[Pitlove]

Hi Louis- I second what anonymously said. Also wanted to add that consumer reviews are terrible way to select a food for your dog. It’s far too overwhelming to sift through the good and bad reviews and even at the end of it all you still aren’t sure if the food is good or not.

Looking to what professionals in the field of nutrition have to say about what criteria to use when selecting a dog food and company to use is a much more direct and simple way of choosing a food.

Here is Dr. Susan Wynn DVM (also a nutritionist) guideline for how to choose a food:

1. Does the company employ a veterinary nutritionist? If they simply use consultants as needed, I question their dedication to keeping up with new knowledge in animal nutrition.
2. Has the company a decent track record or are they only a few years old?
3. Do the ads or company representatives make absurd claims about extending lives or preventing cancer and kidney disease, unsubstantiated by clinical trials?
4. Does the company provide clear contact information on the bag or can so that you can easily call them if there is a potential problem?
5. Does the company add to our knowledge of nutrition by conducting ethical research in veterinary nutrition?
6. Is this food appropriate to my pet’s flavor preferences, life stage, lifestyle and environment?
7. Can I provide this food consistently (i.e. am I grossed out by the odor, or is the product consistently available, or is it too much trouble to open cans, etc)?

There are other nutritionists out there with similar, but varied guidelines. I know one of the regulars, Aimee, has a couple other examples so hopefully she’ll post that.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Pitlove.