We dog care givers are now somewhat protected against misleading dog food labels. Some dog food manufacturers can be quite devious and will often use very clever nuances in the title and also in arrangement of words on the label that can be very different to what the dog food actually contains.
Turkey and Chicken Dog Food: By labeling it” Turkey and Chicken Dog Food”, and nothing else, you can be relatively certain that this product is made up of 95% turkey and chicken combined, with the chicken content being slightly less than the turkey, since turkey is listed as the first ingredient.
A food having this name doesn’t even have chicken in the top three ingredients!
- Chicken Flavor Dog Food: The word “flavor” is the key to this one.
- Dog Food with Chicken: A food listed as “with” anything is required to contain only 3% of that ingredient. Dog food “with” chicken, or “with” beef, must contain only 3% of chicken or beef.
DOG FOOD LABELS – GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
- The “Guaranteed Analysis” on the dog food label at the back of the bag is a chart that lists the percentages of various ingredients contained in that food (see an example below). The percentages listed for protein, fat, and fiber are measurements of the food in its current state. However, because different foods have varying amounts of moisture, you can only reasonably compare dog foods ”on a dry matter basis”.
- Please note that the moisture content can range anywhere from as little as 6% for dry foods to as much as 80% for canned foods. and it’s obvious that canned food contains more moisture than dry kibble. It’s hard to know which food contains the most protein, fat or fiber before converting both to a dry matter basis. As you see, the moisture accounts for 10% of the food. So, we see that the dry matter content is (100% – 10% = ) 90% of the food.
- Now compare the new protein level of 28% on a dry matter basis to other dog foods after converting the other labels in the same manner. Your dog food may have 28% protein on a dry matter basis, but what is the source of that protein? Pet foods must list ingredients in order of weight and the first five ingredients will usually make up the majority of the pet food formula. Look for meat as one of the first ingredients on a pet food label. Dog food manufacturers are known to routinely combine multiple protein sources to provide for all the amino acids required for a healthy life.
- There are more and more dog care givers who are now searching for dog foods that use only human grade ingredients without any animal “by-products”. Additionally, dry dog foods require preservatives to prevent spoilage and deterioration of essential nutrients.
Here’s an example of the guaranteed analysis section of a pet food label:
Once you learn how to read a label, you gain a great deal of information about the food you are feeding your dog. As with human food labels, dog food labels are strictly regulated by the federal government, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture, and must follow stringent guidelines. Dog food labels are typically divided into several separate sections: the principal product display and information about the food.
DOG FOOD LABELS DIVIDED INTO SECTIONS
Principal Product Display – Dog Food Product Name
This area of the label includes the brand name of the food along with the specific food or formula contained in the bag or can. In order to be able to call a product “Beef Dog Food,” at least 95 percent must be the named meat, not counting the moisture content. If the food’s name has a combination of meats, such as “Beef and Lamb,” the two products together must be 95 percent of the product with the first ingredient listed more plentiful.
Dog food product names now have a newly approved rule; they can use the word “with” in the food names ie: “Dog Food with Chicken,” since the word “chicken” is followed with the word “with,” that particular food must have at least three percent of the ingredients as chicken. “Chicken Dog Food” is completely different than “Dog Food with Chicken.”
Information Section Of Dog Food Labels
This section of the label is the most important when you compare different dog foods analyze and decide what nutrients are in the food.
Dog Food Ingredients
If your dog needs a diet low in protein, look for a product having carbohydrates listed in the top four or five ingredients. Alternatively, if your dog requires a diet that’s high in protein, look for a food with the first two ingredients as meat products.
Guaranteed Analysis
Listed in this area of the label are the amounts of each ingredient that’s contained in the food. When comparing one dog food to another, you must consider “moisture content”. All of the ingredients should be compared on a dry matter basis. Feeding Instructions
The product will list how much of the food to feed daily. If the dog food follows the guidelines set forth by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the label will include a section stating that the food provides complete and balanced nutrition for a particular life stage.
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