How to Read Pet Food Labels: Expert Tips from Pet Nutritionist Chelsea Kent

The front of a pet food bag is designed to catch your eye. The back is where the real story lives. In a recent Pet Summits interview, Understanding Pet Food Labels, pet nutritionist Chelsea Kent (owner of Hero's Pets, ParsleyPet, Solutions Pet Products, and Food Regulation Facts Alliance, who works closely with organizations including CIVT, RAHU, Paws For Change, and KetoPet Sanctuary) shared practical advice every pet parent can use. Here are our favorite takeaways, in her words, along with how we think about them at Pet Wellbeing.

Pet Summits session

Start by Actually Reading the Label

Kent's first point is simple: "If you don't at least take the time to read the back of the bag, then there's a really good chance that you're feeding lower quality than what you could."

Front-of-pack marketing is not the full picture. And when you do read the ingredient list, her guidance echoes how we evaluate human food: "Just like in human products, you want to be looking for ingredients that you recognize." She adds, "Just whole food ingredients in general are better," and "I think, just like with humans, fresh is better."

Don't Judge a Food Only by "Meat First"

Many of us scan for meat as the first ingredient and stop there. Kent cautions that "there are actually loopholes in ways to make it so that those ingredients are higher on the label than what they actually should be." In her view, ingredient order alone does not tell you how meat-rich a food really is.

Ask the Company Questions

This may be the most empowering part of the interview. "It's your responsibility and an opportunity for you to reach out to any company and say, 'Hey, I want to know more about this product in these ways. What kind of information can you share?'"

About sourcing, she says, "They should be able to tell you something about the meat." On the "human grade" label, Kent's view is that "if they are able to state human grade, and particularly if they've been somehow audited… then absolutely, if it's edible for humans, then that's by far the best standard."

Testing varies, too. "It is left up to the individual companies," Kent explains. "I know of a few companies that test every single batch. Some that test regularly, but not in every batch." And "sometimes they're only testing for pathogens on every batch. Sometimes they're testing the entire micronutrient profile."

Questions worth asking any pet food (or supplement) company:

• Where do your ingredients come from?

• Can you tell me about the meat or protein source?

• What do you test for, and do you test every batch?

• Are your claims, like "human grade," audited?

We wholeheartedly agree. At Pet Wellbeing, we welcome these same questions about our herbs and supplements, from where our botanicals are sourced to how each batch is tested.

Calories Matter More Than a Percentage of Body Weight

For raw feeders, Kent offered an eye-opening example: "If you are feeding, let's say, 2% of your pet's body weight in raw food, if you're feeding rabbit, you might be at half the calories that they should have in a day. If you're feeding pork, you might be at double the calories that they should have in a day." Her conclusion: "Looking at it from a more precise method, in my opinion, is a much better way to manage your pet's health."

Think Cost Per Calorie, Not Cost Per Pound

Here is a money-saving reframe we love. "If you're just looking at the price per pound, it's a horribly inaccurate way to identify how much you're actually spending," Kent says. "In reality, you should be looking at the price per calorie." Or put more simply: "How much does it cost you to use the product, not how much does it cost for you to buy the product?" In one comparison she noted, "That more expensive food is 10% less money to feed."

Overfeeding Is the Big One

Asked about common mistakes, Kent didn't hesitate: "I think overfeeding is number one. Feeding too many calories and also feeding too often." Many of us will recognize this scene: "When your dog is sitting there staring at you like, 'I'm so hungry, you haven't fed me all day,' and it's been an hour, that does not mean they're starving."

She also made a strong point about satiety: "You actually can't physically feed your dog enough to fill them up without metabolically injuring them." Instead, she suggests "using enrichment mats or stuffable toys with really low calorie things that are frozen in there, so they're hard to get out," adding that "figuring out the ways that you can not increase your dog's calories or the number of feedings that you're giving them in a day… is one of the best things that we can do for their overall health."

Weigh the Food

Perhaps the most immediately actionable tip: "I've actually noticed a lot of people they will over or under feed because they're using an eight-ounce measuring cup, and they assume that that actually weighs eight ounces." Kent notes, "Being able to figure out how much a cup of your specific food weighs can dramatically change the number of calories that you're feeding too." As the Pet Summits host summed it up: "Actually, weigh the food."

Know Your Priorities, and Personalize

"You have to identify what's most important to you," Kent says, and "educate yourself about how to determine those specific things." Her suggestion: "Maybe write out a list of priorities, like number one to 10." That list might include medical needs, calorie density, ingredient sourcing, budget, preparation time, or food format.

She also reminds us that one size rarely fits all: "I'm never a fan of sweeping statements." And "if you have five dogs and one has a heart problem and one has a type of cancer and one is obese and you know one is genetically predisposed to something, then sure you might make modifications to a base diet." Pets with health concerns deserve a plan built with their veterinarian.

Pet Wellbeing's Take: Building on a Thoughtful Bowl

A well-chosen, correctly portioned diet is the foundation. Once that is in place, some pet parents like to add targeted, whole-food or herbal support:

• SPARK is a powder food topper that sprinkles right onto your pet's meal, a simple way to add variety to a measured portion without adding an extra feeding.

• Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil is a popular addition for pet parents who want to round out a bowl with omega fatty acids.

• And since this week's theme is liver health: if your pet's veterinarian has you watching liver values, Milk Thistle is a gentle, single-herb option to help support healthy liver function as part of the plan.

As always, talk with your veterinarian before changing your pet's diet or adding supplements, especially for pets with medical needs.

Source: Chelsea Kent, "Understanding Pet Food Labels," hosted by Pet Summits.