We are living in a day and age where inquiries and investigations are happening on a large percentage of food products, and, quite often, many items found in foods are proven to be detrimental to the health of the consumer. But with all of this information surrounding us, it can be harder to understand what we should be avoiding. In this article I will be providing you with a short list of products commonly found in dog foods that you may not have known about but that are dangerous for your dog:

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

These substances are rare, but are incredibly dangerous. They have been listed as ‘cancer causing compounds’ by the World Health organization but still somehow manage to find their way into dog foods.

Tetra sodium pyrophosphate

This causes diarrhea, sickness and weight loss, and as I am sure you know, this can lead to a large number of other problems – it’s only a matter of time before your dog becomes critically ill after prolonged exposure to such products.

Propylene glycol

This product is a preservative typically used in antifreeze, yet somehow a large number of dog foods still contain this ingredient. Can you imagine eating antifreeze yourself? No? Then why is it acceptable for your dog?

Ethoxyquin

Commonly used as a stiffening agent in synthetic rubber and pesticide. It is currently under investigation due to links to liver and kidney cancer, yet it still works its way into our dog’s foods.

So how do you avoid such products? The best way to ensure your pet isn’t being subjected to them is by buying a high quality food. Often, these products find their way into cheaper foods because they are a cheaper alternative to the more expensive safer versions. Whilst I can appreciate that times are hard, I would advise that well-known brands such as James Wellbeloved Dog Food, Hills Dog Food and Royal Canin dog food. They are a little more expensive, but this is because they contain all of the good stuff that your pet needs to be healthy, rather than using cheaper alternatives that will do your dog a lot more harm than good.