How to compare the nutrition in dog food
Comparing dog food nutritionally means reading the guaranteed analysis for protein, fat and fibre alongside the calorie content, rather than judging a food on the headline protein percentage alone. A 'highest protein' claim is a reading of the label, not a health verdict — the right food for your dog depends on its life stage, activity level and any health conditions, not on which bag has the biggest number on the front.
What the guaranteed analysis actually tells you
Every complete dog food carries a guaranteed analysis listing minimum protein and fat, and maximum fibre and moisture, as percentages of the food as sold. These figures let you compare foods on the same measures, but they are minimums and maximums rather than exact values, so two foods with identical numbers on the label are not necessarily identical in practice.
Wet and dry foods are not directly comparable on these percentages without adjustment, because wet food contains far more moisture — often 70-80% — which dilutes every other percentage compared with a dry food's roughly 10% moisture. Comparing a wet food to a dry food on the raw label percentages alone will make the wet food look lower in protein and fat than it actually is once moisture is accounted for.
It is also worth remembering that two foods with an identical guaranteed analysis can still behave differently in practice, since ingredient quality and digestibility are not shown on the label the same way percentages are, which is another reason to treat the numbers as one part of the picture rather than the whole of it.
Why 'highest protein' is not automatically 'best'
A high protein percentage is a fact about the food, not a verdict on whether it suits your dog. An older, less active dog with reduced kidney function may do better on a moderate-protein diet a vet has recommended, while a working or highly active dog may benefit from a higher level — the same number is a good fit for one dog and the wrong choice for another.
Fat content works the same way: it drives a lot of the food's calorie density, so a higher-fat food generally means more energy per bowlful, which matters for an active dog and works against a dog that needs to lose or maintain weight.
A more useful way to compare
Start from your dog's actual needs — age, activity level, any known health conditions — rather than starting from the label and working backwards. Your vet is the right person to advise on a target protein or fat range if your dog has a specific health condition that calls for one.
Once you know roughly what range you are looking for, comparing named ingredients, life-stage labelling and the actual guaranteed analysis across a shortlist of suitable foods gives a much more useful comparison than ranking every food on the shelf by a single headline number.
Our picks, and why
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch
Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£2.45
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Common questions
- Is a higher protein percentage always better for dogs?
- No. The right protein level depends on your dog's age, activity level and health, and some dogs — particularly older dogs with reduced kidney function — may do better on a moderate level a vet has recommended rather than the highest available on the shelf.
- Why does wet food look lower in protein than dry food on the label?
- Wet food contains much more moisture, often 70-80% compared with around 10% in dry food, which dilutes the percentages shown on the label. Comparing the two fairly means accounting for that moisture difference rather than reading the raw percentages side by side.
- What is the most useful number to compare between dog foods?
- There isn't a single best number — protein, fat and fibre together, read against your dog's actual needs, give a fuller picture than any one figure alone. Your vet can help identify which measures matter most for your individual dog.
- Should I switch my dog's food based on a nutritional comparison alone?
- A comparison is useful for narrowing down options, but any change of diet is worth introducing gradually and, for a dog with a health condition, discussing with your vet first, rather than switching purely because one food scores higher on a particular measure.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.