UNDERSTANDING GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

The guaranteed analysis shows the percentages of protein, fat, and fiber in the diet. This will not show how many carbohydrates are in the food, but you can always calculate it. Add everything on the bag together including moisture, then subtract it from 100 to estimate the amount of carbohydrates.

Since every pet is different, every pet has different needs. High protein is not necessarily a good thing. High protein diets put strain on the kidneys just like they do in people. That’s why people don’t stay on the Adkin’s diet for too long.

High fat diets won’t be good for pets that have a history of pancreatitis. Grain free diets, along with their possible ties to DCM, are high in fat to make up for their lack of energy from carbohydrates (grains are carbs). Do I even really need to say high fat diets aren’t the best at keeping your pet a healthy weight? Who eats a cheeseburger every meal and doesn’t gain weight? But, if your pet has diabetes, a high carbohydrate diet isn’t for them. Talk to your veterinarian about what type of diet your pet should be on.

While guaranteed analysis is important for pets with existing health conditions, for the majority of healthy pets, it may not be the most significant factor when assessing pet food. So now what?

KNOW WHAT’S IMPORTANT REGARDING INGREDIENTS 

What protein is the most prevalent (it’s always listed first) out of all the different proteins listed in the ingredients? This is information to remember in case your animal gets any type of food allergy in the future. For more information on this topic, check back for my article on Food Allergies – coming soon!

Notice that I haven’t said much of anything regarding ingredients, such as chicken, beef, fish, by-product meals, etc. That’s right… the ingredients are not super important to your pets health and safety. What the ingredients consist of IS important, such as the amount of protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals – all of which comprise the overall nutrients of the food. This is why each product needs to be tested to ensure it has the proper makeup and consistency of nutrients.

That is where the correct AAFCO statement is important. Chicken bone meal etc. use up ingredients that are safe to eat but would otherwise be unappetizing to humans such as bone, liver and other organs. Basically, your pet is eating what you and I wouldn’t eat – the haggis type foods of the world. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t just as delicious and nutritious as they should be; just that they aren’t pretty enough to the human eye to eat!

Now that we ensured your pet’s food is safe, balanced for their stage of life and has the proper ratio of nutrients for your pet’s individual needs, do you know how much you should ACTUALLY feed them?

Don’t just use the back of the bag… Your pet’s food portions are important! Instead of basing their consumption on broad weight categories that assume each pet has the same exact health conditions, activity levels, and other factors, you should use your pet’s body condition score as a more accurate guide. You can learn about how to calculate your pet’s Body Condition Score in my new blog post – coming soon! Make sure you signup for email updates below!