Understanding Dog Food Star Ratings

Understanding Dog Food Star Ratings

If you were to randomly pick five dog foods off the pet store shelf and pour them into five separate bowls, they would probably look very similar. Kibble is kibble – at least, that’s what many dog owners assume to be the case. What you may not realize, however, is that not all dog foods are created equal. Though a $15 dog food might look the same as a $50 dog food, they are completely different when it comes to the quality of their ingredients and manufacture. This is why it is important that you don’t just shop for dog food by price alone. At the same time, however, you can assume that just because a dog food is expensive that it is also high-quality.

If you want your dog to live a long, healthy, and active life, the best thing you can do is provide him with a high-quality diet. Unfortunately, you can’t always take pet food manufacturers at their word when they label their products using words like “premium” or “natural”. Pet food isn’t regulated as closely as people food, so some of these terms don’t have a specific definition – pet food manufacturers can use them at will. This means that you’ll have to use other means to determine whether a particular product offers high-quality nutrition or not – you’ll have to review the guaranteed analysis and check the ingredients list to make your own determination about the product.

Reading a pet food label is very similar to reading labels for human food, but it is a skill that takes time to learn. In order to understand the information you find on a pet food label, you need to understand your dog’s basic nutritional needs as well as the way different ingredients impact the nutritional value of a dog food product. Fortunately for you, we’ve already done the work of qualifying the top brands of dog food on the market. You can view an in-depth and unbiased review of the most popular pet food brands simply by clicking on the links below.

But we don’t just want to tell you which brands are the best – we want you to understand why. So, here is an explanation of how we assign star ratings to each of the dog food brands we review:

5-Star Dog Food Brands

4-Star Dog Food Brands

3-Star Dog Food Brands

2-Star Dog Food Brands

1-Star Dog Food Brands

The links above will take you to list of dog food brands that fall into each category. You’ll also receive an explanation of what qualifications a dog food brand must meet in order to be grouped into that category. Use this information when you are ready to start shopping for your dog’s food. And remember, the quality of your dog’s diet is directly related to his health and wellness so buy the highest quality dog food you can consistently afford. It is worth spending a few extra dollars a month to give your dog something made with fresh, wholesome ingredients.