Take a look at your dog food label, and if you see any of the following phrases, put the bag or can down and move on to the next product:
1. Meat Byproducts
Avoid any generic ingredient like this. What kind of “meat” did this come from? We don’t know the source.
“Meat byproducts frequently include waste parts as well as rejected meats,” according to Dr. Michel Selmer, DVM.
And Dr. Karen Becker, DVM, says, “There could be something beneficial thrown in, like the heart or gizzard, but because there’s such potential for undesirable pieces and parts in ‘byproducts,’ it’s better to avoid them altogether.”
2. Animal Fat
“Again, there’s no animal specified, so it’s anyone’s guess where the fat came from,” says Dr. Becker.
Not to mention, the chemical additives and preservatives used to process animal fats may cause chronic allergies and skin problems. With a premium pet food, you’ll get higher-quality fats.
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3. Animal Digest
This is a common ingredient in the big-brand dog foods, and Purina calls it a “high-quality” ingredient. No, really — they actually say that. Which leaves me baffled, because animal digest is something I’d never want to see in my pet’s food.
“Animal digest is a boiled concoction made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals,” says dog nutrition expert Tracie Hotchner.
“The animals used for this broth can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination,” she adds. “Ingredients can come from restaurant and supermarket refuse, the dead, diseased, disabled or dying (‘4D’) animals raised for human food, other farm animals, rodents, pets euthanized at shelters and so on.”
4. Ethoxyquin
Ethoxyquin, a poison, is banned from human food — but incredibly, it’s fair game in some commercial dog foods. It “should never be fed to any pet,” according to Dr. Becker.
Iams responds that “all studies conducted to date prove that ethoxyquin is safe for use in all animal foods when used at approved levels,” but I have to ask the obvious question: Why is it banned from human food in any amount but somehow OK for our dogs to eat every single day, meal after meal?
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5–6. BHA and BHT
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) have been linked to cancer.
“You should look for natural preservatives, such as the herb rosemary or vitamins E or C, instead of chemical additives like these,” says Dr. Selmer.
Even though there is more and more evidence now that these chemical-based preservatives may harm your pet’s health, it is still normal within the industry to slip them into various dog foods. “These chemical additives and preservatives may lead to aggressiveness, mood swings, hyperactivity, and regurgitation after meals or skin allergies,” says Dr. Selmer.
There are so many dog foods out there that have better quality ingredients, so don’t bother with products that have any of those 6 ingredients listed above.
Can You Keep Your Pet Safe?
You’re probably freaking out a bit after reading all of this. After all, pets are like family.
The good news is that most companies are quick to issue recall notices. This means that we just have to stay up-to-date on recent recalls and keep a watchful eye on our pets.
If you have not signed up to receive Petful’s pet food recall alerts, do yourself a favor and subscribe now.
This is a free service, and you’ll know about dog food recalls as soon as we find out about them.
Our recall alerts often arrive in your inbox days — yes, DAYS — before you’ll hear about them anywhere else. That gives you an extra advantage when it comes to a longer, healthier life for your pet. No one wants their pet eating an unsafe — and potentially deadly — dog food.
