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How the generator works in dog and cat diets

A short guide to the role of How the generator works in dog and cat nutrition.

How the generator works

The generator builds a diet from real products and supplements. It doesn't simply enter percentages into a table. It tries to find a set that fits the animal, the diet settings and the nutritional standards. The standards are a reference point for the minimum and recommended nutrient levels. [1] [2] [3]

Put simply: the generator looks for the best possible variant under the conditions it was given.

What matters

The most important input data are:

  • the animal's profile: species, body weight, activity and life stage,
  • diet settings: number of days, preparation mode, ingredient proportions and number of products,
  • constraints: allergies, forbidden products, required products and preferences,
  • supplements: available brands, the chosen market and supplements the owner already has.

A preferred product doesn't have to enter the diet. If it spoils the balance or requires an illogical amount, the generator may skip it.

What the generator does

First it rejects products that don't fit the assumptions. Then it builds several possible versions of the diet and checks what's missing in them.

Only after building the base does it select supplements. A supplement is meant to solve a specific problem, e.g. calcium, iodine, zinc, manganese, vitamin E or omega-3.

For a cooked or steamed diet the values are recalculated after heat treatment. There is more in the article Retention after processing. Such recalculations are based on retention and cooking yield tables. [4] [5]

How to read the result

Each variant is checked for nutrients, proportions and safety limits. Values are compared per 1000 kcal, which makes it possible to sensibly compare diets for small and large animals. [1]

A result may have warnings. A warning doesn't always mean the diet is bad. Sometimes it means a compromise that has to be assessed consciously.

The BARFLAB Score is a shorthand for the quality of the whole diet. It helps compare variants, but it doesn't replace a normal analysis or a specialist's assessment in case of illness.

Why there are several variants

A BARF diet usually doesn't have a single correct solution. A similar effect can be achieved with different meat, a different source of calcium or a different set of supplements.

That's why the generator shows several proposals. The top variant is usually the best nutritionally, but another may be more practical: simpler, cheaper or closer to what the owner has at home.

When it can fail

The most common problem is constraints that are too tight. Many allergies, many forbidden products, forced ingredients and few supplements can make a sensible diet simply not exist.

In that case it's worth loosening at least one assumption: change a required product to a preferred one, allow a different supplement brand or permit a larger number of ingredients.

What to remember

The generator doesn't promise a perfect diet in every situation. It looks for the best variant among the available possibilities.

The better the input data and the fewer artificial blocks, the greater the chance of a good result.

Sources

  1. National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats
  2. FEDIAF. Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs. https://europeanpetfood.org/self-regulation/nutritional-guidelines/
  3. Association of American Feed Control Officials. AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. https://www.aafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Annual-Appendix_B.pdf
  4. USDA Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory (2007). USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6. https://agdatacommons.nal.usda.gov/articles/dataset/USDA_Table_of_Nutrient_Retention_Factors_Release_6_2007_/24660888
  5. Bognár, A. (2002). Tables on Weight Yield of Food and Retention Factors of Food Constituents for the Calculation of Nutrient Composition of Cooked Foods (Dishes). Bundesforschungsanstalt für Ernährung. https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/9642002