Are these ingredients in your dog’s food? Let’s hope not!
Meat by-products: First, the word meat can mean any type of poultry or mammal, so you have no idea what species have been put into the dog food. The second half of this ingredient name, by-product, is telling you it is anything but meat. According to Pet MD, meat by-product “includes, but is not limited to lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, & stomachs & intestines freed of their contents.” Sounds wonderful, right? Wrong. If this is in your food, you have no idea what type of animal protein or what part of the animals your dog is eating. It is important to note that Meat by-products and Meat meal are not the same thing. I will write more about meat meal in part 3 of this series.
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Animal fat: At first glance, this doesn’t sound so bad, but again as with meat, using the generic term animal indicates the manufacturer could be using any kind of mammal or poultry that has been rendered. You cannot be sure of what is going into your dog.
Animal digest: This is a hydrolyzed solution made from animal protein, then sprayed on kibble to make it palatable. In other words, this is a flavor enhancer sprayed on the otherwise unappetizing kibble to entice your dog to eat it. Again, you have no idea what type or quality of meat source this is made from.
BHA: Butylated hydroanisole is an antioxidant but is also a suspected carcinogen. BHA is used as a preservative in dog food and other products.
BHT: Butylated hydrotoluene is used to prevent fats and oils in dog foods from spoiling. It is also used in embalming fluid and petroleum products. Like BHA, it is cited as a probable carcinogen and it can cause liver issues in some individuals.
Fillers: Avoid foods that have Corn or Wheat in them. These are inexpensive fillers used to bulk up the food and are difficult for dogs to digest. In part 3, I will explain more about why these should be avoided.
Ethoxyquin: This is a quinoline-based preservative used to keep fat in dog food from becoming rancid. The issue is that this same synthetic chemical is used in rubber manufacturing and as a pesticide. In large doses, it can affect the liver. While the amount in a single serving is considered non-toxic, it is possible that cumulative exposure from eating a trace amount day after day, year after year, will lead to health issues for your dog.
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite complex: Also known as vitamin K3, a synthetic form of Vitamin K. It is a suspected liver toxin, and the cumulative effect over years of eating foods with this could lead to ill health for your pet.
The next item won’t be listed on any bag of dog food, but it is definitely something to be aware of when shopping for dog food.
Recalls: Avoid brands with histories of these. Major pet food recalls happen frequently, leaving one to wonder… Why does this keep happening? Bottom line, some dog food companies are putting profits before pets. It’s wrong, but as the ones who buy dog food, we can control who we buy from and what we offer our dogs in their dish each night. As I researched and learned more about dog food, my confidence in the mid-range food I was feeding disappeared when I learned they had multiple recalls in their history. Recalls, even voluntary ones, are disconcerting to me. They are nothing to mess with, as sometimes the effects of feeding a recalled food can be damaging or even deadly for dogs. A quick internet search will tell you if there has been a recall in a dog food brand’s history. Be smart and research recalls before you buy a new brand of food. My research on recall free dog foods led me to the brand I feed now. My dogs love it and so do I because I know it’s a safe and healthy food for them.
There are many other ingredients in dog food that are controversial, however, the ones I listed here are the most worrisome to me. I cannot stress enough how important it is to spend time researching foods for your pets. It may save you headache and heartache down the road because you chose to do better once you knew better.
Part 1 of this series discussed my journey to a better food for my pups and how to read and understand a dog food label. If you missed it, you can read it here. Next, in Part 3 of this series, I discuss the things that should be in a high-quality dog food. Please continue reading to learn more about picking a high-quality food for your dogs.
