Does an ingredient at the top of the list mean it is the main one?

Not always clearly. Ingredients are listed by weight at the time of processing, and fresh meat weighs a lot because it holds water that later mostly evaporates. A fresh ingredient at the top may therefore contribute less than its position suggests, while a dried meal starts without water. That is why it is worth reading the whole list rather than stopping at the first entry.

Does dry food have more protein than wet because the percentage is higher?

That is not a valid comparison as it stands. Wet food holds far more water than dry, so its percentages start from a different base and do not compare directly. To really compare two products you have to work on the dry matter, that is remove the water from the calculation. When the choice matters, for example in an animal with a condition, it is worth asking the vet for that comparison.

Is meat and animal derivatives an ingredient to avoid?

It is not in itself a sign of poor quality: it is a category that groups animal origin materials without specifying them. The limit is the lack of detail, which becomes a problem mainly when an animal must avoid a specific ingredient for a known sensitivity. In that case you need an identified entry, to know for certain what is in the product. Outside that need, the judgement should be made on the label as a whole.

Can I feed only complementary cans if they are preferred?

No, not as the only diet. A complementary food does not meet all the requirements on its own and, used every day as the base, leads over time to imbalances. Complementary food should sit alongside a complete food or be limited to the role of a treat or top up. If you want to build a mostly wet diet, choose cans stated as complete and check the species and age on the label.

Practical feeding12 minLevel: BeginnerUpdated on August 6, 2026

How to read a pet food label the right way

How to read a dog or cat food label: the ingredient list, analytical constituents, the difference between complete and complementary, and what the front really says.

Audience: Pet owners
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: European Union

What you need before you start

La confezione dell'alimento da valutare, con la faccia posteriore leggibile e non solo il fronte pubblicitario
Il peso attuale e la condizione corporea dell'animale, per collocare le razioni consigliate
Eventuali indicazioni del veterinario su patologie o sensibilità che rendono adatto o sconsigliato un ingrediente
Un modo per annotare marca, lotto e reazioni dell'animale quando si prova un alimento nuovo

The front of the pack is designed to convince: images of fresh meat, words like natural or premium, a name that suggests quality. None of that information is tightly regulated, and on its own it says almost nothing about what the animal actually eats. The useful information is on the back, in smaller print and in a language that only looks technical because you have never read it calmly: the ingredient list, the analytical constituents, the statement of whether the food is complete or complementary, and the notes on species and life stage. Learning to read these lines does not turn anyone into a nutritionist, but it lets you compare two products on the same footing and recognise when a choice should be discussed with the vet rather than decided in the aisle. This guide covers where to look, what the recurring terms mean, and how to read a label step by step.

Why the back matters more than the front

The front of the pack communicates an image, not a fact. Terms like natural, holistic or premium have no single definition and can appear on very different products. A picture of a piece of meat or a vegetable does not say how much the food really contains. To understand what you are buying you have to turn the pack over and read the mandatory sections, which follow set rules and allow a real comparison.

The ingredient list, where the order and the way things are named tell you a lot.
The analytical constituents, that is the percentages of protein, fat, fibre and ash.
The statement of whether the food is complete or complementary, which changes how it is used.
The species and life stage it is meant for, since an adult food does not suit a puppy.
The feeding guide and the durability date, which complete the practical picture.

The ingredient list: order and names

Ingredients are listed by descending weight at the time of processing, so what sits at the top weighs the most. Watch one detail, though: fresh meat holds a lot of water, and after cooking its weight drops sharply, while a meat meal starts already dried. A fresh ingredient at the top of the list can therefore contribute less to the finished product than its position suggests.

How things are named also matters. A precise term like chicken or rice points to an identified ingredient, while generic categories like meat and animal derivatives or cereals group different materials without stating their exact origin. Neither form is good or bad in itself, but the precise term is more useful to anyone who must avoid an ingredient for a known sensitivity, because it lets you know for certain what is inside.

The analytical constituents and what they say

The analytical constituents are the declared percentages of certain nutrients. On their own they do not judge quality, but they let you compare two products and spot values out of the ordinary. A point often missed is that wet and dry percentages do not compare directly, because wet food holds far more water: a fair comparison would work on the dry matter, a calculation worth asking the vet for when the choice matters.

Recurring analytical entries and what they indicate
Entry	What it represents	Why look at it
Crude protein	Total protein amount, not its quality or digestibility	Useful to compare similar products, not to judge alone
Crude fat	Total fat content, the main energy source	Affects calorie intake and palatability
Crude fibre	Poorly digestible plant component	Relevant to gut transit and the sense of fullness
Ash or inorganic matter	Total minerals left after combustion	Very high values deserve attention, to review with the vet
Moisture	Water content, high in wet food and low in dry	Explains why wet and dry do not compare at direct percentages

Alongside the analytical constituents you often find the nutritional additives, that is added vitamins and minerals. Their presence is normal and in a complete food it is needed to meet requirements. It is not a negative signal: it means the product is formulated to provide what is needed, not just calories.

Complete or complementary, and for whom

This is perhaps the most important distinction and the most ignored. A complete food is formulated to meet all of the animal's requirements on its own, and can make up the entire ration. A complementary food, by contrast, is meant to sit alongside something else and is not enough on its own: many treats, chews and some cans fall into this category. Feeding an animal on complementary food alone, day after day, leads over time to nutritional imbalances.

The label also states the species and life stage. A puppy, a pregnant female or a senior cat have different needs from a healthy adult, and a product meant for one category is not automatically right for another. So called veterinary or dietetic foods, formulated for specific clinical conditions, are used only on the vet's advice and are not chosen off the shelf on your own initiative.

Reading a label step by step

Ignore the front and turn the pack over
Set aside the images and promotional words on the front and go straight to the mandatory sections on the back, where the comparable information sits.
Check complete or complementary
Look for this statement first. If it is complementary, the product is not enough on its own and should be used only alongside, not as the base of the diet.
Check species and age
Make sure the food is meant for your species and the right life stage. An adult product does not meet the needs of a growing puppy.
Read the whole ingredient list
Look at the order, the precision of the names and any repeated entries that, added up, change the picture. If you must avoid an ingredient, check it does not appear in any form.
Compare analytical constituents like for like
Compare dry with dry and wet with wet, not direct percentages between the two, because water distorts the comparison. When in doubt ask the vet for the dry matter calculation.
Look at the feeding guide and durability
Check the suggested amount for your animal's weight and the durability date, and remember the table amounts are a starting point to adjust to body condition.
Record brand, batch and reactions
When trying a new food, record the brand and batch and watch stools, appetite and coat over the following days. The log makes visible a tolerance or a problem that memory would miss.

Frequently asked questions

Does an ingredient at the top of the list mean it is the main one?: Not always clearly. Ingredients are listed by weight at the time of processing, and fresh meat weighs a lot because it holds water that later mostly evaporates. A fresh ingredient at the top may therefore contribute less than its position suggests, while a dried meal starts without water. That is why it is worth reading the whole list rather than stopping at the first entry.
Does dry food have more protein than wet because the percentage is higher?: That is not a valid comparison as it stands. Wet food holds far more water than dry, so its percentages start from a different base and do not compare directly. To really compare two products you have to work on the dry matter, that is remove the water from the calculation. When the choice matters, for example in an animal with a condition, it is worth asking the vet for that comparison.
Is meat and animal derivatives an ingredient to avoid?: It is not in itself a sign of poor quality: it is a category that groups animal origin materials without specifying them. The limit is the lack of detail, which becomes a problem mainly when an animal must avoid a specific ingredient for a known sensitivity. In that case you need an identified entry, to know for certain what is in the product. Outside that need, the judgement should be made on the label as a whole.
Can I feed only complementary cans if they are preferred?: No, not as the only diet. A complementary food does not meet all the requirements on its own and, used every day as the base, leads over time to imbalances. Complementary food should sit alongside a complete food or be limited to the role of a treat or top up. If you want to build a mostly wet diet, choose cans stated as complete and check the species and age on the label.

What to do next

Turn the pack over and read the mandatory sections: check whether the food is complete or complementary, confirm the species and age, read the whole ingredient list watching for the water in fresh meat and for repeated entries, and compare analytical constituents only like for like. Use the front only for a first choice, record the brand and batch when trying a new product, and discuss with the vet any diet tied to a condition, growth or weight.