Comparing dog food ingredients - Why we chose pawtree

Note: The table in this blog post really only displays well on a pc, not smart phone.

This blogpost is simply to explain why we settled upon PawTree at Pickwick Pugs. The table below compares several brands of dry dog food:
1) Pawtree (chicken, though we really love the duck, turkey, lamb, salmon, trout, or whitefish)
2) Purina ProPlan
3) Nutrish
4) Origen Original
5) Royal Canin - Pug
6) Victor Select
7) Diamond Naturals

There are many other brands of dog food which are good and owners need to make their own decisions on what is best for their own dog. For us, with pugs, we avoid ingredients which could be allergy triggering or cause too much weight gain. We also like variety and limited ingredients. At Pickwick Pugs we do include the dry food but we mix it with the PawTree Freeze-Dried Raw (so the protein and ingredients are even better than what is listed in this table). But for the sake of comparison, this post just addresses the dry food.

How do we evaluate dog food? Why did we settle on Pawtree (switching from Origen a few years ago)?

What we are looking for (or avoiding) in a dog food?

• No corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors or flavors, sugar.
• Meat as #1 ingredient
• (For us at Pickwick Pugs, we have one pug sensitive to egg so we avoid egg in ingredients)
• Protein % (between 25-30%)
• No Recalls
• Variety of Flavors yet still Limited Ingredients (if a dog had sensitivity to beef, or chicken, we don't want all the proteins combined together)
• Do the dogs like it?
• Kibble size (pug bite friendly ... not too big, not too small ;)
• Freshness (shelf life - small batches) - Does food have mold ever?
• Cost - We want a good quality but not necessarily the most expensive
• Ease - we prefer foods we can order online and setup ez ships with. For example, many years ago we fed Fromm but Chewy (where we often order supplies) discontinued selling it. We switched at that time to Farmina.

When you see the ingredients for Royal Canin in the following table, you might understand why this brand so often causes ear infections. High sugar intake in dog food can contribute to ear infections. Sugar feeds the yeast naturally present in a dog's body, and excessive sugar can lead to yeast overgrowth, particularly in the ear canals and folds, potentially causing infection. Not only are pugs often predisposed to ear infections, bu, as a breed, they are also predisposed to diabetes and a high-sugar diet, especially combined with a lack of exercise, can worsen the condition. 

We still believe Origen is a good food however, despite the recalls, but it caused loose stools and we prefer the limited ingredients of Pawtree so that we can custom a diet if a pug develops a sensitivity to a particular protein. Plus - and the biggest reason -- there is egg and lentils in Origen. Costwise it is comparable. We included some other popular brands found in pet stores and grocery stores as well to compare quality of ingredients. It is interesting that the food with the absolute worst ingredients (for our needs, or for pugs) is the most expensive and it is unfortunate that it is advertised as appropriate for pugs.

Food/Brand	Cost per Ounce	Variety of Flavors - Yet still Limited Ingredients	Protein % - AAFCO recommends that the daily requirements for dog diets should contain at least 22% DM for growth and 18% DM for maintenance. Current research states that there is no added benefit to excess protein in the diet. The maximum amount for any life stage should not exceed 30% DM	Bad ingredients?	Ingredients	Recalls
Pawtree - Chicken and Oatmeal	$0.29	Yes - you have turkey or lamb, or duck, or trout, salmon, or whitefish - the kibble size is nice and appropriate for pugs - fresh, made in small batches so doesn't sit on store shelves a long period getting moldy	28%	No bad ingredients	Meat #1 ingredient; Carrots, Spinach, Apples, Cranberries, Blueberries, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Parsley Taurine, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Pearled Barly,  Millet, Flaxseed, Sea	No recalls
Purina Pro Plan Adult Chicken & Rice Formula	$0.14	Variety of flavors; big batches, stays on shelf a long time, made in Nestle plant	26%	Yes - wheat, corn, soy	Chicken is #1 ingredient; But #2 ingredient is rice, then WHEAT, then POULTRY-BY-PRODUCT, then CORN, then SOYBEAN MEAL ... more corn, eg g product, wheat bran, and on and on ... the only 'good' ingredient "beet pulp" (we avoid soy - Soy is a common allergen in dogs, and certain forms, like soybean meal, contain oligosaccharides that can cause gas and digestive upset. Additionally, some concerns have been raised about soy's potential impact on thyroid function and its role in dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs) . (Wheat contains gluten, a protein that can cause sensitivities, allergies - ear infections, skin irritation, or gastrointestinal upset.) Read more about why we avoid corn in another blog post. There are no "good" superfood ingredients in this dog food.	Yes (most recently 2023) - another concern, Nestlé's ownership of Purina has drawn criticism due to concerns about deceptive marketing practices, potential health issues in pet food, and the company's broader ethical record. Some argue that Purina products are highly processed, and there have been lawsuits alleging deceptive marketing regarding "natural" claims, with some testing revealing the presence of glyphosate in cat food
Nutrish - Chicken	$0.09	3 varieties; long shelf life	23%	Yes - corn (lots), wheat, soy, artificial colors and flavors	#1 ingredient is Chicken, but #3 is soybean, then sorghum, then dried peas, whole corn, , corn protein, the only "good" ingredients way down the list is beet pulp and carrots.	Yes
Origen Original	$0.28	No - all varieties have a combination of proteins, not limited ingredient; long shelf life	38% - exceeds max rec. amount for any life stage (some dogs deal with digestive issues - soft stools with Origen - Pawtree and Fromm is better for sensitive stomachs in our experience)	eggs, lentils	First 5 ingredients meat, then next 5 deydrated meat, including sardine - unfortunately it contains dehydrated eggs and Lentils but it does contain apple, butternut squash, Pumpkin, Whole Collard Greens, Pears,  Cranberries, Dried Kelp, Turmeric - it's a good food. If you were to choose Origen opt for the Ancient Grains	Yes, 2008 and in late June 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified Orijen as one of 16 pet food brands that may be linked to heart disease in dogs and cats. None of those 16 brands have been recalled as part of the agency’s ongoing investigation, though. Most, but not all, of the pet foods are “grain-free” and/or dry (kibble) dog food formulations. The FDA says this is a “complex scientific issue that may involve multiple factors,” and that it cannot even be certain that diet is a cause of the heart problems. Champion Petfoods says, “We continue to test our food every day to ensure we are meeting all quality and safety standards and to deliver the best possible nutrition for pets.” Class-Action Lawsuit We’ll also mention that, in March 2018, a class-action lawsuit (Weaver v. Champion Petfoods USA Inc. et al.) was filed against Champion Petfoods, accusing the company of “negligent, reckless” practices, false advertising, and “failing to disclose the presence of heavy metals and toxins” in its Orijen and Acana dog foods. In response, the company called the allegations “meritless and based on misinterpretation of the data.” Mad Cow Disease Scare Years ago, in May 2003, Champion Petfoods faced an unprecedented crisis. A rendered meat ingredient used in some of its lower-end brands was found to possibly contain the remains of a cow that had been infected with mad cow disease. None of Champion’s premium brands, such as Acana, had used such rendered ingredients — and Orijen hadn’t even been invented yet. A report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on May 27, 2003, found that a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a fatal brain-wasting disease, had been slaughtered in January 2003 and was then processed by a small rendering facility in northern Alberta, Canada. Champion Petfoods may have then used the rendered material in 4 of its dog foods: Yukon Gold 30/20 Mushers Mix (Lot #32819) Champs Choice Deluxe (Lot #32884) Masterfeeds Sportsman (Lot #33105) Brown Bag (Lot #33112) The affected dog food was produced between Feb. 4 and March 12, 2003, and was distributed in both Canada and the United States. Dr. Brian Evans, chief veterinarian at the Canadian inspection agency, said “there’s no scientific evidence” that dogs can contract BSE. However, “even though there is no known risk to dogs from eating this dog food, as a prudent measure … customers who may have purchased the suspect product [should return it] so that the dog food will not mistakenly be mixed into cattle or other feeds,” U.S. safety officials at the FDA reiterated in a May 30, 2003, advisory
Royal Canin - Adult Pug Carlin	$0.39	No	23%	wheat, corn, poultry-by-product, corn gluten,	#1 ingredient is Brewers Rice, #2 is Chicken By-Product  Meal, then the ingredients continue with: Brown Rice, Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Oat Groats, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Wheat Gluten, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, There are no "superfoods" or good ingredients.	Yes (most recently 2023)
Victor Select Chicken Meal & Rice	$0.19	Yes	33% (but from meal and beans etc)	Meat is not #1 ingredient, Peas are #2 ingredient; lots of fillers	Meat is not #1 ingredient (it is Chicken Meal), 2nd ingredient is Peas (it is best to have legumes further down the list and not within top 10 ingredients), #3 ingredient Chicken Fat, then Garbanzo Beans, Sweet Potato, Then lots of things too hard to spell, no real superfoods in ingredients	Yes - most recently 2024 (Mid America Pet Food, the manufacturer of Victor, voluntarily recalled all Victor pet food products with a best by date before October 31, 2024, due to potential Salmonella contamination.)
Diamond Naturals Small Breed Chicken	$0.14	2 (chicken and lamb)	27%	egg (but it does contain meat as 1st ingredient and several super foods - it is not a bad dog food for lower end price and the small kibble size is nice for pugs - it is also the supplier for Costco Kirkland brand dog foods. It is a LARGE company.) If the product ingredients is true.	Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, ground white rice, grain sorghum, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), egg product, dried plain beet pulp, natural flavor, flaxseed, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, L-Carnitine, kale, chia seed, pumpkin, blueberries, oranges, quinoa, dried kelp, coconut, spinach, carrots, papaya, yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, vitamin E supplement, beta carotene, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.	'= Yes several. 2012 some of Diamond Naturals’ products tested positive for Salmonella contamination. These products included Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food, Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food, and Taste of the Wild. There were multiple reports of dogs getting sick with the Salmonella bacteria. Additionally, several dog owners became ill with Salmonella after coming into contact with the contaminated dog food and failing to wash their hands thoroughly afterward. In dogs, Salmonella infection leads to symptoms such as diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever, lethargy, and vomiting. In severe cases, Salmonella can cause death in dogs. Due to the magnitude of this Salmonella outbreak, Diamond Naturals faced a massive lawsuit that saw the brand suffer significant financial consequences.