Dangerous Dog Food Ingredients You Should Avoid

In recent years, commercial dog food has been widely criticized for the quality of the ingredients that are present in commercial dog food. Recalls resulting from reports of deaths due to some of these ingredients has made the headlines.

While a lot of commercial dog food manufacturers have upgraded their dog food ingredients, some have continued to include substances that are not optimal for our pets. As responsible dog owners, we need to stand guard against these dangerous ingredients and make a habit out of reading labels.

Here are some dangerous dog food ingredients you should watch out for in commercial dog food labels:

  • Artificial or Chemical Preservatives

When reading the labels, make sure it does not contain chemical preservatives such as Ethoxyquin, BHA, Propyl Gallate, Propylene Glycol or BHT. Note however that by law, dog food manufacturers are not required to list down the names of preservatives that they themselves did not put it. This means that if certain ingredients came to them with preservatives in them, it will not appear on the label.

  • Fillers

Fillers are ingredients that manufacturers add to cheaply add bulk and nutritional value to the food. You’ll see it listed as corn, corn gluten, corn meal, wheat, etc. These fillers are difficult to digest for dogs. Some dogs may even be allergic of these. It’s best to avoid dog food with a lot of fillers in them.

When reading labels, the first ingredient listed is the most numerous. If it’s a non-specific ingredient such as “meat” or “poultry”, be wary. That could mean anything - road kill, various animal by products, various animal parts. What you want to see is something specific such as chicken meal, or better yet, chicken.

Finding commercial dog food that passes strict scrutiny of discerning pet owners is not always easy. This is why recently, a number of veterinarians and pet owners have advocated feeding a completely natural and raw feeding diet for dogs.

The raw food diet does have its advantages over commercial dog food. For one, you have complete control over the kind of food that your dog eats and where it’s been sourced. You can be sure that it’s free from preservatives, and allergenic ingredients such as the fillers commonly used in commercial dog food.

WIth the raw food diet, you know for certain that your dog is getting the food that it needs in order to be optimally nourished. A number of pet owners have discovered that just by switching their dog’s diet, they are able to see improvements in their dog’s health and appearance. They are also less prone to illnesses and diseases.

So if you’re unsure about commercial pet food, or if you are looking for a better diet for your dog, remember that you and your pet have an alternative in the raw dog food diet.