Walk down any pet food aisle and you will see bags and cans covered with words like “natural,” “premium,” “holistic,” and “complete and balanced.” The packaging is designed to make every food sound like the best choice for your pet. The problem is that the front of the package does not tell the whole story.

If you really want to know what you are feeding your dog or cat, turn the package over and read the label.

In this article, I will walk you through a pet food label step by step so you can better understand what you are buying.

Start With the Ingredient List

Ingredients are listed by weight, with the ingredients that weigh the most appearing first. This is why it is important to pay attention to the first several ingredients, as they can tell you a lot about what makes up the food.

I recommend foods with clearly identified animal proteins such as chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, salmon, duck, or eggs. Named animal meals such as chicken meal, turkey meal, and salmon meal are also good and provide concentrated sources of animal protein.

Here is an example of an ingredient list with clearly identified ingredients:

Turkey, Beef, Salmon, Duck, Beef Liver, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Flaxseed, Sweet Potato, Apple, Blueberry, Carrot, Cranberry, Pumpkin Seed, Spinach...

Another example:

Duck, Duck Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Fish Meal, Roasted Quail, Roasted Duck...

You can easily tell what animal proteins are being used and recognize the other ingredients.

Now compare those with these examples:

Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Protein Meal, Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Soybean Meal...

Whole Grain Corn, Meat Meal, Meat By-Products, Animal Fat Preserved with BHA...

These labels are very different. Some ingredients do not clearly identify the animal source, while others are heavily plant-based.

What Do These Ingredients Mean?

Pet food labels contain terms that may not be familiar to the average pet owner. Here are a few you may see:

Chicken by-product meal: Made from parts of the chicken remaining after meat has been removed and then processed into a concentrated meal.

Corn protein meal: A concentrated plant protein made from corn.

Animal fat: A generic animal fat that does not tell you which animal it came from. I prefer a named fat source such as chicken fat.

Meat meal: A concentrated animal protein made by processing animal tissues. When the label simply says “meat meal,” the animal source is not identified.

Soybean meal: A plant protein made from soybeans after much of the oil has been removed.

BHA: A synthetic preservative used to help prevent fats from becoming rancid.

Understanding these terms makes it much easier to compare one food with another instead of relying on the claims on the front of the package.

Use the Pet Food Label-Reading Checklist

Knowing how to read a label is one thing, but remembering all the ingredients you want to look for or avoid while standing in a pet food store is another.

My Pet Food Label-Reading Checklist provides a complete list of good ingredients to look for and ingredients I recommend avoiding. You can print it and take it with you when shopping for your dog or cat. 

Look at the Guaranteed Analysis

The guaranteed analysis shows the percentages of protein, fat, fiber, and moisture in the food. These numbers are helpful, but they do not tell you the quality or source of those nutrients, so always consider them along with the ingredient list. 

Find the Nutritional Adequacy Statement

This statement tells you whether the food provides complete and balanced nutrition and the life stage it is intended for, such as growth, adult maintenance, or all life stages.

The words “complete and balanced” do not necessarily mean high-quality ingredients, so the rest of the label still matters.

Look Beyond the Marketing

Words such as “premium,” “holistic,” “natural,” and other appealing descriptions on the front of the package can influence what you buy, but they should not replace reading the actual label.

The information on the back of the package is more important than the advertising on the front. 

Final Thoughts

When comparing pet foods, remember these simple tips:

• Read the ingredient list instead of relying on advertising on the front of the package
• Pay close attention to the first several ingredients
• Look for clearly identified animal proteins
• Know the source of animal meals and fats
• Look at the guaranteed analysis
• Check the nutritional adequacy statement and life stage
• Compare several foods before making your decision
• Take my Pet Food Label-Reading Checklist to the store to help you choose the best food

No pet food is perfect, and a food with a good ingredient list may still not be the right choice for every dog or cat. Age, weight, activity level, health problems, and individual nutritional needs should also be considered.

How I Can Help

Choosing the right food for your dog or cat is not always easy. During a consultation, I review your pet's current diet, treats, supplements, age, weight, health history, and individual needs before making recommendations.

If you are not sure whether you are feeding the right food, contact For Pet Health to schedule a holistic pet nutrition consultation. I can help you choose a nutritional program that is right for your pet.