“When choosing dog food, make sure it meets the standards outlined by AAFCO, which should be noted on the packaging.”
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“The Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) has developed specific guidelines for defining ingredients, testing, feeding trial protocols, and official terminology for dog foods,” explains Dr. If you’re uncertain about your dog’s life stage and particular food needs, talk to your vet to figure out what type of food will work best. A growing puppy has different nutritional needs than an adult dog, and a dog who is overweight shouldn’t be given the same food as a highly active sporting dog. Your dog’s age, size, lifestyle, and medical conditions should all factor into your choice of a dog food brand. What to Look for in a Dog Food Brand Intended Life Stage If you’re looking for a less-expensive dog food, Pedigree ( view at Chewy) offers complete and balanced formulas for dogs of all ages. This highly trusted brand is extremely transparent about its processes, and it offers a wide range of formulas for dogs of all sizes, ages, and lifestyles.
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No matter what type of dog you own, Purina Pro Plan is a top choice for its dog food. The recipes meet the nutritional guidelines established by AAFCO, but it’s unclear whether they were formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. It has formulas for adults, puppies, and seniors, as well as a variety of protein flavors. The Honest Kitchen sells several types of dog food, including dehydrated, wet, and “whole food clusters,” which is the equivalent of dry food. (However, “human-grade” does not automatically mean the food has appropriate levels of nutrients, so it’s important that it also meets AAFCO guidelines.) The Honest Kitchen is one of the top brands that offers human-grade dog food, and its products are made without any "feed grade" ingredients or meat meals, fillers, feed grade by-products, corn, wheat, or soy. While there are no official regulations that dictate what “human-grade” dog food entails, the term is most often used to mean that the food is stored, handled, processed, and transported in the same way as human edible foods. Unclear whether brand employs veterinary nutritionist The brand also uses responsibly sourced ingredients and makes 99% of its pet products in Purina-owned facilities in the United States. Purina Pro Plan dog food meets FDA regulatory standards, and also adheres to nutritional guidelines laid out by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). In addition to well-researched and certified formulations, Purina Pro Plan also incorporates high quality ingredients, with real meat often appearing as the top ingredient. Purina Pro Plan's puppy formula incorporate extra calcium for bone health, while its "Performance" formula for active dogs incorporates a 30% / 20% blend of protein and fat, designed to maintain lean muscle mass. Various formulas also include up-to-the-minute nutritional research, incorporating ingredients such as gut-health promoting probiotics, vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acids that can help promote a healthy coat. In addition to wet and dry options, Purina Pro Plan formulas include food nutritionally designed for adult dogs, puppies of various sizes, senior dogs, and specialized diet support for overweight dogs, sensitive stomachs, and more. Frione often recommends them for her patients. Purina Pro Plan offers more than 80 dog food varieties and Dr. Here are the best dog food brands, according to veterinarians.
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You can learn more about how to evaluate dog food brands in the What To Look For section (below) or in The Spruce Pets guide to choosing a dog food. We evaluated a wide range of dog food brands, seeking advice from veterinarians and researching nutritional certifications to collect the most trustworthy dog food brands available. “Factors to look at include the pet food label, ingredients and guaranteed analysis, the pet's age and the pet's medical state or conditions.” Jennifer Frione, DVM, owner of Lakeside Animal Hospital. “There are numerous aspects to consider when evaluating dog foods,” explains Dr. The right dog food provides complete nutrition and dietary support, sure, but it also has to be a food your dog will love. Dog owners on a budget should check out Pedigree, which offers a wide variety of nutritionally-verified formulas for different dog sizes and ages. Our favorite dog food brand recommended by veterinarians is Purina Pro Plan, which provides validated and comprehensive nutrition in a variety of formulas that can be tailored to your dog.