How to Read Dog Food and Treat Labels

Nutrition is central to a dog’s health and happiness. Therefore, knowing how to read dog food labels to ensure your pup gets the right nutrients is a key responsibility that every pet owner must take seriously. 

By now, you should know that giving your dog the right volume of treats is vital if you wish to avoid problems like obesity. However, selecting healthy dog food ingredients supports your pet’s physical and mental wellness. It’ll improve their quality of life with immediate and long-term rewards. Here’s all you need to know about how to read dog treat labels and make the right choices.

Understanding Healthy Dog Food Ingredients

Like humans, dogs need a diverse range of nutrients to thrive. So, when thinking about how to read dog treat labels, it is essential that you aim to provide a balanced diet. To do this, you must ensure that your pup gets each of the following;

• Water - an estimated 60% of a dog’s weight is water. So, it is essential that your dog stays hydrated for both physical and mental wellness. Water may be found in dry food (small amounts) and wet dog foods (larger amounts) as well as the water they drink.
• Protein - proteins and amino acids are needed for many reasons. They support a pup’s lean muscle growth, skin regeneration, fur, and more. Protein sources include meat, fish, and plant-based treats as well as a variety of formulated dog treats.
• Carbohydrates - the main energy source is essential for giving your pup energy while also supporting gut health due to fiber content. Carbs may come rice, potatoes, barley, and a range of other sources. Fiber may be found in wheat, prebiotics, and plant sugars.
• Fats - omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are particularly important for a dog’s health, supporting healthy bodily functions. Fats can come from fish oil, beef fat, chicken fat, and corn. While many owners worry about too much fat, too little fat is just as damaging.

Vitamins and minerals 

Checking the fat, protein, and carbs content of dog foods is a great starting point. When coupled with choosing the right volume of food for your pup, the fundamentals are under control. However, it’s equally crucial to check that your dog consumes the minerals and vitamins needed to thrive.

Vitamins and minerals support everything from eye health to immune systems and thyroid health. The key nutrients to look for include;

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin C
• B vitamin complex
  • riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine (B1), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate or folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12)
• Choline 
• Calcium
• Copper
• Iodine
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Sodium and chloride (salt)
• Selenium
• Sulfur
• Zinc

When reading dog treat food labels, the volumes of these vitamins will often be listed. Meanwhile, you can find which foods contain the desired vitamins with a little online research. For example, chicken fat is a good option when looking for dog foods containing vitamin D.

The exact volumes needed by your dog will depend on breed and lifestyle factors. However, if your pet shows signs of an iron deficiency for example, you should get them tested. Confirmation of this will guide your future dog food and nutritional supplement choices.

Dog food ingredients to avoid

When considering how to read dog food labels, it’s not just about checking the vitamins or protein content. The ingredients included are equally crucial. As well as checking for healthy dog treat ingredients, it’s imperative that you avoid any harmful items.

Some of the most telling foods to consider include;

• Fruits and vegetables - while some can be included in your pup’s diet, others like grapes must be avoided at all costs. This guide to safe and unsafe fruits and veg for dogs will provide the insights you need.
• Other toxic ingredients - chocolate, macadamia nuts, onions, and raisins can have a damaging impact on a dog’s health. While formulated dog foods will typically avoid these, it’s important to be mindful when giving them other foods.
• Raw ingredients - when giving your dog meat or fish, you must always ensure that it is properly cooked unless you are sourcing it from a reputable supplier. Otherwise, you will run the risk of giving your dog E.coli or Salmonella. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Individual dogs may also show food sensitivities like humans do. If you suspect that an ingredient within your dog’s diet is causing problems, a vet can test for food intolerances and allergies. Of course, avoiding those ingredients when making future dog food purchases will be vital. 

What else to look for in healthy dog treat ingredients

As with humans, a dog’s overall wellness (and especially their digestive health) is significantly influenced by the quality of their food. When searching for dog treats, organic ingredients are always the superior choice. Golden Delights, for example, contain organic oats, turmeric root, coconut oil, and organic cane molasses. 

Organic foods with fewer preservatives are kinder on a dog’s digestion, reducing the threat of various side effects. 

It is also worth checking for “filler” ingredients, which are typically low-quality meat trimmings rather than high-quality meat (Ex Chicken Meal, etc) 

How to read dog food labels

Knowing what to look for (and avoid) will help guide your dog food purchases. Et, it’s important to read the packet properly too. There are several key factors to consider;

• Brand and product name - usually found on the front of the packet in a prominent position. This is often supported by images too.
• Product details - found on the front of the packet, you should see information on who the product is aimed at (example, “large dogs”) and age suitability,  as well as the product weight.
• Guaranteed analysis - on the back of the packet, a list of vitamins and minerals found by percentages will be listed.
• Calorie content - this details the amount of calories and may be listed by cup or kilo.
• Ingredients - this will list every ingredient, starting with the most prominent and working down the list in terms of volume.
• Feeding guidelines - still on the back, this will live instructions on how the food should be prepared for your dog.
• Nutritional adequacy statement - confirmation that the product complies with Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards.
• Expiration or best buy date - details of when the dog treats should be consumed by.

Use this info alongside the details of what to look for in terms of ingredients to ensure the right choice is made for your pup time and time again.