Open mobile navigation

Reading Pet Food Labels

Image of a woman shopping for pet food.

When you visit the grocery or pet store, you can find hundreds, if not thousands, of kinds of dog and cat foods. The advertisements and marketing materials for each claims their food is the best. How can you decide what food to feed to your pet?

Dedicated pet owners will attempt to read labels to help them make a decision on what to feed. This certainly is a good thing to do, but unfortunately, not enough information is required to be on the label to really be able to judge a food. It is important to be aware of some terms and definitions to begin to understand and evaluate each food.

1. When a food is described as "for all life stages," that may sound good, but that actually means that the food is a puppy food. It must meet the needs of the stage with the most requirements, which is the puppy stage, but this food is not made for a senior pet.

2. The guaranteed analysis section looks important but it really tells you almost nothing, because all the levels of protein, fat, etc. are listed by minimums and maximums, not the exact amount of each nutrient.

3. The feeding guides are recommended feeding amounts for an intact (not spayed or neutered) working dog. So for the average couch - potato pet, the amount fed should be decreased by about 30%, or they will become obese.

4. For pet foods, the definition of "chicken" is actually any flesh, muscle, bone, or skin from a chicken. Some foods that have chicken high on the list of ingredients, actually have a lot of bone in it, and therefore too much calcium.

5. The terms "human grade" and "holistic" ingredients have no legal definition, so any pet food, good or bad, can put these on their label.

6. The terms weight management and weight control also have no legal definition, so any food can put this on the label, no matter how many calories are in it. On the other hand, the terms "light " or "lite" do have a legal meaning, and are reduced in calories.

7. The fact that a meat is named first in the list of ingredients is not an indication of how much protein is in the food. Some companies may try to hide how much carbohydrate is in their food by "splitting" ingredients. An example is they may list whole rice, rice hulls, brown rice, and enriched rice separately, so they are not at the top of the list, but they are all rice. Conversely, a meat meal is just meat with the water removed. So for example, a food with lamb meal in the second position may actually have more protein than a food with a meat listed in the first position on the ingredient list.

8. Research has found that all regular commercial foods have cross contamination of ingredients as a result of the way they are manufactured. There are ingredients in the bag that are not on the label. This usually is a problem only if your pet has a food allergy.

9. Realize that claims to be "grain free" are just marketing. Grains can be a good source of nutrients for pets.

Sources:

The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, “Understanding Pet Food Labels.” 2014.

FDA, “Pet Food Labels – General.” March 2010.

Exclusive Offer

New patients receive 15% OFF first wellness exam.

Office Hours

Monday:

8:30 AM

5:30 PM

Tuesday:

8:30 AM

5:30 PM

Wednesday:

Closed

Thursday:

8:30 AM

5:30 PM

Friday:

8:30 AM

5:30 PM

Saturday:

8:30 AM

2 PM

Sunday:

Closed

Closed

Location

Testimonial

  • "I can not say enough about these wonderful people. Dr. Reda is the most compassionate veterinarian I have ever met. My beloved dog passed from cancer, but they were there every step of the way with any questions or concerns, even when they were oh vacation and I was totally distraught about it, they made sure to address my concerns and never made me feel like I was crazy. There should be more people like Dr. Reda and his staff in this business. I am forever grateful for all of you."
    Patricia Schwartz / East Islip, NY
  • "Dr. Reda and his staff are amazing!! Dr. Reda is the most compassionate vet I have ever met. He took wonderful care of a feral cat I brought in today. And Chauntelle was so brave handling this cat..I am so grateful for their expertise and professionalism."
    Jackie S.
  • "I am happy with the veterinarians response to most issues. The staff is kind and caring and they usually see you the day you called. They're always happy to do refills by phone."
    Stephen B.
  • "I had such a good experience when I brought in a feral cat family during a TNR mission that I returned a month later when I adopted two of the kittens. Dr. Reda is simply a wonderful veterinarian. I appreciate his well-informed, holistic approach to treatment. He & his staff take the time to give me plenty of information and answer all my questions, while doing everything they can to minimize any distress and discomfort my cats experienced during the visit. In short, if you are looking for a vet that is highly knowledgeable, accessible, and compassionate, I cannot recommend All Friends highly enough."
    Anna
  • "Dr. Reda and his staff are so thorough and caring with my dog. I've never had a vet that I really trusted before now that makes me feel like my dog and family's best interests are at heart. Thank you All Friends for making everything easier for my dog and family."
    Michelle T.
  • "Best veterinarian! Very pleasant and wouldn't go anywhere else. Staff is very pleasant too."
    Lynn M.
  • "Had a great experience at All Friends Veterinary today.
    Dr. Reda and his staff quickly diagnosed our Dog's issue. They were very accommodating and compassionate. I would highly recommend his services."
    Steven P.

Featured Articles

Newsletter Sign Up