Catagorizing Kibble

There are alot of good kibbles now.  Nature's Variety, Natrual Balance, California Natural, Innova, Candidae, Chicken Soup, etc.
 
The thing is that some foods work better for some dogs than others.  So, that's just something you have to find out on your own with each dog.  So, no one can list in descending order which is best.  It can be very different for each dog.
 
Two things I would caution on:  One:  Don't use every singe type of meat available.  Some of the more exotic meats are best left alone because one day you might have to do a food trial if your dog becomes allergic to something.  This is an elimination diet and during this testing phase you have to use a meat, veggie, carb that your dog has NEVER had before.  For example, right now one of my dogs is on this diet, and we are using canned rabbit, quinoa, and mixed veggies for the diet.
 
Second:  Having said the above, I will say you should rotate sources of food (different brands of kibble), as well as the meat sources.  Maybe chicken from one kibble, beef from another, turkey, etc.  Use the basic meat sources and rotate because if a dog stays on just one type of food, they can become allergic to that one food.  So, use different meats.  Also rotate brands, as long as it suits your particular dog and doesn't cause problems.  This is because the minerals and vitamins that are used are different for each manufacuter.  Say brand #1 is within guidlines, but is on the upper end of copper.  Well, that won't show up short term, but it could be a problem long term.  So, maybe brand #2 isn't high on copper, but is high or low on manganese.  So, by switching brands you are more able to even out any problems with the minerals in the particular food.  There can be a large varience of what is "acceptable" for these nutrients.

yooper_at_heart
 
What is the chemical that nutro uses that you are talking about?
 
 

I don't think it's useful to do that kind of ranking. I think of kibbles in functional ranks. There's different functions and you can apply multiple labels to the same food.

Economics is the easiest characteristic to quantify. It's important to remember however, that comparing cost must include amount fed. The scale goes very low to very high here - I can personally get everything between 20 cents a pound up to more than 3 dollars a pound, locally.

Energy available per serving. Important for performance dogs or picky eaters, or for toy breeds. Energy is usually increased in dog food by increasing protein and fat (properly so).

Protein sources. Animal or plant, by products or whole meats. etc. Also single source for allergies.

Carb sources. Fractions? Lots-o-corn? Grain heavy? Single source?

Special needs: Puppy, senior/lite, allergy, super energy dense, breed needs

When I look at a dog, I evaluate its needs and then look at what I have available to meet those needs - and of course I also draw on the resources I have as a raw/whole food feeder, too. I have certain preferences - I don't feed foods with grain fractions (excpet corn gluten meal), no soy at all (I'm personally allergic to soy and can't handle a food with soy in it), no wheat, and the list goes on.

Make your own list and then make a chart of what you have available based on those needs and preferences. You can cut through some of the hype and perhaps give yourself several different options to choose from, which is good for your dog. []

ORIGINAL: chasza


Two things I would caution on:  One:  Don't use every singe type of meat available.  Some of the more exotic meats are best left alone because one day you might have to do a food trial if your dog becomes allergic to something. 

Thank you for posting this. I think this is INCREDIBLY important, and too many people forget this when rotating foods. To the best of my knowledge there is no true evidence that rotating prevents allergies, and you should always save a protein/carb source "just in case" you need it.