Because marketing isn’t nutrition, and your dog deserves better.

One of the most important things you can do as a pet parent is read the label on your dog’s food. But pet food labels are designed to be confusing. Buzzwords like “natural,” “premium,” and “wholesome” are often just clever marketing, not a guarantee of quality.

At Dog Krazy, we believe in feeding based on facts, not flashy bags. So here’s how to decode a pet food ingredient list, and two real examples that show the difference.

First Rule: Ingredients Are Listed by Weight (Before Cooking)

This means what you see first is what the food contains the most of, but keep in mind that raw ingredients like meat are mostly water. Once cooked, their contribution to the final product can shrink significantly. That’s why meat meal or organ meats high on the list are often a good sign.

Let’s Compare Two Labels

Steve’s Real Food Beef Raw Diet
Here’s how the ingredient list starts:

Beef, Beef Heart, Beef Liver, Raw Goat’s Milk, Broccoli, Carrots, Ground Flaxseed, Kale, Cod Liver Oil...

What this tells you:

  • Meat and organs come first, and they’re named (not vague terms like “animal” or “meat”).

  • The food uses raw, whole ingredients, not by-products or fillers.

  • You’ll see functional foods like flaxseed and cod liver oil that provide omega-3s, fiber, and joint support.

  • There are no artificial additives, preservatives, or coloring.

This is what species-appropriate, biologically meaningful food looks like.

Purina Dog Chow (Complete Adult with Real Chicken)
Here’s how this one starts:

Whole Grain Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA)...

What this tells you:

  • The first ingredient is corn, a cheap filler that contributes carbs, not nutrition.

  • “Meat and bone meal” and “chicken by-product meal” are low-quality protein sources, and you don’t know what animals they came from or what parts were used.

  • Multiple forms of corn and soy are used, classic ingredient splitting to disguise how much filler is really in the food.

  • It contains BHA, a chemical preservative banned in some countries due to cancer concerns.

  • Despite saying "with Real Chicken" on the bag, the actual chicken is buried far down the list.

Quick Tips for Reading Any Label

  • Look for named meats (beef, turkey, salmon, not “meat meal” or “animal digest”).

  • Avoid by-products, flours, gluten meals, and chemical preservatives like BHA or ethoxyquin.

  • Less is more: A short, simple ingredient list is often a better sign of quality than a long one full of additives.

  • Watch for ingredient splitting, like seeing corn, corn gluten, and cornmeal all listed separately.

Bottom Line

If you wouldn’t eat it, your dog shouldn’t either. Real food, made with real, whole ingredients, makes a real difference in your dog’s health.

Not sure what your dog’s food label is really saying? Bring it into Dog Krazy and we’ll go over it with you. We love helping pet parents cut through the confusion and feed with confidence.

Because when you know better, you feed better.