12 Bad Dog Foods to Avoid
At first glance, IAMS products don’t seem so bad. The first ingredient is usually chicken, which is a great protein source.
However, when you start to look at some of the other ingredients used, it starts to become evident that this dog food isn’t a good option for your dog.
First, it has corn meal. This is nothing more than a filler. Secondly, it uses chicken byproduct meal. There’s that controversial “byproduct” again.
While this byproduct is identified, IAMS doesn’t provide any information about what the byproduct is. Is it beneficial organs or is it slaughterhouse waste?
Finally, there’s sorghum and beet pulp. Sorghum is similar in nutrient content to corn meal. Meanwhile, beet pulp is a high-fiber byproduct that can lead to weight gain.
| Crude Protein | 25.0% min |
|---|---|
| Crude Fat | 14.0% min |
| Crude Fiber | 4.0% max |
| Moisture | 10.0% max |
| Calcium | 1.05% min |
| Selenium | 0.35 mg/kg min |
| Vitamin E | 60 IU/kg min |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 2.05% min |
The biggest issue with Kal Klan is that there are no wholesome meat-based protein sources. The very first ingredient on the list is usually corn.
Meat should always be the first on the list regardless of the brand or price. Having corn as the top-listed ingredient is always a red flag.
As if that weren’t enough, Kal Klan uses soybean meal and bone meal. Soybean meal is a byproduct of making soy oil. Meanwhile, bone meal is nothing more than ground-up bone and cartilage.
Of course, there’s no way to tell what animal is being used. So it’s best to avoid it.
Twin Pet primarily uses plants for their dog foods. While some plants are beneficial to your pup’s health, a fully plant-based diet isn’t good. Dogs need meat.
Once again, the first ingredient on the list is corn. However, that’s not even the most troubling thing in the formula. You’ll also find meat byproducts and wheat middlings.
Byproducts aren’t great because they come from questionable sources. Wheat middlings is bad because it’s basically the leftover dust that comes from milling wheat.
Purina is a very popular dog food manufacturer that’s been around for over a hundred years. Dog Chow is one of the most popular brands owned by Purina. You can find it in virtually every grocery store.
Unfortunately, it’s filled with some unsavory ingredients. It utilizes all of those unhealthy fillers like corn, wheat, and soy.
But that’s not all. You can also find a bevy of artificial ingredients.
Dog Chow contains artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. All of that should be avoided.
Beneful is another brand that’s owned by Purina. Like other Purina products, Beneful foods can be found at very affordable prices.
The tricky thing about Beneful dog food is that the company advertises “real meats.”
Real meats are indeed used. However, so are byproducts and fillers. Chances are, the fillers greatly outweigh the real stuff.
All of the Beneful formulas contain corn, wheat, and soy. They also have artificial ingredients.
Gravy Train is a pretty popular canned food brand. There are some good things in the Gravy Train formula. You can find things like chicken and lamb.
Unfortunately, some questionable ingredients are used as well.
Meat byproducts are the biggest red flag on the ingredients list. As we mentioned earlier, these products can come from unknown sources.
The fact that they aren’t identified should be a cause for concern.
Typically marketed as an indulgent food for small dog breeds, Cesar Filets have a pretty big hold on the dog food market.
These products are available in big-name grocery stores across the world, making them highly accessible.
The biggest issue we see with Cesar Filets is the salt content. The wet food is very high in sodium, which could pose a significant health risk for your dog as they get older.
On top of that, the recipe calls for potentially unhealthy meat byproducts.
Another Purina-owned brand is Alpo. Alpo has one of the most contentious reputations in the dog food industry. Many reports have come out about dogs getting sick and dying after eating Alpo food.
While one could argue about the connection, these complaints got so bad that the FDA got involved.
After investigating the production line, the FDA put out warnings for consumers. There were even some recalls. For those reasons, we recommend avoiding Alpo altogether.
Diamond pet foods are marketed as premium products without the premium price. There are some good things about Diamond dry foods, such as the use of chelated minerals.
However, the protein ingredients are where things get a bit hairy.
The brand relies heavily on plant-based proteins instead of wholesome meats. They utilize corn, wheat, and soy. Not only that, but unnamed byproducts are pretty common as well.
There’s no doubt that you’ve seen some funny Kibbles N’ Bits advertisements at some points. Thanks to their great marketing campaigns, this brand is fairly popular and has done a great job of convincing owners that it’s a tasty choice for dogs.
That said, the ingredient’s list shows that the formulas rely more on corn fillers rather than wholesome proteins.
Corn is the first ingredient on the list, which indicates that it’s the most prevalent in the recipe.
The Pedigree brand has a large line of products marketed towards puppies, adults, and senior dogs. The dry dog food products are relatively affordable and readily available.
While not as bad as some others on this list, Pedigree is definitely not a good long-term option for dogs.
Whole grain corn is the first ingredient on the list. It’s a common allergen and isn’t the easiest thing to digest. Artificial flavors are used as well, which have no place in dog food.
Wegman’s is a very affordable dog food brand. However, when you take a look at the ingredient’s list, you’ll find a lot of things you should avoid.
The formula contains ingredients that many experts agree are dangerous for dogs. This includes xantham gum, cord gluten, artificial food coloring, and more.
While it has an attractive price tag, those harmful ingredients could do long-term damage to your dog’s health.
Is Iams dog food bad for your dog?
As you can see, reviews on IAMS dog food show that it is a respectable dog food company that has been producing food for animals for over 50 years. With this type of reputation, it is safe to say that the ingredients included and the formulas used are safe for your best furry friend!
Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition Dry Dog Food
The closest thing to a natural protein in Pedigree is chicken by-product meal. This ingredient isn’t great and can come from unwanted leftovers from a variety of sources.
Ground whole corn and corn gluten meal are also used. A variety of synthetic colors are also utilized, making this formula an unhealthy choice all around.
As a general rule of thumb, owners should avoid dog food formulas with ingredients they wouldn’t consume themselves.
Who wants to eat dead, dying, or diseased meats? This particular ingredient is especially harmful to dogs because owners will never know the exact source.
High-quality formulas contain all-natural protein from healthy animals. However, 4-D meats are often full of chemicals, hormones, steroids, and much more.
Not only that but these rejected and discarded meats may harbor potentially deadly extras. For example, sick and dying animals can contain all kinds of diseases.
The same goes for roadkill that may harbor a slew of bacteria and parasites.
Even seemingly innocuous sources like expired meat from a grocery store may be thrown into the formula without even being removed from the package. Because of the uncertainty with 4-D meats, dogs can be exposed to a lot of harm.
Bad dog food brands can contain steroids, insecticides, and growth hormones and can affect the way dogs develop and grow while chemicals and parasites can lead to a variety of health issues like cancer.
Corn and grains are bad for dogs because they aren’t built to consume these ingredients on a regular basis. Dogs are carnivores through and through. They don’t have the right teeth to grind up grains.
As a result, many dogs can develop digestion problems. The influx of GMOs, insecticides, and mold on corn and grain products can also lead to cancer and allergy issues.
When it comes to synthetic ingredients like dyes and preservatives, many options have been found to do irreparable harm. Many dyes have high toxicity levels that can cause pulmonary problems and death. Some preservatives are carcinogenic and known to cause organ failure, stomach irritation, tooth decay, and more.
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What’s wrong with Iams dog food?
While most owners don’t realize it, bad dry dog food can make dogs sick and unhealthy over time. Cheap ingredients are used to make dog food more affordable.
Some ingredients are used as filler to replace natural proteins. They add empty calories without much nutritional content.
One commonly used term in cheaper dry food labels is “meat byproducts.” This often refers to 4-D meats, which are ingredients that are deemed unfit for human consumption. They can come from a variety of different sources.
“4-D”stands for dead, dying, disabled, or diseased. While they’re unfit for human consumption, they technically fit the bill for canine consumption. As a result, many inferior manufacturers use 4-D meats as a protein source.
Corn is another commonly used ingredient to help keep costs down. Corn and other similar crops are very cheap to grow and harvest. They’re a filler substitute to natural meat protein.
Unfortunately, dogs aren’t made to consume corn on a regular basis. While it may seem fine at first, a lifetime of eating corn can be detrimental to a dog’s health.
Similar to corn, grains are often thrown into the mix to benefit production costs. Wheat, rice, and other grains can be difficult for dogs to digest. Dogs don’t have molars to grind up grains.
Furthermore, these grains are often treated with a number of chemicals prior to harvesting. These chemicals can transfer into the dog food formula and slowly cause issues as the years progress.