peterpeter
New member
So I was reading over the AAFCO recommendations for calcium content in large breed puppy food, and I came across something interesting. They have two different set of reccs based on dry matter and calorie content. With most foods, they are pretty interchangeable, meaning that if a dog food meets the requirements on a dry matter basis, they will meet them on the calorie content side as well.
However, I found a dog food that meets the requirement in on a dry matter basis but not in the calorie content area. For those who don't know AAFCO recommends no more than 1.8% calcium in a large breed puppy food (dry matter) or no more than 4.5 grams per 1000 kcal (calorie content)
https://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/Sit...osed_Revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles.pdf PG 4-6
The dog food I'm referencing has a dry matter calorie percentage of 1.76%, just under the 1.8% limit. However when you look at the calorie content measure, the amount is 5.3 grams per 1000 kcal, almost a full gram over the recommended AAFCO amount. Keep in mind this dog food proudly displays the "we meet AAFCO recommendations for large breed puppies" statement on their food labels. But is this really true if they don't meet it on a calorie content level?
Is this common? Have you ever seen a food like this differ so much between dry matter and calorie content? I guess I'm confused since I thought these measures were pretty interchangeable when referring to meeting AAFCO recommendations. As I said most foods meet the requirements in both but this one does not. Maybe it has something to do with the density of the food?
As you can see I've gone all in on this food thing lol. I'm slowly losing my mind trying to find this adorable little GR puppy the right food, and I'm just afraid I'm missing something here.
FYI I used DFA and Tufts calcium/calorie calculator and they came out to the same answers, which is where I got the numbers from.
I appreciate any input!
However, I found a dog food that meets the requirement in on a dry matter basis but not in the calorie content area. For those who don't know AAFCO recommends no more than 1.8% calcium in a large breed puppy food (dry matter) or no more than 4.5 grams per 1000 kcal (calorie content)
https://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/Sit...osed_Revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles.pdf PG 4-6
The dog food I'm referencing has a dry matter calorie percentage of 1.76%, just under the 1.8% limit. However when you look at the calorie content measure, the amount is 5.3 grams per 1000 kcal, almost a full gram over the recommended AAFCO amount. Keep in mind this dog food proudly displays the "we meet AAFCO recommendations for large breed puppies" statement on their food labels. But is this really true if they don't meet it on a calorie content level?
Is this common? Have you ever seen a food like this differ so much between dry matter and calorie content? I guess I'm confused since I thought these measures were pretty interchangeable when referring to meeting AAFCO recommendations. As I said most foods meet the requirements in both but this one does not. Maybe it has something to do with the density of the food?
As you can see I've gone all in on this food thing lol. I'm slowly losing my mind trying to find this adorable little GR puppy the right food, and I'm just afraid I'm missing something here.
FYI I used DFA and Tufts calcium/calorie calculator and they came out to the same answers, which is where I got the numbers from.
I appreciate any input!