Preservatives Listed as Dog Food Ingredients
If you check the dog food ingredients listed on the label, you can find a good dog food that uses healthy preservatives. You may prefer to make your own dog food most of the time using your favorite home made dog food recipes, but even so, you are likely to use commercial dog food now and again. After all, you cook for your family, but if you’re like most people, you probably eat fast food now and again!
Unfortunately, not all commercial dogs foods are good for dogs, so you have to choose your food wisely. Good quality isn’t ensured by brand names or high prices. Fortunately, the list of dog food ingredients on the label can help you determine quality. Be sure to check the type of preservative used by the manufacturer. Commercial dog foods need preservatives, but only some of them are healthy for your dog.
Natural preservatives should be used in a healthy food. The presence of antioxidants like vitamin E and vitamin C on the list of dog food ingredients is a good sign. They are healthy preservatives. You don’t need to worry about feeding your dog vitamin E and vitamin C.
Chemical antioxidants like ethoxyquin, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) should not be used. Both BHA and BHT are considered hazardous in the laboratory by OSHA (Occupation Safety and Health Administration); they are linked to several kinds of cancer.
Ethoxyquin is particularly dangerous. This chemical is used in making rubber. It is labeled a pesticide by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and has been banned for use in foods intended to be eaten by humans. Unfortunately, it can still legally be used for preserving animal feeds. It’s quite inexpensive, so manufacturers of cheap dog foods often use it.
You don’t want to feed these chemicals to your dog! If you see them on the list of dog food ingredients, don’t purchase that dog food.