Pet Nutritionist Ranks Dog Foods | Tier List

[@GangStar_6]

Who else bought a bag and now waiting on the review results to reinforce that decision. 😂

[@joshuaclavel9666]

For reals haven’t watched the video but I got Orijen baha

[@fridakalota370]

I got the Blue Wilderness and I've heard bad reviews. Im a new mama dog and i want to give her the best. Also, I got her Merricks raw country. Who knows about this brand?

[@marissasun77]

@@fridakalota370 if you want to go the extra mile, try out raw dog food!! There’s happee dawg, rawsome revolution, big country raw, we feed raw, etc. for the best species appropriate foods!

[@fridakalota370]

@@marissasun77 i was giving her that then changed to Active

[@fridakalota370]

@@marissasun77 I stupidly changed the raw brand (merricks raw country) for Activa. My vet sucks and Im change her to another one. The vet clinic is always in a rush.

[@HenryRob]

These meditations are perfect. kzbin.infoUgkxR50id-GIBIDuBvuBGenhx1O5zKIfCVNK him has a gentle, warm, pleasant voice (with a slight Scots accent). The words are simple and clear. The timing is perfect... just as you start to find your mind wandering, he says and if you find that your mind is wandering... . There is no background music and no noise in the background, only his peaceful and engaging voice. The length of the meditations (about 1/2 hour each) works well for me. I find that I tire of some meditations after frequent repetition, but that hasn't happened with this one. The metta lovingkindness meditation always feels right. Some meditation CDs I have tried have not felt right. The voice seemed hurried, or sounded tense; the background music seemed intrusive, or there were noises that interfered with concentration. This is just perfect as an introduction for new meditators, and it's also a meditation that I return to again and again. I'd give this more than five stars if that were an option. Even my students, who are not ordinarily very receptive to meditation, relax when they hear this one!

[@sn0wherb]

*Chef’s kiss:* Carna4, Essence *Oh, hell yeah!:* Original by Orijen, NutriSource, Farmina *Cheers!:* Diamond Naturals, Taste of the Wild, Kirkland Pet Food, Blue Buffalo *Yucky:* RachaelRay Nutrish, Purina Pro Plan, IAMS *Pee Pee Poo Poo:* Purina Alpo, Purina Beneful, Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin for anyone who needs the tierlist in text :)

[@sydneyrhoades]

Thank you! The fact she put blue Buffalo in the Cheers section has deterred me from watching more then 25 seconds into the video, thanks for saving my time!!

[@sn0wherb]

@@sydneyrhoades no problem! but what do you mean, is blue buffalo not an okay dog food? i'm no dog nutritionist, but most of what she said in that video seemed very logical and i've heard a lot of the same/similar info from my vet/dog nutritionist. i'd say the video is very worth watching (put it on 1.5x speed if you're low on time), especially because you didn't hear the reasoning for blue buffalo's placement, if i'm correct :D

[@enriquereynoso9270]

This is inaccurate 100% victor pro plus isnt on there.. 🚩🚩🚩 it is proven that purinanpro plan & victor are wayyyyy better the kirkland, diamond, taste of wild, blue buffalo one ones that are correct on that list are carna4 essence orijen nutrisource and farmina.. hills needs to be in the cheers completely inaccurate and misleading

[@enriquereynoso9270]

@@BLACKOUTF30 dont listen to him…majority of that list is inaccurate ill gladly make you a better list!

[@enriquereynoso9270]

@@sydneyrhoades dont listen to him…majority of that list is inaccurate ill gladly make you a better list!

[@cresntookami]

I watch his show every saturday and bought the book kzbin.infoUgkxGQVgV21bQ7B9b9duQ1ByImyT9xHbjOKq because i like his method. He's very talktative in the book about his dog training experiences with several different breeds over the years. When he does get to the training chapters, you need to read more slowly, take mental or written notes and try to apply his advice to your pet. That's where i'm at now. Another review is in order aftet i've trained my blue mountain shepherd with brandon mcmillan's method.

[@bingusbang]

Would love to see a 2022/23 version of this video! Especially with all the grain free “cardio myelopathy” hype.

[@kmom9070]

I don't believe grains are critical need for dogs..or they have enlarged hearts...seems counter intuitive

[@ceeelle9672]

My dog died from heart failure too young after years on Zignature. Experts suspect the high pea/pea fiber and/or potato/potato fiber is blocking taurine absorption. Can’t win.

[@royalladybug30]

Correlation doesn't equal causation but both of my dogs of same age, different breeds have enlarged hearts and have been on grain free for half their life. Its enough to give me pause at least.

[@mysouthernbellebean]

@@ceeelle9672 YES! Me too! 3 out of my 4 developed Dilated Cardiomyopathy from being on a grain-free diet their whole lives 😓 People think they are doing what’s best by giving their dogs grain-free food but little did I know, I was slowly killing my family 💔

[@mysouthernbellebean]

Good video. I am in rescue and try to teach people and my adopters the importance of ingredients! These vets are putting animals in jeopardy by lying to people when they suggest these companies. What they don’t tell their clients is they are getting a kickback from these companies! Shame on them for putting that before the animal! But hey……by feeding them crap, they are a guaranteed client right??? It’s like a dentist selling candy at the front desk….you know they’ll be back eventually once they get a cavity! 🤬

[@gerikyang1780]

Remember guys, anyone can call themselves a pet nutritionist on the internet. Real animal nutritionists attended school for 8-10 years and are board certified (ACVN or ECVCN) or have a PhD in animal nutrition.

[@timwatkins6559]

Thank you for this comment. But most people don't care. They are just looking for someone to confirm their preconceived notions. That's all this video provides. No substance or fact.

[@jayp1938]

Thank you because my dogs veterinarian recommended the Purina pro plan for sensitive skin and he’s been thriving on it but I keep hearing negative things about it online

[@corgiibee]

@@jayp1938 always feed whats best for your dog, every dog is different! don't listen to others opinions if your dog is doing great on it!

[@thomasmarchese2808]

Very true. Now for everyone else. Here are the facts. Avoid corn wheat soy and preservatives. Use protein sources best for your dog. A lot of dogs do very very well on a fish diet and mercury isn’t an issue unless the food company messes up or you way over feed. The issue there is eating too much fish like in a given period of time. Not how long they’ve been eating fish. But duck lamb and other sources. Turkey. Are also good. No kibble isn’t as good as raw. Potentially. However an good kibble that is actually high quality in the formula and everything else is way better than just winning a raw diet and having huge imbalances and stuff. I feed my pit team dog salmon and herring. It’s great. Fromm is good too. Purina, science diet pet hills whatever. Look at the ingredients on all these big name brands. Corn wheat soy sugars all these things that your dog absolutely does not need. Ever. Dogs don’t need grains. They don’t. Carbs yea. Not from grains. And corn is cow and deer food. Neither us nor dogs should waste time eating or consuming corn. It’s a waste. Filler. Wheat is inflammatory to us and dogs. Soy isn’t good either. It’s really not that hard people over think it. Good kibble is better that shit raw. Stay away from the corn wheat soy preservatives all that. And also salmon/chicken/ whatever protein meal is different than “byproduct meal” the difference being “byproduct” don’t think I need to tell you “byproduct” is an automatic no go. Made from The shit nothing but vultures and bottom feeders should eat. But meal that isn’t made with byproduct is simply just meal. Bones, organs less desirable cuts of the meat (less desirable for removing and eating whole. )ect Do that you’ll have a happy healthy dog. Don’t over think it

[@thelastminmom5251]

@@timwatkins6559exactly. She’s just giving us label info. And I appreciate the quick reference.

[@dbarb0813]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. New dog owner. I am so glad you have this out so I can start with the best quality food for my new furbaby.

[@peterlaaiii3148]

I've followed your recommendation for the Essence brand and there was a huge difference in my two dogs fur coat and overall health. I appreciate the work that went in to researching all of these brands. Would like to see a more updated video regarding for 2022. Mahalo

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

I'm so glad they are doing well on the new food!

[@blondefox69]

How about Tracker Supply Company 4HEALTH dog food?

[@emilyhuffman7815]

Would love a part 2 with premium brands: FROMM, Simply Nourish, Merrick, Only Natural Pet, Nulo, 4Health, etc

[@jesusmarmolejo2726]

And pedigree! 🤣🤣

[@rachelyim222]

Yes, i would love to know what she thinks of fromm, thats what i feed because i always come back to it when i research brands

[@DragonNB13]

Wanna stay tune for this

[@dylanhollar6492]

Just sharing info that I know. 4health is also made by diamond and has the exact same ingredients. Its just rebranded for tractor supply and I've found it cheaper then the exact same diamond brand

[@somegirlthatwashere1982]

Please, yes!

[@viviannguyen4226]

Yes! Please do canned, raw foods and vet foods!

[@angelatonn7293]

Just be careful with vet foods because not all vets take the time to study nutrition

[@kaili5823]

My vet highly recommended royal canin and told me dogs NEED CORN!

[@angelatonn7293]

@@kaili5823 That's almost disturbing

[@dani-gs4ct]

@@kaili5823 your vet needs to be fired 😬

[@luishernendez8356]

How would you store dog wet food? How long can it be refrigerated?

[@queensophine]

Whenever I see people pushing Hills, I remember my 2 dogs that both had kidney disease, and both developed pancreatitis from Hill's renal food. It was actually what they both died from, not even the kidney disease. Thanks for showing better alternatives on this list!

[@LauraR0ckzLolz]

And same with Blue Buffalo for me. They killed my boxer and gave my other one an infection. They both started going downhill and we eventually had to put our boxer down. Switched the diet of the other dog to a home cooked diet and she’s doing so much better now aside from a tooth cleaning she desperately needs… I’ll never use kibble again.

[@queensophine]

@@LauraR0ckzLolz Sorry to hear and glad your other dog is doing better!

[@gioaffe8]

I never had a dog in my life but I would and will NEVER use purina or hills and any of that since I just know it isn’t good for dogs, I’m hoping I’ll be getting a dog soon tho, just need to figure out what dog food first

[@kappapride_5843]

@@LauraR0ckzLolz my vet told me feeding them kibble helps to clean their teeth, so maybe including kibble could help your dog's teeth. My dogs have always had kibble, never purina nor hills tho, and they are 14 yo relatively healthy (one with dementia).

[@supergingerr]

My dogs have eaten Hills their whole lives and have been incredibly healthy. I’m sorry for your loss but don’t demonize a food just because it didn’t help your dog.

[@fieldingetheridge]

Which veterinary school did you graduate from and where did you complete your nutrition residency after completing your DVM?

[@burntbeansoup]

Probably the school of shitty advice and minimal research.

[@lw455]

I do not believe she has any credentials unfortunately

[@robertcato1551]

Hmm

[@kathybrem880]

@@lw455and….you don’t know

[@NatashaWarden]

Animal Nutrition is not veterinary , they are completely separate degrees.

[@armanmancini1712]

Loved the video. Would love to see a video on "nerdy" dog food labeling rules. Also, my decision to go the homemade route was reinforced by the video. My pup has what our vet thinks is a mild allergy to his current food (biljac frozen) so we were advised to go either "prescription", which as a registered pharmacist I found a bit perplexing (also reinforced by the video so thank you) or to go with something whole/fresh/limited ingredient. Anyways, thank you so so much for the valuable information!

[@priceandpride]

ziwi is the best

[@caitlinceynar6594]

Probably none because she said wheat is the #1 food allergen and that’s absolutely not true

[@susancook7332]

@@caitlinceynar6594 , if you do some research you will see that wheat is a very common food allergen for dogs

[@chelerutan]

My dog, as a young pup, was fed Diamond Natural adult food. When I got her at 9 weeks old, she was the smallest pup and malnourished (according to two different vets). At that age she should have been around 20lbs, but was just under 6lbs. I changed her diet to a little kibble with homemade beef & rice 'stew' (with carrots and either apples, sweet potatoes, or pumpkin). She's a year and a half now, and she gets two meals a day with the same 2:1 ratio of homemade stew to kibble, topped with a few frozen bites of raw liver. . She's a very healthy 92lb BRT now.

[@BoiFast]

What kind of dog?

[@karencarlson8109]

Large

[@abirdietoldme4102]

I'm not a purina stan. Truth be told i in general don't entirely trust purina products. But, a sensitive skin and stomach formula was given to me by my vet. It did really well for my pup an his specific issues. I agree with you about adding wet food. Most people think it's silly to give wet and dry food.

[@OutcastYBJ]

I do that all the time my puppy does not eat enough if I mix dry and wet dog food he likes it more

[@gayjesus999]

its just better to add moisture to the dogs food, imagine eating dry food everyday because your owner is lazy.. jesus a sad life

[@corbin9762]

@@gayjesus999 exactly, it rehydrateds their kibble.

[@spiderpimp33]

Yep! I add frozen chicken feet, chicken livers or chicken gizzards to my Doberman’s Dry Purina Pro Sport.

[@abirdietoldme4102]

@@spiderpimp33 i've never met a dog that would turn down gizzards.

[@callumb4980]

Idk why but this is the hardest question to research for me. When I look on Reddit I feel like a lot are bots. I’m my head I keep thinking obviously purine pro plan is garbage it’s nestle and all their other products are gross but everyone says it’s the best option. Then I go to my boutique pet food store and everyone says Orijen but the internet says it’s dangerous. Everywhere I look I get a different answer lol

[@lukasellerbrook9612]

I would love to see a part 2 covering some other kibble brands like Fromm, Zignature, etc!

[@VS.VideoZ]

Which are 2024 HELLA DANGEROUS

[@kiraarbogast9852]

While she does go over the ingredients, it seems like she is ranking them based on the company as well not only the quality of the food.

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

The company's ethics and sourcing is just as important as the ingredients themselves! Especially in an industry that allows for so much room for interpretation in their ingredient panels.

[@MorwenAncalime]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked to see Pro Plan ranked so low. My toy poodle only ate Pro Plan his entire life and lived to the ripe old age of 17. He didn't start slowing down until 6 months or so before he passed and the vet was always effusive about how healthy he was.

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

All the foods that I have mentioned are AFFCO certified so I'm not sure what the point is in your statement. AFFCO also isn't as morally sound as you may think considering they technically allow roadkill and euthanized animals to be used in pet food.

[@gregm7473]

@@TheTattooedDogTrainer no they don't.

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

I'm not claiming that any brand uses these as ingredients, but according to AFFCO, ingredients listed as by-products are not required to be slaughtered.

[@strongkiddo1]

I'm so glad that this video popped up in my recommendation! :) thank you, as a uneducated dog owner I needed this.

[@colleenroux1512]

But its inaccurate information, talk to your vet

[@katerinazalidis9883]

Look at better and more reputable sources for your information if you want to educate yourself properly.

[@strongkiddo1]

@@katerinazalidis9883 dont just say that give me what to search on google or websites that I can go look.

[@aliciatheys11]

@@katerinazalidis9883 idk because I just found her and in my opinion she is pretty spot on.

[@aliciatheys11]

@@colleenroux1512 I completely disagree with you. I talked with my vet and my vet as been a veterinarian for 26 years and she is pretty much spot on with what he recommends and all the years of research I've done have lined up to hers.

[@robertdahl7013]

I am a lucky owner of a King Shepherd 11 years old!! And he loves Carnilove ❤️ This brings happiness and helps your dog 🐕 staying healthy ❤❤❤

[@bethany4379]

I love that you dig deep for information & don't just share what you've been taught, but you really really research and are open minded! I've been looking for someone who advocates for raw but also reviews dry & wet dog foods as well, although they're not 100 % ideal. Subscribed!!

[@julienlaughs]

I was a manager at a premium dog food store and I was just AGREEING with everything you said. the amount of times i had to tell old people spending $90 on royal canin that they’re feeding their dog Pee Pee Poo Poo..... too many times...

[@jamiepenfold3182]

“Old people”?

[@puppykisses89]

And yet the entire veterinary industry advises against BEG diets and premium boutique stores for a reason...

[@fernandachavez4483]

You Mean that Royal Canin is crabby food? Please share more information.

[@Yeewen88]

Royal canin is not Pee Pee Poo Poo. It has been balanced by multiple dog nutritionists to have both AAFCO's approval and meet WSAVA guidelines.

[@Yeewen88]

instagram.com/p/CIEQazGAelh/?igshid=1fwpv48lalrff

[@tonyscrima8932]

Skylar - Would you update this for 2022 with Stella and Chewys kibble, Zignature, Fromm, Merrick, and so on? Also could we get your thoughts on comparing Frozen and Freeze Dried Raw foods? Love the videos! Thank you!

[@tanyasobsessions2131]

maybe also do a whole vid on freeze dried kibble and raw coated and all that sort of stuff. :)

[@do.re.mi.2713]

yesss pllllzzzzz

[@charlenereilly6571]

Add Nulo to that updated list please.

[@enriquereynoso9270]

If you need help choosing better dog food ill gladly do it! Her list is completely out dated

[@elisejohnson7538]

Gentle Giants also!!!

[@lesbetts5694]

can you do an update on just the premium brands budgets not a thing i worry about when feeding family

[@gabijoy8]

Canadian here! Our Orijen & Acana sold here is still made in their Alberta kitchen :)

[@KCATWIL]

I just bought a bag of Acana to try for my pup. Great ingredient list!

[@debbiekostiuk8825]

A daughter has a GRT Dane... which is nutritionally best for him. He always seems hungry.

[@gabijoy8]

@@KCATWIL My dog is soooo picky and it’s the only food she absolutely loves!! And I feel so good about what’s in it too 🥰

[@RobotronOG]

acana is the worst and linked to DCM

[@gabijoy8]

@@RobotronOG While there is NO proof that grain free diets cause DCM, I feed my dog the grain inclusive, pea/potato/legume free formula.

[@the.sun.flower8447]

You should give a list of the best ingredients to look for in dog foods as well as things to avoid!! 😀😀

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Noted!

[@jimmyjames6267]

Dogs are scavengers, they will eat anything!!!

[@the.sun.flower8447]

@@jimmyjames6267 clearly you must of cared for your dog…. Or it peaked your interest Why else watch this video and look through the comments

[@r0b1n.__.x]

@@jimmyjames6267 Yeah but not everything is good for them. You want your dog to die of a vitamin deficiency from a dog food? Huh?

[@ApolloStarfall]

​@@the.sun.flower8447*piqued

[@kellywhite581]

If you haven't yet please do one on pet food rules. I own a small pet store I'm actually a franchise called Earthwise Pet and we specialize in nutrition so I'm always trying to learn more about pet food so I can better help my customers and I love how you explain things so it's easy for people to understand. Thanks for doing these videos in the first place. 😊

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Feel free to reach out through my website! I do employee trainings via zoom on just about any topic I am certified in! (training, pet food, raw feeding, pet first-aid, etc)

[@here_4_the_commentz]

From experience working at the plant Dog food is made with: leftover chicken parts feet, beak’s, scraps added to a mixer with dried corn dried peas, grain powder heated and cooked and it stinks horribly but it’s shipped and bagged into different label bags.

[@wrenchesinmotion3282]

Don't forget about the "beef" juice spray before baking. Gotta get the flavor in there somehow.

[@da5449]

What about Nature's recipe? I have the salmon....sold at Walmart I think it's pretty good, is it?

[@genevievewhit6976]

My puppy had gastrointestinal distress for a month and Hills was the only thing that worked to help her. Maybe the company is working to corner the market but in my experience their food is really good.

[@Scott.Kristiansen]

My dogs are very sketchy when it comes to dog food. They love Hills.

[@rubym6258]

I only feed my dog hills because that’s what the place I adopted her from fed her but I needed reassurance im not feeding her trash

[@ShaniMelendez]

My dog gets so sick every time he eats hill but my moms dog literally can only have hills lol

[@PhatAsss]

Lots of ppl say hills don’t have much meat. Maybe it’s because your puppy can’t handle lots of meat, and the gluten inside helps

[@raquelmendozagomez3604]

My dog had gastrointestinal distres too.. I agree with you, Hills was the only worked with him. The problem is the bag is small and my dog is a Husky, soooooo, and I think is expensive for only 8 kg.

[@richardpowlick5778]

Speaking on vet diets. I work in a hospital and have seen diet changes genuinely work for pets. Royal Canin absolutely is a big brand in most vets but they DO have the quality control staff to make sure their product is quality. I just fixed a GI issue with my dog by mixing in a prescription wet food from Hills. My dogs feeling fantastic and her stools are lookin good so idk🤷🏽‍♂️ I trust my doctors

[@lyn5420]

The gastrointestinal royal canin does wonders!

[@S-sj2vi]

YUP these foods are formulated by nutritionists, veterinarians and scientists! I've seen all of these foods help not even dogs but cats as well!

[@Animalfarm4481]

My vet wants me to euthanize my dachshund. He’s losing weight and weak, but always hungry and they can’t figure out what’s wrong with him-their answer? “He’s just really, really old” -no vomiting, no diarrhea-just weight loss. His lab work looks great for his age! Thyroid, heart, liver, kidneys-all normal! a month ago he could get around pretty well-now, he can’t stand or sit without support. I wish I could find a competent vet!

[@S-sj2vi]

@@Animalfarm4481 then go to school to be a competent vet?

[@silverstring9928]

@@S-sj2vi Do you just go to school to be a doctor every time you're sick?

[@brittany1846]

Hills science diet actually has a prescription line that does have to be prescribed by a vet. Their prescription line is superior to their otc line due to them being formulated to feed to animals for different disease processes. I strongly believe in Hills brand due to their prescription line. Hills actually does feeding trials and can prove what is in their foods. Many brands do not do this. It does not come down to just the ingredients. There are many more factors when it comes to feeding a well balanced pet food. Many of the novel brands have too much protein as well. A non working dog doesn’t need tons of protein in a food. In the end the extra protein especially if not good quality protein can do harm to their kidneys in the long run.

[@J10969]

And they also have a ridiculously high amount of recalls on both lines of their food. I know because I was the poor sap who would constantly have to check the shelves to see if we had any of the affected LOT numbers.

[@brittany1846]

@@J10969 their canned foods did have a recall I believe it was back in 2019 due to excess vitamin D. They haven’t had a ridiculous amount to my knowledge. Many of the novel brands have had recalls as well though.

[@J10969]

@@brittany1846 trust me when I say they’ve had more recalls. I used to work for petsmart and I was the one who was always having to go over each individual bag and can with a stack of papers with the affected LOT numbers to check them all. Was a royal pain in my ass. 😂 But yes you are right other brands had recalls too, never said that they didn’t. It’s just science diet/hills was the one that was more affected when I worked there.

[@heather951]

Check out Farmina's Vet Line ingredients and compare to American vet recommended. As she mentioned, American pet food requirements are significantly lower than other countries. So while Hills may be doing testing for specific needs, in general, it's not a good quality food.

[@at-citie]

@@J10969 I 100% get your concern with recalls, but there are other brands that don't recall products at all even if there is a need to ( like salmonella) which is common in smaller lesser known brands.

[@NoOffensePies]

Super curious! Are where did you receive your certification for animal nutrition? Are you a DACVN?

[@ashleyhayes1036]

Please talk about “prescription” food! Side note: I was a vet tech for 3 years and I have never met a vet who doesn’t advocate for these brands... it’s so hard because when I look at labels they have terrible ingredients! I don’t understand them at all. If you can address how you can get your dogs off of these foods I would really appreciate it!

[@lisalane7648]

Believe me not all Vets make the best food choices for your dog, 1. You know your pet the best 2. You don't have to be a genius to know how to study the ingredients in food. 3. Be aware of food, treat recalls always, watch the best nutritional videos for pets and even inquire on google 4. Good Luck to you and your pets.

[@bomega2818]

The lack of knowledge is strong in this one.

[@ashleyhayes1036]

@@bomega2818 me?

[@jesuisunepommedeterre4662]

I’m a raw feeder and I post about it all of my social medias (mostly because my pages are covered with pictures of my dogs) and the amount vet techs that say I’m killing my dogs because I’m not feeding Hill’s is ridiculous. Lol. Keep in mind my meals are balanced. I know that directly stems from the vets they work under. I’ve never understood how clinics are fine with pushing those brands so hard, especially the prescription brands. My senior dog had some crystals in his urine and the secondary vet immediately prescribed Hills for his lifetime. I rebalanced his diet and made sure he was drinking more water. His symptoms cleared up in a week. But I feel sorry for owners that don’t know better and are pretty much scammed into spending $80+ a bag because their vet said it was the cure for their dog.

[@valeriereal93]

They’re taught in vet school by these big corporations just like a big pharma situation.

[@Thoaus21]

I like this format of review but it seems like it is actually skewed by brand name and reputation vs actual food quality and ingredients.

[@elizabeth9906]

I find it important to your choice honestly. And from what I noticed, the brands doing sketchy marketing usually also have bad ingredients. You need good marketing ploys to get people to buy your food if your ingredients aren't the star. Like RC is horrid in ingredients but have manipulative marketing towards ignorant/unread people because of their packaging, "vet approved" marks and etc

[@chriss.3740]

I think it is brand and reputation is also important to know, larger brands have more likeliness of cross contamination, lower quality food sources (eg. chicken sources) and more frequent recalls. I had no idea IAMS was owned by P&G. She stated food ingredients for all so I suppose it is up to the viewer to make their own opinion, this was just her tier list on her opinion.

[@chriss.3740]

also she doesn't seem to have much qualification, I suppose this is just one big opinion.

[@katsohal]

I don't agree, she focuses on the ingredient list.

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

@@chriss.3740 I don't agree, she has certification, lots of research and WANTS to help. Her info is spot on.

[@sganey6]

I understand what you’re saying and totally get where you’re coming from and all of this information. What I find difficult though is yes my vet told me not to feed grain free yet I did and my dog was on nutrisource then taste of the wild for his first year of life then he develops a new murmur then we get an ekg that looks off then we end up at the cardiologist for an echo and his left ventricle is dilated borderline to dilated cardiomyopathy at only 1.5 years old. I work as a physician assistant I can read an echo. Sure that sounds like there’s probably a genetic component since he’s so young I get that. So they recommend changing the food to one of the vet “brands” so we go to purina pro plan. Follow up echo one year later and his left ventricle is almost back within normal limits. All I did was change his food that’s it. I eat healthy I get why corn sounds like a horrible ingredient in dog food but until they figure out what’s causing DCM and how it relates to food I’m sticking to the ones that have the least amount of cases which are the “vet brands”

[@armanmancini1712]

From what I've read they think it's the legumes and lentils + low taurine causing all the DCM.

[@jaclynbenglian4854]

good choice. I have seen quite a few dogs die of diet related DCM over the last few years. Unlike the kind associated w/ the genetics in specific breeds, this one is preventable and reversible. With a better. grain inclusive diet.

[@sganey6]

@@armanmancini1712 I’ve read that as well but they still aren’t sure. And the foods he was eating all said “added taurine”

[@Alondra-kk3pe]

I love pro plan, all my dogs have done great in it. I've also used Diamond Naturals and never had any issues with it.

[@augustwatson5958]

DCM is directly related to grain free foods (shown through studies) Royal Canine is not a great food and Purina isn't either but they don't come in grain free (when recomended by vets) it's not that the food is higher quality it's that the food isn't grain free. The grains absent in grain free food are vital to a dog's heart health. That being said Purina and royal canine are not great brands and most vets know and reccomend them anyway- but they will typically steer you away from grain free and that is what has happened in this case it seems. Purina and HSD have recalls that other brands on the list do not. They are not high quality foods and have trace amounts of the drug used to euthanize animals in them as many shelf brand dog foods do.

[@alexandrawhitelock6195]

Champion ADDED a plant in KY…it did NOT move from Canada

[@bellaroselookingup7088]

glad you pointed that out.

[@tinavo1623]

I think you should clarify why a certain brand goes in the “poo” category. For example, you put Hill into that category because you didn’t like that they trademark the word “prescription”. You never mentioned what is wrong with their dog foods.

[@robertwills2502]

she read the pee pee poo poo ingredients too.

[@ameliebellefille4616]

Interesting as some of these company do ongoing testing on dogs to see the results from these diets. Veterinarian would rather advice people on buying these brands (iams, eukanuba, RC or Hill or purina) than the other “premium ish” brands listed here. Go figure. I’m going to still listen to my vet in France Lol My previous dog on hills lives 4 years past her life expectancy without any issue. When you see the amount of recalls and lawsuits some “recommended” brands may have, it makes you wonder what’s going on. Costco, diamond and blue buffalo having lawsuits. And some hardcore recalls ongoing. Not going to risk it.

[@cassandrablack158]

@@ameliebellefille4616 Yeah me too. No offense to her but I prefer a veterinarian's advice.

[@mathmanchris666]

@@ameliebellefille4616 I don’t know whether to trust a person who studied dogs or to trust a person that studied dog foods

[@rangerlovee3324]

it has corn and wheat gluten and she said anything with wheat and corn goes in pee pee poo poo automatically she also said anything "shady" goes in there and she said the use of the word prescription is a read flag

[@juliemcgugan1244]

I have had my dogs on home-made food since the were six and seven. They are now 14 and 15. My childhood dog died of nose cancer at 11.5 and I always felt so bad that he didn’t get to have a long life like others of his breed (family of mine has had many dogs of the same breed and none of them died under 15 y/o,) so decided to research and make my own for my two young dogs. Not only did they not start greying as young, but they have been more active, more mentally focused and had less health issues, especially skin problems.

[@catsroots]

Julie McGugan: I would love to know what you feed your dogs. Would you share recipes with me? I would love a longer and healthier life for my fur-babies!

[@brendadiaz2778]

Same!!

[@juliemcgugan1244]

@@catsroots I rotate using beef, chicken, duck, turkey or tuna as 80% of their meal. The other 20% is a veggie and carbs mix, blended down to help with their absorption (no more than 5% is one vegetable and carbs are also never more than 5% of the total meal.) I use whatever is seasonally available but try to change it up as much as possible, to give them plenty of variety; they love pakchoi, kailan, water spinach, kale, cabbage, carrots, capsicum, zucchini, buck wheat, sweet potato, French beans, turnip, broccoli, cauliflower or parsnip. I supplement with kelp powder and cod liver oil (my dog is allergic to salmon and salmon oil; strange, I know!) I support their old joints with Rosehip Vital for Canines, which my two love the taste of! I spend one of my days off buying and preparing all of these ingredients, then freeze in double portions, so it will last for a couple of weeks. I have one dog with extensive allergies, so I avoid those ingredients, but I personally don't believe in grain-free diets; they do get small amount of grains regularly, but certainly no-where even close to what you'd find in commercial kibble. That is why I decided to make my dogs their own food in the first place. My female jack russell is allergic to so much, even what is traditionally acknowledged to be the 'allergy-safe' options, such as millet, salmon, pumpkin and lamb and a lot of the derm foods and hypo-allergenic products had these in them. She is also allergic to pork, wheat, white rice, cucumber, garlic and onion (not that I would feed these two to her, anyway,) and a whole slew of preservatives and artificial colourings. If you are looking for tips on making sure that all of your dog's nutritional needs are taken care of, try reading up on the work of Dr Karen Becker. That is where our base recipe came from and we just tweaked it a bit to fit our needs.

[@ilessthan3cats]

Great list! I worked for Pets Global for three years and it was some of the proudest work I’ve ever done. I love a lot of the foods on this list - I’ve heard great results from everything from Carna4 to Taste of the Wild. It’s so nice to have SO many options for dogs now!

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Absolutely!

[@Mapleaple]

Haha say hi to Daniel !

[@xiaoweijiang4402]

Thanks so much! I’m getting a Yorkie next month and the pet store nearby has mainly Hills dog food and that would have been what my puppy would have eaten if I was not an avid researcher and found your channel! Thanks again!

[@Preppygymnast1]

What did you end up buying to feed yorkie. We just bought one and not sure what to get.

[@CroatiaSurvival]

We feed Orijen exclusively when it comes to kibble food to our two lagottos. We switch between different types for variety and also depending on the time of the year. During summer when they swim multiple hours a day they get the higher calorie count ones, and during winter when all of us are just lazy bastards they get lower calories. We also give them raw and cooked meats, fish, eggs, rice, vegetables and whatever else we eat that’s dog safe. All of us are hunters so a lot of wild game gets into their diet as well. They never had any health issues in their 11 and 8 years respectively. Good food really is the most important part of keeping a dog healthy.

[@davidleeroth9846]

I hope you have reseaeched grain free but orijen Amazing grains is great dog food it's loaded with more carbs and does something to there heart it is realy realy bad ask your vet dogs are dieing due to grain free

[@urbaninsomnia5851]

@@davidleeroth9846 Your sentence literally makes zero sense.

[@CodyJJoseph]

7:18 its all fun and games till the tree starts moving

[@kristenhiltz5084]

I've worked in the veterinary field and I can tell you with sincerity that Purina does not give veterinarians free food. At least, not in Canada. You also have to look at the bigger picture of the ingredients list as a whole, not just the first few ingredients. I don't feel that the information you're providing is totally accurate. Are you board certified?

[@KAMENRAIDAWINK]

She should include the vitamins and amino acids into consideration. But the main 5 ingredients play a big role.

[@Francisco-dr4yi]

She has no clue what she’s talking about

[@BritBit89]

Board certified?? Lol she’s not even a doctor of any kind. She’s a dog trainer.

[@coopinsurf3438]

I- your first few ingredients are what its mostly made of.....

[@kristenhiltz5084]

@@coopinsurf3438 but the first few ingredients isn’t what makes up the complete formulation of food. There’s a lot involved to make it a balanced diet, more than just the physical first 5 ingredients.

[@praisedelrosario8457]

Hello, Skyler! I am genuinely grateful for content creators and experts like you in providing nutritional kibble for our dogs 💖 I would love it if you created a ranking for skin allergy sensitive / hypoallergenic dog food as a lot of dog owners struggle with this!

[@Blister_in_the_sun]

I’m confused by your automatic placement/preference for Diamond foods brand. Especially considering it’s history in recalls and it’s company size makes it automatically better? (when you referenced Mars and candy bars and General Mills and cereal, I’m not sure why you did that). While many brands have been recalled (especially when the independent brands sold out to conglomerates), larger parent companies don’t automatically make each brand within the umbrella bad/good imo. I agree that ingredients are most important, safety of the manufacturers processing/production and sourcing are as well. I appreciate your views.

[@Er3ctilereptile]

I agree about diamond. Diamond killed my cat, made my other cat sick, and the company refused to recall because not enough people complained. Meanwhile I knew at least 2 other people who had a problem around the same time I got my bag.

[@avangella]

The chefs kiss ones are literally $120 for a 30lb bag. (Per amazon) although they might be premium dog foods, this is why a lot of them then change to cheaper alternatives.

[@xcvcvcvvcvc9914]

It’s frustrating when people say that things like royal canin are overpriced when the other foods are more expensive per gram and/or require far more food to meet the daily nutritional requirements of your dog meaning you need to buy and consume much more food. 800g of red mills boutique dry food is supposed to last a small-medium dog 3~ Days.

[@dominogaming4745]

@@xcvcvcvvcvc9914 how is royal canin overpriced???

[@invictafilms2690]

We always go for Royal Canin cause it’s got a reputation for being really good and the highest quality dog food on the market. And recommended by law most every vet I’ve spoken to. It hasn’t disappointed at all. My pup loves their wet food

[@kaylamuniz1424]

Royal canin and hills are recommended by vets because they can get a commission from it

[@srogers5489]

​​@@kaylamuniz1424wrong they dont get any commission. That is false

[@clb3297]

Roysl Canin for Small Breeds absolute garbage. Where's the meat? Here is the beginning of ingredient list: Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Brown Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Wheat Gluten, Fish Oil, Vegetable Oil,

[@kimberella2105]

@@clb3297you are absolutely right, I hate that people think it’s good based on price tag and vet recommendations when there’s no meat in it

[@gracefulpines]

What do you think about Inukshuk dog food?

[@susanwingblade1799]

What qualifies you to be a pet nutritionist. Just asking!

[@lw455]

Very curious about this!

[@bettinachristensendambrosi8424]

Thank you for this video, really helpful. Would love a second video 🤞🏻covering brands like Acana, Lily’s Kitchen, Purizon, Taste of the Wild, Wolf of the wilderness, Eukanuba, Arion, Belcando and Alpha spirit which are brands that can be bought in Europe as well.

[@evabrent9347]

She was covering Taste of the Wild

[@kristen_hughes]

Agree. I personally was hoping Acana would have also been covered. Seeing as they are partnered with ORIJEN, they *probably* fall under "Oh, hell yeah" or at least "cheers"

[@susancook7332]

She did Taste of the Wild in this video

[@vo7724]

Where have you gotten your professional experience in being a nutrionist? College degree of some sort or just forming your own opinions over the years? Would love to see where you got your knowledge

[@scalesinthesnow6457]

Speaking from Canada here but a 'certified animal nutritionist' here me and vet program then branching out to agriculture specializing in animal husbandry and care. Then pursuing specifically feed and nutrition. It's a long process when done right.

[@vo7724]

@@scalesinthesnow6457 is that where she has her experience from though is what I want to know... without having a college degree aimed towards animal nutrition, idk how one can consider themselves certified to be an animal nutritionist. And I'm not saying she isn't or anything, i am just curious what makes her certified

[@thatsassyrepublican]

It’s as simple as reading the ingredients and knowing what’s good and by doing minimal research. Thank you for the info. I’m glad my blue Buffalo is decent for now! Lol

[@vo7724]

@@thatsassyrepublican but its really not that simple. I used to feed my dogs blue Buffalo because the ingredient list looked good. Till my dog hot sick from it and cost me 500 dollars to get her better. The amount of recalls they've had...

[@LittleFishy219]

@@thatsassyrepublican It's not that simple in the slightest. Ingredients tell you nothing. You need to understand WHY each ingredient is in the formula and understand formulation and sourcing.

[@karib1493]

Awesome video! You are full of knowledge!! Thank you.

[@BritBit89]

Well dang it! Purina, RC, and Hills forgot to give me the password to their super secret club! I’ve worked in vet med for years, and have always recommend them. But I never receive a discount on my pet food, nor have I ever received a dime for promoting them. They certainly owe me back pay by now. Do you think my checks got lost in the mail???

[@neronirvana768]

They purina and hills both offer discounted food for vet clinic workers on their website... 🙄

[@BritBit89]

@@neronirvana768 My apologies, I should have been more clear in my original post. I’m aware of Royal Canin’s discount for vet med employees. I have just never used it because the meager discount still kept their diets firmly out of reach for someone on a vet tech’s salary. I’m not familiar with Purina’s program as it has never been advertised to me, but I’m sure it’s similar. The point I was obviously trying to make is that the notion of veterinary professionals recommending these brands for their own financial gain is utterly ridiculous. People in the vet med field are barely scraping by. Vet techs are obscenely underpaid. And while vets’ salaries are of course more than techs, they make on average much less than any human doctors. And most vets are also dealing with student loan rates higher than the average mortgage. Saying that we would knowingly recommend a product detrimental to a pet’s health for money is incredibly insulting. If we were in it for the money we would sure as hell not be in this field.

[@KAMENRAIDAWINK]

How many hours are spent on learning pet nutrition in veterinary course ?

[@BritBit89]

@@KAMENRAIDAWINK I’m sure that varies by school. But the one vet school’s curriculum that I’m familiar with requires two courses on nutrition and a separate course in toxicology. So I guess the answer to your question would be many, many hours of studying. Which by the way, is waaaaay more than the woman in this video. I’m not sure how she legally gets away with calling herself a nutritionist. She is not a veterinarian or doctor of any kind. She is a dog trainer who graduated from Animal Behavioral College. So not even a real animal behaviorist. At most, she went through some unaccredited online program on animal nutrition, although I can’t even find evidence of that. She has no business giving medical/nutritional advice out on the internet, claiming to be an expert. Furthermore, general practice veterinarians give out food recommendations based on the findings of board certified veterinary nutritionists. You know, the people who have spent years researching nutrition - the actual experts.

[@bigtony62301]

If you work in vet med and you are recommending this food what are you doing? Do you actually do any research?

[@rididdy]

Would love to see a puppy food-specific video! Thanks for the helpful info.

[@Zophia.28]

Idk girl..... I could see the difference in my dogs when I fed them royal canin large breed... their coats get shiny, teeth white, play time was awesome, vets check ups went perfect. Poop looking good. And no tear marks in my white american akita. Most american akita breeders recommend royal canin. I'm not doubting your certifications. But is illogical that breeders with 30+ years of experience, give royal canin to their own dogs. And their dogs have long healthy lives.

[@estebanjr11]

She is off her rocker royal canin is one of the only ones that runs feeding trials to prove that the food is beneficial to the breed.

[@doonerbaby8349]

I’m using royal canin boxer puppy for my obvious boxer pup. It was the food that my breeder used for her pups and other boxers as well and also highly recommended by my vet. He is growing perfectly, no gas, all his check ups are great. So I dunno if she’s right or wrong but I will continue to use it.

[@haley_lloyd]

Whole heartedly agree with u. I work in a vet clinic and I see more obvious and faster changes in the dogs with allergies when they go onto RC hypoallergenic food. I’m also not too sure why she said that you don’t need a prescription for food when you absolutely do for certain types for both Hills and RC. You can’t just go to a store where I live and by a renal or urinary diet without seeing a vet prior. Even then, you shouldn’t be feeding these health specific food for the rest of ur dogs life unless otherwise specified by a vet. I agree with her “Cheers” rating and above but below is, imo, “i don’t like big companies therefore their products are bad”. I’m not saying that’s wrong but it should be looked at on a case by case basis and not a generalised distaste.

[@alisonzappey9111]

How do we know you don't work for Royal canin 🤨

[@Zophia.28]

@@alisonzappey9111 🤣🤣🤣 I do sound like I'm promoting them huh? I don't work for them tho lol

[@drewbymusic]

First off, thank you so much for this video. I keep coming back to it (along with the other dog food videos). I think it would be great if you made a video about the useful life of certain dog foods once opened (exposed to oxygen). I was one of those people who bought the big bags to save on $/lb - but then I did some research and learned about rancid fats... now I buy smaller bags and use the food within a week for foods that contain fish/fish oil. Anyway, thanks again for your videos. Please keep them coming.

[@laura2317]

Your Hills review was pretty confusing to me… is it a good food or not? It seemed like you put them low due to the company itself

[@acidfloyd2]

It's because it has corn, she made that clear describing the ratings system

[@MrTubegig]

@@acidfloyd2 no she labeled based off its ownership of the word prescription

[@acidfloyd2]

@@MrTubegig no she started off by listing the main ingredients which included corn and then went on to talk about the company. If you rewind to her classifications for each rating, Hills is correctly classified. Maybe she could have been more clear, granted, but to me Hills is more dangerous of a food than she explaimed because they are a top three market share company and the big 3 fund the research and suppress the research that would reveal the ingredients they use lead to long term chronic issues in pets. Ingredients that spike blood sugar leads to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, obesity, etc and all of these are the top killers of pets. Hills, Royal Canin, and Purina have the money to fund proper research in to better diets but they know doing so will result in their margins being slashed because the inexpensive ingredients they use, (corn, soy, rice, etc) will have to be replaced by lower sugar carbs and higher meat content for healthier animals. They won't do it and for that they are guilty of a modern day genocide of animals because they put profits ahead of nutrition and they manipulate the science to convince well meaning vets and universities to repeat their flawed studies. We are supposed to pretend that nutrition is so different in animals than humans. We wpuld never thrive on a diet of corn, soy, and rice. Yet these are the main protein sources in the prescription diets and the regular food of the three largest pet food companies. It is evil and I am surprised at her restraint given her knowledge of nutrition.

[@AudiophileTubes]

Please do an updated version of this, and include WELLNESS. I wonder where that brand falls on this list! Thanks!

[@mirandamader8522]

I find what you say about requiring a prescription for the veterinary foods very troubling. General diets by the veterinary brands do not require a prescription and they don’t claim to. However, there are many diets within the veterinary brands that do require prescriptions because of their ratio of their nutrients and other factors. While they do not have “medication” in them, they are formulated for specific needs of animals who might be having issues. For example, many of the brands have a renal diet that have lower protein levels (and other changes) that are aimed at protecting the kidneys. They require a prescription because animals who are not having renal issues, should not be on this diet. There are tons of other formulations that these veterinary brands have to help patients that need specific nutritional changes due to a wide variety of issues pets can have.

[@victoriaswartz6773]

Yes! My cats hills prescription diet saved him from having to go under an invasive procedure. My poor baby was having issues with a partial blockage from crystals in his urinary tract. I fed him name brands like origin and whole canned wet food (turkey and duck) his entire life yet was struggling to pee. I didn’t agree with the ingredients with the prescription diet at first, but I can’t argue with the results. It cleared his blockage and now he’s back to normal. Trust your vet!

[@briansmith5083]

Thank you. Very good response.

[@mollykissel9553]

These prescription food products are all researched by board-certified veterinary nutritionists which do have the education to back up the products they promote and help produce. I think many people think all vets and veterinary staff get a profit from these brands. I wish that were true! I'd be a heck of a lot richer!

[@yogiyoda]

Doesn't the act of turning real ingredients into a shelf-stable kibble pretty much destroy the nutrition anyway? I think thats why they have to add back all the vitamins anyway. I'm thinking of of feeding raw in the morning and cheap kibble in the evening

[@SwitchingReins]

Having worked in the vet field and shown dogs most of my adult life, I'm still waiting for all these big Purina kick backs. The only free kibble I've ever gotten was returned products to our clinic that we would have throw away. I did get a free towel from Purina for winning breed at a show.

[@at-citie]

I agree with you 100%, I only get dog food that follows wsava guidelines

[@MartyinOZ]

In Australia Royal Canin do give vouchers to people who buy puppies from registered breeders before this it was Purina, first one we got was a 4kg bag of Puppy then we could get a 25% off bag then you can get another 25% off voucher.

[@acidfloyd2]

Vets do not have adequate nutritional training. Everyone knows corn, white rice, and potatoe spikes blood sugar, and yet Vets act like their food is a premium food. Demand a refund on your crappy education because an 8 year old learning nutrition in school knows more than you do.

[@mollykissel9553]

​@@acidfloyd2 Board-certified veterinary nutritionists do have the training and research to back up their findings and products they support. Purina, Hills, and Royal Canin all have specific lines (mostly prescription) that are researched extensively by veterinary nutritionists.

[@CharlieDexter99]

@@acidfloyd2 oh don’t be so pretentious. Millions of dogs ate and did well on Ol’Roy before there was 159 options. You act like you are so intelligent but dogs still decline and pass at the same rate no matter what feed you give. You have only been hooked by the marketing

[@abs2fast2furios]

Recently switched up my puppies food to Farmina N&D and he was instantly in love with it. He finishes up his meals and is slightly higher energy. I was feeding him SmartHeart, since that what he was being fed by the owners of his mom

[@erikaaguirre2813]

I was waiting for the review on Hills because that’s what I feed my dogs and it only went to Pee Pee Poo Poo because of the word “Prescription”??? I wanted to know if the ingredients were good not just a word on the packaging. Also, that picture of Hills goes in their “Science Diet” formula NOT “Prescription” formula.

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

I do go over the ingredient list for Hills, which is what ultimately lands them in their position. The fact that their company owns the words "Prescription Diet" is concerning and worth noting, but it ultimately came down to the sheer volume of filler ingredients.

[@Alliclarke]

As someone who has worked in the pet food industry for four years, it's definitely not because of them claiming "prescription". If you watch the video she lists off the first five ingredients, which consist of lamb meal, brewers rice, brown rice, whole grain wheat, and corn gluten meal. Lamb meal is basically just left over pieces that are not edible for human consumption(could be expired/sick animals, keep that in mind!), rice/brewers rice/corn gluten meal are all huge fillers in low quality dog food. They have basically no nutritional value. Rice can be fed when pets are feeling unwell and you just need them to eat something, but it IS NOT part of a biologically appropriate diet for dogs. Dogs are omnivores, meaning they need meat and veggie/fruits. Their bodies don't require carbs whatsoever. If you want to add carbs in to add roughage, add sweet potato or pumpkin.

[@sierratorres4695]

Please go and watch DVM Cellini’s video where he speaks with a board certified veterinary nutritionist. The speak about hills, royal canin, purina and go over many other topics in regards to pet nutrition. It’s definitely worth the watch! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3-9pIuqatWHY6s

[@robertgerrity1]

Google Hills and class action lawsuit. Thousands of dogs have died eating Hills over the past few years due to the cheap Chinese made vitamin and mineral packs they use.

[@raineyjaneway5430]

I’m changing my dogs food pronto. I feed him Hills science diet and now I’m changing it to something else… that’s not ok 😳

[@CompletelyCharming]

Asking as a fellow dog food nerd where did you get your certs? Id like to have something to back up my suggestions to people

[@LeaLeaBird]

Sorry I’m a bit confused about why you don’t like hills. My take from the video is it’s mostly about the whole labeling of “prescription” but I’m welcome to any additional reasons you can give. I think from a veterinary perspective, you are correct in saying that there isn’t anything in the foods that would make them need to be prescribed in the traditional sense because they don’t contain medicine, but the specific formulas and what they contain are different for different needs. The regular hills foods are not made with any specific condition in mind other than vague weight control or sensitivities. However they have foods specific for, say, animals with chronic kidney problems. I think it’s important to distinguish these foods from regular foods because the contents can be so different. Perhaps prescription isn’t the right word, but what do we use in its place? I also think hills as a company is incredibly research based and they have entire institutions studying animals in their care and on their food in order to develop these diets for these specific conditions. Maybe hills isn’t in the top category for ethical reasons but to put it at the very bottom doesn’t seem to take in the brand as a whole and what it encompasses as far as needs go.

[@jamiepenfold3182]

I have a dog that requires Royal Canin vet Rx food for a liver issue. The vet and I monitor her condition. The food formulation has proven beneficial in controlling her condition. The company vets are readily accessible to answer questions we may have about the nutritional composition. My other dog is healthy and eats Orijen.....Happy with both.

[@heonishei]

I'm a new Dog owner. I now own 3 stray dogs and I've been looking for the best food for them. If Hills is best for certain reasons I'll have to lool into it for sure.

[@LeaLeaBird]

@@living2day617 it sounds like your dog in particular has allergies, which isn't the case for every dog. I'm glad you found something that works for you and your pet though. Also, I've never met a vet that gets a commission for selling a certain dog food brand out of their clinic. Selling most medications and food actually have minimal profits for the vet, the bulk of profits for the clinic as a company come from procedures and exam fees. Pet owners are all welcome to do their own research but Hills/Purina/RC in particular have fantastic studies about their pet food in relation to health conditions which are then able to be used by vets to aid in managing that condition. So no... they are not "one of the worst" lmao. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with whatever you were feeding but to use that experience to apply to the brand as a whole is misguided.

[@savannahsmiles1797]

cuz it is CRAP...

[@LeaLeaBird]

@@savannahsmiles1797 you saying that doesn't make it true, it's simply an opinion that you haven't provided any reasoning for

[@BV-pv2sd]

A vet once said that feeding your dog inexpensive dog food takes about 5 years off the life of your dog. I switched to Nutri Source food for both my dogs and cats. It's more expensive but knowing my loving pets will be living longer makes it all worth it...

[@jessicar2609]

Don't always just go off the price. That thinking is why so many people think Blue Buffalo is good food because it's expensive.

[@דִיגדוג]

Nutri Source is great stuff. I especially like how most of their lines have both dehydrated and fresh meat used.

[@JasonSmith-ej2fg]

I'm a nationally accomplished dog trainer, that's been researching dog nutrition after I lost my first guy to cancer 20 years ago. I want to congratulate you on a well assembled list with well defined, important rules as well as for your mistrust of big corporations in pet food - cheers. I only want to warn you like l do with all people concerned with animal by-products in their food. I've actually watched wild and domestic dogs consume small animals. What they don't do is sit down and pick out the "yucky" stuff. If it's small enough they just catch it, crunch it then swallow it whole (by-products and all). This is not to say by-products get a pass, but the reputation of the company using them is key. All in all, great job, keep up the good work.

[@lindacastanon4748]

Looking for some help on my 6 pound chi with high liver enzyme’s doctors recommend poo food she’s been on Purina pro plan sensitive skin and stomach kibbles for almost 2yrs now 😢please help

[@Adeniumlovers1333]

Omg same my dog chihuahua 11 pound obese and high liver alp. Vet told to give liver medicine. I'm thinking of farmina food if it has low carb then my dog will loose weight he so picky

[@hellokayla3]

NOW THIS is exactly what i was looking for. you’re amazing, thank you for educating us for our new puppy. so sad my dog died in 2013 from cancerous tumors at 8 yrs old, we fed him beneful ;(

[@codythurston4586]

Feed your dog what they do well on. I have only seen a few bits from this video but in those every part of the decision was subjective. Things like “Doesn’t like that it monetized the word prescription” “owned by Colgate” speak nothing to the actual content of the diet and how poor or well dogs do on said diet.

[@codythurston4586]

Receiving a piece of paper that says you took an online course does not in any way qualify someone to speak to the nutritional benefits or deficits of a diet nor the lifelong implications of said diet. Please consult a board certified nutritionist if you want the best information

[@robertbritt3129]

I had 2 Chihuahua for 13 and 15 years iams for 10 years then Purina soft food. I wish I had known my new 4 dogs are fed natural balance LID and they are stronger not just from additional siblings because each next dog gets stroger and stronger but the food allows them to do that very healthy but I can't find the food anymore and meed to switch

[@leoramichaldillow]

I worked in vet med for three years before leaving due to severe bullying and compassion fatigue. I was always appalled by most veterinary clinical and general diets. Blows my mind, honestly. I was thinking about going back to school to specialize in veterinary nutrition. I switched my dog who is an allergy dog to a new food after thinking that I was getting poultry free food, when poultry meal was the fifth ingredient. Ah! Though I'm still not satisfied with this new food, I healed her eye infection and ear infection by the food change. I wish more people took pet diets seriously.

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

good luck on your career thoughts. Hope dog remains healthy !

[@LessyasLeaves]

I used to feed my schnauzers other foods besides Royal Canin. I cant quite remember which is was, it may have been blue because it was the most popular at the time. Regardless, they would always get sick with utis and kidney stones. We couldn’t figure out why until our vet told us the food we were giving was too high in protein for them and recommended we switch to Royal Canin. And its been at least 5 years since my babies have had any problems. I don’t think I could switch to any of the other foods for that reason, but Im just so surprised vets and nutritionists disagree on the brand so much? It seems so 50/50 I don’t know who to believe.

[@tongvang724]

Believe in what's best for your dog. Meaning whatever it is that doesnt affect your dogs health and they their skin and health stays healthy

[@jeanetteburnswhite5481]

Loved your informational video. It was very helpful and loving your fur baby

[@roxannegaldos7595]

Could you do a part 2 to this vid with some other niche food brands? like with brands / formulas that claim to be breed specific?

[@kinguin7]

Anything claiming to be breed specific is probably snake oil. Not that the food is necessarily bad, but claiming to know what's best for every dog within a breed is kinda absurd.

[@paulayost6837]

This is GREAT! Thank you SO much. Please make one for wet food and raw food. Love the names on your rating system. You are a Chef's Kiss ! A++++++++++ A true 10.

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Thank you so much! I am definitely putting together lists for raw and wet food, as well as a cat specific one, so stay tuned over the next couple of months!

[@lilydemers6157]

I don’t even have a dog. I want a cat. Might as well still watch tho, you never know. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

I have a cat video as well!

[@theresa94010]

@@TheTattooedDogTrainer - Oh, good, I will look for it, hope to find it.

[@iquanyin1]

meat byproducts are fine for dogs, sheesh. it’s organs and those are super nutritious. this makes me immediately know she may know a lot but not enough for me to learn anything. even so, i appreciate that she made this.

[@rentazzo]

Thanks so much for making this video! Very good explanations and I learned quite a bit about dog food! :) Cheers!

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

For working retrievers, I feed the highest fat, highest protein kibble on the market: Red Paw Poweredge 32k. First ingredient is menhaden. A favorite kibble among mushers up here in interior Alaska. Expensive but worth it...525 kcal/cup.

[@serenitydemars1329]

I would love if you made more videos about different kinds of dog food. I’m always looking to improve my dogs food to the best of my ability

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

her YT home page has lots more info, too. Subjects can be searched and the video page/tab is organized. Great sources !

[@matticusminot8086]

Did you taste this? Prolly not , so how can you judge?

[@jacbru3662]

Could you do a review of foods such as Farmer’s Dog and Fresh Pet?

[@sidewalksurf800]

Omg yes, my dogs have been on both!! FreeshPet is more convenient and affordable, but unsure if it’s pure enough

[@jlruiz7634]

Champion pet foods didn’t move to Kentucky, they opened up a second facility there. Still operating in Canada. I’m not a certified pet nutritionist but I’ve looked into a ton a food over the past 7 years. I have not seen any reports or studies showing that their food quality has dropped. Purina tried buying them out but I believe champion said no and are still their own company

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

I may have misspoken or not been clear in my video. Champion opened a second kitchen in Kentucky, this is where they are currently making all of their food sold in the US, (which is a source of concern in my opinion since the food standards between the two countries vary). I have also noticed minuscule but notable differences in the ingredient panel since Champion began selling in PetCo. Ex. What once said "Alaskan Salmon" now says "Salmon" or "Whole egg" to "egg" in some of their formulas. Not changes that would completely ruin their reputation bu any means, but definitely something to be aware of.

[@jlruiz7634]

@@TheTattooedDogTrainer -definitely! I agree it can get a little shady when companies go BIG. Just gotta keep tabs on these companies and hope they maintain high quality, cause their food is damn expensive. Haha!

[@anttoronto3202]

@@TheTattooedDogTrainer Acana is Made in Canada. Ingredients and their description have not changed. Been feeding it for close to 5 years to my dog.

[@saltymr.potatohead4897]

Well for being such a self proclaimed research nerd you really should do more research on why Blue Buffalo has been sued so often. You downgrade other brands for shady marketing but dont hold BB to the same standard.

[@Kate-qn9nc]

She talking about that specific flavor According to the ingredients

[@quiquileroux7856]

Thank you for this. I started supplementing my dogs and cats with goat milk and they love it. First thing in the am, they all get a bowl of goat milk and it's such a great start to their day. Thank you for that advice.

[@jdav1984]

Is it powdered ?

[@quiquileroux7856]

@@jdav1984 No. I've been using goat milk from the carton. Getting it for $4.55 a quart that lasts a few days for 5 animals. Thinking about getting the evaporated canned stuff and reconstituting it with water. Although it is not any cheaper.

[@bellaroselookingup7088]

I do the same. I add it to their kibble in the morning.

[@zacharywilder140]

I thought for the longest time that as long as I was choosing brands that said grain free that I was doing good. After watching this video and looking at the back of the food bag and not being able to understand what the ingredients are on the first 5... I immediately decided that if I'm not going to eat healthy then at least my dog will because one of us needs to do something 😅 I'm trying out Orijen. The top like 12 ingredients are straight protein and fat content, I'm also going to try pairing it with some canned orijen food as well, since the video recommends a little wet food as well. Rocco will be eating like a straight king tonight. I hope he finally starts actually looking forward to eating. Most of the time he pushes his food with his nose and knocks it out of the bowl. I can't wait to see his reaction tonight! Thank you for the information and I appreciate your research!

[@dianepowell5315]

Meal means that it is a by product and not good for pets just like by products . What about BHT and BHA additives? Do your top foods have a lot of these?

[@Blluren]

@@dianepowell5315 that's not true. Meal is mostly organs and bones, which are GREAT for dogs. Don't believe everything you read online.

[@ClearAdventure]

May I ask a question? I wanted my dog to have the best food, and my cousin is a veterinary technician and suggested Science Diet, and my Blue Heeler, Nugget (you can see him in my profile pic here) wouldn't come within a zip code of it, lol, simply refused to eat it and would rather starve. So I started reading a ton of reviews (it read like a war zone of opinions on what is best, like I am sure you understand) and finally one old man commented. Said he raised and bred packs of bloodhounds (think he was from the deep south he said) and in an old school way said "All you people waste so much dang money when I raised dogs all my life on Alpo, and they are healthy, happy, and most live 15 years plus!" And a few others chimed in saying the same. Now I would never feed Nugget Alpo myself, but it did make me wonder, because I gave you the short version, this guy went on forever. So my point is, is their a lot of BS with what really makes a dog live the longest and most happy life? I would think a raw food diet (I can no way afford that these days) would be the most natural thing because that's what dogs in the wild live off of. I will dump Rachel Ray after watching your video, but I can't afford a lot of $ these days, so I wonder what to get? Any suggestion? And what do you think about all these old timers claims? Are they all crazy? Surely some of them are of sound mind. 🤷

[@zuezsz]

I'm in the same situation as you my Doberman who's 3 years old dislikes kibble in general, too picky to eat kibble bearly eats it unless really hungry, one day I gave her hills science diet and she actually ate which was surprising, because she is picky with kibble . At the moment rn I'm feeding her raw food that I buy at petco or petsmart for right now. No bad signs yet as it's bearly been 2 weeks already

[@lochamb1234]

My partner and my parents have always fed their dogs on cheaper kibble and tinned dog meat.....and I always buy premium kibble and make my own food for them. My girls are in no better health than my parents and partner's dogs. So who knows

[@lesly2783]

I mean I feed my dogs a all raw food diet but I don't make it homemade because of the salmonella danger so I buy it from a brand called bones and co. I pay $42 for a 6 pound bag which lasts me a long time because I have a 13 pound dog. Honestly I would never feed my dogs cheap food because it can lead to so many health issues. A good kibble is visionary which is like $22 for a 3 pound bag but it depends how big your dog is and your budget

[@zuezsz]

@@lesly2783 small dogs are easy to maintain with raw food , u don't needa feed alot

[@zuezsz]

@@lesly2783 by any chance u got a link to the raw food u mentioned

[@glassmoneeeey]

I love the chart so I can just screenshot it and have it when I’m at the store. So many different foods to keep track of

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Great idea!

[@igornandrade]

thank you for this tierlist. I would be great to see a 2023 version. Here in Canada I'm buying Nulo and my dog is enjoying it.

[@fightingblindly]

You are a certified pet nutritionist? Where did you receive your certification? What classes did you have to take? How long did you study? Did you received a degree or certification? What tests did you have to pass to get your certification?

[@DwightKShrute0]

Exactly, I really doubt she has any real qualifications. She doesn't actually say anything about the nutritional content of any of the foods, but just looks at the ingredient list. Add to that the unsubstantiated conspiracy talk, and I don't trust anything she's saying basically. So many ridiculous statements about what actually makes good quality. Really people need to talk to their vet to see what they think is the best food for their dog.

[@bakermayfield6hunnitdan6er24]

@@DwightKShrute0I’m not necessarily defending her, but vets are not nutritionist either. It’s a small part of training and is usually taught by reps from Purina, Hills, and Mars Co. Being a dog or cat nutritionist is a completely different profession with different schools. Your doctor can recommend foods for you to eat, but 9/10 times they are not a nutritionist and cannot give you accurate diet advice other than “lay off red meats maybe idk”. If you do any research, you’ll find that Hills is full of corn, sorghum, meals and byproducts as opposed to deboned meats or organ meats. Purina is just as guilty. Their Pro Plan “Shredded Chicken Blend” has proteins from 4+ different animals, one being “poultry-byproduct meal”. Their CHICKEN RECIPE has beef, whitefish, chicken meal, and the mystery fowl. I switch more people from science diet and purina than you could imagine. Some of the dogs that come in are covered in rashes because of allergies, and I find out they’re feeding purina pro plan where it could be literally anything from a fish allergy, beef, or a chicken/fowl allergy.

[@iquanyin1]

and she begins by saying meat byproducts aren’t nutritious. that’s wrong. maybe she’s a student and still learning.

[@mollykissel9553]

As someone that was once very much against Purina, Hills, and Royal Canin, I now suggest some of the food lines produced by these brands are great food options. These brands are researched extensively by board-certified veterinary nutritionists. I also want to say that meat meals can sometimes be a more abundant source of protein than whole meat. It all depends on how it's manufactured and not all meat meals are equal. Some are of very high quality while others are positively awful. It would also be beneficial to note that every pet is different and owners need to find the food that best suits the pet. I am all for more natural foods and am an advocate for raw feeding (if done right).

[@zachperry4601]

The majority of pet food companies, even the independent brands, use board-certified vet nutritionists as well as PhD food scientists to formulate their foods. In fact, some of the vet nutritionists that help/helped formulate some of the brands you mentioned may have had their hand in doing so for several other brands. Can you explain, from a nutritional stand-point, what makes CORN or WHEAT(even brewers rice) a good ingredient? Especially seeing as how, in terms of the brands you mentioned, their formulas contain a large % of those ingredients by weight.

[@bigtittygoblin]

@@zachperry4601 Corn mean contains 16% protien and has an excellent amino acid profile. It's used in conjunction with the other ingredients to formulate a complete and balanced diet. Ingredients like corn, wheat, and rice are included in dog foods because they make up part of the whole. These are not filler ingredients. If you were to remove the corn, grain, etc from these diets then they would not be considered complete and balanced because they contribute to the overall nutritional content of the food.

[@nope2649]

My dog was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. Our vet recommended Purina Pro Plan Neurocare to help further manage her seizure on top of medication. Although I agree with the placement of Purina on this list, I haven't really been able to find any other brands that offer kibbles formulated to help dogs with epilepsy.

[@acidfloyd2]

Give a reputable raw brand a try. You will see better outcomes and avoid the chronic conditions that will develop over years of feeding Purina.

[@nope2649]

@@acidfloyd2 What reputable raw brands would you recommend? I'd like to do some research and talk it over with my vet the next time we go back. Also, is there any evidence that dogs on Purina develop chronic conditions?

[@acidfloyd2]

@@nope2649 There are so many brands but the three I am most familiar with are Nature's Variety Instinct, Primal, and Stella & Chewy. Suggest visiting their websites because they all have fantastic learning centres that will inform you to be more prepared when approaching your vet. Nearly all vets do not have much experience with raw and tend to cover their own butts recommending it because they think there are risks, and if you feed an inferior raw product, there may be risks. It is not a very regulated part of the industry so you want to choose a very reputable brand even though it may cost a little more. In the long term you will save money on vet bills, teeth cleaning, and pick up a lot less poop. Like 60-70% less poop because so much of it is digested that very little remains as excrement.

[@acidfloyd2]

@@nope2649 The evidence that brands like Purina et al, lead to chronic conditions is emerging slowly as Raw catches on. Some of the evidence is very high level such as the leading causes of animal deaths are Obesity, Diabetes, and Cancer, followed closely by other internal organ diseases like kindey, liver, and pancrease issues. We know from human nutrition and health what are higher risk factors for all of those conditions. High glucose and sugar lead to decay in the pancrease, increases in diabetes, and obesity. If you look at any of the grocery foods and the vet foods, you will see high glucose ingredients like corn, potatoe, white rice, etc. The energy sources in most pet foods are derived from inexpensive carbohydrates because companies want to keep the costs down to sell more and raise margins. The best way to get energy is not through carbs, both in carnivores and humans. The best way is through healthy fats. Premium foods and raw contain healthy fats instead of high glucose carbs. This means the digestive tract is not working as hard, (less inflammed). Inflammation leads to chronic diseases. This is well researched and I am sure you can find many studies that show consistent inflammation is linked to all kinds of problems in the body, both in humans and animals. During digestion inflammation happens because blood goes to the digestive tract to digest the food. The easier the food is to digest the less blood needed to work the food. That is why you want more bio-available foods which happen to be biologically appropriate diets for the animal, (those diets they evolved to thrive on). The obvious clue that you are feeding an easy to digest food is to compare the amount of stool in weight to the weight of the food they ate. For example if you feed grocery Purina and the feeding guidelines say to feed 4 cups per day, then you will see a very large amount of poop. With that same animal feed the recommended amount of raw, maybe it is 1lb per day and compare how much less stool there is. Both feeding guidelines are approved by AAFCO so the animal will be getting enough nutrients that day but the kibble will have caused so much more inflammation because there is more food being fed and it is harder to extract the nutrients from it. The raw is less food because it is 40-60% water, and absorbed much more easily causing less inflammation. It is the inflammation that causes those leading killers in animals. If you believe vets get even this little bit of training in school, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you. There is so much cross over between diseases in humans and animals and the risk factors in relation to diet. The evidence is out there, and there is a lot of common sense too.

[@nope2649]

@@acidfloyd2 Thanks for your help!

[@huhSHUA]

Can you do a current list

[@alexupchurch7654]

If you don’t mind me asking where did you receive your certification in veterinary nutrition from?

[@asbestoscider]

Nowhere 💀

[@anthonyalderson2444]

She’s a fraud

[@maja.vić]

She is not a veterinarian. This video is misinformed and even potentially dangerous for some dogs. Please consult your veterinarian (a doctor) for science based dietary information.

[@1234lowkey]

@@maja.vić veterinarians only recommend corn based diets they sell because they receive financial incentives. Neither physicians nor veterinarians receive much education regarding nutrition.

[@Xhannti]

@@1234lowkey That’s a myth. Vets DO NOT get any kickbacks for selling/recommending any brand of food.

[@shan.sri.]

Would love to hear your professional opinion on grain-free dog food and the DCM issue. Feeling confused on what to feed our pup, who currently eats homemade food and Acana.

[@KoiraStar]

Due to DCM concerns about legumes, I switched to feeding Red Barn grain inclusive kibble. I originally switched to Go! grain inclusive, but had trouble finding it locally.

[@Anon_E_Muss]

No dcm in my giant schnauzer feeding origen

[@invisiblesteve9523]

I'd love to see this concept for large breed puppy food!

[@JacqueSmith-lo5pw]

I am waiting for a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy to be weaned and old enough to come home with me. It seems like the large breed puppy kibble has less meat ingredients than adult dog food. Am I wrong or right? What do you recommend?

[@janicemarabella5409]

My Poodle has Diabetes. Was told to give her Royal Canin GlycoBalance but Royal Canin is on your Pee PeePoo Poo list. Please suggest what would be a good brand for my Diabetic fur-baby. I purchase this from Chewy and as I am sure you are aware this food is not Cheap. I pay $107 for 24 cans of GlycoBalance. This should tell you I want the best for my baby.

[@andreacampos94]

Can you please make a video on homemade meals for dogs? I am having a hard time trying to find recipes and portion sizes!

[@babydev1989]

Where do you think the Merrick brands falls under? I use this brand’s kibble and cans for my 6 year old mini schnauzer who’s allergic to grains.

[@LazyIRanch]

I wish I could still get the canned food I used to get from Merrick, I think it was called "Beef N More", and it basically was roast beef in a can. My Queensland Heeler loved it, and he lived to be 16 and was a happy, healthy farm dog. They sold it at Sam's @ 18 years ago. Seemed like a very good brand then, but I don't know what it's like now.

[@shannoncooley9984]

Hello, would love to see a review of best wet food toppers and also one for best puppy and senior food. Thanks.

[@backtoconstitution1]

I fed IAMS to my Australian border Collie mix with whatever I had for dinner (organic grass fed everything Lamb, beef, chicken,pork and fish) and organic veggies. Her life expectency according to EVERYONE is 11-13. She Lived 18.5 years happiest dog Ever.