There is a wealth of information hidden in the small print. This tells you what you need to know:
There is a wealth of information hidden in the small print. This tells you what you need to know:
With the “open” or individual declaration, the ingredients contained in the food are listed by precisely specifying the individual components separately. With the group declaration, on the other hand, the raw ingredients used are simply combined into individual categories.
Transparency is important to us at Happy Dog, so we use the individual declaration. We do not use puzzling terms such as “grain and plant derivatives”. We itemise everything in clear text: “wholegrain oat flour” or “potato flour”.
The order is important!
The ingredient with the greatest percentage by weight in the overall content is at the top of the list and the ingredient with the smallest content in the food is at the bottom.
This shows the precise nutrient content of the food. The test provides values for crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, crude ash and moisture. You will find more on this topic under “Analytical constituents and additives” here. (LINK TO PAGE)
Moisture is always shown:
Moist food contains 80 % moisture, on average, while dry food has just 10 %. Even if the moisture content is missing from dry food packaging, it will still be present as it does not have to be listed until the content reaches 14 %.
This information is shown on every pack. With a complete food, your dog will receive all the import- ant nutrients, vitamins and trace elements without the need for dietary supplements. On the other hand, a dietary supplement is not sufficient to provide your dog with all the essential substances. It is simply offered in addition to the complete food as required.
Why is it better to give complete foods only? Dietary supplements should be given for a limited period and only with your vet’s approval. Otherwise they could have negative effects on your pet.
“Additive” does not automatically mean “bad”. If the food recipe in itself does not contain sufficient amounts of the minerals, trace elements, vitamins or amino acids that the body needs, they can be added when the food is manufactured to ensure that pets have the optimum supply. These are listed on the packaging as “additives”.
You still need to be careful, however:
“Colours, flavours and preservatives” or “genetically- modified raw ingredients”.
The weight specified on the pack is the value measured on the date of filling in grams or kilograms. Chews and snacks are often listed by quantity.
Up to this date, the manufacturer guarantees that the nutrient content and quality of the food will remain unchanged. If stored correctly, the food can be used completely safely for this period.
Too long often means too short:
The longer the shelf life, the greater the likelihood that preservatives have been added.
This number is assigned to each food during production.
This is important in an emergency:
If a food has to be recalled, the batch number will tell you if your pack is affected.
By law, the manufacturer’s name and contact details must be shown on the food along with the company’s registration number.
But we do more than this.
On our Happy Dog packaging, we also print the telephone number of our Customer Service team – so you can be sure of reaching the right person if you have any questions.
01793 615 879
support@happydoguk.com
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