How to Choose a Pet Food

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Photo by Konstantinos Feggoulis

Choosing a pet food can be confusing. Much of the information that’s available online is either marketing hype or just plain wrong, and it can be hard for pet owners to tell nutrition myths from facts.
 
Pet food labels aren’t easy to interpret either. Labels are designed to generate an emotional response and drive sales, and the bits that tell you about nutritional adequacy tend to be in tiny print.
 
The brand of food is almost always more important than specific ingredients. Ingredient lists can be misleading; they sometimes include items that seem appealing but don’t actually add to a food’s nutritional value. An inexpensive food from a reputable manufacturer is a better choice than an expensive food from a questionable manufacturer.
 
To help pet owners choose among the huge number of commercial diets, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has published guidelines for selecting pet foods. Their recommendations fall into 2 categories: brand choice and label information. For specific advice for your own pet, consult your veterinarian.
 
Brand Choice

• The manufacturer should have a nutritionist on staff. Qualifications to look for are a PhD in animal nutrition, board certification by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN), or board certification by the European College of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition (ECVCN).
• Recipes should be developed by a trained pet food formulator. People who develop foods for animals need special knowledge about food processing and raw materials as well as nutrition. Formulators might have an MS or PhD in animal nutrition or in food science, or they might be nutritionists with ACVN or ECVCN credentials who are also trained in food formulation.
• The manufacturer should use quality control measures like nutrient analysis, ingredient validation, screens for toxins and bacteria, and shelf life tests. Animal diets sold in the United States include a statement about meeting the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). The manufacturer should indicate how they test diets to be sure they meet the standards. The AAFCO itself doesn’t test or approve foods.
• Published research in animal nutrition shows that a company is committed to animal health, says the WSAVA.

 
Label Information

• The AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement is one of the most important things on the label, though it can be hard to find. An AAFCO statement has standardized wording to say that a diet is complete and balanced for a particular life stage. Complete diets (as opposed to treats) meet all of an animal’s nutritional requirements. Make sure the stated life stage matches your pet’s needs. AAFCO life stages are gestation, growth, maintenance, and “all life stages,” which is the same as growth because nutritional requirements are highest for the growth stage. One version of the AAFCO statement includes the words “animal feeding tests” to show that the food was tested by actually feeding it to animals, not just by analyzing ingredients.
• The calorie content (kilocalories per cup, kilogram, biscuit, etc) helps you be sure you’re feeding the right amount. Check with your veterinarian if you’d like to know more about your pet’s calorie needs.
• The label should include the company’s contact information.
• The label should show whether the food is made by the branding company or by a third-party manufacturer.

 
More Information

• WSAVA guidelines for selecting pet foods (PDF): https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf
• WSAVA frequently asked questions and myths about pet food (PDF): https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Frequently-Asked-Questions-and-Myths.pdf
• AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements: https://talkspetfood.aafco.org/readinglabels#Adequacy  

 
Photo by Konstantinos Feggoulis on Unsplash

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