Originally Posted by Ellie May (Post 3993942)

Canned, homecooked, and raw foods have a significant amount of moisture and need to be converted to dry matter. Take, for instance, the frozen chicken Nibblets by Vital.

Protein: 11% min
Fat 9.5% min
Moisture: 74% max
Frozen Chicken Nibblets

On a dry matter basis the protein would be 42% (11/26).
The fat would be 36% (9.5/26).

Dry foods like kibble and freeze dried with low moisture content don't generally need to be converted to a dry matter basis because the difference is negligible. The math can be done anyway jst to show that this is true. So here is the guaranteed analysis for Freeze Dried Chicken Nibblets.

Protein 41% min
Fat 34.5% min
Moisture 8.5% max
Freeze-Dried Chicken Nibblets


On a dry matter basis this food is 44% protein (41/91.5).
The fat is 37% (34.5/91.5).

Below is a link to the AAFCO minimal percents needed for nutrients. Adult food has to contain at least 18% protein to be approved. The Vital 11% protein food is AAFCO approved. that is because it is more than 18% dry matter. If it was truly 11%, it would have never been approved. Anyway, the lowest % protein a dog can live on long term is thought to be more than 11%. If a company was only using 11% protein, those would be some really malnourished dogs... The food is mostly protein and fat.


AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles

Originally Posted by Britster (Post 3996073)

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

This is great info.

I think some of the lowest fat premade raw foods I saw were rabbit flavors, but the protein is high.

Another example:

Primal Rabbit is
Crude Protein (min) 19%
Crude Fat (min) 4%
Crude Fiber (max) 1%
Moisture (max) 74%

Dry Matter Protein Content = (19/26) x 100 = 73%

Dry Matter Crude Fat Content = (4/26) x 100 = 15%

Originally Posted by tem_sat (Post 3996086)

Remember, when you are comparing a meat, such as 4 ounces of boneless and skinless rabbit which is extremely low in fat, the protein percentage must come up as the fat percentage comes down.

If you are comparing 4 ounces of boneless and skinless pork, the protein percentage must come down as that percentage differential is replaced by fat.

Lastly, if we are are comparing 4 ounces of bone-in skin-on chicken thigh, both fat and protein will come down as that weight is replaced by bone.