Ten Of The Worst Ingredients Commonly Found In Dog Food
By Dustin
I came across this little list of ingredients you’ll commonly see appear on the back of dog food bags, along with a little explanation of exactly what it is and what it does…more like what it DOESN’T do.
Yeah…all pet owners should really know what they’re feeding their furry friends, and this is proof positive of that. Check that ingredient list of the food you’re already using and see how many of these show up!
1. Wheat – #1 allergen in dogs, a contributing factor in canine obesity
2. Corn – A source of heavy carbs because of the high sugar content and contains the entire corn plant
3. Soy – highly processed form of the bean which is void of the essential fats, antioxidants and minerals naturally found in the soybean
4. By-product meal – any part of the animal other than muscle tissue (head, feet, feathers…)
5. Digest – a combination of many animal parts not fit for human consumption (road kill, euthanized animals)
6. Ethoxyquin – chemical used in the production of rubber bands, banned in human foods
7. Egg product – eggshells, eggs that have gone rancid or spoiled
8. Brewer’s rice – broken outer shells of rice that lack any nutrients andhave been discarded
9. Preservatives – BHA, meant to prolong the shelf life, offer no nutritional value and may actually harm your dog
10. Cellulose – pulp left over from fibrous plants = sawdust
Source: dogforum.com
Matthew said on September 18, 2012
Thank you for the post Dustin. I have been hammering this point to people for years. Commercial dog food is garbage. I guess at the end of the day it is all about how you feel for your pet.
Dustin said on September 18, 2012
Thanks for the comment Matthew. One of the things I’ve learned from talking to numerous dog owners about dog food is that most THINK they are feeding their dog top-notch stuff–usually because they see a brand advertise continuously on TV and assume that’s the best brand. Unfortunately, the brands that have the most commercials tend to be the worst foods (Beneful, Pedigree, etc).
The most frustrating part is that often, the brands with bad ingredients aren’t much cheaper than the brands with higher-quality ingredients!
Educating dog owners about what exactly is in the food they feed their dogs will go a long way to help getting rid of those junk foods!
Peter said on September 19, 2012
Thanks for the article Dustin, My wife and I went to Raw feeding 2 years ago and never looked back. We do some touch ups with supplements but basically Raw only. My 3 Great Danes are in the best shape of there lives, and healthy as a horse (pun intended)