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Do Your Dog’s Treats Contain These Low-Quality Ingredients?
Posted on 02/27/2018 by Jason Lustig
Dog treats have come a long way over the years. We used to keep a box of those dry, bone-shaped biscuits in the cupboard to give to Fido every once and awhile. Today, trainers and dog owners agree that healthy and nutritious treats are an essential training tool that provides positive reinforcement for pups.
Don’t Be Fooled By Cheap Ingredients in Nice Packaging
Unfortunately, the extremely profitable pet industry features several brands oversaturating the market with cheap treats made with low-quality and potentially harmful ingredients. You can’t trust the brand packaging itself, as pet food companies use tricks to make their food appear better than it is. Their pretty packaging can be misleading, but the ingredient list offers a more truthful look at what’s actually in your dog’s food. Pick up any dog treat product at the store, and you will see a long list of ingredients– many of them you can’t even pronounce, let alone understand.
The Worst Ingredients in Dog Treats and Dog Food
Butylated Hydroxyanisole or BHA
Butylated Hydroxytoluene or BHT
Ethoxyquin
Food dyes including Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and 4-MIE
Propylene Glycol or PG
Rendered fat
Corn and wheat gluten
Meat and grain meals and by-products
BHA and BHT are synthetic antioxidants that are possible carcinogens that may also interfere with hormone function. Long-term exposure to high doses of BHT is proven to be toxic in mice and rats. It can also cause liver, thyroid and kidney problems and can hurt lung function and blood coagulation.
Ethoxyquin is a fat preservative that is also used as a pesticide as well as in the process of making rubber (yuck!). Studies have found that it can cause liver damage, as well. Synthetic food dyes are entirely unnecessary and only contribute to the visual appeal of a product for humans– your dog couldn’t care less! They link to cancer, allergies, and hyperactivity. Propylene Glycol is a controversial form of mineral oil that may cause allergic reactions as well as skin, liver and kidney damage.
Corn and wheat gluten are both ingredients used as meat substitutes that are less nutritionally complete than real meat proteins. Manufacturers add them to dog foods and treat to make their products seem better than they are. Other ingredients including If you’re feeding your dogs products containing these ingredients, they may not be getting the nutrition they need. Furthermore, many dogs are gluten intolerant and can suffer from severe inflammation and allergic reactions when consumed.
Of all the ingredients listed above, rendered fat, and meat/grain meals or by-products probably sound the most familiar. The problem is there are little to no regulations when it comes to disclosing from which animals pet food manufacturers are sourcing their “rendered fat,” “meals,” and “by-products.” You may be feeding your beloved pets the remains of diseased cattle, tumor-ridden chickens, roadkill, zoo animals, and even euthanized dogs and cats from veterinarians and shelters. Rendered fat is also a source of harmful microorganisms, toxins, and can facilitate the growth of harmful bacteria and mold.
Other Bad Ingredients to Look Out For
Other ingredients to look out for include: white flour, monosodium glutamate (MSG), corn syrup, farmed salmon, xylitol, sugar alcohols, sodium nitrate, soy, sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), salt, vegetable oil, cellulose, brewers rice, corn, sodium hexametaphosphate, animal digest, pea protein, and artificial flavor.
The Preen Pets Difference
At Preen Pets, we only use simple whole ingredients like extra lean chicken breast, USDA extra lean beef, and sweet potatoes to create healthy, all-natural treats your dogs love. We never use ingredients you haven’t heard of. And certainly, none that could potentially harm your dog.
Our treats do not contain questionable ingredients. Many other treat companies use chemical preservatives, synthetic food dyes, and cheap sources of protein.
At Preen Pets, we see dogs as members of our family, so we only use ingredients we’d be comfortable consuming ourselves. We craft our treats here in the U.S.A. using all-natural farm-fresh ingredients that are hormone free and slow-oven baked to retain as much nutritional value as possible. We are so confident your dogs will love our treats, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee.
Browse Our Dog Treats >
J & J Ranch, Stone Mtn, GA 