In Search of Healthful and Non-Toxic Dog Foods – Kibble (Part 1)

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links and I may receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on some of these links.

This page is part of an article series looking at toxicity in dog foods. It begins with an overview discussion and then provides detailed information about more than 50 different kibble brands.

Here are links to all the articles in the series that have been released so far.

Kibble (A-E)

Kibble (F-Z)

Cocoa Ratings

 

October 18, 2021

By Lisa Petrison

While many people – including most conventional veterinarians – continue to believe that kibble is a fine type of food for dogs to eat, an increasing number of other individuals have stated that totally different diets seem to work much better for their dogs.

I’ve encountered lots of dogs who have done very well on those other kinds of diets – such as ones based on raw foods, home-cooked foods, or premium frozen/air-dried/freeze-dried foods – and certainly think that those are options worth considering for those who have the time and financial resources to pursue them.

However, so far the vast majority of the population is continuing to feed their dogs at least some kibble, in large part because it is a convenient and affordable food choice compared to the other options.

In addition, it seems that virtually everyone who is knowledgeable about canine nutrition agrees that making sure that dogs get “balanced” nutrients can be a bit challenging when feeding a raw or home-cooked diet.

The reason for this seems to be that dogs historically ate mostly the parts of animals that humans did not want (such as organs, intestines, bones and cartilage) and thus do not get all the nutrients that they are adapted to thrive on when consuming only the foods that people typically eat themselves or can easily obtain from the average supermarket.

Since kibble is fortified, it may serve as an efficient and economical delivery device for some specific nutrients that dogs apparently need.

On the other hand, just as a diet consisting only of processed food is not very good for humans, a diet consisting solely of kibble does not seem to be even close to being an ideal choice for dogs.

For one thing, it seems likely that fresh meats and other fresh foods contain many health-promoting components that kibble does not provide.

In addition, kibble inevitably contains a higher percentage of carbohydrates than seems optimal for dogs, due to the fact that making kibble requires the use of significant amounts of starch to get the dough to stick together.

But a much bigger problem than either of these, in my opinion, is that most kibble products appear to be contaminated with significant amounts of problematic toxicity that will slowly damage any dog’s health over the long-term.

As a result of these kinds of problems, many people have decided to abandon kibble (as well as similar canned foods) entirely – even though the alternatives tend to be many times more expensive and/or require considerably more effort to acquire and prepare.

It’s my own feeling, however, that certain kibble products are clean enough that they have the potential of serving as an appropriate foundation for a dog’s diet, especially if ample amounts of fresh foods are fed along with them.

For instance, for quite some time my dog Cocoa seemed to be doing very well on a diet of about half kibble and half freshly cooked foods.

Our holistic veterianarian – who has a particular focus on dietary issues – has seemed to be strongly approving of this mix of foods and has consistently said that Cocoa has been doing very well in terms of his health.

More recently, Cocoa has been eating a higher percentage of his diet as premium air-dried and freeze-dried foods (such as Ziwi Peak or Stella & Chewy’s), which I hand-feed to him as treats to encourage good behavior on our off-leash walks.

Still, I continue to leave kibble out for him and Cocoa continues to eat it as about a third of his overall diet (not infrequently choosing it over the freshly cooked foods such as organic grass-fed steak that I am eating).

Note, though, that Cocoa has rejected almost 90% of the nearly 150 different kibbles that he has been offered and that it seems to me that the kibbles that he has been willing to eat likely are unusually low in terms of problematic toxicity.

In short, while I have come to think that certain kibbles have the potential of serving a healthful purpose when used as one component of a dog’s diet, it also seems to me that there are an awfully lot of other very toxic kibbles on the market that can be very damaging to a dog’s health.

The goal of this article is to examine closely a variety of kibbles on the market, with the goal of figuring out which ones may be the best bets.

 

Dog Food Toxicity

The biggest problem that I personally see with including some kibble in a dog’s diet that is that many kibbles may be contaminated with enough toxicity to cause long-term health damage to all dogs regularly consuming the food.

Unfortunately, thus far pretty much the only public attention that is ever given to the issue of toxicity in dog kibble is when the problem in a particular food is so incredibly bad that many dogs die almost immediately after eating the food.

While these cases are certainly cause for alarm, the somewhat lower levels of toxicity present in many other foods also have the potential of causing serious health damage and early death when consumed on a regular basis over time.

Substances recognized by the FDA as potentially harmful when present in pet food include aflatoxin (a particular type of mycotoxin), toxic bacteria, industrial chemicals, and live mold.

Very high levels of certain nutritional supplements such as Vitamin D that are added to foods by mistake also may be considered health hazards.

Usually, though, mandatory or voluntary recalls even with regard to these substances are enacted only when so many deaths have occurred that consumers begin demanding that something be done about the problem.

For instance, in 2021 the FDA recalled a line of pet foods after testing revealed that levels of aflatoxin were as high as 558 parts per billion – when the allowable level is only 20 parts per billion.

(Note that dog foods in Europe have a maximum allowable level of only 10 ppb of aflatoxin, meaning that the U.S. maximum level is arguably overly high to begin with.)

Aflatoxin is a substance that is so common in grains such as corn and wheat that it is hard for me to believe that all other kibble being sold is meeting the 20 ppb limit when the levels in this particular food were so high.

Rather, my suspicion is that many other kibbles on the market also have levels that exceed the limit by lesser amounts but that are not being noticed since they are killing animals more slowly (e.g. by causing cancer or liver disease) rather than over the course of a few days.

While we all may hope that more expensive kibbles (including those being sold in veterinarians’ offices) would at least be complying with FDA regulations in terms of the maximum allowable levels of various toxic substances, in practice neither consumers nor veterinarians have any concrete assurance that this is actually occurring.

Although some dog food companies stress that they test their foods for various toxic substances, virtually none of them provide any straightforward information on exactly what substances they are testing for or what levels they are using.

The fact that many popular pet foods are owned by enormous conglomerates (such as Nestle, General Mills, Colgate-Palmolive or Mars) that many people do not consider to be entirely trustworthy makes the lack of transparency with regard to these issues particularly concerning.

On the other hand, properly testing for these substances may require a high enough level of skill as well as financial expense that I wonder if smaller companies are able to do it properly (especially since few of those companies bring up testing issues on their websites at all).

Additionally troubling to me is the fact that dog kibble has a very high likelihood of being contaminated with other toxic substances – including mycotoxins (other than aflatoxin), glyphosate, and industrial animal products – that the FDA does not regulate at all.

 

Mycotoxins

Research has shown that mycotoxins (toxic chemicals made by certain kinds of mold) can be detected through testing in almost all dog kibble and not infrequently may be present in sufficient amounts to constitute a serious health hazard.

Grain-inclusive kibbles (especially those containing corn, wheat or sorghum) are especially likely to be contaminated with high levels of mycotoxins, but the pulses and other binder ingredients used in grain-free kibble may be significantly contaminated with mycotoxins as well.

Many thousands of peer-reviewed papers in the agricultural literature demonstrate the negative health effects of these kinds of food mycotoxins on animals like chickens, pigs and cows.

Aflatoxin, for instance, is universally accepted as one of the most carcinogenic substances ever studied and also is a major contributor to liver disease.

Penitrem A causes severe neurological issues (including seizures, tremors and dementia), while ochratoxin causes kidney disease.

The array of toxins made by Fusarium molds (such as DON/vomitoxin, T-2 toxin, zearalenone and fumonisins) are known to cause many different health issues, including digestive problems, obesity, immune dysfunction, mitochondrial disease, neurological problems, mood disorders, hormonal dysregulation, lethargy, and food allergies.

Since almost all of these varied health problems have reached epidemic levels in our dog population, an obvious question is to what extent the large amounts of mycotoxins that most dogs are getting in their diets may be causing or contributing to those problems.

Of all the mycotoxins that may be found in dog food, only aflatoxin is regulated in the U.S. for either human or animal consumption.

In both the U.S. and Europe, authorities also have offered “guidance levels” with regard to DON/vomitoxin and fumonisins, but following these is not mandatory for dog foods.

Europe also has supplied guidance levels for dog foods for zearalenone, T-2/H-2 and ochratoxin (all of which are ignored in the FDA guidelines).

Note that while the FDA is no better at regulating or offering guidance for human foods than it is for dog food, mycotoxin researchers – such as Dr. Trevor Smith of the University of Guelph – often suggest that the typical mycotoxin levels in human foods are low enough that they may not be a terribly big concern for most people.

Levels in pet foods are typically much higher, these researchers suggest.

This is especially problematic since dogs appear to be at least as susceptible to being harmed by mycotoxins as are either humans or farm animals.

Since most dogs eat little food other than kibble for their whole lives, their cumulative exposure to potentially contaminated feed seems to have the potential of being considerably higher than that experienced by either farm animals (most of whom consume feed for only a year or two prior to being slaughtered) or humans.

Of the most serious health conditions commonly experienced by older dogs, quite a few – including cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, dementia, obesity, and various digestive problems – are widely accepted as having the potential of being caused by the consumption of mycotoxins in food.

Various other inflammatory-type conditions (including those that may be associated with arthritis and dental disease) may be caused or exacerbated by mycotoxin consumption as well.

It therefore seems to me that it may be worthwhile for individuals who want their dogs to live relatively healthfully for more than just a couple of years to focus some attention on the issue of avoidance of mycotoxins in dog food and to put some pressure on dog food manufacturers to be more transparent in terms of the sharing of information with regard to their policies on this topic.

 

Glyphosate

An additional toxic substance that thus far has been even less discussed in the context of dog food and that may be present in large amounts in even the most expensive kibbles is glyphosate (also known as Roundup).

This environmentally pervasive chemical (originally developed by Monsanto and now manufactured by many different companies) has been asserted to cause some kinds of cancer (including non-Hodgkins lymphoma) as well as kidney and liver disease in humans.

A potentially even bigger problem with glyphosate, however, is its known ability to alter the microbiome by killing off good bacteria and allowing bad fungi to grow more freely.

These particular antibiotic effects have been found to exert a major impact on the nature of the soil, with fields where the chemical has been used being especially likely to harbor large amounts of toxin-producing Fusarium or Aspergillus species.

It therefore seems that glyphosate usage may be appropriately viewed as a root cause of the high levels of mycotoxins currently present in pet foods and animal feed (and also of the mycotoxins in human foods).

Glyphosate has been found more recently to have similar negative effects on the gut microbiome of humans and other animals, by killing off many strains of good bacteria and thus making it easier for dangerous fungal infections to take root.

The microbiome is in large part responsible for detoxification of food-based toxicity and other toxicity, meaning that if it is damaged by glyphosate exposures, other kinds of toxic exposures may be more harmful.

While many people feed their dogs probiotics in order to try to improve the gut microbiome, the antibiotic effects of glyphosate are unfortunately strong enough that they seem to have the potential of easily overwhelming any positive benefits of using the supplements.

Glyphosate contamination is increasingly considered to be a problem in human-intended foods, with organizations such as the Environmental Working Group bringing up the issue and some food companies receiving glyphosate-free certification for their products.

A number of the grains and pulses that are commonly used in dog foods have the potential of being highly glyphosate-contaminated, due to the use of the chemical as a pre-harvest desiccant to dry out the crop at the end of its growing cycle.

Sorghum, oats, millet, wheat and legumes – especially when grown in northern locations such as the Pacific Northwest, Canada, the UK or Ireland – are at particularly high risk for being contaminated with high levels of the chemical as a result of this type of usage.

Roundup Ready crops such as corn and soybeans also may carry some glyphosate contamination, but the levels in those crops are usually not nearly as high because the chemical is applied as a weed killer much earlier in the growing process and also tends to be sprayed more on the ground rather than aimed directly at the plants.

Note, by the way, that (apparently due to heavy lobbying by chemical companies) residue levels for glyphosate have been set in the U.S. at what seem to me to be truly absurd levels in certain grains intended for human consumption and especially in animal feed.

For instance, the Environmental Working Group has made the argument that any glyphosate contamination of over 0.16 parts per million (ppm) in foods presents a health hazard to humans in general and especially to children.

In the U.S., while rice and popcorn intended for human consumption have maximum glyphosate residual levels of 0.1 ppm, most grains intended for human use now have a limit of 30 ppm and grains used as animal feeds have a limit of a whopping 400 ppm.

I’ve yet to see any human-intended foods test as higher than 30 ppm (though one sample of supposedly organic chickpeas tested by EWG in 2020 came close to that limit).

Unfortunately I have not yet seen any dog food tested for glyphosate residues at all and so am not sure what levels are typically present in that.

The fact that dog food qualifies as “animal feed” means that the amounts could be jaw-droppingly high and still be perfectly legal, though.

Considering that dog food companies seem to be even less interested in trying to limit glyphosate contamination than they are in trying to limit mycotoxin contamination, I would not be at all surprised if the level of glyphosate in at least some dog foods is extremely high.

While dog food manufacturers could vastly reduce the average amount of glyphosate in their kibble either by using organically grown binders or by contracting with farmers to grow the binders without the use of that particular chemical, very few kibble companies have reported doing those things so far.

I see this as unfortunate since many of the runaway health problems currently seen in dogs – including obesity, food allergies, skin problems, yeast infections, gut dysfunction, diabetes, chronic fatigue, osteoarthritis, and nervous conditions such as separation anxiety – all are known to be related to microbiome problems that may be caused or exacerbated by exposures to glyphosate in foods.

The mycotoxin exposures that dogs may experience from eating contaminated foods or from living in homes with environmental toxic mold problems also may contribute to these kinds of microbiome-related health issues, with the interaction between glyphosate exposures and mycotoxin exposures potentially having a particularly large effect.

Especially since dogs cannot release toxicity through sweat as humans do, the damage sustained from glyphosate exposures both to the microbiome and to the kidneys/liver seems to me to have the potential of severely limiting dogs’ abilities to detoxify any toxic substances that they may encounter.

Unfortunately, most dogs today are exposed to very large amounts of varied toxicity on a regular basis, with harm from this seeming to me to be inevitable if the dogs are not able to detoxify these substances from their bodies in an effective way.

Some of these exposures may include pesticides and other chemicals used for landscaping or gardening; monthly use of systemic chemicals used to kill fleas/ticks and parasites; repeated vaccines containing heavy metals as adjuvants and preservatives; contamination of foods with mycotoxins and other hazardous substances; general contamination of the tap water supply; anesthesia and painkillers used in conjunction with neutering or other surgeries; and any other pharmaceuticals that the dog may be given.

Personally, when I look at the situation from this perspective, the high rates of cancer and other serious diseases that now kill many dogs early in their lives do not seem like that much of a surprise after all.

Rather, it more seems to me surprising that the animals are not dying even more quickly than they actually are.

 

Industrial Animal Products

Animals that are raised in factory farms for the purposes of meat/egg/dairy production typically endure even more exposures to toxic substances than most dogs do.

Like most dogs, factory-farmed animals receive feed that is contaminated with large amounts of glyphosate, mycotoxins and other dangerous substances; get regular doses of insect and parasite killers; are vaccinated repeatedly; and are given drugs to treat various health conditions.

In addition, factory-farmed animals live in very crowded and squalid conditions; have little or no access to any sort of natural outdoor microbiome; often live in close proximity to manure lagoons that are infested with toxic cyanobacteria; and receive regular antibiotics in order to increase their weight gain and prevent them from dying in the context of all the filth.

Factory-farmed fish live in similarly toxic conditions as factory-farmed poultry, beef, pigs and sheep.

Obviously all of this is extremely cruel to the animals and bad for the environment.

Like dogs, farm animals are not capable of sweating to any significant extent and likely will be unable to excrete all of the toxicity that they take in when kept in this manner.

Although farmers typically give the animals binders or enzymes to try to help them with detoxification, much of the toxicity remains in their tissues (especially in the fat but also the flesh and organs) or is expelled into any milk or eggs that are produced.

As a result, factory-farmed animal products – even the lean meat but especially the fat – are highly toxic foods that I think should be avoided when at all possible.

(Note that research studies suggesting that meat in general is unhealful all are looking almost solely at toxic factory-farmed meat since that is the vast majority of what most people eat, and thus provide no information at all on the health impacts of meat produced in cleaner ways.)

I have been eating almost solely higher-quality organic pastured meats raised by committed local farmers for about a decade now and feel that it has made a major difference in my health.

Almost all commercial meats now taste and feel terrible to me and so I avoid eating them pretty much at all costs (which admittedly does limit my ability to go out to eat in restaurants here in Midwest farm country, unfortunately).

I use the same meat that I eat myself when cooking for my dog or when feeding him table scraps, and he now does not seem to like conventional meat either.

With dog foods and especially kibble, though, it is hard to know for sure what quality of meat is being used.

One positive development is that quite a few dog food manufacturers now are attempting to convey the idea that they are avoiding the worst kinds of factory-farmed meats or fish through the use of descriptors such as “grass-fed,” “pastured,” “cage-free,” “wild-caught,” “humanely raised” or “antibiotic-free.”

Unfortunately, though, none of these descriptors has any kind of legal definition and (at least to my understanding) there is no one checking to make sure that companies are being honest when they describe their ingredients using these terms.

Even the term “organic” (which has a very specific definition when applied to human foods) apparently can be used by dog food manufacturers without their having to comply with any particular regulations at all.

A very few dog food companies have gotten their kibbles certified according to human organic standards during the past few years.

While I do think that certified organic meat likely is going to be at least somewhat less toxic than typical factory-farmed meat, many people do not believe that the standards for organic meat are as high as they should be either.

Personally, when buying human-intended meat to eat myself and to feed my dog, I virtually always seek out meat that is pastured as well as organic and that is produced by small local family farms rather than large industrial organic companies.

I’ve yet to see much dog food of any kind stated as using meat like that though.

 

Seeking Cleaner Kibble

Unfortunately, dog food manufacturers are almost all so non-transparent in terms of their sourcing and production practices that it’s very hard to know for sure whether a particular kibble is going to be even reasonably okay in terms of toxicity issues just by reading the information provided on the package or website.

Still, looking at the ingredients lists and other facts that may be provided by the companies has the potential of providing some revealing information.

First, all kibble contains ingredients (such as grains, legumes or other starches) with the potential of being contaminated with various kinds of mycotoxins.

Corn, wheat and sorghum seem to be the riskiest ingredients in terms of the possibility of contamination with very high levels of mycotoxins, but even binders that considered to be much safer (such as rice or legumes) may potentially contain much higher levels than I would want my dog to eat.

While laboratory tests can accurately identify a variety of problematic mycotoxins, testing each batch of binder ingredients and then disposing of those that come up with levels that are overly high can be quite expensive.

It’s my understanding that many kibble manufacturers thus just skip the process of doing any mycotoxin testing (except for aflatoxin) at all, since this is not something that they are required to do and since they assume that it will not make any difference to the vast majority of consumers anyway.

Several peer-reviewed journal studies done in various countries suggest that “veterinary brands” on average have less mycotoxin contamination than “supermarket brands.”

While the category of “veterinary brands” often is defined as including Farmina, Hill’s, Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin and (sometimes) Iams/Eukanuba, whether these products indeed were included in the published studies and which particular veterinary brands came up as cleanest was not revealed by the authors.

Of the 50+ kibble brands examined for this article series, only a handful stated either on their websites or in response to my queries that they did any mycotoxin testing (other than the required testing for aflatoxin).

These consisted of Bil-Jac, Diamond Naturals, Farmina, Nestle Purina (manufacturer of Purina Pro Plan and a variety of other products) and Royal Canin.

Both Bil-Jac and Royal Canin suggested to me that their mycotoxin standards are higher than what are typically considered to be acceptable for dog foods (but without revealing any specific levels).

Farmina is an Italian company that appears to be adhering to European standards (which are higher than U.S. standards) with regard to mycotoxin levels.

My guess is that both Hill’s and Iams/Eukanuba also do some mycotoxin testing, though their lack of willingness to discuss the topic does raise some doubts about it in my mind.

With regard to glyphosate, I think the safest strategy at this point is to assume that no kibble companies are testing for it and that almost none have any sound understanding of when it is likely to be a problem in the ingredients they purchase.

Even those companies that responded to my questions on the topic usually did so in ways that made it clear that they did not have a good handle on the situation at all.

For instance, some manufacturers asserted that glyphosate was only a problem on GMO crops and that they needn’t be concerned since their oats and wheat were non-GMO; several said that their products were safe because they followed government regulations on pesticide residues; and one suggested that glyphosate is used as a pre-harvest desiccant only in Canada and that their own products were not at risk because they used only grains grown in the U.S.

To my understanding, all of those beliefs are totally false.

While there is virtually no open research available looking at glyphosate residues in pet foods, it seems to me safe to assume that the problem areas are going to be similar to the ones in human food (though possibly with much higher levels of contamination at least in some cases).

The book Poison Foods of North America (which is based on freedom-of-information requests with regard to glyphosate testing done by the Canadian government) has been monumentally helpful in terms of increasing my understanding of which kinds of foods are likely to have glyphosate contamination.

Additional publicly available testing reports (such as those done by EWG) have been helpful as well.

Crops that are routinely treated with glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant and that almost always will be highly contaminated unless special sourcing has been done include oats, sorghum and millet.

Legumes seem to be much more inconsistent, with some legumes being basically totally clean and others being contaminated at extremely high levels.

Whole wheat and wheat bran tend to be quite contaminated, but white wheat flour and wheat gluten (which have the outside part of the grain polished off) almost always are much better or even basically clean.

Tapioca/cassava, potatoes, beets and sweet potatoes have some potential of being contaminated at low levels.

Rice is required to have very low levels of glyphosate and so is usually quite clean (though it may have heavy metal contamination).

Grains and legumes from Canada, the UK and Ireland should be assumed to be especially contaminated with glyphosate, but ones from the U.S. very often are contaminated with at least moderately high levels as well.

Certain other countries – such as France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru and Taiwan – tend to be much safer bets when it comes to glyphosate contamination since the chemical is usually used only as a spot-on weedkiller in those countries (if it is used at all).

So far the only dog kibble that I have been able to access from any of those countries is Farmina, but I would be interested in having my dog try others if we could get our hands/paws on them.

Organic grains tend to be much cleaner than non-organic grains in terms of glyphosate, but (apparently due to cheating in the organic system) this is not always the case when it comes to legumes.

While kibble companies that are contracting with farmers to grow binder ingredients specifically for them could resolve the whole problem by asking the growers not to use glyphosate on the crops, virtually no companies report doing this so far.

I also think that it is desirable that kibble include animal products raised in better ways.

The trend for some dog foods to include animal products that are “cage-free,” “pastured” or “wild-caught” seems to be at least a step in the right direction, in my opinion.

Lamb from New Zealand seems especially likely to be raised in humane ways that maximizes the chance that the animals will have a healthy microbiome and therefore that the meat will be relatively non-toxic.

Note, though, that animals that have been stated as having been “grass-fed” or even “grass-finished” may have had no access at all to the outdoors and also may have received feed contaminated with high levels of mycotoxins.

The glyphosate levels in these animals’ feed may at least be relatively low on average though.

Although I think that raising animals “cage-free” is probably better than keeping them confined to tiny cages, they also may have had no access to the outdoors and been fed a very toxic diet.

“Antibiotic-free” is another designation that may signal something mildly positive about the meat quality, though I wonder if the reason is in large part because farms need to take care of the animals in better ways if they cannot count on antibiotics killing any infections that may occur.

 

Paying Attention To The Dog’s Preferences

Several years ago, I spent a day at the Driftless Region Beef Conference in Dubuque, Iowa, in order to hear a presentation about mycotoxins in farm animals from one of the leading researchers in the field – Trevor Smith, Ph.D., from the University of Guelph in Canada.

Dr. Smith mentioned that although most of his work had been on farm animals, he also had done a few studies on dogs and cats.

For instance, in one study he offered a group of healthy young beagles only mycotoxin-contaminated food for two weeks and then tested to see how the dogs measured on various physiological parameters.

What he found was that the dogs basically stopped eating at all for those two weeks and thus lost a good bit of weight, but that otherwise they were not affected very much by the toxic food since they were not eating it.

Upon reflection, Dr. Smith’s findings seem to me to make a whole lot of sense since dogs are natural scavengers that need to be able to distinguish good food from bad if they are going to survive on their own; have a superb sense of smell; and are easily trained to find hidden mold problems in buildings.

The idea that they would be able to easily tell when food is mycotoxin-contaminated and then would avoid eating it seems totally reasonable to me, therefore.

(In another similar study done by Dr. Smith and his colleagues, cats – which are natural  predators rather than scavengers and which do not have that great of a sense of smell – ate more of the mycotoxin-contaminated food than dogs did and thus became sick from it, by the way.)

Of course, even if dogs are able to easily determine when mycotoxins or other contaminants are present in food and would strongly prefer not to eat the contaminated food, that doesn’t mean that they will not consume it eventually anyway if they are not provided by their owners with any options.

This is why I am horrified when some people (including many veterinarians!) suggest that the best strategy to deal with “picky” dogs who do not want to eat “their” food is to not give in and keep feeding it to them, since “they will eat it when they get hungry enough.”

Certainly, while the beagles in Dr. Smith’s study basically stopped eating for the duration of the study, my guess is that eventually they would have chosen to consume some of the toxic food – and then would have suffered severe health effects from it – rather than to have died of starvation.

I therefore think that if a dog is reluctant to eat a particular food, it might be prudent to assume that the reason very likely may be that the food contains problematic toxicity and that finding the dog something else to eat might be a very wise idea in terms of protecting his or her long-term health.

 

The Cocoa Ratings

I got my cockapoo Cocoa in September 2019 and immediately started thinking about how I could increase the likelihood that his diet was especially clean since I believed that could make a big difference in terms of his health.

I had been eating an unusually clean diet myself for almost a decade, including large amounts of organic produce; pastured and organic animal products from committed small local farmers; moderate amounts of clean organic grains (such as rice, oatmeal and sourdough bread); healthy fats (such as specialty organic olive oil, organic coconut oil and grass-fed butter); and other similarly high-quality foods.

I started out by reading the label of the food that Cocoa had been getting from his breeder, which was Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy.

It seemed to me that just based on the ingredient list (including cage-free chicken, white rice, barley and some various “superfoods”), the food was likely to be relatively clean with regard to the kinds of toxicity that I thought were important and therefore that he could continue eating the food if he chose to do so.

I also started giving him other freshly cooked foods (sometimes cooking specifically for him with supplements added, sometimes just offering him some of what I was eating as long as it didn’t include onions or other ingredients known to be toxic to dogs) and various other dog foods, to see which ones he chose.

I now always have at least three different kibbles out for him and he will eat some of that if he feels like it – usually at least a few handfuls per day (and maybe 30% of his whole diet at present).

With premium air-dried and freeze-dried foods, I have first ascertained that Cocoa liked the foods and then have used them very liberally as treats in exchange for good behavior on our off-leash walks.

I always have made sure that Cocoa was aware that if he didn’t want to eat a particular food, I would find him something that he liked better.

Eventually Cocoa ended up trying more than 300 different dog foods and dog treats, as well as a very wide variety of “human foods.”

I have offered him each of the dog foods and dog treats on at least three separate occasions and have kept track of which ones he has and hasn’t been willing to eat.

A surprise to me has been that Cocoa very often has chosen to eat a few select kibbles rather than to share the high-quality meats or other foods that I am eating.

Rather remarkably, the brands of kibble that he has been willing to eat on anything approaching a regular basis have been the exact same ones that have stated that they focus on testing for a variety of mycotoxins.

These brands are Bil-Jac, Diamond Naturals, Farmina, Purina Pro Plan, and Royal Canin.

Cocoa also often will eat Orijen, which claims to be sourcing all of its ingredients directly from local farmers and to be especially concerned about ingredient quality.

He also has been willing to eat one of the grain-free formulas from Stella & Chewy’s (a producer of premium foods with high-quality ingredients that has just started selling kibble).

Other kibble brands that Cocoa has mostly rejected but has eaten on at least one occasion include Acana, Bixbi, Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux, Dr. Tim’s, Eukanuba, Hill’s, Iams, I And Love And You, Instinct, Merrick, Nature’s Logic, Nulo, Party Animal, Spot & Tango, and Zignature.

A few of these brands are considered to be “veterinary” ones and most of the others have fairly good reputations as being relatively high in quality.

Although Cocoa has been offered many other brands of kibble as well, he has refused to eat those products at all.

Even within several of the brands that Cocoa has been willing to eat, he has totally rejected some formulas of the food.

This almost always seems to have been the case when some just some items in the line contain binders with a high likelihood of being contaminated with glyphosate.

For instance, Cocoa will eat versions of Diamond Naturals foods that contain only rice and barley as the binders but has rejected ones using oats, sorghum or legumes.

He likes versions of Royal Canin foods containing only corn, rice and wheat gluten as the binders but has rejected those containing whole wheat or oats.

His pattern with Purina Pro Plan is the same as the one with Royal Canin, except that he likes the acceptable versions of the Royal Canin food much more than he does the acceptable versions of Purina Pro Plan.

Although I haven’t found any information on how the animals used in Royal Canin or Purina Pro Plan products are raised, many of the other products that Cocoa has been willing to eat are stated as using relatively humanely raised meat products.

How the animals are raised seems to make a big difference to Cocoa with regard to human-intended foods as well as premium air-dried/freeze-dried foods, and so I have to believe that all things being equal he would prefer to have that kind of meat used in his kibble as well.

With kibble, though, contaminated grains or pulses seem to result in Cocoa being unwilling to eat the food at all regardless of how good the meat quality supposedly is.

Note that I started this project before having a good understanding of which companies were testing for mycotoxins and was at first very surprised by most of Cocoa’s choices.

It only was much later, after I really started to probe into what companies claimed they were doing, that his choices made much sense to me.

The related article in this series called The Cocoa Ratings provides more details on his choices.

 

Benefits of A Diverse Diet

Of course, I am aware that the way that most people feed their dogs kibble – that is, by choosing one particular product and then giving the dog basically no other food for months or years on end – is wholly different than the approach that I have used with Cocoa and that I am suggesting that other people may want to consider trying with their own dogs.

In particular, it’s been my experience that even if people agree that the approach that I have used has the potential of being effective in terms of protecting their own dogs from toxicity, they still often express concern that offering a variety of foods will create digestive disturbances.

My understanding of the situation is that when a dog is eating the same hard-to-digest food such as kibble on a daily basis, the microbiome will be altered to consist of microorganisms that are very good at breaking down that particular food but that are much less good at processing other foods.

My own dog, on the other hand, eats a very large variety of foods every day. This may include at least three or four different kibbles, a dozen or so premium air-dried/freeze-dried foods and treats, some varied table scraps, one or two chew treats, and some nutritional supplements.

It seems that this has resulted in Cocoa having a quite varied microbiome since he now seems to be able to eat reasonable amounts of pretty much anything without suffering from any digestive difficulties at all.

In humans, having a diverse microbiome has been widely recognized in recent years to be associated with good health (including the ability to more easily keep varied pathogens under control), and I see no reason why the same thing would not be true in dogs as well.

However, insofar as a dog has been eating a relatively monotonous diet in the past, it may be a good idea to start introducing variety relatively gradually, to give the gut microbiome some time to become more diverse.

 

Some General Thoughts

Following are a few more of my current thoughts in terms of seeking out cleaner kibbles.

 

1. It seems to me best to think of kibble as just one component of a dog’s diet rather than the only thing that he or she is “supposed” to be eating. Cooked foods (including appropriate table scraps), raw foods, premium freeze-dried/air-dried dog foods, and high-quality dog treats all could be useful additions to the diet for those dogs that are eating kibble.

 

2. Foods containing oats, sorghum, millet, or whole wheat are likely to have substantial glyphosate contamination, and so these should be avoided unless there is reason to believe that they are clean (e.g. certified as organic, produced in Italy/France/Mexico, or sourced by the manufacturer directly from a farm not using this chemical).

 

3. Foods containing corn, wheat or sorghum (and to a somewhat lesser extent oats, millet or spelt) should be assumed to be heavily contaminated with mycotoxins and thus avoided unless a trustworthy manufacturer is using rigorous mycotoxin testing to screen.

 

4. While some grain-free kibbles containing legumes may be worth considering for some dogs (especially those with certain food allergies), it seems to be highly preferable that most of the protein in the dog’s diet be coming from meat rather than from legumes in order to avoid heart issues or other problems. While Cocoa has strongly preferred grain-free kibbles containing a high meat content, supplementing the kibble with substantial amounts of extra meat from other sources also could be a viable strategy.

 

5. It’s my current feeling that grain-free foods containing potatoes or cassava/tapioca (which Cocoa steadfastly refuses to eat under any circumstances) probably should be properly viewed as experimental and may be inappropriate for at least some dogs. I suggest at minimum giving dogs a choice of whether they want to eat these ingredients and probably not setting up conditions where they are making up a substantial regular part of the diet even for dogs that are willing to eat them.

 

6. As a general rule, dog foods from Canada (or those known to use Canadian ingredients) should be viewed as especially suspect since the grains and legumes grown in that country tend to be especially likely to be heavily contaminated with glyphosate.

 

7. Because the meat content in dog kibble is usually cleaner than the starch content, it may be best to choose versions with a relatively high percentage of meat, even if those versions are marked as being intended for (say) athletic dogs or young puppies. It’s my belief that in most cases those products will be perfectly fine for average adult dogs, but if desired the overall dietary fiber level could be increased or the fat level decreased through the addition of human-grade foods such as (say) freshly cooked lean meat or organic oatmeal.

 

8. Although avoiding mycotoxins and glyphosate in dog kibble seems to be of primary concern, the use of meat or fish that is more ethically produced/obtained also seems to be a relevant factor.

 

9. It’s an extremely good idea to always provide dogs a choice of at least two different kibbles (including one that seems likely to be relatively clean), so that if they find a kibble to be unacceptably toxic they have an easy way to communicate that knowledge to their owners.

 

10. If a dog seems reluctant to eat a particular kibble, it may be a good idea to assume that this is because the kibble is unacceptably toxic and to find the dog something else to eat rather than to try to entice the dog to eat it anyway (e.g. by adding toppers or withholding other foods).

 

11. When opening a new bag of a food that a dog has previously been eating, it’s a good idea to offer some from the old bag and some from the new bag to make sure that the new bag is not unexpectedly contaminated with something problematic.

 

12. Although dog food seems on the surface that it is shelf-stable, once the bag is opened it very well may go rancid within just a few weeks (especially if it contains high levels of animal fat and low levels of preservatives). In addition, most dogs strongly prefer to have variety in their diets rather than always eating the same foods. Sticking with smaller bags of food – preferably with at least a couple opened at once – therefore may be a good idea.

 

13. While Omega-3 oils and probiotics may be healthful components of a dog’s diet, buying quality versions of these as supplements may be preferable to relying on their being included in the kibble products.

 

Moving Forward

Although I think that Cocoa has become extremely good at identifying problematic toxicity in his food, I do not want to suggest that other people should assume that the foods that he has preferred are necessarily going to be low in toxicity and that no other kibbles may be acceptable to any dogs.

It very well may be that Cocoa has some idiosyncratic food preferences that have little to do with toxicity issues, for instance.

In addition, particular kibbles may vary substantially in terms of toxicity over time, due to certain batches being much more contaminated with mycotoxins, glyphosate or other undesirable ingredients than others.

Fortunately, it is increasingly seeming to me that all dogs are well-equipped to easily be able to identify problematic toxicity in their food if given a chance to use that innate skill.

In addition, most major dog food companies are willing to issue refunds if a dog refuses to eat their food, meaning that this kind of experimentation can be considered to be relatively low risk on the part of the dog owner.

I therefore hope that those reading this article series will consider using the material presented here as just a starting point for presenting their own dogs with food choices and then respecting those choices in terms of future food purchases.

If this is something that you decide to do, please consider summarizing your observations in the comments section so that others may learn from your experiences!

 

Kibble Attributes

The rest of this article provides detailed descriptions of a variety of popular kibbles, including information about the following characteristics.

 

Living Clean Rating

This is my own personal and subjective assessment with regard to how confident I am that the best products from this brand are likely to be acceptable from the point of view of trying to avoid toxicity for my dog.

A 1-5 scale is used, with 5 being quite confident and 1 being totally lacking in confidence.

These ratings are highly influenced by my own dog Cocoa’s reactions to the foods, with information obtained from other dog owners and from the companies also playing a role.

Note that Cocoa will not eat either potatoes or cassava/tapioca and that I have come to suspect that foods containing these ingredients may not be a great thing for other dogs to be eating on a regular basis either.

However, because I am open to the idea that in at least some circumstances these ingredients might be appropriate for some other dogs, I have rated all foods containing those ingredients as a “2” as long as they seem that they are likely acceptable in other ways.

In a very few cases, Cocoa has not tried any products from particular brands, primarily because of my guess that the binders used in the products are likely to be contaminated with glyphosate. Provided that these products are stated as containing better-quality meats, they have tentatively been given a “2” rating as well.

Note that for the vast majority of brands, some particular versions are going to be much better from a toxicity perspective than others due to different binder ingredients or different meats being used.

In particular, it is important not to assume that all grain-inclusive products from Blue Buffalo, Diamond Naturals, Instinct, Merrick, Nulo, Purina Pro Plan or Royal Canin are going to be acceptable just because those brands have been given relatively high “Living Clean” ratings.

The question of which particular products seem to me likely to be better or worse is discussed in the comments section for each brand.

Note also that these ratings are based only on what I know of the brands so far and are not definitive.

I suggest that people use them only as a starting point for their own research and experimentation with regard to paying attention to their own dogs’ choices.

 

Sub-Brands

This section lists any sub-brands that may be used to distinguish different sorts of kibble sold under the brand name.

Note that this article looks only at consumer kibbles, not ones that are designed to treat particular health conditions and that are available only with a veterinarian’s prescription.

 

Cost Per Day

This is the estimated cost of 4 ounces of kibble per day, which is the amount usually recommended to feed an 18-pound, moderately active adult dog.

Note that I personally do not think that it is a good idea to feed a dog only kibble and that the cost obviously also will differ depending on the size of the dog and the activity level.

This information is provided only to allow an easy price comparison between brands.

 

Type

Foods discussed in this article series are classified by the following categories.

Veterinary – consumer foods that are typically recommended and sold by conventional vets but that are available without a prescription

Super-Premium – relatively expensive foods typically found in boutique pet stores

Pet Store – moderately priced foods typically found in chain stores

Supermarket – inexpensive foods typically found in big grocery stores

Sporting Dogs – foods intended for active dogs, often containing higher protein/fat content and sold only in large bags

Allergy – foods intended primarily for dogs with food allergies or related health issues, usually containing a more limited number of ingredients

Organic – foods containing primarily organic ingredients

Vegan – foods without any animal-based ingredients

 

Meat Quality

This section lists all the information that I have been able to find about how the animal products (meat/fish/eggs) used in the kibble are raised or obtained, such as whether they are stated as being pastured, cage-free, antibiotic-free or wild-caught.

 

Meat Quantity

This section estimates the total amount of animal protein (meat/fish/egg) present in the foods, compared to the amount used in other products discussed in this article.

Note that because the article focuses on higher-end products, very few products with very low levels of animal protein are discussed here.

 

Grain-Inclusive Starches

This section lists the different starch combinations that are present in the brand’s grain-inclusive products.

This is especially important since many grains may be contaminated with mycotoxins and/or glyphosate.

 

Grain-Free Starches

This section lists the different starch combinations that are present in the brand’s grain-free products.

Legumes (used in most grain-free dog kibble) may have some glyphosate and/or mycotoxin contamination.

Potatoes and cassava/tapioca contain small amounts of natural toxins (solanine or cyanide, respectively) that may make them undesirable for at least some dogs to consume on a regular basis.

In addition, most cassava/tapioca is sourced from Brazil, which currently is allowing the use of a wide variety of toxic agricultural chemicals that are banned throughout the rest of the world.

 

Starch Quality

This section provides information on whether the grains and pulses used in the products have several attributes that may be related to toxicity issues:

* Organic vs. conventional (organic may result in lower glyphosate levels)
* Company focus on mycotoxin testing (may result in lower mycotoxin levels)
* Use of human-grade corn (may result in lower mycotoxin levels)
* Grains/legumes grown specifically for company (may result in lower mycotoxin or glyphosate levels)
* Grains/legumes grown in Europe (may result in lower mycotoxin or glyphosate levels)
* Grains/legumes grown in Canada (may result in higher glyphosate levels)

 

Glyphosate Risk

This section provides an estimate of how likely the various kibbles sold under the brand name are to be contaminated with significant amounts of glyphosate.

The estimates are primarily based on the types of grains/pulses used but in some cases have been adjusted up or down in accordance with information listed in the Starch Quality section.

My general glyphosate contamination risk estimates by binder source are:

* Oats, sorghum, millet – high contamination risk
* Wheat, legumes – moderate contamination risk
* Rice, corn, wheat gluten, spelt, quinoa, barley, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, potatoes, tapioca/cassava, beets – low contamination risk

 

Mycotoxin Risk

This section provides an estimate of how likely the various kibbles sold under the brand name are to be contaminated with significant amounts of mycotoxins.

While any of starchy ingredients used in kibble may be contaminated with mycotoxins, some are much more likely to have high amounts than are others.

The estimates are primarily based on the types of grains/pulses included and then are adjusted by information listed in the Starch Quality section.

My general mycotoxin contamination risk estimates by binder source are:

* Corn, wheat, sorghum – high contamination risk
* Millet, oats, spelt, legumes, rice, wheat gluten, barley, tapioca/cassava – moderate contamination risk
* Quinoa, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beets – low contamination risk

 

“Human Grade”

Some dog food brands have made a point of stating that they use “human-grade” ingredients in their food.

Although this designation does not to my understanding have a legal definition, I have noted here when manufacturers have claimed this.

Note that the “human grade” designation provides no information whatsoever with regard to either glyphosate levels or the use of factory-farmed animals and is at most only moderately indicative of likely mycotoxin levels.

I have not noted that Cocoa’s preferences have much of a correlation with whether or not the foods are marked as “human grade” and so have personally stopped paying much attention to this claim when choosing foods for him to try.

 

Chicken-Free Versions

Chicken is a very common ingredient in dog kibble and is included in many products even when other meats (such as lamb or beef) are stated in the name of the product.

Because chicken is so common (and likely also because it appears on average to be the most toxic of all meats used in the U.S. due to how it is factory farmed), many dogs with food sensitivities cannot tolerate chicken at all.

In addition, some owners just prefer not to feed chicken or have dogs that will not eat it.

Therefore, the availability of any chicken-free versions is listed for each brand.

 

Probiotics

Some dog foods contain added probiotics to support the microbiome.

In some cases, only Bacillus Coagulans (a sturdy type of soil-based bacteria) is included. In others, a variety of probiotics may be added to the food.

My personal feeling with regard to this topic is that the avoidance of toxicity (especially glyphosate) in foods is going to have much more of a positive impact on a dog’s microbiome than is the addition of probiotics to the food.

In addition, many different companies sell probiotic supplements that could be added to the dog’s diet if desired.

However, the addition of viable probiotics to the kibble does seem to have a convenience factor that could provide a positive benefit in some cases.

Foods with higher Living Clean Ratings (3-5 Stars) that feature a variety of probiotics include Acana, Bil-Jac (Sensitive Solutions version only), Blue Buffalo, Diamond Naturals, I And Love And You, Merrick, Nature’s Logic, Orijen, Party Animal, and Stella & Chewy’s.

Foods with higher Living Clean Ratings (3-5 Stars) that feature Bacillus Coagulans include Castor & Pollux (some versions), Instinct, Nulo, and Purina Pro Plan (some versions).

 

Preservatives

Dog food kibble has the potential of going rancid very quickly, especially if it contains a high percentage of animal protein or fats.

This rancidity has the potential of having a negative effect on animals’ health.

It therefore is best to store kibble in a climate-controlled environment (rather than a very hot one) and to use it up within a few weeks after opening.

Preservatives are added to dog foods to help them last longer, but some preservatives have been shown to have the potential for having negative health effects themselves.

Almost all dog food contains mixed tocopherols to preserve the fats and many natural dog foods contain rosemary.

Some contain citric acid, which is almost always made from Aspergillus niger mold.

Some dog foods (including those made by Bil-Jac) use preservatives such as BHA (which some studies suggest may be carciogenic) and/or sodium propionate (which is a mold inhibitor).

Cocoa does not seem to be bothered by the presence of any of these preservatives in dog kibble but will stop eating many foods entirely if the bags have been open for more than a month or so.

Although I have a little theoretical concern about some of food preservatives (especially BHA), I tend to think that Cocoa is correct that rancidity, glyphosate, mycotoxins and factory-farmed animal products are much bigger health hazards.

 

Synthetics

All products labeled as “dog food” are required to contain minimum amounts of a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Some foods (especially those containing a high percentage of grains such as corn) also may include amino acids designed to create higher level of complete proteins.

Most kibble includes an array of synthetic nutritional supplements designed to meet nutritional mandates in a cost-effective way.

A few kibble brands – including Carna4 and Nature’s Logic – include only food-based nutrients, however.

Whether if all things were equal Cocoa would prefer food-based nutrients, I don’t know.

The fact that Cocoa is not that crazy about Nature’s Logic and refuses to eat Carna4 at all makes me think that this attribute does not matter to him all that much, though.

 

China Ingredients

In recent years, some of the worst cases of dog foods that have been reported as killing dogs have been associated with the use of ingredients sourced from China.

Although I have my doubts about whether most ingredients originating in China are any more toxic than are ingredients originating in North America, many people have concluded from these incidents that it is is prudent not to purchase foods containing ingredients from China at all.

In some cases, just synthetic vitamin/mineral products are sourced from China since those may be hard to obtain in a cost-effective way from other places.

This section relays what the product manufacturers have stated about whether ingredients from China are used in their foods.

 

Resealable Bags

Most pet food manufacturers and experts suggest that storing the food in its original bag rather than transferring it to another container may help it to remain fresher.

However, many bags are not resealable and therefore have the potential of allowing in air that may cause the food to go rancid more quickly.

Of course, a clip may be used to hold the bag together. Still, after feeding my dog from hundreds of different dog food bags, I have started to feel that resealable bags do provide some benefits – at least in terms of convenience and probably in terms of freshness as well.

I don’t think that being resealable is a good reason to buy or not buy a particular food, of course.

However, especially since I have come to think that rancidity in dog kibble is an extremely important issue, I do think that it’s nice when the bags reseal and would like to see more companies using those kinds of bags.

 

Recalls

Recalls sometimes are mandated by the FDA as a result of a food being bad enough that it is severely sickening or killing dogs, while other recalls are voluntary by the company.

This section lists recent recalls (occurring since 2012) associated with the brand in question.

In most cases, recalls associated with canned foods or other non-kibble products using the brand name are listed.

 

Ownership

The corporation, family or individual who owns the brand is listed.

 

Location

The city, state or country where the food is made is stated.

 

Dog Food Advisor Rating

Dog Food Advisor is a website evaluating many different dog foods on a 1-5 scale.

Their assessments seem to be based largely on the amount of meat contained in the food (more is considered to be better); on the presence of undesirable ingredients (they seem to primarily consider corn, wheat, meat by-products and chemical additives to be problematic); and on the presence of a moderate fat content (with higher amounts of fat resulting in lower ratings).

While the Living Clean ratings and the Dog Food Advisor ratings do seem to be correlated, there also are some differences due to the focus in this article series being on specific toxicity issues that may be present.

While Dog Food Advisor is highly opposed to the use of meat by-products in foods, I am less convinced that this is a relevant factor and thus have not used it in my own ratings.

The reason for this is that it is my understanding that dogs actually seem highly adapted to eat many animal “by-products” (such as bones, cartilage and organs) and that this type of food has the potential of having been raised in a quality way since it may consist of the leftovers from human food manufacturing.

While meat by-products have the potential of having been sourced from very toxic or diseased animals, the same thing can be true of whole meats.

Consistent with this logic, Cocoa’s kibble preferences seem to have virtually no relationship to whether they contain meat vs. meat by-products. (His very favorite kibble – Royal Canin Small Breed Starter – contains only chicken by-products as the animal protein source, for instance.)

In addition, while the corn and wheat used in many dog foods may be highly problematic due to contamination with glyphosate and/or mycotoxins, it seems to me that it is possible to find cleaner versions of these ingredients and that a few companies already are making an effort to source these.

Of course, some dogs (such as those with food allergies) may be especially bothered by some kinds of grains and never should consume them.

However, it’s my current perspective that clean versions of these grains likely may be more okay than many people think for most dogs when consumed as a relatively low percentage of the overall diet.

Several of Cocoa’s favorite kibbles include corn and wheat gluten on the ingredients lists, for instance.

I also am not really in agreement with Dog Food Advisor that higher amounts of fat derived from animals raised in a cleaner way is necessarily a problem for most dogs (though this issue applies much more to other kinds of higher-end dog food and less to dog kibble).

Thus, while I agree with Dog Food Advisor’s perspectives in many ways, their ratings often may be  at least somewhat different than my own.

 

Cocoa Ratings

These ratings – listed in detail on the page The Cocoa Ratings in this article series – provide information about how willingly my dog Cocoa has eaten the food.

The rating levels are:

5 – Ate enthusiastically
4 – Ate reliably
3 – Ate reluctantly or sporadically
2 – Ate once or twice, then refused
1 – Refused after sniffing or tasting.

 

Summary

This section provides a brief oveview of brand issues related to toxicity, focusing mostly on apparent meat and binder quality.

 

The Living Clean Ratings

My main intention with this article series is to discuss some toxicity issues that may be especially relevant with regard to choosing dog foods, as well as to propose that allowing dogs to make their own decisions in choosing between different foods may be worthwhile.

Although I feel that I have learned a great deal as a result of my own research and observations, I don’t presume to suggest that I have all the answers with regard to which dog foods likely are best.

However, because many people have been asking me to provide summary information, I have given each of the kibble brands mentioned in this article a “Living Clean Rating.”

The ratings are primarily driven by the following factors:  1) whether the product is stated as including more humanely raised vs. conventional meat,  2) the specific grains or pulses included,  3) where and how the grains or pulses are raised,  4) the presence/absence of controversial food additives, and  5) the willingness of Cocoa to eat the food.

These ratings provide my current estimate of how confident I am that any kibble from each brand would be relatively acceptable in terms of the kind of toxicity that could cause harm to any dogs that I might own in the future.

It is important to note, though, that these ratings should not be taken to mean that every product from the brand is equally likely to be acceptable with regard to toxicity issues.

It actually is more often the case that only a few of the kibbles sold under a particular brand name seem to be relatively acceptable and that the other varieties are much less acceptable.

Following is a brief summary discussion with regard to the current Living Clean Ratings.

These should be expected to change over time, as I gain more information on this topic and also as the products themselves change.

 

Grain-Inclusive Kibble

Of all the grain-inclusive dog foods out there, it seems that Farmina may be the least controversial and possibly least risky choice. The food is made in Italy using high-quality local ingredients (along with pastured New Zealand lamb and wild-caught fish), and this provides a big benefit in terms of likely glyphosate and mycotoxin contamination being relatively low. While the food is unlikely to be available in local stores, it is easily ordered from Chewy or the Farmina website. The main downside is that this food goes rancid very fast and therefore that it is important to use it up within just a few weeks after opening the bag.

Cocoa also really likes certain varieties of Royal Canin, which is often recommended by veterinarians and seems to have unusually high testing standards. Although foods sold in the U.S. are made in the company’s Missouri and South Dakota plants, the fact that the company is based in France may be relevant to the higher standards used.

While many Royal Canin products consist mostly of grains and thus do not seem ideal for any dogs, this problem seems to me to have the potential of being resolved by feeding the puppy rather than adult versions and/or by supplementing with generous amounts of extra meats. The Royal Canin Small Breed Starter food – intended for new puppies and pregnant/nursing mothers – is by far Cocoa’s favorite kibble, but he also likes several other Royal Canin puppy foods. I also would be inclined to stick with the Royal Canin versions containing only rice, corn and wheat gluten as the binders; versions containing oats, whole wheat or legumes may be more likely to be contaminated with glyphosate and thus far have been rejected by Cocoa.

Cocoa also really likes two versions of Diamond Naturals kibbles – Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete and Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy.  Both of these foods contain cage-free chicken and binders that seem relatively unlikely to be contaminated with any especially problematic toxicity (specifically, white rice, barley and beets). Unfortunately, all of the rest of the Diamond Naturals grain-inclusive formulas contain either oats or sorghum and thus are likely to be glyphosate-contaminated.

Bil-Jac is another one of Cocoa’s favorite kibbles. These products are made in Ohio from cage-free chicken, corn and oats, all of which are produced specifically for the company by local farms. The company also uses what seems to be unusually scrupulous testing to make sure that the product is not contaminated with substantial levels of mycotoxins or other toxic substances. The main question mark is that these products contain BHA, a controversial food additive that has the potential of being carcinogenic but that also reduces the chance of rancidity. All Bil-Jac grain-inclusive foods contain basically the same ingredients and so there is less need to pick and choose carefully with this brand than with some of the others.

Purina Pro Plan is a very popular brand among many breeders and veterinarians. While Cocoa has rejected several kibbles from this brand, he has been periodically willing to eat the Purina Pro Plan Sport 30/20 and Purina Pro Plan Toy Breed Puppy varieties. These products seem relatively unlikely to be contaminated with glyphosate since (unlike most Purina Pro Plan versions) they do not contain any whole wheat, and they also have a relatively high meat/protein/fat content.

All five of the brands discussed so far claim to be using fairly rigorous mycotoxin testing, and I suspect that this is strongly related to Cocoa’s willingness to eat at least certain versions of their foods.

The kibble brands rated as 3 Stars on this list are ones that Cocoa has eaten reluctantly or sporadically. These kibbles are all stated as using at least somewhat higher-quality meats/fish as well as grains that seem less likely to be contaminated with glyphosate or mycotoxins.

Acana products sold in the U.S. use grains that are grown specifically for the company in Kentucky. The Canadian versions of the food may be at more risk for glyphosate contamination since they contain grains grown in Canada.

Many Blue Buffalo products contain rice and barley as the main binder ingredients, with only small amounts of oats and/or legumes. Blue Buffalo products are unusually varied in terms of ingredients used and likely toxicity and thus should not be assumed to be okay across the board.

Castor & Pollux uses organic grains in all of its foods, including those varieties that are not certified as organic in general.

Merrick is a sister company to Castor & Pollux and (based on Cocoa’s reactions) seems to be using grains that are of the same quality even though the Merrick packaging does not mention the organic aspect.

The Instinct Be Natural line uses oats as well as rice/barley. However, the website makes a point of stating that all vegetables are non-GMO and that they are sourcing ingredients directly from growers. Perhaps this results in the grains being relatively free of glyphosate, therefore.

Nature’s Logic uses millet, but they say they are sourcing that from the U.S. rather than from Canada in order to reduce the likelihood of glyphosate contamination.

Nulo Challenger uses larger amounts of cage-free or pastured meats and wild-caught fish, as well as organic grains. It is available only in independent pet food stores and thus far can be very difficult to find. I would not suggest Nulo grain-inclusive products other than those from the Challenger line, since they all contain non-organic oats and thus can be assumed to be contaminated with glyphosate.

Party Animal uses all organic grains and mostly organic meat, but the total percentage of meat in the food is fairly low.

Spot & Tango Unkibble is a relatively expensive product that is stated as containing humanely raised chicken or beef; rice or barley (both relatively clean grains); and a variety of vegetables. Like Bil-Jac, it is baked at a relatively low temperature.

Kibbles rated as 2 Stars are ones that I suspect are unacceptably problematic with regard to toxicity issues but that I still might try with another dog.

Several of these – Hill’s, Iams and Eukanuba – are veterinary kibbles that prompted identical responses from Cocoa: he very enthusiastically ate a handful or two of the products and then permanently gave up on them. His reactions to certain versions of Purina Pro Plan and Royal Canin (specifically, those containing oats or whole wheat) were very similar. My guess with regard to all these products is that they contain moderate amounts of glyphosate but that the attractive flavor additives in the foods briefly distracted Cocoa from the toxicity before he came to his senses regarding the issue.

Some of the others rated as 2 Stars – including Carna4, Hound & Gatos and Tender & True – only make varieties that contain tapioca/cassava or potatoes, which Cocoa virtually never will eat even in tiny quantities. Although I suspect that neither of these ingredients is very good for at least some dogs to eat on a regular basis, I have yet to conclude that no dogs ever should be eating any of them. All three of these brands are stated as containing good-quality meats and conceivably could be okay with regard to other toxicity issues, but it’s hard for me to say that for sure since Cocoa will not eat any of them due (possibly) just to the presence of the tapioca/cassava/potatoes in them.

One version of Dr. Tim’s contains grains likely to be relatively low in glyphosate/mycotoxins as well as antibiotic-free meat. Cocoa ate that kibble once when all his other food dishes were empty but refused it on the many other occasions that I offered it to him.

First Mate and I And Love And You only make grain-inclusive versions with binders that I am guessing are highly contaminated with glyphosate. However, since they are stated as containing at least somewhat better-quality meats/fish and since I have not had Cocoa try them yet, I am putting them in the 2 Star category for the time being.

Gather makes a vegan food that includes organic grains. Since I do not think that a vegan diet is a good idea for dogs regardless of how clean the ingredients are, I have given this food a 1 Star rating.

All the other products listed as 1 Star appear to contain either conventional meat or grains that are highly likely to be contaminated with glyphosate (often both).

For most of these brands, Cocoa has tried what seemed to me the most promising version and refused to eat it. The brands that we have yet to try are Bully Max, Life’s Abundance, True Acre, Victor and Whole Earth. 

The “Cocoa’s Favorite” list below provides information on specific kibbles that Cocoa has eaten enthusiastically or reliably over time.

 

5 Stars
Bil-Jac
Diamond Naturals
Farmina
Royal Canin

4 Stars
Purina Pro Plan

3 Stars
Acana
Blue Buffalo
Castor & Pollux
Instinct
Merrick
Nature’s Logic
Nulo
Party Animal
Spot & Tango

2 Stars
Dr. Tim’s
Carna4
Eukanuba
First Mate
Hill’s
Hound & Gatos
Iams
I And Love And You
Tender & True

1 Star
American Journey
Annamaet
Bixbi
Bully Max
Canidae
Diamond
Earthborn Holistic
Fromm
Gather
Halo
Life’s Abundance
Natural Balance
Nutrisource
Open Farm
Purina Beneful
Purina Beyond
Purina Dog Chow
Purina One
Rachael Ray
Stella & Chewy’s
Taste of the Wild
The Honest Kitchen
True Acre
Victor
Wellness
Whole Earth
Zignature

 

Cocoa’s Favorites (Grain-Inclusive)

Bil-Jac Picky No More Small Breed

Bil-Jac Puppy Select

Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete

Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy

Farmina Ancestral Grain Puppy Chicken

Farmina Ancestral Grain Puppy Lamb

Farmina Ocean Cod, Spelt & Oats

Purina Pro Plan Sport 30/20

Purina Pro Plan Toy Breed Puppy

Royal Canin Cavalier King Charles Puppy

Royal Canin Poodle Puppy

Royal Canin Small Breed Puppy

Royal Canin Small Breed Starter

 

Grain-Free Kibble

Whether it is better for dogs to eat grain-inclusive vs. grain-free kibble is a topic of considerable controversy.

Based on what I have learned about the topic, my current guess is that dogs probably are a little more adapted to eat clean grains than they are clean legumes and that many of the problems that have been reported as being associated with grains may be due to mycotoxin or glyphosate toxicity rather than to the grains themselves.

In addition, some dogs have food allergies that may cause them to react to grains such as corn or wheat and thus will need to avoid those grains.

Dogs that eat only grain-free kibbles with relatively high amounts of the protein coming from the legumes rather than the meat have been reported by the FDA to be especially likely to become ill with canine dilated cardiomyopathy, an otherwise rare and potentially fatal disease.

Although I know that some people disagree, it’s my own feeling at this point that dogs do best when they are eating a diet that is comprised primarily of animal products (e.g. somewhere in the 70-80% range) and that feeding a diet consisting of large amounts of plant-based foods (whether consisting of grains or legumes or anything else) is likely just asking for serious health problems to emerge.

Although Cocoa seems to strongly prefer certain grain-inclusive kibbles, he occasionally will eat very limited amounts of certain grain-free ones as well (but then will stop eating them entirely if he has recently had very much of them).

Insofar as people are needing or choosing to feed their dogs diets consisting largely of grain-free kibble, I suggest selecting one with a high meat content as well as supplementing with ample amounts of freshly cooked meat, raw meat, or premium air-dried/freeze-dried/frozen dog food with a high meat content.

Farmina is once again the brand in which I have the most confidence, in large part due to its being manufactured in Italy with higher-quality ingredients. Farmina Prime (with sweet potatoes and legumes as the binders) and Farmina Pumpkin (with legumes and pumpkin) contain an unusually high proportion of animal protein as well as legumes that are relatively unlikely to be contaminated with glyphosate. Farmina Quinoa (with legumes and quinoa) has a much lower animal protein content than I believe to be desirable in foods with legumes, but it could be supplented with substantial amounts of meat if it works better in the context of food sensitivities. The main downside is that these foods go rancid easily and so should be used up quickly after opening.

Bil-Jac is one of Cocoa’s very favorite grain-free foods. It contains an unusually large amount of cage-free chicken, with just peas as the binder. The peas are grown in Ohio specifically for Bil-Jac and thus seem less likely to be contaminated with glyphosate than are the legumes in most dog food. The main question mark is the use of the food preservative BHA to prevent rancidity. This kibble does seem to stay fresh for many months after opening, at least in terms of Cocoa’s willingness to eat it.

Orijen uses large amounts of pastured/cage-free meats in its kibbles. The main ingredients used in the U.S. versions are sourced from farms near the company’s Kentucky factory (with the legumes thus relatively unlikely to be glyphosate-contaminated). The Canadian versions (made with ingredients sourced from farms near the Alberta factory) seem to have more potential of glyphosate contamination. These foods may go rancid quickly and thus should be used up within a few weeks after opening.

Stella & Chewy’s is a grain-free kibble using large amounts of quality meats with just legumes as the binder. Cocoa seemed to really like this kibble when I first fed it to him but then stopped eating it entirely after several weeks, presumably due to the food becoming rancid.

Grain-free kibbles receiving 3 Stars are ones that Cocoa has eaten sporadically or reluctantly. All of these include legumes that may contain glyphosate contamination; some also contain significant amounts of pumpkin or sweet potatoes.

Nulo uses large amounts of pastured/cage-free meats or wild-caught fish in its grain-free kibbles (sold under the Freestyle sub-brand). The binders are legumes and sweet potatoes. I would advise using up this food fairly quickly so that it does not go rancid.

Several other 3 Star brands – including Acana, Bixbi and Zignature – contain higher-quality animal proteins (such as wild-caught fish, cage-free poultry or pastured beef/lamb), but in lower quantites than I believe to be acceptable in a grain-free food. I suggest that those feeding these products on a regular basis be sure to supplement with generous amounts of additional meat.

Some of the other brands listed in the 3 Stars category contain larger amounts of meat that seems to be somewhat lower in quality (though possibly still better than conventional factory farmed meats). These include Blue Buffalo and I And Love And You.

Most of the brands listed in the 2 Stars category contain tapioca/cassava or potatoes in all their products. This makes it hard for me to judge their quality, since Cocoa virtually never will eat foods containing even small amounts of those ingredients.

Brands with at least some versions that include larger amounts of higher-quality meats but that also include cassava/tapioca/potatoes include American Journey (Landmark version), Annamaet, Carna4, Castor & Pollux, Dr. Tim’s, Hound & Gatos, Instinct, Merrick, and Nature’s Logic. These could be worth considering for some dogs, though I would suggest offering them alongside well-liked foods that do not contain cassava/tapioca/potatoes to make sure that dogs in question really want to be eating those binders in their food.

Brands with products that include lower quantities of higher-quality meats as well as tapioca/cassava/potatoes include Earthborn Holistic, First Mate, Gather, Halo, Purina Beyond (organic version), Spot & Tango Unkibble, Tender & True, and The Honest Kitchen.

Rawz includes a larger quantity of meat that does not sound as like it is raised with as high of standards as I would like to see, along with tapioca and legumes.

Diamond Naturals grain-free kibbles are stated as including pastured/cage-free meats or wild-caught fish, with just legumes and sweet potatoes as the binders. Cocoa has mostly refused these grain-free foods, even though he will eat some grain-inclusive Diamond Naturals foods. Possibly this is just because the meat quantity is unusually low, but the legumes also could be glyphosate-contaminated.

The grain-free versions of Taste of the Wild (also made by Diamond) contain either lentils (in the limited ingredient version) or a mixture of legumes/potatoes as the binders. Although the meat quality in the foods is apparently relatively high, Cocoa would not eat the lentil version and we did not try the others due to their potato content. Animal protein content is only moderate and so if I did try feeding this brand with another dog, I would be sure to supplement with substantial amounts of added meat.

Open Farm sounds promising in theory (with moderate quantities of supposedly higher-quality meats and just legumes/sweet potatoes/pumpkin as the binders), but Cocoa would not eat this food at all. This company is based in Canada and sourcing many of their ingredients from there, and so I suspect glyphosate contamination of the legumes. I would supplement with plenty of extra meat if I did decide to experiment with this food, due to the relatively low meat content.

All the foods listed as 1 Star appear to contain conventional meats, in most cases also with relatively low quantities of meat, and therefore do not seem like good choices to me.

 

5 Stars
Bil-Jac
Farmina

4 Stars
Orijen
Stella & Chewy’s

3 Stars
Acana
Bixbi
Blue Buffalo
I And Love And You
Nulo
Zignature

2 Stars
American Journey
Annamaet
Carna4
Castor & Pollux
Diamond Naturals
Dr. Tim’s
Earthborn Holistic
Fromm
First Mate/Kasiks
Gather
Halo
Hound & Gatos
Instinct
Merrick
Nature’s Logic
Open Farm
Purina Beyond
Rawz
Spot & Tango
Taste of the Wild
Tender & True
The Honest Kitchen

1 Star
Canidae
Life’s Abundance
Natural Balance
Nutrisource
Only Natural
Purina Beneful
Purina One
Rachael Ray
True Acre
Victor
Wellness
Whole Earth

 

Cocoa’s Favorites (Grain-Free)

Bil-Jac Grain-Free

Farmina Prime Grain-Free Boar

Farmina Prime Grain-Free Lamb

Farmina Pumpkin Grain-Free Lamb

Orijen Grain-Free Original

Orijen Grain-Free Puppy

Orijen Grain-Free Six Fish

Orijen Grain-Free Regional Red

Orijen Grain-Free Tundra

 

Kibble Brands

The rest of this article provides details and general comments about many different kibble brands.

 

ACANA

Living Clean Rating: 3 Stars (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Sub-Brands: Wholesome Grains, Grain-Free

Cost Per Day: $1.00-1.50

Type: Super-Premium

Meat Quality: Free-run poultry, grass-fed meats or wild-caught fish

Meat Quantity: Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Oats/Sorghum or Oats/Sorghum/Millet

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes

Starch Quality: Conventional but grown specifically for company

Glyphosate Risk: Moderate (grain-inclusive), Low (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: High (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Variety

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid, Rosemary

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: None

Resealable Bags: Yes

Recalls: None

Ownership: Champion Pet Foods

Location: Canada (with Kentucky factory for products distributed in U.S.)

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.0-5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 3 Stars (grain-inclusive), 1 Star (grain-free)

Summary: Acana has been recognized for using a high quality of meat/fish and also contracts with local farmers for the binder ingredients (meaning that glyphosate contamination may be less of a concern, especially for food sold in the U.S. rather than Canada). The grain-inclusive versions (with oats/sorghum/millet) may be worth considering. For grain-free, I suggest choosing sister company Orijen’s kibbles instead since the meat percentage is higher.

 

Acana is marketed by an independent Canadian company that also sells the somewhat more expensive and somewhat better-known product line Orijen.

The company states that they take particular care in terms of the quality of their meat sources.

The foods are stated as including either grass-fed meat, free-run poultry or wild-caught fish.

A few varieties also include pork, and it is thus far unclear to me how the hogs are raised.

Acana says that they follow stricter safety standards with regard to the type of meat than those allowed in typical feed-grade dog food and focus a large amount of attention on finding trustworthy local suppliers.

It seems that although Orijen and Acana products sold in Canada continue to be made in the company’s Alberta factory, all products sold in the U.S. now are made in the company’s Kentucky facility.

Ingredients are sourced locally and some recipes differ in terms of ingredients between the factories based on what is locally available.

Acana foods are stated as including between 50-75% meat (while Orijen formulas are supposedly 85-90% meat).

Acana was the brand of food most frequently cited by the 2018 FDA report as being associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a potentially fatal heart disease experienced by some dogs.

Of the 515 cases reported in dogs, 67 had been eating grain-free Acana.

Orijen (which seems to be a more popular food than Acana) was associated with only 12 cases.

My takeaway from this and other findings with regard to the FDA report is that if people find it necessary to feed grain-free kibble to their dogs, it may be prudent either to choose one with a high meat content or to supplement with substantial amounts of cooked, raw or dehydrated meat.

In addition, regardless of how much extra meat dogs are getting, I am concerned about the presence of substantial amounts of legumes in dog foods since (according to the Canadian government freedom-of-information study) those are frequently contaminated with glyphosate.

My hope would be that since Acana and Orijen are sourcing their legumes directly from local farms that they are making sure that this chemical is not being used on them, but this non-specific comment was the only response that I received from them on the topic:

All fruits and vegetables (including legumes) in Orijen are subject to the laws regulating pesticide use. If pesticides are used, our suppliers follow strict mandatory withdrawal times prior to harvest.

The fact that the Acana foods sold in the U.S. are made from ingredients sourced near their Kentucky plant makes me a little more optimistic about the glyphosate issue since (with the exception of sorghum) that chemical is not used very frequently as a pre-harvest desiccant in most southern locations.

I am more concerned about the Acana foods being manufactured in the Canadian plant since the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant is widespread in Canada.

While both Orijen and Acana started out selling only grain-free foods, Acana recently added a few grain-inclusive items.

The company’s grain-inclusive foods include oats, millet and sorghum – all of which are frequently treated with glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant.

Recently I had Cocoa try two different Acana kibbles – the Acana Wholesome Grains Red Meat Recipe (containing pork, beef, lamb, oats, sorghum and millet) and the Meadowland Grain-Free Recipe (with chicken, turkey, catfish, pollock, rainbow trout, eggs, various legumes and pumpkin).

Cocoa has eaten a few small bowls of the grain-inclusive version over time.

So far he has refused to eat the grain-free version at all.

This is not a big surprise since he usually does not like foods that contain large amounts of legumes, but it also could be that he objects to the farmed catfish or trout in the food.

Conceivably he might like other varieties better, therefore.

Cocoa has been much more enthusiastic about all of the Orijen foods that he has tried than either of these Acana foods.

I would guess that is because the Orijen foods include a higher percentage of meat and that the meat used by Orijen/Acana is more likely to be clean than are their grains/legumes.

While Acana would not be my first choice of foods if I got a new dog, the quality of the ingredients (especially the meats) seems to be good enough that I eventually might give a grain-inclusive version a try.

If I wanted to try grain-free products from this company, I think I would stick with Orijen.

 

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Cocoa Approved

Acana Wholesome Grains Red Meat: 3 Stars

 

Dog Food Advisor

Acana Singles: 5 Stars

Acana Grain-Free: 4 Stars

 

Acana Wholesome Grains Red Meat Recipe

Cost (4 lb): $18

Cost Per Day: $1.13

27% protein, 17% fat, 12% moisture

Ingredients: Beef, Deboned Pork, Beef Meal, Oat Groats, Whole Sorghum, Whole Millet, Pork Meal, Whole Oats, Beef Fat, Deboned Lamb, Fish Oil, Ground Miscanthus Grass, Natural Pork Flavor, Beef Cartilage, Beef Liver, Pork Liver, Pork Kidney, Beef Tripe, Beef Kidney, Whole Butternut Squash, Whole Pumpkin, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Freeze-Dried Beef Liver, Freeze-Dried Pork Liver, Freeze-Dried Lamb Liver, Copper Proteinate, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Chicory, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla, Althea Root, Rose Hips, Juniper Berries, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: Not Rated

Cocoa Rating: 3

 

Acana Red Meat Formula Grain-Free

Cost (4.5 lb): $20

Cost Per Day: $1.11

29% protein, 17% fat

Ingredients: Deboned Beef, Deboned Pork, Beef Meal, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whole Green Peas, Pork Meal, Beef Fat, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas, Whole Yellow Peas, Deboned Lamb, Pollock Oil, Lentil Fiber, Natural Pork Flavor, Beef Tripe, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Pork Liver, Pork Kidney, Beef Cartilage, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Dried Kelp, Whole Pumpkin, Collard Greens, Whole Carrots, Whole Apples, Zinc Proteinate, Freeze-Dried Beef Liver, Freeze-Dried Pork Liver, Freeze-Dried Lamb Liver, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Acetate, D3 Supplement, Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rose Hips, Juniper Berries, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4

 

AMERICAN JOURNEY

Living Clean Rating: 2 Stars (grain-free), 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Sub-Brands: Landmark, Grain-Free, Active Life, Limited Ingredient

Cost Per Day: $0.40-$0.60

Type: Private Label

Meat Quality: Cage-free chicken, antibiotic-free/pasture-raised pork, Angus beef, wild-caught herring or farmed rainbow trout (Landmark) or Conventional (other foods)

Meat Quantity: High (Landmark), Moderate (other foods)

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Rice/Legumes

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes/Tapioca (Landmark) or Sweet Potato/Legumes

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: Moderate

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: No

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Vitamins/Minerals

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: None

Ownership: PetSmart/Chewy

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 3.5-5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive and grain-free), 2 Stars (Landmark grain-free)

Summary: American Journey (a house brand by PetSmart/Chewy) mostly sells products consisting of conventional meats and conventional grains/legumes. The new Landmark line contains larger amounts of higher-quality meats, with conventional tapioca/legumes as the binders.

 

American Journey is a line of dog foods and treats marketed by Chewy/PetSmart.

All products in the line are made in the U.S. and are free of corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-product meals, and artificial colors/flavors.

All the American Journey foods have legumes as a primary ingredient, along with either rice, sweet potatoes or tapioca.

Grain-inclusive, grain-free and limited ingredient diet versions are available.

Most of the American Journey products appear to contain conventionally raised meat as well as conventionally grown non-meat ingredients.

However, the company’s new Landmark products are stated as containing cage-free turkey/chicken, wild-caught herring, Angus beef and/or antibiotic-free pasture-raised pork.

Rainbow trout in the Landmark fish version is farm-raised.

The Landmark products contain tapioca, peas and lentils as the binder ingredients.

Cocoa has tried three American Journey products.

The first was the American Journey Landmark Puppy food, with cage-free chicken, cage-free turkey, tapioca, peas and lentils as the main ingredients. The food contains 40% protein and 15% fat, with 70% of the protein from animal sources.

Cocoa ate a small bowl of the product the first time I gave it to him but ignored it after that.

This actually was the first food that Cocoa tried that had any significant amount of tapioca in it, and I think he learned from this experience that tapioca/cassava is not a good food for him since now he appears to scrupulously avoid eating any of it at all.

Cocoa also tried the American Journey Active Life Beef, Brown Rice and Vegetables (with beef, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, rice bran, peas and turkey meal) and the American Journey Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Lamb & Sweet Potato (with lamb, lamb meal, peas, sweet potatoes and chickpeas).

Despite the fact that Cocoa has eaten all the ingredients in these foods at least some of the time in other products, he refused to even taste either one of these foods.

I suspect he was turned off by the conventional meat in these foods, but there could be other contamination in them as well.

I still think that the Landmark line could have potential if different binder ingredients (such as rice/barley or perhaps peas/sweet potatoes) were used in it instead of tapioca.

As things stand at present though, I don’t see myself buying any of the existing American Journey formulas again.

 

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Dog Food Advisor

American Journey Grain-Free: 5 Stars

American Journey: 4.5 Stars

American Journey Grain-Free Limited Ingredient: 3.5 Stars

 

American Journey Landmark Puppy Chicken & Turkey

Cost (12 lb): $38

Cost Per Day: $0.79

40% protein, 15% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal (a source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Chicken Meal, Tapioca Starch, Lentils, Peas, Pork Gelatin, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Duck Meal, Flaxseed, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Salmon Oil, Salt, Fructooligosaccharides, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Taurine, Rosemary Extract.

 

American Journey Small Breed Active Life Chicken & Rice

Cost (14 lb): $26

Cost Per Day: $0.46

27% protein, 17% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, Chicken Meal (a source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Rice Bran, Peas, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Pea Protein, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Barley, Dried Egg Product, Carrots, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Fish Oil, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Ferrous Sulfate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, Zinc Oxide, Choline Chloride, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

 

American Journey Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Turkey & Sweet Potato

Cost (12 lb): $27

Cost Per Day: $0.56

25% protein, 12% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Pea Starch, Pea Protein, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaxseed, Fish Oil, Sunflower Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Dl-Methionine, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), L-Threonine, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, L-Tryptophan, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

 

ANNAMAET

Living Clean Rating: 2 Stars (grain-free), 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Cost Per Day: $0.80-$1.00

Type: Pet Store

Meat Quality: Free-range chickens; free-range, grass-fed lamb; MSC-certified, line-caught cod; wild-caught salmon/herring; silver carp

Meat Quantity: High

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Rice/Millet or Rice/Millet/Oats/Barley

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes/Tapioca

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Yes

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Lactobacillus Acidophilus only

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: None

Resealable Bags: Yes

Recalls: None

Ownership: Independent

Location: U.S. (Pennsylvania)

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.5-5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Summary: Annamaet kibbles are said to contain large amounts of high-quality meats, but the use of millet in the grain-inclusive versions provides a high glyphosate risk. The grain-free versions contain tapioca (which I consider a suspect ingredient) as well as legumes.

 

Annamaet is a family-owned company selling dog foods, cat foods, dog treats, and nutritional supplements.

The company was founded in 1986 and is located in Pennsylvania (about halfway between Philadelphia and Allentown).

The company’s founder, Rob Downey, worked as a field researcher and graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania on studies examining the endurance of beagles, finding that the dogs did better on a high-fat diet than on the high-carbohydrate diets characteristic of most dog foods.

Downey and the board-certified veterinary nutritionist he employs have published a total of 100 articles in peer-reviewed veterinary or nutrition journals.

Annamaet says that they use only animal products fit for human consumption in their foods.

These include free-range chickens; free-range, grass-fed lamb; MSC-certified, line-caught cod; and wild-caught salmon and herring.

The foods are said to be prepared using an “artisanal production” with slow cooking times and to be free of wheat, corn and soy.

Annamaet’s first products – Annamaet Ultra and Annamaet Extra – were designed for working or otherwise highly active dogs.

The line now includes foods for less active dogs, senior dogs, overweight dogs, puppies, and dogs with food allergies. Several grain-free versions also are available.

Cocoa tried Annamaet Ultra and refused to eat any of it.

The food is listed as having 32% protein and 20% fat, with primary ingredients of chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, whole dry eggs, herring meal, millet, dried beet pulp, brewers dried yeast, menhaden oil, dried apples, flaxseed meal and natural flavors.

I am guessing that the problem here was that the millet was contaminated with glyphosate, but it also could be that the brown rice or fish had heavy metal contamination.

Mycotoxins also could be an issue.

In general, the stated meat quality and the higher protein/fat content of the Annamaet products continue to sound appealing to me in theory.

However, since all of the company’s products contain either tapioca (which Cocoa never will eat) or millet (which almost always is contaminated with glyphosate unless it is organic), I don’t have a great deal of hope that any of them would be a good choice for Cocoa or for any other dog that I might acquire.

I would be really happy to give Annamaet  another try if they were to make a new version using less problematic binders, though.

 

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Dog Food Advisor

Annamaet: 5 stars

 

Annamaet Ultra

Cost (12 lb): $39

Cost Per Day: $0.81

32% protein, 20% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Dry Eggs, Herring Meal, Millet, Dried Beet Pulp, Brewers Dried Yeast, Menhaden Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Apples, Flax Seed Meal, Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Dried Chicory Root, Marine Microalgae, Salt, DL Methionine, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Taurine, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, L-Carnitine, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Betaine Anhydrous, Iron Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Yucca Schidigera Extract

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

 

Annamaet Grain-Free Salcha Poulet

Cost (5 lb): $17

Cost Per Day: $0.85

30% protein, 16% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Lentils, Duck Meal, Field Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tapioca, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flax Seed Meal, Canola Oil, Dried Apples, Natural Flavor, Marine Microalgae, Dried Chicory Root, Lecithin, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Salt, DL Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, L-Carnitine, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Betaine Anhydrous, Iron Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Yucca Schidigera Extract.

 

BIL-JAC

Living Clean Rating: 5 Stars (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Sub-Brands: Select, Picky No More, Sensitive Solutions, Grain-Free

Cost Per Day: $0.90-$1.00

Type: Pet Store

Meat Quality: Cage-free, fresh (never frozen) chicken from local farms

Meat Quantity: High

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Corn/Oats

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes

Starch Quality: Conventional but grown specifically for company and focus on mycotoxin testing

Glyphosate Risk: Moderate (grain-inclusive), Low (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: Low

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: No

Probiotics: Sensitive Solutions Digestive & Immune version only

Preservatives: Sodium Propionate, Mixed Tocopherols, BHA, Rosemary

Synthetics: Yes

Resealable Bags: Yes

China Ingredients: Not discussed

Recalls: Yes

Ownership: Family

Location: U.S. (Ohio)

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 2.0-3.5 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 5 Stars (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Summary: Bil-Jac is a kibble that may be better than the ingredients lists make it seem, since it contains large amounts of cage-free chicken as well as locally grown corn/oats or peas that are heavily tested for mycotoxin contamination. It is cooked at a relatively low temperature and is a taste-testing favorite among many dogs (including Cocoa). The presence of the food additive BHA is a possible concern, however.

 

Bil-Jac is a small family company founded in the late 1940s and based in Ohio.

The company makes dry dog food that is stated as including a relatively large amount of fresh (never frozen) chicken and as being cooked at a relatively low temperature compared to virtually all other kibble.

The company states that this process results in a better flavor and encourages owners to give their dog a “two-bowl challenge” of Bil-Jac vs. their dog’s usual kibble to see which one is eaten first.

The company states that no flavor enhancers or added fat are used in the foods, thus suggesting that if dogs prefer Bil-Jac, it is due to the inherent quality of the food rather than to their being tricked in some way.

I first heard about Bil-Jac when participating in an online cockapoo forum in which several individuals said that their own picky dogs preferred Bil-Jac to every other kibble that they had tried.

Bil-Jac has become one of Cocoa’s favorite foods as well.

Bil-Jac states that 25 pounds of fresh meat are used to make a 30-pound bag of their food – about the same proportion that Orijen reports using in its products.

Of course, some of that meat weight is water that is removed when the kibble is made.

Still, Bil-Jac products do seem to contain considerably more meat than almost all other dry dog foods on the market.

While most other kibble comes in the form of very hard nuggets, Bil-Jac kibble consists of shreds that can be very easily crumbled with my fingers.

Although Bil-Jac sells quite a few different varieties of kibble, all of them include chicken as the primary animal protein source.

The other ingredients and nutritional breakdowns are quite similar across almost all of the products as well.

For instance, the “Picky No More” line includes a little liver but otherwise is basically the same product as the “Select” line.

The company’s newest product – Bil-Jac Sensitive Solutions Digestive & Immune – includes probiotics.

There is a single grain-free version containing peas rather than corn/oats that gets very good reviews on Chewy and that Cocoa has liked.

I had a phone conversation with the company’s director of research and development, Allen Bingham (who has a Ph.D. in nutrition and biochemistry from Texas A&M and whose father previously worked for Bil-Jac in a similar capacity).

Dr. Bingham stated that the grains in the product are grown locally specifically for their company and are tested for mycotoxins as soon as they arrive at the facility.

He said that the Bil-Jac standards for mycotoxins are quite a bit more stringent than what is usually recommended for dogs and that Bil-Jac has relationships with other companies that will take the grains if the mycotoxin levels are too high.

The chickens are raised locally specifically for their company and are cage-free and antibiotic-free, he said.

Dog Food Advisor gives Bil-Jac relatively low marks, due to the inclusion of corn and the food preservative BHA.

Allen Bingham told me that BHA is used (along with other natural antioxidants) due to the fact that Bil-Jac contains more fresh meat than most other kibble and that he believes that the chemical is safe in the small quantities used in the food.

I do agree that spoilage seems to be much less of a problem with Bil-Jac than with other high-meat kibbles like Orijen, Farmina and Stella & Chewy’s, all of which Cocoa has stopped being willing to eat just a few weeks after the bags were opened.

Bil-Jac seems to stay fresh – at least in terms of Cocoa’s willingness to eat it – for many months after the bags are opened.

(I’m thus thinking that for people on extended camping trips in the desert without climate control, this brand could be a good choice.)

Although I did not ask Dr. Bingham whether the oats and legumes are treated with glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant, the fact that to my understanding they are being grown in Ohio rather than Canada makes me think that there is a good chance that they are clean with regard to this.

Cocoa has tried several Bil-Jac varieties, including the Bil-Jac Puppy Select, the Bil-Jac Picky No More Small Breed and the Bil-Jac Grain-Free Adult.

Although (like Dog Food Advisor) I had my doubts about this food just based on its ingredient lists, my dog’s consistent enjoyment of this food and my conversation with Allen Bingham have reassured me about it quite a bit.

I now think that it’s fine for my dog to eat it as one component of his diet (currently less than 10% of his total food intake) and likely would allow any new dog that I acquired to give it a try too.

 

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Cocoa Approved

Bil-Jac Grain-Free Adult: 5 Stars

Bil-Jac Picky No More Small Breed: 5 Stars

Bil-Jac Puppy Select: 5 Stars

 

Dog Food Advisor

Bil-Jac Select: 3.5 Stars

Bil-Jac Picky No More: 3 Stars

Bil-Jac Grain-Free: 3 Stars

 

Recalls

Mold Contamination (2012)

 

Bil-Jac Puppy Select Chicken

Cost (6 lb): $22

Cost Per Day: $0.92

28% protein, 18% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Products (organs only, source of arginine), Corn Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Oatmeal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Monocalcium Phosphate, Salt, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, Sodium Propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Inositol, Manganese Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Mixed Tocopherols and BHA (preservatives), Manganous Oxide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 3.0

Cocoa Rating: 5

 

BIXBI

Living Clean Rating: 3 Stars (grain-free), 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Sub-Brands: Rawbble, Liberty

Cost Per Day: $1.00-$1.50

Type: Super-Premium

Meat Quality: All pastured/cage-free/wild-caught

Meat Quantity: Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Sorghum/Millet/Quinoa or Oats/Sorghum

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: High (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: No

Preservatives: Tocopherols, Rosemary

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: None

Resealable Bags: Yes

Recalls: None

Ownership: Family (Boulder Organics)

Location: U.S. (Boulder, Colorado)

Dog Food Advisor Rating: Not Rated

Cocoa Rating: 3 Stars (grain-free), 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Summary: Bixbi kibbles contain the same high-quality meats (though in moderate amounts) that are used in the company’s popular raw freeze-dried foods. The grain-inclusive versions contain sorghum/millet/oats and thus likely are contaminated with glyphosate. The grain-free versions may be a somewhat cleaner choice, though since they have a high legume content it may be advisable to supplement with substantial amounts of extra meat.

 

Bixbi (an independent company based in Boulder, Colorado) is best known for making a line of freeze-dried dog foods called Rawbble, which contain at least 95% quality meat/organs/bones with no grains or legumes.

Because those products are expensive, the company recently introduced some kibble products that are more affordable.

The website makes it seem that the kibble includes the same meat as the freeze-dried foods, including cage-free chicken and duck; pastured beef and lamb; and wild-caught fish from the Pacific Northwest.

The products use New Zealand lamb and French duck. Other animal products are from the U.S.

All of the Bixbi kibble products include only fresh meat rather than meat meal and are cooked at relatively low temperatures.

The company offers two separate lines of kibble, Rawbble and Liberty.

The main difference is that Rawbble kibble has a freeze-dried raw meat coating and thus a slightly higher protein level.

The Liberty version also has been sold under the name Buckley Liberty through retailers such as Whole Foods and PetSmart.

Rawbble grain-free options include chicken, duck, lamb, pork and turkey recipes. The binders consist of whole peas and lentils.

Rawbble grain-inclusive options have included Bixbi Rawbble Wingatarian (with turkey, duck and quail) and Bixbi Rawbble Landatarian  (with pork, lamb and goat), as well as a variety of products with single meat sources. The binders are sorghum, millet and quinoa.

Rawbble grain-inclusive formulas are no longer listed on the Bixbi website and thus may have been temporarily or permanently discontinued.

The Bixbi Liberty Grain-Free Original Recipe in adult and puppy versions contains turkey, chicken and trout. The Bixbi Liberty Fisherman’s Catch version is made with trout. Other grain-free choices include beef, chicken or lamb. The binders are whole peas and lentils.

Liberty grain-inclusive products include Bixbi Liberty Game Bird Feast (with turkey, quail and duck) and Bixbi Liberty Rancher’s Red (with beef, lamb and goat). The binders are oats and sorghum.

The sorghum and oats have a strong likelihood of being highly contaminated with glyphosate and the legumes also may be contaminated.

I do not see any indication on the website that the grains or legumes are organic or are being sourced in a way that would reduce the likelihood of glyphosate contamination.

Cocoa tried several of the Rawbble and Liberty kibble choices from this company.

He consistently has refused to touch the grain-inclusive versions, which is not much of a surprise since he virtually never will eat non-organic sorghum or oats.

He often will eat the Rawbble or Liberty grain-free foods when his favorite foods are not available to him, however.

Although it seems that the meat quality in the Bixbi kibble is pretty good, I doubt that I would buy the grain-inclusive products for a new dog due to the apparent glyphosate contamination of the oats and sorghum.

I might experiment with the grain-free kibble products, but I would want to make sure that my dog was getting substantial amounts of supplemental meat from other sources since this food seems to contain only a moderate amount of meat.

 

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Cocoa Approved

Bixbi Liberty Grain-Free Fisherman’s Catch: 3 Stars

Bixbi Liberty Grain-Free Original: 3 Stars

Bixbi Liberty Grain-Free Small Breed Chicken: 3 Stars

Bixbi Rawbble Grain-Free Chicken: 3 Stars

Bixbi Rawbble Grain-Free Lamb: 3 Stars

 

Dog Food Advisor

Bixbi Liberty: 5 Stars

Bixbi Liberty Grain-Free: 5 Stars

 

Bixbi Rawbble Turkey Limited Ingredient

Cost (4 lb): $19

Cost Per Day: $1.19

27% protein, 17.5% fat, 12% moisture

Ingredients: Turkey, Sorghum, Egg, Millet, Quinoa, Natural Turkey Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Turkey Fat, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Pumpkin, Salmon Oil, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Dandelion Greens, Raspberries, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Tocopherols (Preservative), Rosemary Extract.

Cocoa Rating: 1

 

Bixbi Rawbble Grain-Free Lamb

Cost (4 lb): $21

Cost Per Day: $1.31

27% protein, 14.5% fat, 12% moisture

Ingredients: Lamb, Whole Yellow Peas, Red Lentils, Egg, Lamb Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Coconut Flour, Coconut Oil, Natural Vegetable Flavor, Pumpkin, Salmon Oil, Dandelion Root, Raspberries, Potassium Chloride, Tricalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Mixed Tocopherols (A Preservative), Rosemary Extract.

Cocoa Rating: 3

 

BLUE BUFFALO

Living Clean Rating: 3 Stars (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Sub-Brands: Life Protection, Blue Wilderness, Blue Basics, Freedom, True Solutions, Baby Blue, Natural Veterinary Diet

Cost Per Day: $1.00-$1.10

Type: Pet Store

Meat Quality: No antibiotics; beef/lamb/venison is free-range; fish may be wild-caught or farmed.

Meat Quantity: High/Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Rice/Barley/Oatmeal/Legumes or Oatmeal/Barley/Potatoes/Legumes

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes/Tapioca

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Variety

Preservatives: Tocopherols, Oil of Rosemary

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: None

Resealable Bags: Yes

Recalls: Yes

Ownership: General Mills

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 2.5-5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 3 Stars (grain-inclusive), 1-3 Stars (grain-free)

Summary: Blue Buffalo is a huge dog food manufacturer selling nearly 100 varieties of kibble, which may vary unpredictably in terms of ingredient quality and toxicity levels. The food is widely available and could be worth trying, but I suggest being sure to give the dog a choice between this and at least one other food known to be acceptable, so that quality of the particular item and bag purchased can be assessed.

 

Blue Buffalo was founded in 2002 as a family company promising to offer natural pet food containing wholesome ingredients.

The brand has been extremely successful financially and was purchased for $8 billion in February 2018 by General Mills.

From its founding, Blue Buffalo’s “True Blue Promise” has been that: 1) real meat is the first ingredient; 2) no poultry by-product meals are used; 3) no corn, wheat or soy is used; and 4) no artificial flavors or preservatives are used.

The company’s kibble products include “Life Source Bits,” which consist of various supplements (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) that are cooked at a relatively low temperature compared to the other kibble pieces to protect their nutritional value.

The company sells several lines of kibble products, including the standard Life Protection Formula line; the Blue Wilderness line (stated as having a higher meat/protein content); the Blue Basics line (limited ingredient foods); the Freedom line (grain-free foods); the True Solutions line (foods for ordinary health problems such as skin or weight issues); and a line for dogs with serious health problems sold through veterinarians.

Blue Buffalo historically has had an especially combative relationship with established pet food companies, suggesting that its own ingredients are of higher quality.

Nestlé Purina in particular has fought back hard, including by doing an analysis of Blue Buffalo products and then suing the company for false advertising after finding evidence of meat by-products in them. (Blue Buffalo countersued but eventually paid $32 million into a settlement fund after acknowledging the truth of the claims.)

In addition, prior to being purchased by General Mills, Blue Buffalo experienced a string of mandatory and voluntary product recalls, including for melamine contamination; aluminum contamination; excess Vitamin D; excess moisture and mold; elevated beef thyroid hormone; and salmonella.

Other pet food manufacturers and some veterinarians have suggested that all these recalls mean that Blue Buffalo products are not that high in quality after all.

Blue Buffalo seems to be making some attempts to avoid sourcing purely conventional factory-farmed meats, but not in a wholly consistent way.  A company representative wrote to me with regard to this topic:

It depends on the specific meat. Some of the fish we use is farm-raised, some is wild-caught. The duck, rabbit and alligator we use are farm-raised. Our beef, lamb and venison is free-range. It just depends. While there are no added hormones, antibiotics, etc. our ingredients are not certified organic. We don’t have any information on how the chickens are kept but we can confirm we are not certified organic nor do we offer any organic options at this time.

Blue Buffalo sells nearly 100 different kibble products (plus various sizes of each product).

Binder ingredients seem to almost always consist of some combination of rice, legumes, barley, oats and/or tapioca, with the proportions of each varying by the specific product.

I looked at the ingredients of almost all the Blue Buffalo dry dog foods and did not find any that I felt confident would be low in glyphosate contamination.

Cocoa has tried four Blue Buffalo products so far.

The first was the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken & Brown Rice Puppy food. The main ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, menhaden fish meal, peas, chicken fat, flaxseed and natural flavor. It contains 27% protein and 16% fat.

The second was the Blue Wilderness Grain-Free Salmon. The main ingredients are salmon, chicken meal, peas, pea protein, menhaden fish meal, tapioca starch, dried tomato pomace, pea starch, chicken fat,egg, flaxseed and natural flavor. It contains 34% protein and 15% fat. According to Chewy, the salmon in this food is sometimes wild-caught and sometimes farmed.

Cocoa has eaten both products on several occasions when his favorite kibbles were not available to him.

The Blue Wilderness Grain-Free Salmon is actually the only kibble with tapioca in it that Cocoa has ever seemed to like at all. Maybe the amount is very small.

Note that Cocoa has been offered the grain-free salmon version only three or four times (since we got a sample from one of his friends rather than buying it). I wouldn’t necessarily count on it always being acceptable to him, since the salmon quality may be variable and since he eventually may become more sensitized to the tapioca content.

Cocoa also tried two other grain-free Blue Buffalo products but refused to eat them at all. Whether this was because of a larger amount of tapioca or for some other reason, I don’t know.

One food that Cocoa refused to eat was the Blue Wilderness Grain-Free Puppy Chicken. The main ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, pea protein, peas, tapioca starch, pea starch, menhaden fish meal, chicken fat, egg product, tomato pomace, flaxseed, natural flavor, and fish oil. It contains 36% protein and 16% fat.

Cocoa also refused a kibble available only from Petco called Blue Buffalo Baby Blue Grain-Free Healthy Growth Formula Puppy. It contains chicken, chicken meal, pea protein, peas, tapioca starch, pea starch, menhaden fish meal, chicken fat, egg, tomato pomace, flaxseed, natural flavor and fish oil, with 36% protein and 16% fat.

Although I think that on average Blue Buffalo is probably better than most dog foods on the market, the ingredient quality seems to be so variable that I don’t have much confidence that any specific variety or all bags of food within a particular variety would be acceptable to Cocoa.

Therefore, while I wouldn’t rule out the idea of purchasing this food for a new dog, it would not be among my first choices.

 

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Cocoa Approved

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken & Brown Rice Puppy: 3 Stars

Blue Wilderness Grain-Free Salmon: 3 Stars

 

Dog Food Advisor

Blue Buffalo Wilderness: 5 Stars

Blue Buffalo Life Protection: 4 Stars

 

Recalls

Excessive Moisture and Mold (2016)

Vitamin D (2010)

 

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Chicken & Rice Puppy

Cost (3 lb): $11.50

Cost Per Day: $1.00

27% protein, 16% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Menhaden Fish Meal (Source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed (Source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Egg Product, Pea Protein, Fish Oil (Source of Ara-Arachidonic Acid And Dha-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potatoes, Dried Chicory Root, Pea Fiber, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Calcium Carbonate, Dl-Methionine, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Vitamin E Supplement, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Garlic, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Vegetable Juice For Color, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass, Parsley, Turmeric, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), L-Carnitine, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), L-Lysine, Copper Sulfate, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Sulfate, Taurine, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Sodium Selenite, Oil of Rosemary.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

Cocoa Rating: 3

 

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Grain-Free

Cost (4.5 lb): $19

Cost Per Day: $1.06

34% protein, 15% fat

Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine), Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Pea Starch, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa Pellets, DL-Methionine, Potatoes, Dried Chicory Root, Pea Fiber, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Vegetable Juice for color, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass, Parsley, Turmeric, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), L-Carnitine, Copper Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), L-Lysine, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Sulfate, Taurine, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Sodium Selenite, Oil of Rosemary.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

 

BULLY MAX

Living Clean Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Cost Per Day: $0.75-$0.80

Type: Sporting Dogs

Meat Quality: Conventional

Meat Quantity: High

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Rice/Sorghum/Barley

Grain-Free Starches: No products

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High

Mycotoxin Risk: High

“Human Grade”: Yes

Chicken-Free Versions: No

Probiotics: Variety

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Not discussed

Resealable Bags: Yes

Recalls: None

Ownership: Individual (Matthew Kinneman)

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5 Stars

Cocoa Rating: Not tried

Summary: Bully Max is a high meat/high fat dog food intended for sporting dogs. It contains conventional meat and sorghum, both of which are at a high risk of having toxicity issues.

 

Bully Max was created by a former police dog trainer to provide larger amounts of meat-based protein and calories to working dogs as well as to help “bully”-type dogs to gain more weight and muscle.

The dog food is all-natural and supposedly suitable for dogs of all kinds, including those that are not particularly active.

I became a little interested in Bully Max when I realized that it was somewhat similar to Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete, which is one of Cocoa’s favorite foods.

Like Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete, Bully Max uses only meat meal rather than fresh meat, supposedly because this provides a more concentrated source of meat protein.

Dog Food Advisor rates both Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete and Bully Max with 5.0 Stars.

Bully Max contains 30% protein and 20% fat, while Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete has 32% protein and 25% fat.

While Bully Max and Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete are similar in many respects, the information that I have been able to find out so far (including by asking questions directly to a Bully Max representative) makes me think that the Diamond Naturals food may be a much better choice.

For one thing, Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete is stated as using cage-free chicken, while Bully Max appears to be using conventional chicken.

While Bully Max states that it uses the “highest-quality human-grade ingredients available on the market,” I am not sure what that means and would like some more specificity.

The binders for Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete are white rice, barley, flax and beets, while Bully Max uses brown rice, beets, sorghum, barley and flax.

While brown rice has more fiber, the removal of the hulls causes white rice to be lower in toxicity.

In addition, sorghum – a grain used almost solely for animal food that is reported to be very frequently treated with glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant – is increasingly seeming to be an item that I never want to see on a pet food ingredient list at all.

Bully Max is also more than twice as expensive as Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete.

It is sold only in 15-pound or larger bags without any samples being available, meaning that trying the product requires a considerable investment.

However, the food does come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Although I would like for Cocoa to try this food, I have yet to purchase it because I don’t think that he would eat it.

Based on what I know about it so far, I would be disinclined to purchase it for a new dog either.

 

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Dog Food Advisor

Bully Max High Performance: 5 Stars

 

Bully Max 30/20 High Performance

Cost (15 lb): $45

Cost Per Day: $0.75

30% protein, 20% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Ground Grain Sorghum, Pearled Barley, Brewers Dried Yeast, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Menhaden Fish Meal, Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Menhaden Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Propionic Acid, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Organic Dried Kelp, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Iron Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

 

CANIDAE

Living Clean Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Sub-Brands: All Life Stages, Pure, Under the Sun

Cost: $1.50-$1.80

Type: Super-Premium

Meat Quality: Conventional but produced on higher-quality small farms

Meat Quantity: Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Rice/Peas/Potatoes/Oatmeal/Millet or Rice/Barley/Peas/Millet

Grain-Free Starches: Sweet Potatoes/Legumes/Tapioca

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Variety

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Not discussed

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: Yes

Ownership: Family (Scott Whipple and John Gordon)

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 1 Star (grain-free)

Summary: Canidae is a higher-priced food containing conventional meat (though produced on smaller farms). The grain-inclusive varieties contain conventional oatmeal and/or millet, both of which are likely to be glyphosate-contaminated. The grain-free versions contain tapioca (which I consider to be a problematic ingredient) as well as legumes and sweet potatoes.

 

Canidae is an independently owned pet food company founded in 1996.

It is currently based in Connecticut with a pet nutrition plant in Brownwood, Texas.

Grain-inclusive products (with rice, peas, potatoes, oatmeal and millet) and grain-free products (with sweet potatoes, legumes and tapioca) are available.

The limited ingredient versions of the food contain legumes and tapioca, without any potatoes.

An emphasis is on selling formulas that are appropriate for a variety of dogs, in order to simplify feeding time for multi-dog households.

The company website says that they have partnered with U.S. farmers and green technology companies to make farming more sustainable, including by lowering pesticide use and adopting regenerative farming approaches.

Ingredients in the products still appear to be basically conventional, however.

With regard to probiotics, the website states:

Our vet-formulated pet food helps promote long-term gut health by giving dogs the complete and balanced diet they need to lead a healthy life. With a guaranteed 100 million colony-forming units (CFU) of probiotics per pound, your dog will thrive, thanks to the added benefits of probiotics like enterococcus faecium, lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, and lactobacillus plantarum – all to aid digestion and strengthen your pet’s immune system.

Cocoa tried the Canidae Grain-Free Pure Petite Small Breed Adult version of the food. It contains lamb, peas, lentils, tapioca, canola oil, garbanzo beans, natural flavor and flaxseed as the main ingredients.

He refused to eat any of it, which I am guessing is due at least in part to the use of conventional meat and tapioca.

It seems that all the grain-free formulas include tapioca, which Cocoa seems to scrupulously avoid.

The grain-inclusive formulas appear to all include oats and/or millet, which are usually contaminated with substantial amounts of glyphosate. Some also include potatoes, which Cocoa will not eat.

The use of these binders as well as the conventional meat makes me think that this is not going to be a very good line for Cocoa or for any other dog that I might acquire.

 

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Dog Food Advisor

Canidae Pure Grain-Free: 5 Stars

Canidae All Life Stages: 4.5 Stars

 

Recalls

Salmonella (2012)

 

Canidae Grain-Free Pure Bison

Cost (4 lb): $25

Cost Per Day: $1.56

25% protein, 15% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Bison, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lentils, Carrots, Pork Meal, Tapioca, Canola Oil, Suncured Alfalfa, Natural Flavor, Taurine, Minerals (Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (A Preservative), Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract. Contains A Source Of Live (Viable) Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.0

 

Canidae All Life Stages Chicken, Turkey, Lamb & Fish

Cost (5 lb): $16

Cost Per Day: $0.80

24% protein, 15% fat, 10% moisture

Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran, Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat, Millet, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Oceanfish Meal, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Suncured Alfalfa, Inulin (From Chicory Root), Lecithin, Sage Extract, Cranberries, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract, Sunflower Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite), Mixed Tocopherols (A Preservative), Papaya, Pineapple. Contains A Source Of Live Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.

 

CARNA4

Living Clean Rating: 2 Stars (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Cost Per Day: $2.50

Type: Organic

Meat Quality: Humanely nurtured meat from Canadian family farms; wild-caught fish

Meat Quantity: Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Barley/Sweet Potatoes/Rice/Legumes/Potatoes

Grain-Free Starches: Barley/Legumes/Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes

Starch Quality: All grains/legumes except for rice and fava beans are organic and sprouted

Glyphosate Risk: Low

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Supposedly present from sprouted seeds

Preservatives: None

Synthetics: No

China Ingredients: None

Resealable Bags: Yes

Recalls: None

Ownership: Family (David Stauble and Maria Ringo)

Location: Canada

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Summary: Carna4 is a high-end dog food from Canada that is stated as containing humanely raised meats and mostly organic binder ingredients, including sprouted grains. Unfortunately Cocoa would not eat these foods, possibly because all versions contain small amounts of potatoes but conceivably due to toxicity reasons.

 

Carna4 is a family-owned Canadian pet food company that is unusual in that it uses sprouted grains and seeds as major components of its products.

The company’s website states:

Carna4 is the first pet food to provide sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals, plus enzymes and probiotics using NO CHEMICALS whatsoever.  Instead we add a blend of certified organic sprouted seeds containing nutrition far surpassing regulatory standards. Carna4 eliminates the need to supplement your dog’s diet with any nutritional additives. And to prove it, we test for and guarantee 64 nutrients, supplied only by our true food ingredients. 

Sprouting (or germinating) the seed unlocks nature’s protective coating — boosting the bio-available nutrients in our food to unheard-of levels. We then use a quick-baking and air-drying process at precise temperatures to keep Carna4 safe from bacteria, while preserving trusted probiotics, enzymes and nutrients your pet needs, along with delicious flavor. 

We test every batch of Carna4 for 15 different pathogens and toxins. Nothing leaves our bakery until it is checked thoroughly for safety.

The products are said to use “wild-caught fish and humanely-nurtured animals from Canadian family farms, raised without hormones, steroids or antibiotics.”

The quantity of meat/fish used in the kibbles appears to be only moderate, however.

The sprouted ingredients in the products are organic and include a mixture of barley, flax, lentils and peas.

Some of the other binders in the products are non-organic.

The products use no meat/poultry/fish meals, no dehydrated meat, no meat or vegetable protein concentrates, no by-products, no GMO’s, no corn/wheat/soy, no chemical supplements, and no artificial colors/flavors/preservatives.

The Carna4 Chicken version includes just fresh chicken, chicken liver, eggs, organic sprouted barley seed, salmon, sweet potato, whole brown rice, organic sprouted flaxseed, organic sprouted lentils, organic sprouted peas, potato starch, apples, carrots, sea salt and kelp. It contains 29% protein and 15% fat.

The Carna4 Grain-Free Duck version includes duck, pork liver and ground fava beans instead of chicken products and rice. It contains 29% protein and 15% fat.

The Carna4 Easy-Chew Grain-Free Fish version is similar to the grain-free duck version in terms of ingredients but includes herring, perch and salmon as the only animal protein sources. It contains 29% protein and 15% fat.

I have seen this Carna4 recommended as one of the better kibbles on the market by some holistic veterinarians – such as Dr. Judy Morgan – and by participants in various groups focused on natural health for dogs.

Although I thought these foods sounded like they had potential, Cocoa tried samples of all three products (kindly sent to me by the company) and would not eat any of them.

Possibly this was solely due to the inclusion of small amounts of potatoes in all three versions, since Cocoa almost never will eat anything that has even a little bit of potato in it.

However, especially since the products are from Canada (where even grains and legumes that are stated as being organic sometimes have enormous amounts of glyphosate contamination), I am not ruling out the idea that toxicity could be an issue as well.

Although I have concluded that I likely would not feel comfortable feeding any dog significant amounts of potatoes on a regular basis, the amount of potatoes in these products is small enough that I might consider them for another dog.

I would proceed with caution since I still am concerned about toxicity issues, however.

 

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Dog Food Advisor

Carna4: 5 Stars

 

Carna4 Chicken

Cost (3 lb): $30

Cost Per Day: $2.50

29% protein, 15% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Fresh chicken, chicken liver, eggs, organic sprouted barley seed, salmon, sweet potato, whole brown rice, organic sprouted flaxseed, organic sprouted lentils, organic sprouted peas, potato starch, apples, carrots, sea salt, kelp

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

 

Carna4 Grain-Free Duck

Cost (3 lb): $33

Cost Per Day: $2.75

29% protein, 15% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Duck, pork liver, eggs, ground organic sprouted barley seed, herring, ground fava beans, sweet potato, ground organic sprouted flaxseed, ground organic sprouted lentils, ground organic sprouted peas, potato starch, apples, carrots, sea salt, kelp.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

 

CASTOR & POLLUX

Living Clean Rating: 3 Stars (grain-inclusive), 2 Stars (grain-free)

Sub-Brands: Organix, Pristine

Cost Per Day: $1.50

Type: Organic

Meat Quality: Organic free-range chicken/turkey; grass-fed pastured beef; grass-fed and finished lamb; free-range duck; wild-caught fish

Meat Quantity: High/Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Oats/Rice/Barley

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes/Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes/Tapioca (various combinations)

Starch Quality: Organic

Glyphosate Risk: Low

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Bacillus Coagulans only (some versions)

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: B12

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: None

Ownership: Nestlé Purina

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 3 Stars (grain-inclusive)

Summary: Castor & Pollux (owned by Nestlé Purina) produces foods using certified organic binders and pastured meats (some certified organic). The grain-inclusive versions may be worth trying. The grain-free versions all include potatoes or tapioca (in addition to legumes and/or sweet potatoes) and therefore may not be appropriate for all dogs.

 

Castor & Pollux was founded as a company selling organic pet foods and treats (including under the names Organix and Good Buddy) in 2003.

The company was purchased by Merrick in 2012. Then, in 2015, Merrick was purchased by the Nestlé Purina Pet Care Company, which is owned by the controversial Swiss food conglomerate Nestlé S.A.

In 2017, Organix had its products become USDA certified, which seems to be a step beyond the usual “I say it’s organic but you’ll just have to trust me” standard previously used in the pet food industry.

All the Organix kibble products use USDA organic chicken as the meat source.

More recently, Castor & Pollux launched a line of products called “Pristine.”

The Pristine products include a variety of animal protein sources (chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, salmon, tuna and whitefish) that are said to be raised or obtained according to high standards but not certified as USDA organic.

Chicken and turkey in the Pristine line are said to receive 100% organic feed, to be antibiotic-free, and to be “responsibly raised” (which the company defines as having “access to fresh air, natural light and space to roam”).

The lamb in the Pristine line is said to be grass-fed and grass-finished, antibiotic-free, and responsibly raised.

The Pristine beef and duck are said to be responsibly raised and antibiotic-free, and the beef is said to be grass-fed but not grass-finished. Further details on what the ducks and cattle may have eaten are unclear to me.

Salmon, tuna and whitefish are said to be “responsibly caught,” which the company defines as being certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and caught when freely swimming in natural bodies of water.

The non-meat ingredients in the Pristine line (including the grains or legumes) seem to all be currently labeled as organic.

According to the company website, none of the Organix or Pristine products include any corn, soy, wheat, gluten, artificial colors/flavors/preservatives, or crops grown with synthetic/chemical fertilizers.

The company also states, “Our ingredients are tested upon arrival, samples are tested throughout the production process. Once the food is cooked, it is tested for toxins and contaminants before we release it for sale.”

Recently Castor & Pollux has been altering many of their recipes to reduce their legume content.

In the grain-inclusive versions, all legumes have been replaced with brown rice and sweet potatoes (and perhaps larger amounts of oats and barley).

The grain-free versions now all include either potatoes or tapioca, which Cocoa will not eat.

However, Cocoa has tried the Castor & Pollux Organix Healthy Grain Small Breed (which contains organic chicken) as well as the Castor & Pollux Pristine Healthy Grains Grass-Fed Beef & Oatmeal (which contains grass-fed beef, chicken meal and egg).

All of the non-animal ingredients in these products (including oatmeal, brown rice, barley and flax) are listed as organic.

Cocoa has sporadically been willing to eat both of these foods when his favorite kibbles are not available to him, but he usually will just delay eating at all until he can get something that he likes better.

My guess here is that the Castor & Pollux foods – as well as other Nestlé Purina foods – are systematically mildly contaminated with mycotoxins at levels that the company sees as acceptable but that Cocoa nonetheless would prefer not to eat if given a choice.

I still might give a grain-inclusive Castor & Pollux product to a different dog just to see what he or she thought of it, however.

I would be disinclined to purchase any of the current grain-free versions due to their potato and tapioca content.

 

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Cocoa Approved

Castor & Pollux Organix Healthy Grains Small Breed: 3 Stars

Castor & Pollux Pristine Healthy Grains Grass-Fed Beef: 3 Stars

 

Dog Food Advisor

Castor & Pollux Organix Healthy Grains: 5 Stars

Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free: 5 Stars

Castor & Pollux Pristine Grain-Free: 5 Stars

 

Castor & Pollux Pristine Healthy Grains Beef

Cost (4 lb): $24

Cost Per Day: $1.50

30% protein, 16% fat, 11% moisture

Ingredients: Beef, Chicken Meal, Organic Oatmeal, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Barley, Turkey Meal, Dried Egg Product, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavor, Organic Sunflower Oil, Inulin (from chicory root), Organic Flaxseed, Organic Blueberries, Organic Apples, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Methionine Complex, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide), Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product.

Cocoa Rating: 2

 

Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Small Breed Chicken

Cost (4 lb): $24

Cost Per Day: $1.50

26% protein, 15% fat, 11% moisture

Ingredients: Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Meal, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Potatoes, Organic Peas, Organic Tapioca, Organic Chicken Fat, Organic Sunflower Seed Meal, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Chicken Liver, Organic Blueberries, Organic Chicory Root (source of Inulin), Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D- Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Methionine Complex, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Potassium Chloride, Organic Amaranth, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product. 8B35058.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5

 

DIAMOND

Living Clean Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Cost Per Day: $0.30-$0.35

Type: Supermarket

Meat Quality: Conventional

Meat Quantity: Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Corn/Wheat or Sorghum/Brown Rice/Millet

Grain-Free Starches: No Products

Starch Quality: Conventional but stated focus on mycotoxin testing

Glyphosate Risk: High/Moderate

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: No

Probiotics: Variety

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Not discussed

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: Yes

Ownership: Family (Diamond Pet Foods)

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 3.5 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Summary: The regular Diamond line includes several low-priced kibbles containing conventional meat and conventional corn/wheat or sorghum/rice/millet as the binders. The products therefore likely should be expected to have significant toxicity issues.

 

Diamond (founded in 1970 and based in Missouri) is a family-owned company that is one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the U.S.

While much of their business comes from making foods sold under other companies’ brand names (including, to my understanding, the Kirkland brand sold at Costco), they also market some foods themselves under the Diamond, Diamond Naturals, and Taste of the Wild names.

Diamond does not provide information about how the animals used in its regular line are raised or fed, and so I am guessing that those products use conventionally produced meat.

Diamond provided the following information to me about the mycotoxin testing program it uses for its Diamond, Diamond Naturals, and Taste of the Wild products:

Raw Ingredients Receiving Protocols – Mycotoxins (e.g. Aflatoxin, Vomitoxin/DON, and Fumonisin): All whole grains and grain-related ingredients are tested for specific risk mycotoxins (e.g., all corn and rice ingredient loads are tested for aflatoxin) prior to receipt.

Finished Product Testing – Aflatoxin: Samples of uncoated pet food, which contain corn or rice as a raw ingredient, are collected on an hourly basis and tested for aflatoxin; samples of uncoated pet food, which do not contain corn or rice as a raw ingredient, are collected and tested for aflatoxin at the beginning and end of each production run.

Food Safety and QA Managers regularly review crop reports provided by a mycotoxin test kit manufacturer to stay aware of current mycotoxin risks in grain crops each year. Inbound ingredient sampling for mycotoxin testing exceeds the recommendations provided by USDA/GIPSA. Each QC technician is trained on an annual basis for mycotoxin test kits by the test kit manufacturer. Diamond Pet Foods has also partnered with certified third-party laboratories for verification of mycotoxin results on raw ingredient samples when needed.

With regard to probiotics, the Diamond website states:

The regular Diamond Foods – Diamond Hi Energy, Diamond Performance, Diamond Maintenance, and Diamond Puppy – all list chicken by-product meals (and in some cases chicken) as the animal protein source and corn/wheat as the main binders.

A new product is Diamond Pro89, which seems intended for highly active or working dogs.

The website states that 89% of the protein in Diamond Pro89 is from animal sources, primarily beef and pork (along with some fish meal).

The binders in this product consist of sorghum and millet (which are usually highly contaminated with glyphosate) as well as brown rice. The main ingredients are listed as beef, pork, beef meal, grain sorghum, whole grain brown rice, chicken fat, millet, fish meal, dried beet pulp, natural flavor, flaxseed, quinoa and chia seed.

The product is sold only in 40-pound bags and is slightly more expensive than Diamond’s other fairly popular food for sporting dogs, Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete (discussed in the section below).

Cocoa tried the Diamond Puppy food. The main ingredients are chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, chicken fat, beet, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal and salmon oil.

He sampled a few pieces but then refused to eat any more.

I also obtained a sample of the Diamond Pro89 product and Cocoa would not eat even one piece of it.

My guess is that he was especially unhappy with the conventional meat quality in both versions, as well as with glyphosate contamination of the sorghum/millet or wheat.

Although Diamond states that they are careful about testing for mycotoxins, those still could be playing a role as well since I don’t know what maximum levels they are using.

In any case, I would not buy these foods for another dog either.

 

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Dog Food Advisor

Diamond: 3.5 Stars

 

Recalls

Salmonella (2012)

 

Diamond Performance

Cost (20 lb): $26

Cost Per Day: $0.33

30% protein, 20% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Whole Grain Ground Corn, Wheat Flour, Egg Product, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Beet Pulp, Fish Meal, Flaxseed, Natural Chicken Flavor, Salmon Oil (A Source Of DHA), Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.0

 

Diamond Puppy

Cost (8 lb): $10

Cost Per Day: $0.31

31% protein, 20% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken By-Product Meal, Whole Grain Ground Corn, Wheat Flour, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Beet Pulp, Egg Product, Flaxseed, Natural Chicken Flavor, Fish Meal, Salmon Oil (A Source Of Dha), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid. Contains A Source Of Live (Viable), Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.0

 

DIAMOND NATURALS

Living Clean Rating: 5 Stars (grain-inclusive), 2 Stars (grain-free)

Sub-Brands: Grain-Free, Diamond Care

Cost Per Day: $0.30-$0.60

Type: Pet Store

Meat Quality: Cage-free chicken; pasture-raised lamb/beef; wild-caught salmon or whitefish

Meat Quantity: High/Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Rice/Barley or Rice/Barley/Sorghum/Millet/Oats (various combinations)

Grain-Free Starches: Sweet Potatoes/Legumes

Starch Quality: Conventional but stated focus on mycotoxin testing

Glyphosate Risk: High/Low (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Variety

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Nutritional supplements

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: Yes

Ownership: Family (Diamond Pet Foods)

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 2.5-5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 5 Stars (Extreme Athlete, Small Breed Puppy), 2 Stars (Grain-Free Chicken), 1 Star (other products)

Summary: Diamond Naturals products use cage-free/pastured meats or wild-caught fish. The Extreme Athlete and Small Breed Puppy foods use just rice and barley as the binders and may be worth trying. The other grain-inclusive versions now all include oats and/or sorghum and thus are likely to be contaminated with glyphosate. The grain-free versions (which contain sweet potatoes and legumes as the binder sources) have a much lower percentage of meat than I think is ideal in a grain-free food.

 

Diamond Pet Foods (based in Missouri) is a huge pet food manufacturer founded in 1970.

The company produces foods for many other companies as well as under their own Diamond and Taste of the Wild names.

Diamond Naturals is their line of foods that excludes corn, wheat, soy and artificial colors/flavors/preservatives.

Diamond Naturals foods are stated as being made using either cage-free chicken, pastured beef, pastured lamb, wild-caught salmon or wild-caught whitefish.

A variety of “superfoods” and antioxidants as well as probiotics, vegetable fibers and Omega-3 fatty acids are listed as being included.

Diamond Naturals’ protocols with regard to mycotoxins and probiotics are discussed in the section on Diamond products above.

Binder ingredients vary based on the particular product but all of the products (except for the grain-free versions) list either white or brown rice as a main ingredient.

Other binder ingredients may include barley, sorghum, oats, millet, sweet potatoes, potatoes and/or legumes.

The meat content, binder content and protein/fat levels of each Diamond Naturals formula is listed below.

Cocoa has tried a number of different Diamond Naturals foods and his willingness to eat them varies dramatically based on which binders are used.

Two of the products – Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy and Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete – contain only rice and barley as the binders, and these have been among Cocoa’s favorite kibbles.

(Dog Food Advisor likes these foods too, giving them 5 stars.)

Cocoa also previously liked another Diamond Naturals product – Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy – when it contained only rice and barley as the binders, but he stopped eating it when the company changed the recipe to incorporate sorghum.

Diamond Naturals Small Breed Chicken & Rice also used to contain just rice and barley as the binders but now uses sorghum (and Cocoa will not eat that now either).

All of the other grain-inclusive Diamond Naturals kibbles contain oats and/or sorghum (both of which are almost always highly contaminated with glyphosate), and Cocoa has not been willing to eat any of the ones that he has tried.

The Diamond Naturals grain-free formulas all include sweet potatoes, peas and lentils as the binders. The meat content in these foods is quite low (with the protein level being only 24%).

Cocoa ate a small bowl of the Diamond Naturals Grain-Free Chicken when first introduced to it but has subsequently refused to eat any of the food.

He also subsequently has totally refused the Diamond Naturals Grain-Free Beef and Diamond Naturals Grain-Free Whitefish formulas.

Diamond Naturals Grain-Free Skin & Coat contains potatoes (which Cocoa appears to detest), and so I feel pretty confident he would not eat that one.

One of Cocoa’s very favorite kibbles is Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete, which is designed for very active dogs and sold only in 40-pound bags. It contains 32% protein and 25% fat, with 91% of the protein coming from the chicken and eggs in the product.

The main ingredients are chicken meal, chicken, white rice, chicken fat, barley, egg product, miscanthus grass, flaxseed, beet pulp and natural flavor.

While white rice has less fiber than brown rice, it also has less potential for being contaminated with heavy metals and other toxicity (which is why the Paleo community views it as a “safe starch”).

I wish that Diamond Naturals would sell the Extreme Athlete in smaller bags, since the 40-pound ones are impossible for me to carry and would take Cocoa more than four months to consume even if he were eating nothing else.

However, Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy (which Cocoa was fed as a puppy by his breeder) is quite similar to Extreme Athlete, with the main difference being that it includes some fish meal and does not have added glucosamine/chrondroitin for joints.

The main ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, white rice, chicken fat, barley, egg product, dried yeast, beet pulp, fish meal, miscanthus grass, flaxseed, natural flavor and salmon oil.

Although Cocoa seems to like the Extreme Athlete slightly more (perhaps because he is not crazy about the fish in the puppy food), I think that the puppy food may be a reasonable substitute for situations where the 40-pound bag would be too much.

I am fervently hoping that Diamond Naturals does not change the recipes in the two products that Cocoa is still willing to eat and would likely try feeding the current versions of those foods to any new dog that I might acquire.

The fact that these foods are relatively inexpensive compared to the other foods that Cocoa is willing to eat is a nice bonus.

I would not buy any of the other Diamond Naturals products again unless the formulas are changed, however.

 

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Cocoa Approved

Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete: 5 Stars

Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy: 5 Stars

 

Dog Food Advisor

Diamond Naturals: 4.5 Stars

Diamond Naturals Grain-Free: 4 Stars

 

Recalls

Salmonella (2012)

Salmonella (2012)

 

Diamond Naturals Versions – Starches and Protein/Fat Content

Extreme Athlete (Chicken): White rice, barley; 32/25

Small Breed Puppy (Chicken): White rice, barley; 32/22

Large Breed Puppy (Lamb): Brown rice, barley, sorghum, white rice; 27/15

Small Breed Chicken & Rice: White rice, barley, sorghum; 27/16

Chicken & Rice: Brown rice, barley, sorghum; 26/16

Large Breed Chicken & Rice: Brown rice, barley, white rice, rice bran, sorghum; 23/13

Lamb Meal & Rice: White rice, barley, sorghum, rice bran; 23/14

Small Breed Lamb & Rice: White rice, barley, sorghum, oatmeal; 25/15

Large Breed Lamb Meal & Rice: Brown rice, barley, oatmeal, sorghum, rice bran; 22/12

Beef Meal & Rice: Sorghum, white rice, rice bran, barley; 25/15

Senior Formula (Chicken): Brown rice, white rice, oatmeal, rice bran; 25/11

Light Fomula (Lamb): Brown rice, oatmeal, barley, white rice, sorghum, miscanthus grass, millet; 18/6

Grain-Free Chicken: Sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, pea flour; 24/14

Grain-Free Whitefish: Sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, pea flour; 24/14

Grain-Free Beef (and Lamb): Sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, pea flour; 24/14

Skin & Coat (Salmon/Fish): Potatoes, lentils, peas, pea flour; 25/14

 

Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy

Cost (6 lb): $13

Cost Per day: $0.54

32% protein, 22% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground White Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Cracked Pearled Barley, Egg Product, Dried Yeast, Dried Beet Pulp, Fish Meal, Ground Miscanthus Grass, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (Source Of Dha), Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dried Chicory Root, Kale, Chia Seed, Pumpkin, Blueberries, Oranges, Quinoa, Dried Kelp, Coconut, Spinach, Carrots, Papaya, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Beta Carotene, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid. Contains A Source Of Live (Viable), Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

Cocoa Rating: 4

 

Diamond Naturals Grain-Free Beef & Sweet Potatoes

Cost (5 lb): $11

Cost Per Day: $0.55

24% protein, 14% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Beef, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lentils, Pea Flour, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Flaxseed, Fish Meal, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (Source Of DHA), Salt, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Raspberries, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid. Contains A Source Of Live (Viable), Naturally Occurring Microorganisms.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.0

 

DR. TIM’S

Living Clean Rating: 2 Stars (grain-inclusive and grain-free)

Meat Quality: Antibiotic-free chicken; wild-caught Alaskan salmon

Meat Quantity: High

Cost Per Day: $0.60-$0.90

Type: Sporting Dogs

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Rice or Rice/Oats or Rice/Barley/Oats or Millet/Quinoa

Grain-Free Starches: Potatoes/Legumes/Tapioca

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High/Low (grain-inclusive), Moderate (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Bacillus Coagulans only

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Not discussed

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: None

Ownership: Individual (Tim Hunt)

Location: U.S. (Michigan Upper Peninsula)

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 2 Stars (grain-inclusive)

Summary: Dr. Tim’s products are primarily intended for highly active dogs and contain antibiotic-free chicken. Most grain-free products contain oats or millet (and thus are likely to be contaminated with glyphosate); while one version contains just brown rice as a binder, Cocoa has been reluctant to eat it. Grain-free versions contain tapioca and potatoes, which may be problematic for at least some dogs.

 

Dr. Tim’s is an independently owned company located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

It was founded by Tim Hunt, a veterinarian and devoted dogsled musher, and focuses mostly on foods for very active and athletic dogs.

Some products designed for dogs living a “casual” lifestyle are sold as well.

The foods are stated as including either wild-caught Alaskan salmon or antibiotic-free chicken sourced from the U.S.

I was not able to obtain any information about how the chickens are kept or what they eat.

Cocoa has tried two products from Dr. Tim’s.

The first was Dr. Tim’s Momentum, which is stated as being appropriate for “ultra-athletic dogs” and containing proteins that are 98% derived from animal sources. The food contains 35% protein and 25% fat, with main ingredients consisting of chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, ocean herring meal, beet pulp, dried egg product, flaxseed, chicken liver meal, menhaden fish oil and dried porcine plasma. It is available only in 18-pound and 40-pound bags costing about $50-90.

The second was Dr. Tim’s Pursuit, which is stated as having 30% protein (with 93% of the protein derived from animal sources) and 20% fat. The main ingredients are chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, whole oat groats, beet pulp, dried egg product, rice bran, menhaden fish oil, ocean herring meal, ground whole flaxseed meal, catfish meal, chicken liver meal, salmon meal, dried porcine plasma and lecithin.

Cocoa once ate a small bowl of the Momentum when all his other food dishes were empty but has totally refused it on many other occasions.

He never has eaten any of the Pursuit at all.

The grain-free foods from Dr. Tim’s contain both tapioca and potatoes (both of which Cocoa has consistently refused to eat) and so I have not bothered to have him try these.

Considering that Cocoa does not seem to like the Momentum (which I considered to be the most promising food in the Dr. Tim’s line), I don’t think that I would buy from this company again.

 

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Dog Food Advisor

Dr. Tim’s: 5 Stars

Dr. Tim’s Grain-Free: 5 Stars

 

Dr. Tim’s Highly Athletic Momentum

Cost (18 lb): $49

Cost Per Day: $0.68

35% protein, 25% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Natural Tocopherols, A Source Of Vitamin E), Ocean Herring Meal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp (Sugar Removed), Dried Egg Product, Ground Whole Flaxseed Meal, Dried Chicken Liver Meal, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Natural Tocopherols, A Source Of Vitamin E), Dried Porcine Plasma, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Lecithin (Sunflower Derived), DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Kelp Meal, Dried Chicory Root (Source Of Inulin), Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Psyllium Seed Husk, Choline Chloride, Taurine, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Beta Carotene, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Inositol, Niacin Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Source Of Vitamin B1), Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source Of Vitamin B6), Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Source Of Vitamin B2), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Potassium Iodide (Source Of Iodine), Manganous Oxide, Selenium, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement, L-Carnitine, Folic Acid.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.5

 

Dr. Tim’s Grain-Free Kenesis

Cost (5 lb): $16

Cost Per Day: $0.80

32% protein, 18% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Dried White Potatoes, Dried Field Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Natural Tocopherols, A Source Of Vitamin E), Tapioca, Dried Plain Beet Pulp (Sugar Removed), Dried Egg Product, Catfish Meal, Ocean Herring Meal, Ground Whole Flaxseed, Menhaden Fish Oil, Chicken Liver Meal, Salmon Meal, Dried Porcine Plasma, Dried Carrots, Dried Celery, Dried Beets, Dried Parsley, Dried Lettuce, Dried Watercress, Dried Spinach, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Lecithin (Sunflower Derived), Dried Kelp, Dried Chicory Root (Source Of Inulin), L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Psyllium Seed Husks, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Beta Carotene, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Inositol, Niacin Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Source Of Vitamin B1), Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source Of Vitamin B6), Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Source Of Vitamin B2), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Potassium Iodide (Source Of Iodine), Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Folic Acid.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5.0

 

EARTHBORN HOLISTIC

Living Clean Rating: 2 Stars (grain-free), 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Sub-Brands: Grain-Free, Ancient Grains, Venture

Cost Per Day: $0.90-$1.10

Type: Pet Store

Meat Quality: Apparently conventional (Grain-Free line); cage-free/grass-fed/sustainably caught (some items in Venture and Unrefined lines)

Meat Quantity: Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Quinoa/Pumpkin/Buckwheat/Oats

Grain-Free Starches: Legumes/Tapioca or Pumpkin/Tapioca or Butternut Squash/Tapioca

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High (grain-inclusive), Moderate/Low (grain-free)

Mycotoxin Risk: Moderate

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: Yes

Probiotics: Variety

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Not clear

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: None

Ownership: Family (Midwestern Pet Foods)

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.5-5.0 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 1 Star (grain-inclusive)

Summary: Although some products from Earthborn Holistics are said to include better-quality meats, the grain-inclusive items all include ingredients likely to be contaminated with glyphosate and the grain-free versions all contain tapioca (which I consider to be a suspect food for dogs).

 

Earthborn Holistics is a family-owned company producing dog foods that have an emphasis on “wholesome natural nutrition.”

In terms of ingredients sourcing, the company states:

Midwestern Pet Foods sources all ingredients from US suppliers whenever possible. Some examples of ingredients that must be sourced outside the US are lamb meal from Australia or New Zealand, tapioca from Vietnam and Thailand, flaxseed from Canada and krill meal from Antarctica. Vitamin premixes are formulated, sourced and blended in the United States by a US company in a human grade facility.

The company’s main line of grain-free kibble contains substantial amounts of tapioca (which Cocoa will not eat) as well as conventionally raised meat/fish. I thus have not bothered to have Cocoa try those products.

The company’s “Venture” limited-ingredient line is focused on serving dogs with food sensitivities. Varieties include Smoked Wild Boar (“humanely hunted in Europe”), Smoked Turkey (“from family farms in Midwestern USA”), Roasted Lamb (“pasture-raised in the hillsides of New Australia and New Zealand”), Roasted Rabbit (“born and raised in the Pays de la Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Brittany regions of France”), Duck Meal (“farm-raised from France”) and Alaska Pollock Meal (“wild-caught”).

In early 2020, Cocoa tried the Earthborn Holistic Venture Rabbit and Pumpkin dog kibble. It included rabbit meal, pumpkin, peas, pea protein, sunflower oil, flaxseed and natural flavors (along with nutritional supplements) as the only ingredients.

Cocoa would not eat this food at all.

Earthborn Holistic has since reformulated the Venture line so that the ingredients in the rabbit version now consist of rabbit, pumpkin, tapioca, Alaska pollock meal, sunflower oil, flaxseed and natural flavors (plus nutritional supplements).

The tapioca is said to be sourced from Vietnam and Thailand (rather than Brazil) and so may relatively low in toxicity compared to most tapioca.

However, it seems that Cocoa hates tapioca regardless of where it is grown and so we have not tried any of the new Venture products.

Also fairly recently, Earthborn Holistic began selling a new grain-inclusive line of products called “Unrefined.”

Products in the line are Earthborn Holistic Unrefined Smoked Turkey (free-range, vegetable-fed, antibiotic-free), Earthborn Holistic Unrefined Smoked Salmon (sustainably sourced, antibiotic-free), Earthborn Holistic Unrefined Roasted Rabbit (cage-free, antibiotic-free), and Earthborn Holistic Unrefined Roasted Lamb (grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic-free).

The binders are quinoa, pumpkin/butternut squash, buckwheat, oatmeal, flaxseed and chia.

I obtained samples of all four versions of the food from the company and offered them to Cocoa.

He ate a couple of pieces of some of the varieties but then ignored the food entirely.

My guess is that both the oatmeal and the buckwheat in the products were glyphosate-contaminated.

I do get the feeling from all of this that Earthborn Holistic seems to be trying hard to make a reasonably non-toxic and quality food that will not be unprofitable for them.

As things stand now though, I would be disinclined to buy any of their current products for any dog that I might acquire.

 

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Earthborn Holistic Grain-Free: 5 Stars

Earthborn Holistic Venture: 4.5 Stars

 

Earthborn Holistic Venture Rabbit Meal & Pumpkin

Cost (4 lb); $17

Cost Per Day: $1.06

26% protein, 13% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Rabbit Meal, Pumpkin, Tapioca, Alaska Pollock Meal, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supple-ment, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

 

Earthborn Holistic Unrefined Smoked Turkey with Ancient Grains

Cost (4 lb): $15

Cost Per Day: $0.94

24% protein, 17% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Turkey, Quinoa, Pumpkin, Buckwheat, Dried Eggs, Turkey Meal, Oatmeal, Flaxseed, Chia, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavors, Salmon Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Kale, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, Olive Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, Beta-Carotene, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Cocoa Rating: 1

 

EUKANUBA

Living Clean Rating: 2 Stars (grain-inclusive)

Sub-Brands: Active, Athlete, Professional

Cost Per Day: $0.45-$0.70

Type: Sporting Dogs

Meat Quality: Conventional

Meat Quantity: High/Moderate

Grain-Inclusive Starches: Corn/Wheat/Sorghum/Barley

Grain-Free Starches: No Products

Starch Quality: Conventional

Glyphosate Risk: High

Mycotoxin Risk: High

“Human Grade”: Not mentioned

Chicken-Free Versions: No

Probiotics: No

Preservatives: Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary, Citric Acid

Synthetics: Yes

China Ingredients: Not guaranteed

Resealable Bags: No

Recalls: Yes

Ownership: Mars

Location: U.S.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 5 Stars

Cocoa Rating: 2 Stars (grain-inclusive)

Summary: Eukanuba (developed by Iams and now owned by Mars) produces foods intended mostly for active dogs and apparently containing all conventional ingredients. All products contain corn that may be contaminated with mycotoxins (though I’m of the impression that testing may be more stringent than with some brands), and most also contain wheat and sorghum (which may be contaminated with glyphosate as well as mycotoxins).

 

Eukanuba is a line of foods designed for active dogs that was originally created by Paul Iams of The Iams Company in 1969.

Procter & Gamble purchased The Iams Company (including the Eukanuba brand) in 1999 and then sold it to the large candy and pet food conglomerate Mars Inc. in 2014.

The Eukanuba website stresses “the power of nutritional science” with little discussion of ingredient quality.

Both the meats as well as the starches seem to be conventional industrial foods.

While the products apparently contain fair amounts of meat, the starches – corn, wheat, sorghum and barley – are all typically contaminated with substantial amounts of mycotoxins and/or glyphosate.

Probably this food was a lot better when it was invented in 1969, due to the fact that glyphosate was not in widespread use back then.

Cocoa tried the Eukanuba Medium Breed Chicken Puppy food. The main ingredients are chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn, sorghum, brewers rice, chicken flavor, beet pulp, chicken fat, dried egg product, fish oil and brewers dried yeast.

Cocoa at first seemed more enthusiastic about this food than about most dog foods and ate a few handfuls of it.

He then gave up on it entirely, never demonstrating any additional interest in eating any of it.

This is the same pattern that he has shown with other veterinary brands, including Purina Pro Plan, Hill’s, Iams, and some varieties of Royal Canin.

My guess is that all of these products include especially attractive flavor enhancers that have briefly distracted Cocoa from the moderate amounts of toxicity in the foods.

In this particular food, glyphosate as well as mycotoxins may have played a role.

Although I do not think that I would consider buying any of the Eukanuba versions that contain sorghum again, I still am a little interested in two other formulas that are intended for highly active dogs and that contain only rice, corn, wheat gluten and pea fiber as the binders.

Eukanuba Premium Performance 30/20 Sport has the main ingredients of chicken by-product meal, corn, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten, corn gluten meal, natural flavors, beet pulp, pea fiber, fish oil and vegetable oil. It contains 30% protein and 20% fat.

Eukanuba Premium  Performance 26/16 Exercise has the main ingredients of chicken by-product meal, corn, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten, corn gluten meal, natural flavors, beet pulp, fish oil and pea fiber. It contains 26% protein and 16% fat.

Unfortunately, these foods are sold only in 28-pound bags that cost about $70.

Eventually we may give one of them a try though.

 

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Visit Eukanuba

 

Dog Food Advisor

Eukanuba: 5 Stars

 

Recalls

Salmonella (2010)

 

Eukanuba Chicken

Cost (5 lb): $14

Cost Per Day: $0.70

25% protein, 16% fat, 10% moisture

Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn, Wheat, Chicken Fat, Ground Grain Sorghum, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Salt, Fructooligosaccharides, Calcium Carbonate, Fish Oil, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid], Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Trace Minerals [Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Magnesium Oxide, Rosemary Extract, Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid.

Dog Food Advisor Rating: 4.5

 

About the Authors

Lisa Petrison is the founder of Paradigm Change and Mold Avoiders.

Her Ph.D. is in marketing and social psychology from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Her cockapoo Cocoa (born in April 2019) is her first dog as an adult.

This article is part of a forthcoming series on choosing healthful and non-toxic dog foods.

Please sign up to receive Living Clean in a Dirty World email notifications of future articles in the series as well as other information on pursuing a toxicity-free life.

This article series contains affiliate links for several online retailers (including Chewy, Only Natural, Vitacost, Amazon and Walmart). Clicking on these links may result in a small percentage of subsequent sales being directed to Paradigm Change and used to subsidize the costs of running the Paradigm Change and Mold Avoiders websites.

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