Life-stage × jurisdiction nutrient matrix (dog & cat)
Minimum (and where given, maximum) guaranteed-analysis nutrients by life stage, compiled from the parsed cross-standard index. All values are dry-matter % (DM %) and are verbatim from pdf-parsed/cross_standard_nutrient_index.json (AAFCO 2026 + FEDIAF 2025). Cells not present in the source are honest gaps, never interpolated.
Dog — AAFCO 2026 (US)
| Nutrient | Adult maintenance | Growth / reproduction |
|---|---|---|
| Crude protein (min) | 18.0 | 22.5 |
| Crude fat (min) | 5.5 | 8.5 |
| Calcium (min–max) | 0.5 – 2.5 | 1.2 – 1.8 |
| Phosphorus (min–max) | 0.4 – 1.6 | 1.0 – 1.6 |
| Ca:P (min–max) | 1:1 – 2:1 | 1:1 – 2:1 |
AAFCO note: large-breed puppies use a stricter calcium maximum (4.5 g/1000 kcal).
Dog — FEDIAF 2025 (EU)
| Nutrient | Adult maintenance | Early growth (<14 wk) | Late growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude protein (min) | 21.0 | 25.0 | 20.0 |
| Crude fat (min) | 5.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Calcium (min / max) | 0.58 / — | 1.0 / 1.6 | 0.8 / 1.8 |
| Phosphorus (min) | 0.46 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
FEDIAF gives minimums per 100 g DM; calcium maximums are set only for the growth stages above, not for adult maintenance.
Cat — AAFCO 2026 (US)
| Nutrient | Adult maintenance | Growth / reproduction |
|---|---|---|
| Crude protein (min) | 26.0 | 30.0 |
| Crude fat (min) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Calcium (min) | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| Phosphorus (min) | 0.5 | 0.8 |
Cat — FEDIAF 2025 (EU)
| Nutrient | Adult maintenance | Growth | Reproduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude protein (min) | — (not in index) | 28.0 | 28.0 |
| Crude fat (min) | — (not in index) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Calcium (min) | — (not in index) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Phosphorus (min) | — (not in index) | 0.84 | 0.84 |
NRC reference
The NRC 2006 nutrient allowances are not present in the parsed index (no NRC key in cross_standard_nutrient_index.json) → honest gap for every NRC cell. NRC is referenced as the underlying science basis by both AAFCO and FEDIAF but its exact allowance numbers are not quoted here to avoid unverified claims.
Method & honest-gap notes
- Source of truth:
pdf-parsed/cross_standard_nutrient_index.json—aafco_us_2026
(dog/cat adult + growth/reproduction) and fediaf_2025_summary.lifestages (dog adult + early/late growth; cat growth + reproduction). Every numeric cell above is a verbatim value of that file (DM % basis as labelled in-source).
- FEDIAF cat adult protein/fat/Ca/P are absent from the parsed index → marked gap, not
fabricated.
- Maxima: AAFCO provides Ca/P minima and maxima; FEDIAF provides minima (and a few Ca
maxima for dog growth) — FEDIAF "—" cells mean the index carries no maximum for that stage.
- Reproduce: re-read the named index keys; each quoted number is a substring/value of the
source JSON.
Cross-references
/api/v1/cross_compare— programmatic cross-standard nutrient comparison (same source index)contaminant_matrix_petfood— contaminant limits (different matrix, same compilation family style)label_claim_matrix— claim definitions (label-matrix family)