Pick up the food your pet eats most often and turn the package around. Your first task is to find what it is intended to provide: a complete daily diet, a supplement, or a treat. Then check which animals it is designed to feed and how its portions are measured.
This guide focuses on U.S. dog and cat food labels. Keep the full package or clear photographs beside you as you work through the checks below.
1. Find the nutritional adequacy statement
Look for the statement explaining whether the food provides complete and balanced nutrition. It is often in small print on the side or back. A label that specifies intermittent or supplementary feeding describes a different purpose from an ordinary sole diet. AAFCO’s label guide explains these distinctions, including exceptions for veterinary diets used under professional direction.
The adequacy statement may refer to formulation that meets AAFCO nutrient profiles or to feeding tests using AAFCO procedures. These are ways of substantiating nutritional adequacy; the FDA’s complete-and-balanced explanation describes what they mean. Copy the wording into your notes rather than relying on a prominent package slogan.
2. Match species and life stage
Check that the label is for your pet’s species, then read its stated life stage. Growth, adult maintenance, and all-life-stages statements serve different needs. A food for adult maintenance is not automatically appropriate for a puppy or kitten. AAFCO recommends matching the food to the animal’s species, life stage, and condition.
For a puppy expected to become a large dog, read any qualification about growth of large-size dogs. Ask your vet to confirm suitability for your puppy’s expected adult size; VCA’s large-breed nutrition guide explains this extra label check.
3. Read calories with their units
Find the calorie statement. Labels use kilocalories, abbreviated kcal, and may show both kcal per kilogram and a familiar serving measure such as kcal per cup or can. Record the number and unit together. The WSAVA food-label guide shows how these entries appear.
For example, imagine a label lists 3,600 kcal/kg. Dividing by 1,000 gives 3.6 kcal per gram, so 50 grams contains 180 kcal. This is an arithmetic example, not a suggested portion for your pet. Likewise, a figure of 180 kcal per can describes the entire stated can size; it does not mean 180 kcal per spoonful or meal.
If you combine wet and dry food, write down both contributions. That gives your veterinary team a clearer picture than a description such as “a scoop and half a tin.”
4. Check whether the feeding amount is daily
Read the table headings carefully: identify the animal’s weight, the food amount, its unit, and the time period. A daily allowance divided between meals must not be served in full at every meal. Package feeding directions are starting guidance and may need adjustment for the individual animal. AAFCO discusses how to interpret feeding directions.
Ask your vet to set or review the feeding plan, especially when your pet’s weight, growth, activity, or health needs change. Include treats and other foods in that discussion.
5. Use ingredients and nutrient guarantees in context
An ingredient list alone cannot establish the overall quality of a diet. WSAVA recommends also asking about formulation expertise, quality control, and access to detailed nutritional information in its pet-food selection guide.
Take care with percentage comparisons, too. The guaranteed analysis includes the food’s moisture, so a wet food and a dry food cannot be compared fairly by reading their protein percentages alone. The FDA explains moisture-adjusted comparisons. Ask for help if you need a nutrient comparison for a medical feeding plan.
Your label worksheet
- Exact product and package size: ____________________
- Species and stated life stage: ____________________
- Adequacy statement: ____________________
- Calories with units: ____________________
- Feeding amount and time period: ____________________
- Question for the manufacturer or vet: ____________________
Use this same worksheet when browsing PawShips’ dog food or cat food. Check each product’s label and intended purpose before deciding how it fits your pet’s meals.
Photo: Rafael Rodrigues / Pexels