infections.

I think it is important to understand the difference between food allergies and food intolerance. A food intolerance will often cause a digestive 'upset' of some sort. A food allergy, on the other hand, causes an immune reaction when the offending substance is introduced.

Randy Wysong DVM writes: "Allergy is a breakdown in the immune system as a result of years of improper feeding and care. Anyone who is feeding singular diets day in and day out is inviting allergic disaster. Animals naturally crave and need variety just as humans do. Food allergy may in fact be a mechanism in the body to attempt to force us to eat different foods. Variety is not only the spice of life - it is fundamental to health."

Albert Townshend DVM writes: "Food allergy is rare; other causes of GI and/or dematologic sign are more common and some may also respond (for nonallergeric reasons) to dietary manipulation. There are two types of unpleasant reactions to food. The first is an immunologic reaction (a true food allergy). The second is a nonimmunologic reaction (what is termed a food intolerance). Food intolerance are much more common. Allergic reactions do occur to corn, however, depending on the research cited, corn is not thought to be a very common allergen. At least not as high on the list as soybeans, beef, wheat, eggs or dairy products. Even rice has been found to cause allergic reactions in a rare few animals."

The following is a partial list of conditions that may respond to dietary modification:

* food allergies
* food intolerance
* small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
* inflammatory bowel disease
* lymphangiectasia
* exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
* pancreatitis
* chronic gastritis
* gastroesophageal reflux
* gastric emptying disorders - and there are more. 1.

When it is suspected an animal may be allergic to a food, if tested you will see that in a heighten state of response, an animal or person "appears" to be allergic to numerous things. This kind of "heightened response" is the bodies alarm system telling you that you are not supplying my diet with the nutrients necessary so that my body can make the chemicals needed to "clean" any toxins from my body.

It is my experience working with many owners and breeders, that the majority of the times when they think the dog has a food allergy and they try a shift in diet, the dog drastically improves. Systemic Yeast infections are also responsible for similar reactions such as shedding, itchy skin, hotspots, redness between the toes, constant ear infections, yeast infections, urinary tract infections only to name a few.

The Beet Pulp Myth


Beet pulp is probably one of the most misunderstood and maligned ingredients in manufactured dog foods. Take the time to understand to understand the role of prebiotics and probiotics in the maintenance of the healthy body. If this is done, then one can begin to understand the role of beet pulp in a feeding program.

This article speaks to misinformation that has been perpetrated about beet pulp, which is not just theory on my part. The input for this article is from scientists, medical and nutrition people who have studied in the area of prebiotics and probiotics. I will address villae clogging, use of fiber, and saponins. Please note that the negative information about beet pulp that has been circulating on the internet has no basis in science. It is important to clarify that beet pulp has no color, has no flavor and has no sugar left in it when it is used for fiber. It clear, hair like structures and it does not turn a coat red and it has no nutritional value other than a stool firmer and a valuable food source for the viable bacteria of the gut.

Statement: Beet Pulp clogs the villae in the intestine.

False ~ Beet pulp does not clog the villae in the intestine. There are no scientific studies which support this theory and there are several studies which show how beet pulp is beneficial in promoting a healthy digestive system.

What can clog the villae? If villae are blocked, the prime cause is typically insufficient or total lack of a probiotic colony in the gut. (More on that later.) Another cause of villae clogging is bentonite, which is a fine clay which is used in some cheap dog foods.

Statement: Beet pulp is an indigestible fiber.

True, but… While this statement is true, the beet pulp is not in the food for nutritive value to the dog. It is not supposed to be digested by the dog. The beet pulp has two purposes. First, the beet pulp provides nutrition for the probiotics, but beet pulp itself is considered a periodic. Having good food available (periodic) encourages the colonization of probiotics or reseeding of the gut with good intestinal flora.

Prebiotics, as defined by Gibson and Roberfroid (1995) is a "nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon and thus improves host health," may include starches, dietary fibers, other non-absorbable sugars, sugar alcohol, andoligosaccharides.."

(Gibson et al., 1996). Gibson, G. and Roberfroid, M.B. 1995. Dietary modulation of the human colonic mibrobiota: Introducing the concept of prebiotics. J. Nutr. 125: 1401-1412. Gibson, G.R., Williams, A., Reading, S., and Collins, M.D. 1996. Fermentation of non-digestible oligosaccharides by human colonic bacteria.
Proc. Nutr. Soc. 55: 899-912.

The second purpose of beet pulp, besides being a food source for the probiotics of the gut, is to provide bulk to the stool which allows it to move through the digestive tract. at a rate which assures maximum digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Note: The probiotics cling to the wall of the intestine and dine. While the good bacteria
are present in ample quantities, the bad bacteria/fungus cannot gain a foot- hold and dominate the gut’s environment.

Statement: Saponins in the beet pulp might be responsible for bloat.

False ~ This could not be further from the truth.

In the paper, "Toxic Substances and Crop Plants" by the Royal Society of Chemistry states that "saponins at the levels fed in modern diets are not toxic but in fact exert a variety of health enhancing benefits, (*including providing fermentation (a food source) for probiotic (good bacteria) viability. )

A statement to me from Dr. K. Kern Wysong Corporation and Research Facility Jan 27, 1993.

"The claims ...... that saponins cause bloat in is not documented by any reference to any scientific literature. It is simply conjecture and assertion and not fact. Saponins are found in over 100 plant families. These foods have been a part of the mammalian and human diet for thousands of years. Saponin-containing foods are also known to be of therapeutic and health enhancing benefits. . There is no documented proof that feeding a pet food with micro-amounts of saponins causes gastrointestinal paralysis and vomiting(bloat)".

Below find information from documented scientific sources:

"Beet pulp has been found to be an ideal source of moderately fermentable fiber. Fiber sources such as cellulose, bentonite, peanut hulls or soy bean hulls are poor sources because they are not very fermentable. The correct amount and type of fiber is necessary for a normal healthy digestive tract. There are bacteria in the normal healthy digestive track. These bacteria have the ability to ferment or digest certain types of fiber. The ideal fiber is partially fermentable or digestible, i.e., beet pulp. We want some fiber left to provide that bulk to the stool that is necessary for a healthy digestive system, but we also want some of the fiber to be digested by the bacteria. 1

Beet pulp in a diet encourages colonization of those bacteria which best ferment or digest that form of fiber and discourage those organisms which do not effectively ferment fiber. It so happens that many good bacteria that commonly inhabit the large intestines can deal with beet pulp ( Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium are just two) and many pathogenic bacteria are not supported by its presence (Clostridium sp.,Salmonella sp. and e. coli)2.

Because beet pulp is an ideal food source for these good bacteria, they tend to overgrow potentially bad bacteria (pathogens and gas producers) and make the gut much more resistant to these harmful organisms. As a result of this digestive or fermentation process, vital nutrients called short chain fatty acids are produced which provide superior nutrition to the cells lining the large intestine enhancing their ability to function.

These short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the key to a healthy and efficient digestive tract. The cells that line the intestinal track feed voraciously on SCFA. These cells have a high turnover rate and rely on SCFA to provide adequate nutrition. 3

That portion of beet pulp left after the fermentation of bacterial digestive process promotes ideal nutrient digestibility. The volume of stool is not excessive thus allowing the motility of the gut to move the nutrients along at a rate which assures maximum digestion and absorption.4

1. Buterwick, Maxwell. The effect of level and source of dietary fiber on
food intake in the dog. Journal of Nutrition 1994 Vol. 124

2 Collins MD, Gibson Dr. Nutritional modulation of microbial ecology. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 199

3. Hallman JE, Moxley RA, et al. Cellulose, beet pulp and pectin/gum arabic
effects on canine microstructure and histopathology. Veterinary Clinical
Nutrition 1995;2:137-141

4. Albert s. Townshend DVM, Wellness for Life, Am Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 1999

Articles From: The Great Dane Lady (www.thegreatdanelady.com)

[dab_20]

Mine is one star. But it doesn't matter. Food is food. Besides I've got no choice over what my dogs eat.

Plus very FEW dog foods make it on the six star list. And I'm sure those foods are very expensive and hard to find.

[K9soul]

I believe this was posted as an "FYI" or for anyone interested in looking at the evaluations, not as a "you shouldn't be feeding your dog this food or that food." I don't think there is any need for folks to get defensive on what they choose to feed or explain why they feed it. Just like human health experts, people have a lot of different views on what is best.

edit: The "more expense" thing isn't always true. That Azmira food is quite a bit more expensive than EVO and EVO is rated much higher. Also you have to take into account that you feed much less of higher quality kibbles than lower quality so the cost is often more efficient.

[dab_20]

I believe this was posted as an "FYI" or for anyone interested in looking at the evaluations, not as a "you shouldn't be feeding your dog this food or that food." I don't think there is any need for folks to get defensive on what they choose to feed or explain why they feed it. Just like human health experts, people have a lot of different views on what is best.

edit: The "more expense" thing isn't always true. That Azmira food is quite a bit more expensive than EVO and EVO is rated much higher. Also you have to take into account that you feed much less of higher quality kibbles than lower quality so the cost is often more efficient.

I see... I didn't exactly mean to sound defensive. Do you, or anyone else know of a good brand of food that you can find at walmart for not too much money?? (walmart is the only place in town that carries dog food)

[Corinna]

Thanks I too am having to change foods (vet insists) looking for a sr.food for the newfys.

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

Sorry, but I didn't think my post was defensive. I was just trying to explain the Corn/Beet Pulp myth so people don't feel like crap about feeding a food with those thing in it.

Other than that, I think it is a great place to learn about the different quality of kibble that is available.

[K9soul]

Well I certainly understand in being limited with what you can feed, I've been in that place myself. You just have to do the best you can. If you can't get a better quality food due to availability, expense, etc., I'd just try supplementing their food with healthy things like chopped veggies or yogurt, or fresh meat if you have the chance. The most important thing of course is that they are fed (even if not the "best" food) and loved :).

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

I see... I didn't exactly mean to sound defensive. Do you, or anyone else know of a good brand of food that you can find at walmart for not too much money?? (walmart is the only place in town that carries dog food)

I believe Walmart has a brand called Actr1um (Actrium). It has no by-products and I have heard many dogs have done great on it. :D

[Kfamr]

I believe Walmart has a brand called Actr1um (Actrium). It has no by-products and I have heard many dogs have done great on it. :D


That may just be carried in Canada?? I've never seen it in any Wal-Mart in the US. IMO, the "best" quality I've seen at EVERY Wal-Mart is Purina ONE. The only selections I've really seen are Iams, Purina ONE, Pedigree, Kibbles & Bits, Beneful, etc.


My dogs are fed TimberWolf Organics Blue Ocean & Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice Small Bites.. which I couldn't find the second on the list.

TW BO was on the 5 star list which I'm not sure if I agree with that or not.

My favorite dog food list is this: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/
I've talked to the lady who created it and she seems very educated on the subject, IMO.

[K9soul]

I was just curious, I went to thegreatdanelady.com and can't find those articles even when using search. What is that site? It seems like it's a search engine for advertisers..

[K9soul]

My favorite dog food list is this: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/
I've talked to the lady who created it and she seems very educated on the subject, IMO.

Very informative site as well. Thanks for posting that. Lots of info.

[Vela]

Thanks for the link Kay. Very informative.

[dab_20]

That may just be carried in Canada?? I've never seen it in any Wal-Mart in the US. IMO, the "best" quality I've seen at EVERY Wal-Mart is Purina ONE. The only selections I've really seen are Iams, Purina ONE, Pedigree, Kibbles & Bits, Beneful, etc.


Purina one is better then Iams? I was always told that Iams was better.

[Vela]

If I had to pick from Iams or Purina One I'd pick the Purina.

[Giselle]

Ingredient wise, I would prefer Purina Pro-Plan over Iams or Eukanuba. Purina ONE isn't the best, but this all doesn't matter as long as your dog does well on the kibble. THAT is the most important thing. As long as your dog does well on the kibble, THAT is the only thing that matters.

As for information on kibble, I'm not one for internet resources. Unless it ends with .org or .edu, I always doubt the validity of the information. I'm always kind of wary of .com-ers since the information on the 'Net never really gets reviewed by experts nor peers. Who is to say that one site is better than the other? For what it's worth, I recommend Homemade Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD.

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

I was just curious, I went to thegreatdanelady.com and can't find those articles even when using search. What is that site? It seems like it's a search engine for advertisers..

Sorry about that! Here is the proper link... Great Dane Lady (http://www.greatdanelady.com/). Go to the side of the page and you will see "Articles". Sorry about that!

[Roxyluvsme13]

Ingredient wise, I would prefer Purina Pro-Plan over Iams or Eukanuba. Purina ONE isn't the best, but this all doesn't matter as long as your dog does well on the kibble. THAT is the most important thing. As long as your dog does well on the kibble, THAT is the only thing that matters.

As for information on kibble, I'm not one for internet resources. Unless it ends with .org or .edu, I always doubt the validity of the information. I'm always kind of wary of .com-ers since the information on the 'Net never really gets reviewed by experts nor peers. Who is to say that one site is better than the other? For what it's worth, I recommend Homemade Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD.
They give Pro Plan a 1 star rating, and Lily does really well on it, so I don't really care what they think.

[Uabassoon]

It seems I'm the only one with this problem, but I can't get the link to work.

[K9soul]

It seems I'm the only one with this problem, but I can't get the link to work.

I had that problem at first. I just kept trying and it finally worked for me and I haven't had the problem since. Odd :confused:

[Roxyluvsme13]

It seems I'm the only one with this problem, but I can't get the link to work.
I couldnt get it to work either, but once I typed it in my addy bar it worked better! :)

[K9soul]

They give Pro Plan a 1 star rating, and Lily does really well on it, so I don't really care what they think.

Because a food has a lesser rating or is not as high quality in ingredients does not mean that a dog on it is going to be sick and their hair falling out in clumps :p. You aren't really going to notice "differences" unless you try higher grade foods and compare them. This particular rating system seems to be based off kibble that comes closest to being of a raw diet quality. So the 1 star foods are farthest off from being the level of a raw/natural diet, that is what that means (at least that's what I get from it).

You can take two people and have both eat fast food and chips and lots of sugar, and one may stay thin and have energy and do ok, and the other may become obese, have heart and cholesterol problems and so forth. Every dog is different just like every person is different. Different metabolisms, different genetic makeups and predispositions. Some problems develop slowly over years fed on a poor diet. Some just never develop them. Not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer, for example, but they are definitely at increased risk.

I'd suggest reading up at the link Kay gave. There is a lot of educational information there, and especially the sections about Commercial Dry foods. I don't understand why people don't just research and read up instead of immediately getting defensive about what they feed and why they feed it. Some may not have the option of feeding a premium food but that doesn't mean you can't read up and become educated on the differences, and learn about the benefits different diets and premium foods can offer so that when you DO have the option, you will know what you want to do.

[Giselle]

Agreed, K9soul. The objective of all these websites and books we are posting is to open your mind and educate you. The most important thing you can possibly do in your lifetime is to learn. It's absolutely fine that Lily does well on Pro-Plan. I know plenty of Greyhound owners who feed Pro-Plan and Nutro Natural Choice, neither of which make the 3 star mark. Technically, these foods would be considered "below average" - yikes. Yet, thousands of dog owners continue to feed these brands because it's what works for them. However, just because Pro-Plan doesn't make the cut in this particular dog food review, you shouldn't go on the defensive and claim that you do not care what the Editor of the website thinks.

It's a time for education, and, like K9soul mentioned, once your current situation improves and the option of feeding higher quality kibble is available, you can make the appropriate switch. I highly suggest you read why Pro-Plan received such a low score and learn from it. We all started from Square 1 :)

[Uabassoon]

I give up! I tried to click the link, copy and paste, type in manually and no luck!

[Vela]

I also wanted to mention that just because a food receives a 1 star rating on their scale doesn't mean your dog will die from eating it, it's just not the highesty quality food out there, which is no secret to anyone anyway. There is never a reason not to be willing to learn and find out information you didn't know before...in anything. I know the person who compiled the information, which is simply a reproduction from the exact food labels of each product, and they also go on to explain exactly how and why the foods are graded the way they are on a separate page from the reveiws. In fact the person who compiled the information feeds raw...but that doesn't make the evaluations any less valid. For myself I enjoyed the site mostly to see what products are out there for me to choose from and what ingredients they use so I can then make a decision for myself which food works best for me and my dogs. It's easy to read and even if you don't agree with the rating scale and how it's done, the information is still helpful and you can easily compare foods to make up your own mind about what you want to feed or not feed.

Sorry the link didn't work for you Uabasson.

[mruffruff]

Has anyone seen the food Drs Foster and Smith make? The price seems to be comparative to the Nutro that I buy. (See DrsFosterSmith.com website).
30 lb. Bag of Lamb & Rice for $25. I pay $18 for 15 lb. bag of Nutro Senior. I'm not very good at comparing ingredients, though. If it's a better food than supermarket brands, it could be an alternative for those who don't have access to pet supply stores.