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What Is The AFFCO Label For Pets?

29 11:54:09

What Is The AFFCO Label For Pets?






     Your growing puppy needs a minimum amount of some 25 nutrients every day. How can you be sure the she is getting all of the vitamins and minerals she needs? Well, you could memorize every single one of them and how much should be in every serving of puppy food and then go to the pet store, look at the printing on the bag or can, and read such ingredients as "Potassium zero point six per cent, Sodium zero point zero six per cent, Chloride zero point zero nine per cent," and so on. But you'll be ecstatic to know there is a much easier technique to be sure you are feeding your puppy the right stuff. Just look for the words "Formulated to meet the AAFCO dog Food Nutrient Profile" - and your worries will be over.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials, in its own words, is a "voluntary membership association of local, state and federal agencies charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies." What this means to you as a puppy owner is that AAFCO is the leading and most trusted monitor of what goes into your puppy's food and whether it fits the "nutrient profile" for different breeds and ages of dogs (and in the case of female dogs, whether or not they are nursing puppy of their own). AFFCO's guidelines were developed after a great deal of research and investigation, and they are here and there being updated and improved. So if you see "Formulated to meet the AAFCO puppies Food Nutrient Profile for" and then a description that matches your puppy, you know that the contents of that bag or can be trusted.

But while AFFCO works with government agencies, it is not part of the government itself. Therefore it has no power whatsoever to enforce its guidelines on the makers of dog food. Since pup owners know of and greatly respect AFFCO's seal of approval, most puppies food companies have a strong stimulation to follow AFFCO's guidelines. Some, however, do not and they are not required to do so. So the responsibility for making sure you are purchasing puppy chow that got a thumbs up from AFFCO lies with you.

Under AFFCO guidelines, pup food differs from pup food in a number of key nutrients. Your young dog needs more fat, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, and (not surprisingly) protein in its diet than a full grown puppies. Look for that AFFCO endorsement on the packaging and you can be sure she is getting it!