The ingredient listing on the bag does not exactly reflect what's in your pet's bowl. Look for fresh meat first (always) and then immediately following, 2 to 3 named meat meals (e.g., salmon meal, turkey meal). “Meals” are the dehydrated versions of the meat with fat and moisture removed before cooking. This ensures meat content remains high after cooking. Don’t settle for anything less in the first 3 ingredients!

30% protein on one bag doesn't equal 30% protein on another bag. Protein doesn't always mean meat. Many companies are "boosting" crude protein levels using vegetable protein concentrates like Pea Protein and Potato Protein. Plant protein simply cannot compete with biologically appropriate animal-based proteins for dogs and cats.

There is still no scientific evidence of any direct link between "grain-free" pet foods and the 0.0007% of the canine population that have been diagnosed with possible Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in the last five years. Rather than focusing on grains, focus on whether your food delivers sufficient levels of the necessary amino acids which come from animal-based proteins (aka meat and meat meals). Look for meat protein and low amounts of healthy carbs.

The highest-priced food does not necessarily mean the best food. In the pet food industry, it is easy for a food to "read well" before cooking, and it's another to have it "perform well" as fed. Look for fresh meat first (always) and then immediately following, 1 to 3 named meat meals (e.g., salmon meal, turkey meal). This ensures meat content remains high after cooking. Don’t settle for anything less in the first few listed ingredients!