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How We Calculate Nutrition

At Pawprint Kitchen, we use scientifically-backed nutritional guidelines to help you create balanced, healthy meals for your pets.

What is AAFCO?

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a voluntary membership association of local, state, and federal agencies that regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies. AAFCO establishes nutritional standards for pet foods sold in the United States.

AAFCO guidelines specify minimum (and sometimes maximum) levels of essential nutrients that pet foods must contain to be considered "complete and balanced" for specific life stages (puppy/kitten, adult, senior) and species (dog or cat).

Important

AAFCO guidelines are minimum requirements. Meeting these standards ensures your pet receives adequate nutrition, but individual pets may have unique needs that require adjustments.

What is WSAVA?

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is a global community of veterinary professionals dedicated to advancing the health and welfare of companion animals worldwide. WSAVA provides evidence-based guidelines and recommendations for pet nutrition and care.

While AAFCO provides regulatory standards, WSAVA offers clinical guidance for veterinarians and pet owners. WSAVA emphasizes the importance of:

  • Working with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist when formulating homemade diets
  • Regular monitoring of your pet's health and nutritional status
  • Using complete and balanced commercial diets or properly formulated homemade diets
  • Understanding that homemade diets require careful planning to meet all nutritional needs

How We Calculate Nutrition

Step 1: Ingredient Analysis

Calculate nutritional content using USDA FoodData Central

Step 2: Recipe Totals

Sum all ingredients for total nutrition values

Step 3: Per-Calorie Analysis

Convert to AAFCO standard (g/1000kcal)

Step 4: Per-Weight Analysis

Calculate vitamins/minerals per kg of food

Ingredient Analysis

When you add ingredients to a recipe, we calculate the nutritional content based on:

  • USDA FoodData Central: Our ingredient database uses comprehensive nutritional data from the USDA FoodData Central database
  • Per-100g Basis: All nutritional values are calculated per 100 grams of each ingredient, then scaled based on actual weight
  • Macronutrients: Protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber are calculated from the ingredient composition
  • Micronutrients: Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are tracked based on the nutritional profile

Per-Calorie Analysis

AAFCO guidelines are expressed per 1000 calories, so we convert your recipe's nutrition to this standard:

  • Protein: Calculated as grams per 1000 calories (g/1000kcal)
  • Fat: Calculated as grams per 1000 calories (g/1000kcal)
  • Fiber: Calculated as grams per 1000 calories (g/1000kcal)

This allows us to compare your recipe against AAFCO minimum requirements regardless of the recipe size.

Comparison Against Guidelines

We compare your recipe's nutritional content against AAFCO guidelines for your pet's species and life stage:

Meets

Meets or exceeds minimum

Below

Below minimum requirement

Above

Exceeds maximum limit

Key Nutrients We Track

Macronutrients

  • Protein: Essential for growth, maintenance, and repair. AAFCO requires minimum levels based on life stage.
  • Fat: Provides energy and essential fatty acids. Minimum levels ensure adequate caloric density.
  • Fiber: Important for digestive health, but maximum levels prevent excessive fiber that can reduce nutrient absorption.

Essential Vitamins

We track all essential vitamins including Vitamin A, D, E, and the B-complex vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, B12, and choline).

Essential Minerals

We track essential minerals including calcium, phosphorus (and their ratio), sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, and selenium.

Calcium:Phosphorus Ratio

This is critical for bone health. AAFCO requires a ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 for adult dogs, and 1:1 to 1.4:1 for puppies. Too much or too little of either mineral can cause serious health problems.

Essential Amino Acids

We track all 10 essential amino acids that dogs and cats cannot synthesize on their own: arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Important Limitations

Veterinary Consultation Required

  • Our nutrition analysis is a tool to help you understand your recipe's nutritional content, but it is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice
  • Individual pets may have unique nutritional needs due to health conditions, breed, activity level, or other factors
  • WSAVA recommends working with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist when formulating homemade diets
  • Regular veterinary check-ups and blood work are essential when feeding homemade diets
  • Some nutrients may not be fully accounted for in our analysis, and bioavailability can vary between ingredients

How to Use Our Nutrition Analysis

  1. Create your recipe with the ingredients you plan to use
  2. Select your pet's species and life stage when analyzing the recipe
  3. Review the analysis results to see which nutrients meet, are below, or exceed AAFCO guidelines
  4. Adjust your recipe by adding ingredients rich in deficient nutrients or reducing ingredients that cause excesses
  5. Consult with your veterinarian before making significant dietary changes, especially for pets with health conditions

Learn More

Want to learn more about creating balanced homemade pet food? Check out our guide on making and balancing homemade dog food.

Have questions? Contact us or visit our FAQ page.