If you read enough material on natural pet food standards and raw pet food, you’ll probably see this acronym now and again: AAFCO. Which is what you want to see on AAFCO approved dog food. That stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials, a voluntary group of federal state, and local agencies that regulates the sale and distribution of animal feeds — including pet food — and animal drug remedies. Because they are a voluntary group, they have no way of enforcing these natural pet food standards.
However, most states have adopted AAFCO regulations, making them the standard for natural pet food manufacturers around the country.
What does AAFCO Do?
AAFCO’s goal is to protect consumers — and their pets — with labeling, nutritional and ingredient requirements. Raw pet food makers — as with any dog food maker — who hope to claim their product is “nutritionally complete” need to adhere to AAFCO nutritional standards, feeding trial requirements, or produce food similar to those who’ve met these requirements.
Raw vs Kibble
At Happy Critter Pet Food, we’re proud to be able to put the AAFCO label on every raw pet food shipment we sell. At the same, there are many reputable kibble makers who can also boast of meeting AAFCO standards.
Is Kibble or Raw Better
Raw pet food is typically very natural, made of organ and muscle meat, ground-up bones, eggs, and some other ingredients — like dairy — to complete the nutritional profile.
Kibble is — pardon the pun — more of a mixed bag, containing things like corn gluten, meat by-products, powdered vegetables and fruits, and preservatives.
This doesn’t mean all kibble is unhealthy. Many brands offer better alternatives to those with questionable ingredients.
But put yourself in your dog’s place: if you were trying to eat healthier, wouldn’t you cut out processed foods in favor of a more natural diet?
With raw pet food, you can expect your dog to have a leaner, more muscular build, allowing him or her to stay active and healthy longer.
It will also help prevent obesity, and in turn, keep your dog from developing hip and joint problems. Raw food can also give your dog:
- A healthier coat and skin
- Cleaner teeth and better breath
- Greater focus, energy, and well-being.
AAFCO Dog Food
Plant based only that is the foundation of all natural animal dog food that is AAFCO approved. You want to stay away from anything mainstream with global production and billions of marketing dollars backing their product, aka IAMS dog food and Pedigree. Think about it, anything produced at a massive scale has to have a long shelf life which means that you must include additives, dyes, synthetics, fillers, chemicals and many other substances to make the dog food last longer, increase production, and increase sales.
All of these additives can take a toll on your dog with decreased nutrition, teeth problems, stomach problems from dyes and chemicals and fillers, and a lot of times the unnatural dog food can make your dog hungrier rather than feeling full and satisfied.
Its very much like eating McDonalds and your always hungry and it makes you feel like crap over time, or you can spend a little extra and eat Whole Foods salmon and vegetables. Over the long run you will experience way more health benefits from the Whole Foods. This is the same predicament with low quality dog food vs. high quality AAFCO dog food that is all natural.
Making the Switch to Raw Pet Food
Are you ready to make the switch to raw pet food for your dog? Turn to Happy Critters Raw Pet Food. Based in Manheim, Pennsylvania, we care about pets and want them to lead long, happy, and energetic lives.
We believe a diet of raw pet food is crucial to improving the life of your furry friend. Contact us here if you have questions or visit our online store to see our raw pet food selection.
