How To Calculate Dry Matter In Dog Food? Many dog owners are concerned about their dog food’s macronutrient content, specifically how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates it contains. Dog food labels don’t always provide the answers to these questions.
The protein, fat, and carbohydrate content of pet food cannot be computed directly from the guaranteed analysis listed on the label. This post will show you how to do it.
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What Is Dry Matter Basis Of Dog Food & Why Is It Important?
“Dry matter basis” is a term for an analysis of a food’s nutrients based solely on its dry matter content. There is a marked difference in the nutritional composition of the dry and wet foods when moisture is removed from the equation.
Dry matter basis calculations allow you to compare pet food products side-by-side, allowing you to choose the most nutritionally sound food for your dog.
In terms of nutrient profiles, labels on pet food can be misleading, but this isn’t necessarily because companies are dishonest, but rather because they are held to a standard of labeling that doesn’t adequately compare different products.
While some products may appear to be of higher quality than they are, others may be overlooked because they appear to be of lower quality.
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What Are Ideal Dry Matter Basis Results?
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because the ideal dry matter basis for each dog varies greatly. Age, health, activity level, and whether or not a dog has been spayed or neutered all influence a dog’s caloric and nutrient requirements. Protein content of 40% on a dry matter basis may be ideal for a canine athlete who takes part in regular physical activity.
A dry matter basis of 40% protein is too high for a dog with kidney failure to handle. Compared to sedentary dogs, active dogs can tolerate a higher fat content in their food without gaining weight. Consult with a veterinary nutritionist or your regular veterinarian to get a good idea of what your dog’s ideal dry matter basis results should be. So they can provide you with the best advice for your dog as a result.
Why Do You Need to Understand Dry Food Matter Basis?
A dog food manufacturer’s ‘guaranteed analysis,’ the percentage of contents you see on the bag, is called this by consumers. Canned dog food, kibble, and raw food all have different amounts of water in them, and this makes it difficult for consumers to understand what they’re feeding their dogs. It has been brought up again by the FDA.
To accurately calculate the percentages, you need to remove the moisture content from the food to get the true nutrient amounts. Your dog’s food will be compared more accurately this way.
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Calculating Dry Matter Basis
How much protein is actually in the can? Let’s say the label on the can says it has 12%, but 70% of the can is water. In reality, you’d have only 30% dry matter after removing all of the water, making the 12% protein content figure inaccurate. Fortunately, determining the dry matter basis is a simple task.
For this reason, dividing the dry matter content by the protein content, in this case, 12 percent, will give you the actual protein content in your dog food. Multiply the final number by 100 to arrive at your answer. If (12/30) were multiplied by 100, the answer would be 40%.
What About Wet Food For My Dog?
When deciding whether or not to feed your dog wet food, you must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. Dry food may have a higher percentage of dry matter by weight, but because wet food is smaller in volume, you must feed more of it.
Feeding a baby with wet food is usually much more expensive than doing so with dry food. In addition, kibble helps keep teeth clean and wet food has a shorter shelf life once opened than dry food.
However, some dogs prefer wet food because it is higher in nutrients and tastier. It has a higher dry matter basis of fiber than dry food, making it a better choice for dogs with digestive problems because it offers more options for dogs who need more water in their diet. You and your veterinarian can decide whether or not to feed your dog wet food.
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Conclusion
Dry matter basis can help you choose the best, most nutritionally dense food for your pet by providing excellent guidance. When you are in the grocery store and need to compare foods, you will benefit greatly from practicing the equation until you are comfortable with it.
Because of its effectiveness, this method of determining a food’s nutritional value is becoming increasingly popular. A dry matter basis should be included on product labels, hopefully. Calculating it yourself until then is an option.
