Questions to Ask a Pet Food Company—and How to Use the Answers

A useful pet-food inquiry names the exact recipe and asks for evidence that answers your decision. “Is your food good?” is difficult to evaluate. “Who formulates this recipe, and can you provide its current typical nutrient analysis?” produces a much more useful starting point.

The WSAVA guidelines on selecting pet foods recommend asking about nutrition expertise, formulation, quality control, research, calorie information and access to company representatives. These are questions to investigate; mentioning the guidelines does not establish that PARTNER or any other brand has passed an independent audit.

Start with three questions you can follow up

1. Who is responsible for formulation? Ask for the person's relevant qualifications and role, including whether they are employed or consulted.
2. What finished-food information can you provide? Identify the recipe, species and life stage. Ask which values are guarantees and which are typical analyses.
3. What controls support this claim? Ask how the company checks ingredients and finished food, and what product or production scope the answer covers.

You do not have to request every possible laboratory value in your first message. Explain the purpose: everyday feeding, a comparison requested by your veterinarian, or clarification of a particular statement. A focused question makes a missing answer easier to recognize.

Keep the response attached to the recipe

Save the reply with the product name, package version and date you received it. A general explanation of a company's process and a measured value for a specific food are different types of information. If an answer discusses another product, ask whether it applies to the one you intend to buy.

For example, “we work with experts” leaves the role unclear. A follow-up can ask who develops the recipe and who reviews the finished nutritional information. Likewise, “tested” needs a named purpose: nutrient analysis, a feeding trial and a contaminant screen answer different questions.

Use unanswered questions as questions

Do not fill an empty data field with a competitor's value or assume that attractive facility photographs supply it. Our laboratory-report guide explains why a result needs its sample and scope. Our adequacy-statement guide addresses the separate question of how a nutritional claim is substantiated.

Send PARTNER inquiries through our contact page, naming the exact food. If you are reviewing our rabbit cat-food recipe, attach that recipe's label rather than a dog-food image. This article supplies an inquiry method, not missing credentials, nutrient values or certifications. Take the actual response to your veterinary team when suitability remains uncertain.

Written by PARTNER Editorial Team for general education. Your veterinary team can advise on your pet’s individual health and feeding needs.