The Dog Food Project: How to read product information

The main ingredients of each food product are listed in bold text, separating them from the remaining ones that are present in lesser quantities. This makes it a bit easier to compare products at a glance.

The "Guaranteed Analysis" always lists the minimum percentages of Protein and Fat and the maximum percentages of Fiber and Moisture guaranteed for a particular product. Other guaranteed nutrients may be listed as minimum, average or maximum and as precentages or other units.

Additional information for a product may or may not be available. Not all the information listed is guaranteed to originate from the manufacturer's or distributer's website, some details have been obtained by email or phone.

Product details appear as given by the manufacturer or distributor, but I have taken the liberty to correct spelling errors and punctuation where needed.

if you see the line
Caution:
This product is not a "[ingredient] only" formula!
it denotes a food that is for example named "lamb and rice formula" but does contain other animal proteins and/or animal products and/or fats that might still cause allergic reaction, like for example chicken fat. Products that are pure alternative formulas and suitable for a restricted diet are marked
Note:
This product uses a single alternative animal protein source and may be suitable for dogs that are allergic to regular ones like chicken or beef.
with an exemption of fish meals, which usually are tolerated even by allergic pets. Completely vegetarian formulas are also marked accordingly.

If you have specific questions about ingredients or formulations, please do not contact me, but make use of the contact information listed for each manufacturer. The only thing I can offer you is a personal opinion on the quality of ingredients or products and whether I would feed them or not. If that's what you want, use the "Private Message" function in the "My Home" page of this forum to contact me. This requires registering a username though. Alternatively, use the "Contact Admin" link located in the bottom left corner of each page.

Edited by Mordanna (10/26/05 03:06 PM)