Have you ever looked through the ingredients list and wondered if they are good or bad? Look out for the listed ingredients above as indicators of poor quality pet food!
Meat Meal, Rendered Fat and Meat By-Product are manufactured at rendering plants. It's not always the case but most rendering plants use dead animals as raw materials. These include dead livestocks, skunks, rats, racoons and even dogs & cats. The toxic ingredients passed from rendering can include pesticides, euthanasia, insecticides, heavy metals from pet ID tag and plastic bags.
Animal Digest (or Hydrolyzed Animal Proteins) refers to protein that has been digested using enzymes and acids to result in liquid or powder form. It is usually used at the end of the process to coat the product and to enhance the taste of pet food. The problem is that most pet food manufacturers are unable to list the type of protein used for Animal Digest. So a dog or cat allergic to beef or chicken can be consuming small traces of allergens through the unlisted ingredients of Animal Digest.
BHA/BHT is a waxy preservative used to prevent fats from going rancid. It is banned for use in human-grade products in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and throughout Europe. BHA is a carcinogen and it acts as an endocrine disruptor, meaning long exposure to these ingredients will increase the chances of your dog suffering from cancer, kidney, liver and thyroid diseases.
Propylene Glycol is an antifreeze and the same chemical group as alcohol. It is used as a preservative to improve shelf life.
Pea Protein is a good source of fibre and protein. However, pea protein is a common ingredient found in cheaper grain-free pet products to replace meat based protein. It’s best to limit foods with pea protein since our dogs can’t digest all the protein for optimal use.
To ensure feeding such additives to our canines, do your research to find minimally processed treats and foods. If possible, find treats that are single ingredient to minimize the risk of preservatives, additives or chemicals! And if possible stick to feeding fresh raw food!