Dog parents want to feel confident about what’s going into their dog’s bowl. One resource veterinarians often reference is the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), which provides guidance for evaluating dog food companies.
WSAVA doesn’t approve or certify individual brands. Instead, it outlines criteria that help veterinarians and dog parents assess nutrition expertise, quality standards, and scientific support.
Nom Nom’s gently cooked recipes and nutrition practices align with those guidelines. This article explains what WSAVA looks for and how Nom Nom measures up.
Nom Nom Dog Food and WSAVA Guidelines: What Pet Parents Need to Know
When dog parents compare foods, they want to know the company behind the bowl is just as thoughtful as the ingredients inside it. That’s exactly what the WSAVA framework is designed to help evaluate.
Nom Nom’s approach aligns with the qualities WSAVA encourages companies to demonstrate. Recipes are developed with veterinary nutrition expertise, formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition, and supported through quality control practices and ongoing nutrition research.
Each recommendation in the WSAVA framework looks at a different part of how a dog food company operates. The sections below break down those criteria and show how Nom Nom measures up.
WSAVA Guidelines 101: How Vets Evaluate Dog Food Brands
WSAVA is a global organization that supports veterinarians through education, resources, and evidence-based guidance. One of those resources is the WSAVA Global Nutrition Toolkit, which helps veterinarians and dog parents evaluate dog food companies using science-backed criteria instead of marketing claims.
Rather than publishing a list of approved brands, WSAVA encourages people to ask thoughtful questions about the food they choose. Those questions focus on the people behind the recipes, the company’s quality and safety standards, and the research that supports its nutrition practices.
WSAVA also emphasizes the importance of complete and balanced nutrition. A dog’s nutritional needs can change with age, activity level, and health status, so diets should provide appropriate nutrition for the dogs they’re intended to nourish.
Overall, WSAVA encourages dog parents to choose companies that prioritize nutrition expertise, rigorous quality standards, and ongoing scientific research. Its guidelines are a helpful framework for evaluating any dog food, regardless of the format or brand.
Using WSAVA Questions to Judge Any Dog Food Label
Choosing a dog food involves more than reading the front of the package. WSAVA’s guidance encourages dog parents to look a little deeper and ask questions about who developed the recipes, how they’re tested, and what information the company shares about its nutrition standards.
Here are a few of the questions worth asking:
| WSAVA-style question | What to look for | How Nom Nom answers |
|---|---|---|
| Who formulates the recipes? | Look for qualified nutrition experts, such as board-certified veterinary nutritionists. | Nom Nom recipes are developed and reviewed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and PhD-level scientists. |
| Is the food complete and balanced? | Check for an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement that identifies the life stage the food is intended for. | Nom Nom recipes are formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for complete and balanced nutrition. |
| Does the company provide feeding guidance? | Feeding recommendations and calorie information should be easy to find and understand. | Nom Nom provides personalized meal portions and calorie information to help dog parents serve the right amount. |
| Does the company share information about its nutrition team and standards? | Look for transparency around recipe development, nutrition philosophy, and quality practices. | Nom Nom openly shares information about its nutrition experts, ingredient standards, and food preparation process. |
Nom Nom’s Nutrition Team: Vet-Developed Recipes that Align with WSAVA Standards
One of the first things WSAVA encourages dog parents to look for is who formulates a company’s recipes. Qualified nutrition experts play an important role in creating diets that provide complete and balanced nutrition while meeting the needs of dogs at different life stages.
Nom Nom’s recipes are developed and reviewed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists alongside PhD-level scientists. This helps ensure every recipe is thoughtfully formulated using high-quality ingredients and designed to meet Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient profiles for complete and balanced nutrition.
Nutrition doesn’t stop once a recipe is formulated. Preparation plays an important role, too. Nom Nom prepares ingredients individually and gently cooks them at their optimal temperatures before combining them into complete and balanced meals. It’s a careful process designed to deliver recipes that match the nutritional standards established during formulation.
Quality Control and Food Safety: Inside Nom Nom’s Kitchens
A great recipe deserves a great process. That’s why WSAVA encourages dog parents to look beyond the ingredient list and learn how a company prepares its food. Consistent quality and food safety practices help ensure every meal lives up to the standards set during recipe development.
Nom Nom prepares and packages its gently cooked meals in Nashville, Tennessee, where each recipe follows standardized preparation procedures designed to support quality and consistency. High-quality ingredients are carefully evaluated before they become part of a meal, and recipes are prepared in small batches with established food safety and quality practices guiding every step.
Research, Feeding Trials, and AAFCO Compliance: How Nom Nom Proves Performance
Every Nom Nom recipe is formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for its intended life stage, helping ensure dogs receive the essential nutrients they need in every meal. AAFCO compliance is one of the key factors veterinarians consider when evaluating a dog’s diet, making it an important part of the WSAVA framework.
WSAVA also highlights the value of nutrition research and feeding studies when evaluating a dog food company. Nom Nom conducts feeding studies and contributes to peer-reviewed research that helps evaluate its recipes while expanding the broader understanding of canine nutrition.
See What’s Behind Every Bowl
Nom Nom’s gently cooked meals are developed with veterinary nutrition expertise, formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition, and prepared with real, visible ingredients you can recognize. It’s an approach that aligns with the principles WSAVA uses to evaluate dog food companies and one that’s designed with dogs and the people who love them in mind.
Ready to serve your dog a meal that’s thoughtfully developed from recipe to bowl? Explore Nom Nom’s meals and find the recipe that’s right for your dog.
FAQs: Does Nom Nom Dog Food Meet WSAVA Guidelines?
Does Nom Nom meet WSAVA guidelines?
Yes. Nom Nom develops its recipes and nutrition practices to align with the qualities outlined in the WSAVA framework, including veterinary nutrition expertise, complete and balanced nutrition, quality standards, and ongoing research.
Does WSAVA recommend or certify specific dog food brands?
No, WSAVA does not recommend or certify specific dog food brands. It provides a framework that veterinarians and dog parents can use to evaluate the companies behind a dog food.
How does Nom Nom’s nutrition team align with WSAVA’s recommendations?
WSAVA emphasizes the importance of qualified nutrition experts in recipe development. Nom Nom’s recipes are developed and reviewed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and PhD-level scientists, and every recipe is formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for complete and balanced nutrition.
Why does AAFCO compliance matter?
AAFCO nutrient profiles help ensure a dog food provides complete and balanced nutrition for its intended life stage. Nom Nom formulates every recipe to meet these nutritional standards, making AAFCO compliance an important part of its approach to dog nutrition.