Ten amino acids. Twelve basic minerals. Eleven vitamins. And two kinds of fatty acids.
Whew! No question about it… there certainly are plenty of canine nutrients to think about.
What’s more… each and every one of them is considered absolutely essential… and must be present in the correct amounts… and the right proportions… in every dog food… to help keep your pet free of disease.
So, how can you be sure a particular product meets some kind of minimum dog food nutrition standards?
A Dog Food Insider’s Secret Revealed
Think about it… are you really prepared to check every product label to confirm the presence and quantity of each one of these vital nutrients?
Even dog food “obsessives” like me lack the time (not to mention… the patience) to perform that kind of detailed analysis.
But alas… there’s an easier way. And dog food “insiders” know this label reading secret as the Nutritional Adequacy Statement.
Now, once you know what it is… and where to find it… you can use this simple shortcut to instantly screen any dog food for proper vitamin and mineral content.
False Claims… Dangerous Nutrition
The dog food industry defines a nutritionally “complete” product as one that can be fed to a dog as its sole ration. In other words, it is capable of maintaining life without adding any other substance… except water.1
Guidelines go on by defining a “balanced” dog food as one that has “all known required nutrients in proper amount and proportion”.2
Now, here’s the problem…
Think about how dangerous it would be for any dog food to be sold as a “complete and balanced” diet… when, in fact, that product was actually deficient in one or more essential nutrients.
Hello. Does the word “unsafe” ring a bell?
That’s what makes a Nutritional Adequacy Statement so helpful. No… it’s not perfect. But it is the industry’s token (but welcome) attempt at policing itself.
What to Look for to Protect Your Dog
OK, now… in order for any dog food company to print the words “complete and balanced” on a package… that claim must first have been validated in one of two ways.
The first uses a product’s “recipe” (or the laboratory analysis of a sample) to assume it meets AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile3. Dog food’s meeting this standard usually include words like…
“(Name of product) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles”
The second method not only meets the AAFCO profile… but also verifies nutritional adequacy by conducting actual feeding trials with real dogs. This type of adequacy statement will probably look something like this…
“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition”
Now, obviously, products tested using this more rigorous method should be given extra consideration.
Make Sure a Product Fits Your Dog’s Life Stage
Is your dog a growing puppy? An adult? A senior?
AAFCO also requires all Nutritional Adequacy Statements to clearly identify for which life stage a product is most suitable. Current standards4 include two specific dog food nutrient profiles…
- Adult maintenance
- Growth and reproduction
A maintenance type product is only suitable for non-reproducing adult dogs with normal activity levels. This same dog food may not be appropriate for growing, reproducing or working animals.
On the other hand, any product described as acceptable for “all life stages” must meet the more stringent “growth and reproduction” profile.
Sometimes, a product may be labeled for a particular use… or life stage… such as “for senior dogs”. Even though there are no clear-cut rules governing these various statements, one thing is certain… these special purpose dog foods have definite limitations.
Any product that cannot meet either the adult maintenance or growth and reproduction standards must state…
“This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding”
In other words… it’s a product not intended for long-term use.
Save Time… and Maybe Save a Life
Especially with kibble, cooking and heat processing can destroy vital nutrients. No commercial dog food can possibly match nature’s built-in vitamin and mineral content.
Just the same… Nutritional Adequacy Statements can still save you lots of time. And they can at least make it possible for you to have some level of assurance your dog’s food might actually come close to meeting important dietary standards.
Unfortunately, though, the statements themselves are not always so easy to find. They can be located virtually anywhere on the package.
Yet rest assured… they’re supposed to be there… somewhere.
If you can’t find the statement… or if the statement itself does not declare the product complete, balanced and appropriate for your dog’s life stage… take a pass.
Don’t buy it.
Because feeding your dog the same deficient product day after day… and week after week… can multiply the error… and possibly cost your dog her life.
Bad dog food sucks. Spread the word.
- Official Publication 2008 Edition, Association of American Feed Control Officials, p. 241 ↩
- Official Publication 2008 Edition, Association of American Feed Control Officials, p. 239 ↩
- Official Publication 2008 Edition, Association of American Feed Control Officials, pp. 131-132 ↩
- Official Publication 2008 Edition, Association of American Feed Control Officials, p. 131 ↩
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
If nutritionally balanced pet foods were as great as we expect them to be, why are pets fed these diets sicker than ever before? Something doesn’t match our expectations.
Heidi… the Nutritional Adequacy Statement only suggests the product meets minimum industry standards for nutrient content (vitamins, minerals, etc). It does not guarantee ingredient quality. To see what I mean, be sure to read some of my earlier posts about the danger of cheap grains and the toxicity of artificial preservatives.
Can you please evaluate the following food for me? “Holistic Health Extension” by Vets Choice. My dog absolutely loves it. He now looks forward to his dinner. whereas previously could take it or leave it. Believe me I have tried several of the 4 star and 5 star products you have on your list but he doesn’t like them. If it is pertinent he is a 9 year old Jack Russell in very good health. Thank you Chris
HI Chris… thanks to your suggestion I’ve added Vet’s Choice to my “To Do” list for a future review.
So I have a very active and hard working Lab/German Shorthair mix and am looking for the best food for him… any ideas? Guidance?
Hi Garrett… look through our 4 and 5-star dog foods. Or click on our “Tag Cloud” found near the top of each page. Then click on the tag labeled “Active”. This will give you a list of brands (product lines)… each containing at least one dog food designed for active or working dogs. In the future (as we complete our “first pass” of all the dog foods we intend to publish a number of “best of” lists for such things as “active or working dogs”… probably later on this calendar year. Hope this helps.
Hi!
I know you have an ever growing “to do” list but I would like to know how you would rate Barf World’s raw food line. I have been happy with it so far (except the price). This is the first raw food I have changed to from an organic “kibble”. My 3 year old English Bulldog is doing better on allergies and being slightly overweight but I would like more progress on his weight and digestion. He throws up a good bit, intermittently though. More of an “emotional puker” if you can get that! For a few days no throwing up then for two or three days he throws up four or five times. It’s not always food though. Sometimes it’s just liquid… “Oh, Daddy is playing with another dog.” , or “Someone told me no!” and PUKE!!
Hahaha anyways, with the throwing up I need a balance between the best I can get in him and inexpensive in case he throws it all up.
Hi Laura… Thanks to your suggestion I’ve added Barf World raw dog food to my list of upcoming reviews. However, it could be a little while before I get to that product line. But do look for a report in the not too distant future.
Hello,
I have recently suubscribed to your Dog Food Advisory and find it extremely valuable. I am trying to help a friend find a better alternative dog food for her 13 year old yellow lab with renal problems. The vet has recommended Hill’s Prescription R/N and her dog turns her nose up…the food has a terrible odor. This older gal certainly deserves to be looking forward to her meals at this stage of her life…I understand you are too busy to make recommendations but perhaps you could steer us in the right direction? Thank you fo rthe service you provide.
Hi Carol… Since I’m not a veterinarian, I have not been professionally trained in the treatment of kidney disease.
However, it’s important to be aware of the controversy regarding the use of low protein diets in treating these disorders. Recent research appears to negate some of those older concepts.
You may find the white paper published by Champion Petfoods helpful in solving the problem you describe. After all, that sweet dog does need to eat. Hope this helps.
My dog is insulin dependent and takes thyroid pills. I get
Purina DCO from the vet but it has some ingredients that are questionable. It’s also $23.00 for 8 lbs. i was wondering if there is a better dog food for her. The ingredient Menadione is one I was worried about. Not sure about the others. I mix this with white boiled chicken. I feed her every 12 hours and she gets 100MCG Levothyroxin each time. I give her 9 units insulin AM and 8 units PM of Novolin N. I don’t see any Purina brands on the 5 star food list so I was wondering what your thoughts are. Thanks. Daisy Newcomb
Hi Daisy… You are surely to be commended for taking such good care of your dog. As you can tell by our ratings, I’m not a big fan of most Purina products. There are almost certainly better quality foods out there (and at lower prices) than the one prescribed by your vet.
However, since I’m not a veterinarian, I’m unable to recommend a particular product for your pet’s specific health condition. I wish I could be more help.
Hi, I have a toy fox terrier that gets yeast infections in her ears all the time. I have been dealing with this for almost 3 years. she also gets the red tear stains, and her coat is patchey. I think it might be hives, but not sure. she has been to the vet many times, and i always get different answers. I have read so much on the internet that i am confused. i have done home cooking, and that is not working either. I have read that grains cause yeast problems in dogs. what is your opinon on that? Is there any dog food that would help with yeast? thank you.
Hi Diane… It’s not likely that QUALITY grains cause yeast infections. But some believe low-quality cereal grains can harbor certain types of contamination that can cause a condition known as atopic dermatitis. For more information, please read my article, “Dangerous Canine Diseases Linked to Grains in Dog Foods“.
If you agree with the general premise of that article, you may want to consider using a 4 or 5-star dog food (they usually contain better quality grains). Or better yet, try a grain-free dog food. Hope this helps.
Yes. it does. I was reading that “Dangerous Canine Diseases Linked to Grains in Dog Foods“.
Very interesting reading. i am glad you wrote an article about it. I think i might help out a lot. i have been thinking of going grainless. Do you think blue buffalo willderness duck is ok for small dogs? my dogs are from 5 pds to 12 pds. they are all over two years of age. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this website. i think it will help people alot in making better choices for the dogs.
Hi Diane… Blue Buffalo Wilderness appears to be an excellent grain-free product. Small dogs need small kibble. Have never seen the size of the Wilderness kibble. Be sure to introduce any new food very gradually to prevent tummy problems. Good luck.