Does the price per kilo of a kibble reflect its quality?

Price per kilo is a poor indicator of quality and even of real cost. It ignores energy density: a denser food is fed in smaller amounts, which can make it cheaper per day than a food that costs less per kilo (AAFCO, 2024). Cost per serving says far more.

The price-per-kilo trap

Comparing two foods on the bag price wrongly assumes the same amount of each is fed. In reality the ration depends on energy density, expressed in kilocalories per kilo (AAFCO, 2024). A food at 4,000 kilocalories per kilo is served in a smaller dose than one at 3,200 kilocalories per kilo, which narrows or even reverses the daily costs. The result that catches buyers out: a food that costs more per kilo can come out cheaper per day thanks to its energy concentration.

The right calculation

The cost that matters is the cost per day, found by combining the real ration with the price. That requires knowing the energy density, given on the pack or on request from the maker (AAFCO, 2024). Price per kilo also reveals nothing about digestibility or the maker's expertise (WSAVA, 2021). Two foods at the same price per kilo can be wildly unequal in formulation, which is why the headline number deserves so little trust.