For a healthy cat or dog, start with food labeled for the right species and life stage, then check its nutritional adequacy statement and follow the feeding directions. Adjust portions to your pet’s weight and condition. For a medical problem, a home-cooked diet, or a major diet change, ask your veterinarian for guidance.
How do you choose food for a cat or dog?
Use the package as a starting point, not a substitute for considering the individual animal. Dogs and cats have different nutrient requirements, and foods intended for growth and reproduction are not interchangeable with foods for adult maintenance. AAFCO recommends matching food to the pet’s species, life stage and condition, and following the feeding directions on the package. AAFCO’s pet-food selection guide explains these label basics.
- Match the species and life stage. Choose a dog food for a dog or a cat food for a cat, and check whether the label identifies the food for the relevant life stage, such as growth or adult maintenance.
- Read the nutritional adequacy statement. Look for a statement that the food is complete and balanced for the stated species and life stage. FDA explains that this claim is supported by meeting the applicable AAFCO nutrient profile or passing an AAFCO feeding trial. These are different bases for the claim; check which one the label gives. FDA’s explanation of “complete and balanced” describes both.
- Use the feeding directions as a starting point. A food may be nutritionally adequate but still be fed in an amount that is too large or too small for an individual pet. Follow the package guidance and monitor your pet’s weight and body condition.
- Account for health needs. If your pet has a medical condition or needs a therapeutic diet, ask your veterinarian which food and feeding plan fit that animal.
“Complete” means the required nutrients are present; “balanced” means they are in the correct ratios. Treats and supplements generally are not complete foods, so do not assume they can replace a complete meal. AAFCO’s guidance covers the meaning of these terms and why both nutrient content and intake matter.
How can you compare food labels fairly?
Do not judge a food by its ingredient list alone
An ingredient list does not establish the quality of the ingredients or the overall quality of the food. WSAVA’s nutrition guidelines include label guidance, diet-history tools, and body- and muscle-condition charts that can help frame a discussion with your veterinarian. Comparing ingredient names or their order is not a substitute for checking adequacy, life stage, feeding directions, and your pet’s needs.
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Convert wet and dry food values to dry matter before comparing
The guaranteed analysis reports nutrient percentages on an “as-fed” basis, while AAFCO nutrient profiles express levels on a dry-matter basis. Because canned food typically contains 75–78% moisture and dry food typically contains 10–12% moisture, a percentage on one label cannot be compared directly with the same percentage on another when moisture differs substantially. These moisture ranges are typical figures cited by FDA to explain the comparison. FDA’s label explanation gives the conversion method.
Dry-matter percentage = guaranteed nutrient percentage ÷ (100 − moisture percentage) × 100. For example, on a hypothetical food labeled 10% protein and 78% moisture, the calculation is 10 ÷ 22 × 100, or about 45.5% protein on a dry-matter basis. This is a comparison calculation, not a recommendation or a statement about any specific product.
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How much should you feed?
Use the package’s feeding directions as an initial guide, then assess how your own pet responds. Monitor weight and body condition and adjust intake with veterinary advice when needed. WSAVA provides body- and muscle-condition charts, diet-history tools, and calorie charts for healthy adult cats and dogs; its calorie charts are listed as updated in July 2020, so treat them as starting points rather than individualized prescriptions. WSAVA’s nutrition resources are available for owners and veterinary teams.
Are grain-free diets linked to DCM in dogs?
The cause of non-hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs is not known. FDA has received reports associated with both grain-free and grain-containing diets; many diets in those reports listed non-soy legumes or pulses high among their ingredients. FDA says these ingredients have been used in pet food for many years and that there is no evidence they are inherently dangerous. Reports do not prove that grain-free food or legumes cause DCM.
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FDA says it continues to explore possible roles for genetics, underlying medical conditions, and other factors. Discuss diet changes with your veterinarian rather than making a decision based on a single ingredient or a reported association. See FDA’s DCM questions and answers for its current explanation.
What should you know about raw and homemade diets?
Raw diets require attention to food-safety and injury risks
WSAVA identifies risks from bacterial contamination to pets and people, oral or intestinal injury from bones, and nutrient deficiencies when a raw diet is poorly formulated. Commercial raw food still requires careful hygiene and stool disposal. WSAVA advises households with young children, elderly people, or immunocompromised members not to feed raw meat products to pets. Its FAQ on nutrition questions and myths explains these concerns.
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- Wet food for cats crafted by Purina, a trusted leader in pet nutrition, formulated to meet industry standards for cat food and checked for quality and safety
Home-cooked recipes need complete formulation
A generic recipe should not replace a pet’s primary meals unless it has been formulated by someone with training in veterinary nutrition. Complete formulation must account for nutrient minimums and, in some cases, maximums; nutrient ratios; calories; and life stage. Some ingredients used in human food can also be toxic to pets. AAFCO notes that non-commercial homemade foods are not subject to state or federal feed regulation and that formulating a complete diet is complex. Ask your veterinarian for help finding an appropriate veterinary nutritionist if you want a home-cooked plan. See AAFCO’s pet-food FAQ and the WSAVA FAQ.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did FDA report about Quest Cat Food in 2026?
In a 2026 advisory, FDA reported that all eight Quest Cat Food lots it tested contained extremely low or no thiamine. Each tested lot was below the 5.6 mg/kg dry-matter minimum cited from the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profile. FDA also said some affected products carried an AAFCO-based adequacy claim. This finding concerns the specified lots; it is not evidence that every lot or every commercial cat food is affected.
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For exact products and lot details, consult FDA’s Quest Cat Food advisory and check current recall or stop-sale information. Do not assume the affected lots remain available.
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