2022 Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) Recommended Dog Food Results

The authoritative US pet magazine Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) has once again released its annual recommended dog food list. Below is the WDJ 2022 recommended dog food list (available at BC Pets Pet Supplies Centre)[Click here to buy premium genuine local-market natural dog food]:

2022 WDJ Recommended Dry Dog Food: The-Whole-Dog-Journal
 –ACANA (愛肯拿)
  •         Dry food (with grain / grain-free), freeze-dried dehydrated food
  •         Produced in Canada at Champion’s own facilities
Acana Dog Food
Canidae (卡比)
  •         Dry food (with grain / grain-free)
Canidae 咖比(卡比) PURE SKY Grain-Free Duck and Turkey Formula Dog Food for All Dogs — Canidae PURE Grain Free Dry Dog Food with Duck
Canidae 咖比(卡比) All Life Stages Complete Care Formula Dog Food (new packaging) — Canidae All Life Stages Dry Dog Food Multi-Protein (new packaging)
FROMM FAMILY (FROMM) 福摩
  •         Dry food (with grain / grain-free), canned
  •         Produced in the US at Fromm’s own facilities  
 Fromm LogoFromm 狗糧
NOW FRESH (NOW! Grain Free)
petcurean-now-無穀物狗糧

ORIJEN (渴望)

  •         Dry food (with grain / grain-free), freeze-dried dehydrated food
  •          Produced in Canada at Champion’s own facilities  
 渴望 Orijen logo渴望 Orijen 狗糧

Stella & Chewy’s

  • Natural pet food approved by the US FDA and the US Department of Agriculture
  • Made with organic vegetables and fruits
  • The animal proteins used contain absolutely no added hormones or preservatives
  • 100% complete and balanced nutritional formula, made in USA
Stella & Chewy's Pet Food Cat Food Logo

SOLID GOLD (素力高)

  •         Dry food (with grain / grain-free)
 Solid Gold 素力高狗糧Solid Gold 素力高乾狗糧
WELLNESS (寵物健康)
  •         Dry food (with grain / grain-free), canned
Wellness Dog Food

About Whole Dog Journal:

Each year, the US WDJ (full name Whole Dog Journal) reviews and recommends the dog dry kibble and canned wet food sold that year. The canned wet food results are published in December of that year, while the dry kibble results are published the following February. WDJ is a highly authoritative and credible periodical in North America. To ensure neutrality when reviewing commercially available products and to keep its content fair and impartial, WDJ has, since it began publishing in 2007, never accepted any manufacturer’s advertising or sponsorship to fund its operations.

whole dog journalWhole Dog Journal

WDJ Review Principles:

A shelf life of at least six months

The ideal shelf life for fresh dry kibble is 10-11 months.

dog food

“Whole” vegetables, fruits and grains

Fresh, whole vegetables, fruits and grains can provide cats and dogs with abundant minerals, vitamins, digestive enzymes and antioxidants. Therefore, the more whole the ingredients used rather than by-products, the higher WDJ rates that dry kibble.

good dog food

When fresh meat is first on the ingredient list, it should be immediately followed by “meat meal” (MEAL) to raise the animal-protein content that dogs need in their diet

Meat contains a very large proportion of “water”, so unless a large amount of fresh meat is used to make the dry food, meat meal needs to be added at appropriate times to make up the animal protein content

cat dog feeding

The first few items on the ingredient list must be rich animal protein – “whole meat”

Animal protein is very important for carnivorous cats and dogs. Compared with plant protein, it is more palatable and biocompatible, allowing the digestive systems of carnivorous dogs and cats to better absorb, assimilate and break it down, and it provides cats and dogs with more essential and non-essential amino acids. Ingredients are listed in order of their weight, from most to least, so the first few ingredients of a good dry kibble should be animal protein; only then can it meet the basic nutritional needs of cats and dogs.

WDJ’s Four Big Rejections:consejosparaevitaraccidentes-162-2017-12-191G

By-products no

Meat by-products are not pure meat. Because whole meat is too costly, cheap by-products are used instead, but the quality of by-products is far inferior to whole meat.

dog food

Ingredients without a detailed source label no

Any generic term or unclearly labelled ingredient – for example, “animal fat” is a euphemism for a low-quality, cheap fat source of unknown origin.

Sugar, sweeteners no

Dry kibble with sugar added for palatability only increases the intake of calories with no nutritional value, causing obesity in dogs and cats and in turn leading to health problems.

Sugar free
Any artificial additives such as colours, flavourings or preservatives no

High-quality dry kibble should not add any non-nutritious additives merely to improve appearance or palatability. If preservation is a concern, natural preservatives such as rosemary, vitamin A or vitamin C can be chosen to replace chemical preservatives.

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