Some of the terms used to describe dog food can be confusing or ambiguous. Here, we look at some of the common terminology and explain clearly and simply what it means.
What Does “Complete Dog Food” Mean?
Dog food comes in many different forms, including dry, wet, frozen, freeze-dried, cooked, raw, treats, toppers and complementary foods.
Some foods are designed to provide your dog with their full daily nutritional requirements, while others are intended to be fed alongside other foods.
If a dog food is labelled “complete”, it means that it is formulated to provide all the essential nutrients your dog requires as part of their daily ration when it is fed as directed and is appropriate for their life stage.
In other words, a complete food can be fed as your dog's main diet without needing to add other foods, vitamin supplements or mineral supplements simply to make the diet nutritionally complete.
However, it's important to understand that “complete” is a nutritional classification. It doesn't automatically mean that one complete food is better than every other complete food.
Complete foods can differ considerably in their ingredients, nutritional composition, animal-ingredient content, protein and fat levels, manufacturing methods and other characteristics. It's still important to look at the food as a whole when deciding what is right for your dog.
What Does “Complementary” Mean?
A complementary food isn't designed to provide all of your dog's nutritional requirements when fed on its own.
Instead, it's intended to be fed alongside other appropriate foods or as part of the dog's overall diet.
Treats and some toppers are common examples of complementary foods. Individual foods or ingredients, such as a single cut of meat, also shouldn't be assumed to provide complete nutrition simply because they're nutritious ingredients.
If you're feeding complementary products, it's important to follow their feeding instructions and consider how they fit into your dog's overall diet.
How Do I Know if I'm Feeding a Complete Dog Food?
Check the information on the food's packaging or product description.
Dog food sold as complete should be clearly identified as a complete pet food and formulated to provide the required nutrients for the animals and life stages for which it is intended when fed according to the manufacturer's directions.
In the UK, pet food manufacturers formulate and label their foods within the applicable pet food legislation and nutritional standards. Industry nutritional guidelines, including those published by FEDIAF (the European Pet Food Industry Federation), are widely used when formulating complete pet foods.
Wolfworthy Is a Complete Food
Original, Oily Fish and Countryside are all complete Wolfworthy recipes and are suitable for all life stages, from puppies through to senior dogs.
The amount your dog needs will vary according to factors such as their age, weight and life stage, so it's important to follow the appropriate feeding guidance.
You don't need to add extra vitamins or minerals to Wolfworthy simply to make it nutritionally complete when it is being fed as directed.
If you choose to feed Wolfworthy alongside another food, it's important to get the proportions right so your dog isn't over or underfed and their overall diet remains appropriately balanced.
What’s in Wolfworthy?
You can find the current composition and analytical constituents for all three Wolfworthy recipes on our maintained Ingredients page.
All three recipes are grain-free and made with high levels of freshly prepared meat or fish.
View the current ingredients and nutritional information for all Wolfworthy recipes.
Wolfworthy is also among the highest-rated British dry dog foods on independent dog food comparison website All About Dog Food.
Choosing a complete food is an important starting point, but the word “complete” doesn't tell you everything about a food. Looking at the ingredients, nutritional composition and suitability for your individual dog will give you a much fuller picture.
