How to Read a Dog Food Label

Pet food bags are covered in farm photos and words like “ancestral” and “holistic”. Most of that is marketing. A few small boxes of print on the back tell you far more.

First, a word about Canadian rules

Canada does not have a mandatory national nutrition standard for pet food. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says its oversight of pet food is limited to import and export rules. Labels still have to follow general laws such as the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and the Competition Act, which cover things like misleading claims.

For nutrition, most foods sold here follow the standards of AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials), a U.S. body. Members of the Pet Food Association of Canada say they make their foods to AAFCO’s nutrient standards and follow AAFCO’s labelling guidelines. That is voluntary, though, so the AAFCO statement on a Canadian bag is worth looking for rather than assuming.

The nutritional adequacy statement

This is the single most important line on the bag. It is usually small, near the guaranteed analysis. It tells you two things.

Is it a complete diet? A food labelled “complete and balanced” is meant to be fed as your dog’s only food. If the label says the product is “for intermittent or supplemental feeding only”, it is not a full diet. WSAVA suggests foods like that make up no more than about 10% of what your dog eats unless a vet is supervising.

For which life stage? AAFCO has nutrient profiles for “adult maintenance” and for “growth and reproduction”. A food labelled “for all life stages” has to meet the growth standard, which suits puppies but can be richer than a less active adult needs. For large-breed puppies, look for wording that confirms the food suits puppies expected to weigh over 70 lb (32 kg) as adults.

How was it tested? There are two main routes:

• Formulation: “…is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles…” The recipe meets the numbers on paper or by lab analysis.
• Feeding trial: “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that…” Dogs actually ate the food for a set period under veterinary checks.

A feeding trial adds some real-world proof that dogs digest and use the food well. Both routes are legitimate.

AAFCO adopted modernized label rules in 2023, so over the next few years you may see a “Pet Nutrition Facts” box and front-of-pack wording such as “Complete Food for Adult Dogs” or “Dog Treat”. Old and new styles will share shelves for a while.

The guaranteed analysis

This box lists minimum crude protein and fat and maximum fibre and moisture. Two things to know:

• These are minimums and maximums, not exact amounts. Tufts University’s nutrition team notes the real levels can be noticeably different. A company should be able to give you “typical” values if you ask.
• The numbers include water, so you cannot compare a canned food (often around 75% water) to a kibble (often around 10%) directly.

To compare on a dry-matter basis, take out the water:

1. Subtract the moisture percentage from 100. That is the dry matter.
2. Divide the nutrient percentage by the dry matter, then multiply by 100.

Example: a canned food with 8% protein and 75% moisture has 25% dry matter. 8 ÷ 25 × 100 = 32% protein on a dry-matter basis. A kibble with 27% protein and 10% moisture works out to 30%. The canned food actually has slightly more protein once the water is removed.

Comparing nutrients per 1,000 calories is even more accurate, because foods differ in calorie density.

The ingredient list

Ingredients are listed by weight, heaviest first, including their water. Fresh chicken is about 70% water, so a food with “chicken” first may contain less actual chicken than one listing “chicken meal” (a dried, concentrated form) second or third.

A few other things to keep in mind:

• One source can be split into several entries (chicken, chicken meal, chicken fat), which makes proportions hard to judge.
• Fruits, vegetables and “superfoods” listed after salt or the vitamin and mineral pack are usually present in tiny amounts.
• AAFCO naming rules help: a food called “Beef Dog Food” must be at least 95% beef (not counting added water); “Beef Dinner” or “Beef Entrée” only needs 25%; “with Beef” needs just 3%; and “Beef Flavour” only needs enough to detect.

The ingredient list alone cannot tell you whether a diet is good. It is one clue among several.

Words that sound good but tell you little

• Holistic, premium, super-premium, ancestral, gourmet: WSAVA calls terms like these unregulated and of little practical value.
• Natural: AAFCO does define this (no chemically synthetic ingredients, except added vitamins and minerals with a disclaimer), but “natural” says nothing about nutrition or quality.
• Human-grade: In the U.S., AAFCO has guidance on when this can be used, and it is about how ingredients are handled and manufactured. Tufts’ nutritionists point out it does not make a food more nutritious or safer. Canada has no specific legal definition.
• Grain-free: A description of ingredients, not a health benefit. See our guide on grain-free diets and heart health.

Seals and endorsements from other organizations are not proof of nutritional adequacy either, according to the FDA.

Questions to ask the company

WSAVA, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, suggests owners and vets look beyond the label and ask the manufacturer:

1. Do you employ a full-time qualified nutritionist (a PhD in animal nutrition, or board certification in veterinary nutrition)? What is their name?
2. Who formulates your diets, and what are their qualifications?
3. What quality-control steps do you use for ingredients and finished products? Do your diets meet AAFCO profiles by calculation or by testing the finished food?
4. What nutrition research have you done, and is any of it published in peer-reviewed journals?

WSAVA also suggests checking that the company has a phone number or email on the bag, can tell you calories per cup or can (calorie statements are not required on Canadian labels), and can give you a typical nutrient analysis. If a company cannot or will not answer, that is useful information.

The short version

Look for “complete and balanced” for your dog’s life stage, compare foods by dry matter or calories, and do not pay extra for words with no meaning.

This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. Talk to your veterinarian about your own dog.