Species biology, life stage and recognised nutritional frameworks define every product we design — before ingredients, cost or format.
Dogs and cats have different nutritional needs from each other and from people. Cats need dietary taurine, arachidonic acid and preformed vitamin A; dogs and cats both change requirements across growth, adulthood, reproduction and old age. Good formulation starts from this biology, not from an ingredient list.
Our nutrition science work applies species biology, life stage and recognised nutritional frameworks to every product we design. It covers functional nutrition for digestive, joint, skin, weight and healthy-ageing goals, and the ingredient science that decides how each nutrient is delivered.
Start your project with Guires PNLFormulation starts with the animal. Species biology, life stage and the recognised nutritional frameworks define every product we design.
Formulation logic built specifically for canine nutrient requirements, energy needs and feeding behaviour.
Cats are not small dogs. Their distinct requirements get their own formulation logic — never adapted from a canine recipe.
Puppy & kitten nutrition for development.
Balanced nutrition for healthy adults.
Concepts for older animals.
Reproductive-stage requirements.
Higher-demand working and sporting animals.
AAFCO nutrient profiles cover growth & reproduction and adult maintenance. Adequacy — including “all life stages” and large-breed growth claims — is substantiated by formulation to a profile or by AAFCO feeding-trial protocols. We never assume human-style age groups translate into regulatory claims.
For Europe and the UK we formulate to the current FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines (2025) for complete and complementary dog and cat foods.
Both frameworks build on the NRC (2006) nutrient requirements of dogs and cats. We verify recipes by analysing the finished product, not just by calculation.
The differences that change a formula — and why we never adapt a dog recipe for cats.
| Factor | Dogs | Cats | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | Moderate requirement | Higher requirement; protein is used for energy | AAFCO / FEDIAF profiles |
| Taurine | Made in the body from sulphur amino acids | Essential in the diet — minimum 0.10% DM dry, 0.20% DM canned | AAFCO cat profile |
| Arginine | Required | Critical — a meal lacking arginine can cause serious illness | NRC 2006 |
| Vitamin A | Can convert β-carotene | Needs preformed vitamin A | NRC 2006 |
| Arachidonic acid | Made from linoleic acid | Needed in the diet | AAFCO cat profile |
| Niacin | Made from tryptophan | Higher dietary need; conversion is limited | NRC 2006 |
| Taste | Responds to sweet | No working sweet receptor; strongly drawn to umami | McGrane 2023 |
| Propylene glycol | Permitted as a humectant | Prohibited in cat food in the US | 21 CFR 589.1001 |
| Feeding pattern | Fewer, larger meals | Many small meals a day | Study design implication |
References: NRC (2006) nutrient requirements of dogs and cats; AAFCO nutrient profiles; McGrane 2023; 21 CFR 589.1001. See the Ingredient & Flavour Library →
We develop nutrition that supports specific needs, using evidence-based ingredients and claims language appropriate to each target market.
Prebiotics, probiotics, fibres and digestive-support concepts.
Fatty acids and appropriate nutritional ingredients.
Functional formulations supporting mobility and joint nutrition.
Energy-controlled formulations and appropriate nutritional strategies.
Nutrition concepts for ageing animals.
Treats and other nutrition-led concepts.
Evidence-based nutritional formulations.
Ingredient and formulation research for appropriate nutritional positioning.
Developed only with careful regulatory and claims controls.
Why it matters: regulators such as the FDA scrutinize pet-food health claims — medical or disease-related claims can move a product toward animal-drug regulation. Permissible claims are reviewed for each target jurisdiction.
We help you choose evidence-based ingredients and claims language that fit your target market.
We understand how every ingredient class behaves — nutritionally, in processing and in the bowl.
of nutritional parameters sit inside the AAFCO dog and cat nutrient profiles — and requirements depend on nutrient-to-calorie relationships. That's why complete pet-food formulation is far more complex than assembling an ingredient list.
Probiotics and fermentation, molecular and microbiology testing, lab-based efficacy screening and protein analysis — in our own biotech lab.
We track current research so your product decisions and claims rest on today’s evidence — not last decade’s marketing.
FDA has not established that diet causes canine DCM and has published no updates since December 2022, while research continues.
We set evidence-based limits on pulse inclusion and check amino-acid adequacy in grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes.
ISAPP sets the scientific definitions. In dogs, the clearest evidence for probiotics is in acute diarrhoea and digestive tolerance; results for other conditions are mixed, and publication bias is a concern.
We use the ISAPP definitions, match claims to what the data support, and measure outcomes in controlled studies.
Eight farmed insect species are authorised in the EU for processed insect protein, and the UK cleared the first cultivated-meat pet food in July 2024.
We assess digestibility, palatability, safety and regulatory fit for insect, cultivated, plant-based and upcycled ingredients.
Raw diets carry higher pathogen risk: one study found Salmonella in 26.2% of raw diets and none of the extruded diets tested. Since January 2025, FDA requires US makers using raw poultry or cattle materials to address H5N1.
We build kill-step validation, pathogen testing and, for US products, H5N1 hazard analysis into development.
In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 70 senior dogs, an NAD+ precursor plus a senolytic improved owner-rated cognition at 3 months — but objective tests showed no difference, and NAD+ and senescence markers were not measured. In the US, NMN was confirmed as a lawful human dietary supplement in 2025; its status in pet food and feed still needs checking market by market.
We treat longevity actives as early-evidence ingredients: regulatory status checked per market and species, doses justified, and claims kept to “supports healthy ageing”.
In APOP’s 2022 US survey, 59% of dogs and 61% of cats were classified as overweight or having obesity.
Energy-controlled formulas and clear, evidence-based feeding guides are a core part of our work.
A 2026 veterinary review concluded that the human ultra-processed food definition cannot be applied directly to pet food, because complete pet foods must be nutritionally complete by regulation.
We focus on measurable outcomes: nutrient adequacy, digestibility, safety and stability.
Stay ahead with regulation updates, the latest research, ingredient spotlights, recalls and market trends for nutrition science — written by our formulation, testing and regulatory teams.
Every project at Guires Pet Nutrition Lab runs inside an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality system and FSSAI-licensed operations, with documented methods, calibrated instruments, traceable raw materials and reviewed reports — so the results behind your product can be checked and defended.
From nutrient targets to ingredient selection, we bring the science your product needs.
Every Guires PNL product is formulated to comply with the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines and the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. Neither body issues certificates to manufacturers, so compliance is verified independently against their published standards — and every product comes with a complete documentation package for regulatory submissions in the EU, US, Australia and Asian markets.
How we verify compliance →