At Butternut, you can easily view the nutritional information for all our recipes on our product page. This information is provided on an "As Fed" basis, as is required following FEDIAF guidelines.
What does As Fed mean?
“As Fed’ means the nutritional information is provided including all its moisture.
This gives you a clear picture of the nutrients in your dog’s meals just as they appear in the bowl at dinner time.
So, what does Dry Matter mean and what is this used for?
“Dry Matter” allows you to compare nutrient levels across different foods (like kibble and fresh food) by reducing their moisture content to zero.
As our meals are fresh, including all their tasty juices, much like a home-cooked meal, this naturally occurring moisture can make it a little trickier to compare the nutrient levels against other types of food, such as kibble or raw and even different brands. Therefore knowing the Dry Matter value of different foods can be beneficial.
This may be particularly relevant if your dog has dietary or health needs and your Vet specifically requests nutritional levels on a “Dry Matter” basis to help provide more guidance.
Calculating the Dry Matter Value of Your Dog’s Meals.
To find out the dry matter value of any meal, you just need to know its nutrient percentage "As Fed" and its moisture level. Online dry matter calculators can simplify this process, making it easy to compare different foods. However, if you prefer to calculate it yourself, here's a simple formula:
Step 1: Calculate the dry matter basis
Example:
Nutrient level (A) = 13%
Moisture level = 70%
First, subtract the moisture percentage from 100:
100−70= 30
Step 2: Calculate the ratio of the nutrient level to dry matter
Divide the nutrient level (A) by the result from Step 1:
13/30= 0.433313
Step 3: Convert to percentage
Multiply the result from Step 2 by 100 to get the dry matter basis percentage:
0.4333×100=43.33%.
Therefore, the Dry Matter Basis (DMB) for the nutrient level of 13% with a moisture level of 70% is 43.3%.
We hope this information is helpful. If you have any concerns while choosing the option that feels best for you and your dog, our Help Centre and Customer Love Team can offer general advice on various health conditions and their potential suitability.
However, please always consult your vet for personalised advice tailored to your dog’s needs.