Articles About Dogs

Pet Food Label Secrets Revealed! Know What You Are Feeding Your Dog And Cat

Reading a pet food label, how difficult can it be? You just pick up your regular brand and look at the variety on the front, right? Not so fast! Reading a pet food label isn't as easy as you may think. It's not just ingredients and feeding suggestions. There's also a "secret code" you should know about. The code helps you separate the Chicken Formula from the Chicken Dinner and the Beef and Bacon from the Beef with Bacon. You may be thinking "Aren't they all the same?" and the answer is no.

While pet food labeling is regulated at the federal level, some states have their own labeling laws. Many follow the Pet Food Regulations established by the AAFOC (Association of American Food Control Officials).

The secret of pet food descriptions are dictated by four AAFCO rules...

1) The 95% Rule - The products that fall under this regulation have simple descriptions such as "Chicken Cat Food" or "Beef for Dogs". These foods must contain at least 95% (not including water) of the named ingredient. In this case, chicken or beef. If a food description contains more than one meat, poultry or fish ingredient such as "Chicken and Liver Cat Food" , then both ingredients combined must equal 95%, with the first named ingredient being the highest percentage of the two. The 95% rule does not apply to grains and vegetables, so "Chicken and Rice Dog Food" must still contain 95% chicken.

2) The 25% or "Dinner" Rule - If the named descriptive ingredient falls between 25%-94% of the total product (still not counting water), then the description must include a qualifying word such as "Dinner", "Platter", "Formula", etc. As in the first rule two listed ingredients must have be at least 25% of the total weight combined. So, "Chicken Dinner" only has to contain 25% chicken, while "Chicken and Liver Dinner" only has to contain 25% of the two combined. (Minimum of 3% of any named ingredient.) Unlike the first rule, the 25% rule applies to all food, not just meat sources.

3) The 3% or "With" Rule - This is where things get a little sneaky. Any ingredient on a label proceeded by "with" must equal at least 3% of the total weight (minus water). That might sound all right if the food is "Beef with Chicken" (95% beef, 3% chicken), but how does it sound in this form..."Dog Food with Beef"? Yep, that tells you that it only has to contain 3% beef! (Makes you wonder what the other 97% contains doesn't it?)

4) The "Flavor" rule - There is no percentage attached to an ingredient described as a "flavor". There only needs to be an amount sufficient enough to be detected by test methods. As you can probably guess "Chicken Flavored Cat Food" may contain very little chicken. In this case it doesn't even need to be chicken as we normally think about it, but instead can be chicken meal or chicken by-products.

Premium Food - Looking down the pet food aisle you may be attracted to foods listed as "Premium" or "Gourmet". These descriptive words have no requirements attached to them, so while a "Premium" food may sound like it's higher quality food, in reality it doesn't have to be any better than anything else on the shelf.

Now you know the secret of pet food descriptions and can be confident that the next time you're scanning the different varieties of food for your best friend you'll be able to tell the difference between "Beef for Dogs", "Beef Dinner", or "Dog Food with Beef".

Jill Richards is the Owner/Operator of "Have Leash, Will Travel - Pet Sitting" in Aurora, CO and offers t-shirts, sweatshirts, and stickers to Pet Professionals, Animal Rescue Workers, Anti-Breed Ban/BSL Fighters, and Pet Lovers through USPetPros.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Standing Dog Interactive Adds New Client Services Director
Standing Dog Interactive (www.standingdog.com) a leader in hotel internet marketing, today announced that David Daniel has joined the company as Client Services Director.

Spaying or Nuetering Your Dog-Get The Facts... Be Responsible
Bringing a new puppy or dog home is a huge commitment and a three-fold responsibility. You now have a commitment to your dog, yourself, and to your community.

keeping your dog motivated
The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with dog training.

KnineTraining.com Launches: Providing A Simple Step By Step Dog Training System
KnineTraining.com launches, providing a step by step dog training system using a simple but effective reward and reprimand method. Our goal is to bring an easy to follow, simple to implement dog training and obedience system to both dog and puppy owners alike.

Getting The Best Out Of Discount Dog Toys
There are so many options for discount dog toys. Some owners may still wonder though if dogs really need toys. Others recognize the value of dog toys but think that buying the expensive kind is always the best. Here are what every dog owner might be interested in knowing about dog toys and discounted toys.

Free "Dog Talk" Screensaver Provides Humor, Recipes, And Dog Health Tips For Dog Owners Looking For Resources To Improve "Fido's&q
Each month individuals dowload hundreds of thousands of free screensavers. Dog screensavers as a topic of interest have proven very popular. Dog owners are now taking a look at the funny side of dog behavior. "Dog Talk" differs from other dog screensavers in that it has unique dog recipes to go along with funny pictures and captions. The screensaver has a soothing blend of music and natural sounds to create a feeling of serenity.

Simple Health Tips to Help You Take Better Care of Your Dog
Is your dog one of your best friends? If so, you're especially motivated to want to take care of his health. As I'm sure you're aware, your pet's health is a very important part of your responsibilities as an owner.

What To Do If Your Dog Is Shoking
We all recognize that dogs occasionally suffer from the bad habit of taking everything they get hold to in their mouths, that includes electric cords, parts of broken toys, tennis balls, etc Additional things that they are inclined to pick up all form of stones or rocks, small-scale toys to clothes, in essence anything they view as fun to play with

Dog Door: Why You Should Go For It
Why you should have dog door

Treat Fleas Naturally and Avoid Vaccinations, for a Truly Healthy Dog
An essential to your dog's health is his/her regular annual checkup with the vet. The vaccinations* which are given to your dog each year supposedly ensure your dog's immunity to some common infectious diseases.

Dog breeders and buyers connect using new online service
Toronto, ON October 31, 2006 ? What could be more comforting than coming home, after a difficult work day, to a tail-wagging, enthusiastic and lovable puppy? Truly man?s best friend, an adorable puppy will grow into a loyal companion who will become a part of any loving family.

Dog Training; Be The Alpha Or Loose Your Sit
Training your dog is a two-way process Both dog and dog trainer play important parts in the puppy training

Train Your Dog To Be Your Frisbee Playing Buddy
On the surface playing Frisbee with your dog may seem like just a bit of fun, but this activity actually holds other benefits as well.1.

Promo Only MPE is 'Top Dog' in Country Music
Signs Contract with Toby Keith’s Record Label Show Dog Nashville for Digital Distribution