How to Read a Dog Food Label (And What the Numbers Actually Mean)

The front of a pack is marketing. The back is regulated. Learning to read four numbers and one list tells you more than any advertisement.

The guaranteed analysis

Crude protein and crude fat are minimums; fibre and moisture are maximums. Because dry food sits around 10% moisture and wet food around 78%, you cannot compare the two directly — a wet food showing 10% protein may be richer than a kibble showing 26%.

Ingredient order is by weight before cooking

'Chicken' listed first sounds better than 'chicken meal', but fresh chicken is roughly 70% water, most of which is driven off during extrusion. Chicken meal is already dry, so it often contributes more actual protein. Neither is automatically better; be sceptical of anyone who says otherwise.

Watch for ingredient splitting

If maize, maize gluten and maize flour each appear separately, together they may outweigh the meat listed above them.

Practical note for India

Check the manufacturing and expiry date on every bag, and prefer a bag size your dog will finish within about six weeks of opening. In humid coastal and monsoon conditions, fat in kibble goes rancid faster than most people expect — store it sealed, in the original bag, away from heat.