How To Read Guaranteed Analysis On Dog Food
This is the mandatory guarantee that your dog s food contains the labeled percentages of crude protein fat fiber and moisture.
How to read guaranteed analysis on dog food. The guaranteed analysis is one of the most important things to check on a dog food label. The second is a guaranteed analysis which lists moisture fiber crude protein and crude fat. Meaning the first ingredient is the most prevalent ingredient in the dog food. To compare two pet foods first you must calculate the percentage of dry matter in each pet food by subtracting the percentage of moisture in the guaranteed analysis from 100 percent.
To be called beef a food must contain at least 70 percent beef by weight. Per the minimum levels of protein and fat stated in the guaranteed analysis of this dog food we calculated 288 calories. Only three or four superpremium canned foods contain this much meat. As the name implies it guarantees the amounts of certain nutrients vitamins and minerals by laboratory analysis.
To be called beef liver a food must contain at least 70 percent beef and liver by weight and there must be more. You may see more than these four nutrients listed on a bag or can of food. Protein fat fiber and moisture. Then for each nutrient you wish to compare divide the reported nutrient level by the product s dry matter percentage.
The guaranteed analysis can be incredibly confusing when trying to understand if you have picked a good dog food. Dog food labels have two sections. The first is the ingredients list which simply lists all the ingredients in order of weight. 1 check the guaranteed analysis.
How to read dog food labels properly. At minimum many state regulations require a pet food to guarantee the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. 488 calories minus our calculated 316 calories 172 unaccounted for calories. Iams states the 12 3 ounce can contains 488 calories.
It s the best way to know exactly what nutrients are going into your dog and in what amounts.