When selecting the right food for your pet, it’s easy to be drawn in by colorful packaging, catchy marketing phrases, or even buzzwords like “grain-free” or “holistic.” However, the most critical information is often tucked away in a section known as the Guaranteed Analysis. This part of the label provides a breakdown of the nutrient content in the food and is required by regulatory agencies like the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) in the United States. Understanding what the Guaranteed Analysis tells you—and what it doesn’t—can help you make more informed choices about your pet’s diet.
Let’s break down how to read and interpret this section of the label.
What Is the Guaranteed Analysis?
The Guaranteed Analysis is essentially the pet food manufacturer’s nutritional promise. It lists the minimum or maximum levels of key nutrients in the food, such as protein, fat, fiber, and moisture. You’ll typically see it formatted as a list of percentages:
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Crude Protein (min) – 25%
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Crude Fats (min) – 15%
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Crude Fiber (max) – 5%
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Moisture (max) – 10%
These percentages are based on the product’s weight and are important for comparing different types of pet foods. However, they are given on an “as-fed” basis, which includes the food’s moisture content. This can make comparisons between wet and dry foods a bit tricky unless you convert the figures to a dry matter basis (more on that later).
Key Nutrients Listed and What They Mean
Each component in the Guaranteed Analysis serves a different function in your pet’s health. Here’s what the most common items mean:
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Crude Protein (min): This is the minimum amount of protein in the food, which is vital for muscle development, immune function, and overall health. “Crude” refers to the method of measuring nitrogen content and doesn’t speak to the quality of the protein source.
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Crude Fat (min): Fat provides energy and supports healthy skin and coat. Like protein, this is a minimum amount. More fat could be present, especially in high-energy or performance diets.
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Crude Fiber (max): Fiber affects digestion and stool quality. High levels of fiber can reduce calorie content but too much may interfere with nutrient absorption.
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Moisture (max): This shows the maximum percentage of water in the product. Wet foods tend to have much higher moisture levels (often around 75-80%) compared to dry kibble (about 10%).
Some labels may also include additional nutrients such as taurine (important for cats), omega fatty acids, or ash (mineral content), depending on the brand and formulation.
Comparing Dry vs. Wet Foods
Because wet and dry foods contain different amounts of water, comparing their nutrient levels directly from the label can be misleading. For a fair comparison, nutrients should be evaluated on a dry matter basis—which means removing the water from the equation.
Here’s how to convert a nutrient to dry matter basis:
Subtract the moisture percentage from 100. This gives you the percentage of dry matter.
Divide the nutrient percentage by the dry matter percentage.
Multiply by 100 to get the final percentage.
For example, if a wet food contains 10% protein and 78% moisture:
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Dry matter = 100 – 78 = 22%
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Protein on dry matter basis = (10 ÷ 22) × 100 = 45.5%
This reveals that while the label shows only 10% protein, it’s actually quite protein-rich when adjusted for moisture.
What the Guaranteed Analysis Doesn’t Tell You
While the Guaranteed Analysis is useful, it has limitations. It doesn’t provide:
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Ingredient quality: The analysis doesn’t distinguish between high-quality and low-quality protein sources (e.g., chicken breast vs. poultry by-product).
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Exact nutrient levels: Only minimum or maximum values are listed. A food labeled with a “minimum 25% protein” might actually contain significantly more.
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Nutritional adequacy: Just because a food has certain nutrient levels doesn’t mean it’s balanced. Look for the AAFCO statement on the label indicating whether the food is complete and balanced for your pet’s life stage.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the Guaranteed Analysis on your pet’s food label is a powerful step toward ensuring your dog or cat receives the right nutrition. By knowing how to interpret these numbers—and when to dig deeper—you can make smarter decisions for your pet’s health. Keep in mind that while the Guaranteed Analysis offers a snapshot of the food’s nutrient content, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Ingredient quality, sourcing, manufacturing standards, and veterinary guidance should all play a role in your final choice.
Always consult with your veterinarian before making major changes to your pet’s diet, especially if your pet has health conditions or specific dietary needs.
