Ingredients in Dog Food: Additives to Avoid - Part 2 - Family - Pets

Introduction

In my previous article on this subject I looked at some controversial ingredients in dog that should be avoided. Specifically, I spoke about BHA and BHT, two additives which are used to preserve kibble.

In this article, I want to focus on three additional ingredients that should have no part in your dog's consumption: these are ethoxquin, propyl gallate and propylene glycol.

Some Important Reminders

First, it is important to make two disclaimers:

1) Your best bet for your pet's health is the homemade dog food recipe route. The testimonies of thousands of dog owners who have switched bear out this fact. I urge you to look into this alternative method of feeding your pet.

2) Not every ingredient in a dog food label that is unpronounceable is dangerous. We should be wise consumers, not easily frightened ones. With a bit of homework we can become quite astute in deciding what is best for our pets.

Additives to Avoid

All right then, there are five additives that you should avoid in dog food: BHA, BTA, ethoxquin, propylene glycol and propyl gallate.

We will examine ethoxquin, propylene glycol and propyl gallate in this article:

1) Ethoxquin

Ethoxquin is a chemical preservative that keeps the fat additives in pet food from going rancid. Come again? Does it not seem strange to you that fat flavoring must be added to your pet's food in order to make it appealing? Such are the extreme processing conditions of most manufactured dog food.

The FDA has rated ethoxquin a safe food additive, however, there is much speculation and controversy that surrounds this chemical. The Department of Pathology at Nagoya City University Medical school in Japan has found ethoxyquin to promote kidney and bladder cancer as well as stomach tumors.

2) Propyl gallate

Propyl gallate is used as a dog food preservative. It is a controversial ingredient, which has also been linked to cancer.

3) Propylene glycol

Propylene glycol is a chemical compound with many commercial applications. Among other things, it is used as a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, as a moisturizer in cosmetics, as a non-toxic antifreeze and of course, as an additive to dog food to preserve soft-moist foods and treats. To be fair, it is also used as an additive in some human foods as well.

Though propylene glycol appears on the FDA's "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) list of dog food additives, it has been banned for use in cat food because of its adverse affect on feline red blood cells.

The bottom line is that it remains a controversial ingredient with many pet experts and the toxicity to cats (particularly in its connection to cat food) provides reason enough to avoid this ingredient in their pet's food.

Conclusion

As you can see, even this cursory review of these preservatives should give any dog lover pause when feeding their pet a steady diet of processed commercial pet food.

If you are unable to follow through with a diet of fresh, homemade dog food recipes then it is critically important that you read your dog food labels and stay clear of the above-mentioned chemicals.

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