Many Canadian dog and cat foods fail to comply with the guaranteed analyses reported on packages.

We compared analyzed nutrient contents of Canadian-specific dry dog and cat foods to the guaranteed analyses on packages and to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 2018 nutrient targets to assess compliance with the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. We also explored differences in macronutrient content between species (dog and cat) and life stage for adult pet foods (all life stages and senior). Extruded dog (n = 16) or cat (n = 11) foods advertised as all life stage or senior, sold only in Canada, and carrying an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement were selected. Proximate analyses and amino acid analyses were completed on all diets. Of the 27 foods, 25 met or exceeded the AAFCO nutrient recommendations. Only 9 foods met all nutrient content claims listed in their guaranteed analyses. Nutrient content between species or life stages was not different (P > 0.10).