The Dog Food Nutrition Measurement You’ve Never Heard About

If you’re like us, you compare dog food the same way that you look at cereal box labels to determine which has the lowest sugar. However, one difference between human food labels and dog food labels is the amount of moisture in each product.

The FDA requires that pet food companies list a guaranteed analysis of four major diet aspects: protein, fiber, fat, and moisture. When used separately, these factors don’t accurately portray the food’s holistic nutrients because they’re not taking into account the varying amount of moisture in the food.

Dry kibble may have a higher percentage of protein, but it’s a reflection of the food’s makeup, not actually the amount of protein your dog will eat in a meal. Confusing, right? Even the FDA thinks so. On their website, they explain that “to make meaningful comparisons of nutrient levels between a canned and dry product, they should be expressed on the same moisture basis.”

To compare products evenly, you need to know the dry matter basis, a calculation which uses the percentage moisture and percentage protein to show you the product’s overall protein level.

Take a look at our pouch food. Its protein basis is listed as 10% on our label. However, the moisture max is 76%. It sounds like a small amount of protein and a lot of moisture, but let’s compare with a dry dog food.

To figure out the percentage of protein on a dry matter basis, divide the reported amount of protein by the total amount of dry matter (the amount when you subtract the % moisture from 100) then multiply by 100.

Let’s compare Hopkins Pork N' Potato's dry matter basis to a common dry dog food as an example.

Our pouch meal has 38.5% protein from REAL human-grade ingredients, far outweighing the 23.88% of the dry food. 

At the end of the day, it’s a matter of quality and what’s best for your pup.

We’re not saying you should feed your dog only Portland Pet Food Company, but combining wet and dry food is the good way to ensure your pet receives the highest level of protein while minimizing additives and fillers that traditional dog food has needed to improve the nutritional balance for cheaper prices. We use only USDA meats and vegetables that you would buy for yourself.

At Portland Pet Food Company, we make healthy, natural dog treats and healthy, natural dog food toppings. Our dog treats and toppings are especially good for senior dogs and dogs who are picky eaters. Gluten-free options are available in our dog treats and dog food toppings. Check out our fresh dog food toppers subscription service!

Food For Cats, Too
We also have cat food! Check out our chicken and pumpkin cat food and salmon and pumpkin cat food.