Learn How to Read Dog Food Labels

Choosing food for your pet may sound like a simple task but when you are standing in the aisle at the grocery store, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the choices. You may just be tempted to grab a bag of food that has a brand name you recognize, that sounds reputable, or just has a great image on the front of the bag; however, it’s important to actually take the time to read the labels to ensure you are getting food with the best ingredients and all the nutrients you pet needs. Check out these great tips for reading the labels on your dog’s food.

Wording. The exact wording on a bag of food is important in determining quality of a dog food. If you are buying a food that provides your pet with a “beef dinner,” it must contain at least 25% beef. Conversely if it is “dog food with beef,” it only has to contain 3% beef.

Specific needs. Many types of food are made for particular stages in a pet’s life, such as puppies, senior dogs, etc, or for specific needs a pet may have, such as dog foods for animals with skin problems or allergies. It’s best to purchase food with your dog’s needs in mind.

Do the math. Okay, I know it’s a hassle, but it’s only something you would have to do once. Because food has different moisture levels you cannot tell which food contains the most protein, fat or fiber until you have converted everything to dry matter.

Subtract the percentage of moisture from 100%. For example, if there is 10% moisture in your dog food, the dry matter is 90% of the food. Based on that percentage, you would get the actual protein, fat and fiber by dividing the percentages by the amount of dry matter. If a bag of dog food has 26% protein, you would divide 26% by 90%, which comes out to 28% dry matter. Do this for the fat and fiber percentages and compare the different bags of food you are considering.

Look past the percentages. Even if the percentage of protein is acceptable, you need to stop and look at the source of the protein. Keep in mind food is listed in descending order according to how much of each ingredient is in the food. The first ingredient should be meat. Grains, such as wheat, corn or corn meal will provide your dog with appealing texture and energy.

Check for nutritional adequacy. Look for text that says the food meets the nutritional levels that are established by the AAFCO Food Nutrient Profiles.

For more information or to check out our wide variety of veterinary labels, visit us at LabelValue.com.