Aafco Feeding Trials Dog Food List: Choosing the Best for Your Pet

Choosing the right dog food for your furry friend can be overwhelming, especially with so many options available. Aafco feeding trials dog food list can help you narrow down your choices.

To ensure your dog gets the nutrients they need, look for foods that have undergone Aafco feeding trials. These trials assess a dog food's nutritional adequacy and ensure it meets the minimum standards for your dog's life stage.

Some dog foods have received excellent ratings from Aafco feeding trials, such as those that contain high-quality protein sources like chicken or salmon. These protein sources provide essential amino acids for your dog's overall health.

Aafco feeding trials also consider a dog food's digestibility, which is crucial for your dog's digestive health.

If this caught your attention, see: What Dog Food Is Best for Dogs with Diabetes

AAFCO feeding trials are a crucial aspect of ensuring the nutritional adequacy of dog food. They involve feeding a group of dogs the food in question for a period of six months to assess its safety and effectiveness.

To qualify as a complete and balanced food, a dog food must meet one of three standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO): nutrient profiles, AAFCO feeding trials, or the "family clause." AAFCO feeding trials are considered the gold standard, where a food is fed to at least eight dogs, each at least one year of age, for six months.

The trial is considered a success if six out of the eight dogs complete the trial without showing signs of nutritional deficiency or toxicity. The dogs must also not lose more than 15% of their initial body weight, and their average blood values must fall within acceptable levels.

Here are the specific criteria for AAFCO feeding trials:

The blood values tested are: Hemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum alkaline phosphatase, and serum albumin.

While AAFCO feeding trials are considered the gold standard, it's worth noting that most pet food companies use tests conducted in a lab environment, using confined, purpose-bred dogs.

Pet food claims can be confusing, but understanding them is crucial for making informed decisions about your furry friend's diet. AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) sets the standards for pet food claims.

There are three different definitions that can appear on pet food packaging, including "Product X is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or Cat) Nutrient Profiles for Life Stage Y." This means the food meets the AAFCO guidelines, but it's not necessarily been tested on real animals.

Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Product X provides complete and balanced nutrition for Life Stage Y. This is considered the "gold standard" and is the highest level of certification.

AAFCO requires that complete and balanced claims meet certain guidelines, including being formulated to meet the nutrient requirements for the food set forth by the AAFCO-recognized nutrient profile for the appropriate life stage(s).

The AAFCO feeding trials are not foolproof, and some formulators have found ways to meet the guidelines without actually testing the food on real animals. However, the "Animal Feeding trials" statement on the bag indicates that the food was fed to real dogs or cats and that they did well on it for 6 months as adult dogs or have grown well as puppies.

Here are the three AAFCO statements that can appear on a pet food bag, along with what they mean:

Large brands like Purina One, Science Diet, and Royal Canin have been tried and tested, so it's best to stick with them rather than switching to a newer food that claims to be healthier.

Here are the AAFCO requirements for complete and balanced claims:

When selecting a pet food, it's essential to consider the specific nutritional needs of your pet. This can vary depending on factors such as age, breed, and health conditions.

The AAFCO certification is a crucial factor to look for on pet food labels. AAFCO has three statements they will put on a bag: "Animal Feeding trials", "Formulated to meet", and "Meant for intermittent or supplemental feeding". The first statement is considered the "gold standard" and indicates that the food was fed to real dogs or cats and that they did well on it for 6 months as adult dogs or have grown well as puppies.

Don't be fooled by expensive pet food - it doesn't necessarily mean it's better. Your time and resources should also be considered when selecting a pet food.

Here are the three AAFCO statements you may see on pet food labels:

Breed-specific diets aren't always the best choice, and you should consider your pet's special medical needs when selecting a pet food.

When checking pet food labels, look for certification from The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This ensures the food meets nutritional standards.

AAFCO certification comes in two forms: a statement that the food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, or a statement that animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that the food provides complete and balanced nutrition.

The second statement indicates that the food has undergone testing and feeding trials to prove its nutritional value. This is a good indication of a healthy and safe food choice.

Large brands like Purina One, Science Diet, and Royal Canin have all been tried and tested, so it's best to stick with what you know. Look for these brands or others that have undergone the proper testing and diet trials.

Suggestion: Dog Trials

The AAFCO feeding protocol requires a minimum of eight healthy dogs at least 1 year of age and of optimal body weight for the test.

The test diet should be fed throughout the entire trial versus a concurrent control or colony average.

Test duration is 26 weeks, during which dogs can be fed ad libitum (free-fed) or based on energy needs.

Clinical observations and measurements include individual daily consumption, individual body weight at beginning, weekly and end, and hemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum alkaline phosphatase, and serum albumin measured at the end of the test.

A total of 25 percent of the dogs can be removed during the trial for non-nutritional reasons or poor intake.

To pass the study, all dogs not removed for non-nutritional reasons or poor intake must successfully finish the study, and no individual dog can lose more than 15 percent body weight and the group average cannot lose greater than 10 percent body weight.

The AAFCO protocol can be simplified to requiring six animals to pass based on physical observations and four blood parameters during a period of six months.