Overwhelmed by food labels? The truth about dog food

What should you look out for?

1. The Ingredient List

The first 5 ingredients make up 80% of the food. That’s where your focus should be, not on the claims on the front of the bag.

Look for specific proteins:

- ✅ "Chicken", "salmon", "beef"
- ❌ Vague terms like "meat" or "poultry"

Ingredients are listed by weight. If the first ingredient is a carbohydrate (rice, corn, wheat), your "meaty" kibble is mostly grains.

2. Compare the guaranteed analysis

Here’s where you find the actual nutritional values:

- Protein: At least 18% for adult dogs, 22% for puppies
- Fat: 5-15% depending on activity level
- Fiber: 2-4% is ideal
- Moisture: Important when comparing dry to wet food

Pro tip: Always compare based on dry matter. Wet food looks like it has less protein because of the higher moisture content.

3. Recognizing red flags

Avoid foods with:

- Carbohydrates as the first ingredient
- Too many preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin)
- Vague ingredients like "animal by-products"
- Artificial colorings (dogs don’t care about color!)

Marketing vs. reality

Those tempting words on the packaging? There’s a story behind them:
"Natural", "Premium", "Gourmet" are not protected terms. Anyone can use them, and they don’t actually guarantee quality.

The most expensive bag isn’t always the best choice. Sometimes, you’re mostly paying for marketing and fancy packaging.

Practical tips for shopping

1. Turn the bag around – ignore the front, focus on the back
2. Read the first 5 ingredients out loud – do they sound like real food?
3. Check the feeding table – does it suit your dog’s needs?
4. Compare price per kilo, not per bag