What questions should you ask a manufacturer to test how serious it is (the WSAVA method)?

The WSAVA proposes five key questions: does the brand employ a qualified nutritionist, who formulates the recipes, does it run feeding trials to AAFCO or FEDIAF protocols, what is its quality control, and does it supply energy density and the full analysis on request (WSAVA, 2021).

The nutritionist and the formulation

The first question concerns qualification: does the brand employ a nutritionist holding a PhD in animal nutrition or an ACVN or ECVCN board certification (WSAVA, 2021)? The second asks who really formulates the recipes and with what expertise. The discriminating fact: many brands outsource formulation with no full-time board-certified nutritionist, which makes these two questions unusually revealing about how serious an operation really is.

Trials, quality control and transparency

The remaining questions address validation and rigour. Are the foods validated by feeding trials or only by calculation? An AAFCO adult maintenance trial requires at least 8 animals fed the food exclusively for 26 weeks, of which at least 6 must finish with no sign of deficiency or excess (AAFCO, 2024). What is the control of ingredients and finished products? Does the brand supply energy density and the full nutritional analysis on request (WSAVA, 2021)? An evasive answer is a documented warning sign.