10 Best Dog Food Recommendations 2010

Please take your time to review our list of the 10 best dog food selections below.

Our conclusions for this list are based upon many weeks of research including ingredients, suppliers and manufacturing practices. We particularly examined the first 5-6 ingredients looking for two or more named meat sources. We also considered the type of grains included (if any). Preservatives and flavorings were also taken into account.

Our recommendations for the 10 best dog food selections were carefully chosen to provide our visitors with a diverse choice of foods that deliver the highest of quality and formula choices such as dry including high and mid-range protein, canned, freeze-dried and raw frozen.

The old addage "you get what you pay for" is no different when it comes to your dog's food. Nevertheless, we understand that a budget doesn't come in a "one size fits all" category.

Our final goal was to provide a lineup of holistic all natural dog food made with superior ingredients and varying in price. While we called other companies; several did not respond. We decided that if they did not want to openly discuss their manufacturing process with us, then we couldn't comfortably add them to our list of top 10 dog food selections. It is our ongoing effort to educate dog owners on the importance of feeding the best quality dog food one can afford.

In some cases we recommend the entire product line, while in other cases we might only recommend specific formulas from a company or brand.

Outside of cooking for your dog, these are our recommendations of the 10 best dog food choices and not necessarily the recommendations of others. Many of the foods, but not all on the 10 best dog food list are higher in protein because we believe that dogs are anatomically meant to eat a meat based diet, not grain.

**Important** We highly recommend that you check with your vet or a canine nutritionist prior to changing your dog's food if he/she has any serious health issues such as liver or kidney disease or other health problems which could be affected by a high protein diet.

It is our understanding that there were no major recalls on any of the foods on our 10 best dog food list.

**Update August 2010** However, according to the fda, there was one minor violation back in 2003 on GO! brand.

Rating	Brand	What Makes This A Top 10 Dog Food
10 Best Dog Food 1.	Orijen	Champion Pet Foods is a family owned Canadian company manufacturing two brands of dog foods; Orijen and Acana. Orijen has received many awards and was recently voted Pet Food Of The Year 2010-2011 by The Glycemic Research Institute, Washington,D.C. Based upon concept, ingredients, food preparation and the manufacturing of their own products, we feel that they are well deserved of the #1 position on our 10 best dog food list. Orijen's Concept: "biologically appropriate foods" which means the ingredients that they use imitate the ingredients that mother nature evolved the animal to eat. Ingredients: Their all natural dog food is high in protein, low in carbohydrates and grain free. Meats are free range and fish is fresh not frozen. Orijen includes a minimum of 25% fruits and veggies such as russet potatoes, apples, berries, alphalfa, sweet potatoes, squash and organic sea kelp to name a few. Manufacturing/Preparation: Champion owns their own pet food processing facilities located in Alberta where they produce both Orijen and Acana pet foods. Ash levels are low due to using fresh boneless meats and the chicken meal is deboned before the cooking process ever takes place. Ash levels are important because high levels of ash result in higher minerals and calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Controlling ash levels are critical for long-term feeding and are extremely important in any dog food. Having such low ash levels in a high protein food is not easy, but Champion Pet Foods has done an excellent job in accomplishing this. Bottom line: Orijen uses the concept of the dog's actual needs based upon anatomy and what the dog would eat if he/she were hunting in the wild. The ingredients in Orijen are superior and the food is prepared with long term feeding in mind. They receive the highest rating on many 10 best dog food lists because of their high standards that shows in the finished product. Contact: 1-877-939-0006
10 Best Dog Food 2.	Acana	Also owned by Champion Pet Foods located in Alberta, Canada. Acana received 5 stars out of 6 from dogfoodanalysis.com for one of the top best quality dog food choices. Acana ranks #2 on our list of the top 10 dog foods: Champion Pet Foods uses the same concept for their Acana line of dog food. "Biologically appropriate foods" applies to their Acana brand as well. Ingredients: The Acana line is not much different in concept or quality, except that it contains less total meat content and protein than Orijen. It is slightly higher in carbs and while Orijen contains 5 meat sources, Acana contains 3. The Acana line currently offers 3 grain free formulas and 3 recipes that include grains such as steel cut oats. It is one of the best quality dog foods available. Here's a look at the first five ingredients in the "Wild Prairie" formula: chicken meal, russet potato, boneless chicken, boneless walleye and whitefish meal. Manufacturing/Preparation: Same applies as Orijen Bottom line: Ranking #2 on our 10 best dog food list; the same applies as Acana's sister food "Orijen". Contact: 1-877-939-0006
10 Best Dog Food 3.	The Honest Kitchen	A privately owned company based in San Diego, CA. The HK uses dehydration which gently processes the food while leaving the natural nutrients intact. According to The HK, dehydration keeps the necessary nutrients including enzymes and vitamins undamaged. The concept behind The Honest Kitchen is to provide a healthy, convenient and economical alternative to a raw diet. Ingredients: The HK uses only free range sustainably farmed and humanely raised meats, certified organic all natural ingredients. Here's a look at some of their ingredients: free range chicken, alfalfa, sweet potatoes, cabbage, celery, apples, spinach, organic kelp, coconut, bananas, zucchini, honey, green beans, papayas and many more. *Please note: The Honest Kitchen currently purchases both celery and cabbage from China due to seasonality and availability. As of May 2010, they are working on purchasing contracts in Europe and North America to eliminate the need to purchase any supplies from China at all. We are told that they should be fully switched in 2-7 months. Manufacturing/Preparation: The Honest Kitchen does not manufacture their products themselves, however, their product line is manufactured in a local facility that produces human foods that must meet strict regulations. Bottom line: Ranking #3 on our 10 best dog food list; the Honest Kitchen has developed a great line of raw, whole, organic, dehydrated foods for dogs. Recipes include traditional foods using organic grains as well as grain free formulas. Minimal processing, superior ingredients, consumer convenience, light weight shipping (save on shipping) and convenient storage. While we love their entire line of dog foods, "Preference" is one of our favorites due to allowing the consumer to make a home-made grain free dog food right in their own kitchen just by adding any source of meat. However, you can add meat or other ingredients to any of their product lines. We feed our yellow lab Maggie The HK "Thrive" as well as "Keen" and rotate the two. Labs can be notorius for having skin and yeast problems. The Honest Kitchen has worked well for our labs in regards to a dog food for skin allergies. Well deserved on any 10 best dog food list. Contact: 1-866-437-9729
10 Best Dog Food 4.	Go! Natural	Privately owned by Petcurean Pet Nutrition located in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. While the company does not manufacture their own product line; they closely monitor quality control. Go! Natural dog food is in concentrated form meaning your dog gets much more from much less. This formula is an "all life stages" formula meaning your dog can eat it from puppyhood through adulthood. The company states that you feed up to 40% less because each kibble includes up to 50% more concentrated meat protein, concentrated energy and metabolized energy. "Go" has several selections to choose from including excellent allergy formulas that include one carb, one protein and one oil. They also have an excellent endurance food that consists of 34% protein and 16% fat. Ingredients: The ingredients in Go! Natural and their other formulas are all fresh and never frozen. PPN uses local hormone-free meats and farm grown fruits/vegetables and stable unaltered oils in all of their products. Their meats are deboned prior to cooking. Manufacturing/Preparation: Elmira Pet Products located in Elmira, Ontario, Canada produces all of PPN's product line. Elmira is a privately owned company formerly known as Martin Pet Foods. Petcurean products are cooked slowly at a low temperature to assure that all nutrients remain absolute. Bottom line: Petcurean Pet Nutrition sets their own standards very high in delivering nothing less than superior products. Their exceptional ingredients along with their triple check safety program meet the requirements for a cut above line of dog food choices. Update: It has come to our attention that back in 2003, Petcurean had a market withdrawl on their GO! product. A market withdrawl involves a minor violation in which the company voluntarily removes the product from the market. Please read more on Petcurean's market withdrawl here. Contact: 1-866-864-6112
10 Best Dog Food 5.	NOW	Also owned by Petcurean Pet Nutrition, British Columbia, Canada. The NOW! pet line is 100% grain free food while maintaining a moderate level of protein and fat. It also includes coconut oil which makes it an excellent choice for dogs with IBD and Pancreatitis. While it can be difficult for manufacturers to keep the phosphorus levels low in grain free dog foods, NOW! has managed to do so which makes it (according to the company) a good choice of food for dogs with Chronic Renal Failure. The NOW! formula offers products for the different life stages of your dog. Ingredients: NOW! is made with unrendered fresh meats in kibble form and does not include meals or by-products. Same applies for NOW! as it does for the GO Natural product line. Manufacturing/Preparation: Same applies as the GO Natural product line! Bottom line: Although we haven't used this food ourselves, we certainly understand how difficult it can be to manage a dog with Irritable Bowel Disease, Pancreatitis and Chronic Renal Failure. Ranking #5 on our 10 best dog food list; NOW! seems to be a great choice for those trying to manage these problems. In "NOW", PPN has developed a grain free dog food with a moderate level of protein using superior ingredients making this product line exceptional. Contact: 1-866-864-6112
10 Best Dog Food 6.	EVO	Owned by Natura Pet Foods, EVO is all natural, high protein, low carb and grain free. The formula closely copies the ancestral diet dogs have inherited from their cousins using meat as the main source of protein. Natura is a U.S. based company established in 1993 with their executive offices located in Santa Clara, CA. The company has their own facility and manufactures all of their own dry products. From what we were told Natura Pet Foods has never had a recall on any of their products. Ingredients: Natura focuses on "specific nutritional qualities" vs meat grades. According to the company, their ingredients "come direct from the same suppliers and growers local grocery stores and restaurants use". Natura uses meat meals vs fresh meat due to controlling moisture results in their finished dry products. Keep in mind that Natura uses "meals" not "by-product meals". Manufacturing/Preparation: Natura has their own large manufacturing facility in Freemont, Nebraska where they produce their own dry foods. Menu Foods located in Kansas co-packs and produces their canned dog foods. Bottom line: In EVO, Natura has developed an excellent and convenient substitute for a high protien, low carb substitute for a raw diet. UPDATE May 2010: Natura has recently been bought out by Proctor & Gamble. We will be keeping a close eye and ear on any changes made to EVO including ingredients, quality control, etc. Contact: 1-800-532-7261
10 Best Dog Food 7.	Steve's Real Food For Pets	A small U.S. based company located in Eugene, Oregon with a complete line of completely balanced raw frozen and freeze dried raw dog foods. Although Steve's Real Food For Pets does not produce their product line themselves, their manufacturer is close to home in Aumsville, Oregon allowing for closely monitored quality control. Steve's Real Food For Pets has been in business since 1999. While raw foods are often debated; by staying small and adhering to their own strict standards; according to the company, they have never had a recall. Ingredients: The company uses local and regional suppliers. They guarentee their poultry to be hormone and antibiotic free, but not free range. They do not guarentee their red meats to meet the same criteria of hormone/antibiotic free. All their venison comes from New Zealand and also has no guarentees regarding the absence of hormones and antibiotics. Steve's uses the highest human grade ingredients possible in their product line; inspected and certified by the USDA and guaranteed suitable for human consumption. Free range, hormone free, gluten free and antibiotic free meats. 38% of their dog foods are fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, apples, dried kelp, romaine lettuce and cantaloupe to name a few. Manufacturing/Preparation: Steve's Real Food is produced by JDJ Manufacturing. According to Steve's, they are a production plant designed to manufacture raw/frozen pet foods. They follow strict USDA guidelines including sterilization following each product run along with lab testing to check for salmonella, camphobacter, e-coli and pesticides. Bottom line: #7 on our 10 best dog food list; Steve's Real Food For Pets offers a nice finished product for raw feeding. Products come in patties or nuggets which are 3/4" allowing for easy thaw with no cutting involved on the part of the owner. Fully prepared and easy to serve makes this a wonderful option. Contact: 1-888-526-1900
10 Best Dog Food 8.	Innova	Also owned by Natura Pet Foods. Innova is an all natural holistic formula. Ingredients: For their "Innova" formula, Natura applies the concept of including ingredients from each of the five food groups - meat, dairy, veggies, fruit and grains. They include live microbials as well. The company does not source any ingredients from China and use local and regional suppliers. They guarentee their poultry to be hormone and antibiotic free, but not free range. However, they do not guarentee their red meats to meet the same criteria of hormone/antibiotic free, yet they only use meats that avoid residue from antibiotics. All their venison comes from New Zealand and also has no guarentees regarding the absence of hormones and antibiotics (many companies purchase lamb and venison from New Zealand). Manufacturing/Preparation: Again, Natura manufactures their own dry products and contracts Menu Foods to produce their canned line. The company adheres to it's own strict quality control guidelines requiring that multiple tests must be passed during the actual cooking process. Bottom line: Ranking #8 on our list of 10 best dog food selections; Innova is a great holistic alternative to many traditional so called premium dog foods. UPDATE May 2010: Natura has recently been bought out by Proctor & Gamble. We will be keeping a close eye and ear on any changes made to Innova including ingredients, quality control, etc. Contact: 1-800-532-7261
10 Best Dog Food 9.	Pinnacle	Located in Irwindale, CA and owned by Breeder's Choice Pet Foods. Pinnacle is Breeder's Choice' all natural holistic line. Ingredients: The Pinnacle product line includes limited ingredients while adding select choices of protein such as chicken, chicken meal, trout, duck and organic quinoa. All of their ingredients are from local and national sources except for the organic quinoa which comes from South America. Their poultry is hormone and antibiotic free. They use farm raised fresh water trout from Colorado which is frozen. The vegetables in Pinnacle are dehydrated. Manufacturing/Preparation: Breeder's Choice Pet Foods manufactures their dry food themselves and contracts Menu Foods to produce their canned foods. Bottom line: #9 On our top 10 dog food list, Pinnacle is another good choice of holistic dog food. Breeder's Choice takes great care to ensure that Pinnacle is completely free of allergens making it another nice option for dogs with sensitive stomaches. The product line includes a nice variety including a grain free formula. Contact: 1-800-392-7898
10 Best Dog Food 10.	Four-Star Nutritionals	Since 1904, Fromm Family Foods has been a family owned and operated company located in Mequon, Wisconsin. They offer three holistic product lines including a grain free formula which is higher in protein. The company is small and the owner who is also the head chef is hands on staying involved in the manufacturing and formulation processes at all times. All of their products are produced in small batches allowing for excellent quality control. Ingredients: While some ingredients are purchased nationally, Fromm purchases most of their ingredients locally but all are from the U.S. Their meat sources are guaranteed to be steriod, antibiotic and hormone free. Their products are not free range, but human grade. The company uses fresh meats (not frozen) in their product lines. Manufacturing/Preparation: Fromm Family Foods manufactures their dry dog foods themselves while abiding by their own strict quality control standards as well as USDA guidelines. The meat is hand-trimmed/deboned and all ingredients are inspected before adding to any of their dry food formulas. Fromm's canned line of foods are now manufactured by Performance Pet Products located in South Dakota. Bottom line: Making #10 on our 10 Best Dog Food list, Fromm "Four-Star Nutritionals" provides a nice variety especially when rotating the different foods like the company suggests. Just remember to include the Surf-n-Turf grain free formula as well. Contact: 262-242-2200 Be sure to bookmark this page for future reference!

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