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Read the Dog Food Label - How Much Protein and Fat is in Your Dog Food?  Compare Dry Dog Food to Wet or Canned Dog Food.

 

 

 

Read the Dog Food Label - How Much Protein and Fat is in Dry Dog Food and Wet Dog Food?

Take a peek on the back of the label and you'll find the ingredient list and the guaranteed analysis. The Ingredient List lists the ingredients in order of predominance by weight.  An important fact to remember is that the water is included in the weight of some of the products.  Meat contains 75% water.  Some pet food manufacturers will tout the fact that their product contains meat as the first ingredient, while another manufacturer contains corn, then meat meal.  Because meat meal only contains 10% water, it doesn't weigh as much so it will be farther down the ingredient list.  But bone meal can actually contain as much protein and more minerals than meat.

Guaranteed Analysis:  State regulations require pet food to guarantee the minimum percentages of crude protein and fat, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.  By the way, crude refers to the testing method of the product, not the quality of the ingredients.

Products are compared as they are in the bag or can.  So it's difficult to compare dry food with canned or wet food because of the difference in moisture content. After comparing the products, you'll probably notice that the crude protein and most other nutrients are lower in the canned product.  This is because the canned are typically 75% moisture and the dry is about 10-12% moisture.

To really compare, then you need to convert both products to a dry basis.  The easiest way to do this is to multiply the guarantees or nutrients times 4 in the canned food.

Here's an example:  Let's compare the protein amounts in products:

Canned has minimum 8% crude protein, minimum 8% crude fat and maximum 82% moisture.  To determine the dry amount, take 100-82 (moisture amount) = 18%.
Dry has minimum 25% crude protein, minimum 14% crude fat and maximum 10% moisture.  To determine the dry amount, take 100-10 (moisture amount) =  90%.

To compare the protein in the products, divide the protein by the dry amount and multiply by 100 for the percent protein.
       To determine the amount of protein in the canned, divide the protein amount (8) by the dry moisture amount (18) or 8/18
       which equals 44.  Multiply by 100 to get the percentage of protein or .44 x 100 = 44%.

       To determine the amount of protein in the dry food, divide the protein amount (25) by the dry moisture amount (90)
       or 25/90  which equals .27.  Multiply by 100 to get the percentage of protein or .27 x 100 = 27%

       In comparison, the canned contains more protein.

According to the AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) the maximum moisture content for a pet food is 78% unless the product is labeled stew, in sauce, or in gravy, then they product can contain more fluid - as much as 87.5%.  I've found that the in gravy is usually in small print on the label, and usually the products contain 82% moisture.