We read and pay attention to nutrition for ourselves — shouldn't we be doing the same for our dogs? After all, they are part of the family. Some dog food labels try to hide information in the nutrition info and fine print that you might want to be aware of. Get the most out of your dog's food by knowing how to read dog food ingredient labels. These tips on ingredients, product names and fine print can help you understand dog food nutrition facts better.
Ingredients
When looking at ingredients, protein, fat, fiber and water are the most critical, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires dog food labels to show percentages for these nutrients. Your state may have additional minimum requirements. Ingredients listed on dog food labels are in order by weight and use common listing names to ensure the credibility of the ingredient. Manufacturers take these weight measurements before processing, so the weight will be higher than the actual figure, due to water. Byproducts are also a topic of conversion, but it is all up to your preference for your dog. Byproducts can include liver, brains, stomachs and cleaned intestines. Most veterinarians say feeding dogs byproducts is a matter of choice and most dogs like them.Great Vitamins for Dogs
Look for these vitamins on your dog food label:- Vitamin A improves vision.
- Vitamin B1 converts carbohydrates into energy.
- Vitamin B4 helps liver and brain functions.
- Vitamin B7 improves skin and coat.
- Vitamin B3 helps digestive enzyme functions.
What to Know About Names of Products
There are many rules and regulations about what brands can and cannot list on a nutrition label. So paying attention to product names is a good place to start learning how to read a dog food label.- 95% Rule: The named ingredient must be at least 95% of the product. For instance, if a product is called "Beef Dog Food," it must contain at least 95% beef.
- 25% Rule: If the word "dinner," "entree" or "platter" follows the name of the ingredient, this means that at least 25% of that food contains that ingredient. For example, dog food called "Salmon Platter" contains between 25% and 95% salmon.
- "With" Rule: If the name includes "with" before the named ingredient, the food contains at least 3% of that ingredient. For example, "Dog Dinner with Chicken" contains at least 3% chicken.