How to read a Japanese dog food label

Start with the feeding purpose

Before comparing ingredients, find the statement that describes how the food should be used. Japanese packages may identify a product as a complete food, a complementary food, a snack or a special-purpose product. A visually similar can or pouch may have a different role in the diet.

Use the package statement and feeding directions as the controlling source. Product photography, flavour names and marketplace category labels cannot replace that declaration.

Read guaranteed values as limits

Protein and fat are commonly shown as guaranteed minimums, while fibre, ash or moisture may be shown as maximums. A value such as protein 20% or more does not mean every batch contains exactly 20%.

Compare foods in the same form first. Wet food contains much more water than dry food, so percentages printed on the package are not directly comparable without a dry-matter calculation. DOGFOOD SPEC. keeps the manufacturer’s as-fed values so the number remains traceable to the label.

Keep the Japanese ingredient statement

Ingredient translations can lose qualifiers, grouped ingredients and regulatory wording. Our product pages preserve the Japanese statement and add searchable English categories beside it. For an allergy or medically prescribed diet, use the latest package and contact the manufacturer or a veterinarian.