January 25, 3:10 PM
by Lauren v., Dallas Pet Scene Examiner

If you're like me, you spend extra time at the grocery store picking just the right items for your family. You may even browse over labels while comparing the pros and cons of competing brands. We regularly hear news stories that encourage this type of buying behavior, touting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and putting the highest quality ingredients into our diets.

But would you do the same for your pet?

Comparing pet food brands can be confusing. Most pet owners simply don't know what ingredients to avoid or nutritional components to look for as part of a healthy diet. And unless your pet is on a diet regulated by a veterinarian, the endless possibilities are most often left to which is most convenient and possibly persuasive in a company’s ability to employ advertising gimmicks.

Interpreting Food Labels 101
Pet food companies understand that the first impression they make is through the name of their pet food. By coming up with fancy, appealing names they hope to hook shoppers. They also will sometimes use a specific ingredient as part of the name, such as “Beef Tender-Chunk” or “Salmon Bites.” The only rule they must follow is that 95% of the food is required to be of the ingredient noted in a pet food name. If a food contains 25-94% of an ingredient, the name must be followed with a description. For example, “Beef Tender-Chunk dinner for dogs” would be acceptable.

Feeding Directions
Did you know that not all brands of pet food are portioned equally? If you read the label, each brand of food recommends a serving size chart based on the age and size of your pet. By simply filling a bowl of food, you could be over-feeding (or under-feeding) your pet.

Common Gimmicks
The use of terms such as “natural” and “premium” don’t always stand up to be as good as it sounds. “Natural” is NOT the same as “organic,” and not necessarily the healthiest choice. By stating that a food is “natural” this could mean that it does not contain dyes or artificial colors. But there is little regulation for this statement.
According to the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine, “Products labeled as premium or gourmet are not required to contain any different or higher quality ingredients, nor are they held up to any higher nutritional standards than are any other complete and balanced products.”


Dallas Pet Scene Examiner: Picking the perfect pet food: The myths, facts, and findings