QUESTION:
Are the preservative chemicals in dog food really that dangerous?
ANSWER:
It has become widely accepted by many veterinarians that the alarming increase in cancer and skin conditions among dogs is primarily due to the use of toxins and chemicals in their food.
Cancer accounts for almost half of the deaths in pets 10 years and older.
Take a look at the label on your dog's food; it more than likely will include the following chemical stabilizers:
- BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole)
- BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)
Both chemicals are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction.
Also in the can are typically:
EQ has been implicated with thyroid problems, hair loss and reproductive disorders. You won't see it on the label, since it is often added at the rendering plant (see ‘How is our pet food made?’ page 23) and not by the manufacturer. This preservative is highly toxic. Factory workers exposed to it in the livestock industry exhibited side effects similar to those of agent orange: a dramatic rise in liver or kidney damage, cancerous skin lesions, hair loss, blindness, leukemia, foetal abnormalities, and chronic diarrhea. In animals, EQ has been linked to immune deficiency syndrome, spleen, stomach, and liver cancers; and a host of allergies.
- PG (Propylene Glycol) Many semi-moist dog foods contain propylene glycol -- first cousin to the anti-freeze agent, ethylene glycol, that destroys red-blood cells.
- Lead frequently shows up in pet foods. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study titled "Lead in Animal Foods" found that a nine-pound cat fed commercial pet food ingests more lead than the amount considered potentially toxic for children. The health hazards, unfortunately, apply equally to our canine four legged friends as they do to their feline cousins – lead in our Labradors’ commercially-produced diet is at dangerously high levels.
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