# Dog Food Ingredients to Avoid



## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Propylene Glycol? Do they really put that stuff in dog food?


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## Samwise (May 15, 2006)

I'm very pleased to say that as far as I can tell, Samwise and Ruby's food contains none of that stuff. I'm such a dog food snob and I'm not ashamed to admit it. 

Christi


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## goldenlovers (Oct 2, 2006)

We went through the list and our Dog food doesn't contain any of that harmful substance. I really like Performatrin Ultra it's worked for us.. We will be weaning Hunter on it as well.


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## McSwede (Jan 30, 2007)

vrocco1 said:


> Propylene Glycol? Do they really put that stuff in dog food?


Yep. 

It's also in contact lens solutions, some soft drinks, alot of different foods.

Glycolax, a common constipation treatment is mostly all propylene glycol.

Stuff won't hurt you or your dog.


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Bailey's Dad said:


> Yep.
> 
> It's also in contact lens solutions, some soft drinks, alot of different foods.
> 
> ...


So why do they put it in the dog food? Does it keep them 'regular'?


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## McSwede (Jan 30, 2007)

njb said:


> So why do they put it in the dog food? Does it keep them 'regular'?



It's primarily used in "semi moist" dog food to keep it moist.


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Bailey's Dad said:


> It's primarily used in "semi moist" dog food to keep it moist.


TY--learn something everyday...


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I agree njb..............


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## kra (Oct 2, 2006)

Well, I just checked the bag, I'm free and clear. Good article thanks for posting it.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Our food is also clear...........


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

This site is mention often on an all breed board I belong to and some agree and so say it is "over board." In the first place, it has been proven that dog food does not contain the dreaded "4D" animals, it does not contain cats and gos that were put to sleep, it does not contain road kill. Also, we have a couple that are animal nutirtionist, one studying to be a vet and a retired vet. They say they h ave learned that corn meal is very digestable and has some high in the needed amino acids. They have no problem with corn in their dog's feed. There are some things on that list that I do not want my dogs to have, but there are some that don't worry me in the least.

Funny thing, on that forum one will post an article by some famed nutirionist and someone else comes back ith another article by another famed nutirionist saying right the opposite. "Wyson says......" "No he is wrong. Arnet s ays........." "Well they are both wrong Billingsly says" and on and on. Your head goes in circles and you still don't know what to believe.


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## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

Yeah, i have to say, i wonder about that list, and about the dog food the people who have already responded are using. Does your food really NOT contain salt or sea salt? I am using Prarie Lamb and Rice and I see 1) lamb meal 2) sea salt, 3) Minerals (listed one by one), 4) Tocopherols (listed under Canola Oil in parentheses) and 4) Menhaden Fish Meal. 

Samwise, goldenlover, maggie's mom - could you tell us what feed you are using? I always thought Prairie was a reasonably good food for dogs, but it seems like at least 4 of the "avoid" ingredients are in it. Either the list is overboard, or I've got Charlie on some low-quality food (which i find hard to believe).


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## Rocky (Dec 28, 2006)

I looked at this list and then looked at what I feel Rocky, which is purina puppy chow (that is what the breeder had him on). It had some of the "bad" ingredients in it. I then searched on this board to see what others seem to feed their dogs thinking I am feeding Rocky the wrong food. I found that many members feed Nutro. So, I looked up those ingredients and again, corn gluten meal was the third on the list. 
So, I wonder what food exactly does not have these ingredients?

I must admit.... I am not very wise when it comes to dog food. Our dogs growing up were on Dads dog food, which is a very low grade dog food. And they all lived to be a ripe old age and most of them died of natural causes. So, it makes me wonder??? I never realized there was much of a difference until I got Rocky and started doing research. When I went to the vet last time and asked her she said to change to Purina One, Eukanuba, or Science Diet. But, I have seen on here that those are all "bad", too.
What is good exactly?


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## Brittany (Jul 24, 2006)

I was doing Science Diet for a while, and my pups had shiny coats, healthy bones, and the small amount of waste that there was just disintegrated within days. The only problem was that my dogs seemed to get bored with it.....too bland I'm guessing. At the moment I am feeding Purina Dog Chow, but I'm not happy with it. Dull coats, and WAY to much waste. I'm planning on switching back to Science Diet.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I got my first dog, an English Setter pup for my 11th birthday, 51 years ago come June 4, and i have owned dogs ever since--Engloish and Irish Setters and Goldens. ALL have been Purina dogs, as were my dad's pointers and setters. Most lived to be old dogs with very few, if any health problems. I lost two to distemper, despite having distemper vax (this wa in late 50's) one poisoned in our yard, we had one stollen, and we lost a 5 year old golden to heart attack at age 5, and my Hunter to AIHA and liver damage brought on by proheart6. The rest have lived to the end of past the life expectancy of their breed. My oldest golden will be 12 next week.Outside of low thyroid diagnosed 2 years ago and a kidney infection 7 months ago, he has never been treated for any kind of illness, and believe me if my dog sneezes twice it is to the vet. He was fed purina Puppy Chow, then the dog Chow and after his kidney infection i put him on purina one senior and put the girls on the purina one weight management.

Some dogs do not do well on Purina, some do not do well on Iams, some do not do well on the upper crust foods like Timber Wolf, Eagle Pack, Blue Buffalo, etc (my Buck didn't). 

What I know is my dogs have beautiful coats, clean ears, have no doggy smell (sleep with me, so don't want a stinky dog in my face) and have great physicals and perfect blood panels. They LOVE the Purina One and i am sticking with it unless they develope a problem of somekind with it.

One thing I learned on the all breed board is if one doesn't Purina, then everyone they know that feed their dogs purina have dogs with oily, smelly, dull, sparse coats, brown teeth, constant ear infections, dogs have no energy, etc. We that feed Purina don't know how unhealthy our dogs are, can't see their pitiful coats, smell the stinky ears, see the brown teeth, feel the coarse fur, etc, etc.

I do not tell anyone what to feel their dog, just say go with what works for your dog be it t-bone steak and Russian Cavair or Ol Roy (my dogs have never had either because purina works for them) or anything in between.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Rocky said:


> ?
> 
> I must admit.... I am not very wise when it comes to dog food. Our dogs growing up were on Dads dog food, which is a very low grade dog food. And they all lived to be a ripe old age and most of them died of natural causes. So, it makes me wonder??? ?



Growing up, there were no premium dog foods. You went to the supermarket and got cans of Alpo, or Ken'l Ration... which were gray, gelatinous masses of meat by-products and other mystery ingredients. Our dogs all lived to ripe old ages and were never sick. Allergies were unheard of. Just sayin


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## McSwede (Jan 30, 2007)

If your dog is doing well on a particular food, stay with it.

Don't get hung up on "Holistic" ingredients. Its a marketing ploy to make dog food appealing to PEOPLE.

Corn, for instance, has gotten a bad rap on the internet. Cooked corn is highly digestible and a good source of nutrients for a dog. And its a low risk for allergies. 

Chicken by product meal is another one. Excellent source of complete protein/amino acids for a dog.

Wild canines, when making a kill, go right for the belly.
They will fight over the intestines and leave the rest of the carcass for the vultures. Those wild dogs know where the best nutrition comes from.


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

Bailey's Dad said:


> Wild canines, when making a kill, go right for the belly.
> They will fight over the intestines and leave the rest of the carcass for the vultures. Those wild dogs know where the best nutrition comes from.


So feed them intestines...? :uhoh: J/K.  :


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

I believe in the trial and error approach to dog food. Feed them what makes *you* feel good, but more important, feed them what makes *them* feel good. Cheap or expensive does not matter. What matters is what works for your dog. That is why there is an advocate for every food out there on this forum.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

3 goldens said:


> Some dogs do not do well on Purina, some do not do well on Iams, some do not do well on the upper crust foods like Timber Wolf, Eagle Pack, Blue Buffalo, etc (my Buck didn't).
> 
> What I know is my dogs have beautiful coats, clean ears, have no doggy smell (sleep with me, so don't want a stinky dog in my face) and have great physicals and perfect blood panels. They LOVE the Purina One and i am sticking with it unless they develope a problem of somekind with it.....
> 
> ......I do not tell anyone what to feel their dog, just say go with what works for your dog be it t-bone steak and Russian Cavair or Ol Roy (my dogs have never had either because purina works for them) or anything in between.


Well said...
My dogs are both on Purina One... One has never had and ear infection the other very few, there coats are soft and they dont have flaky dry skin...They both are active girls...produce small well-formed b.m. 2x daily like clockwork...

I used to feed Nutro and then Wellness with Nupro supplement to my older girl...she was plaged with ear infections, itchy skin and was constipated on a regular basis. Yet I stubbornly stuck with it...At a breeders suggestion I tried Purina One and kept the Nupro...all her itchy-scratchies went away and she no longer goes through bouts of constipation...

So I am now of the opinion that you feed what works...I am no longer married to any brand....I will stay with Purina One until I see a need to switch and then I will switch ...

When friends ask "what does your dog eat" I tell them....then say feed what you want, but more importantly, what works, then get on with your life and play with your dog!


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

I posed this question to my vet the very frist time I ever took Julie in--he said straight up--feed her what ever you want as long as it is not that 'ol roy' stuff...

I have heard more than one vet say the same thing. I will say the dogs really really like the Natural Balance food--but it is a 10 plus mile trip to get it--so they don't always get it. I, personally do prefer corn not be the very first listing on the ingedients though...just my desire. 

My own personal feeling is if the dog is thriving--don't mess with them. A few here are professional breeders (not me) and show folks (again not me) so they might have a different set of concerns--but if your dog likes Purina, and has no ill effects--fine. 

Personally--if for whatever reason I cant make the treak to the pet store and need to fill in in the mean time-- I will buy Purina One at Walmart (that is only a 5 mile jot). I don't buy Iams anymore because I think it is over rated and over priced for what you get. If I remember right it has more corn in it than Purina--go figure! 

You are not harming you dog by feeding them less than the most expensive dog food. I suspect the recent increase in skin allergies etc is caused by overbreeding by less than honest backyard (or worse) breeders. But that is just my opinion.


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