The thing about packaging is that it’s designed to entice you to buy.
So, some manufacturers will put attractive claims on the bag to make their products seem like the ideal choice.
Now, we aren’t saying these companies are lying with these claims, but you might be surprised at what you find out if you dig a little deeper into what’s being said.
That’s why it’s really important to understand the information on the label of the food you intend to feed your furry friend.
Here’s how to read what’s on the dog food label to ensure you are choosing a natural and nutritious option for your doggo.
How To Read A Dog Food Label: What To Look For
Know What Your Dog Needs
Before even touching a bag of pup food, it can be helpful to know what your dog needs to stay happy and healthy. There are some essential nutrients and some special considerations. They are:
- Life Stage: Puppies have different nutritional needs to adult dogs due to their rapid growth and development, so make sure you choose the right food for your pup’s stage of life.
- Key Components: Every dog will require essential nutrients from their food to maintain their overall health and wellbeing. You need to ensure the food you choose has a balance of high quality protein (chicken, beef, lamb, fish etc.), complex carbohydrates (whole grains, kumara etc.), fibre (vegetables, grains etc.), vitamins and minerals, and healthy fats (fish oil, flaxseed oil etc.).
- Activity Level: Most dogs will be happily fueled by a good balanced kibble blend, but working dogs might require a little more from their food due to their increased activity levels.
- Kibble size: You need to make sure your dog can comfortably consume the kibble you choose for them. It stands to reason that smaller dogs will need a smaller kibble size, whereas big dogs can handle bigger biscuits. Here at RDF, we offer our awesome kibble blends in a range of biscuit sizes so that all pups can enjoy them!
- Dietary Needs: Your pup may have a sensitivity to certain ingredients or allergies to contend with. You’ll need to ensure the food you choose is not going to trigger those sensitivities. Older dogs may find they need a bit of TLC for their joint health, so be mindful of that also.
Check The Ingredients List
The first thing to check is the ingredients list (after you’ve established you haven’t accidentally picked up a bag of cat food, of course!) As the ingredients list displays exactly what is in the kibble, it’s a goldmine of information for you.
The ingredients will be listed in the order of quantity, meaning that the first few items on the list are the main ingredients in the bikkies. You want these ingredients to be good ones, so that they meet your pup’s nutritional needs. Look for:
- Whole Foods: Those first ingredients on the list should be foods that you recognise, like real meat (chicken, fish, or beef are all great examples), and whole grains (brown rice and ground maize are great tummy fillers).
- Whole Grains or Alternatives: If the product contains grains, make sure they are high quality whole grains like brown rice as these will keep your dog fuller for longer. Grain-free biscuits are great for pups with sensitive stomachs and should contain a good grain alternative like potato.
- 🚩 Red Flag - Artificial Additives: Avoid products with noticeably artificial ingredients that have long names you can’t pronounce. Added flavours or colours are also big warning signs.
When you look at the ingredients list, you want to see simple, recognisable ingredients like beef, fish, or brown rice rather than terms like “meat by-products” or a chemical-sounding additive.
Nutritional Information
The ingredients list will tell you plenty about what is included in the food. Then, the nutritional information supplements that list by telling you more about the breakdown of the key nutrients in the biscuits.
Such as:
- Protein: Essential for energy, the protein percentage indicates the amount of muscle-building nutrients contained in the food. Higher-quality biscuits will have a good protein level (18-25% for adult dogs).
- Fat: Healthy fats are essential for energy and skin health. But, you don’t want too much of them, so look for moderate fat content (around 8-15%).
- Fibre: A key nutrient for promoting digestive health, fibre is important - a healthy range is 2-5%.
- Moisture: This is something that should be listed to prevent spoilage. Typically, it will be a figure of around 10%.
If you have a food that ticks all these boxes, then it’s likely you are looking at a quality product!
Look For Freshness
Many of the big brand “premium” foods travel long distances via boat as they are manufactured in places like Europe. That means they are going to need plenty of preservatives to keep that food fresh as it makes its journey from factory to your dog’s bowl, via the boat, dock, and shop shelves.
By the time it gets in front of you, that bag of dog biscuits might already be over 6 months old. That means, you will want to take a quick glance at the best before label before investing.
However, if you choose a locally crafted brand, you are much more likely to get a fresher biscuit. Especially if you choose a Real Dog Food subscription service. Made fresh weekly, the kibble goes straight in the bag and on a courier to your door. You can’t get much fresher than that! And because we follow this model, we don’t have to add artificial preservatives.
Sustainability
Protecting our planet is a top priority, so check for mentions of sustainability practices on the label of your prospective dog food. But, really check. Sometimes those claims aren’t as true as some companies would have you believe!
Look for things like locally sourced ingredients as that not only reduces the environmental footprint of creating the dog biscuits, but also supports local growers and farmers. Also, consider buying a product with recyclable or compostable packaging (like Real Dog Food) to minimise landfill waste.
Understanding The Dog Food Label
Hopefully now, the next time you go to buy chow for your pup, you will have a greater understanding of what to look for on the dog food label.
Or, you could save yourself all the hassle and simply choose Real Dog Food - New Zealand’s natural dog food with all the good stuff your pup needs to stay happy and healthy, sustainably produced with compostable packaging, and delivered right to your door on subscription so you never run out!