There Is No "WSAVA-Approved" Food
WSAVA does not approve pet foods. Its guidelines are questions to ask a manufacturer. What they ask, what they can't tell you, and who funds them.
Written by thecanineledger
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“The GNC does not endorse, approve, recommend or support specific products or companies.” That is the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Global Nutrition Committee, describing itself on its own page (WSAVA, Nutrition Committee).
You may still hear a food described as “WSAVA-approved” or “WSAVA-compliant”, from a breeder, an online forum or a pet shop. No such approval exists. What WSAVA publishes is a short list of questions for owners and vets to ask a pet food company.
While those questions are useful, they are not a list of good brands, and treating them as one misses what they’re for. This page explains what they ask, what the answers can and can’t tell you, and who pays for the committee’s work.
Our note: We haven’t found a source on where the phrase “WSAVA-approved” comes from or how widely it’s used.
1. What the guidelines ask
WSAVA’s Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods is a one-page document, updated in 2021 (WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods). Its questions about a brand are, in short:
| Question | What WSAVA is looking for |
|---|---|
| Do they employ a nutritionist? | Someone with a “PhD in Animal Nutrition” or board certification in veterinary nutrition. In North America that is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition), written DACVIM (Nutrition); in Europe, the European College of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition. WSAVA adds that “Consultants may have limited influence compared to a staff Nutritionist.” |
| Who formulates the diet? | An experienced formulator, a vet, or “a pet owner/breeder/trainer”. WSAVA says recipe development requires knowledge “not taught in veterinary school programs.” |
| What is the quality control process? | Checks on ingredients and finished food, including “toxicology, bacteriology, and packaging/shelf-life screenings prior to, during, and after manufacturing.” |
| What research has been done? | Companies “are not required to conduct or sponsor nutritional research in order to produce and sell a food”, but WSAVA says when they do, “it indicates a commitment to animal health and wellness.” |
| Can you contact them? | A phone number or email. WSAVA says companies “should be able to provide an “average” or “typical” analysis for all essential nutrients in their food.” |
| Who makes the food? | Whether the company makes it (“Made by”) or uses another manufacturer (“Made for” or “Distributed by”). |
Its closing line: “If the manufacturer cannot or will not provide any of this information, veterinarians and owners should be cautious about feeding that brand.”
2. What the answers can’t tell you
The questions are about the company, not the bag in your hand. A company can employ a qualified nutritionist and still make a food that doesn’t suit your dog. A small company can fail several questions and make a food that does.
They also reward size. Employing staff nutritionists, running quality-control labs and publishing research are easier for large manufacturers. That doesn’t make the questions wrong. It does mean a “yes” to all of them partly reflects how big a company is.
The guidelines point the decision back to the vet. WSAVA writes that “The veterinary team has a vital role in helping pet owners make informed decisions on the optimal diet for their dog or cat.”
Our note: The point that the questions favour large companies is our reading, not something WSAVA says.
3. Who funds the committee
WSAVA’s committee page says “The Nutrition Committee is generously supported by our partners”. Its site also lists an education series titled “Food for Thought With Fresh Perspectives by Purina Institute”.
We couldn’t see the full list of partners. It sits behind a marketing-cookie banner, which we didn’t accept.
Industry funding is common across veterinary nutrition, and it doesn’t make the guidelines wrong. The questions themselves are sensible, and a company that won’t answer them is telling you something. You should simply know who supports the committee.
Our note: We couldn’t view WSAVA’s partner list without accepting marketing cookies, so we don’t name the partners.
4. Using the questions
The questions work best as a conversation starter with your vet, not a filter you run alone. If you’re choosing a food:
- Check the nutritional adequacy statement first. → How to Read a Dog Food Label
- If you want to ask the company WSAVA’s questions, write them down and note the answers.
- Take the answers to your vet, along with your dog’s age, weight, health and what they eat now.
5. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “WSAVA approves foods” | False. WSAVA’s committee says it does not endorse or approve products. |
| “WSAVA keeps a list of compliant brands” | We found no such list on WSAVA’s site. |
| “A food that meets the guidelines is the best food” | Not what they say. They ask about the company, not your dog’s needs. |
Sources
- WSAVA: Nutrition Committee (committee page; read 4 November 2026)
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods (2021; professional body guidance; read in full)
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.