PREMIUM dog food may be twice as expensive as a grocery store brand, but your dog eats half as much food on a daily basis because it’s a higher quality food without fillers and garbage in it.
A few examples of dangerous dog food ingredients on this page show what is still being used in manufacturing inexpensive dog food.
Read your dog food labels – There are literally hundreds of brands and varieties of dog food.
Below is a listing of some of the inexpensive dog food brands, with the less desirable ingredients highlighted in red.
This is not a complete listing of all the brands with harmful ingredients, just the more popular names. Unfortunately there are still too many out there.
This chart if for the purpose to help guide and educate.
If a specific brand of food is not listed here it does not mean it is bad or good food. You can find the complete ingredient listing and nutritional analysis on any of the dog food manufacturers websites.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO AVOID IN COMMERCIAL DOG FOOD
| WHAT INGREDIENTS TO AVOID and WHY: BEEF AND BONE MEAL (protein source): A byproduct made from beef parts which are not suitable for human consumption. It can incorporate the entire cow, including the bones, but the quality cuts of meat are always removed. This is an inexpensive, low quality ingredient used to boost the protein percentage. MEAT BY-PRODUCT (protein source): Pet grade meat by-products consist of organs and parts either not desired, or condemned, for human consumption. This can include bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, heads, feet, and feathers. – This can also include the dreaded 4 D’s – ( Dead, dying, diseased or dying prior to slaugther). The animal parts used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters and so on. It can also include pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed (spoiled) tissue. MEAT AND BONE MEAL (protein source): The animal parts used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters and so on. It can also include pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed (spoiled) tissue. BEEF TALLOW (fat source): Used to make lower quality dog foods palatable, instead of using quality fat sources such as nutritionally rich chicken fat, or human grade vegetable oil. ANIMAL FAT (fat source): Animal fat is a “generic” fat source that is most often made up of rendered animal fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. Look for a named fat source, such as poultry or chicken fat, that is naturally preserved. CORN (filler/fibre source/vegetable): *NOTE: no redeemable nutritious value in any dog food listing this as their first ingredient. It is a useless filler that is a known cause of allergies and is difficult for dogs to digest. CORN OR WHEAT GLUTEN MEAL (Binder): This is the remainder of the corn after the best parts of the corn have been removed. It does absolutely nothing for the animal and actually is difficult to digest and is used as a cheap binder. WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR (fibre source): Wheat if the leading cause of dog allergies. Absolutely useless with no nutritional value whatsoever. FOOD FRAGMENTS (filler/fibre source/carbohydrate source): Low cost by-products and left overs from another food manufacturing process. Examples include WHEAT BRAN and BREWER’S RICE (a waste product of the alcohol industry). Also look for and avoid fragments which are labelled POTATO PRODUCT, MIDDLINGS/MIDS or MILL RUN of any kind. Unspecified grain sources like CEREAL FOOD FINES, CORN BRAN, OAT HULLS, RICE HULLS, PEANUT HULLS, DISTILLERS GRAIN FERMENTATION SOLUBLES, and last but not least CELLULOSE (which is wood which is dried and ground up) SOY FLOUR (filler/carbohydrate): Another cheap allergy causing ingredient used as a filler. This is the leftover “dust” after the healthy cleaned and dehulled soybeans are processed. Sometimes sweepings from the factory floor. BREWER’S RICE (carbohydrate source): A cheap substitute for whole grain rice. SUGAR (flavour soure) : Also listed as Cane molasses , corn syrup in any form, sugar, sorbitol, sucrose, fructose, glucose, ammoniated glycyrrhizin, propylene glycol.) : Useless, uneccessary and adds empty calories. Bad ingredients used by companies to make food more palatable to the animals if the ingredients themselves aren’t enough to make the dog or cat actually want to eat it. Used to cover up rotten and rancid foods, and is known to cause hypoglycemia, obesity, nervousness, cataracts, tooth decay, arthritis and allergies. ANIMAL DIGEST(flavouring agent): Unspecified parts of unspecified animals, cooked down into a goopy broth and used as a spray on or added directly to the food. No quality control is used and this can include “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on. COLOURING (Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Titanium Dioxide): Any colouring is completely unnecessary and should be avoided. Your dog doesn’t care about the pretty coloured shapes, and artifical dyes and colouring agents are known cancer causing agent, and also causes allergies. Used in “junk dog food”. PROPYLENE GLYCOL (additive): Used in antifreeze solutions, in hydraulic fluids, and as a solvent. May be toxic if consumed in large amounts, and should definitely not be an ingredient in a food an animal will eat daily for weeks, months or even years of its life. This is not allowed for use in Europe as the findings have shown it to be dangerous. BHA (Butylated Hydroxysanisole), BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), and ETHOXYQUIN (Preservatives): Banned from human use in many countries but still permitted in the US. Possible human carcinogen, apparently carcinogenic in animal experiments. Ethoxyquin has also been used as a pesticide for fruit. It has never been proven to be safe for the lifespan of a companion animal. It has been linked to thyroid, kidney, reproductive and immune related illnesses as well as cancer. HYDROCHLORIC ACID: Used in Kibbles n Bits – I really can’t find out why they use it but it is a caustic chemical agent used in the production of chlorides, fertilizers, and dyes. Hydrochloric acid can cause immediate pain and burns of the mouth, throat, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. Simple common sense would indicate not to use this as a pet food ingredient! *NOTE: MENADIONE SODIUM BISULFITE This synthetic version of vitamin K has not been specifically approved for long term use, such as in pet food. It has been linked to many serious health issues. If you are not aware of this it sounds like one of the healthy vitamins, but beware. The MSDS guide states - “Potential Chronic Health Effects: |
WORST DOG FOODS: (in no special order, I would never recommend or use any of these foods) I am just using these foods as examples of what I consider unhealthy and dangerous. Any dog who is fed a consistent and regular diet of corn will be more prone to illnesses and a shorter life.
All these examples have corn as the main ingredient. Use these foods as a guide to see what you should not be feeding your dog. BENEFUL BY PURINA INGREDIENTS: Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, *menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. ALPO BY PURINA: INGREDIENTS: Ground yellow corn, corn germ meal, meat and bone meal, soybean meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed tocopherols (form of vitamin E), animal digest (source of chicken flavor), salt, potassium chloride, beef & liver meal, dried cheese powder, dl-methionine, added color, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, brewers dried yeast, calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin d-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, *menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin k activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. OL ROY From WALMART: INGREDIENTS: Ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, corn syrup, poultry fat, Meat and bone meal, Animal Fat Preserved with BHA and Citric Acid, Chicken by-product meal, Rice, Animal Digest, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin D and E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulafate, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, *Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex Source of Vitamin K, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid KIBBLES N BITS: INGREDIENTS: corn, soybean meal, beef and bone meal, ground wheat flour, animal fat – bha used as preservative, corn syrup, wheat middlings, water sufficient for processing, animal digest (source of chicken flavor), propylene glycol, salt, hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, caramel color, sorbic acid (used as a preservative), sodium carbonate, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), calcium sulfate, titanium dioxide, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 40, BHA (used as a preservative), dl methionine PURINA DOG CHOW: INGREDIENTS : Whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), corn gluten meal, meat and bone meal, brewers rice, soybean meal, barley, whole grain wheat, animal digest, calcium carbonate, salt, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6) , DL-Methionine, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, copper proteinate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, *menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. PEDIGREE: (Puppy Food) INGREDIENTS: Ground Whole Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal (Source of Lutein*), Animal Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Source of Vitamin E), Natural Poultry Flavor, Wheat, Potassium Chloride, Wheat Flour, DiCalcium Phosphate, Salt, Brewers Dried Yeast, Carmel Color, Vegetable Oil (Source of Linoleic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Vitamins (dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E], Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C*], Vitamin A Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Marigold Meal, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Added FD&C and Lake Colors (Yellow 6, Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5). HILL’S SCIENCE DIET ORIGINAL INGREDIENTS: Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Soybean Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Flaxseed, Iodized Salt, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Dried Chicken Cartilage, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Potassium Chloride, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.
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