Pet Food Ingredients to Avoid
Dogs are family to most of us. When you are cooking your family dinner at home, you want to ensure your loved ones are getting all the right nutrition to keep them happy and healthy. Well, you probably feel the same about your dog, but all the information and marketing out there can be confusing. Therefore, to help ensure your dog is not consuming anything that may be harmful to them, we have put together a list of the top things to avoid in your dog’s food:
By-Products
This is a particularly nasty one. On the ingredient label of pet food, you may see it labeled as “beef by-product” or “chicken by-product.” Simply this can mean it is any part of the animal. If this is in the ingredients, you really have no idea what you are giving your dog. Typically, it is the leftover parts that humans would not eat, such as bones, blood, intestines, and fatty tissue. It is a way for companies to keep production cost low, while also allowing them to claim that their products contain “meat.” If it is something you would not eat, it is something you probably should not be feeding your dog.
Corn
Pet food companies use corn because it is cheap and it fills packaging. Normally, if corn is in off-the-shelf pet food, it is in fact corn dust. Nothing like the corn you and I eat from the grocery store. The problem with corn is that it will likely cause your dog to become obese due to its fattening qualities. This could potentially lead to serious health issues down the road. I am sure we can all agree no one want to see their dog ill, so best to steer clear of this one.
Propylene Glycol
If you think you recognize this one, you might. It’s a common ingredient in anti-freeze. Would you ever want to consume anything that is in anti-freeze? No, and your dog would not want to either. While dogs can safely metabolize it, it cannot by most other animals. If you have other pets in the house best to avoid this one. Just because something is “safe” for your dog, does not mean it is the optimum, healthy food for them. If you want to give your dog something that is truly beneficial to them, stay away from this stuff.
When purchasing dog food, if you are unsure of any of the ingredients it is best to research them first to ensure you are giving your dog food that will keep them healthy for years to come. If you can, aim for food that is full of fresh whole foods, full of nutrients and fibre.
