What's Really in Your Pet's Food? Ingredients Explained

Understanding the Ingredients in Your Dog or Cat's Food

Every meal you feed your pet either supports health or works against it. Good nutrition supports a strong immune system, healthy digestion, normal weight, healthy skin and coat, and a longer, healthier life.

Many pet foods are marketed with words such as “natural,” “premium,” and “holistic,” but these words do not tell you about the quality of the food. The front of the package is designed to sell the food, while the ingredient list tells you what is in it.

Understanding what is really in your pet’s food can help you make better choices for your dog or cat.

Why Ingredient Order Matters

Ingredients are listed by weight, so the ingredients near the beginning of the list make up a larger part of the food. Pay close attention to the first several ingredients because they tell you a lot about the quality of the food.

Start With High-Quality Animal Protein

I recommend feeding proteins such as chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, duck, rabbit, venison, salmon, whitefish, and eggs. Named animal meals such as chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal, and salmon meal are also good because they provide concentrated sources of animal protein.

There is a difference between chicken meal and meat meal. Chicken meal tells you which animal the ingredient came from. Meat meal does not.

Animal By-Products and Generic Animal Ingredients

Animal by-products are the parts left after the muscle meat has been removed and can include organs, blood, bone, heads, feet, intestines, and other tissues. I do not recommend pet foods containing animal by-products because they are highly processed, the quality varies, and “animal by-products” and “meat by-products” do not identify the animal source.

Avoid these ingredients:

• Meat meal
• Meat-and-bone meal 
• Animal by-product meal 
• Meat by-products 
• Animal by-products 
• Animal digest 
• Animal fat 

Plant Proteins Can Be Misleading

A high protein percentage does not necessarily mean most of that protein comes from meat.

Ingredients such as corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, soybean meal, soy flour, and soy protein isolate can raise the protein percentage on the label.

Two foods can have the same protein percentage but get that protein from very different ingredients. I recommend foods that get most of their protein from meat, poultry, fish, or eggs rather than corn, wheat, or soy.

Corn, Wheat, Soy, and Other Plant Ingredients

Corn, wheat, soy, brewer’s rice, and cellulose are commonly used in pet foods as inexpensive sources of carbohydrates, protein, or fiber.

Artificial Colors, Flavors, and Sweeteners

Artificial colors make food more appealing to people, not pets, and provide no nutritional benefit. These include Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2.

Avoid artificial flavors and added sweeteners such as:

• Sugar 
• Corn syrup 
• Sucrose 
• Molasses 

There is no reason for dogs and cats to have added sugar in their food.

Preservatives

Preservatives are added to pet food to help keep it fresh. I recommend avoiding BHA and BHT. Look instead for natural preservatives such as mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and rosemary extract.

You can learn more about these preservatives in BHA and BHT in Pet Food: What Every Owner Should Know.

Other Ingredients to Avoid

Propylene glycol is added to some dog foods and treats to help keep them moist. It has no nutritional benefit.

Carrageenan is used as a thickener and stabilizer in some canned foods. It is not nutritionally necessary.

Salt is necessary in appropriate amounts, but I recommend avoiding foods that contain excessive salt simply to improve taste.

Here is an example of the type of ingredient list I would avoid:

Whole Grain Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat, Soybean Meal, Wheat, Animal Digest, Brewer’s Rice, Artificial Flavor, Salt, Red 40, Yellow 5, BHA, BHT...

This food relies heavily on corn, soy, wheat, and other inexpensive ingredients, while the animal protein and fat sources are not clearly identified. It also contains artificial colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives.

Watch for Ingredient Splitting

A manufacturer may separate similar ingredients into several names, such as corn, corn meal, and corn gluten meal. Because each is weighed and listed separately, they appear farther down the ingredient list.

An example of this:

Chicken, Corn Meal, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat, Ground Corn...

Chicken is listed first, so at first glance this looks like a chicken-based food. But when you look at corn meal, corn gluten meal, and ground corn together, it is clear that corn makes up a significant portion of the food.

The first ingredient does not tell the whole story.

What Should You Look for in a Pet Food?

I recommend foods made with clearly identified animal proteins, named sources of fat, recognizable ingredients, and natural preservatives.

Here is an example of a high-quality ingredient list:

Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat, Eggs, Pumpkin, Carrots, Blueberries, Salmon Oil, Mixed Tocopherols...

You can easily identify the animal proteins and fat sources, and the other ingredients are foods you recognize.

There is no single food that is right for every dog or cat. Age, weight, activity level, and health problems also need to be considered.

Need Help Reading a Pet Food Label?

For a step-by-step explanation of how to evaluate a package, read How to Read a Pet Food Label: A Simple Guide.

You can also print my Pet Food Label-Reading Checklist and take it to the store for a complete list of ingredients to look for and ingredients I recommend avoiding.

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 and previous foods, treats, supplements, medications, weight, age, activity level, health history, and any current health problems before making recommendations.

Every pet is different, so I consider their individual needs when deciding what diet to recommend.

If you are not sure what you should be feeding your dog or cat, contact For Pet Health to schedule a holistic pet nutrition consultation. I can help you put together an individualized nutritional program for your pet.