Read the labels to learn more about your pet’s food
I’d gone to the store to buy my dog some training treats for class and was wandering through the dog food aisles. With all of the new brands and various formulated diets, I wondered if there wasn’t a newer and better food on the shelf than the one I give my dog now.
So I started looking.
There was puppy food, formulated for the special nutritional needs of a puppy; adult maintenance foods; and many foods formulated for dogs who need special diets for allergies, weight control and dogs with kidney problems.
All around good nutrition was what I was looking for, so reading the labels was the place to start.
Ben Moger-Williams, www.healthypet.com, a website of the American Animal Hospitals Association, explains the labels on pet foods. Pet food labeling is regulated at the federal and state levels.
The USFDA has standards for all types of animal feed at the federal level, requiring proper identification of the product, net quantity statement, the manufacturer’s address and proper listing of ingredients.
On the state level, the Association of American Feed Control Officers has its own set of regulations.
Moger-Williams notes AAFCO labeling guidelines cover aspects such as product naming standards (for example, “beef food,” “beef dinner” and “dog food with beef” will all contain different percentages of actual beef — 95 percent, 25 percent, 3 percent, respectively); guaranteed analysis (minimum percentages of protein and fat and maximum percentages of fiber and moisture); and nutritional adequacy.
According to Moger-Williams, “The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine states that ‘an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement is one of the most important aspects of a dog or cat food label.’”
He notes in order for a pet food to be considered “complete and balanced” or “100 percent nutritional,” it should carry an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement.
Moger-Williams reports the AAFCO substantiates claims of nutritional adequacy in a pet food by chemical analysis and feeding test.
In chemical analysis, the AAFCO has determined the food contains ingredients that provide the proper amount of nutrients for a particular animal.
This statement will say: “ABC Dog/Cat food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog/Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.”
In the feeding test, the food has been tested on animals under AAFCO’s strict feeding protocols and was found to provide proper nutrition. The statement on this type of food will say, “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that ABC Dog/Cat food provides complete and balanced nutrition.”
The AAFCO statement will also say the food is appropriate for a particular stage of life. For example, “for maintenance,” “for growth” or “for all life stages.”
Moger-Williams notes if there is no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement and the food claims to be “complete,” the food may have not been tested and could be unsafe.
The exception to this rule is a “therapeutic” food, which contains specific ingredients designed to treat certain conditions such as obesity or kidney problems.
Moger-Williams suggests your veterinarian may recommend or stock foods that are proven to help maintain your dog’s wellness through special diets or all-around good nutrition.
I left the store with just the dog training treats. I decided to talk with my veterinarian before I did anything as important as changing my dog’s food.
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