Give them quality food from a reliable source
Nutritious dog foods are so important to the health of your dog! That does not mean I don’t have fun treats here too!
With dogs being harmed in modern times from poor quality, cheap dog foods… we really need to invest a little time to find ones that are worthwhile for our loyal, loving companion! Many cheap pet foods are corn based. This is because of the affordability and availability of the corn.
Why corn causes problems in pet foods – valuable to know
I used to think the damage caused by cheap cat and dog foods was the corn’s fault, but no, it is more complicated than that. The corn when stored in bulk in the wrong conditions becomes unhealthy. When it is not dried out properly, or becomes/stays damp, will grow mold. These molds can be very dangerous and spread incredibly quickly. Brief exposure contaminates the bulk storage. But infestation can also spread rapidly and lead to issues.
These molds can be toxic and/or cause food sensitivities and allergies. The easiest way to avoid this risk is to avoid corn based pet foods. I can help with those corn free choices.
Digestibility problem of corn
Another even further problem of corn is that shell. Human beings cannot digest that cellulose shell either. That is a portion of the corn that is not digestible and when the whole kernel is used, that is the part that just passes through…
I will cover the dog foods, but first… some fun stuff!
Dog treats…these are high-rated, best-sellers for a reason…
Greenies and Dentastix are a treat that is very good for your dog’s teeth…
Treats with healthy ingredients…
These are grain free and lots of natural ingredients. Ingredients: Chicken, Barley, Sweet Potato, Oats, Rye, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols [vitamin E]), Parmesan Cheese, Tomato Pomace.
The ingredients are just freeze-dried chicken and mixed tocopherols (anti-oxidants).
Dog Biscuits
Buddy Biscuits – peanut butter flavor here, but there is also the choice of bacon & cheese or chicken. The peanut butter ones have whole wheat flower, peanut butter, canola oil, mixed tocopherols, and rosemary extract.
How about an even more special treat ?!? CAKE
I am biased… I just love cake! Puppy Cake Wheat-Free Peanut Butter Cake Mix and Frosting for Dogs. I love making cakes for my family and wouldn’t it be great to make one for your best friend? It is a very highly rated and a best-selling item.
Here is the high-rated, best-selling dog foods
I have a lot of information for the 2 highest rated dog food and this rating scale will help you gauge the quality of the others too. None of these dog foods are lower than 3/5 stars. There are other Rachel Ray dog food brands not included in this list that are below this rating scale.
Taste of the Wild Dog Food
I was feeding this to my dog before 2012. They had a recall around that time.
Lawsuits: Grossman v. Schell & Kampeter Inc. d/b/a Diamond Pet Foods et al. in 2018, Jackson et al. v. Schell & Kampeter Inc. d/b/a Diamond Pet Foods et al. in 2019. Both of these lawsuits were claiming presence of heavy metals and pesticides in lab analysis.
I have found a similar lawsuit and time-frame for the makers of Orijen and Acana brand dog food.
This is an example of a good dog food that became very bad. If you don’t keep up on the information about them… you can miss important changes…
Blue Buffalo Dog Foods
The first 8 ingredients (major quantity) are excellent in this food. Carb content is a little higher. This line of dog food has both grain-inclusive and grain-free included. These have brown rice.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
This does above average on the nutritional mix and quality of ingredients. It may be of interest that it contains a lot of peas and pea protein.
24 lbs
Wellness Core
This food is above average on quality and the first 8 ingredients that are in greatest quanitity are very good. The mix is above average on protein and below average on carbs, which is great to see. It has prebiotic in a natural source from chicory root and lots of good ingredients in the small amount end too such as taurine (amino acid).
This is the highest rated food in the list. The company says that they follow rigid manufacturing procedures and protocols and their processing plant is meticulously sanitized. They do not use artificial flavors, preservatives, or chemicals in the dog foods. Quality ingredients are used in a healthy mix. Here is their ingredient list, which includes rice and barley: https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/our-philosophy/quality-ingredients.
26 lbs
Rachel Ray Dog Foods
Zero Grain Turkey and Potato, Nutrish Just 6 Lamb and Rice This particular line of her dog food does very well on quality. The first 9 ingredients are very good quality. They do, however use beef meal and fish meal in a very small amount.
Maybe you would like to put some gravy on dog foods too!
| Ingredients: | Beef: Chicken Broth, Chicken, Beef, Chicken Liver, Pork Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Potassium Chloride, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity). |
| Ingredients: | Tuna: Chicken Broth, Tuna, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pork Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Potassium Chloride, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Salt, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity). |
| Ingredients: | Chicken: Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pork Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Potassium Chloride, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Salt, Dried Tomatoes, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity). |
Is your dog eating that dog food too fast?
Special food dish
Here is a great way to slow them down. This one is small, but there are other sizes and colors of bowls you can also get here… 4.6 out of 5 stars for over 6,400 reviews
Food dispensing toys
PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble Meal Dispensing Dog Toy This is large, but there are other sizes here as well. The plus is they entertain your dog, the minus is that they travel and so can the eating mess. All of these type of dispensers are rated 3 to 3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars for over 1,100 reviews
Kong Classic Dog Toy This is the best known puzzle feed toy for dogs. I like this red one because it is easy to spot in the yard… 4.4 out of 5 stars for over 4,600 reviews
SCHITEC Dog Chew Toy Interactive Pet Toy That Is Durable MUSHROOM Shaped Rubber Treat Dispenser That Cleans Teeth This one works much like the Kong toy but is more textured. Available in red and yellow rubber that is quite tough.. You can order the red or yellow one… or a red AND yellow one here… 4.3 out of 5 stars for over 1,100 reviews
Dog fountain
This is an extremely popular fountain that holds 100 oz. It has a changeable filter, BPA free material that can go in the top shelf of the dishwasher. The pump is low-voltage and very quiet. 4 out 5 stars for over 880 reviews
Food storage that is a roll around to be more handy…
When you have pet food sitting around in bowls on a regular basis, this can attract bugs and pests. Isn’t it great to have a container that you can seal up your pet food supplies inside?!? Keep that food fresher and protected. Keep your pet food under control. Mine is just like these… but only has 2 wheels in the back so it is roll around like roll around luggage.
IRIS USA Airtight Pet Food Storage Container. This is 33 Qts (over 68 lbs), but you can order it here in 12 Qts (25 lbs), 14.8 (over 30 lbs), 33, 42.7 (89 lbs), and 47 (98 lbs). You can sure find the size range you want…
IRIS USA Premium Airtight Pet Food Storage Container for Dog Food Storage, Cat Food Storage, Bird Seed Storage. This one comes in the 55 Qt or 45 lb size, but you can order it in 12.5, 22, 45, and 55 lb size.
