Understanding Dog Food Guaranteed Analysis Labels

by Luke Blaise

As pet owners we all want the best for them. However dog food labels do not make this very easy for us and they often lead to even greater misunderstandings.

Despite regulations about what pet food manufacturers must put on dog food labels there's still a lot of confusion. Here are three loopholes that generally lead to the most confusion.

Loophole #1

Many people know that the product should contain a good portion of protein. Many people look at the guaranteed analysis where it lists the percentage of protein in the product. But doesn't tell you what type of protein it is.

Often times plant proteins are used instead of animal proteins in order to save money. Plant proteins are worse for your dog's health and can lead to it gross deficiencies and even to certain diseases.

Loophole #2

Take this short test: are you aware of the differences between "tuna dog food" and "dog food with tuna"? "Tuna dog food" has to contain 95% tuna, whereas "dog food with tuna" only needs to contain 3% tuna.

This might be shocking to understand, but this is what the government regulations state. This is why you shouldn't assume that just because a certain meat is mentioned in the product's name that it contains a large amount of it.

Loophole #3

One of the main problems with the guaranteed analysis section of the bag is that it lists ingredients like this: Fiber - No Less then 9%.

Because of the way it is stated, this product could contain as little as 9% of the ingredient, or as much as 60%. There is no way for you to know the exact percentage except that it is at least 9%.

Take Back Control

If you were not aware of these loopholes, then take it upon yourself to learn more about how to properly read dog food labels. There is a wide difference in quality between brands which you need to be made aware of.

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