About
About PetProofLab
PetProofLabhelps cat and dog owners choose gear, food and supplies with the reasons attached. Every pick on the site comes with its proof: the certification or standard it meets, a check of the FDA and CPSC recall records, and the label, specs and seller behind the listing. The “lab” in our name means research and verification, not a testing facility.
We do not test products hands-on.Our guides are built from published certifications and standards, regulator data, brand specifications, and verified Amazon listings, and every guide says so. Product cards are marked “From the listing · not tested”. If we ever test a product ourselves, the page will say exactly what we did.
How we research
Certifications and standards
A safety or nutrition claim on this site names its source: a Center for Pet Safety certification, an AAFCO statement on the bag, an EPA registration or FDA approval number. If a listing claims more than its certification supports ("crash tested" with no certification, for example), we say so.
Recalls
Before a product goes on a list we search FDA and CPSC recall records for it and its maker, and we recheck listed products regularly.
The label and the listing
Sizes, weight limits, materials and ingredients come from the brand, the label or the listing, and are labelled as the listing's claims.
The seller
We link only to listings sold by Amazon.com or the brand's own store. A product only resellers carry becomes a search link, not a recommendation to buy from them.
The price
Prices come from Amazon, are refreshed twice a day, carry the time they were read, and disappear once they are more than 24 hours old. We never write prices into our own text.
The sources we rely on
- Center for Pet Safety (CPS)
A nonprofit that crash-tests and certifies safety harnesses, travel carriers and travel crates, and publishes the list of products that passed. A travel restraint we call crash-tested has to be on that list.
- Airline pet policies and USDA APHIS pet travel
Each airline sets its own under-seat carrier size and pet rules, so carrier picks cite the airline's own page. USDA APHIS covers the health certificates and paperwork for travel.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine
Pet food and treat recalls (the source for our recall checker), pet food labeling rules, and approvals for flea and tick drugs given by mouth or injection.
- AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements
The "complete and balanced" statement on a dog or cat food, and the life stage it names (growth, adult maintenance or all life stages). Food picks must carry one that fits the pet.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Topical flea and tick products (spot-ons, collars, sprays, shampoos) are registered by the EPA as pesticides; we check for the EPA registration number and the species on the label.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
Household products, plants and foods that are toxic to cats and dogs, which we check cleaning, garden and chew products against.
- AAHA life stage guidelines
The American Animal Hospital Association's definitions of puppy, adult and senior stages, which our life-stage guides follow.
- American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
Veterinary guidance for pet owners on care, safety and travel, cited where a pick depends on it.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Recalls of pet toys, gates, beds and other gear that is not food or medicine; the second source for our recall checker.
Ratings
We do not give star ratings to products we have not tested. A guide explains who each pick suits and why, and the Amazon star average, where we mention it, is labelled as Amazon's.
What gets a product cut
- An open recall on the product, or an unresolved pattern of safety complaints.
- Crash-test or "airline approved" claims that no certification or airline rule supports.
- Food or treats with no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement where one is expected, or one for the wrong life stage.
- Flea and tick products for dogs that are sold without a clear warning to keep them away from cats, or with no EPA registration or FDA approval number.
- No seller we can confirm, or a listing that swaps from one product to another under the same reviews.
Not veterinary advice
PetProofLab is a buying guide, not a veterinary resource. Health and safety information here summarizes public guidance from the organizations above and links to it; it does not replace advice from your veterinarian, especially on food, supplements, and flea and tick products. If you think your pet has eaten something toxic, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Affiliate disclosure
PetProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy through a link on this site, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Commissions do not influence what we recommend. We do not accept payment or free products for coverage, and brands do not see our articles before they are published.
Amazon prices and images
Prices and product photos on this site come from Amazon through its Creators API. Each price is stamped with the date and time it was read, and prices and photos more than 24 hours old are removed from the page.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Corrections policy
We correct errors rather than quietly deleting them. If a fact, a standard, a price or a link is wrong, email us and we will check it against the source within two business days. Corrections are made in the article and its Updated date changes. A new FDA or CPSC recall on a listed product is added to the article as soon as we see it.
Contact
Spotted an error, a recall we missed, or a price that has changed? Email hello@petprooflab.com and we will look into it.