Feeding practice
How to Read a Pet Food Label
Decoding ingredient lists, guaranteed analysis and marketing claims so you can compare foods fairly.
Start with the adequacy statement
This small print is the most important text on the bag. It tells you whether the food is complete, which life stage it is formulated for, and which standard it meets. Everything on the front of the bag is marketing.
Ingredient lists are ordered by weight before cooking
Fresh meat listed first contains around 70% water, so after processing it may contribute less protein than a meat meal listed lower down. Ingredient splitting — listing several forms of the same grain separately — also shifts apparent order.
Comparing foods fairly
Guaranteed analysis percentages cannot be compared directly between wet and dry food because of water content. Convert to dry matter basis: divide the nutrient percentage by the dry matter percentage, then multiply by 100. Better still, compare calories per 100 g.
Questions worth asking a manufacturer
Who formulated the diet and what are their qualifications? Do they employ a qualified nutritionist? Do they conduct feeding trials? Where is the food made and what quality control is applied? These questions, recommended by WSAVA, separate serious manufacturers from marketing-led brands.
References
- WSAVA Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods — World Small Animal Veterinary Association