# Authority dog food



## sheltiemom

I did a search on this food on the forum, but not much came up. What did come up was a couple of people who work at Petsmart saying it was the worst food they carry. I find that kind of hard to believe after reading the ingredients, it looked better than the Purina foods, Iams, SD, Eukanuba. Not super premium, but it at least looked middle of the road. I haven't fed this food, I just wanted to hear some feedback on it, if you feed it, pros and cons, what makes it so bad, etc.


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## britishbandit

The regular Authority brand is better than Purina, Eukeneuba and all that junk, out of the good the bad and the ugly foods, most foods at Petsmart rank in the "ugly" section, Authority is in the "bad" (not that it's aweful, just ok). On the other hand, the Authority Harvest Baked is actually ranked in the good, and if you rate the food, it's actually a couple of points higher than Canidae. I've fed both Canidae and Authority Harvest Baked (the lamb formula), and noticed no difference in the change. My dogs were on the Canidae first (switched from Eukaneuba a few years ago before I realized it was crap), and the changes were drastic, nicer coats, clearer eyes, better energy levels, more solid/consistant stools.......and when I switched to the Harvest Baked, none of the old issues came back.


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## briteday

I'm not sure where all of you are getting your info from. But here is the dogfoodanalysis.com review of the food. I wouldn't buy this food. It is rated 2 stars, Canidae is rated much higher..I checked on the lamb and rice...it is 4-star, and ALS is 5-star.

Description: Feeding guideline:
A 50lb dog should be fed 3 - 4.5 cups


Top Ten Ingredients 
Chicken, Whole Ground Wheat, Whole Ground Barley, Chicken Meal, Canola Oil, Carrots, Salmon Meal, Dried Egg Product, Spinach, Tomatoes

Guaranteed Analysis
Protein 25.0%
Fat 12.0% 
Fiber 4.0% 
Moisture 10.0%

NOTE: Complete ingredient information is not available for this food. 







Author Post a Reply 

Editors 

Registered: October 2005
Posts: 3534 Review Date: Thu August 17, 2006 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: Not Indicated | Rating: 0 

Pros: First ingredient is a named meat product. 
Cons: Inadequate meat content. Not suitable for dogs with food allergies. 


The first ingredient in the food is a named meat ingredient. However, it is chicken inclusive of water content. Once this is removed, as it must be to make a dry food product, the ingredient will weigh around 20% of its wet weight. It is thus very unlikely that this is the true first ingredient in the food, and it would be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list.


The main ingredients in the food are grains. These are wheat and barley. While we appreciate that these are whole grains, we firmly believe that dog food should be based on meat rather than cereals. Wheat is believed to be the number one cause of allergies for dogs.


Chicken meal is the first true meat ingredient in the food, but unfortunately does not occur until fourth on the ingredient list. There is a further meat meal ingredient (salmon) 7th on the ingredient list, but this is too far down to make a substantive contribution to the food. We can find no sign of a guarantee from the manufacturer that this food uses Ethoxyquin-free ingredients. Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative, commonly added to fish meal, that is believed to be carcinogenic (and is banned from use in human food for that reason).


The inclusion of some amount of vegetable matter is appreciated. We would prefer to see the use of whole eggs rather than dried egg product in the food.


The ingredient list for this food is incomplete, and thus the opinion provided must be taken in that context. However, the first 10 ingredients are sufficient to demonstrate that this food is very high in grain content compared to meat. The ingredients used are primarily decent quality and the grains are at least whole (not fragments). However, wheat is the major ingredient and is likely to cause problems for dogs prone to allegies.


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## britishbandit

Start with a score of 100:

1. For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2. For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3. If the dog food ingredients include BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4. For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5. If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6. If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7. If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8. If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9. If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10. If the dog food ingredients include any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11. If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12. If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13. If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14. If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15. If the dog food ingredients include salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:
Grading Scale

* 100+ = A+
* 94-100 = A
* 86-93 = B
* 78-85 = C
* 70-77 = D
* 69 or less = F

1. If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2. If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3. If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4. If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5. If the dog food ingredients include fruit, add 3 points
6. If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7. If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8. If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9. If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10. If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11. If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12. For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and " turkey" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13. If the dog food ingredients include Glucosamine and Chondroitin, add 1 point
14. If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point.



Dog Food Name Total Points Letter Grade

Authority Harvest Baked 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics 101 A+
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice 106 A+
Canidae 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior 115 A+
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice 92 B
**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium 122 A+
EaglePack Holistic 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy 79 C
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium 73 D
Innova Evo 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables 110 A+
Merrick Wilderness Blend 127 A+
Nature's Recipe 100 A
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice 87 B
Nutro Max Adult 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Lamb and Rice Puppy 98 A
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley 103 A+
Purina Beneful 17 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy 62 F
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies 69 F
Solid Gold 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken 110 A+


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## britishbandit

Then there's this:

Ingredients which automatically rule out a food.
If these are anywhere in the ingredients list, put it down and look for something else.

A non-meat first ingredient is an automatic no go.

Meat by-products: By-products can vary ... they can consist of the internal parts of animals such as necks, heads, undeveloped eggs, feet, intestines, lungs, spleen and liver. Although by-products are used by many manufacturers, are these ingredients you would knowingly feed your pet?

Corn: Corn products are difficult for dogs to digest.

Food Fragments: Lower cost by-products of another food manufacturing process. Examples include wheat bran and brewer's rice (a waste product of the alcohol industry).

Meat and bone meal: "Meat and bone meal" and "beef and bone meal" are inexpensive sources of animal protein. The protein in a meal containing a large amount of bone may be poorly digestible and fail to provide adequate nutrition.

Animal Fat: Animal fat is a "generic" fat source that is most often made up of rendered animal fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. Look for a named fat source, such as poultry or chicken fat, that is naturally preserved.

Chemical Preservatives: Chemical preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze), and ethoxyquin. BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are potentially cancer-causing agents. The long term build-up of these chemicals (that may be eaten every day for the life of your pet!) have not been thoroughly studied and may ultimately be harmful.

Sweeteners: Sweeteners such as corn syrup, sugar, and cane mollasses are usually added to lower quality foods to increase their appeal. Dietary sugars can aggravate health problems, including diabetes.

Beef Tallow: A low quality fat product.

Sugar: This is not an ingredient most people would expect to find in dog food, but many foods do, in fact, contain sugar, especially the semi-moist brands. In fact, some semi-moist foods contain as much as 15% sugar. The sugar adds palatability and moisture, and aids in bacterial contamination prevention. Dogs do not need this amount of sugar, which can stress the pancreas and adrenal glands, causing diabetes. Completely devoid of protein, vitamins and minerals, sugar is, literally, empty calories.

Food colorings: These still commonly used in pet foods today despite the fact that they are not necessary and some have been linked to medical problems

Stuff to look for

Rice - A combination of brown and white rice:The white rice for digestibility and the brown for its added nutritional value. A diet product that is 100% brown rice can be somewhat hard for some animals to digest. Rice is good, corn is not.

Meat vs Meal: Pet food labels found in grocery and mass marketers like to use Chicken or Lamb to represent real meat. – (Contains 70% moisture). This leads you the consumer to believe that their product is meat based. Chicken or lamb meats are heavier than grains prior to cooking. The moisture contained in the meats (70%) is reduced by 2/3rds after the cooking process, leaving the total formula as a grain base food after processing. Therefore, pound for pound, meal is better than meat as its basically a concentrated form of meat, less water, more protein!

Wheat: Wheat is ok, as long as its not in the top 3 ingredients

Other Ingredients and what they are for

Chicken Fat (Omega 6) Essential fatty acids, maintains moisture in skin cells and is easily digested.

Fish Meal (Omega 3) Essential fatty acids, controls skin inflammation, helps relieve itching & hot spots.

Flax Seed (Omega 3) Essential fatty acids, helps reduce allergy problems caused from flea bites and gives the coat a shiny luster.

Sunflower Oil (Omega 6) Essential fatty acids, prevents scruffy, dry coat and maintains moisture in skin cells.

Lecithin Helps emulsify cholesterol and aids in the digestion and absorption of fats that feed the coat.

Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) Essential fatty acids, helps to prevent moisture loss from cells that cause flaky, dry skin and coat.


Sage Strengthens the mind and concentrating abilities; it aids in healing skin sores and skin eruptions and removing dandruff. It has been mostly employed in disordered states of the digestion and for its savory usage.

Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Nourishes and heals the skin.

Biotin Aids in the growth and health of hair.

Cranberry Meal Prevents the spread of bacterial infections in kidneys and the urinary tract. Helps prevent Cystitis.

Rosemary Is a stimulant of the circulatory system; to treat bad breath; stimulates the hair bulbs to new growth. Employed for its savory usage.

Apple Meal Rich in soluble fiber, lowers blood cholesterol levels and normalizes blood sugar.

Amaranth Vitamin packed herb, calms the stomach, reduces tissue swelling, removes worms and parasites from the digestive tract.

Brewers Yeast (Nutritional Yeast) A rich source of the B vitamins, contains 16 amino acids, 14 minerals and 17 vitamins. Protects, binds and rids from mycotoxins, which cause liver and organ damage..

Yucca Used for its reduction of both breath and stool odor ! A cleansing agent. Used by the Indians of the southwest for skin disorders, skin eruptions and helps avoid inflammation..

Eggs An excellent source of protein and contains all the essential Amino Acids..


Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Streptococcus Faecium fermentation extracts Probiotics. Better digestion and absorption of nutrients, they act to exclude and prevent harmful bacteria from colonizing and creating digestive upsets, helps prevent sickness and stress..

Yeast Culture All natural live yeast culture, it acts to stimulate microbial and enzyme populations in the animals digestive system. Live yeast cultures plus dried fermentation solubles..

Copper and Iron A deficiency of iron causes nutritional anemia. A small amount of copper will improve utilization of iron..

Beet Pulp (Sugar) CONTROVERSIAL
• AAFCO - Beet Pulp is the dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar.
• Natura uses it because - "it as a good source of fiber and a stool hardener". However, it is not found in their Innova or California Natural products.
• Solid Gold doesn't use it because they believe it is: "Added to pet food to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats (think toxic waste). This holds the waste in. Kidneys and liver work overtime. Dogs may chew their lower backs. Feet may swell, so the dogs lick their feet. Sugar is a contributing factor to ear infections and cataracts".
Beet pulp is rather controversial, many think that it is an excellent additive and source of fiber and that all sugar has been completely extracted before being added as a pet food ingredients. If this is the only "problem" ingredient in a kibble, other factors will have to help you decide.

Brewers Rice
• AAFCO - Brewer's Rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice.
• Natura will not use it because they state it is a "lower quality rice product that is missing many of the nutrients found in Ground Rice and Ground Brown Rice." Solid Gold says that is the sweepings from the floor of the mill.

Rice Bran
• AAFCO - Rice Bran is the outer coating of the rice kernel, with little or none of the starchy part of the germ.
• Natura and Solid Gold reject it because it is "an inexpensive source of fiber that is considered a filler ingredient", i.e. devoid of nutrient value.

Sorghum
• AAFCO - Sorghum is the ground grain of the sorghum plant.
• Natura alleges that although sorghum is good source of carbohydrates, it is low in digestibility.

Side Note
Condemned parts and animals rejected for human consumption can be rerouted into commercial pet foods. These condemned parts are referred to as the 4 D's: dead, dying, diseased or decayed. We believe this is one of the most despicable practices in the pet food manufacturing industry.
Some manufacturers have a lower standard regarding the quality of ingredients they use to make pet food. A recent example of this practice is the discovery of Pentobarbital in major pet foods, including supermarket brands. Pentobarbital is a chemical used to euthanize animals. Many holistic veterinarians feel that daily ingestion of pentobarbital can be harmful.
Many manufacturers cut costs by using the cheapest ingredients available at the time a food is made. Since costs rise and fall, some manufacturers will vary ingredients from batch to batch .. resulting in changed nutrient values for each batch and possible digestive illness.
Some manufacturers have lower standards regarding the freshness of ingredients they use to make pet food. You can not determine the freshness of ingredients by reading a label; you must trust the pet food manufacturer.


Now I know you are still asking “is this food good”, so here is the basic lists with the research done for you (tsk tsk!)

The Good
When you want the best money can buy….

ADVANCE
BALANCE DIET
The Food ADVANTAGE
CANINE CAVIAR PET FOODS
Cripple Creek Kennels
Natural Balance
FLINT RIVER RANCH
HAPPY PAWS
HOLISTIC BLEND
SOLID GOLD
LIFE'S ABUNDANCE
TENDER LOVING CARE
NATURE'S FINEST
MATRIX
OLD MOTHER HUBBARD
Sammy Snacks
TIMBERWOLF ORGANICS
ULTRA NATURAL PET FOODS
VeRUS Pet Foods
VITA-MAX PET FOODS
AZMIRA PET FOODS
BREEDERS CHOICE
CALIFORNIA NATURAL
INNOVA CANINE
PINNACLE
ROYAL CANIN SIZE (natural blend variety)
NATURALLY CANADIAN
CANIDAE PET
KIRKLAND (KIBBLE)
Far More
NATURAL BLEND


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## britishbandit

The Bad
Well, they aren’t BAD, they just don’t quite make the A grade cut. No-one should look down on you for feeding this to Fido and Spot, its good, just not the best. Dogs will do well on these.

BENCH & FIELD
THE PET PANTRY
DIAMOND BRAND
RIDE DOG FOOD
EAGLE PACK SUPER PREMIUM PET FOOD
NATURE'S RECIPE
INOVATIVE VETERNARY DIETS
ROYAL CANIN SIZE
NUTRO
NUTRO MAX
PRECISE PET FOOD
PET FIRST
SIRIUS PET FOODS
PHD, PERFECT HEALTH DIETS
WYSONG PROFESSIONAL DIETS
ANF Specialties
ANMAR
ANNAMAET PET FOODS
APD (ADVANCED PET DIETS)
ARDEN GRANGE
NUTRA NUGGETS
OWEN & MANDEVILLE PET PRODUCTS, INC.
"PAW" TICULARS
PET CHEF EXPRESS
Burns Pet Nutrition
PROPAC DOG FOODS
CANUSA PET FOOD
SPORTSMAN'S CHOICE
LAMB AND RICE FORMULA
Pronature
STURDY
DOCK'S PET FOOD
DYNAMITE ONLINE DYNAMITE SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
K9 Gourmet
MARTINS FORMULA
NOBLE DOG FOOD
NUTRIENCE PET FOOD
NUTRIENCE
AUTHORITY PET FOODS CO
QUALITY CARE PLUS (QC+)
REGAL PET FOODS
BLACKWOOD CORPORATION
Euro Premium
MAX DOG FOOD
NATURAL LIFE PET PRODUCTS, INC.
PETGUARD
PREMIUM EDGE
Petsmart Premier
TECHNI-CAL

The Ugly
Wouldn't feed these under any circumstances.

PURINA PRESCRIPTION DIETS (ok, so sometimes you have to, but I would beg and threaten my vet for an alternative)
Alpo
MERA DOG
Petco.
NATIONAL DOG FOODS
SPORTMIX
Tuffy's Dog Food
WALTHAM
WAYNE
SHUR-GAIN
Bil-Jac
SCIENCE DIET
EUKANUBA
LAND O' LAKES
EXCEL
MUENSTER MILLING CO.
EXPERT CONDITIONING
JOY PET FOODS
Purina Beneful
IAMS
Nutripet
BUCKEYE PET FOODS
PROFESSIONAL PET FOODS
EARL MAY PREMIUM BLEND
Prominence
CORNUCOPIA PET FOODS, INC.
PRO PLAN
VETERINARY MEDICAL DIETS Select Care and Medi-Cal
Jappy
FORZA10
LINDQUIST FOODS
FROMM
MASTERY
MY-CHAMPS MICROBIAL STYLE DOG FOOD
GEREEN ENTERPRISES
KUMPI DOG FOOD
HAPPY DOG
High Hopes
ECONOMY LINE
ECONOUF
EXCEL
1st. CHOICE
Big Red
Black Gold Pet Foods, Inc.
BLUE SEAL PREMIUM FEEDS. LTD.
BACK TO BASICS
BLUE RIBBON BRAND DOG FOOD
CYCLE ADULT
PUREBRED COMPANY
PURINA O.N.E. Brand
OL' ROY BRAND
WALTHAM
PEDIGREE
PURINA BRAND DOG FOODS
THOMPSON'S PET PASTA PRODUCTS
GRAVY TRAIN
KASCO
KIBBLES 'N BITS
DR. BALLARD ORIGINAL VETERINARIAN RECIPES
The Robert Abady Dog Food Company, Ltd
MAXXIMUM NUTRITION

But the good costs so much!
Burger King is cheap too you know…
You have to realize that the higher quality the food, the less fillers and more actual nutrition. The portion sizes are much smaller, the food lasts longer, and you are spending less time picking up landmines all over the backyard.

Everybody wins.
To add to this, don't play the helpless "oh but I cant find it at Walmart or Petsmart" card. Use google, look up the webpages, more than likely they will have a store locater for their distributers. Good food is worth the 5 seconds you'll have to search on google for.

Sources
http://www.healthypetnet.com/
http://www.canidae.com/
http://www.doberdogs.com
http://www.feedmypet.com
The Animal Protection Institute, "What's Really in Pet Food.", January 29, 2002.
Kerns, Nancy "Choose the Best Dry Food.", The Whole Dog Journal, February 2000, 13-17.
The Animal Protection Institute, "Selecting a Commercial Pet Food. ", October 25, 2001.

Permission to cross post, written by Karen Kirkpatrick.


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## sheltiemom

Thanks for the info. Interesting, the differences between the two sites. I have thought about trying this food, my main concern about it was the wheat, but then my dogs have no allergies that I know of. I have tried many of the super premium foods, and all gave my dogs varying degrees of runny/soft poop. With long haired dogs, that becomes a real problem. This food may be no different, if I try it I'll update. I did buy a couple cans of the cat food.


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## Sheltiemama

We have a Sheltie we got as an adult. He was always fed Authority dog food. Whenever we take him off it, he leaks urine as he goes along. (He is not purposely urinating) So, I think Authority must have something good in it! Also, according to the ingredient guidelines in my agility classes it got an A.


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## sheltiemom

I did end up trying this food, and I thought it was ok. I did notice big bulky poops on it, but then again the feeding guidelines on the bag had me feeding almost twice what I'd been feeding on Purina, so the big poops may have been overfeeding.


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## Keeta1usa

sheltiemom said:


> I did a search on this food on the forum, but not much came up. What did come up was a couple of people who work at Petsmart saying it was the worst food they carry. I find that kind of hard to believe after reading the ingredients, it looked better than the Purina foods, Iams, SD, Eukanuba. Not super premium, but it at least looked middle of the road. I haven't fed this food, I just wanted to hear some feedback on it, if you feed it, pros and cons, what makes it so bad, etc.


This is actually an excellent food, I have my Dalmation and my Labrador on it and they digest it very well and their stool is not as often and it is solid. The only non-organic food that I would feed is Bill-Jac, but very expensive if I didn't use Authority. My dogs have plenty of energy and their coats are gorgeous. You were 100% correct when reading the ingredients, it is the same as Eukanuba and Iams. Eukanuba you are paying for the name and if you go to Peta.com and watch what they do to test I ams and Proctor & Gamble you wouldn't even think of using it. Next year both dog's will be five and I will then switch to organic. The age groups for Authority are strange, after five they want you to use their senior type which doesn't provide enough protein if your friend is active. You you need any further information please feel free to contact me, hope this helps.[email protected]


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## KAroberts

briteday said:


> I'm not sure where all of you are getting your info from. But here is the dogfoodanalysis.com review of the food....


DogFoodAnalysis is a great site. Helps break down one food versus another. Give it a try.


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## Kathyy

All those sites have valuable information. The more you know about what goes into the food the better!


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## DrTray

Hello everyone,

PLEASE, please, please consult a veterinarian before choosing a dog food.

The scaling methods suggested here are based on no science whatsoever, and in my professional opinion, are COMPLETELY ridiculous and just wrong.

Many of the statements made in this thread are 100% wrong. 

Please ask a professional, not a breeder or pet store employee, before picking a brand of dog food. We have the education and knowledge to guide you in the right direction. 

Dr. Tracy
BSc., DVM


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## Willowy

DrTray said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> PLEASE, please, please consult a veterinarian before choosing a dog food.
> 
> The scaling methods suggested here are based on no science whatsoever, and in my professional opinion, are COMPLETELY ridiculous and just wrong.
> 
> Many of the statements made in this thread are 100% wrong.
> 
> Please ask a professional, not a breeder or pet store employee, before picking a brand of dog food. We have the education and knowledge to guide you in the right direction.
> 
> Dr. Tracy
> BSc., DVM


A veterinary nutritionist, or a plain vet? Because my vet says that anything but store brand is A-OK, but also admits that he doesn't know much about dog nutrition. And many vets push Science Diet, which is just overpriced Purina Dog Chow, basically. I would not give a vet's opinion on nutrition any more credence than anybody else's, unless the vet has had specific nutritionist training.

What would YOU say would make a dog food unsuitable? You don't think that the food should actually contain meat? And if you're going to dig up a 2-3 year old thread to say that it's wrong, you really should have some specifics, and some research to back it up. Anybody can say they're a vet online. . .


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## Horseshoe

My vet actually recommends TOTW or raw. He does carry the SD foods only because its donated to him. When ever our dogs have tummy upsets he recommends boiled hamburger and rice. He also says do not feed any milk products during an episode of stomach upset.


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## maquignon

A veterinarian is the last person you should ask about dog food. Almost every veterinarian will push Science Diet. I would wager that there is not one dog nutritionist on earth that will recommend Science Diet. Dogfoodanalysis is the next to last place to go for advice. They will not tell who did the reviews or what their qualifications (they are no better than yours or mine). They contradict themselves over and over and it is obvious that they know a little about dog nutrition but not very much. The people who work at PetSmart know very little about the foods that they sell. They know what the representatives of the foods tell them. There are several places on the internet written by people who are nutritionists or who tell you what their qualifications are: dogfoodproject.com, dog-food-aid.com, kymythy.com, animalhomeopathy.net, celestialpets.com, dogfooddirect.com/blog, dogfoodadvisor.com. Authority is PetSmart's brand of dog food. It is far from a good food but it is better than most of the foods sold at Petsmart. It is better than everything they sell except Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Castor & Pollux and AvoDerm. It is better than Nutro, Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, Pro Plan, Purina One and costs half as much. It has corn but the corn is farther down the list than the others. They don't use menadione as does Nutro, Purina and Nature's Recipe. They don't use generic fats like Nutro and Science Diet. They have better balances of Omega 6 to Omega 3. If you shop at PetSmart and don't use Blue Buffalo, Welllness, Castor & Pollux or AvoDerm, you may as well use Authority.


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## JessCowgirl88

out here it is the same alot of the vets push Science diet, though surprisingly the vet i go to now doesnt, he tells people who are on it to switch and go to a good higher quality food or raw. 

but yeah dogfoodadvisor.com is a great website to compare food.

and im sorry but drtrays reply made me laugh xP yay had a good laugh for the night!


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## xxxxdogdragoness

TOTW is what im switching to now & let me tell you that love love it so far! I have been introducing it over the course of a week or so. I decided to switch to a grain free food because Izze has been itching alot over the yrs & I have a funny feeling she is allergic to grain, besides the Exclusive brand I was feeding had a lot of preservatives & additives in it. I have never seen Izze (who is like Miky in the Life cereal commercials lol) eat a dog food this well.


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## BeyondBlessed

Wow, my vet gave me a sample bag of SD, but didn't really push it. In fact she told me I could drop it in the barrel and donate it to charity on my way out or feed it a few kibbles at at time, didn't even try to get me to switch. I ended up mixing it in a larger bag of food. 

I've used the Authority canned food when trying to get my dog to eat while losing puppy teeth. I still have cans left and fed him one over the weekend, although now I just take a spoon full and press it down into his kibble. Just based on how much worse the grocery store brands are, I'd say it's a fair food.


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## xxxxdogdragoness

All the dogs I have ever had will not eat science diet, I have never had a dog that will eat it.


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## doggies5

Authority has corn in it which is a filler. It makes dogs fat. Corn doesn't really have any nutritional value to it.


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## xxxxdogdragoness

britishbandit said:


> Start with a score of 100:
> 
> 1. For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
> 2. For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
> 3. If the dog food ingredients include BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
> 4. For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
> 5. If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
> 6. If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
> 7. If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
> 8. If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
> 9. If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
> 10. If the dog food ingredients include any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
> 11. If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
> 12. If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
> 13. If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
> 14. If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
> 15. If the dog food ingredients include salt, subtract 1 point
> 
> Extra Credit:
> Grading Scale
> 
> * 100+ = A+
> * 94-100 = A
> * 86-93 = B
> * 78-85 = C
> * 70-77 = D
> * 69 or less = F
> 
> 1. If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
> 2. If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
> 3. If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
> 4. If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
> 5. If the dog food ingredients include fruit, add 3 points
> 6. If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
> 7. If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
> 8. If the food contains barley, add 2 points
> 9. If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
> 10. If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
> 11. If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
> 12. For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and " turkey" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
> 13. If the dog food ingredients include Glucosamine and Chondroitin, add 1 point
> 14. If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point.
> 
> 
> 
> Dog Food Name Total Points Letter Grade
> 
> Authority Harvest Baked 116 A+
> Authority Harvest Baked Less Active 93 B
> Beowulf Back to Basics 101 A+
> Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice 106 A+
> Canidae 112 A+
> Chicken Soup Senior 115 A+
> Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice 92 B
> **** Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium 122 A+
> EaglePack Holistic 102 A+
> Eukanuba Adult 81 C
> Eukanuba Puppy 79 C
> Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium 73 D
> Innova Evo 114 A+
> Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables 110 A+
> Merrick Wilderness Blend 127 A+
> Nature's Recipe 100 A
> Nature's Variety Raw Instinct 122 A+
> Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice 81 C
> Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy 101 A+
> Nutrisource Lamb and Rice 87 B
> Nutro Max Adult 93 B
> Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Lamb and Rice Puppy 98 A
> ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley 103 A+
> Purina Beneful 17 F
> Purina One Large Breed Puppy 62 F
> Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult 106 A+
> Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice 97 A
> Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ 63 F
> Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies 69 F
> Solid Gold 99 A
> Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry 120 A+
> Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken 110 A+


Ok... That's a little too much math for me lmbo.


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## marsha=whitie

doggies5 said:


> Authority has corn in it which is a filler. It makes dogs fat. Corn doesn't really have any nutritional value to it.


The chicken forula's do have corn, but the lamb doesn't.

My pup Bryna is currently on Authority Lamb puppy food and is doing fantastically. Her coat is shiny, she's NOT fat, and her stools are just right. Sadly, Petsmart was out of the lamb the last time we bought food, so we had to go with the Chicken puppy food... she's pretty gassy on the chicken, but everything else is still ok. So... if you're going to try Authority kibble, go for the Lamb recipe. 



> Authority dry dog food with Real Lamb:
> 
> * Mini Chunk: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Wheat, Wheat Germ Meal, Oat Groats, Rice Bran, Brewers Rice, Beef Tallow (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin and Mineral Supplements (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Ascorbic Acid), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, D Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement).
> * Chunk: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Wheat, Wheat Germ Meal, Oat Groats, Rice Bran, Brewers Rice, Beef Tallow (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin and Mineral Supplements (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Ascorbic Acid), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, D Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement).


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## BeyondBlessed

marsha=whitie said:


> The chicken forula's do have corn, but the lamb doesn't.
> 
> My pup Bryna is currently on Authority Lamb puppy food and is doing fantastically. Her coat is shiny, she's NOT fat, and her stools are just right. Sadly, Petsmart was out of the lamb the last time we bought food, so we had to go with the Chicken puppy food... she's pretty gassy on the chicken, but everything else is still ok. So... if you're going to try Authority kibble, go for the Lamb recipe.


Usually if someone doesn't want to see corn they aren't going to want to see wheat or soy either. Personally I just want to see protein first. There is some nutritional value to corn and other grains, it's just inferior.


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## marsha=whitie

True. I'm fine with feeding corn to my dogs, but I don't want it to be in the top 10 ingredients of the dog food, as it is such a huge filler. I want to see, like you, that it is made up of mainly protein.

If someone is looking for more affordable, yet good dog food, I suggest the Authority Lamb, based on my own experience with it. We've tried other foods, like Nature's Recipe, Nutro, Avoderm, and Blue Buffalo, but the Authority Lamb has been the best for my pup Bryna. But then again, every dog is different, and does better on one food than another.


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## fentomento

The information are the best which are given here. We would prefer to see the use of whole eggs rather than dried egg product in the food. This is fact that I don't know more about this type of foods.


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## luv4skating

sheltiemom said:


> I did a search on this food on the forum, but not much came up. What did come up was a couple of people who work at Petsmart saying it was the worst food they carry. I find that kind of hard to believe after reading the ingredients, it looked better than the Purina foods, Iams, SD, Eukanuba. Not super premium, but it at least looked middle of the road. I haven't fed this food, I just wanted to hear some feedback on it, if you feed it, pros and cons, what makes it so bad, etc.


Authority is a very Good dog food, sorry so late, and I have had Shelties in the pass, what GREAT dogs they are!!!!:wink:


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## Logo76

I know this thread started a while ago - well years- but it started about the time I started feeding my Siberian Husky Authority lamb dry food and he loves it and has a sensitive stomach. This is the first food that has not caused him trouble when going potty and we tried many high end brands like Innova and Blue and Wilderness, etc. One boutique pet food store told me that foods with chicken, turkey, and fowl will cause a dog to be gassy, and some cases just not happy. Ever since then I switched to Authority lamb and mister husky has been great - coat, eyes, energy, teeth are so incredible and he is now 8! I also have obtained a Healer/shepherd mix, and we have a new Boxer and they all eat it up - of course the puppy is on Authority puppy food  Lamb! 
Long story short - I recommend the Authority lamb dry food - 5 stars all around for cost, happiness and quality of life. Plus - my Vet always asks what I feed my pets and I always say the same thing - Authority - and he says - "excellent" so ya know. 
-Logo


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