It can be difficult to know what to feed your pet. Websites, books, breeders, and even veterinarians, all seem to have different information, so how can we know that the diet we choose is the best for our pets? A good starting point is often the pet food label, but this can be a mystery to read in and of itself! Here are some tips to help make sense of it all.
Pay close attention to the product name
There are a few rules that pet food companies must follow when naming their products. These can be helpful when selecting an appropriate diet for your companion. The ‘95% rule’ states that the 95% of the product must be the named ingredient. These foods often have simple names such as “Lamb dog food”, and you can be sure that the majority of the diet is made of lamb. Comparing this to the ‘25% rule’, which states that the named ingredient can be anywhere from 25-95% of the diet. These foods will have a descriptor in the name. For example “Chicken Recipe”, “Lamb Formula”, and “Salmon Entrée” are all examples of labels that follow the 25% rule. These diets can be great, but it is difficult to know what you are getting, so a closer look at the ingredients may be helpful. Finally the 3% (or ‘with’) rule states that the named ingredient only needs to be 3% of the entire diet. This rule was originally intended to serve as a guideline for foods that had multiple components to their diet, but some manufacturers have made their products entirely around this. “Cat food with chicken” is a good example of a label that one should be wary about as it would only be 3% chicken. Some diets can be a combination of the rules, like “Beef dinner with sweet potato”, where they follow the 25% rule for beef and the 3% rule for sweet potato. As you can see, the wording can make a world of difference, so keep these helpful hints in mind next time you’re out shopping!