Pet Nutrition Series – Part 2: What Do Pet Food Labels Really Mean?

Pet Nutrition Series – Part 2: What Do Pet Food Labels Really Mean?

Standing in front of shelves of pet food can be overwhelming. Every bag promises to be the best, but how do you know what’s right for your dog or cat? Let’s make sense of pet food labels.

  1. The Four Main Types of Diets

  • Commercial Diets (Kibble or Canned): These are designed to be “complete and balanced” for dogs and cats. Quality can vary widely between brands.
  • Veterinary Therapeutic Diets (Prescription Diets): Specially formulated for pets with health concerns—like cats prone to urinary blockages or dogs with kidney disease, allergies, or obesity. These require a prescription from your veterinarian.
  • Homemade Diets: Some pet owners enjoy cooking for their dogs or cats. If you choose this option, it’s critical that recipes come from a veterinary nutritionist to ensure they’re complete. BalanceIt.com is a reliable resource to create safe, individualized recipes.
  • Raw Diets: Often marketed as “natural,” raw diets come with nutritional and safety concerns. We’ll explore myths about raw feeding in Part 3 of this series.

  1. The Importance of the AAFCO Statement

The most important label to look for is the AAFCO statement. AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) sets nutrition standards for both dog and cat food.

An AAFCO label means the diet is either:

  • Tested – actually fed to animals in feeding trials.
  • Formulated – meets nutrient requirements on paper.

If a food doesn’t have an AAFCO statement, it may not be nutritionally balanced.

  1. Decoding Marketing Buzzwords

Pet food companies use attractive terms, but here’s what they really mean:

  • “Natural” – No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, but not automatically healthier.
  • “Holistic” – Essentially means considering the needs of the whole animal, not just certain systems or aspects of nutritional needs. However, no definition of the term has been generally accepted by the pet food industry, and currently there are no regulations or legal definitions for labeling a food holistic, allowing for misrepresentation.
  • “Organic” – Must meet USDA organic standards for ingredients, but this isn’t fully standardized in pet food. This refers to the way ingredients are grown, harvested, or processed. Currently the USDA has yet to define “organic” as it applied to pet foods.
  • “Grain-Free” – Not necessary for most pets and has been linked to certain heart conditions in dogs.

  1. Who Makes the Food Matters

Not all pet food companies have their own production facilities—many outsource manufacturing, which can affect oversight. Larger veterinary-trusted companies often test extensively in their own plants, which is one reason they’ve become industry leaders.

In Part 3 of our Pet Nutrition Series, we’ll explore the myths and misconceptions around terms like “holistic,” “organic,” “raw,” and “fillers,” so you can separate fact from marketing.

As always, if you need help decoding pet food bags, do not hesitate to call and speak with one of the doctors or certified nurses at Hebron Veterinary Hospital!

Dr. Mordasky