Melorich Australian Labradoodles

How to grade your dog's food: Start with a grade of 100:

And what we feed

Before we look at the grading scheme, below, a few things about feeding. No matter what you decide is best for your dog, it is good to either alternate with another variety, say chicken one month and lamb the next, and/or to add some pure protein source mixed in with your dog food. This is for your adults. What I do, depending on the dog, is feed him or her 1 cup in AM and one in PM (adults) and when I add some protein  I then add less dry food so I am not giving more than a cup. With dogs that don't seem to suffer from allergies that source can be some turkey, chicken, or fish mixed in. I also am using the raw frozen sold at some pet supply stores. They have Turkey, salmon, duck, venison, trout and on and on. You can buy a 3 lb bag which has 48 pre measured protein "burgers" that can be mixed into the dry food.

If you discover that your dog has skin conditions or other allergies(see this link: food.htm) that might be food related then we recommend Pinnacle Brand (Breeders Choice is MFG.) of either Duck and potato or Venison and potato (follow link to their website Breeders Choice Website). These 2 are allergen free! No wheat, no chicken, turkey, or rice. Try this for 12 weeks and see if your dog is healthier regarding any allergies. Again, you can mix in the venison, salmon, trout, or Duck that comes frozen. Adding the frozen guarantees you that you understand the protein source your dog is getting its protein from. Dog foods that list protein as a percentage do not break it down and the majority could be coming from corn!

Pups eat 3 times a day and at 1 year of age, change to twice a day. If feeding a puppy food then change to adult food at 5 months of age

If you live in the Cleveland area then here is a good store for food, frozen food, and other supplies as well as knowledge   A Dogs Life

Subtract for the following:

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers€™s rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "turkey" as 2 different sources), add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D

<70 = F

Dog Food scores:

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+

Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F

Canidae / Score 112 A+

Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+

Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B

Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+

Foundations / Score 106 A+

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 D

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D

Innova Dog / Score 114 A+

Innova Evo / Score 114 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+   (This is what we use for dogs without any allergies. Purchase at Costco for about $25 for a 40 lb bag)

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F

ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+

Purina Benful / Score 17 F

Purina Dog / Score 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F

Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A