About & editorial standards
About DOGS-FOOD.COM and how we research our guides
DOGS-FOOD.COM publishes practical guides that help dog owners make feeding decisions using the best available evidence — and that show clearly what each recommendation rests on.
What we do — and don't do
We research and explain dog nutrition topics: how to choose a food, how to read labels, how food formats compare, feeding puppies, contested questions like grain-free diets, and food safety. Our guides are general information. They are not veterinary advice and are not a substitute for an examination by a veterinarian who knows your dog.
Unless a guide names a veterinary reviewer, it has not been written or reviewed by a veterinarian. We say this plainly because the World Small Animal Veterinary Association encourages owners to check the credentials behind online pet nutrition information.
Our evidence hierarchy
When sources disagree, we weight them in this order and say when the evidence is thin.
| Rank | Source type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regulatory and government sources | FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, AAFCO model regulations and consumer guidance |
| 2 | Veterinary organizations | WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, AVMA, ASPCA Animal Poison Control |
| 3 | Peer-reviewed research | Journals such as JAVMA and BMC Veterinary Research |
| 4 | Veterinary hospital education | Client education from established veterinary hospital groups (e.g. VCA) |
| 5 | Company information | Labels and manufacturer statements — reported as company claims |
| 6 | Community discussion | Public owner discussions (e.g. Reddit) — summarized as community evidence only |
How we label claims
Established evidence
Supported by regulatory, veterinary-organization or peer-reviewed sources.
Uncertainty
The science is unsettled or a key fact is unknown.
Company claims
What manufacturers say. Not verified by us unless stated.
Editorial interpretation
Our reasoned judgement from the evidence. You may weigh it differently.
Safety note
Information relevant to your dog’s immediate safety.
Practical tip
Practical, low-risk advice for applying the guide.
How we use community evidence
Some guides include a “What dog owners are saying” section. We summarize recurring viewpoints from public discussions, show both positive and negative experiences, link to the original threads with dates, and never invent comments, usernames, vote counts or percentages. Community experience can reveal practical issues and common misconceptions, but it is never presented as scientific or veterinary evidence. If there is no meaningful discussion, we leave the section out.
Independence
- Our guides contain no sponsored placements.
- We don’t publish brand rankings or “best of” lists unless we can document a transparent method and current, verifiable data behind them.
- We don’t describe any food as “AAFCO approved” or “WSAVA approved” — neither organization approves foods.
Keeping guides current
Each guide shows when its evidence was last reviewed. We re-check sources when regulators or veterinary bodies publish new guidance. Older content that no longer meets these standards — including earlier home-made recipes and claims we could not verify — has been retired or rewritten.
Corrections
If you find an error, please tell us through the site’s contact page with the guide name and the source that supports the correction. We fix substantive errors promptly and note significant changes on the affected guide.
See the standards in practice