First of all, thank you for THE DOG BIBLE, which I enjoy reading. Your book has me getting to understand a lot of important topics. I have a pug named Macho who is almost two years old. Much as I would like to feed him fresh cooked food, my experience is that he is very sensitive to fresh food. When I was researching what type of canned food to feed Macho, I came across crude protein listed under “guaranteed analysis.” In your book, crude protein is one of the items listed under “what to avoid in foods,” as it is not an ingredient that a dog’s body can utilize, so I guess I need some clarification. Also, I encountered two different version of “guaranteed analysis” listed on dog food labels. Would you know the difference between Version A and Version B?

Guaranteed Analysis:
Version A:Moisture 78
Protein 9
Fat 7
Fiber 1
Version B:Moisture (Max) 78
Crude Protein (Min) 9

Thanks.

From: Victoria

Hi, Victoria. Thanks for your question, and sorry for any misunderstanding. In order to make sure you had a complete and comprehensive answer, I spoke with Mordanna, my nutritionist par excellence for THE DOG BIBLE. She’s always an incredible help, and I encourage you to look her up in the “Useful Links” section of my web site, www.thedogbible.com.

First of all, crude protein is not an “ingredient”; rather, it’s a term used to express the content of protein in food. It refers to the percentage of protein in the guaranteed analysis, which is simply a measure of all protein contained in the food, regardless of whether it is highly digestible (muscle meat and nutritious organs like hearts, livers, etc., and there’s quite a lot of that in good quality dry foods!) or not (byproducts that are anything but quality cuts of meat, or of plant or animal origin).

Bottom line? Just remember that what counts is what percentage of the food is made up of protein, fat, fiber, and moisture -- and that’s true whether your dog is consuming kibble, or canned food, or a frozen raw diet.

With regard to your “guaranteed analysis” question, the AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials, which regulates animal feed) gives this definition of what’s included: “At a minimum, a pet food label must state guarantees for the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.” Don’t be confused. Labels only guarantee testing methods and threshold guidelines -- sort of a “truth in advertising” -- not the quality of the nutrients. Other than that, the formatting of dog food labels is up to the manufacturer, though version B is more commonly used on packaging, as well as on websites and in product literature.

Finally, there are different reasons why dogs tolerate one food better than another. Start by paying particular attention to whatever they grew up on, or have adapted to. Consider as well that most canned foods have a higher fat content than mainstream dry foods (and fat, as important as it is in a dog’s diet, easily causes digestive upsets), and that overfeeding can also cause upset.

By the way, you’re right in your assumption that pugs tend to have super sensitive digestive tracts. They often don’t take well to changes in their diet, so transition gradually.

Hope this gives you the clarification you asked for.

Tracie Hotchner