Red Flags That Indicate Poor Quality Pet Food

If you're a pet parent, then you should be careful about the food you give to them. Understand what the food labels mean and ensure only the best quality provisions for your dear pets.

Being a pet owner isn't all fun and games. It's more or less the same as parenting. You're responsible for not only ensuring a protected environment for your pet but also taking care of their tiniest needs. And eventually, their safety, health, and comfort become your priority.

If you feed your pet commercial, packaged foods instead of preparing their foods at home, then you need to pick a brand that serves optimal quality and ensures the health and safety of your pets. Since there are a vast number of pet food brands, selecting the right one can be a cumbersome task, especially if you have no idea what to and what not to look out for.

Understanding the ingredients that make up pet food is very important. In this blog, we have tried to list some of the most common ingredients that could prove to be perilous for your pet's health.

 

1.    Ethoxyquin:

This is normally found in dog food. Studies reveal that Ethoxyquin is quite harmful if used for long periods. It can result in renal failure, cancer and can cause acute immune deficiency. To be on the safe side, avoid buying pet foods that contain this.

 

2.    Carrageenan

Carrageenan is used in emulsifying food products. It's a seaweed extract that is widely used in commercial pet foods (mostly in moist foods). Pets are often exposed to risks of edema, colon cancer, and intestinal inflammation if Carrageenan is present in the foods. Try your best to avoid foods that contain even the smallest amount of this ingredient.

 

3.    BHA

Butylated-hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a preservative that is used to increase the shelf life of pet foods and treats. It prevents the oils and fats in the foods from getting spoiled. However, the Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program in the USA has termed BHA as an ingredient that develops cancer cells. It's found that BHA has the tendency to produce tumors in experimental animals.

On the contrary, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has approved BHA as an ingredient in dog foods. While it's still debated whether the ingredient is fit for use or not, it's always better not to risk the life of your pet. It's better to be safe than sorry!

 

4.    Meat By-Products:

If there's a meat by-product included in the pet food, then you have the right to worry.

Meat by-products aren't really harmless as you may have perceived. Meat by-products often include unhealthy ingredients that are ground to form a mixture. This mixture can comprise anything from an animals' hooves, feet, hair, feathers to its eyes.

And God forbid, if that animal had a tumor or any other lethal disease, then your pet might even be eating those diseases!

 

5.    Artificial Flavors and Colors:

There is absolutely no need to feed your pet foods that involve artificial flavors or colors. These ingredients often lead to serious health conditions causing diabetes and cancer. They have zero benefits and are really just a money-making factor for pet food companies.

 

6.    Cheap Pet Foods

If a pet food package screams how low the price is, then it's probably a red flag. While price isn't exactly an indicator that shows quality, extraordinary cheap rates should raise eyebrows. For pet foods, cheap rates definitely mean that low-quality ingredients are included. Never settle for cheap pet foods. It might get heavy on your pockets later at the vet.

 

Your pet deserves to have a quality diet. To ensure the best health of your pet, never fall for substandard food products.