Bark Avenue Pet Supply

How to Read a Pet Food Label

Our dogs depend on us to make healthy choices when we select their food & treats.

It is important that all of the ingredients be high quality, recognizable foods & supplements. The front of the packaging contains the information the manufacturer wants you to see. But by law they must tell us the ingredients & list them in order of weight before the food is processed. It is up to us to read the label and decide which products will fit our pets’ nutritional needs.

With that in mind, look for the following when choosing a food:

•  Meat should be the first ingredient. This can be whole meat or meal. Meal is the fresh meat with the moisture removed. Since moisture is approximately 70% of the weight of whole meat, meal provides a more concentrated protein source and assures you that the meat is the predominant ingredient in the food.
• All meat sources should be species specific. Do not accept meat meal, animal fat, or poultry product. By Products can be a protein source but they are not a human grade meat source.
• Grains should be whole grains. Grain fragments, flours, and glutens are not whole grains and therefore lack the nutritional value necessary for optimal health.
• Minerals should be chelated or sequestered to assure utilization by the body.
• Food should be naturally preserved (Vitamins C, Vitamin E, etc). Never buy a food which contains BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin all of which hae been proven to contribute to the growth of cancers and immune system breakdown.
• Supplements should be added after the food is cooked and cooled. Most vitamins, minerals, digestive support, and joint supplements are heat sensitive and become inactive when exposed to heat in the cooking process. You can get information of each company’s production protocol from their websites, or ask any member of our staff for information on this important issue.