Month: June 2026

Protein in pet food: Quality matters as much as Quantity

Protein supports tissue repair, muscle maintenance, enzymes, hormones, immune function and many other processes. Dietary proteins are broken down into amino acids, which the body uses as building blocks.

Dogs require essential amino acids from their diet. Cats have additional nutritional requirements, including taurine. This is one reason dog food and cat food should not be used interchangeably as long-term diets.

What makes a protein high quality?

The protein percentage on a pet food label is only part of the story. The quality of that protein depends on several factors.

• Amino acid profile
  Does the recipe provide the essential amino acids your pet requires?
• Digestibility
  Can your pet efficiently digest and absorb the protein?
• Overall formulation
  Does the food provide enough usable protein alongside balanced fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals for your pet’s life stage and lifestyle?

Animal-derived proteins naturally provide highly digestible amino acids that are particularly well suited to dogs and cats. This is why many premium European pet foods place a strong emphasis on high-quality animal ingredients. However, a well-formulated complete diet may also include carefully selected plant ingredients that contribute valuable nutrients, fibre and energy as part of a balanced recipe.

Is more protein always better?

Not necessarily.

A higher crude protein percentage does not automatically mean a food is better. Your pet’s ideal protein intake depends on factors such as age, breed, activity level, body condition, calorie intake and overall health.

Growing puppies and kittens, highly active pets, pregnant or nursing animals and some senior pets often have different nutritional requirements from healthy adult animals.

Rather than focusing on the highest protein number, choose a complete and balanced food formulated for your pet’s species and life stage, then monitor their body condition, muscle maintenance and overall wellbeing.

Pets with diagnosed medical conditions should never be switched to a high-protein or low-protein diet based solely on online advice. Kidney, liver, urinary and digestive conditions often require individually tailored nutrition under veterinary guidance.

Why protein source matters

Two pet foods can list similar protein percentages while providing protein from very different sources.

Recipes that include higher proportions of quality animal ingredients generally provide amino acids in forms that are highly digestible for dogs and cats. This is one of the reasons premium European manufacturers often prioritise animal-derived ingredients as the foundation of their recipes.

At Yomzy, we carefully select brands that focus not only on protein quantity but also on ingredient quality, transparent formulations and complete, balanced nutrition, allowing pet parents to make informed choices with confidence.

How to compare protein in wet and dry food

Comparing protein percentages between wet and dry food without considering moisture can be misleading.

Pet food labels usually display protein on an as-fed basis. Since wet food contains considerably more water than dry food, its protein percentage naturally appears lower even when the food contains a high concentration of protein after moisture is removed.

To compare fairly, nutrition professionals often use Dry Matter Basis (DMB).

Dry Matter Protein (%) = Protein (%) ÷ (100 − Moisture %) × 100

For example:

• A wet food containing 10% protein and 78% moisture provides approximately 45.5% protein on a dry matter basis.
• A dry food containing 28% protein and 10% moisture provides approximately 31.1% protein on a dry matter basis.

This calculation does not determine which food is better. It simply allows a more meaningful comparison between foods with different moisture levels.

The practical takeaway

Protein is one of the most important nutrients in your pet’s diet, but choosing the right food involves much more than selecting the highest percentage on the label.

Look for complete and balanced nutrition, high-quality protein sources, transparent ingredient declarations, digestibility and recipes formulated for your pet’s life stage.

What Does High Animal Content Mean in Pet Food?

High animal content refers to the proportion of a pet food recipe that comes from animal-derived ingredients. Depending on the formulation, this may include dehydrated meat, fresh meat, fish, organs, animal fats and broths.

While there is no single universal definition across all brands or markets, high animal content is widely recognized as an important indicator of premium pet nutrition because animal ingredients provide highly digestible protein and many of the essential nutrients dogs and cats are naturally adapted to utilize. However, brands may calculate this percentage differently. Some report fresh meat before cooking, while others include dehydrated ingredients, organs and broths in the total percentage.

Why dehydrated meat percentages matter?

One of the biggest differences between pet food labels is how meat content is declared.

Fresh meat contains a significant amount of water, meaning its percentage can decrease considerably after the cooking process. Dehydrated meat, on the other hand, has already had its moisture removed before being incorporated into the recipe, providing a more concentrated source of animal protein.

For this reason, all brands available through Yomzy clearly state their dehydrated meat content wherever applicable, giving pet parents greater transparency about the actual animal ingredients included in the final recipe. This allows for a more meaningful comparison between products than relying solely on fresh meat percentages.

Among our portfolio, Half & Half places particular emphasis on clearly communicating its high animal content, making it easy for pet parents to understand the recipe’s animal ingredient composition while still providing complete and balanced nutrition.

High animal content is not the same as protein percentage

High animal content and crude protein are related, but they are not the same.

A recipe with a high percentage of animal ingredients does not always display the highest protein percentage on the label. Wet foods naturally contain much more moisture than dry foods, so their protein percentage appears lower on an as-fed basis even though they may provide excellent nutrition.

Similarly, two dry foods may list similar protein percentages while obtaining that protein from different sources. Recipes with a greater proportion of animal-derived ingredients often provide naturally occurring amino acids and nutrients that are highly suitable for both dogs and cats.

Why high animal content is valuable?

Animal ingredients contribute much more than protein alone. They naturally provide essential amino acids, beneficial fats, vitamins and minerals while also improving palatability, helping pets enjoy their meals consistently.

Cats, as obligate carnivores, have specific nutritional requirements that rely heavily on animal-derived nutrients such as taurine and arachidonic acid. Dogs also benefit from high-quality animal proteins as part of a balanced, complete diet.

This is one of the reasons many premium European manufacturers formulate recipes with a strong emphasis on animal ingredients while balancing them with carefully selected carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and functional ingredients to support everyday health.

What to look for alongside high animal content?

High animal content is an excellent feature, but it should always be considered alongside the complete nutritional profile. When comparing foods, look for products that provide:

• Clearly identified animal protein sources.
• Transparent declaration of dehydrated meat or animal ingredient content where applicable.
• Complete and balanced nutrition for your pet’s species and life stage.
• Clear feeding guidelines and calorie information.
• High manufacturing and quality control standards.
• Functional ingredients that support long-term health and wellbeing.

The practical takeaway

High animal content is one of the strongest indicators of a premium pet food when it is supported by transparent ingredient sourcing and a complete, balanced formulation. Rather than focusing on a single percentage, consider how the recipe is formulated, the quality and type of animal ingredients used, digestibility, nutritional balance and suitability for your pet’s life stage.

At Yomzy, we carefully select European brands that prioritize transparency in their formulations. By clearly declaring dehydrated meat content where applicable and placing emphasis on complete, balanced nutrition, brands such as Half & Half , Tramp, Almi & Island of Pets help pet parents make more informed decisions with greater confidence.