10 Best dog food choices

If you do an online search for the words best dog food right now, you`re likely to get over 700 million results to choose from!

If you`re like me, you don`t have the time to wade through that amount of information to figure out what`s the best food for your pet!

So to make life a little easier I`ve put together a list of what I believe to be the Top Ten Best Dog Food Brands on the market right now.

When you`re choosing a dog food for Fido, the most important thing to consider is the quality of the ingredients..... because that`s what takes a food from mediocre to GREAT.

Wholesome, natural ingredients are obviously best, and you want to avoid artificial ingredients as much as possible. 

Organic, grain-free and even vegetarian options are available too.

My Top 10 Dog Food Picks

Just as there are a LOT of different dog food options to choose from, there are also a lot of different dog food manufacturers.

Here are the ones that I personally feel are producing high-quality dog food, with superior ingredients...

You can also use these quick links to jump straight to :

• What`s in your dog food?
• Related pages & articles

When it comes to the best rated dog foods, the superior ones do cost more initially.

However, the good news is that your dog needs to eat less of them, yet gets a much higher level of nutrition... so they`re a lot more cost-effective than you might think.

But not everyone`s budget can stretch to themost expensive brands.

So in my choice of the 10 best dog food brands,I`ve included a couple of more mid-priced foods that are still excellentin terms of quality and provide really good value for money.

Although I can`t (and don`t want to) tell you what to feed your pet, I hope this information will make it a bit easier for you to choose what`s best for your dog, lifestyle and situation.

Please Note! The dog food brands listed here are not in any particular order and the first food isn`t `ranked` more highly than the last.

This multi-generational family owned company has been producing qualitypet foods for 30 years, and their current lines are second to none!

Buy Precise Here
Manufacturer`s Website

Well worthy of being on any `Top 10` best dog food list, they offerthree different ranges (Precise Original, Precise Plus and PreciseHolistic Complete) and have formulas to suit large breeds, small breeds,seniors and those with certain food sensitivities. Something for justabout everyone in fact.

Their manufacturing plant is USDA/AIBCertified `Excellent`, has an excellent safety record and no foodrecalls. All natural, human grade ingredients, naturally preserved, andwith several different varieties to choose from. Dry foods are packagedby the company themselves to maintain quality.

The `Pet Business` Magazine Award for 2010 in the `Best Pet Food Category` went to Precise Holistic Select line 

A high-protein, low-carbohydrate and grain-free range thatprovides what they call a `biologically-appropriate` diet for your dog. 

Owned by Champion Pet Foods, an award-winning, independent Canadian company.

Buy Orijen Here
Manufacturer`s Website

This means that their foods are formulated to meet the natural dietaryrequirements of canines.

Made up from 70% meat and 30% fruit andvegetables, this Orijen dog food closely matches a dogs` naturalcarnivorous diet.

Orijen was voted Pet Food Of The Year 2010-2011 by The Glycemic Research Institute.

Castor & Pollux offer two excellent lines of dog food.

The `Organix` range whose formulas are packed full of premium certified-organic ingredients and the `Natural Ultramix` which contains several healthy and well-balanced grain-free formulas.

Buy Castor & Pollux Here
Manufacturer`s Website

Since it`s creation 15 years ago, Castor & Pollux has grown to become one of the leading names in natural and organic pet food. 

The first brand-name in natural pet food and supplies, Castor & Pollux now offers the most complete line of USDA-certified organic food for your pets in the USA.

Originally a family-owned company, Castor & Pollux joined Merrick Pet Care Inc in 2012 to produce both dry and canned organic recipes. All products are made right here in the United States.

The company is committed to helping animals in need and partners with non-profit pet rescue organizations across the country and provides food for shelter pets.

Castor & Pollux pet foods are manufactured in Texas at facilities which passes stringent food safety audits to receive the `Safe Quality Food Level 3 Certification` in 2013.

A leader in holistic pet nutrition, Solid Gold foods are often seen ontop 10 best dog food lists compiled by dog nutrition experts, and inconsumer reports.

Buy Solid Gold Here
Manufacturer`s Website

Eight different ranges of dog food, all madewith premium ingredients and are specifically designed to suit dogs withallergies or sensitivities.

All dry foods are packed in thecompany`s special `foil barrier` bags which eliminates the need forchemical preservatives or flavor enhancers. Choose fromWolfking/Wolfpuppy, Hund-N-Flocken/Hundchen and others including the newhigh-protein/low carb adult dog food `Barking at the Moon`.

Avoderm`s uniqueness and huge success is not only due to the premium quality of it`s ingredients but to one specific ingredient... avocados. 

Buy Avoderm Here
Manufacturer`s Website

Avoderm pet food formulas are produced by Breeder`s Choice Pet Foods, and industry leader who is considered to be one of the purest, premium natural pet food manufacturers - and has been in business for over 50 years.

The addition of avocado makes this range a great choice for dogs with skin and coat problems. It`s been called a `miracle` product and is one of the company`s very best selling ranges.

The company also partners with a non-profit animal rescue foundation to help save pets who are out of time at local pounds and shelters as well as supporting ARF`s Food Share program that helps low-income families feed their pets.

All Avoderm (and Breeder`s Choice) pet foods and treats are made in the USA.

Described as a `biologically-appropriate` diet, Acana foods uses a high-protein, low-carb formula to produce dog food which mimics the natural diet that a dog`s body was designed to eat.

Owned by award-winning, independent Canadian pet food company Champion Pet Foods (as is the superior Orijen range).

Buy Acana Here

Manufacturers` Website

Acana foods are made from only wholesome, fresh and natural ingredients... never frozen, dried or powdered. Totally preservative free.

With several different formulas to choose from there`s bound to be a food with the ingredients your dog needs, and which suits his size, age, activity level, health and preferences.

To maintain maximum nutrients and flavor, all formulas are prepared by steam cooking at Champion`s award-winning kitchens in Alberta, Canada.

This is also a holistic range of dog foods, and all varieties are 100%free of corn, wheat, soy, chemicals, and artificial colors &preservatives.

Buy Nature`s Variety Here
Manufacturer`s Website

The Prarie range contains meat, poultry, or fish protein,whole grains, plus fruits and vegetables.

The Instinct range is grainfree, and there`s also a frozen raw food option.

Timberwolf foods offer a range of superior, carnivore specific formulasmade with high levels of animal based protein, multiple grains, fruits,vegetables, seeds and herbs.

Buy Timberwolf Here
Manufacturer`s Website

It is also concentrated and nutrientdense, so your dog will get maximum nutrition from a smaller quantity offood.. and pass fewer, more compact stools.

Video: Buying Dog Food in India Tips

A holistic range of pet foods, made primarily with human-gradeingredients.

Buy Wellness Here
Manufacturer`s Website

Wellness uses whole foods, with no meat by-products,preservatives, fillers, or artificial colors and flavors.

The Super5mixrange contains age and breed specific holistic dog foods that meet theunique requirements of puppies/dogs of all ages.

The CORE range is grainfree and protein-focused, and the Simple Food Solutions range has beendesigned specifically for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities.

Based in B.C. Canada, this company produces the Now!, Go! and Summit dog foods.

Buy Now! Dog Food Here
Buy Go! Dog Food Here
Manufacturer`s Website

Now!is a totally grain free range and ingredients include only fresh,hormone free, deboned meats plus farm-fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are no rendered meats or oils, no by-products. Low temperature,slow-cooking methods preserve the wholesomeness and nutritionalexcellence of the ingredients.

These foods are particularly good fordogs with digestive tract problems such as IBS (irritable bowelsyndrome/disease), Pancreatitis or Chronic Renal Failure.

Go!Natural dog food is a completely natural, concentrated (or`nutrient-dense`), all-life-stages formula designed to give your dog awell-balanced, wholesome nutrition from puppyhood to senior citizenstatus.

Ingredients include fresh, hormone-free, deboned meat and freshfruits and vegetables. There are four different foods, one of them isgrain free.

You Need To Know What`s In Your Dog`s Food!

Dog food labels and packaging can be very confusing, and often misleading too. All sorts of claims, colorful graphics and advertising slogans can mask the reality of what is inside that bag.

Plus the ingredient lists can be so long that your brain switches off half way through!

So, where to start? With basic guidelines I think.

At the very minimum requirement of any food is that it has this statement on the bag or pouch... `provides a complete and balanced diet

Thismeans that the food meets the AAFCO (Association of American FeedControl Officials) guidelines for nutrition and has been tested orevaluated in some way. BUT, many poor quality dog foods carry thiswording because the standards are not overly high.

Any other wording or phrases such as `premium` or `super premium`,`choice` or `all natural` have no real significance and quite often norelevance to the quality of the food inside the bag either!.

They`re just slogans usedto promote that particular food brand, and to appeal to our human senses.

So, the next thing tolook at is the ingredient list itself, this is much more important and more revealing.

The first 3 ingredients are theones that make up the majority of the food and if you know what to look for you often don`t even have to read further than these three to know whether or not it`s a premium quality dog food or not.

This is what you want to see in anyfood that makes a `10 best dog food` list:

• First on the listshould be a good source of high-quality protein. You want to see it listed by name as `chicken`, `lamb` etc. - just saying `meat` is NOTgood enough.That`s a generic `catch all` for a lot of stuff you`d rather not know about! Meal, as in `Chicken Meal or `Lamb `Meal` is also fine, and should be just as nutritious as the fresh meat ingredient. But no MEAT-meal.

• Mostpremium foods will also contain some carbohydrates, usually from grainssuch as rice, barley or oats. This is fine, but you don`t want to seehalf a dozen different grains or `hulls`.

• Fats are important andthe best sources are healthy oils such as olive oil or flax oil, oranimal fats such as `chicken fat` (again avoid generic `animal fat`.Seeing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids is a good indication that you`relooking at a quality dog food.

• Fruits, vegetables, plus addedvitamins/minerals may also appear on the ingredient list of a premiumfood. All preservatives should be natural, such as Vitamin E or VitaminC.

• Avoid foods that contain artificial additives, preservatives, fillers or `junk`.

• Allingredients should be from USDA inspected facilities if possible, orfrom facilities within countries that have rigorous quality controlprocedures that meet USDA requirements.

The second mostimportant aspect of choosing the best dog food is making sure that it`s a goodfit for your dog.

What works for one dog, won`t necessarilywork for another... breed, size, age, activity level and so on, all playa part in determining the type of nutrition your dog needs to be healthy and happy.

Ifyour dog has chronic health problems, allergies and so on, it`simportant to know that some health conditions can be aggravated byparticular ingredients,or need a very specific balance of nutrients, and there are specialdog food formulas for these types of problems.

But, if your pup ordog suffers from a serious condition such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, heart problemsthen you should always check with your own vet for advice on feeding him/her.

If you own a large or giant breed puppy, it`s important to feed him a puppy food that is relatively low in protein. This is because big puppies grow incredibly fast and you want to control that growth rate as much as possible to avoid bone/joint issues.

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