What is complete and balanced?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Complete and balanced is a pet food label claim that the food contains every nutrient a dog or cat needs, in the right amounts and ratios, so it can be fed as the whole diet for a stated life stage. Foods without it, labelled complementary or for intermittent feeding, are treats or toppers, not meals.
Also called nutritional adequacy statement, complete pet food, complete food, AAFCO statement, complementary food.
Key facts
- Complete means the product contains all the nutrients required; balanced means they are present in the correct ratios. Association of American Feed Control Officials
- AAFCO calls the nutritional adequacy statement perhaps the most important part of a label; most products need one, but snacks, treats and supplements are generally exempt. Association of American Feed Control Officials
- A claim can rest on formulation to an AAFCO nutrient profile, on a feeding trial using AAFCO procedures, or on being comparable to a feeding-tested product. Association of American Feed Control Officials
- Foods labelled for short-term, intermittent or complementary feeding should make up only a small part of the diet, 10% or less, unless a vet prescribes them. WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee
- In Europe, labels should say whether a food is complete for the species and life stage, or complementary. WSAVA
- India has a Bureau of Indian Standards specification for dog and cat food, IS 11968:2019. Bureau of Indian Standards
Where do you find the complete and balanced statement?
Usually in small print on the back or side of the pack, near the ingredient list and the guaranteed analysis.
In the United States the statement follows set wording from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), for example that a food is formulated to meet the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance, or that animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures show it provides complete and balanced nutrition. European foods follow the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) guidelines and are labelled either complete or complementary. Imported foods on Indian shelves usually carry one of these.
The US Food and Drug Administration notes that a complete and balanced claim is more reliable when it names an AAFCO nutrient profile or an AAFCO feeding trial. A food meeting a profile must contain every nutrient on it at the recommended level, with minimums for all and maximums for some.
Pet food rules vary between countries, as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) points out, and its advice is the same everywhere: if the maker cannot tell you who formulated the food, how it is tested and its typical nutrient analysis, be cautious about feeding it.
What do the words on the label mean?
- Complete and balanced
- Has every required nutrient in the correct ratios, to be fed as the sole diet for the stated species and life stage. Association of American Feed Control Officials
- Growth, or growth and reproduction
- Formulated for puppies, kittens and pregnant or nursing mothers, with higher levels of some nutrients. US Food and Drug Administration
- Adult maintenance
- For adults, with lower levels of some nutrients to avoid unnecessary excesses. US Food and Drug Administration
- All life stages
- Formulated to meet the needs of growth and reproduction, so it may be richer than an adult or senior pet needs. WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee
- Intermittent or supplemental feeding only
- Does not meet complete and balanced standards on its own, such as some tuna-only cat foods and some vet foods. Association of American Feed Control Officials
- Complementary
- The European label for a treat, topper or mixer that must be fed alongside a complete food. WSAVA
How do you check a food is complete before you buy it?
- Find the adequacy statement and confirm it says complete, or complete and balanced, for dogs or for cats, not just pet food. Association of American Feed Control Officials
- Check the life stage matches your pet: a puppy or kitten needs a food for growth. US Food and Drug Administration
- Note whether the claim rests on feeding trials or on formulation to a profile. WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee
- Look for the calorie content so you can measure portions; it is only required on labels in the US. WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee
- Do not add vitamin or mineral supplements to a complete food unless a vet advises it: some nutrients are harmful in excess. WSAVA
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Questions owners ask
Does complete and balanced mean the food is high quality?
- It means the food meets a nutrient standard, which is the most important thing to check. It does not tell you everything about the maker. WSAVA also suggests asking whether the company employs a qualified nutritionist, what quality control it runs on ingredients and finished food, and whether it does feeding trials or research.
Are treats and chews complete and balanced?
- Usually not. Treats, snacks and supplements are generally exempt from the adequacy statement and are not meant to be a pet's main diet. Keep them to about 10% of daily calories so the complete food still supplies the nutrients your pet needs.
Is there an Indian standard for pet food?
- Yes. The Bureau of Indian Standards has a specification for dog and cat food, IS 11968:2019. Many foods sold in India are imported and labelled to AAFCO or FEDIAF standards instead. Whatever the origin, look for a clear statement that the food is complete for your pet's species and life stage.
Can a home-cooked diet be complete and balanced?
- It can, but only if it is formulated by a vet trained in nutrition and followed exactly, usually with a specific supplement. Home diets cannot be lab-tested like commercial foods, so WSAVA advises check-ups with blood tests twice a year. Most generic online recipes fall short.
Keep reading
Related terms
More in nutrition
- BARF dietA BARF diet, short for bones and raw food or biologically appropriate raw food, feeds a dog or cat uncooked meat, organs and bones, sometimes with vegetables. Vets warn that the claimed benefits are not backed by science, while the risks are well documented: germs such as Salmonella and Listeria, bone injuries and unbalanced nutrition.
- Grain-free dietA grain-free diet is pet food made without cereals such as rice, wheat or maize, usually using peas, lentils, other pulses or potatoes instead. Grains are not fillers and most pets digest them well. Since 2018 the US FDA has looked into reports of heart disease, called DCM, in dogs on such foods, without proving a cause.
- Home-cooked dog foodHome-cooked dog food is a dog's main diet made in the family kitchen, such as rice, dal, eggs, chicken and vegetables, instead of a commercial food. It can be healthy if it is complete and balanced, but most generic recipes are not: a UC Davis study found 95% of 200 recipes short of at least one essential nutrient.
- KibbleKibble is dry pet food: dough cooked and shaped under pressure, then dried to about 10% water. It is the cheapest and easiest way to feed a dog or cat a complete diet, keeps at room temperature, and can be measured exactly. Choose one labelled complete and balanced for your pet's life stage.
- Resting energy requirement (RER)The resting energy requirement, or RER, is the number of calories a healthy pet needs in a day lying at rest in comfortable surroundings. Vets calculate it from body weight as 70 times the weight in kilograms to the power 0.75, then multiply it by a factor for life stage and neutering to estimate daily food.
- TheobromineTheobromine is a bitter natural chemical in cocoa, from the same family as caffeine. Dogs clear it slowly, so a chocolate snack can build up to a poisonous level, causing vomiting, restlessness, a racing heart, tremors and seizures. Cocoa powder and dark chocolate carry the most. If a dog eats chocolate, call a vet straight away.
- Treat allowanceA treat allowance is the share of a pet's daily calories that can come from treats, chews, toppers and table food without unbalancing its diet or causing weight gain. Vets' nutrition guidance puts it at no more than about 10% of the day's calories, with the other 90% from a complete and balanced food.
- Wet foodWet food is canned, pouch or tray pet food, sealed and then heat-sterilised, and roughly 68 to 78% water. It is tasty, filling and adds water to a pet's day, which can help cats with urinary problems, but it costs more per calorie than kibble and spoils quickly once opened, especially in Indian heat.
- XylitolXylitol is a sugar alcohol used to sweeten sugar-free gum, mints, sweets, some nut butters, toothpaste and medicines. In dogs it triggers a large release of insulin, so blood sugar can fall sharply within 10 to 60 minutes, and some dogs go on to liver damage. Any amount eaten is a reason to call a vet straight away.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Association of American Feed Control Officials: Reading labels (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Guidelines on selecting pet foods (updated 10 March 2021) (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: Frequently asked questions and myths (Global Nutrition Committee) (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 11968:2019 Pet food for dogs and cats: specification (first revision) (opens in a new tab)
- US Food and Drug Administration: Complete and balanced pet food (current as of 28 February 2020) (opens in a new tab)