BorkBites

Dog food labels shouldn’t require a PhD. Let’s break down this mysterious little chart, one paw at a time.

Ever flipped over a bag of kibble and been hit with the dreaded “Guaranteed Analysis” section? It’s that tiny, unassuming chart near the ingredients list—filled with numbers, percentages, and terms like “crude protein” that sound more like science class than snack time.

Don’t worry—you’re not alone in thinking, “What am I supposed to do with this?”

The truth is, the Guaranteed Analysis (GA) holds a few (very) useful clues about what’s in your dog’s bowl—but it’s far from the full story. Let’s dig in, BorkBites style, and decode it together. No eye-glazing allowed.

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🐾 What Even Is the Guaranteed Analysis?

The Guaranteed Analysis is basically the dog food version of a nutrition facts label. It’s legally required in most places and shows the minimum or maximum levels of certain nutrients—like protein, fat, fiber, and moisture.

Here’s the catch:

✅ It gives you a snapshot, not the full picture.

❌ It doesn’t tell you anything about the quality or source of those nutrients.

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📊 What’s Usually Listed—and What It Means

Let’s sniff out what each line actually means:

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🥩 Crude Protein (Min)

This is the minimum amount of protein in the food, measured before digestion. “Crude” doesn’t mean low-quality—it just refers to the testing method used in the lab.

What to know:

• A higher % doesn’t always mean better if it comes from poor sources (hello, by-products).

• Animal-based proteins are more digestible than plant ones.

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🦴 Crude Fat (Min)

Fat is essential for energy and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (plus, it makes food taste good). This is the minimum amount guaranteed.

What to know:

• Look for healthy fat sources like chicken fat or fish oil.

• Super high fat? Great for active dogs—not ideal for couch potatoes.

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🌾 Crude Fiber (Max)

Fiber helps with digestion and poop quality—but too much can lead to frequent flyer miles to the yard.

What to know:

• Fiber should be moderate. Too high = possible filler.

• Look for named sources like beet pulp, sweet potatoes, pumpkin—not vague “plant fiber.”

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💧 Moisture (Max)

This shows how much water is in the food.

Typical moisture content:

• Kibble: 10–12%

• Wet food: 70–80%

Why it matters: You must factor this in when comparing protein/fat across wet and dry foods. Speaking of…

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🔬 Dry Matter Basis: The Secret Formula

Comparing wet food and kibble without removing moisture is like comparing a watermelon to a raisin. To get a true side-by-side:

🧠 Dry Matter Formula:

Nutrient % ÷ (100 – Moisture %) × 100

Example:

• A wet food with 9% protein and 78% moisture →

9 ÷ (100 – 78) × 100 = 40.9% protein on a dry matter basis.

Wild, right? Way more impressive than it looks at first glance.

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🚩 What the GA Doesn’t Tell You

Here’s where it gets real: this chart doesn’t give you the full story.

❌ Where the protein or fat comes from

❌ Whether the ingredients are high-quality

❌ What the carb content is (they’re not listed at all!)

❌ Presence of artificial additives, preservatives, or fillers

That’s why the GA should never be the only thing you look at—it’s just one piece of the puzzle.

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🐶 The BorkBites Bottom Line

✅ Use the Guaranteed Analysis to:

• Spot extremes (like sky-high fiber or suspiciously low protein)

• Compare similar food types using dry matter

• Get a general sense of nutrient balance

🚫 Don’t use it to:

• Judge ingredient quality

• Assume higher numbers = better food

• Make decisions without checking the ingredient list and sourcing

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📝 TL;DR Cheat Sheet:

Nutrient	What It Means	Watch Out For
Crude Protein	Minimum protein content	Low % or unnamed sources
Crude Fat	Minimum fat content	Very high fat (unless your dog needs it)
Crude Fiber	Maximum fiber content	Too much = filler overload
Moisture	Maximum water content	Adjust when comparing wet vs. dry foods

📋 Don’t leave the pet store guessing.

Sniff out the facts with the BorkBites Guaranteed Analysis Cheat Sheet—your secret weapon for decoding dog food labels without the BS.

👉 [Download the free cheat sheet here] 👈
Snag it. Print it. Rule the pet aisle like the savvy dog parent you are.