How DogHealthStack Evaluates Dog Health Products and Systems

Our evaluation criteria

When we evaluate a dog health product, tool, or system, we score it against the same set of criteria every time:

• Practical usefulness. Does it solve a real problem owners actually have, in everyday life?
• Safety and trust. Is it safe, from a reputable maker, with a clean track record? Safety always outranks performance.
• Veterinary discussion relevance. Is this something worth raising with a vet — and do we frame it so you can have that conversation well?
• Owner compliance. Will a real owner actually keep using it? The best routine is the one you'll stick with.
• Longevity relevance. Does it support one of the Doggevity pillars associated with long-term health — or is it noise?
• Value. Is it worth the money, including ongoing costs like subscriptions or refills?
• Ease of use. Is it simple enough to fit into a normal life with a dog?
• Evidence quality. What does the available evidence actually say? We distinguish "well-supported" from "plausible" from "marketing."
• Luna testing potential. Is it something we can honestly test in Luna's Lab and report back on?
• Affiliate transparency. We disclose affiliate relationships clearly and never let them drive a recommendation.

How product reviews are handled

We lead with the system, not the product. A review will tell you where a product fits (or doesn't) in a broader dog health system, what the realistic expectations are, and what the honest tradeoffs and limitations look like — including when the right answer is "you probably don't need this." Where we've tested something with Luna, we say so, and we report what didn't work alongside what did.

How affiliate links work

Some links on DogHealthStack are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That support keeps the site running. It does not change our recommendations: we decide what to recommend based on the criteria above first, then add affiliate links where they happen to be available. We recommend categories and approaches at least as often as specific products, precisely because the system matters more than any single purchase. See the full affiliate disclosure.

How medical topics are reviewed

We take health-sensitive topics seriously and write carefully around them. Our standing rules:

• We use cautious, accurate language — "may support," "is associated with," "can help" — never "cures," "reverses," or "guarantees."
• We repeatedly direct readers to their veterinarian for diagnosis, treatment, and any real decisions.
• We include "questions to ask your vet" so you can have better, more informed conversations.
• We avoid fear-based framing and we don't fabricate endorsements, testimonials, or credentials.

What DogHealthStack does not claim