PawGrade: Dog Food Scanner

Most dog food labels are written to be unreadable. Point your camera at one and see what's actually in the bag — scored 0–100, with the research.

I was completely overwhelmed when I first got Hershey.

Every decision felt high-stakes — food, vaccines, preventatives, supplements. I didn't know anything. So I did what everyone does: I trusted my vet, I bought what they recommended, and I assumed the system was looking out for my dog.

That was 7 years ago. I've been learning ever since.

At some point I came across a statistic I couldn't shake: almost half of dogs over ten develop cancer. I started asking why, and the more I researched, the more I realized how little I actually knew about what was going into Hershey's bowl every single day. Ingredients linked to liver damage. Synthetic preservatives flagged by cancer researchers. Things that have been in "premium" pet food for decades.

I'm not saying don't trust your vet. I'm saying be thoughtful about who you trust — and with what. PawGrade doesn't tell you what to do. It just shows you what's in the food and what the research says. That's it. You decide.

Point your camera at any dog food or treat and get an instant breakdown:

Safety score 0–100 based on peer-reviewed research, not brand partnerships Flags 60+ harmful ingredients — BHA, BHT, menadione, artificial dyes, and more — with the science behind each one Detects how the food was made — freeze-dried and raw score higher than kibble because the nutrition genuinely is different Decodes the mineral block — chelate beats sulfate beats oxide, the part of the label almost nobody can read Smart Scan — no barcode needed, just point at any part of the bag Supplement recommendations based on what the food is missing Tap any ingredient for a plain-English explanation of what it is, why it's in the food, and what long-term exposure looks like.

I built this out of love — for Hershey, and for every dog owner who felt as lost as I did and just wants to do right by their dog.

Free to download.

Scoring is never influenced by partnerships. Some product links are affiliate; they don't affect any score.

For informational and educational purposes only. Not veterinary advice.