First, the good news: We did not find widespread or dangerous problems in the samples of dog food that we tested.But our findings did make it clear that not all dog food is made equal. While most products did well when it came to meeting recommendations for nutrients like fat, protein, vitamin D, and copper, we still found significant variation in levels of these nutrients, making some foods a better fit for specific dogs than others. And we did find listeria, a harmful bacteria, in a handful of samples.When choosing a dog food, of course, you can and should talk to your vet. But you may have to choose something before you get in for an appointment, or their answer may still leave you choosing between several options. And even if you’re a careful reader of human food labels, you might not know what you’re looking for when it comes to dog food. (What are “crude protein min” and “crude ash” anyway?)Ads you’ve seen or the packaging itself alone are not reliable ways to compare your option...
