Cat and dog foods

The roasted quail and roasted duck from the name sit ninth and tenth, but duck still leads, followed by duck meal, turkey meal and chicken meal. It's 36% protein (about 40% with the water out) and 403 calories a cup, and the maker says it meets AAFCO's Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Three animal ingredients open this MedalSeries recipe for adult dogs: deboned chicken, chicken meal and turkey meal, with whole peas and sweet potato after them. It's 32% protein on the label, about 36% with the water out, and 431 calories a cup. Nulo says it meets AAFCO's Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.

Chicken does the heavy lifting in this limited-ingredient recipe: deboned chicken and chicken meal come first, then green lentils, sweet potatoes and yellow peas. It's 30% protein (about 33% with the water out) and 430 calories a cup, and Nulo says it meets AAFCO's profiles for all life stages, large-breed growth included.

Deboned turkey and turkey meal are the only meats in the first ten ingredients of this limited-ingredient recipe, ahead of lentils, sweet potatoes and peas. Nulo calls it grain-free and says it meets AAFCO's profiles for all life stages, including growth of dogs 70 lb or more as adults. A cup is 410 calories.

Small-breed adults get smaller pieces here, with corn and soybean meal at the top, and the bacon and steak come from bacon broth and natural beef flavor near the end of the list. Protein is 21% (about 26% with the water out), a cup is 360 calories, and the maker says it meets AAFCO's maintenance profile.

Corn is the first ingredient in these small-breed Mini Bits, and the chicken flavor comes from animal digest, ninth on the list. With 18% water, the 21% protein on the label is about 26% on a dry-matter basis, and Kibbles 'n Bits says it's formulated to meet AAFCO's maintenance profile.

Chicken by-product meal doesn't appear until sixth in this dry food for adult Miniature Schnauzers (10 months and older), after three grains, corn gluten meal and wheat gluten. Fat is 10% on the label and protein 23%, about 26% with the water out; a cup is 309 calories. Per Royal Canin, it meets AAFCO's maintenance profile.

Four proteins share the name, and chicken and beef take the first two spots, with beef liver and egg next and salmon sixth. These bagged refrigerated morsels are listed for dogs of any age; at 65% water, the 14.5% protein is about 41% on a dry-matter basis, and a cup is 278 calories.

Chicken, eggs, beef and beef liver all come before the first vegetable in this refrigerated puppy recipe, with green beans and carrots fifth and sixth. It's 58% water, so the label's 16% protein is about 38% with the water out, and a cup of the soft morsels is 241 calories.

Corn and soybean meal lead this adult dry dog food, and the chicken flavor comes from animal digest, which the label names as its source. Its 19% protein is about 23% with the 18% water out, a cup is 375 calories, and the maker says it's formulated to meet AAFCO's nutrient profile for maintenance.

Chicken comes first in this adult dog kibble, with whole grain corn, barley and whole grain wheat right behind, while chicken by-product meal doesn't appear until ninth. A cup is 360 calories, and the 23% protein is about 26% with the water out. Purina says it meets AAFCO's profile for adult maintenance.

Salmon tops the list in this adult dog kibble, but grains and soy take the next four spots: whole grain corn, whole grain wheat, soybean meal and barley. Protein is 23% (about 26% with the water out), a cup is 395 calories, and Purina says it meets AAFCO's Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.

Whitefish is the first ingredient in this canned dog food, and the salmon from the name comes eighth, behind two broths, water and turkey. At up to 82% water, the 7.5% protein is about 42% dry matter, and a 13.2 oz can is 346 calories. The maker says it meets AAFCO's profiles for growth and maintenance.

Salmon and fish meal lead this grain-free kibble for adult dogs, and sweet potatoes, peas, pea flour and lentils take the next four spots. Protein is 25% (about 28% with the water out), a cup is 408 calories, and the maker says it meets AAFCO's Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.

It's sold as a puppy recipe, but the maker says this grain-free kibble meets AAFCO's profiles for all life stages, including growth of large dogs (70 lb or more as adults). Salmon and fish meal come first, and the 27% protein is about 30% once the water's out.

Chicken, chicken broth and chicken liver come first in this pâté, sold for dogs of all ages. It's 78% water, so the 9% protein on the label is about 41% on a dry-matter basis, and a can is 375 calories.

Country Style doesn't name a protein, so the ingredient list tells you what's inside: meat by-products first, then water, chicken and fish. It's 78% water and 170 calories a can, with 9% protein (about 41% on a dry-matter basis), and Purina says it meets AAFCO's profile for adult cats.

Neither liver nor chicken leads this paté: water and two kinds of by-products come first, with liver fourth and chicken sixth. Because it's a “dinner”, labeling rules let the named ingredients be as little as 25% of the food, not counting water. Purina says it meets AAFCO's profile for adult cats.

Ocean whitefish comes first in this paté for adult cats, ahead of the by-products, liver and even the water, with tuna seventh. The 9% protein on the label is about 41% once its 78% water is taken out, and a can is 174 calories. Purina says it meets AAFCO's profile for adult maintenance.

Salmon is the first ingredient after water in this paté for adult cats, ahead of poultry and meat by-products. It's 78% water, so the 9% protein on the label is about 41% on a dry-matter basis, and a can is 170 calories. Purina says it meets AAFCO's Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.

Lamb is third in this small-breed paté, after beef and beef broth and ahead of beef liver. It's 78% water, so its 10% protein is about 45% on a dry-matter basis, and a can is 101 calories. Nulo says it meets AAFCO's profiles for all life stages except growth of large dogs.

The name says turkey, but the ingredient list puts it fourth, after meat by-products, water and poultry by-products. That's allowed for a “dinner”: labeling rules only require the named ingredients together to make up 25% of the food, not counting added water. What's in the can is a paté for adult cats, 78% water and 171 calories, that Purina says meets AAFCO's nutrient profile for adult maintenance.

Pumpkin, the other half of the name, is fifth, after turkey, turkey broth, turkey liver and chickpeas. This pâté is 78% water, so its 8.5% protein works out to about 39% with the water removed, and a 12.2 oz can is 394 calories.

Venison and lamb meal come first in this grain-free kibble, and then the legumes from the name take over: garbanzo beans, peas, lentils and pea flour. It's 28% protein on the label (about 31% with the water out) and 408 calories a cup.