All states › Do I need a license to sell dog treats? › Pet food lab testing cost
A guaranteed analysis test (crude protein, fat, fiber and moisture, often with ash) costs from $16 to $65 at the five labs we found that publish their prices: a university lab, three state agriculture labs and a commercial lab. (The $16 is Clemson's in-state price, and it tests acid detergent fiber rather than crude fiber.) The new Pet Nutrition Facts box needs total dietary fiber as well, and the one published price we found for that is $340. Every price below is from the lab's own price list, read October 3, 2026.
We list only labs that publish prices; labs that quote on request are left out. We don't recommend or have any tie to any lab, and AAFCO notes: “NOTE: No regulatory official can make any endorsement of one laboratory over another.”
| Lab | Guaranteed analysis panel | Price list date |
|---|---|---|
| Clemson University Agricultural Service LaboratoryUniversity lab (Clemson, South Carolina) | Fat, protein and ADF together: $16 in-state, $32 out-of-state; $21 or $42 with ash | Price list on the lab's Pet Feed Analysis form, read October 3, 2026 (the form isn't dated) |
| New Mexico Department of Agriculture, Office of the State ChemistState lab (at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces) | A baked treat with ash: $40 | Feed Analysis Request form Q-028, version 3.3, authorised September 18, 2026 |
| Midwest LaboratoriesCommercial lab (Omaha, Nebraska) | Guaranteed analysis: $40; with total dietary fiber: $340 | Prices on the lab's Animal Nutrition and Pet Food Label Modernization pages, read October 3, 2026 (the pages aren't dated) |
| Montana Department of Agriculture Analytical LaboratoryState lab (Bozeman, Montana) | Label claim: $50; $65 with ash | Feed Sample Submission Form & Fees, “Prices effective August 25, 2018” (the current form on October 3, 2026) |
| Vermont Agriculture and Environmental Laboratory (Vermont Agency of Agriculture)State lab (Randolph Center, Vermont) | $59; $64 with ash | Fee schedule on the lab's Pet Food Product Guarantee Analysis page, read October 3, 2026 (the page isn't dated) |
Prices are per sample, and each product or recipe is a separate sample. Shipping is extra, and some labs add a card fee. Labs change prices; check the price list before you send a sample.
University lab (Clemson, South Carolina). Price list on the lab's Pet Feed Analysis form, read October 3, 2026 (the form isn't dated).
| Test or panel | Price |
|---|---|
| Crude fat | $5.00 in-state, $10.00 out-of-state |
| Crude protein | $6.00 in-state, $12.00 out-of-state |
| Acid detergent fiber (ADF) | $5.00 in-state, $10.00 out-of-state |
| Ash | $5.00 in-state, $10.00 out-of-state |
Moisture and total digestible nutrients are on the report at no extra charge. The fiber test is acid detergent fiber (ADF), which the form says South Carolina requires; it isn't the crude fiber in AAFCO's guaranteed analysis, so check what your state wants.
From the lab's price list: “The analyses required by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture are crude fat, crude protein, and acid detergent fiber (ADF). The report will include the total digestible nutrients, energy values, and moisture content.”Source: https://www.clemson.edu/public/regulatory/ag-srvc-lab/feed-forage/pet-food/pet-feed-analysis.pdf · https://www.clemson.edu/public/regulatory/ag-srvc-lab/feed-forage/pet-food/index.html
State lab (at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces). Feed Analysis Request form Q-028, version 3.3, authorised September 18, 2026.
| Test or panel | Price |
|---|---|
| Complete Analysis: protein, fat, fiber, moisture | $30.00 |
| Complete Analysis with expanded fat (the form says expanded fat is required for all heat-processed feed and pet foods, so baked treats) | $35.00 |
| Ash | $5.00 |
Protein, fat, fiber and moisture; ash is extra. The form doesn't say whether it takes samples from outside New Mexico; ask the lab.
From the lab's price list: “Expanded fat by is required for ALL heat processed feed and pet foods”Source: https://nmdeptag.nmsu.edu/media/pdf/Feed-Analysis-Request-Q-028.pdf
Commercial lab (Omaha, Nebraska). Prices on the lab's Animal Nutrition and Pet Food Label Modernization pages, read October 3, 2026 (the pages aren't dated).
| Test or panel | Price |
|---|---|
| F2: Complete Proximates (Guaranteed Analysis): moisture, crude protein, crude fat, fiber, ash, with calculated energy values including Calories; 250 g sample, 2 to 3 business days | $40.00 |
| F2 + TDF: the same plus total dietary fiber (total, insoluble and soluble), for the new Pet Nutrition Facts box; 10 to 12 business days | $340.00 |
| AAFCO Package (Dog Food): the entire AAFCO profile, 2,000 g sample | $2,400.00 |
Moisture, crude protein, crude fat, fiber and ash; energy values are calculated from them.
From the lab's price list: “Moisture, Crude Protein, Crude Fat, Fiber*, Ash.”Source: https://midwestlabs.com/animal-nutrition · https://midwestlabs.com/pflm
State lab (Bozeman, Montana). Feed Sample Submission Form & Fees, “Prices effective August 25, 2018” (the current form on October 3, 2026).
| Test or panel | Price |
|---|---|
| Label Claim: fat, fiber, moisture and protein | $50.00 |
| Ash | $15.00 |
Fat, fiber, moisture and protein; the form lists baked/expanded pet food as a sample type. The form doesn't say whether it takes samples from outside Montana; ask the lab.
From the lab's price list: “Includes: Fat, Fiber, Moisture, & Protein”Source: https://agr.mt.gov/_docs/analyticallab-docs/FeedSubForm.pdf
State lab (Randolph Center, Vermont). Fee schedule on the lab's Pet Food Product Guarantee Analysis page, read October 3, 2026 (the page isn't dated).
| Test or panel | Price |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed analysis: sample preparation ($10), crude protein ($15), crude fat ($15), crude fiber ($10), moisture ($9) | $59 |
| With ash ($5), which the page says is needed to sell in New York | $64 |
Crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and moisture, plus ash for New York. Samples are processed monthly, starting the first Monday, with results about 2 to 3 weeks later.
From the lab's price list: “Each different product or recipe needs to be analyzed, even if only one ingredient differs.”Source: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/vermont-agriculture-and-environmental-laboratory-vael/pet-food-product-guarantee-analysis