Rating: 
Advanced Pet Diets dog food earns the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
The Advanced Pet Diets product line includes six dry dog foods. We found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Advanced Pet Diets website.
- Advanced Pet Diets Lamb Meal and Rice Senior
- Advanced Pet Diets Chicken Meal and Rice Puppy
- Advanced Pet Diets Lamb Meal and Rice Skin and Coat
- Advanced Pet Diets Chicken Meal and Rice Lite (3 stars)
- Advanced Pet Diets Chicken Meal and Rice Skin and Coat
- Advanced Pet Diets Lamb Meal and Rice Skin and Coat Renew
Advanced Pet Diets Select Choice Chicken Meal and Rice Skin and Coat Formula was chosen to represent the others in the line for this review.
Advanced Pet Diets Select Choice Skin and Coat Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, ground rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pearl barley, natural flavor, salmon meal, canola oil, flax seed, potassium chloride, Yucca schidigera, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, zinc oxide, zinc amino acid chelate, iron sulfate, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3, manganous oxide, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, copper sulfate, manganese amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, riboflavin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, d-biotin, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second ingredient lists brown rice. Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third ingredient is ground rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The fourth item includes chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.
The fifth ingredient lists barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike rice (which has a higher glycemic index), barley can help maintain more stable blood sugar levels.
After the natural flavor, we find salmon meal. Like chicken meal, salmon meal is another high-protein meat concentrate.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item1 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.
The eighth ingredient is canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.2
The ninth item mentions flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Advanced Pet Diets Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Advanced Pet Diets appears to be an above-average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.
Excluding the lower-rated Lite Formula, the remaining group features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 49% for the overall product line.
Near-average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
In addition, it’s important to acknowledge the absence here of any critical Red Flag items.
Bottom line?
Advanced Pet Diets is primarily a grain-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
02/19/2010 Original review
08/30/2010 Review updated (ethoxyquin-free)
09/24/2010 Review updated
- Breeder’s Choice Customer Service, 8/30/2010 ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005), retrieved 12/05/2009 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.