Reading Dog Food Labels
When shopping for the right food for your dog, learn how to read those bags and cans. Dog food labeling is regulated by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). By law, the ingredients on that package of dog food must be listed in order of their predominance by weight.
Protein percentages are important as well, ranging from around 28 percent for growing pups to 22 to 24 percent for adults to 17 or 18 percent for overweight or aging dogs. Fat percentages follow the same sort of pyramid —more for puppies, less as dogs grow from adults to senior citizens. Fiber content is highest for dogs on a low-calorie diet, as it makes them feel full. Also listed are stabilizers, artificial colors, and preservatives.
“Artificial colors are not really necessary, except to please the pet owner's eye,” states the FDA document on dog food labeling. “If used, they must be from approved sources, the same as for human foods.”
As to package claims of “no preservatives,” unless something is used to prevent fat in dog food from becoming rancid, it could be toxic to your pet.
No product can claim to be “complete,” “balanced,” or “100 percent nutritious” if it is inadequate as the sole food for your pet. Labels must also list the life stage for which a food is intended. Just because the food provides 100 percent complete nutrition for your adult dog does not imply it will do the same for your puppy.
AAFCO has a “95 percent rule” on ingredients like the meat, poultry, or fish. If the label reads “Beef for dogs,” for example, the product must be at least 95 percent beef. If it says “Chicken and liver,” the two must be present in equal amounts to make up 95 percent of the product.
The agency also has a “25 percent” or “dinner” rule. This states that in food described as “Beef Dinner for Dogs,” beef should comprise at least 25 percent and less than 95 of the ingredients by weight. Similarly, if more than one ingredient is listed in a dinner, such as “Chicken and Fish Dinner,” that second ingredient must comprise at least 3 percent of the total 25 percent.
To avoid stomach upset when changing your dog's diet, it's best to make a gradual change to the new food. Add it slowly over a five- to seven-day period, increasing the amount of new food daily so that the switch is completed by day seven.
Under the rule regarding use of the term flavor, a specific percentage is not required, but the food must contain “an amount sufficient to be able to be detected.” Beef flavor doesn't even have to come from beef. It can be a beefy-tasting facsimile concocted in the lab instead.
Finally, check the expiration date on that bag of food, and don't store it longer than a month to ensure freshness and good taste. Dog food labels contain a wealth of information, but you have to know how to read them. Most companies provide a toll-free telephone number, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call the manufacturer.
