Dog food labels can be very using confusing. In fact almost all owners fail to understand the importance of completely understanding what it says on the bag and what is required for your dog's health.

There are government laws that pet food manufacturers must follow, but it can be confusing for the consumer. Here are three common loopholes on dog food labels.

Loophole #1

The first loophole to watch out for is what type of protein is used in the product. Even though the label might say that is guaranteed to contain at least 10% protein, it is hard to tell what type of protein is.

Not all proteins are created equal. Manufacturers often use vegetable proteins instead of animal proteins as a way to save money at your pet's expense. Vegetable proteins do not have the same quality as animal proteins, which can really hurt growing puppies.

Loophole #2

Here's a quick quiz. Do you know the difference between "beef dog food" and "dog food with beef"? "Beef dog food" has to contain 95% beef, whereas "dog food with beef" only needs to contain 3% beef.

This might be shocking to understand, but this is what the government regulations state. This is why you shouldn't assume that just because a certain meat is mentioned in the product's name that it contains a large amount of it.

Loophole #3

When you look at the guaranteed analysis on the bag you will often see the percentages of protein, fat, and fiber that a product contains. Most labels look like this: "Protein - No Less Then 9%."

Because of the way the label is stated, it might only have 9% of this component, or it could have 50%. There is absolutely no way for you to tell unless you contact the manufacturer.

So What Can You Do?

If you were not aware of these loopholes, then take it upon yourself to learn more about how to properly read dog food labels. There is a wide difference in quality between brands which you need to be made aware of.