I heard from dozens of Pet Owners when AOL’s GoodGuide published Dog Food Ratings listing Science Diet as the number one rated dog food. It seems that AOL heard from hundreds of angry (educated) Pet Owners! So many in fact, AOL promises to further investigate and publish a follow up story. Here’s the details on the dog foods they picked and TruthaboutPetFood.com’s evaluation of the same dog foods…
The original story published on AOL’s GoodGuide on January 27, 2011. “Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility ranks best while Kibbles ‘n Bits Wholesome Medley finishes last among more than 500 dry dog food products rated by GoodGuide. Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Gourmet Turkey Entree tops the list of more than 300 wet dog food products, with Ol’ roy Dog Food Hearty Cuts in Gravy with Beef finishing last.”
Before we move on to AOL’s GoodGuide’s follow up story, let’s look at the ingredients of the best and worst foods chosen…
Dry Foods
Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility
Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Corn Gluten Meal, Flaxseed, Fish Oil, Dried Beet Pulp, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Oil, Natural Flavor, Potassium Citrate, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Iodized Salt, L-Tryptophan, L-Threonine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.
TruthaboutPetFood.com’s evaluation of the above ingredients: The first five ingredients (by weight the majority of the dog food), contains two animal protein sources and three vegetable protein sources. The first five ingredients contain no meat according to AAFCO ingredient definitions (no AAFCO defined meat ingredient found in the entire ingredient list of this dog food). Chicken by-product meal is defined as “ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines…” The other animal protein ingredient is Animal Fat; this ingredient was determined by FDA testing to be the most likely to contain pentobarbital. Pentobarbital is a lethal drug used to euthanize animals (dogs, cats, and horses predominately). Thus, when a pet food contains the ingredient Animal Fat, according to FDA testing this pet food “could contain euthanized animals”. The remaining ingredients within the first five are vegetable protein ingredients, all of which are prone to develop deadly molds mycotoxins. Proper testing for mycotoxins is necessary with all pet foods that contain grains, however science has shown that even small amounts of mycotoxins (perhaps unnoticed by tests) can be harmful to pets.
That was the “best” rated dog food, now let’s look at the ingredients in the worst rated dry dog food…
Kibbles ‘n Bits Wholesome Medley
Ingredients: Whole grain corn, poultry meal, soybean meal, beef fat*, brown rice, apples, peas, carrots, animal digest (source of chicken flavor), calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, salt, choline chloride, potassium chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), caramel color, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 40, blue 1, blue 2, rosemary extract.
TruthaboutPetFood.com’s evaluation of the above dog food ingredients…
The first five ingredients, the majority of the dog food by weight, contains two animal protein sources and three vegetable protein sources. The AAFCO definition of poultry meal includes muscle meat so this dog food does contain meat and it contains a meat specific fat (not on the FDA list of pentobarbital risk ingredients). Further down the ingredient list we find Animal Digest which IS on the FDA risk of pentobarbital list of pet food ingredients. This food also contains dyes which science has proved to be risk to pets and people.
Both of these dry dog foods contain ingredients determined by FDA testing to be at risk to “contain euthanized animals”. Kibbles ‘n Bits Wholesome Medley contains a meat ingredient while Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility does not contain a AAFCO defined meat ingredient. Neither dog food contains probiotics (friendly bacteria science has proven to improve health) or chelated or proteinated minerals (science has proven to improve absorption). Both of these dog food manufacturers source ingredients from world suppliers including China.
Now, the Best and the Worst Can Dog Foods…
The Best Rated Dog Food from AOL’s GoodGuide
Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Gourmet Turkey Entrée
Ingredients: Water, Turkey, Cracked Pearled Barley, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Meat By-Products, Liver, Dried Whey, Chicken Liver Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Soybean Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite.
TruthaboutPetFood.com’s evaluation of the above dog food ingredients…
Within the first five ingredients of this dog food (the majority of the pet food by weight) we find one meat ingredient and one by-product ingredient, two vegetable protein ingredients and of course a moisture ingredient. Turkey is the only meat; Meat by-product by AAFCO definition is not meat.
The Worst Rated Dog Food from AOL’s GoodGuide
Ol’ Roy Dog Food Hearty Cuts In Gravy with Beef
Ingredients: Water Sufficient For Processing, Poultry, Beef Meat By-Products, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Caramel Color, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chlorides, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Onion Extract, Garlic Powder, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Carageenan, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenate), Iron Oxide, Choline Chloride.
TruthaboutPetFood.com’s evaluation of the above dog food ingredients…
Within the first five ingredients of this dog food we find two animal protein sources; one meat and one non-meat ingredient per AAFCO definitions, two vegetable protein ingredients, and a moisture ingredient. Poultry is the only meat ingredient; Beef by-product by AAFCO definition is not meat.
Neither of these foods contain chelated or proteinated minerals for improved absorption. Both pet food companies source ingredients from world suppliers including China.
So…how much difference is there between GoodGuide’s best and worst dog foods? Not a great deal of difference when you look closely at the ingredients (and know the AAFCO definitions and FDA history of the ingredients).
Within a few days of AOL’s publishing of GoodGuide’s Dog Food Reviews, it seems angry educated Pet Owners slammed AOL with emails. From the AOL GoodGuide follow up story…“After hundreds of comments, hundreds more emails and untold discussions about GoodGuide’s choice of Science Diet as its top brand, we turned back to GoodGuide to respond to the criticism. We’ve also reached out to Science Diet and — based on the conversation started by our readers — we will be doing our own story about what to look for when you going shopping for pet food.”
This is HUGE. AOL is a large media outlet that depends on advertising. By AOL listening to educated Pet Owners and promising to investigate and re-write the story…well again, this is HUGE. We’ll have to wait and see if GoodGuide changes their mind about their Best Dog Food Choices. But regardless, Pet Owners got the attention of AOL….AOL – big media – is beginning to listen! HUGE.
Three cheers for educated Pet Owners. You spoke up and gained the attention of AOL’s GoodGuide! AOL…we’ll be waiting and watching to see how ‘good’ your ‘guide’ really is.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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