| Look at the can of dog food you have been feeding | | | | Here's how this ingredient listing looks on the bag of |
| your dog. Don't just look at the label. "Super Gourmet | | | | a popular brand of kibbles. This is the fourth |
| Beef Delight" doesn't tell you what your dog is | | | | ingredient, by the way: "Animal Fat (preserved with |
| actually eating. Read the ingredients. Do you know | | | | BHA/BHT)". |
| what each ingredient is? What it really is? Not all | | | | Ethoxyquin |
| ingredients in a can of food are necessarily good for | | | | Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant. It was developed by |
| your dog. Here are three ingredients you should steer | | | | Monsanto as a stabilizer for rubber. It has also been |
| clear of. | | | | used as a pesticide for fruit and a color preservative |
| Corn (in any form) | | | | for spices - and later for animal feed. It has been |
| You will see it listed as corn gluten, corn gluten meal, | | | | linked to thyroid, kidney, reproductive and immune |
| corn cellulose, or simply corn. Dogs are carnivores but | | | | related illnesses as well as cancer. Studies to |
| they can eat and digest vegetable matter. However, | | | | determine the safety of Ethoxyquin have not been |
| corn is very difficult for them to digest because they | | | | completed, which is why it's still allowed in dog foods. |
| don't have enough of the proper enzymes. Too | | | | As a side note, if you see that fish meal is an |
| much corn can lead to digestive issues. The corn | | | | ingredient in the dog food brand you are using, unless |
| gluten, gluten meal, and cellulose are used primarily as | | | | it says "human grade" fish meal, it is preserved with |
| binders and have very little nutritional value. | | | | Ethoxyquin, even if it's not specifically listed. |
| BHA/BHT | | | | These are just a few of the dog food ingredients |
| These are phenolic antioxidants, used to preserve | | | | you should avoid feeding your dog. The best way to |
| fats and oils. Many countries have banned these from | | | | ensure that your dog is getting the healthiest, most |
| human use, but they are still permitted in the U.S. | | | | nutritionally balanced food possible is to make it |
| They may possibly be human carcinogens and have | | | | yourself. Otherwise, you could be compromising your |
| been demonstrated carcinogenic in animal | | | | pet's health without even realizing it. |
| experiments. | | | | |