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About Dog Food Labels
Dog Food Labels is a small, free library about one thing: reading a dog food label with confidence - the name rules, the ingredient list, the guaranteed analysis, the adequacy statement, and the claims in between. It is written for ordinary dog households - plain language, no brand rankings, no scare tactics - and it is made by the team behind PawLine, a research-based dog and cat Q&A app. PawLine app, patent pending.
How the guides are written
Each guide builds from the primary regulatory and scientific sources below. Rules and statistics are stated with their denominators and dates, wording stays neutral, and we name the source when a claim matters. We deliberately rank no brands and review no products. These guides are general information, not veterinary advice - your vet knows your dog.
Sources
- 「Animal Food Labeling and Pet Food Claims」 - US FDA: federal labeling requirements (21 CFR part 501), ingredient order and common-or-usual names, drug claims, reviewed specific claims, and the February 2026 enforcement discretion on certain color claims. US government public domain.
- 「Complete and Balanced Pet Food」 - US FDA: nutritional adequacy statements, AAFCO nutrient profiles and feeding trials, life stages, and the dry matter conversion with its worked example on adult cat foods (12% → 54.5%, 11% → 50%, 37% → 42%; 26% adult cat maintenance minimum). US government public domain.
- 「Questions & Answers: FDA's Work on Potential Causes of Non-Hereditary DCM in Dogs」 - US FDA: the DCM investigation status, report counts (1,382 dog reports, Jan 2014 - Nov 2022), the pulse-ingredient pattern, and FDA's vet-first advice. US government public domain.
- 「Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs」 - US FDA: xylitol sources, mechanism, symptoms, timing and what to do. US government public domain.
- 「Pet Food Labels」 - Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: required label items under state rules based on the AAFCO models, the 95% / 25% (dinner) / 3% (with) / flavor naming ladder, guaranteed analysis contents, adequacy statement wording, and treat rules. State government guidance; regulatory facts summarized in our own words.
- Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO): referenced for the existence and role of the model regulations and nutrient profiles that most states adopt. AAFCO's Official Publication is copyrighted; we restate regulatory facts in our own words and reproduce none of its text.
PawLine, the app behind this site
PawLine answers dog and cat questions with research-based answers shaped to your pet's breed, age, history and situation - including the food and label questions covered here. Free to download; see the store listing for current offers, pricing and trial terms.
