A Guide to Understanding Packaging

Throughout the next section we’ll use the Pets at Home Complete label as a reference point to highlight what you should be looking out for on your pet food label.

You should also be able to get a fair idea of what the main ingredients are within the products, as these are listed in quantity order with the most first.

Click on one of the links below to view each section:

• Important Nutrients at a Glance
• Why is animal protein important to my dog's diet?
• Why is it important for dog food to contain animal fats?
• Why are carbohydrates so useful?
• Why are vitamins important to my dog's health?
• Why are minerals important?
• Why is water important?
• Why is it beneficial to have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives in my dog's food?

Animal protein (chicken, egg, lamb, fish and beef) is one of the most digestible protein sources available and helps promote good health. Protein has many functions in the body, but one of the most important is to supply amino acids to build hair, skin, nails, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Animal protein can be split into the following label definitions;

• Fresh Meat or Fish: Fresh meat or fish is from sources deemed suitable for human food. There are a number of advantages of fresh meat, including higher digestibility, palatability and nutritional value
• Rendered Meat or Fish: Rendered meats are commonly listed as ‘meat meal’ or ‘poultry meal’ on the ingredient label. They are the cooked and processed remains of the leftovers in meat, fish and poultry processing. This isn’t to say they are poor quality as in the EC the source animal must have been deemed suitable for human consumption. Every time you process meat you run the risk of destroying essential nutrients.
• Animal Derivatives: Is the broad category name which encompasses all animal ingredients. The broadness of the category means that these may be products left over after most of the meat has been used, such as feather, hoof, hair, bone, blood and fatty tissue.

To see what level of meat is contained in your pet’s food, look out for these on the label.

Fats are found in meats, fish and plant oils. Fat is the most concentrated energy source per gram as it provides more than twice the energy of protein and carbohydrates. The main components of fats are fatty acids, which are extremely important for growth and development as well as helping your dog to maintain a healthy heart, joints, skin and coat. To see what fats are contained in your dog’s food, look out on the ingredients panel for animal fat, corn oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, fish meal, fish oils and flax (linseed).

Carbohydrates are included in a pet’s diet as a source of quick energy (starch) and as a source of fibre. Look out for cereals and grains such as barley, maize and rice on the ingredients panel as these are common carbohydrates found in dog food. As carnivores dogs may find foods with a high cereal content less palatable and digestible. Certain fibres promote a healthy digestive system by providing enough bulk for firm stools and maximum absorption of nutrients. Look out for fibres such as sugar beet pulp and rice bran as these help support optimum intestinal health. Oats, although an excellent balanced fibre source may cause dry stools in some cases and the fibre lactulose can mean a very gassy dog.

Vitamins are required for converting food to energy and for growth of cells. Some vitamins e.g. Vitamin E are antioxidant vitamins and they play a vital role in keeping a dog’s immune system healthy. Antioxidants help prevent the destruction of key nutrients such as vitamins and fatty acids which are all essential for health, growth and development.

The minerals calcium and phosphorus are essential for maintaining strong teeth and bones.

Water is vital; without it, your dog’s body cannot transport nutrients, digest nutrients for energy, regulate temperature or eliminate waste. Therefore it is extremely important to always provide your dog with a fresh supply of water.

Artificial colours, flavours and preservatives are added to foods to improve characteristics or appearance of the food, yet provide no nutritional value. For a more natural option look out for no artificial colourants, flavourings or preservatives on the label.