The Guaranteed Analysis on Dog Food: What It Tells You (and What It Doesn't)

Where to find it on the bag

The Guaranteed Analysis is normally on the back or side of the package, near the ingredient list. (see AAFCO ▼)

The four required numbers

By federal law, every pet food label must list four guarantees: minimum crude protein, minimum crude fat, maximum crude fiber, and maximum moisture. (see AAFCO ▼) (see Tufts ▼)

The word “crude” on the label doesn't mean “rough” or “unrefined.” It refers to the lab analytical method used to measure each nutrient — for example, crude protein is estimated by measuring nitrogen and multiplying by 6.25. (see AAFCO ▼) See our crude protein guide for more.

Why two are “minimum” and two are “maximum”

Protein and fat are listed as minimums— the bag is guaranteeing the food contains at least that much. Fiber and moisture are listed as maximums— the bag is guaranteeing the food contains no more than that much. Either way, the printed number is a boundary, not the actual amount. (see Tufts ▼)

The numbers are floors and ceilings, not exact amounts

This is the part most owners miss. The label guarantees that the food contains at least the listed minimum (for protein and fat) and at mostthe listed maximum (for fiber and moisture) — but there can be a lot of variation between those boundary numbers and the actual amount in any given batch. (see Tufts ▼)

For most healthy dogs that doesn't matter much. But if your dog needs strict portion control — calorie-restricted for weight loss, low-fat for pancreatitis history, low-protein for some kidney conditions — the label may not be precise enough. Ask the manufacturer for a typical nutrient analysis, or talk to your vet about whether a prescription diet is the right call.

Wet vs dry: don't compare the GA numbers directly

Here's the trap most people fall into. The Guaranteed Analysis numbers are on what's called an “as-fed” basis — they include all the water in the food. And water content varies widely between formats: dry kibble is around 10% moisture, a canned/wet food is typically 75–82%. (see Tufts ▼)

That means a kibble showing “26% protein min” on the bag and a wet food showing “10% protein min” aren't actually as different as the numbers suggest — the wet food just has more water diluting the percentage. To compare meaningfully, convert each food to a dry-matter basis: divide each nutrient's percentage by the food's percent dry matter (which is 100 minus moisture), then multiply by 100. (see FDA ▼)

Compare two foods on a dry-matter basis (calculator) →

What the Guaranteed Analysis does NOT tell you

• Digestibility or ingredient quality. Two foods can both hit the same “26% crude protein minimum” with very different ingredients — the GA number doesn't tell you whether the protein is from a highly-digestible animal source or a less-digestible plant by-product. See our crude protein guide for the digestibility angle.
• The actual amount. Only the floor (for protein and fat) or the ceiling (for fiber and moisture). (see Tufts ▼)
• Whether the food is right for your dog. That's the Nutritional Adequacy Statement (a different panel on the bag, also AAFCO-defined), which tells you the food meets nutrient requirements for a stated life stage. See our AAFCO complete-and-balanced guide for that side.
• A useful direct comparison between two foods. Tufts Petfoodology notes the GA is “fairly useless as a way to compare pet foods” on its own — you need to convert to dry-matter (above) and ideally compare on a per-calorie basis too. (see Tufts ▼)

Voluntary additions (calcium, omega-3, etc.)

Manufacturers can add more guarantees beyond the required four. If a bag advertises “added omega-3” or “with calcium,” the manufacturer must list that nutrient in the Guaranteed Analysis as well — appearing after moisture, in the order AAFCO's nutrient profile uses. (see AAFCO ▼)