Understanding dog food labels is crucial for making informed decisions about your pet’s nutrition. Here’s a guide to help you decipher common elements on dog food labels:
1. Composition:
The composition is a list of ingredients that make up the food. Ingredients are listed in descending order by quantity. High-quality dog foods typically have a protein source as the first ingredient, such as Salmon or Lamb. Look for whole, named meat sources (e.g. “chicken” instead of “poultry”). Some important things to avoid: grain (cereal, maize, rice etc.), derivatives, artificial colouring, artificial flavouring, artificial preservatives.
2. Analytical Constituents:
This section gives a general overview and provides percentages of the food’s nutritional content. You should always look for the highest Protein possible, as these will resemble a dogs’ natural diet as closely as possible – ideally a minimum of 35%. ‘Crude Ash’ is not a product that is added to the food. It refers to the amount of minerals contained in a food and left as a residue when the food is incinerated.
3. Nutritional Additives:
Not to be confused with artificial additives that should be avoided, this section shows you any added Vitamins & Minerals which make up a complete food. These are present to ensure a well-balanced diet for your dog, meaning that you do not need to supplement the diet further unless you choose to or are advised to for a medical condition.
4. Feeding Guidelines:
These guidelines provide recommended daily feeding amounts based on your dogs’ age and weight. Aim to start at the lower end of the recommended quantities to begin with to avoid overfeeding your dog. You should adjust quantities when necessary, by monitoring your dogs weight, shape, stools and changes in lifestyle/activity. Any changes should be made gradually. Feeding advice should also be given, such as how to transition to the food.
5. Country of Origin/Manufacture:
If a food does not proudly display where it is made or sourced from on the label, you should research this via their website or contact them. Ideally you want your chosen food to be manufactured in the country you reside in, with the ingredients also being sourced from that country or surrounding countries/waters. The more local the sourcing/manufacturing is, the lower the impact/carbon footprint is on the environment. There is also a big difference in the quality of the ingredients and how well cared for they are from one region of the globe to another. The manufacturer should have full traceability of the ingredients used in each batch.
6. Other Statements:
The food should indicate whether it is ‘complete’ or not. A ‘complete’ food will provide a balanced diet which you do not need to add to or supplement. If the food is a ‘working’ dog food it should state so, in which case the food is made for highly active dogs. This does not mean a regular household pet can’t eat it, but you may need to adjust feeding quantities from those shown on the packaging.
You are always welcome to contact us at Bentley’s for unbiased nutritional advice, we will be honest if we feel our food would not be suitable for you and your dog. Our philosophy is simply to see more dogs on a healthier diet.
