Dog Food: Five Ingredients Unnecessary for Dogs

The list of ingredients is the best way to determine if the dog food is high-quality and contains quality ingredients. The information on the label may not be immediately understood. Five ingredients can be safely avoided by your four-legged companion.

The ingredient list on the dog food packaging can be confusing. To reduce costs, improve quality, and make food more appealing to dogs, some manufacturers “cheat” by adding unnecessary additives and fillers to the food. This does not necessarily mean that cheaper dog food is inferior to more expensive products. The contents of a product will tell you if it is inferior. Beware of these claims.

Beware of E-numbers, artificial additives in pet food

Dog food artificial additives are also identified using E-numbers, just like human products. They can be preservatives to extend the shelf-life of the food or flavorings. These additives may cause allergies in dogs with sensitive skin. Amaranth, for example (E123), gives the meat a lovely red color, which makes it look more appetizing to dog owners and fresher. Your woof is not bothered by the red color. It’s suspected to cause intolerances and skin reactions.

Flavor enhancers with E numbers between E 637 and E 620 are also unnecessary and controversial. This includes glutamates which have been repeatedly discredited by humans for causing indisposition and digestive problems. Flavor enhancers and other additives such as sweeteners and flavorings can also make dog food more appealing to your pet, causing him to eat too much and increase the risk of obesity. The woof could be lacking in important nutrients if the other ingredients are of poor quality. The certified materials have not yet shown any harmful effects, but they are still unnecessary for a healthy diet. The less E-numbers there are on the ingredients list, the better.

Animal by-products are mostly unneeded ingredients.

Animal by-products are sometimes listed on ingredient lists. Unless they say “food grade”, it is usually an offal unfit for consumption. Hooves and feathers are examples of animal by-products. They also include beaks, hairs, blood, cartilages, bones, offal, urine, and even beaks. Although it may sound unappetizing and even harmful, this is not the case. No one understands what the term means. It is usually easier to differentiate between animal by-products and any other additives that are added in dog food. If it’s a blanket term, then the ingredients are usually ones that your dog cannot use well.

Cheap fillers are usually of lower quality

There are also by-products from the production of vegetables. Plant wastes such as cores, stems and shells, straw, or residues of vegetable oil pressing are examples. These ingredients are not suitable for your four-legged friends. They only fill the food to make it look bigger than it really is. Fillers like grains are inexpensive and can be used to bulk up food. Some grains, rice, and carbohydrates are fine, but too many of them will result in too little meat. The higher the percentage of ingredients in dog food, the further they are listed up front on the list. Sometimes, the vegetable fillers can be broken down into smaller pieces to reduce the percentage. So look closely. Animal meal, dairy products, and bakery products are also unnecessary fillers.

What is the difference between molasses, sugar and a mixture of both? What does your dog need?

Sugar is sometimes added to dog foods to enhance the taste. Sugar is fine for humans in moderation but not necessary for dogs. Sugar isn’t always listed as an ingredient. Sugar can be disguised as “glucose,” “molasses” or “fructose.” The dairy products, which are waste products of the manufacturing process for cheese and other dairy products and may contain lactose, also include the sweet stuff. Bakery products can be leftovers after baking breads, cookies, cakes etc. Also a sugar trap.

What’s the story behind oils and fats?

Why shouldn’t dogs be allowed to eat “oils and fats?” It sounds great, so why not? It’s difficult because the terms used are vague. They don’t make it clear whether the oils and fats are nutritious and valuable for dogs. This vague term can also hide old deep-frying oil. Yuck!