Dog food: what exactly is in it?

Nowadays, there are countless different brands of dog food available. For many people, it can therefore be difficult to determine which brand of food is best for their pet. All dog foods sold in Europe must meet various strict quality requirements (set by FEDIAF: The European Pet Food Industry). This means that all dog foods whose packaging states that they are complete foods contain all the nutrients your dog needs. Nevertheless, there are considerable differences in quality between different dog food brands. The trick is not to be misled by attractive images and catchy marketing claims, but to look at the composition of the products and learn how to assess it properly. In this blog, we give you tips on how to take a more critical look at the composition of dog foods.

Complicated terms

Probably no one is surprised that product packaging contains many difficult terms. The same applies to dog food packaging. Nevertheless, there is an important distinction. Although dog food from budget brands is also complete food and meets all quality requirements, these foods often contain only the basic and minimum requirements for nutrients and ingredients. Pet food manufacturers try to make the formulations seem a little better than they are, using, you guessed it: complicated terms. They often use a closed declaration. This means that the ingredients are grouped together and are not listed separately in the product composition. No percentages or precise information about the ingredients are provided. This makes it unclear and difficult for pet owners to determine what they are actually feeding their four-legged friends. Below, we explain some of these terms:


Meat and animal by-products
This is a vague term that makes it difficult to know exactly what is in the food. Under EU legislation, animal by-products are defined as ingredients not intended for human consumption. Although the food may contain muscle meat or organ meat, this is not guaranteed. The meat may consist of any combination of slaughter by-products, and could even include feathers, claws or hooves, bones and beaks. In addition, it is unclear which protein source is used in the food. This uncertainty can be particularly frustrating for owners of dogs with a sensitive gastrointestinal system or a food allergy or intolerance. Under the term ‘meat and animal by-products’, the manufacturer can use any possible combination of meat and animal by-products and can change the recipe at any time.


Cereals and vegetable by-products
Many manufacturers use cereals in their dog foods as a source of carbohydrates. Food with a high percentage of cereal products is not healthy for a pet in large quantities. Dogs are not able to digest large quantities of cereal products. This results in more stools because the body cannot absorb and digest all the nutrients from the cereals. In addition, dog foods often do not specify which type of cereal has been used (for example, barley, wheat or oats). If your dog has a cereal or gluten intolerance, it can be difficult to determine whether the food is suitable for your pet. Examples of vegetable by-products include wheat gluten and corn gluten.

Other ingredients that are best avoided in dog food

In addition to by-products, there are other ingredients that manufacturers add to dog food which are best avoided. One of these ingredients is sugar. Sugar that comes from a carbohydrate source (for example, a type of cereal, potatoes or legumes) is not harmful to dogs, but when sugar appears on the ingredients list, it means that it has been added to the food. Added sugar has no place in a healthy dog food. Sugar depletes the body of vitamins and minerals because nutrients are needed to process it. It also causes blood sugar levels to rise. Finally, too much sugar can contribute to obesity, dental problems and, in the worst case, diabetes.

Another example is salt, also known as sodium or chloride. The same applies here: if you spot these terms in the ingredients list of your dog’s food, it is better to look for another food for your four-legged friend. Salt can be added to products to improve their taste. However, too much salt in dog food can increase the risk of health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Too much salt is also bad for a dog’s kidneys.

Finally, alarm bells should ring if you see the term “artificial flavourings, colourings and/or flavour enhancers” in your dog’s food ingredients list. Unfortunately, manufacturers can add chemicals to dog food to alter the taste, smell and colour of the kibble. These chemicals provide no nutritional value, so they serve no purpose for the dog and are therefore unnecessary in dog food.