How to read wet dog food labels?
The label of wet dog food contains Constituents and nutrient components, and its detailed analysis is essential to maintain your partner’s health. Let’s learn more about labels!
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Table of Contents
Written By: Ethan Anderson
Team My Dog Cravings
Disclaimer By The Author:
I am not a veterinarian doctor; I am just a pet parent responsible for more serious issues regarding your dog's health. It would help to visit a doctor and thoroughly research before choosing any food product.
Choosing wet dog food for your furry fellow is very easy. However, it is a very overwhelming task due to the many options for a wet diet in the market.
For this, you need to read the labels of wet dog food carefully to see if moisture-rich food can meet your dog’s age, weight, growth, height, and specific nutritional needs.
Additionally, every dog diet has different nutritional content and ingredient ratio, and benefits and follows limited FDA guidelines. So, are you ready to know what factors to look for on the label to determine if this food is good for your dog? Let’s debunk it!
Quick wet dog food label format:
Brand name Product name |
|
Quantity |
All are based on food-specific formula |
Ingredients | Highlight the specific ingredients like “chicken meat with pea” from which food is formulated. |
Nutritional adequacy statement Age of dog | Specifying the Level of nutrients it provides is research-based. Include specific life stages for which this food is suitable. |
Feeding direction | Methods of feeding and using exact promotions. |
Calories per serving | %of the energy it provides. |
Related Post: 5 Ways of Weight Management in Wet Dog Food
Let's Decode Wet Dog Food Label!
Reading wet dog food labels is mastery. Every factor on the labels has its own significance and priority level. We have done a label analysis for pet parents so they can choose the best food for their canine.
Brand name plus Product name:
For ideal marketing, food names matter a lot. The product name is considered the first clue for diet ingredients. The AAFCO has devised four rules for naming wet food products.
| 95% of the names of wet dog food products show the original ingredient (Beef for dogs). |
| When the product name is Beef For Dogs Dinner, it means beef is in a 25% ratio with added density. |
| When the food’s name is Dog food with chicken, 3% of the ingredient is chicken. |
| The FDA has reported that if the word flavor is added to the product name, it does not mean a specific percentage of the ingredients. Still, it can be easily detected in nutrient components analysis. |
Quantity:
The quantity gives info about the grams of food in the can or pouch. The amount is measured in three ways.
- Weight
- Liquid measure
- Count measure
Ingredients:
The guaranteed analysis is done to determine the percentage of crude fiber, fat, protein, and moisture in the food product. As a wet diet for dogs, the percentage of fat is lower than fiber. Secondly, to know more, read the FDA analysis method for standard calculation. Ensure that the ingredient list is guaranteed according to government standards.
Moreover, the AAFCO has a detailed list of ingredients for wet diets.
Nutritional adequacy statement:
The statement on the label that 100% nutritious is complete adequacy does not mean completely healthy; it only satisfies that the food formulation follows the AAFCO guidelines and limitations.
Secondly, wet diets are palatable with moisture content, so AAFCO in this section also justifies food suitable for which stage of dog pup, adult, or senior.
Feeding direction:
This portion tells you about how much you have to feed your pup. Feeding needs depend on age, growth, and type of breed. If you are new to a wet diet for a pup, read the damp dog food label to get all the feeding information.
Wet dog food is low-calorie and low-fat, with exact amounts according to the calories mentioned on the label.
Other things On labels of wet dog food:
For specific diseases, such as allergies, kidney disease, obesity, or dental issues, exceptional formula food with no fillers, preservatives, grain-free, and human-grade products is best.
Finally, it becomes very difficult to diagnose whether your beloved dog has a food allergy or an environmental allergy. Because the symptoms of both are almost equal. But after finding the wet dog food allergens, it is important to abandon this food and consult the best veterinary doctor about your dog’s health. Be sure to read our other articles for more great wet dog food choice!
Conclusions:
Finally, carefully select a wet diet for your canine by thoroughly analyzing wet dog food labels. As a pet parent, your first responsibility should be to ensure the bioavailability of nutrients and the growth maintenance of the pup. For more info related to wet dog food, visit our official website.
If you want to know more about pet food labels so you can watch this video of Dr. Judy Morgan’s.
Research References
Research By: Brian Mitchell
Team My Dog Cravings
