Pet Nutrition

You now have an additional mouth to feed, however being of the 4 legged variety, it’s dietary needs are different than what you are used to. What kind of food intake do they need? What are the particulars of their nutritional intake? What does this pet food label exactly say? We are here to help you through this quandary, and get you better informed to make those food decisions for your family’s new addition.

Food labels

Food labels are a legal document and used to communicate to pet owners. This document is regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AA,FCO).
What’s in the label
It’s a long, very long list of items, and frankly can be quite confusing. It includes ingredients, analysis, and nutrition facts. Yes, confusing, so we’re going to help out.

Ingredients

This list includes items in descending order by their weight. Generally listed first are vitamins, meals, and grains as they weigh less. These items tend to be followed by the higher content items such as beef, lamb, and chicken. Ingredients help to provide nutrients, an example would be Lamb, as it provides nutrients that include fats and vitamins.

Guaranteed Analysis

This part of the label will inform you of the min/max levels of nutrients included like fiber, protein, and fat. However this will not tell you exact numbers/levels. Levels in the food varies, thus making it difficult to accurately compare the nutrition information here.

"AAFCO Statement"

This organization works to set the nutritional standards here in the United States for the pet food you purchase. It is a legally required statement that ensures testing method utilized for determining nutritional abundance. Provided within this statement is whether or not the necessary nutrition is present for a particular stage of pet growth such as growing, adult, and so forth. A food label that states it supports all life stages can be dangerous, as it is likely to contain levels that exceed what’s needed for particular stages of life. It could include more protein needed for a younger stage rather than a more mature age level, so beware.

We hope you find this information helpful when it comes to finding your pet food. Always remember you can schedule an appointment to discuss with us the nutritional needs of your pet and the best way to achieve the needed nutrients or them.