Dogs have been our most faithful friends since as long as we can remember. These amazing creatures give us their all and expect nothing in return. There are several cases where dogs rescued from torture or abuse still didn’t give up on humans and our capability to love. To be honest, humans can never possibly return a dog’s lifetime of devotion and love for us. The least that every owner can do is make sure the dog leads an entirely healthy life and lives through its life-expectancy. And for ensuring this, a proper diet is a must.
A dog’s diet needs to be absolutely balanced in terms of the food, classes, and nutrients. Not a single ingredient should fall short or be more than the necessary quantity. In case you are wondering which dog food can meet all the requirements, a through dog food comparison might be of considerable help.
If you really care about choosing the perfect dog food that is suitable for your pet dog and in the case you are having a tough time deciding on the same, devote some time to this article. I have discussed some essential aspects that must be considered while choosing dog food. For your convenience, I have also compiled the nutrient and ingredient requirements in the form of a dog food comparison chart.
What Goes In The Making Of A Great Dog Food?
You will find a massive line of dog food products available in the market, all claiming to be the best for your pooch. Hence, it becomes all the more difficult to make the ideal choice. After all, the health of your beloved buddy is at stake, and an incorrect food option can adversely affect it. So, while making your decision, take a note of the following criteria.
Good Source Of High-Quality Protein
Did you just lay your hands on a dog food only just mentions “meat” as the protein? Well, remove your hands immediately and forget about that product altogether. As a dog parent, you need to be thoroughly informed regarding what goes into your pup’s food. Therefore, the ingredients section of the dog food pack should mention the type of meat, be it chicken, turkey, lamb or any other source.
Premium Dog Foods Contain Carbohydrates
Though not as essential as proteins, some amount of carbohydrates must be present in the form of rice, barley or oats.
Fats Must Be Present
Your dog’s diet must include healthy fats, and in this regard, olive oil or flax oil are great options. On the other, if you find animal fats, such as “chicken fat” in the ingredient list, you can be assured of the particular dog food’s quality. Plus, the presence of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are indicators of supreme-quality dog food.
Vitamins & Minerals
If the dog food’s ingredients include Vitamin E and Vitamin C in addition to fruits and vegetables, you are looking at a brand that can be trusted.
If the dog food’s ingredients include Vitamin E and Vitamin C in addition to fruits and vegetables, you are looking at a brand that can be trusted.
No Junk!
The dog food should strictly not contain any kind of preservatives, artificial additives or fillers. More importantly, all the ingredients must be from USDA affiliated and inspected facilities. This will leave behind no unanswered doubts regarding the quality of the dog food.
How To Choose The Best Food For Your Dog?
With so varieties of dog food available in the market, you might get tempted to choose one at random. But you need to acknowledge the fact that what works for one dog, might not do so for another. The perfect food for your dog depends on several factors, some of which are mentioned below:
Breed
Size
Activity Level
Body Type
BMI Index
All these aspects play a part in determining the type of nutrition that your dog needs to lead a hearty and healthy life.
While choosing a dog food brand, be aware of your pup’s health or medical conditions. There might be certain ingredients that just don’t suit your dog. This is especially true for those dogs that have a propensity to allergic reactions. Therefore, every dog has his/her nutritional requirements and its balanced diet should be formulated accordingly.
On the other hand, if your dog suffers from serious medical complication such as diabetes or liver disease, always consult your vet before choosing the dog food.
Again, the dog food choice will vary depending on the size of your dog. For example, if you have a large breed puppy, then its food must include relatively smaller portions of protein. Otherwise, the pup will grow way too fast and might end up developing bone or joint ailments.
Compliance With AAFCO Regulations
The standards set by AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) must be followed by all authorized dog food manufacturers. Those who do, are allowed to include the tag reading “a complete and balanced diet” on the food packets.
What does this tag denote? You can take a breather as it indicates that the particular dog food has passed all tests and trials and is considered a well-balanced diet. However, even if a dog food sports this AAFCO tag, it doesn’t mean that it is perfect for your dog. It is possible that the dog food does not contain the nutrient that your dog needs explicitly. Hence, thorough research and dog food comparison are essential before making a purchase.
Top 20 Dog Food Options
Take a look at some of the best dog food alternatives that you can opt for:
Precise Holistic Complete Sm/Med Breed Adult
Precise Naturals Chicken Male & Rice Foundation
Castor & Pollux Organix Adult
Avoderm Adult Lamb Meal & Brown Rice
Orijen Adult Dog
Canidae All Life Stages
Canidae Grain Free Pure Lamb
Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Adult
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken & Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Basics Adult Salmon & Potato
Natural Balance Synergy Ultra
Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula
Nature’s Variety Prarie Formula – Chicken
Nature’s Variety Instinct Formula – Duck
Timberwolf Organics Black Forest Formula
Timberwolf Ocean Blue Platinum Grain Free
Wellness Complete Health De-boned Chicken
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Lamb & Oatmeal
California Natural Lamb Meal & Rice Adult/Large Bites
California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice Adult
Dog Food Comparison Chart: % Of Nutrients
Undoubtedly, it is essential to know what all goes into your dog’s food. But what’s even more crucial to know is the percentage and ratios of the individual ingredients. Certain nutrients must be present in a limited amount while others have a recommended maximum. Compared to larger breeds, the smaller ones understandably have different nutritional requirements. Again, the food requirements of puppies are unique and specific in comparison to that of full-grown dogs.
The following dog food comparison chart tallies the percentage of nutrients in each of the above-mentioned popular dog food options. In this comparison, I have taken into consideration the proportions of crude protein, crude fat, moisture content, crude fiber etc.
Food Name
%Crude Protein
%of Crude Fat
%Crude Fiber
%Moisture
%DHA/
Omega-3
%Carb Content
Calories (Kcal/cup)
Precise Holistic Complete Sm/Med Breed Adult
25-27
15-17
3.5
10
0.53
37-39
427.5
Precise Naturals Chicken Male & Rice Foundation
22
10-12
3.5
10
0.60
42-45
420.7
Castor & Pollux Organix Adult
25-27
14
4.5
10
0.33
41-43
392
Avoderm Adult Lamb Meal & Brown Rice
21
10
2.9
10
0.75
49-51
360
Orijen Adult Dog
38
17
5
10
1.2
24-26
477
Canidae All Life Stages
23
14.5
4
10
0.5
43.5
468
Canidae Grain Free Pure Lamb
32
18
2-4
10
0.4
30-32
510
Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Adult
20-22
10
4
10
0.75
50
365
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken & Brown Rice
22-24
14
3.5-4.5
10
0.4
44
377
Blue Buffalo Basics Adult Salmon & Potato
20
12-14
6
10
1.0
50
375-377
Natural Balance Synergy Ultra
28
15-17
5
10
0.5
38
412
Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula
17
9
4
10
0.35
56
360
Nature’s Variety Prarie Formula – Chicken
22.5
12-14
6
10
0.42
46.7
423
Nature’s Variety Instinct Formula – Duck
35
20
6
7-9
0.5
29
445
Timberwolf Organics Black Forest Formula
22
12
2.9
8.5-9
1.33
49-51
522-524
Timberwolf Ocean Blue Platinum Grain Free
32-35
16
4
9.5
1.5
41.25
521
Wellness Complete Health De-boned Chicken
22
10
4
12
0.47
48
410
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Lamb & Oatmeal
21
12
4.75
13
0.75-0.8
48
406-410
California Natural Lamb Meal & Rice Adult/Large Bites
21
11
2.5
10
0.3
48
435
California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice Adult
19-22
10
2.5
10
0.3
50
429
Dog Food Comparison Chart Concerning The Ingredients
Like I mentioned a few paragraphs before, it is quite tempting to choose a dog food at random given the considerable line of options. But since your beloved furry companion’s health is in question, you need to ignore the hype and focus on the ingredients.
There are certain things that you need to know while analyzing the ingredients that are mentioned in the label of your dog food:
To begin with, the first 3 ingredients basically make up the bulk of the dog food. Hence, these few ingredients need to be precise and of supreme quality.
Also, all the ingredients should be mentioned clearly without using any generalized terms.
And of course, no by-products or chemicals must be present in the dog food.
Ingredient Chart Of The Top 20 Dog Foods
Food Name
First 3 Ingredients
Vitamins & Minerals
DHA/Omega-3
Precise Holistic Complete – Sm/Med Breed Adult
Chicken
chicken Meal
ground brown rice
variable
Precise Naturals – Chicken Meal & Rice Foundation
Chicken Meal
ground brown rice
rice bran
variable
variable
Castor & Pollux Organix Adult
Organic chicken
chicken meal
ground brown rice
variable
variable
Avoderm Adult Lamb Meal & Brown Rice
Lamb Meal
ground whole brown rice
ground whole white rice
variable
variable
Orijen Adult Dog
Fresh boneless chicken
chicken meal
chicken liver
variable
variable
Canidae All-Life Stages Formula (Dry)
Chicken Meal
turkey meal
lamb meal
variable
variable
Canidae Grain Free Pure Lamb (Dry)
Lamb
turkey meal
chicken meal
variable
variable
Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Adult
Lamb
lamb meal
brown rice
variable
variable
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken & Brown Rice
Deboned chicken
chicken meal
brown rice
variable
variable
Blue Buffalo Basics Adult Salmon & Potato
Deboned salmon
oatmeal
brown rice
variable
variable
Natural Balance Synergy Ultra
Chicken
chicken meal
brown rice
variable
N/A
Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula
Brown rice
oatmeal
cracked pearl barley
variable
variable
Nature’s Variety Prarie Formula – Chicken
Chicken
chicken meal
oatmeal
variable
variable
Nature’s Variety Instinct Formula – Duck
Duck
turkey meal
salmon meal
variable
variable
Timberwolf Originals Black Forest Formula
Venison
brown rice
lamb
variable
variable
Timberwolf Ocean Blue Platinum Grain Free
Herring
salmon
dried salmon
variable
variable
Wellness Complete Health De-boned Chicken
Deboned chicken
chicken meal
oatmeal
variable
variable
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Lamb & Oatmeal
Lamb
lamb meal
oatmeal
variable
variable
California Natural Lamb Meal & Rice Adult/Large Bites
Lamb Meal
brown rice
rice
variable
variable
California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice Adult
Chicken Meal
brown rice
rice
variable
variable
Hopefully, this article serves as a handy dog food comparison guide for you. Weigh all the options and choose the best for your pooch!