[Ellie May]

Any food that is fed (unless your dog is on a prescription diet) should absolutely be approved by AAFCO, or in the case of homecooked diets it should be formulated to meet their guidelines. AAFCO sets vitamin and mineral minimums and maximums and gives definitions for ingredients. However, there are undesirable ingredients that are AAFCO approved like garlic. I also am not comfortable feeding my dog preservatives like ethoxyquin. It hasn't been shown to do harm at the rate it is used in pet food but it is banned in some countries. I wouldn't want that for my dog. I also prefer things like chicken breast over chicken feet for her. It is a very personal decision and yes all foods should be AAFCO approved because that's the best we have right now but that doesn't mean they are the only ones to listen to about nutrition.