Some companies use feeding trials to validate claims that their products are nutritionally “complete and balanced”. Many consider an AAFCO feeding trial to be the “gold standard” when verifying the nutrient quality of any commercial dog food.
However, we recommend buyers of these foods to exercise caution before making a purchase. That’s because feeding trials typically include 8 dogs, each at the same stage of life for which the claim of nutritional adequacy is made: gestation, lactation, growth or maintenance.
Puppies are fed the same dog food (exclusively) for 10 weeks. Adults consume the test food for 26 weeks. AAFCO protocols mandate specific diagnostic tests to determine if the feeding trial was successful. Unfortunately, many of these trials include small or medium breed puppies only.
They make no effort to consider the calcium content of the food, which (if excessive) can increase a large breed puppy’s risk of developing hip dysplasia and other skeletal deformities. So, just because a company uses feeding trials to prove its food is safe for growth or all life stages does not necessarily mean it’s suitable for large breed puppies.
That’s why we strongly recommend analyzing the energy-weighted calcium content of any dog food that’s recommended for puppies using feeding trials.