WSAVA dog food is World’s Small Animal Veterinary Association. The organization was founded in 1959. The International Association of Small Animal Specialists was its former name which was later changed to WSAVA. It is now a group of 115 countries, having members of 200,000 veterinarians from Worldwide. This association is now 60 years old and partnered with World Health Organization(WHO) in 1980. The association has been adding member associations in it since 1984. Wsava committee of education was formed in 1992 with more committees added in 2000. Wsava has a charitable trust for pet animals and their well beings that was founded in 2011.

Top Wsava compliant dog food brands and Wsava Guidelines:

Below we have discussed in detail the top Wsava compliant dog foods along with its guidelines and rules that it asks the consumers to take into consideration before selecting a food for their dogs.

SUMMERY:

1. What does Wsava stand for?
2. Is WSAVA legit?
3. Is Wsava funded by Purina?
4. Wsava dog food guidelines.
5. What dog foods follow Wsava guidelines?
6. Is Kirkland dog food WSAVA approved?
7. Is Blue Buffalo WSAVA approved?
8. Does Canidae meet Wsava guidelines?
9. Is Stella and Chewy WSAVA approved?
10. Is pedigree a Wsava?
11. Is Merrick Wsava compliant?
12. Is Zignature Wsava compliant?
13. Is Acana Wsava compliant?
14. Is taste of the wild Wsava approved?
15. Wsava dog food Reddit.
16. Wsava dog food recommendations.
17. Wsava dog food UK.
18. Conclusion.

What does Wsava stand for?

Wsava stands for “World’s Small Animal Veterinary Association”. It is an animal association comprising of many other animal associations, so we can call it an amalgamation of small animal associations.

• The association consists of 113 associations associated with it.
• The association has made its own standards to measure the the animal food that is approved by AAFCO but still is supervised and revised by this organization to further ensure quality standards of food.
• This organization does studies of nutrition, testing of the consumer, transparency of the organizations and food producing firms along with input that nutritionists put.
• The Wsava standards are very high and only few top animal food brands are approved by it and others remain down the line.

Is WSAVA legit?

Yes, Wsava is an age old veterinary and animal association all made around small animals and pets welfare and well being. It was founded to regulate the pet and small animal’s food services being provided. It has partnered with World Health Organization and is a recognized institution in the world for regulation of dog food brands and that’s why there is no doubt on its legitimization. Its purpose is to enhance the quality and availability of medical and surgical facilities to small animals and creating good and high standards of care for animals. Thus, wsava is a legit association of veterinarians contributing greatly to the well being of animals around the globe.

Is Wsava funded by Purina?

No, Purina is not funding wsava. It is just wsava’s collaborative partner, playing a part in animal food and well being. The Purina institute is in partnership with wsava to pioneer the program of motivating veterinary organizations to launch research and animal care programs.

Purina:

• Sponsors wsava for the well being of animals.
• Sponsors research awards organized by wsava to promote the animal well being and to ensure that high level of productivity is being extracted from the animal food research to further improve the food standards.
• Takes measures to enhance the animal food industry by introducing quality ingredients based on research and to introduce new technologies to ensure that best food is being provided in the market.
• In partnership with wsava is promoting the exchange of learning and education through different programs and conducts events to educate people about the importance of nutrition while selecting dog foods.

Wsava dog food guidelines:

Wsava guidelines are difficult to meet than the AAFCO standards. This means that this organization has stricter and uncompromising scrutiny and standards for animal foods. The guidelines are discussed below:

Eligible nutritionist:

Wsava says that one should always select the dog food company which has a team of nutritionists working behind it and those nutritionists should be highly qualified. There are many food companies that claim to have active nutritionists working for it but actually the nutritionists have just a basic degree in nutrition and that is not satisfactory. The nutritionists of the food company must hold a Phd degree in nutrition and should have a proper certification from American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

The recipes by nutritionists:

Another guideline by wsava is that recipes should also be designed by nutritionists. The nutritionists have complete know-how of:

• What ingredients are good for animals.
• What causes allergies.
• Which food will be suitable for different breeds.

Food should have nutritional Profiles:

The food brand must have a certification of being a nutritional profile.

• It should be high in nutrition.
• It should meet all the nutritional standards put in by AAFCO.
• It should also meet the standards of European pet food industry federation.

If it doesn’t meet these standards, then this food is given the name of just a Supplement or Intermittent food that should be given only 10% of the meal.

Research and nutritional education:

The Wsava guidelines also say that companies producing animal food must be prolific in food research and should only play their part in the health and well being of animals.

Quality assurance:

The guidelines state that the companies should make manufacturing standards high, ensuring airtight packaging free of toxicity, bacteria and should have complete shelf life analysis before coming into market to ensure high quality.

Calories in food:

The calorie content in foods should also be limited. The calories should be up to an amount approved by AAFCO as more than that amount of calories can cause obesity in animals.

Customer service and company information:

The food companies must have their pertinent information written in the pack along with their contact information. They must have a customer service center or contact through which people and customers can ask questions and the company answers all the customer queries.

Chemical analysis of the products:

The company should also undergo chemical analysis of its product to ensure quality.

What dog foods follow Wsava guidelines?

Purina:

Wsava has ranked it to be the top dog food and the reason is its high quality and good products.

• For past 80 years, Purina is considered to be the best in the dog food market.
• It is the leading dog food brand and pet owners love it for their canine friends.
• Purina has never compromised on the dog food quality and it uses the best ingredients and high quality assurance tests are conducted at Purina’s production site.
• The Purina not only completely fulfills to the AAFCO standards but also is completely compliant to all the strict wsava standards.
• Purina has huge variety of dog foods available worldwide for every breed and every health condition of dogs.
• Purina has a team of nutritionists that are highly qualified and food scientists along with veterinarians in board every time along with the best customer services.
• Purina has best packaging in the dog food market, the packaging is airtight and is free of any microbial activity danger. It is light in weight and Purina’s shelf life is very long.
• Purina has a complete meal nutrition with 80 percent of meat that is extracted from farms and this meat is also passed through many verification tests before using.
• Purina uses least artificial flavors, fillers, additives and artificial colors.
• It is the best wsava dog food yet.

Hills pet nutrition:

Among the top foods approved by wsava standards, Hills pet nutrition is one of them.

• It not only meets all the AFFCO standards but also is compliant with the wsava standards.
• Hills also has a good partnership with wsava on many projects and pet nutritional programs.
• Hills has made a mark in dog food market due to its high quality ingredients and quality dog food.
• Hills was founded 75 years ago and has come a long way.
• Hills has a huge group of professional vets, nutritionists and food scientists.
• The nutrition in Hills dog food is completely up to the mark and it offers a complete meal for the dogs and makes sure that ingredients are chosen from farms and then are passed through quality assurance tests.
• Hills was among the first dog food brands that pioneered research in dog food field based on different nutritional needs of every pet.
• Hill’s products are not only formulated but are also sold through veterinarian retailers.

Royal Canin:

Royal Canin is another leading dog food brand that is compliant with wsava.

• The ingredients used in Royal Canin products are carefully picked and are of a very high quality.
• These ingredients are carefully passed through a number of quality assurance tests.
• Royal Canin and its high quality gained a big repute in the market and is the most respected dog food brand among the netizen.
• It has a great variety available for every breed and every type of dog either with sensitive stomach, allergies and with every kind of health complications.
• The products of Royal Canin are readily available at all the local stores and at a very reasonable price.
• The company offers huge discounts on first purchase.

Is Kirkland dog food WSAVA approved?

No, Kirkland dog food is not wsava approved as it does not fulfill wsava guidelines and standards and does not meet up to any of its standards.

• Kirkland is made by Diamond foods and it has been recalled many times.
• Kirkland is grain free and wsava does not recommend grain free foods.
• Kirkland has not gained good customer reviews and ratings.
• It does not have a team of highly qualified nutritionists to manufacture it.

Is Blue Buffalo WSAVA approved?

Yes, Blue Buffalo meets some of the wsava standards.

• The Blue Buffalo meets all the quality control measures.
• The packing criteria and manufacturing staff at Blue Buffalo is also compliant to wsava which means it has all the highly qualified nutritionists on its staff and all the ingredients are also of high quality.

Drawbacks:

It also has certain drawbacks like:

• Blue Buffalo had many recalls since its first manufacturing.
• It has been noticed that there is unhygienic environment at Blue Buffalo manufacturing facilities.
• It is very costly pet food and that is why it is not among the top dog foods in wsava list that it approves.

Does Canidae meet Wsava guidelines?

No, Canidae doesn’t meet wsava guidelines but it strictly meets the AAFCO standards.

• Canidae had in 2012 salmonella contamination when it was manufactured by Diamond foods.
• It compromises on its ingredients thus many people complaining of bloating and gas in dogs.
• It is not a complete nutritional formula and does not contain proper amount of vitamins and minerals as required by the wsava.
• The quality control issues have immersed due to the non air tight packing and complaints have been received about the delivery of moldy food along with rodents.
• Its team of manufacturers is not the nutritionists and it is being made under the supervision of people who have less expertise in the animal nutrition.
• Thus, Canidae not in any way meets the wsava standards.

Is Stella and Chewy WSAVA approved?

Yes, Stella and Chewy is wsava approved and it does meet all the standard requirements to be a good dog food.

• It is legume free dog food and is free of potato and corn.
• It has a very high protein content and is considered to be the pre-requisite of a good dog food.
• It contains grains that are wholesome.
• It fits in all the wsava standards regarding nutrition, ingredients and quality standard.
• But as the wsava standards require the presence of highly qualified nutritionists to be the part of the manufacturing staff, the Stella and Chewy does not meet up to that requirement of wsava except. It does have a few nutritionists but not a team of highly qualified nutritionists.

Is pedigree a Wsava?

No, Pedigree does not meet any of the wsava standards and apart from that even it does not fit into AAFCO standards.

• It has a very poor customer service reviews and ratings.
• It is a plant based dry dog food and is not very rich in proteins and does not have meat or real protein meat source.
• It just uses a small amount of poultry like chicken by product. However, the wsava standards require high protein content and a good dog food must be high in meat proteins.
• Its ingredients are extremely questionable. The animal by product used is not of good quality.
• It has very low water content and has been the reason of many dogs’ renal failure who ate it.
• It does not have enough nutrients to be called as a supplement food.
• Its quality is very poor, has very poor nutritional value and very bad manufacturing quality.

Is Merrick Wsava compliant?

No, Merrick is not wsava compliant but it meets all the AAFCO standards.

• Merrick hasn’t complied with a single guideline of wsava.
• Merrick is a grain-free food and wsava doesn’t agree with grain-free foods. According to wsava veterinarians, grain is very important part of the dog’s diet and it has many health benefits.
• Merrick formulates its recipes but has low quality ingredients.
• It also has poor customer, poor packaging and unpleasant reviews from the customers.
• Thus Merrick does not in any way comply with wsava .

Is Zignature Wsava compliant?

Yes, Zignature is compliant to wsava.

• The Zignature is manufactured under the complete supervision of Phd nutritionists and veterinarians.
• The Zignature team has not only hired food scientists and animal nutritionists on contract basis but its quality supervisory team also consists of experts of food regulation and veterinary medical doctors.
• All of Zignature diets are completely according to the standards of AFFCO.
• Zignature dog food meet the animal nutrient profile and passes the feeding trials.
• It also implies many quality control measures as asked by wsava and it tests all of its ingredients before processing. All products are tested twice before and after production.
• Microbiological testing is done to avoid any microbial activity in the food packaging and to avoid building up of food molds.
• As asked by wsava guidelines, the recipes are built with complete nutritional strength.
• Zignature also conducts proper research on their products and everything is compliant to wsava guidelines.

Is Acana Wsava compliant?

No, Acana is also not compliant to wsava as Acana doesn’t fulfill the quality standards set by the wsava.

• Acana is the cause of DCM in dogs. Out of 67 DCM cases(the heart disease in which heart muscles weakens), the disease was found in the dogs which used Acana in USA.
• Although, Acana has been approved by US food and Drug Administration, it has not been on the wsava dog food lists.
• It has low quality, uses meat by products, uses additives, low quality fruits and veggies and unqualified recipe formulation team makes it unsuitable for wsava standards.

Is taste of the wild wsava approved?

No, Taste of the wild is not wsava approved. It is not in any way compliant to wsava standards.

• All the taste of the wild dog food products are free of grain and wsava doesn’t ever recommend grain free dog foods.
• It has also been linked to DCM heart disease but it is not validated yet.
• Taste of the wild is not considered good enough as its team of recipe manufacturers is compromised. Its recipes are formulated by less qualified veterinarians and dog food nutritionists.
• Its quality is not up to the mark.

Wsava dog food Reddit:

Reddit by far has been very critical and skeptic about wsava. On Reddit:

• People are questioning the sponsorship of Purina, Royal Canin and Hills science with Wsava and are skeptical and asking questions that why these three sponsoring dog food companies are on the top of the list of Wsava.
• The people on Reddit forum reviewed that Royal Canin or Purina didn’t give them desired results comparable to a low key food brand and that Wsava does biasness.
• Thirdly, they think that wsava should shun partnership with these top food companies and should work without favoritism.

Wsava dog food recommendations:

Some of the best dog foods recommended by Wsava are:

Iams Pro-active health high protein chicken and turkey adult:

Iams is one of the top-notch brands recommended by Wsava as it meets all the Wsava standards.

• Iams is a dog food company that has by far adopted the best expertise in nutritional approach research.
• It has achieved a noted place in Wsava’s food recommendation list due to its quality standards.
• It is an affordable brand and is not heavy on the pocket.
• Although it does not have a huge variety but it offers high quality products.
• It offers high protein recipes that have a huge part of protein in them with lots of good quality meat like chicken and turkey. In some recipes both are combined to make a yummy mixture for dogs.
• Iams canned food is also of very good quality with less additives, preservatives and artificial flavors.
• Iams uses fruits and veggies along with proteins and its quality assessment measures are commendable.

Purina Pro plan focus adult sensitive skin and stomach salmon and rice:

Wsava has recommended this dog food as it is up to the standards of Wsava. It has undergone vast amount of trials and Purina undergoes extensive research to bring together recipes that are best for dogs with allergies and sensitivities.

• The major protein is derived from salmon.
• It has abundance of Omega fatty acids.
• It is a grain filled recipe with rice that is excellent for dog’s shiny coat and skin.
• Purina meets all the Wsava standards and is made under close supervision of Phd qualified veterinarians and animal nutritionists.

Wsava dog food UK:

Wsava is running in the UK through Bsava which is one of the pioneer institutes of Wsava and now is the part of wsava.

• It is a British small animal veterinary association.
• It not only holds different seminars and pet nutritional programs in UK but also holds the biggest annual conferences on small animals in Europe yearly.
• Bsava, the UK’s Small Animal Veterinary Association have ranked Royal Canin as the best dog food in UK and therefore Wsava on the basis of Bsava’s analysis has named Royal Canin as the best according to Wsava’s standards.
• The Royal Canin offers so many varieties and formulas for different dog breeds and sizes of dogs.
• It has best formulas for dogs with sensitive stomach and dogs with allergies.
• It is free of preservatives and other additives.
• It is filled with nutrients and best proteins extracted from the farms.
• The ingredients used are verified again and again and the best products are bought in the market that are formulated and approved by expert dog food nutritionists.
• Its availability in both dry and wet consistencies is its best part.

Conclusion:

Wsava dog food is the “World’s Small Animal Veterinary Association” founded in 1959. This association is no doubt an Internationally recognized association working for the well being of the small animals but netizens are of the view that its standards are too strict and it should show some leniency in its standards and should also let other dog food companies to get listings as well. Wsava overall is doing great in terms of spreading awareness by holding conferences and seminars etc. Its Trust Association is doing great work for animals. Some of the Wsava approved dog food brands include Purina, Hills Pet Nutrition, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, Stella and Chewy, and Zignature.