How to read a dog treat label
Dog treat labels follow rules set by AAFCO and the FDA, and once you know what to look for, they tell you a lot in a few lines.
Start with the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed by weight, heaviest first. If the first ingredient is a meat, good. If it's a flour, a starch, or 'meat by-products,' the treat is mostly filler. Watch for the same thing listed under several names, like 'wheat flour, wheat gluten, wheat middlings,' which spreads one ingredient across three lines so it lands lower on the list.
Next, the guaranteed analysis: minimum protein, minimum fat, maximum fiber, maximum moisture. For a meat jerky, protein above 50 percent and moisture below 15 percent means it's actually meat and actually dried. Ours is 62 percent protein and 14 percent moisture, max.
Last, look for the words 'made in' and a lot number. 'Distributed by' tells you where the office is, not where the treat was made. A lot number means the maker can trace a batch if something goes wrong. Both are on every one of our bags.