Bad Ingredients in Dog Foods

Bad Ingredients in Dog Foods

Many dog foods on the market today have ingredients that are not only unhealthy, some of them can cause your dog minor to serious health problems.

To keep this short and simple, when you get ready to buy dog food take a look at the ingredients and compare to this list. 

These are the ingredients you DON’T want to see in your dog food.

If they contain the ingredients shown below, pass on that food and look for one of better quality.

By Products, such as animal by products, meat by products, or any other kind.

– by products are the internal remains of any kind of animal and can include diseased tissue, organs and tumors

Rendered Animal Fat, Animal Meal, Meat and Bone Meal

– contain toxins and you have no idea what animals the fats are from, can be rodents, dead animals, etc.

Food Dyes, Artificial Colors/Flavors

– allergic reactions, behavior problems, cancer

BHT/BHA

– preservatives than can cause kidney damage and cancer

Ethoxiquin

– preservative, this is a herbicide, can cause kidney and liver damage, cancer, immune deficiency, blindness and leukemia

Corn

– high in carbohydrates, allergenic, difficult for dogs to digest, can be moldy and result in illness or worse  

Corn Syrup

– high sugar content causes weight gain, diabetes, hyperactivity, mental problems

Grains / Gluten

– can cause digestive problems, poor hair coat, itching, skin allergies

Soybeans and Beet Pulp

– can irritate the intestinal tract

Propylene Glycol

• this is a cousin of ethylene glycol found in anti-freeze, can cause cancerous lesions and intestinal blockage, in larger quantity is fatal to dogs

Also Not Good:

Semi Moist Pouch Food – contains Propylene Glycol, see above

Avoid Grocery Store Brand Dry or Canned Food. Look at the ingredients and you will see why.

Some Good Things to Look For:

Meat – specifically named, like, beef, chicken, turkey, fish as the first ingredient listed

Meal – specifically named, like, beef, chicken, turkey, fish

Natural  preservatives like vitamin C or E or No Preservatives

Grain Free

Human Grade Ingredients – this is hard to find and expensive, but top quality

Made in USA – do not buy any pet foods, snacks or chew treats made in China

Note:

– The ingredients are listed by weight so ingredients shown at the top of the list contain more of that ingredient, far down on the list don’t contain very much of that item.

• Dogs should not eat the same food all their life. Alternate different varieties of the same brand and also switch brands periodically. This will ensure you get a balance of different ingredients and your dog will appreciate the different smell and taste.

• Feeding the exact same food for years may also cause food allergies to develop or contribute to other diseases.  

• When you switch to a new food, do it gradually over a period of 5-7 days.

Here is a partial list of some good, quality dry foods in alphabetical order:

• Acana
• Carna4 Synthetic Free
• Natures Logic (Duck and Salmon or rabbit) 
• Origen
• Pinnacle
• Weruva Caloric Harmony
• Wysong Starch Free

A high quality canned food is better than most dry kibble. Best quality, though expensive, is a raw diet.