Could you be inadvertently risking your dog’s health just by feeding him daily? New research is revealing how the pet food industry often creates food recipes containing risky or dangerous ingredients. Repeated recalls from some of the most reputable dog food brands further concerns.
This isn’t an easy problem to solve. Feeding table scraps isn’t wise, raw food feeding just isn’t possible for every dog owner, and letting your dog hunt is neither safe nor sensible. You want your best for your dog, and that means it’s up to you to avoid problem brands and seek out formulas with the lowest risk profile.
Like learning to read ingredient labels, learning to understand dog food ingredients can help you master your dog’s nutritional needs. In this post, we’ll explain which ingredients to avoid. Then, we’ll tell you which dog food brands are most likely to contain these dangerous ingredients in dry and wet formulas.
Garlic
Garlic in dog food is a serious red flag. The Pet Poison Helpline notes that garlic can cause Heinz body anaemia in dogs, a condition where the body destroys its on red blood cells. It can also cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and even convulsions in high enough doses.
Most dog foods probably don’t contain enough garlic to make your dog seriously sick, but remember that chronic exposure of low-dose toxins can be just as (if not more than) dangerous as acute exposure. It’s best to skip foods with this ingredient to be sure.
Corn & Corn Gluten
Corn and corn gluten both serve as fillers and provide a little bit of protein, but they’re largely unnatural and unsuitable for carnivorous pets. Cellulose, one of the main ingredients in corn, is virtually indigestible, making it more difficult for your dog to break down his food and absorb nutrients.
Dried corn also creates the perfect environment for mycotoxins, including Aflatoxin. This mold-like fungus has been linked to cancer in dogs, cats, and even pet rats.
Artificial Flavors
Artificial flavoring may or may not be ominous – there’s no way to know because Alpo doesn’t list the chemicals. However, many artificial flavoring substances have been identified as carcinogenic or irritating to the GI tract in the past.
Think “natural flavoring” is safer? You might want to think again. Just take a look at this statement from the FDA:
“FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”
Good, high-quality dog food shouldn’t need additional flavors; after all, pet parents who feed raw don’t add flavorings to their food, do they?
Menadione
Last on the list is menadione, an organic compound with Vitamin K activity. The use of menadione in pet foods is highly controversial; some studies show it might cause hemolytic anaemia or even damage the liver. It isn’t required in pet foods, but many brands include it so they can claim it provides essential vitamins.
Menadione is not a vitamin itself; instead, it is a precursor. There’s no evidence it significantly boosts vitamin K production, and it probably isn’t the safest way to ensure your dog gets proper intake of Vitamin K.
Fish Meal & Fish By-Product Meal
Let us start off by explaining that meat meals and certain by-products aren’t necessarily bad in every situation. When prepared carefully with high standards, they are essentially meat concentrates with high protein that make it easier for your dog to get the right nutrition.
The problem is that most manufacturers don’t have high standards, totally overlooking serious risks – like the fact that the fish oils found in most fish meal or by-product meal can turn rancid within dry dog foods.
Dogs Naturally Magazine explains that fish oils oxidase very quickly when dried and exposed to air. This damages critical amino acids, including omega-3, making the food less nutritionally viable. And science tells us that consuming oxidized fats can be detrimental to your pet’s health.
BHA & BHT
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are synthetic antioxidants made in a laboratory. They are frequently used in the cosmetics industry as well as in pet foods and certain processed human foods. In pet foods, they are utilized as preservatives to extend shelf life.
BHA and BHT have been banned in multiple countries for many reasons: high rates of allergic reactions, evidence of endocrine disruption, liver damage, thyroid failure, kidney function issues, and blood thinning.
Scientists are especially concerned by the fact that BHA and BHT bio-accumulate, meaning they build up over time, and mimic estrogen. This may raise your dog’s risk for certain cancers and reproductive health issues later in life.
Corn Syrup
Most of us know corn syrup isn’t good for us; it’s a junk additive that does very little for anyone nutritionally in even small doses. For your dog, it could very well interfere with his ability to control his blood sugar.
Corn syrup is most commonly found in wet foods and treats, but some kibble brands sneak it in, too. As you might suspect, they use it to sweeten and flavor the food to make it more tempting for your dog.
Unfortunately, research tells us that corn syrup can cause significant blood sugar spikes, even in healthy animals without Diabetes, and may even cause diabetes to develop later in life.
Biggest Problematic Dog Food Brands
The golden rule of dog food is this: if it’s cheap, it probably contains low-quality or questionable ingredients, especially if you bought it at the grocery store. But really digging down to find healthy foods goes beyond this basic theory. You have to break down the ingredients label and scrutinize every ingredient to be absolutely sure.
Some dog food brands seem less reliable than others, especially where the inclusion of dangerous ingredients is concerned. We recommend avoiding these brands to prevent health and nutrition issues before they occur.
- Ol’ Roy – Has been repeatedly recalled for containing drugs like pentobarbital, a euthanasia drug, and salmonella contamination. Also contains ingredients that may raise your dog’s risk for bloat.
- Alpo – Corn and corn meal is the first ingredient. Also contains menadione and a long list of artificial flavors.
- Kibbles n’ Bits – recently recalled over detection of euthanasia drugs in their dry kibble brands. Also contains corn and corn meal.
- Everpet – contains BHA and/or BHT, both of which may be a cancer or endocrinological risk to your dog.
- Cesar Dry and Wet Dog Foods – contains BHA. Also contains significant amounts of potentially oxidized or rancid oils.
- Showtime – contains the BHA preservative as well as a significant amount of fish oils and fish meals. Significantly packed with corn and corn gluten meal.
- Big Red Dog Foods – contains artificial flavorings and dyes, including FD&C Color (Red #40, Yellow #5, Yellow #6, Blue #2, Blue #1). First ingredient is Ground Yellow Corn in most formulas.
- Purina Beneful: repeatedly recalled over claims that the food poisons dogs and causes internal bleeding because it contains propylene glycol. Also contains added sugars and high corn/corn gluten meal volume.
- Pedigree – contains the BHA preservative as well as potentially oxidized animal fats, corn gluten meal, and wheat, which has a high risk for allergies.
We wish we could tell you that these are the only risky brands out there. Unfortunately, even some of the premium “grain-free,” “whole meats,” and “organic” dog food formulas have questionable ingredients present.
If you want or need help identifying which dog food brands are best for your dog’s unique nutritional needs, give us a call. We’re always happy to help you narrow it down.