Editorial · PetScored desk
The desk.
We publish two kinds of writing. One: investigations using our own rubric and data. Two: explainers about how dog food labels actually work. No sponsored posts, no opinion-as-fact, no rewrites of brand marketing.
- 01
April 29, 2026 · 4 min read
We scored 19 best-selling dog foods. None got a 10.
The highest composite was 8.0. The lowest was 5.5. The average was 7.1. That is not a glitch. It is the point.
Read the article › - 02
May 6, 2026 · 6 min read
How to actually read a dog food label.
Forget the front of the bag. The four panels that decide whether a food is good are on the back, and most pet parents have never been taught how to read them.
Read the article › - 03
May 8, 2026 · 4 min read
Why we don't credit “grain-free.”
Grain-free is positioning, not nutrition. PetScored does not penalize grains, and does not credit their absence. Here's the reasoning.
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May 9, 2026 · 6 min read
The grain-free DCM concern, six years on.
What the FDA's 2018 dilated cardiomyopathy investigation actually said, what later research found, and how PetScored treats the question today.
Read the article › - 05
May 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Why “vet-recommended” usually means nothing.
“Vet-recommended,” “veterinarian-formulated,” and “vet-approved” are mostly marketing phrases. Here's what each one actually means.
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