Finding the Right Food for your Pet

Choosing the best pet food for your dog or cat can be very confusing. With hundreds of options available, how do you decide? One of the biggest criteria consumers use for judging a food is how the bag looks! Although this seems silly, if you don’t know what the pet food label means, how else are you supposed to make your choice? There are several things to look for on the bag that can help you make an educated decision, for example, the guaranteed analysis and an AAFCO statement. The guaranteed analysis, among other things, can you tell you the percentage of protein in the food. Protein is very important to keeping pets lean. However, the percentage of protein is not as good as of an indicator as the grams of protein per 100kcal. This information can only be found out by calling the pet food manufacturer. AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Membership in this governmental organization is voluntary. Pet food manufacturers don't have to comply to AAFCO standards to sell pet food. In general, pet foods companies that go the extra step to have an AAFCO statement on the side of their pet food, are more conscientious companies. Read more at westgatepetclinicmn.com to find out the best way to choose a food for your pet.