Many of us have been convinced that the healthy, natural, premium and recommended by labels on dog food and cat food must mean that the food inside the bag is good for our pets. Alongside these words are claims of 100% complete and balanced that leave us to assume we are providing the best we can for our pets, feeding the same dry cereal based diets day in and day out. Yet, most people do not fully appreciate what goes into these pet foods. The pet food companies place images of fresh cut chicken breast, fresh fruits and vegetables and wholesome grains on packages, however, that is rarely what is actually inside the bag.

Chances are you are feeding a pet food which contains more than one of the ingredients discussed below. The pet food industry has a broad range of unsavory options when it comes to what substances may be used in pet food and freedom to print enticing pictures, however misleading, on their packaging. It is only when our pet’s health begins to degrade and eventually fail, that most people begin to question why. After all, a healthy body can only be as good as what is put into it.

To promote the best health you can in your companion, read and understand the uses of the common ingredients below and make sure to always read your labels!

Top Pet Food Ingredients to Avoid

Meat Meal

Meat Meal consists of rendered, unspecified sources of animal tissues.

What this definition does not mention is the 4D class of meat sources may still be legally used in meat meat.

Meat and Bone Meal

Meat and Bone Meal is a rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone.

Recently many buy cat food online australia and dog food companies and rendering plants have undergone scrutiny over their inclusion of euthanized pets in meat and bone meal. Ann Martin, in her book, «Food Pets Die For», exposed this revolting practice and the detection of sodium pentobarbital in pet foods, a veterinary drug used in the euthanasia of pet animals.

Chemical Preservativces: BHA, BHT, Propyl Gallate, Ethoxyquin or Sodium Nitrite/Nitrate

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) are petroleum derived preservatives used in food and hygiene products. TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) is another petroleum derived preservative.

Ethoxyquin is used as a food preservative and a pesticide. In pet foods it is typically found in meat and fish based ingredients. Ethoxyquin is banned for use in human products because it is believed to cause cancer. It is important to note that when a manufacturer obtains an ethoxyquin preserved ingredient from a supplier the manufacturer is not required to list ethoxyquin on the pet food ingredient panel.

Propyl Gallate is another preservative used in foods, cosmetics, hair products, adhesives, and lubricants

The use of these harsh chemicals are known to cause cancer and are considered neither inert nor safe, yet are widely used in pet foods.

Powerful preservatives provide an inexpensive means of providing long product shelf-life. Naturally preserved products may utilize tocopherols (Vitamin E), citric acid and rosemary extract to prevent rancidity.

These natural preservatives are common in truly healthy pet foods as the manufacturers realize that the small additional expense is worth it when it comes to our pets safety.

Sugar

Table sugar is often used to perk interest in the unsavory concoctions pet food manufacturers make. There is no reason for added sugar to be placed in pet food, other than the reason mentioned.

Propylene Glycol

Like sugar, propylene glycol is used as a flavour enhancer due to its sweet taste. It is another questionable ingredient in pet food. In human uses it is a common ingredient in stick deoderant and make-up as a humectant. It is interesting to note that propylene gycol is the less toxic chemical sister to ethylene glycol, «anti-freeze».

Artificial Colours

Coloured kibble bits are not for the benefit of the dog or cat, they are in fact to make them more appealing to you! Our pets could care less what colour their food is, this is simply another marketing trick to catch your attention in the meriad of pet food labels. Artificial colours are synthetic chemical dyes that have no place in pet food. There have been cases that link FD & C colours to cancer and other ill effects.