Label words explained
Reading the label printed on our baby octopus bag
Updated
Freeze dried octopus guaranteed analysis, as our package label prints it: crude protein at least 70%, crude fat at least 3%, crude fiber at most 18%, moisture at most 15%, and 2,235 kcal ME per kg, about 63.4 kcal per ounce. Each line is a floor or a ceiling, not an exact amount, for one ingredient: baby octopus.
What does the octopus label print under guaranteed analysis?
Five lines, and the package label is the only place they come from. The listing repeats them word for word, introduced as the text printed on the package, so the figures below are the bag's own.
- Crude protein (min): 70%
- Crude fat (min): 3%
- Crude fiber (max): 18%
- Moisture (max): 15%
- Metabolizable energy: 2,235 kcal ME/kg (approximately 63.4 kcal/oz)
The bag holds one ingredient. According to the listing, every piece is an entire baby octopus, tentacles and all. Our octopus for dogs page shows these same figures in a table, so this guide goes line by line instead.
How do you read a minimum and a maximum?
A "min" is a floor. The bag holds at least that much of the thing named, and it may hold more. A "max" is a ceiling. The bag holds no more than that, and it may hold less.
So the 70% on the protein line is a promise about the lowest the number goes, not a measurement of this particular bag. The same goes for the 18% fiber ceiling and the 15% moisture ceiling, only in the other direction. Treat all four as limits and you will read the label the way it was written.
We are not going to explain the word "crude" or how anyone tests for these numbers. You do not need the lab method to read a limit.
What are the two energy figures on the octopus label?
The label prints energy twice. One is 2,235 kcal ME/kg, a figure per kilogram. The other is approximately 63.4 kcal/oz, the same energy stated per ounce. ME is the label's shorthand for metabolizable energy.
We report both as printed and do no converting between them.
For a dog, VCA Hospitals (opened 2026-10-16) caps treats at about 10 percent of the calories eaten in a day. That guideline is for dogs. Neither energy figure tells you what one piece adds up to, because the label prints no per piece number.
How does the octopus label compare with our other bags?
Two things stand out, and both are plain comparisons of printed numbers.
First, the 18% fiber ceiling is shared with exactly one other bag of our seven, the Captain's Catch seafood medley. That medley has five ingredients, octopus among them, and you can read about it in our seafood for dogs guide. The label does not say why the two share a ceiling, and we do not guess.
Second, 63.4 kcal per ounce is the lowest energy figure on our seven labels. Captain's Catch is next at 64.4. We offer that as a fact about the printed numbers. It is not a reason to pick one bag or skip another.
What does the octopus label leave out?
Quite a bit, and it is better to know up front.
- A per piece figure. No two octopus are the same size, and the label prints nothing for one piece.
- How the octopus was prepared. The label does not print it. We can: the octopus is freeze-dried raw.
- A species or a catch location. The listing names baby octopus and nothing narrower.
- A use-within line. The bag carries a best-by date one year from production and nothing for an open bag, so our suggestion of 30 days after opening is ours. On storage, the listing says only that the bag is light and shelf stable, and that it should be closed after each use and kept somewhere cool and dry.
- A warning line. Our listing carries no line about ingredients to avoid. Octopus is a mollusk, which this site files with shellfish.
Treats like this are for occasional or supplemental feeding, not a complete diet, and the listing says the same. A dog on a diet set by your veterinarian should get the vet's answer first.
One more honest note, from the car side of the family: a label is like a spec sheet. It tells you what is in the engine, not how the thing drives. For how a bag handles in real life, our scorecard gives crunch 4 of 5 and training value 3 of 5, and the listing warns that it smells strongly of the sea. The rest of our guides live in the guides hub.
Questions
Is 70% the exact amount of protein in the bag?
No. It is a minimum, so the bag holds at least 70% crude protein and may hold more. The label prints a floor, not a measurement of the particular bag in your hand. The same reading applies to the fat line, which is also a minimum.
Why is the fiber line 18%?
The label does not say, so we cannot tell you. It is printed as a maximum, a ceiling, and the Captain's Catch medley prints the same 18%. Beyond those two facts we would be guessing, and a guess does not belong next to a number on a label.
How many calories are in one piece of octopus?
We do not have that number. The label gives energy per kilogram and per ounce, and no figure per piece. Pieces also vary in size from one octopus to the next, so any per piece figure we invented would only be a guess.
Does the label say whether the octopus is raw or cooked?
It does not, and neither does the listing, but we can answer it: the octopus is freeze-dried raw. The listing sticks to the ingredient: baby octopus, whole, and nothing else in the bag. Handle it as you would any raw seafood treat.
Is the label the same when the bag goes to a cat?
There is one bag and one label. The listing also names cats, and its cat line is simple: serve one piece whole, or crumble it over food. For how many a cat should get, ask your veterinarian.
Where is the octopus from?
The listing says it is freeze dried in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania. It includes imported ingredients, and that part is our own statement. The label does not print an origin, and neither the label nor the listing names a species or a catch location.