Progressive Animal Welfare Society Recommended Dog Foods

• Choosing the right dog food is important for your pet's health. The dog image by Beausoir from Fotolia.com

  The Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is dedicated to the humane treatment of all animals, pets and wildlife. As stated on the PAWS website, its mission is "rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, sheltering and adopting homeless cats and dogs and educating people to make a better world for animals and people." The society's dedication to animal welfare has also lead it to take an interest in the brands of dog food that are most beneficial for your pet's health.

AvoDerm

• AvoDerm brand dog food is produced by Breeder's Choice Pet Foods. AvoDerm's food contains high quality meat proteins, antioxidant nutrients, grains, vitamins and minerals, as well as California avocados for healthy skin and coat. The various dry and canned formulas for dogs include Puppy, Small Breed, Large Breed, Vegetarian, Lite and Senior. The Puppy formula is enriched to improve brain and eye development, while the Senior formula is geared toward enhancing the immune system. Small Breed and Large Breed foods are both also enhanced for immune system protection, but the Small Breed formula is in smaller, bite-sized kibble bits. As of 2010, the average price was $7.00 to $8.00 per 4-pound bag and approximately $2.00 per can.

Cornucopia

• The web page for Cornucopia's dog food claims that it was created by a licensed, practicing veterinarian. The food contains no artificial colorings, preservatives, flavorings, sweeteners or sugars. There are five formulas for dog food, each with a canned and dry version: Super Lite, Super Start, Super Life and Super Senior. Super Start and Super Life are high in protein to aid in a puppy's development into maturity and then to help mature dogs maintain optimum health. Super Lite is salt free and low calorie for dogs on a diet, and Super Senior is unsalted and formulated to help older dogs remain healthy and active. The average price for an 8-pound bag was $9.00 throughout 2010.

Nature's Recipe

• Nature's Recipe is specifically created to avoid ingredients that commonly lead to food intolerance. It is one of the few dog food brands to never use corn, wheat or beef. There are no artificial flavors, filler or colors, and the proteins are from fish and venison and the carbohydrates from barley and rice, all highly digestible ingredients. There are specific formulas for puppies, adult dogs, special breeds and seniors, as well as formulas to ensure healthy skin and ease of digestion. For canned food, the average price ranged from $1.00 to $2.00 in 2010, whereas a 5-pound bag of dry food cost approximately $13.00.