choosing pet foods

• Pet Food Labels

• Minimums, Maximums & Ranges for Protein, Fat, Carbs, Fiber, and Ash?

• Calorie Profiles

• Making Sense of it All

  • Dog & Cat Diet Recommended Guidelines*

    • Seniors, weight loss, good body condition

  • What’s Actually In The Food?

  • Grams & Calories

  • Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet

• Comparing Food A & Food B

• Dog Food Quality Chart

• Your Homework

• Access 350+ food evaluations $49.95

• Certificate of Appreciation

• Resources

We’re faced with multiple food choices, e.g. dry foods, canned foods, dehydrated foods, fresh foods, and frozen foods. What’s the best food to feed is dependent on who is providing the answers. Almost every food you find will be sold as “complete and balanced” meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutritional adequacy standard regardless of the price. The question is do we wish to feed a food that is adequate or choose optimal nutrition? So the question remains, how do we select the best foods? We begin with the information provided by the pet food companies listed on the product label or at their website. What’s missing from this information is the actual digestibility and quality (bioavailability) of the food along with the amount of ash, total dietary fiber, and carbohydrates. [A] [B] [C] For a food to be high quality it needs to be both highly digestible and contain usable essential amino acids that have actual nutritive value once digested (bioavailability). Since most companies do not provide a true quality score for pet foods we are left with evaluating the ingredients, calories, guaranteed analysis or typical analysis, and doing our own homework to determine the protein, fat, and carb content.

We can’t determine this just by looking at the food label!

Using the information on the label we can calculate and determine the protein, fat, and carb balance and the actual minimum number of grams of protein, fat, and carbs. Using the Calorie Content and the Guaranteed Analysis we can discover and uncover a lot of information (Nutrient Score) about a food by running a few calculations, and I will show you how this can be done in under a minute. Once you understand how to use this information you can uncover errors and potentially misleading information. I have uncovered; exceptionally high ash and dietary fiber context, misleading fat %, guaranteed analysis errors, to list a few.

Start by locating these 4 items on the label or website: (warp & woof)

1. Guaranteed Analysis

2. Calorie Content

3. Ingredients

4. Nutritional Adequacy Statement

Guaranteed Analysis

Dog and cat foods in the USA are required to list a “Guaranteed Analysis” (GA) of the nutrient content of the food. The guaranteed analysis lists protein, fat, and fiber as crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber, which refers to a specific analytical procedure** that estimates the amounts. The guaranteed analysis refers to the food as normally fed (as is) and is properly described as “As fed” basis, or “As received” basis %’s. “The guaranteed analysis by itself is not so helpful.” Protein, fat, fiber, and moisture percentages (%) are listed as minimums or maximums and are not meant to provide exact percentages. The minimum or maximum values listed are a percentage of weight as-fed. [22] The actual amounts can vary a little or a lot from the guaranteed analysis so I will show you how to determine this. “Consumers should be aware that these percentages do not represent actual amounts of protein and fat and that using these percentages to compare different products or brands may be misleading.” [5] Differing types of foods (dry, canned, dehydrated, raw, etc…) have different amounts of moisture (water) and calories so they will have great differences in the percentage of protein and fat listed on the label. Just subtracting the moisture content and comparing foods on a dry matter basis is not sufficient as we will review below. The “Dry Matter” (%) basis is the measure of the food with all moisture subtracted so the % of a nutrient on a “dry matter” basis will always be higher than the guaranteed analysis or “as fed” basis. Although a food label lists the guaranteed analysis, a company’s website may only list the % on a “Dry Matter” basis. This is important to remember when comparing foods since the dry matter (DM) numbers will be a higher percentage then the guaranteed analysis percentages.

Another key point is that two foods with similar guaranteed analysis moisture contents can vary in the total amount of protein. At the bottom of the page you will see Food A at 21% protein (Guaranteed Analysis) actually guarantees more protein than Food B with 35% protein (Guaranteed Analysis). [40]

Pet foods contain, protein, fat, fiber, moisture, ash, and carbohydrates. Pet food manufactures in the USA are not required to list “ash” or “carbohydrates” in the food but some will provide this information if asked or have it listed on their website.

Some company websites will also provide the “typical analysis” of their foods which reports the “typical” averages for the food and not just the minimums and maximums. The typical analysis numbers are generally much closer to the actual food composition than what is reported with the guaranteed analysis. Both the guaranteed analysis and the typical analysis refers to the food as normally fed (as is) and is properly described as “As fed” basis, or “As received” basis %’s. In Europe rather than use a “Guaranteed Analysis” which only provides minimums and maximums, they list a “Typical Analysis” which reports the “typical” averages for the food. A typical analysis following European guidelines includes protein, fat, fiber, ash, and moisture if more than 14%.

We cannot compare foods based on the "Guaranteed Analysis" or “Typical Analysis” alone since these numbers do not represent the full nutrient profile of the food and can be very misleading. To determine the actual amounts of protein, fat, and carbs in a food we need to know the calories. Without knowing the calories it would be like someone telling you coffee is $12 dollars. Is it $12 per cup, per lb, per bag, per box, what size?

“The important point is to understand that percentages don’t really mean anything when it comes to food. It’s the amount of a substance of a nutrient per calorie, or what nutritionist will refer to as per 1,000 calories.”  How many grams of protein, fat, and carbs are there in 1,000 calories? Its the amounts that matter.

Calorie Content

Most commercial pet foods list the calorie content on the label. Calorie content is not a guarantee but rather an average. Calories on pet foods are generally listed as “kcal” which is the same as a “Calorie” on human food labels. The number of calories a food provides is listed by weight and often volume. Calories are typically listed by weight and will usually be listed as calories per kilogram (kg) which is 2.2 lbs. (e.g. 3678 kcal/kg) Additionally calories will often be listed by volume, i.e. calories per cup (419kcal/cup) In Europe calories are often listed as calories/kcal per 100 grams which is approximately a cup of dry kibble. The typical dry food is close to 4 oz per cup (113 grams) and has about 4 cups per pound. But foods can vary widely. One food can have about 3 oz (85 grams) a cup (5 ¼ cups/lb) and another about 5 ¾ oz (163 grams) a cup (2 ¾ cups/lb). The amount of moisture and air in a food affects its density.

The calories (kcal) listed on the label in our example only lists calories per oz. (145 Kcal/oz) With this information we can calculate (See Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet) the kcal/kg to be 5115, which matches what is posted at the company’s website. (5114 kcal/kg)

Calories can be referred to as “metabolizable energy” (ME). “The three nutrients that can be metabolized (burned) for energy by the body are fat, carbohydrate and protein.” [1]

Ingredients

Quality of ingredients? Fresh, Highly Processed, Whole Foods, Synthetics

Ingredients in pet foods are generally feed grade meaning not fit for human consumption. There are a few companies using human grade ingredients (food grade). In order for a food to be sold as human grade, every ingredient in the food must be human grade. The picture of ingredients on most pet food labels and websites show human grade ingredients which bares no resemblance to what actually went into the food with the majority of manufacturers. [1]

Ingredients are listed in pre-processed (dehydrated, freeze-dried, or cooked) weights, which includes the water (moisture). “As with human foods, federal law requires that pet food companies report all included ingredients in decreasing preponderance by weight on their product’s label. This means that ingredients that are listed first are present in the highest amount in a given product. However, and here is the catch, the weight of each ingredient includes the moisture (amount of water) present in the ingredient at the time of processing. This makes interpretation a bit tricky because some ingredients contain a lot of water (up to 70 %) while others contain very little water (12 % or less). The result is that an ingredient that is listed first on the list may appear to be the most important component of the food, when in effect it contributed a lot of water and much less in the way of essential nutrients. When evaluating dry dog foods, a general rule of thumb is that the first five ingredients that you see in the list provide 80% or more of the food’s nutrients.” [5]

Quality can vary greatly and it is affected by the source, type of ingredients, ingredient interactions, heat, processing, fiber, and ash content. [7] When comparing foods, ingredients can look the same as listed but quality can be poor, moderate, or high quality. [B] If you are not familiar with ingredient splitting, “fairy dust”, 95%, 25%, and 3% rule, amino acids, meats, meals, by-products, plant based protein, digestibility, etc., it would be helpful to start here: Dog Food 101

Nutritional Adequacy Statement

Dog and cat foods will have a “Nutritional Adequacy Statement” which will state whether the food is “Complete and Balanced” and for which “life stage”. A complete and balanced food must meet the minimum amounts of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals for an animals life stage.

“Complete and balanced” for:

• Adult Maintenance

• Growth/Reproduction (Puppies, gestation/lactation)

• “All Life Stages”

• All Life Stages, including for growth of large size dogs (70 lb or more as an adult)

A food “Complete and Balanced” for “Adult Maintenance” is designed to meet the nutritional levels for adult dogs but not pregnant, nursing dogs, or puppies. A food that is “Complete and Balanced” for “All Life Stages” is designed to meet adequate nutritional levels established by the AAFCO for pregnant dogs, nursing dogs, growing puppies, and mature dogs.

Feeding large breed puppies requires the right balance of calories and dietary calcium levels to control the rate of growth to prevent orthopedic diseases such as dysplasia, osteoarthritis and chronic pain. “Foods that are designed for large breed dogs should be moderately restricted in calories to support a moderate growth rate and lean body condition.” [1]

If the label states the food “is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only” it does not provide complete nutrition so it is not “Complete and Balanced”. In Europe the term used is “complete” which means the food contains all the nutrients for a complete and balanced diet. Instead of the term intended for “intermittent” or “supplemental” feeding they use the term “Complementary” to denote the food is not “complete” or “complete and balanced”.

Amount of Protein, Fat, Carbs, Fiber, and Ash?

If you already have a good understanding of the minimums, maximums, and recommended amounts of protein, fat, carbs, fiber and ash, feel free to move down the page to the “Calorie Profiles” section.

Lets review the minimum recommendations and amounts of protein, fat, carbs, fiber and ash. (these are minimum recommendations not optimal recommendations) Note that the amounts of nutrients by weight (grams) are not the same as the "Guaranteed Analysis" %. I will show you a simple way to determine the amounts in a food, since the amounts are not listed on the label. Don’t let all the numbers overwhelm you. The “Making Sense of it All” section below will provide you simple and easy to use guidance.

Protein

Pet food labels do not list the grams of protein like human food nutrition labels. But using the Guaranteed Analysis and the Calorie Content we can determine the minimum grams (g) of protein for every 1,000 calories/kcal the way nutritionist’s evaluate foods. (Remember we want to know the amount of each nutrient.) We can group foods by low, moderate, or high protein content.

Canines

For healthy dogs a high protein diet is not going to be a health problem. [7] Actually a higher protein diet is recommended for both overweight and senior dogs. “Protein restriction for healthy older dogs is not only unnecessary, it can be detrimental.” [29]

• “adult dogs generally needing at least 1 gram per pound” of body weight. [23]

• 75g - 90 > per 1,000 calories/kcal - Healthy senior dogs [9]

• 75 - 90g > per 1,000 calories/kcal - Weight loss [8] [15]

• “Diets with elevated amounts of protein are recommended for both overweight cats and dogs. Many veterinary diets for weight loss are formulated with increased protein (> 90 g/1000 kcal). Diets for weight management or maintenance without increased protein are not appropriate for weight loss protocols.” [15]

• My goal is a minimum 75 grams per 1,000 calories/kcal and my target range is 80-123 grams per 1,000 calories.

• Dogs fed 32% (GA) animal based protein diets vs animal and plant based protein diets “had better body composition and a muscle-specific protein pattern identical to that in healthy young-adult dogs.” [30] [31]

  • helps maintain muscle mass in dogs

  • helps reverse some age-related changes in skeletal muscles in senior dogs, and

  • can help enhance long-term health and well-being of adult and senior dogs.

The majority of dog foods are under 75 grams of protein per 1,000 calories. Many people are surprised to learn that a large number of commercial raw, canned, and lightly cooked human-grade foods are not as high-protein as they thought. A large number fall into the 60-75 grams per 1,000 calorie range. This is not a problem for foods containing high quality human-grade protein sources that are minimally processed (see Food B below). [5] [35] But most dry foods are made from meals, two of the most popular meals being chicken and lamb, which scored poorly regarding essential amino acid availability and digestibility. “and may not be sufficient if used as the sole protein source, when the cat or dog is fed to meet the minimum protein recommendations of AAFCO or NRC.” “incorporating fresh chicken (as 25 percent of the protein source!) into an extruded food did not improve digestibility or lead to a higher quality product.” [33] [36] [37] [38] [41]

Felines

“there is no evidence that protein restriction is of any benefit to healthy older dogs and cats. Considering that older dogs may have an increased protein requirement, that there is loss of lean body mass in both dogs and cats with advancing age, and that a decline in protein digestibility exists in older cats, the authors do not recommend protein restriction in older dogs and cats unless indicated by an underlying disease.” [13]

Domestic cats preferentially selected a diet with approximately 131 grams protein per 1000 calories when able to choose. [16] High-protein diets are recommended during weight loss and a diet of 120 grams (or higher) per 1,000 calories is recommended for cats to preserve lean body mass. [10] “Cats fed a high-protein diet consumed a higher num­ber of calories than those on a lower-protein diet and better maintained their weight following weight loss.” [10] Finding a cat food with at least 120 grams of protein per 1,000 calories is a difficult task. I have only found one dry kibble with 120 grams per 1,000 calories and five canned foods that exceeds 120 grams per 1,000 calories.

• “adult cats at least 2 grams per pound” of body weight. [23]

• 120 > grams per 1,000 kcal/calories - weight loss [10]

• 130 grams per 1,000 kcal/calories - Prey-Based Diet [16]

• 131 grams per 1,000 kcal/calories - Domestic Cats Preferential Diet [16]

“For two months, sixteen overweight cats were fed either a high protein (54.2% of ME) or moderate protein (31.5% of ME) diet at 70% of their “maintenance energy intakes.” (ME = “metabolizable energy” also referred to as calories or kcal) The researchers found that “while both groups of cats lost weight at a similar rate, only cats eating the HP diet maintained lean mass during weight loss.” Also, when the cat’s body weight or lean body mass was taken into account, the cats eating the MP diet burned fewer calories than did those eating the HP diet.” [17] (HP = high protein, MP = moderate protein) So in addition to the total grams of protein, we want to analyze the foods on a caloric basis (metabolizable energy) to see where the balance of the calories come from. We will cover this under the “calorie profile” section below.

Homeskooling Tips

75 grams? - As a rule of thumb a kibble (dry food) with 4200 kcal/kg (calories) or less, 10% moisture or less, with 32% crude protein (guaranteed analysis) or more, will contain 75 grams (g) or more of protein per 1,000 calories (kcal). (the lower the calories kcal/kg the higher the protein grams)

120 grams? - As a rule of thumb a kibble (dry food) with 4200 kcal/kg (calories) or less, 10% moisture or less, with 50.5% crude protein (guaranteed analysis) or more, will contain 120 grams (g) of protein per 1,000 calories (kcal). (the lower the calories kcal/kg the higher the protein grams)

Quality - Keep in mind that a poor quality high-protein food is not better than a high quality low-protein food. (see “Comparing Food A & Food B” section below) Low digestibility, and protein sources containing a large amount of connective tissue lowers the protein quality. (see the “Ash” content section below) [C]

Fat

“a high fat diet is not a problem for dogs metabolically—they thrive on high fat diets and do not experience the cardiovascular problems with dietary fat that humans are more prone to develop” [5] “dogs are naturally more efficient at using fat as a fuel for exercising muscles than carbohydrate (glycogen), even when exercising at relatively high intensities.” [5] “Dogs can tolerate high levels of dietary fat if fat is gradually introduced and an adequate intake of non-fat nutrients is maintained.” [11]

Canines

Dogs preferentially selected a diet with approximately 57 grams fat per 1000 calories when able to choose. [26]

Canine Acute Pancreatitis - “Dogs with acute pancreatitis may fully recover, and may not display any histologic features or clinical signs of chronic disease. In such cases, a diet otherwise optimal for the pet’s age and health can eventually be fed.” [43]

“If the patient received a low fat diet during hospitalization, slowly transition the animal to the previous or intended maintenance diet.” [43]

Canine Chronic Pancreatitis - “Based on available evidence, it is prudent to feed lower fat diets (< 30 grams per 1000 kcal) in order to assess an individual dog’s response.” [43]

Felines

• Domestic cats preferentially selected a diet with approximately 39 grams fat per 1000 calories when able to choose. [16]

• “There is no evidence that dietary fat restriction is warranted in feline pancreatitis, whether acute or chronic.” [43]

Carbohydrates

Dogs have “no minimum dietary requirement for simple carbohydrates or starches”. “Dogs are quite capable of maintaining normal blood glucose and tissue glycogen levels when fed carbohydrate-free foods” …“dogs have no dietary requirement for carbohydrates except during gestation and neonatal development“ [11] When energy needs are high (e.g. during growth, gestation and lactation) carbohydrates can supply energy (calories). “foods fed to growing animals and those with high-energy needs should contain at least 20% carbohydrates.” [11] During gestation female dogs can do fine on a carbohydrate-free diet but they will require a higher protein diet. [12]

“The primary purpose for adding carbohydrates and starches to pet foods is to supply energy (calories). [11] (all starches are carbohydrates) “Carbohydrates provide a significantly less expensive source of energy than protein and most fats.” [3]  “The controversy about starch in dog foods revolves more around how much starch is in the food”. [1]

Carbohydrates are associated with weight gain and can feed cancer so animal nutritionist Dr. Richard Patton and many others advocate for a low carbohydrate diet similar to their wild ancestors diet of between 2-7% of calories coming from carbs. [21] (Dr. Richard Patton - Primordial diet <7%)

“It is known that most tumor cells preferentially use carbohydrate as an energy (fuel) source and use fat and protein far less efficiently. Therefore, feeding an animal who has cancer a diet that shifts its energy balance away from carbohydrate and towards fat is designed to feed the patient while starving the tumor. Because tumors grow fastest when using carbohydrate for energy, depriving them of this form of energy may slow their growth and slow the progression of the cancer.” [1] (see Keto Diets below)

For weight loss; “Limiting dietary carbohydrate is an important component of metabolic control for weight loss. There are three key advantages to limiting dietary carbohydrate to 20% (DM) or less: 1) lower glycemic index, 2) metabolic shift from energy storage to energy usage and 3) increased satiety.” [11] (DM = dry matter) I will show you how to determine the dry matter “DM” % below.

• Domestic cats preferentially selected a diet with approximately 31 grams carbohydrates per 1000 calories when able to choose. [16]

Fiber

"Fiber is the part of the plant material that the dog cannot digest” [14] (Prebiotics are a type of fiber) “The measure of fiber is typically reported on pet food labels as “crude fiber”. This analytical method does not capture all forms of fiber and largely reports the insoluble portion. A better value used for human foods is total dietary fiber, which includes both soluble and insoluble fibers.” [13] Crude Fiber underestimates total dietary fiber (up to 4-fold). [24]

There is no AAFCO minimum recommendation for fiber since “Fiber is not considered essential in the diets of cats and dogs” [11] “a small amount of fiber (<5%) that contains both rapidly and slowly fermentable fibers is recommended in foods for healthy pets” [11] “In general, a dry dog food that contains between three and seven percent fiber (listed as “crude fiber” on the label) is considered normal and beneficial.” [1] “A dry food that reports a crude fiber content that is higher than 5 or 6% has added fiber.” [1] (As-fed basis as listed on the guaranteed analysis)

*High levels of fiber can negatively affect a food’s digestibility. [12] “Diets lower in insoluble fiber are more digestible as are those with high-quality proteins.” [9] “the most recent study showed that three types of fiber source – rice bran, cellulose, and beet pulp – all caused reduced plasma taurine levels in dogs when included in a marginally low protein diet, with beet pulp causing the most pronounced decrease.” [44]

Crude fiber* 2-8% (dry matter basis)

Ash

Ash is the inorganic material that’s leftover after the food has been incinerated and the protein, fat, and carbohydrates have been burned away. Ash is generally the mineral content of the food.”  e.g. bone meal, calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals. [14] Ash can come from bones, animal meals, and mineral supplements.

There is no AAFCO minimum or maximum recommendation for ash since each mineral has its own minimum recommendation and several have a maximum recommendation depending on the “life stage” the food is formulated.

“Ash content is generally “between 2% and 10% using higher values with dry, higher protein foods”. [13] (As-fed basis) “High-quality dry pet foods generally contain between 5% and 8% ash.” (dry kibble - “As-fed” basis) [12] Higher moisture foods will generally have 1 1/2% - 3% ash. (e.g. canned, fresh, and frozen raw). The ash content of foods can vary greatly especially with freeze-dried and raw foods. Freeze-dried foods may be 3% or over 12% on an “as fed” basis. I discovered one dry food (kibble) had a 20% ash content.

“Ash analysis is of little value either for expressing mineral requirements or for indicating the useful mineral content of foods”  …“ash may not be a measure of total inorganic matter present, because some organic carbon may be bound as carbonate, and some inorganic elements (e.g., sulfur, selenium, iodine, fluorine and even sodium) may be lost during combustion.” [11}

The % of ash listed on the guaranteed analysis varies based on the moisture content of the food so compare the ash content of foods based on a “dry matter” basis. (Column 2 “DM” Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet - see below) The dry matter basis differs from the “as fed” basis (guaranteed analysis) or typical analysis percent. When converted to a dry matter “DM” basis the number will be higher. Contact the company to get the typical ash content of a food. If the ash content is not available use the averages above as an estimate or starting point when doing your own homework on a food. (Ash content averages are listed on the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet as noted below)

Protein sources containing higher quantities of muscle meat will contain less ash. A food with high ash content is likely made with a large amount of bone e.g. “chicken frames,”. Since frames would also contain a lot of connective tissue this lowers the protein quality. *High levels of ash can negatively affect a food’s digestibility. [12] High levels of ash is relative to the moisture content of the food. My preference is 10% or less on a dry matter basis but there are several foods I consider quality with slightly higher percentages. Keep reading and I will show you how to determine this.

Ash* 2-9% (dry matter basis)

calorie (kcal) profiles

Protein, fat, and digestible carbohydrates are the nutrients (known as macronutients) that provide the calories (energy). So in addition to the total grams of protein, fat, and carbs we want to analyze the foods on a caloric basis (calorie distribution) to see what proportion of the calories come from protein, fat, and carbs.

When a food states “includes 85% animal-based proteins” or “With 85% quality animal ingredients” or something similar don’t confuse this with the actual amount of protein or calories from protein. Also note that the percentage of calories is not the same as the "guaranteed analysis" %, nor is it the same as the “dry matter” %. (We’ll cover “dry matter” below) I will show you a quick way to determine the calorie percentages in the “Making Sense of it All” section below.

Calorie distribution/profiles are all over the board even within the same category of foods. e.g. kibble, canned, dehydrated, raw, etc.

A study on the diet of wild wolves reflected the diet to be: Protein 54%, Fat 45%, Carbs 1%. [46]

In a 7-day study when dogs were given the option to self-select their diets they chose: Protein 30%, Fat 63%, Carbs 7%. [45] Note in a 10-day study at day 7 dogs self-selected at diet matching this study, but by day 10 the dogs self-selected a diet with more protein and less fat. In the 10-day study when dogs were given the option to self-select their diets they chose: Protein 45%, Fat 51%, Carbs 4%. [26]

Ancestral diet: Protein 49%, Fat 44%, Carbs 6%. [3]

For perspective I have listed the calorie (kcal) breakdown of various diets and dog & cat foods below.

Keto Diets

Keto diets are being used for dogs with cancer, seizures, and adult maintenance (1:1). Although Keto diets are not a cure for cancer or seizures they have been found to be effective in improving outcomes. [28]

A ketogenic diet (Keto) is restricted calories, high in fat, adequate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates (1% carbs). Keto diets are based on a ratio (grams) of fat to protein/carbs. e.g. 1:1, 2:1, 3:1. (Fat has more then twice the calories of either protein or carbs per gram) For example a 1:1 diet calorie breakdown would be 69% fat, 30% protein, and 1% carbs. Don’t confuse the weight of the ingredient with the amount of protein, fat, or carbs it provides. For example 4oz (113 grams) of 80/20 ground beef has 19.4 grams of protein and 22.6 grams of fat. [25] The other 70 grams is moisture (water 70%) which contributes no calories. [25] The calorie breakdown of 80/20 ground beef is very close to a 1:1 Keto diet (69% & 30%) with fat calories being 70.8%, and protein 27.6%. For more information on Keto diets for dogs visit KetoPet (KPS).

Felines

Our cats protein calorie (metabolizable energy / ME) requirements are higher than dogs. [17] It’s estimated the domestic cat’s diet preference is 52% protein, 36% fat, and 12% carbohydrates. [20] “feral cats are obligatory carnivores, with their daily energy intake from crude protein being 52 %, from crude fat 46 % and from N-free extract only 2 %.” (N-free extract = carbs) [19] (“Feral Cat Diet” as seen on the calorie profiles below)

“For two months, sixteen overweight cats were fed either a high protein (54.2% of ME) or moderate protein (31.5% of ME) diet at 70% of their “maintenance energy intakes.” The researchers found that “while both groups of cats lost weight at a similar rate, only cats eating the HP diet maintained lean mass during weight loss.” Also, when the cat’s body weight or lean body mass was taken into account, the cats eating the MP diet burned fewer calories than did those eating the HP diet.” [17] [18] Following this guideline we would look for a food with 120 grams or more of protein per 1,000 calories with a protein calorie profile of 54% to help cats loose weight and maintain good body condition. I have found one dry kibble that provided 120 grams of protein per 1,000 calories, with a calorie profile approximately 44% protein, 45% fat, and 11% carbs. Feeding a 10 lb cat 282 calories a day would provide 3.38 grams of protein per lb. (This can be determined with the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet - see below)

As is the case with dog foods, cat food calorie profiles vary greatly.

making sense of it all*

Below is a summary of both the canine and feline diet guidelines based on the information outlined above.*

In the next section I will show you how to determine what’s in a pet food in under a minute.

I believe it’s reasonable to feed a quality high-protein, low-carb food to maintain a good body condition score and for weight loss.* [10] [11] [15] [31] [32] [34] With so many dogs and cats overweight we need to be careful not to overfeed. A lifetime feeding study in Labrador retrievers showed lean dogs live, on average, 1.8 years longer than obese dogs and the onset of clinical signs of chronic disease generally was delayed. [2] [27]

• Dogs exercising for more than 30 min require extra protein in their diet.*

• Dogs undertaking long-distance exercise require extra fat in their diet.*

• Commercial high-fat, high-protein dry dog foods should provide enough fat and protein for most active dogs.*

• Working or hunting dogs should have the extra energy they require supplied by commercial high-protein, high-fat canned diets containing little carbohydrate.*

*Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition. Wiley.

For cats I would choose a food high in moisture, in addition to high protein, and low in carbohydrates. Avoid dry food due to the potential for urethral obstructions. “Urethral obstructions are most often seen in male cats and are life-threatening. A blocked urethra can cause death in a matter of days.” [42] “Unlike other species, cats don’t have much of a thirst drive and are designed to get the moisture they need from their food. Dry cat food provides only about one-tenth the amount of moisture cats receive from prey animals, living foods, and even commercial canned diets.” [42]

Cats eating dry food have increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes

To maintain a healthy weight or for weight loss the three legs are exercise, portion control (calories not volume) and food composition (low carb). [32] [34] “The solution is to feed as much raw, frozen, canned or freeze dried pet food as your budget will allow. Owners of several big dogs could rapidly go broke feeding a fresh or raw diet, but to the extent that the dry kibble can be reduced, or lowered as a percentage of the diet, nutrition will be better.  Even if no low carbohydrate diets can be provided, at least feed the needed amount of dry in frequent, small servings.” [32] [34]

We can choose pet foods based on convenience, price, or quality. Choose two because we cannot have all three. [34] Kibble is convenient and is the lowest cost to feed, but the majority of foods are high in carbohydrates. There are some new dry foods hitting the market now that are truly low carbs. You will need to do some research and homework to separate the the truly low carb foods from others that are marketed as low carbs.

“Although it is not the chief consideration for some pet owners, for others the cost of the food is very important. There are a number of commercial foods available today that are advertised as being more economical to feed while still providing superior nutrition. However, it is important for pet owners to know that to produce a low-cost product, ingredients that are of lower quality, and thus lower cost, must be used. Therefore a cheaper product is probably going to be a lower-quality food, even though the guaranteed analysis panel may not reflect this. In addition, when considering the price of a pet food, the actual cost of feeding the animal must be calculated, not just the cost per unit weight of the food. Most low-quality, cheap ingredients have significantly lower digestibilities than the ingredients used in premium foods. A greater quantity of a food with low digestibility must be fed to an animal to provide the same amount of nutrition as found in a food with higher digestibility and nutrient availability. As a result, owners may find that they have to feed significantly larger portions of the cheaper food to their pet (see Chapter 18, pp. 177-180 ).” [5]

So What’s Actually in the Food?

Now that you have perspective for the amounts of protein, fat, and carbs, lets evaluate the food label we started with at the top of the page. To determine what’s in the food we use the "Guaranteed Analysis" (or the “nutrient analysis” if available) and the "Calorie Content". Using the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet (Figure 1) we enter the guaranteed analysis numbers, calories (kcal/kg), and estimate the “ash” content as noted on the cheat sheet if the information is not available. For ash I used 8.01% since the information was available at the company’s website. Once this information is entered the cheat sheet will do all the calculations so we can compare any type of food. (Figures 2 & 3) Click image to open expanded view.

You can see the calculations and the calorie breakdown in figures 2 & 3. After running these calculations we are able to decide if the food meets our expectations for protein, fat, and carb content for our dogs’ or cats. Click image to open expanded view.

Note that the percentage of calories (calorie breakdown figure 3) is not the same as the "guaranteed analysis" %.

The “Nutrient Score” is the % of calories based on the kcal/kg that can be calculated from the guaranteed analysis and/or the typical analysis. When the “Nutrient Score” (figure 3) is between 90-100% the grams per 1,000 calories (kcal) are close to what is actually in the food. If the “Nutrient Score” is below 90% on a low-moisture food (e.g. kibble, dehydrated, etc.) the food may contain more fat and in some cases a lot more fat to reach the kcal/kg listed. If the “Nutrient Score” on a low-moisture food is closer to 80% or less the food may have double the fat % as listed in the “guaranteed analysis. A high-moisture food (e.g. canned, raw, etc.) with a “Nutrient Score” of 90 or even close to 80 may have just a 1 or 2% points more of protein, fat, or carbs to reach the kcal/kg.

Based on the minimums from the guaranteed analysis the food in figures 2 & 3 is high protein (96 grams, min) , high fat (68 grams, min), and low carbs which is common for raw and freeze-dried foods. The “Nutrient Score” for this food is 92% so I estimate this food has about 4 more grams of fat per 1,000 calories (kcal) making this food close to a Keto Diet 1:1 ratio.

If a “Nutrient Score” is above 100% the calories (kcal/kg) for the food are incorrect or the food has a higher amount of ash or dietary fiber. If the “Nutrient Score” is above 100% contact the company and ask for the “ash” and “dietary fiber” numbers and verify the calories as listed.

Cost to Feed

Figure 2 - If we enter the cost of the food (Price $) and the size (Size lbs) at the upper left of the cheat sheet it will calculate the “Cost Per 1,000 kcal” so you can compare it with other foods regardless of the type. (e.g. dry, dehydrated, canned, raw) At the top right corner you can enter the number of calories (“Calories per day”) you are feeding your dog or cat per day and the cheat sheet will calculate the cost per day to feed and list the number of days the package will last.

(Figure 3: “Serving/days per pkg”) Will show you the how many grams of protein you are feeding each day based the the calories fed. You can download a daily calorie estimator for your dog or cat for free at the links below.

Canine Daily Calorie Estimator (Free download) Feline Daily Calorie Estimator (Free Download)

Get your copy of the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet $24.95

The Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. You can download and use Microsoft Excel for free. https://www.office.com/

The spreadsheet can also be used with other spreadsheet programs like Google Sheets. https://www.google.com/sheets/about/

Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet

Cheat sheet food tabs 1-8 are for pet quality foods. (Column 3 “kcal g”) Pet foods are considered less digestible than human-quality foods so calories (kcal) for pet foods are calculated at: (See column 3)

• Protein 3.5 calories (kcal) per gram (g)

• Fat 8.5 calories (kcal) per gram (g)

• Carbs 3.5 calories (kcal) per gram (g)

Cheat sheet food tabs 9-10 are for human-grade pet foods. Very few companies meet this standard so use tabs 1-8 unless unless you’ve verified with the pet food company they are calculating calories on the human food standard. (Atwater factors of 4-9-4 kcal per gram) “Human-quality foods are generally more digestible than pet quality foods” so calories (kcal) for human foods are calculated at:

• Protein 4 calories (kcal) per gram (g)

• Fat 9 calories (kcal) per gram (g)

• Carbs 4 calories (kcal) per gram (g)

Get your copy of the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet and evaluate the foods you’re feeding.

The PET FOOD MATH CHEAT SHEET $24.95 (works with Excel or Google Sheets)

Comparing Food A and Food B

Below are two foods and each meets the nutritional adequacy standard for adult food. The cost, ingredients, and guaranteed analysis was current at the time of this comparison.

Food B

(22 ingredients) Beef, Chicken, Beef Liver, Chicken Liver, Chickpeas, Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Coconut Oil, Salt, Kelp, Broccoli, Spinach, Beets, Carrots, Tomatoes, Cranberries, Oranges, Apples, Cherries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative).

Food B reports over 80% of the protein is from named animal sources. Food B is low carb and contains no synthetic ingredients, or artificial colors, and is minimally processed. Food B gets all it nutrients from nature and not the science lab. (No synthetic amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc.)

Although food B lists 35% protein it actually guarantees less protein then Food A (21%) when you compare grams of protein per 1,000 calories. In reality I believe food B provides a greater amount of usable (quality) protein a dog will be able to digest and use compared to food A. I suspect food A has a low digestibility and dogs eating food A will leave a demonstratively large pile on the lawn in comparison to food B.

• Minimum protein guarantee is 35% and 56 grams of protein per 1,000 calories. (website lists 58 grams of protein per 1000 kcal)

The company provides a “typical analysis” at their website which reflects a higher protein content (70 grams) than the minimum % as listed on the guaranteed analysis. I suspect if Food A provided a “nutrient analysis” the food would be about 65 grams of protein per 1,000 calories (kcal).

There is a huge difference in cost and I believe in quality between these two foods. Food B actually costs more then 22-times the cost of food A. If I were selecting on quality and not cost, I would choose food B without question over food A. For more information on pet food ingredients go to Dog Food 101.

Your Homework

Once you have selected a food for your dog or cat and you are satisfied with the integrity of the brand, the ingredients, and the nutritional adequacy for your animal’s life stage then evaluate the food further to determine the number of grams of protein, fat, and carbs per 1,000 calories, and what percentage of calories come from protein, fat, and carbohydrates (Calorie breakdown). You can do this in under a minute using the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet. Watch the video for a demonstration of the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet.

For just $49.90 you can have access to view 250+ foods (98% of which are kibble) that have already been calculated using the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet.

What’s In Your Pet’s Food Bowl?

Get your copy of the Pet Food Math Cheat Sheet

and evaluate the foods you are feeding to your cats and dogs. 

Best Dog Food List 2023

How to properly store pet foods

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*This is my homework. I encourage you to do your own homework. Your answers may differ. Always check with you dog or cat’s veterinarian for their specific guidance for your animals.

Resources & References

The Science Dog by Linda Case

Books

Nutrition Courses

[A] “Factors impacting digestibility and bioavailability include but are not limited to: ash content, fiber content, ingredient interactions, processing time, processing temperature and anti-nutritional factors (Gross et al., 2010). Therefore, it is important to realize that none of these items are considered when crude protein is listed on the bag.”

https://www.petfoodindustry.com/blogs/10-debunking-pet-food-myths-and-misconceptions/post/6572-pet-food-nutrition-its-not-just-about-high-protein

[B] Good vs. Poor Digestibility: “As a rule of thumb, dry dog foods with digestibility values of 75 % or less will be of very poor quality, those with values between 75 and 82 % are classified as moderate in quality, and foods with digestibility values that are higher than 82 % are of high quality. If you see products with 88 % or more reported digestibility, you have a rock star.”

https://thesciencedog.com/2017/02/01/digestibility-matters/

** The crude protein analytical procedure (Kjeldahl method) estimates the amounts of protein by determining the nitrogen content of a food. In 2007 Chinese suppliers intentionally adulterated wheat gluten with two non-food compounds, melamine and cyanuric acid which increased the nitrogen content making the wheat gluten appear to have a higher protein content. This resulted in kidney damage in thousands of cats and dogs that were sickened or died. [1]

[C] “the cause of poor stools is more likely to be the inclusion of poor quality animal protein meals” Linda Case

“you want it to be a cigar you can kick across a shag rug” Dr. Richard Patton

Domestic Cat Preferential Diet - [16] [20] [47]

% of calories grams per 1000 calories

• Protein 52% 131

• Fat 36% 39

• Carbs 12% 31

Feral Cat Prey Diet - [16]

% of calories grams per 1000 calories

• Protein 52% 130

• Fat 46% 51

• Carbs 2% 5

Ancestral Diet - Canines (Brown, Steve. Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet: Healthier Dog Food the ABC Way. Dogwise Publishing)

% of calories grams per 1000 calories

• Protein 49% 123

• Fat 44% 49

• Carbs 6% 16

Primordial Diet - Canines

• Carbohydrates Average 4% <7% (Dr. Richard Patton)

Dogs Self-Selecting Diet Over 10-Days - [26]

% of calories

• Protein 45%

• Fat 51%

• Carbs 4%

[1] Case, Linda. Dog Food Logic - Making Smart Decisions For Your Dog In An Age Of Too Many Choices. Dogwise Publishing.

[2] https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/nutrition-notes-treatment-of-obesity/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11991408

[3] Brown, Steve. Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet: Healthier Dog Food the ABC Way. Dogwise Publishing

[4] https://www.nomnomnow.com/learn/dog-nutrition-basics/how-to-read-dog-nutrition-labels

[5] Case, Linda P.; Daristotle, Leighann; Hayek, Michael G.; Raasch, Melody Foess. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals. Elsevier Health.

[6] https://www.petfoodindustry.com/blogs/10-debunking-pet-food-myths-and-misconceptions/post/8087-update-can-petco-be-petcoached-to-be-petsmarter

[7] https://www.petfoodindustry.com/blogs/10-debunking-pet-food-myths-and-misconceptions/post/6572-pet-food-nutrition-its-not-just-about-high-protein

[8] https://www.nomnomnow.com/obese-dog-weight-loss

[9] https://justinshmalberg.com/blog/2018/4/17/senior-dog-nutritional-requirements

[10] https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/nutrition-notes-treatment-of-obesity/

[11] Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th Edition Hardcover – Michael S. Hand (Editor)

[12] Case, Linda P.; Daristotle, Leighann; Hayek, Michael G.; Raasch, Melody Foess. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals. Elsevier Health.

[13] Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition. Wiley.

[14] Brown, Steve. Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet: Healthier Dog Food the ABC Way . Dogwise Publishing

[15} https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/acvn-nutrition-notesthe-protein-paradigm-assessing-dietary-protein-in-health-disease/

[16] https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/novel-trends-in-small-animal-nutrition-a-practical-guide/

[17] https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/cat/dr-coates/2015/july/high-protein-diets-are-best-weight-loss-cats-32914

[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25073483

[19] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22005434

[20] https://jeb.biologists.org/content/214/6/1039.long

[21] https://pattonanimalnutrition.com/what-to-feed-your-dog/

[22] https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/beyond-the-guaranteed-analysis-comparing-pet-foods/

[23] https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/basic-calorie-calculator

“Although energy requirements vary greatly, protein needs are fairly constant, with adult dogs generally needing at least 1 gram per pound, and adult cats at least 2 grams per pound. Younger and geriatric pets may need more; young pets for growth, and old pets because they appear to be less able to utilize dietary protein than are younger animals.”

[24] https://courses.thesciencedog.com/courses/basics-of-canine-nutrition

[25] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

[26] Macronutrient intake of dogs, self-selecting diets varying in composition offered ad libitum.

[27] Kealy RD, Lawler DF, BNallam JM, et al. Effects of diet restriction on lifespan and age-related changes in dogs. JAVMA 2002; 220:1315-1320.

[28] https://www.ketopetsanctuary.com/

[29] Pet food safety: dietary protein. Laflamme DP https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18656844

[30] https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/4490-the-power-of-protein-in-petfood-for-dogs?v=preview

[31] https://www.iams.com/pet-health/dog-life-stages/understanding-animal-based-proteins-in-dog-foods   

• Use the search box at the IAMS website and search “Understanding Animal-Based Proteins in Dog Foods”

[32] https://pattonanimalnutrition.com/what-to-feed-your-dog/

[33] https://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/SiteContent/Regulatory/Committees/Pet-Food/Reports/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Midyear-Proposed_Revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles.pdf

[34] The Science and Dogma of Pet Nutrition with Dr. Richard Patton

[35] “As protein digestibility and quality increase, the level of protein that must be included in the diet to meet the animal’s needs decreases.” [5]

[36] https://academic.oup.com/jas/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jas/sky461/5238082

[37] “Chicken meal and chicken by-product meal, the two most common chicken ingredients that are used today in extruded pet foods, performed poorly in measures of essential amino acid availability and growth. By contrast, less heavily processed chicken ingredients scored significantly higher in these measures of protein quality.” … “chicken meals, regardless of whether they carried the dreaded by-product descriptor, performed quite poorly.” https://thesciencedog.com/2018/12/06/mind-your-peas-and-potatoes

[38] - Lamb meal is a high quality protein source for pet foods. Um, apparently not. The first study found that lamb meal was poorly digested (70.5 %) and provided inadequate levels of an essential amino acid, methionine after digestibility was taken into account.

-  Named species meals are always superior to generic meals. This refers to the general rule of thumb that dog folks should always choose a food that uses chicken, turkey, salmon or lamb meals over the less specific meat, poultry or fish meals. At least regarding the animal-based protein sources used in these studies, choosing lamb over the generic poultry or fish may not get you the quality you are hoping for.

-  Chicken first on the pet food label means higher quality (more digestible) protein: Nope again. While the digestibility of fresh chicken meat was higher than that of poultry meal when tested prior to processing, incorporating fresh chicken (as 25 percent of the protein source!) into an extruded food did not improve digestibility or lead to a higher quality product. https://thesciencedog.com/2017/02/01/digestibility-matters/

[39] “you want it to be a cigar you can kick across a shag rug” Dr. Richard Patton

[40] https://guardianpetfood.com/pages/faq

[41] https://www.nap.edu/resource/10668/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf

[42] Risk Factors for Urethral Obstruction in Cats Dr. Becker

[43] CONTROVERSIES IN THE NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF PANCREATITIS

[44] https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/dog_food/dcm-in-dogs-taurines-role-in-the-canine-diet/

[45] Geometric analysis of macronutrient selection in breeds of the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris (7-day study)

[46] Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition?

[47] Impact of macronutrient composition and palatability in wet diets on food selection in cats

Another recently published study has linked feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) – specifically urethral obstruction (UO) – to dry food-only diets.

• Urethral obstructions are most often seen in male cats and are life-threatening. A blocked urethra can cause death in a matter of days.

• Unlike other species, cats don’t have much of a thirst drive and are designed to get the moisture they need from their food. Dry cat food provides only about one-tenth the amount of moisture cats receive from prey animals, living foods, and even commercial canned diets.

• The vast majority of kitties fed dry food diets live in a state of chronic mild dehydration. This puts significant stress on the kidneys and bladder, which contributes to the development of FLUTD and urethral obstruction.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21346132

https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/09/T1301F05.pdf

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