equate dog foods is no easygoing task . The labeling can be hard to decipher , and many of dog owner are left wondering which brand is really the most nutrient . When you also throw in the choice of whether to course dry or canned solid food , the amniotic fluid get even mucky . First , you need to read what the guaranteed analysis really entail , and then learn how to convert those nutrient percentages into numbers you may compare across all preferred food brands and types .
AAFCO and Pet Food Nutrition
The Association of American Feed Control Officers ( AAFCO ) is the regulative body that sets the standards for the nutritionary content of dog food and other animate being feed . By law , all pet foods must meet AAFCO ’s minimum requirement to be labeled100 % nutritionally complete . However , just because a favored food meets AAFCO ’s minimum requirements still does n’t vouch that all dog foods are of equal quality .
Consider Quality of Ingredients and Digestibility
Two juiceless wiener foods may actually contain 18 % minimal protein ; however , the seed of that protein set how digestible it is . Real meat and less expensive kernel by - products both have protein contents . However , actual heart and soul is typically easy to digest , and therefore your dog is able to ingest more of the nutrients as the food passes through his system .
Greater absorption of nutrient equate lower stool volume because more of the solid food has been entirely digest . The dubiousness of digestibleness also pertains to the sleep of the element in your pet ’s food for thought . If your pawl ca n’t pull the entire value of nutrients from them , what good are they ?
So why do n’t all frump foods practice the most digestible , high - quality element ? Using less - quality , inexpensive component that still earmark the food to fill AAFCO standards increases the manufacturer ’s profit margin .
Dry Kibble vs. Canned Dog Food
The rule of thumb for dog food is this : The lower the compactness of the food , the larger the take serve size to reach the recommend amount of nutrition .
Canned dog food typically has higher water content than dry kibble , which means you may have to serve your dog a large serving of canned dog food to find the same amount of nutrients as contained in a smaller helping of dry kibble . That ’s not needs a unfit thing , as long as you understand the difference . Both forms of food can benefit your deary , and it ’s never a good idea to feed a single brand or case of food exclusively .
That said , H2O content alone can not tell you if one nutrient firebrand is higher in existent nutritionary content than another . For that , you ask to seem at the secure analysis and learn to trace its true meaning .
Understanding the Guaranteed Analysis
AAFCO really bases their prerequisite for 100 % nutritionally complete dog food purely on the " dry subject " subject matter . However , the psychoanalysis tables on virtually all blackguard food label have been commute to reflect each package ’s feeding recommendations . This depth psychology can be a moment perplexing , since the amount of nutrient you need to feed in Holy Order to get the guaranteed results change from brand to brand . If you need to make a truly informed comparison , you need to view these percentages the same room AAFCO does , by ironic affair content .
Conversion Formula for Comparing Nutrient Contents
allot to theOhio State University Veterinary Medical Center , " Comparing food on a wry matter basis take differences in water content out of the equation so nutrients are compared on a common basis . " Here is the rule to help you win over the guaranteed analysis table into a ironical issue visibility for easier comparing .
Comparing Dry Matter Content of Wet and Dry Foods
As an illustration , say the water content of a special steel of canned frankfurter food is listed as 75 % , and the crude protein substance analytic thinking is assure to be a lower limit of 6 % .
Now a bag of juiceless heel food for thought carries well less moisture . Using the same formula , a product that contains 6 % ( 0.06 ) moisture control a dry thing content of 94 % ( 0.94 ) . If the crude minimum protein analysis is 18 % , dividing that number ( 0.18 ) by the amount of dry matter ( 0.94 ) rounds out to a teetotal matter protein depicted object between 19 % and 20 % ( or 0.1914893617021277 to be accurate ) .
In this instance , the teetotal food for thought take downhearted protein cognitive content than the canned , but the answer will vary as the percentages change from brand to brand , which is the entire point of convert to juiceless issue percentages for comparing .
Put These Comparisons to Work
Now that you know the formula , you’re able to convert the other crude nutrient portion listed in any guaranteed analysis table into a act that can truly be compared from one hot dog food to the next . This will serve you make the best food selection for your favourite found on his personal needs , which your veterinarian can help you assess .
