[Max R]

I think it would be great if you included something like a “price factor” that would be based on the calorie density by weight.

I was just shopping for dog foods of similar quality (5 star here) and I noticed that Wellness Core significantly less calorie dense than the Orijen I’m currently using. I don’t think you currently list calories per Kg. That’d be good too.

I was thinking it would be good as a sort of price factor because if Orijen is 12% more dense than Wellness Core, it’s effectively that much cheaper. I wouldn’t have noticed this at all except for the 4 1/2 cup /day recommendation for Wellness vs 3.75 or so for Orijen for my dog.

Also, another site had a kind of old list of calorie densities for a long list of foods:

It’s remarkable what a good proxy caloric density is for food quality. I think all of the top calorie foods I looked up were 5 star foods on Dog Food Advisor.

Thanks!

[Jenn H]

Funny I noticed the same thing when I looking at puppy food. My guy was on Wellness Core. As he got bigger he was needing a lot more. Obviously. On Wellness I was up to about 6 or 7 cups/ day. That’s insane. I hate feeding that much kibble anyway. Even after all that food he would still be so hungry.
I tried Solid Gold. He was much more satisfied on that and required less until he grew more. Then it was back to a huge amount.
Orijen was too dense, but he needed less and was finally satisfied. Unfortunately his butt wasn’t.
Acana has been the best for him so far. Not as rich as Orijen, but working out just fine. He’s happy.
While the price/bag is more, the price/meal is less. This is because he doesn’t need to eat as much. I’ve actually been able to cut back 1/2 cup.

It is a pain to do the math, but is so worth it to take the time. Most importantly for his health. Too much kibble will cause bloat.

[Jenn H]

I think DFA uses a program to help calculate the ratings. It would probably require a new one to be made to include pricing. The formula used is based solely on ingredients, not where they come from, not who makes the diets, not the min & max amounts of everything.
It’s a great starting point, but it’s also very limited with information because it goes only on what’s printed on the labels. That info is very minimal.
This is why I start here, choose a few, contact the companies with my questions and compare prices at local shops. It’s a lot of work, but their health begins with the best nutrition I can afford.

[Donna G B]

Be sure and check those ingredients on the label. If you don’t know what a ingredient is LOOK IT UP on your computer. You may be surprised.

[Jenn H]

And also how they can effect your dog. For exampleRosemary isn’t good for dogs prone to seizures.

[Max R]

I agree that it might not make sense to indicate price in the rating, but think about this:

Dog food adviser rates nutritional content by weight. If your dog has to eat more of one food to get his/her required calories, then the health and wellness impact on the dog of a particular ingredient can be amplified.

For example, Orijen Adult (that’s the old formula or current Canadian formula) has a bit over 5g of fiber per cup. I looked at Wellness Core and it has 6g per cup. That difference my dog MIGHT tolerate. But because he would have to eat more of the Wellness, he’s going to be eating more like the equivalent of 7g/cup if he was eating the same amount as Orijen.

That’s a little convoluted, but the bottom line is, with lower caloric density foods, the Fiber measure in particular food will be understated if you compare it to a higher density food.

The fiber measure per cup is great for gauging quality of ingredients. But it isn’t useful for gauging whether your dog will be getting more or less fiber with normal feeding.

I thought this suggestions forum was basically read by the guy/person/people who run(s) the site. Not so? Just poking around a little, I don’t see too many Admin responses in the Suggestion Forum threads. Are they being read? Or just not commenting?

[Author]

Posts