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  • How to read pet food labels | Animal Wellness Magazine

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    Confused by pet food labels? Find out how to interpret product names, nutrition facts and more — and what to expect from upcoming label changes.

    Pet food labels can be confusing. Ingredient names are unclear, package claims seem misleading, and important information can be hard to find. The good news is that changes are underway to make pet food labels easier to read and understand. However, it will take time for companies and regulators to fully implement them.

    While we wait, let’s review how to read pet food labels – and how the approved changes will make life simpler when you’re choosing a food for your dog or cat. 

    The Pet Food Label Modernization project

    In the US, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a non-regulatory group of state and federal officials responsible for writing the “model” rules and regulations for pet food. Each state adopts these regulations through its legislative process.

    In 2015, AAFCO launched the Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) project to clarify and update the existing regulations. The goal was to increase transparency, more closely align pet food labeling with human food labeling, and improve consumer understanding. 

    AAFCO approved the new PFLM labels in 2024. However, consumers may not consistently see them on store shelves for several years. 

    There are several reasons for the delay. Some changes require new laboratory testing, With limited facilities, companies may face long wait times. State legislatures may also need to update their laws. 

    Additionally, pet food companies may have a large back-stock of printed labels. They will need time to use up old labels and design and produce new ones. Some companies produce hundreds of brands, flavors, and sizes of pet foods, so it’s a big job.

    This all means it will take time for companies to make these changes. AAFCO has provided a six-year phase-in period for the new labels. On the plus side, some pet food companies are already using the new labels. Any new products also must sport the updated look.

    Reading pet food labels

    It’s important to note that despite these changes, basic pet food label information remains the same. Required elements include the intended species, package quantity (weight, volume, or count), feeding directions, calorie content, and the guarantor’s name and address (manufacturer or distributor).

    • The name of the food tells you its major ingredients – e.g. “beef dog food,” must contain 95% beef. 
    • If there is a qualifier, like “dinner,” “nuggets,” or “entrée,” the named ingredients must comprise 25% of the food. For example, “beef and rice formula” must contain 25% beef plus rice. There must be more beef than rice, since beef is listed first. 
    • Ingredients that follow the word “with” must be present in the food at 3% — for example, “beef dinner with giblets.”
    • A “flavor,” such as “beef flavor dinner,” may not actually contain beef meat, but rather beef digest or by-products that provide that taste.

     

    Manufacturers must list all pet food ingredients in descending order by weight. Water is heavy, so wet ingredients are listed first. For commercial dry foods, “meat” listed as the first ingredient may be a watery slurry made from that meat, and not necessarily actual meat. 

    The nutritional adequacy statement comes in two basic forms: complete and balanced; or for intermittent or supplemental feeding. 

    “Complete” means the product contains all required nutrients, and “balanced” means the nutrients are present in the correct ratios.

    Complete and balanced foods must be able to sustain the dog or cat without added supplements (other than fresh water). Manufacturers must prove this either through a feeding test…or more commonly, by chemical analysis. 

    Pet food formulators use software to analyze nutrients in each ingredient to ensure the formula meets AAFCO’s minimum nutritional requirements (nutrient profiles). 

    The nutritional adequacy statement must also specify the life stage the pet food is meant for: e.g. gestation/lactation, growth, adult maintenance, or all life stages. “All life stages” foods essentially meet the requirements for pregnancy/lactation and growth. 

    There is no life stage called “senior,” “mature,” or any similar term. Such foods need only meet the adult maintenance standard. 

    Before the PFLM project, regulators required labels to list crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and moisture percentages. This is no longer the case. These items must still be guaranteed, but they’re in a different place and format — e.g. fiber is now placed under carbohydrate. 

    Also, labels no longer use the term “crude” (although the tests for protein, fat, and fiber have not changed), and the format of the label is very different. 

    A look at the new pet food labels 

    In order to bring pet food labeling more in line with the familiar Nutrition Facts box on human food labels, AAFCO has created the Pet Nutrition Facts box (see image below). 

    As illustrated, the box now incorporates the guaranteed analysis and includes per quantity measurements as well as percentages. You’ll also find the calorie and nutritional adequacy statements inside this Pet Nutrition Facts box. 

    On the downside, the Pet Nutrition Facts box will become unreadable if it’s shrunk too much. On very small cans and packages, the label may not look very different at first glance. However, the order and location of information will be more consistent.

    Additional changes: expanded information

    Further changes should help clarify pet food label information. The calorie statement now shows total calories, as well as how many come from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. “Total carbohydrate” now separates out the amount of fiber (an indigestible carbohydrate). 

    Labels can now use familiar vitamin names and group them in parentheses, instead of listing only technical sources. Manufacturers can also use new safe handling instruction graphics to improve food safety.

    Understanding how to read pet food labels is essential for making informed decisions about your dog or cat’s nutrition. While it can be confusing, the PFLM project aims to improve clarity, consistency, and transparency with its new changes. 

    Ultimately, pet food labels should be easier to read and understand. This will help you choose the best products for your dog or cat’s health and well-bring. 

    Pet food labels: change takes time

    Believe it or not, pet food labels are one of the most highly regulated aspects of the whole pet food industry. Labels require certain information, and there are rules about everything, right down to font size and color. This means changing pet food labels is a major process.

    Defining pet food

    “Pet food” refers to any product that provides nutritional value to dogs or cats. This includes complete daily diets, veterinary prescription foods, treats, snacks, broths, milks, mixers, toppers, chews, and supplements. 

    Under the regulations, “pet food” is only for dogs and cats. Other animals, like gerbils, turtles, goldfish, and parrots, are known as “specialty pets.”


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    Jean Hofve, DVM, earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University. In addition to conventional veterinary training, she studied veterinary homeopathy, homotoxicology, Reiki, and other holistic modalities. She has researched pet food and feline nutrition for nearly two decades, and is an expert on holistic pet health and the commercial pet food industry. She is an official advisor to AAFCO, the organization that sets pet food rules and standards in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Hofve co-authored the book Holistic Cat Care.

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    Jean Hofve, DVM

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  • Pet food recalled due to potential contamination of salmonella, listeria

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    Viva Raw pet food recalled due to potential contamination of salmonella and listeria

    Updated: 8:22 AM EDT Aug 27, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Raw pet food brand Viva Raw has recalled several of its dog and cat food products due to potential contamination with salmonella and listeria.The recall affects various beef, turkey and chicken varieties sold nationwide between July 2 and Aug. 21.The possible contamination was discovered during routine testing, although no illnesses have been reported so far.Pet owners are advised to contact their veterinarians immediately if their pets have consumed any of the affected products.Consumers should throw away the recalled items and contact Viva Raw for a refund.For more information, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website.

    Raw pet food brand Viva Raw has recalled several of its dog and cat food products due to potential contamination with salmonella and listeria.

    The recall affects various beef, turkey and chicken varieties sold nationwide between July 2 and Aug. 21.

    The possible contamination was discovered during routine testing, although no illnesses have been reported so far.

    Pet owners are advised to contact their veterinarians immediately if their pets have consumed any of the affected products.

    Consumers should throw away the recalled items and contact Viva Raw for a refund.

    For more information, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website.

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  • Pet Diets Are Quietly Contributing to Climate Change – but There’s a Simple Fix

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    London, United Kingdom, May 21, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Feeding your dog or cat might be doing more damage to the planet than you think.

    A new study has revealed that conventional meat-based pet food carries a largely unrecognized environmental cost – contributing significantly to land use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and climate breakdown. The review, just published, found that pet food production is closely tied to the livestock industry, which is responsible for at least one-fifth of annual global GHG emissions.

    With the world’s pet population now approaching one billion animals, the impacts are no longer minor. In the United States alone, dog and cat diets account for 25-30% of the environmental toll of livestock farming. One analysis even found that a single medium-sized dog’s diet in Japan had a greater environmental footprint than the average Japanese person’s diet.

    But experts say there’s a powerful – and practical – solution. Stated Billy Nicholles, the lead author, “Switching pets to nutritionally sound vegan diets significantly mitigates our dogs and cats’ environmental ‘paw prints.’ It’s a huge opportunity to reduce the environmental burden of our food system.”

    The study examined 21 existing analyses of pet food sustainability and concluded that diet was the single largest factor driving environmental impacts. Protein choice was key: pet foods rich in animal ingredients were consistently linked to much larger environmental impacts.

    By contrast, vegan pet diets – where formulated to be nutritionally sound – offered major reductions across all impact categories. If all pet dogs worldwide were fed a vegan diet, the resulting food energy savings could feed 450 million people, according to the study. Greenhouse gas savings would exceed the UK’s annual emissions.

    “This offers huge potential,” said Professor Andrew Knight, co-author and veterinary expert. “Modern vegan pet foods are not only safe, but often healthier. And they’re vastly more sustainable.”

    The report also pointed to emerging innovations like cultivated meat and precision-fermented proteins, which are beginning to enter the pet food market. These alternatives promise the taste and nutrition of meat without the massive environmental burden.

    With consumer demand growing, the authors urge governments, brands, and the public to rethink what goes into pet food bowls. “Sustainable pet food isn’t just a niche trend,” said Nicholles. “It’s a climate solution hiding in plain sight.”

    Contact Information

    Billy Nicholles
    Pet food researcher
    billy@bryantresearch.co.uk
    +44 7921461778

    Andrew Knight
    Veterinary Professor of Animal Welfare
    andrew.knight@murdoch.edu.au

    Source: Sustainable Pet Food Foundation

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  • Feeding your dog or cat a raw diet | Animal Wellness Magazine

    Feeding your dog or cat a raw diet | Animal Wellness Magazine

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    Explore the benefits of raw diets for pets and debunk common myths. Learn how to transition your dog or cat to a healthier, balanced diet.

    Raw diets offer many nutritional benefits to our dogs and cats. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of myths surrounding this type of feeding. Recognizing the misinformation and confronting it is often the first step. The next is learning how to safely and successfully switch your dog or cat to a raw diet. 

     

    Top 6 myths about raw food for dogs and cats

    1. “Raw meat diets are not balanced.”

    False! A raw diet can provide balance over time by including the proportions of meat, bone, organs, and vegetation found in prey animals. It is not necessary that every single meal be scientifically manipulated; in fact, it can even be detrimental. 

    Most commercial raw diet analyses meet currently accepted standards, while recipes for home preparation can be formulated using nutritional calculators, or with the guidance of a boarded nutritionist or holistic veterinarian. Balancing your dog or cat’s diet using fresh, whole foods is preferable to balancing it with synthetic ingredients.  

     

    2. “Raw meat diets are unsafe due to bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli.” 

    False! There are three reasons why raw meat diets are typically safer than commercial diets when it comes to bacterial contamination:

    • The high-pressure pasteurization utilized by many raw diet manufacturers destroys pathogenic bacteria in the products while leaving nutrition intact. 
    • The fermentation of raw food crowds out bad bacteria while highly desirable bacteria flourish. 
    • Livestock raised in reduced stress environments shed less pathogenic bacteria. Small raw diet manufacturers are a conscientious group who try to provide happily-raised and fresh-slaughtered meat sources in their products. You will not see the term “meal” on raw food labels, because it refers to rendered rather than fresh-slaughtered meat. 

     

    3. “Carnivores need grains to prevent heart disease.”

    False! Cats in particular are strict carnivores. They thrive best on meat which, when uncooked, contains taurine, a vital amino acid needed to prevent heart disease. Cooking meat destroys taurine. Interestingly, the heart muscle of a mouse contains among the highest levels of taurine. 

    In the same way, dogs will receive an abundance of taurine by eating uncooked meat, although they can also manufacture their own taurine by consuming methionine and cysteine. which is present in a variety of plants. 

     

    4. “Sick animals must eat veterinary prescription diets to recover and maintain health.”

    False! Holistic veterinarians counsel their clients to provide a fresh species-appropriate diet, with alterations, to assist with disease management. In my practice, I teach how to implement a “nitrogen trap” consisting of cooked, blended, dark leafy greens and probiotics. This “grabs” the nitrogenous waste in the gut and removes it via the stool so it does not build up in the blood stream and cause distress to the liver or kidneys. 

    These same greens and probiotics are beneficial to the gut as antioxidants and immune system enhancement, and benefit patients compromised with autoimmune disease or cancer. Appropriate added vegetation also manipulates urinary pH and treats dogs and cats prone to crystalluria. 

     

    5. “Veterinarians know best what to feed your dog or cat, and do not recommend raw food.”

    False! Conventional academia continues to provide veterinarians with limited short-sighted nutrition education. Allopathic doctors are unfamiliar with the benefits of feeding fresh food and continue to promote processed foods that contribute to health problems such as inflammatory bowel disease and urinary tract disease. 

    Holistic veterinarians seek nutritional education beyond what school offers. They travel the world to learn from experienced mentors and unconventional resources about why and how to implement raw feeding. These veterinarians do recommend fresh food diets, including frozen, freeze-dried, or balanced home-prepared diets. We can cite case after case of miraculous improvement in our patients when we changed a dog or cat’s diet from processed to raw. 

     

    6. “Feeding raw food causes diarrhea.”

    False! Whenever new nutrients enter the digestive system, one can experience a “cleanse.” Indeed, health-minded people cleanse or detox on purpose. A dog or cat cleansing on your carpet can be objectionable, however, which is why we change diets slowly. I warn clients that a cleanse could occur when transitioning a dog or cat to any new diet. 

    Once you transition successfully, however, your companion will produce small, firm stools. That’s because there is little to no waste and often significant amounts of ground bone in raw diets. This is normal and desirable. If the stool is too firm and difficult to expel, you can add fiber such as pumpkin or green beans to each meal.

     

    How to safely and effectively implement a raw diet 

    • Select several brands of high quality frozen or freeze-dried raw foods, or learn how to home-prepare. If you’re going the latter route, make sure to seek the guidance of someone who is experienced with implementing balanced, home-prepared diet for dogs and cats. The most common home-prep error is creating a recipe that’s devoid of calcium and organs and repeating it over and over.
    • Do not cook the food — cooking meat creates heterocyclic amines that behave as carcinogens. It also destroys nutrients and causes a loss of balance from the initial prey-concept diet. 
    • Add a probiotic/enzyme supplement to your dog or cat’s current food to aid with the transition. My favorite is a sprouted seed supplement that provides an amazing array of whole food-sourced vitamins, minerals, enzymes, Omega fatty acids, and millions of probiotics. Read ingredient labels to avoid synthetic additions such as mineral proteinates. These are hidden sources of soy protein, which is typically GMO and contains glyphosate, a potential carcinogen and antibiotic.
    • Clean bowls, work surfaces, and your hands after every meal. This is good common-sense practice.
    • To start, repeat a particular protein to assess for sensitivity, then include plenty of variety in your dog or cat’s meals. Variety helps avoid the unintentional repetition of an excess or deficiency of any particular nutritent/s. Keep in mind that no food is perfect unless a carnivore has access to its natural prey and is foraging in the wild. Do your research and choose a couple of trusted companies. Then choose two to four different proteins from each company, test each on your dog or cat, and then rotate frequently!
    • Add fiber as needed. An appropriate amount of pumpkin, green beans or other green blend can balance stool production and create a stool that is firm yet comfortable to pass, aids with proper anal gland expression, and is easy to pick up.
    • If your dog or cat has an existing illness, as discussed earlier, add warmed, blended greens and probiotics to create a “nitrogen trap” to replace vet-recommended prescription diets, especially for animals with liver or kidney issues, or cancer. Use added veggies to manipulate urinary pH as needed for animals prone to urinary crystal formation. Work with a holistic veterinarian who has experience using balanced, fresh, species-appropriate diets to manage disease.

     

    The final step is to watch your dog or cat enjoy his or her food! Be prepared for energy levels to rise, and coat quality to improve. Have fun experimenting with different whole foods as treats to see what your animal loves the most — offer veggies, fruits, or freeze-dried organs, and learn how to incorporate raw bones. Just remember to avoid grapes, raisins, onions, macadamia nuts and chocolate, which are all toxic to dogs and cats. Also avoid starchy biscuits – the sugar in these products contributes to inflammation, poor oral health, obesity, diabetes, and cancer cell replication. 

    Once you’ve successfully transitioned your dog or cat to a raw diet, you can congratulate yourself for being an initiative-taking animal parent, and helping your best friend live a long, quality, natural life!

     

    Making the switch to raw food

    The time it takes to transition your dog or cat to a raw diet depends on their response to the new food.

    • If your dog or cat loves the food and there is no vomiting or diarrhea, the transition may occur in three to seven days. 
    • If your companion is “addicted” to the carbohydrates in the existing processed food, suspicious of dietary change, or sensitive to a particular new protein, the transition may be more difficult. Finicky animals, especially cats, can take 21 days to convert. Be patient and persistent.
    • Monitor your dog or cat’s appetite and stool production.
    • Assure that adequate calories are consumed daily, especially by cats, who are prone to fatty liver disease. 
    • Use nutritional “tools” to help with the switch, such as foods you know your animal likes. These may include toppers, mix-ins, or “people food” such as canned sardines, bone broth (with no onions), etc. 
    • Add something hot to cold thawed food — freshly-caught prey animals are warm, not cold. Repetitive feeding of cold food damages “stomach Yin” from an Asian food therapy perspective.
    • Don’t make the food soupy as too much water can dilute stomach acids and impede proper digestion.
    • Do not feed too much at a time and prevent your dog or cat from eating too fast.


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    Veterinarian Dr. Jodie Gruenstern graduated from UW-Madison in 1987. She is a veterinary acupuncturist and food therapist certified by the Chi Institute; vice president of the Veterinary Medical Aromatherapy Association; and a member of the AHVMA. Dr. Jodie owns the Animal Doctor Holistic Veterinary Complex, is a nationally renowned speaker, author, TV and radio personality, and authored the book Live with Your Pet in Mind (DrJodiesNaturalPets.com, AnimalDoctorHolistic.com, iPAWaid.com).

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    Jodie Gruenstern, DVM, CVA

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