Rubric v1 · 16 products scored
Dog food rubric
Every product in this category is scored against the same rubric. Weights sum to 100. A hit on any disqualifier forces a "skip" verdict regardless of the point total.
Criteria & weights
1. AAFCO adequacy statement
- 10Feeding-trial verified for target life stage
- 6Formulated to meet
- 0No statement
2. Named animal protein as first ingredient
- 10Named whole muscle meat first
- 6Named meat meal first
- 2Meat by-product or plant first
3. Protein and fat levels vs life stage minimums
- 1015%+ above minimum
- 5At minimum
- 0Below AAFCO minimum
4. Recall history
- 10Clean 5+ years
- 5Recall 24-60 months ago
- 0Any recall in last 24 months
5. Manufacturer transparency
- 10Owns manufacturing + publishes plant location
- 6Discloses co-manufacturer
- 2No disclosure
6. Sourcing disclosure
- 10Names country and supplier tier for primary proteins
- 6Country only
- 2Global sourcing
7. Ingredient specificity
- 10Every top-10 ingredient specific (e.g. chicken thigh)
- 3Generic terms present (meat, animal fat, poultry by-product)
8. Preservative and additive profile
- 10Mixed tocopherols / rosemary extract only
- 2Includes BHA / BHT / ethoxyquin
9. WSAVA-aligned nutritional support
- 10Full-time board-certified veterinary nutritionist (DACVN or ECVCN)
- 5Consulting nutritionist only
- 0None disclosed
Disqualifiers
Any of the following forces a "skip" verdict, no matter how well the product scores on other criteria. Non-negotiable.
- No AAFCO statement
- Active FDA recall
- Marketing claims that violate FDA labeling rules
Verdict thresholds
Total score cutoffs for each public verdict tier. Sum of weighted criterion scores maps directly onto these bands.
- Editors' pick
- ≥ 85
- Solid buy
- ≥
- Situational
- ≥