Pet food labels are confusing. How can I read them effectively?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center! In the United States, Pet foods are regulated by a nongovernmental organization called AAFCO. They set standards for what makes a complete pet food. Due to these high standards, most pet foods for sale are adequate to provide complete nutrition for pet dogs. What you want is a food that has an AAFCO statement on the package that the food has been used in FEEDING TRIALS. You will find some food that have a statement that they are FORMULATED to meet requirements. Your family veterinarian may have specific preferences for food types. In general, food made by Hills, Purina, Eukanuba, and Royal Canin will have excellent nutrient profiles for your pet. If your dog has specific medical requirements, your family veterinarian can make recommendations for a prescription food.

It all depends on what the AAFCO statement says. You will have to check if the food has met AAFCO standards for feeding kittens, adult cats, or all life stages. The crude protein, fiber, etc. is not very helpful in determining if the food meets the nutritional demand of the life stage. Below is a link to an article that explains this a bit further and will tell you where to find the AAFCO statement. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ If the food is deemed nutritionally adequate, then it's OK to feed them each other's food, but keep in mind the recommended amount to feed (should also be somewhere on the bag). The biggest concern with feeding an "all life stage" food is that it gives them too much calories, which can lead to obesity. If you notice that your cats starting to get chunky, then it's important to start reducing the amount of food they get. I hope that helps and all is well with the kitties.

Senior dog food formulas are lower in calories and contain less fat, protein and sodium. These may not fulfill the nutritional requirements of your dog. Furthermore, neither AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nor the National Research Council (NRC) provides guidelines for senior dog formulas. There is NO distinction made between the nutritional requirements for adult dogs and those for senior dogs. As a result, the ingredients used in pet food marketed for ‘seniors’ is determined by the manufacturer and varies widely.

I would always feed the food for the specific age bracket and size (adult size ) of the dog, rather than a food "for all". The age-specific food will address the specific needs of your dog at its various life stages and, in my opinion, this serves your dog much better.

Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). It is very important that your pet food follows AFFCO guidelines. This should be printed on the package. Here is a link if you would like more information on the organization: https://www.aafco.org/ Please feel free to post any additional questions.

All lifestages pet foods are formulated to meet growth requirements but it may not be as dialed in as a puppy formula. Puppy formula will generally also contain DHA to support brain and nervous system development and this may not be found in an all life stage diet. In general I recommend to feed a puppy formula to all puppies. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello! All great questions and comments - and you're right, there's a lot of conflicting information out there regarding food. Some of the information you're going to find is based on personal preference or a value bias. Corn is a good source of digestible carbs, fatty acids, and protein - but these things are better digested in dogs than in cats (who are obligate carnivores), and some people prefer to minimize grains, so those people might state corn is "bad".... in my opinion, the focus on grains is based more on trends in human nutrition than evidence-based pet nutrition. Statements regarding what pet foods are "good" vs "bad" will also come from personal preference...your vet can probably explain what made them state that Purina is better than Merrick, and another vet might have their own input on the matter. I do personally like both Purina and Hills because I find their products consistent, reliable, and I like that those companies put a lot of their profits back into nutrition research to work on creating good foods - but that doesn't mean they're the only good foods out there. Raw food is another hot topic. I have worked extensively with dog mushers, and raw meat is a very common component to their food - and I'm fine with that. However, I also have a degree in Public Health, and know that raw foods increase the likelihood of foodborne illness such as salmonella both in the pets themselves, and in the humans who are in contact with them. So, again, there are going to be different sides to the conversation. It's confusing when there's conflicting information! Try to sort through what's based on research and evidence, and what is based on the personal opinions and biases of the speaker. Good luck! Hope this helps.