Central Garden & Pet has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.7 and its EBIT covered its interest expense 4.2 times. This suggests that while the debt levels are significant, we'd stop short of calling them problematic. Even more troubling is the fact that Central Garden & Pet actually let its EBIT decrease by 9.3% over the last year. If it keeps going like that paying off its debt will be like running on a treadmill -- a lot of effort for not much advancement. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Central Garden & Pet can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.