Our free paw score calculator helps you evaluate the quality of your pet's food by assigning a score from 1 to 5 paws. This rating system considers protein content, ingredient quality, carbohydrate levels, and other nutritional factors to help you choose the best food for your pet. It's 100% free, with no sign-up required.
Looking for the rental "Paw Score" landlords use to screen tenants' pets (PetScreening / Fido Score)? Jump to Paw Score for renters & pet screening below.
Note: Our Paw Score evaluates pet food quality. If you're looking for rental pet screening (Paw Score for apartments, Fido Score), that's a different service—landlords use platforms like Petscreening.com. See our guide on Paw Score vs Fido Score for clarification.
A paw score is a quality rating system (1-5 paws) that evaluates pet food based on:
Excellent quality food with high protein from named sources, low carbohydrates, minimal fillers, and no artificial additives.
Very good quality food with good protein sources and nutrition, minor issues with fillers or additives.
Acceptable quality food that meets basic nutritional needs but may have some fillers or lower-quality ingredients.
Lower quality food with significant fillers, lower protein quality, or high carbohydrate content.
Poor quality food with major fillers, low-quality protein sources, and/or excessive artificial additives.
If you arrived here searching for a "paw score" or "paw score rent calculator" in the context of renting an apartment, that's a different kind of paw score from the pet-food rating above. In rental and property management, the Paw Score (and the older Fido Score) is a pet-screening rating produced by PetScreening.com, the service many landlords now require tenants to use.
A PetScreening Paw Score is a 1-to-5 paw rating of a tenant's pet, generated from a profile the pet owner completes. It weighs factors such as vaccination and veterinary records, the pet's age and weight, breed, behavioral history, and any prior incidents. Landlords and property managers use the score to assess the risk a pet may pose — a higher paw score signals a lower-risk, well-documented pet.
"Fido Score" is the name PetScreening previously used; it has largely been rebranded to "Paw Score," so the two terms refer to the same rental pet-screening rating. If a landlord asks for either, you complete one PetScreening profile. For a full breakdown of how these differ from our food-quality paw score, see our guide on Paw Score vs Fido Score.
Note: The Pet Calculator is not affiliated with PetScreening. To create or check a rental paw score, complete a profile directly at PetScreening.com. The calculator at the top of this page scores pet food quality, which is unrelated to tenant screening.
FAQs
A paw score is a rating system (1-5 paws) that evaluates pet food quality based on nutritional content, ingredient quality, and other factors. Higher scores indicate better quality food.
Paw score is calculated by evaluating multiple factors: protein content, ingredient quality (named meat sources), carbohydrate levels, absence of fillers, and nutritional completeness. Each factor contributes to the overall score.
A good paw score is 4-5 paws, indicating high-quality food with good protein sources, appropriate nutrition, and minimal fillers. Scores of 3 paws are acceptable, while 1-2 paws indicate lower quality food.
Factors include: protein percentage and source (named meats score higher), carbohydrate content (lower is better), presence of fillers (corn, wheat, soy reduce score), and overall nutritional balance.
No, paw score evaluates food quality beyond AAFCO minimums. A food can meet AAFCO standards but still score low if it has low-quality ingredients or excessive fillers.
No. Our Paw Score evaluates pet food quality (1-5 paws). For rental pet screening (Paw Score for apartments, Fido Score), landlords use services like Petscreening.com. See our Paw Score vs Fido Score guide for clarification.
Check the paw score whenever you switch foods or when your pet food brand changes its formula (check the packaging for "new formula" labels). It's also worth re-evaluating if your pet develops health issues like weight gain, skin problems, or digestive trouble—a lower-quality food may be contributing.
Yes. A 5-paw food is high quality overall, but individual pets may have allergies, sensitivities, or medical conditions (like kidney disease) that require specific formulations. Always work with your veterinarian when choosing food for pets with health conditions.
Paw score evaluates general food quality based on ingredients and nutrition. Your veterinarian considers your specific pet's health, age, weight, and medical history. Both are valuable — use paw score to compare foods, and your vet's guidance to choose the right one for your pet's individual needs.
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