Editorial Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-13

This page lays out how Goodboy Atlas's content is created, reviewed, and revised. The short version: every calculator and article cites real veterinary sources, sponsor money never tilts the math, and we update content when the underlying consensus changes.

Our editorial standard

Source first. Every calculator formula and every claim of fact is traceable to a published veterinary source (NRC, WSAVA, AAHA, AAFP, peer-reviewed journals, breed associations). Sources are listed at the bottom of each page.
Honest variance. We show ranges and ±error where they exist, not false-precision single numbers. Pet biology has genuine variation; pretending otherwise is misleading.
Plain language. If a 12-year-old pet owner can't follow the explanation, the explanation needs fixing — not the reader.
Vet-deferral by default. Where a decision is medical, we point you to a vet. Calculators are decision-support, not diagnosis.

How we choose sources

Preferred sources, in order:

Peer-reviewed journal articles (Journal of Animal Nutrition, JAVMA, Veterinary Clinics of North America)
Veterinary association guidelines (NRC, WSAVA, AAHA, AAFP, AKC)
Government data (USDA FoodData Central, FDA pet-food regulations)
Manufacturer disclosures (only for product specs — never for nutritional claims)

We avoid: pet-food brand calculators (conflict of interest), Wikipedia (too unstable for medical content), AI-generated summaries, and uncited blog content — including our own. If we can't find a real source for a claim, we don't make the claim.

Editorial independence from advertising and affiliate

Goodboy Atlas is funded by display advertising (Google AdSense) and Amazon Associates affiliate links. Advertising and affiliate revenue never influence calculator math, source selection, or article content. Specifically:

Affiliate product selection is editorial. We list specific Amazon products in calculator-result sections only when they're a natural follow-on (a crate after the crate-size calc; a fountain after the water-intake calc; an orthopedic bed after the senior wellness tracker). Every product is one we'd recommend regardless of commission. Commission rates don't bias our picks.
Every affiliate link is disclosed inline as required by the FTC: "As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases."
Every affiliate link carries rel="sponsored noopener" — Google's official annotation for paid placements, plus security against tab-hijacking.
No affiliate sections on toxicity / emergency pages. If your dog has eaten chocolate, the right next step is calling a vet — not buying a product. The toxicity and emergency-help pages are deliberately commerce-free.
Ad slots are served programmatically by Google. We don't review individual ads served; we don't endorse them; and they don't appear on toxicity pages either.
Recommendations in FAQ answers and methodology pages don't promote specific brands beyond what's already a generic example or a citation. If we say "talk to your vet" we mean it — we won't substitute that with a product link.

How we update calculators

Pet nutrition guidelines change rarely (NRC's last major dog/cat update was 2006; AAHA updates roughly every 5–7 years). When the underlying consensus changes, we update the affected calculators within 30 days and bump the "Last updated" date at the top of the page.

Smaller updates — copy clarifications, typo fixes, FAQ additions — happen continuously without changing the date stamp. If you spot an error, tell us; we read every email.

Author and reviewer

Carl writes, builds, and maintains Goodboy Atlas. Carl is a long-time pet owner, not a veterinarian. The site does not claim veterinary authority — it provides decision-support tools based on published veterinary research. See about Carl for the bio and qualifications disclosure.

Where a veterinary professional reviews specific content, the page is annotated with a "Reviewed by [Dr. Name, DVM]" credit. As of this writing, third-party veterinary review is in progress and will be surfaced page-by-page as it happens.

Corrections policy

We correct errors openly. Material corrections (math fixes, source-replacement, threshold changes) are noted at the bottom of the affected page with the date and what was changed. Typo and formatting fixes aren't logged individually but always trigger a "Last updated" date bump if more than a handful accumulate.

Out of scope

Goodboy Atlas does not, and will not, cover:

Veterinary diagnosis — that's a vet's job. We point you to one.
Drug dosing — too dangerous to get wrong, and a clear veterinary boundary.
Behaviour assessment via questionnaire — too speculative.
Breed-from-photo identification — requires unreliable ML.

Contact

Editorial questions, source disputes, or correction requests: contact page. Partnership inquiries: /partnership. Both go to a real person.