How do I know if my dog food is nutritionally complete?

 

A nutritionally complete dog food has 6 components, according to AAFCO, or Association of American Feed Control Officials: protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and water. So, when you’re purchasing your dog’s food, check the labels thoroughly to see if all the components are present. Next comes the question of bioavailability of the nutrients, which is where most pet parents get stuck. Bioavailability of a nutrient is its ability to get absorbed into the body so that it can nourish the body. High-quality meat, like chicken breast, has higher protein bioavailability than ultra-processed meat-byproducts. Therefore, not only the presence of all the necessary nutritional components, but also high-quality ingredients becomes important for a nutritionally complete meal for dogs. 

Why does this matter?

  • 100g of chicken breast and 100g of byproduct will not give the same amount of protein to the body ultimately. Chicken breast has higher protein bioavailability. So, it is not enough that a food is high in protein. The quality of the protein becomes equally important, so that you can rest assured that your dog’s body is getting enough usable protein. The same thing applies to the other components as well.

  • Every nutritional component is tied to another; they need to come together well for maximum impact. For example, vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble vitamins. Therefore, they depend on healthy fats in the diet for absorption. They work in tandem, which makes a complete, balanced meal so important for dogs.

What do vets generally agree on?

A healthy, balanced diet for dogs needs to have the right amounts of high-quality protein, healthy fats like omega-3 and omega-6, soluble fibre, essential vitamins, minerals, and moisture. Apart from that, a high-quality protein, like chicken breast, should come first on the list of ingredients. Meat by-products and derivatives have less bioavailable protein than lean meat like chicken breast, lamb loin, etc. That’s why the ‘human grade’ label also becomes very important. This signifies that the meat is safe enough for human consumption, meaning the quality is high. Otherwise, a large number of pet food is made with meat that is leftover after human consumption, known as ‘feed grade’. 

When to be careful?

The problem with pet food in India is that there are hardly any regulations. Companies can mention or omit just about any information, and there are almost no safeguards in place. That’s why relying on marketing is not good enough. Do your research, check the labels well, and consult your vet if you find anything of concern. Their food is the building block for their life, much like us. So ensuring that they are eating a balanced, nutritionally complete diet is very important for a longer life and a better quality of life. Human-grade, 100% natural BLEP dog food goes through a number of heavy metal, nutritional, shelf-life and palatability tests in reputed, third party labs to ensure that nothing harmful reaches a pup’s bowl. 

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