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puppyexpressions · 2 years

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12 Worst Dog Food Brands to Avoid

There’s no shortage of dog foods available on the market these days. Take a stroll through your local pet store and you’re bound to find aisles and aisles of products with dramatically different price points.

While it’s not always the case, the price typically dictates the quality of the food.

It can be tempting to go with those cheaper brands. However, doing so could put your dog’s health at risk!

What your dog consumes daily has a large effect on their overall health.

Unfortunately, not all brands are focused on providing high-quality meals.

Cheap fillers, subpar protein sources, and a host of other bad ingredients are often used to keep the manufacturing costs low. Sadly those inferior ingredients can have a lasting effect on your dog.

Not only will they prevent your pup from reaching their full potential, but they can cause all kinds of health issues.

There are a ton of big no-nos in the pet food industry. While those premium brands work hard to provide a balanced diet for your furry friend, others use questionable ingredients you want to avoid.

To help you shop smarter, here are some dog food brands you want to avoid in 2022.

12 Bad Dog Foods to Avoid

#1. IAMS Dry Dog Food Chunks

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.

#2. Kal Klan Complete Adult

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.

#3. Twin Pet Dog Food

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.

#4. Purina Dog Chow

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.

#5. Purina Beneful

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.

#6. Gravy Train Dog Food

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.

#7. Cesar Filets

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.

#8. Alpo by Purina

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.

#9. Diamond Dog Food

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.

#10. Kibbles N’ Bits

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 ingredients 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.

#11. Pedigree

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.

#12. Wegman’s Bruiser Kibble

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.

What Makes a Dog Food Bad?

Dry dog food products are more complex than most people give them credit for. In each individual morsel, there are tons of components packed in.

Manufacturers can utilize a wide variety of ingredients to create their product and there can be tons of things wrong with the formula.

However, there are a few important categories that have the biggest impact on your dog’s health.

Here are some key considerations that could turn an otherwise decent food into something that you should avoid at all costs.

Questionable Meat Ingredients

Protein is, by far, the most important macronutrient that your dog needs to survive. Animal meats are chock-full of beneficial amino acids that will support your dog’s muscles and keep them healthy.

It doesn’t matter whether you have a young puppy or an aging senior, they will need high levels of protein.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials requires that adult dog foods have at least 18 percent protein. That’s the bare minimum.

Most experts will tell you that you need far more than that to help a pup reach their full potential.

The issue with proteins in cheaper foods is that it’s not from the best source. Your dog doesn’t just need a lot of protein. They need good and healthy proteins.

Good examples would include wholesome meats or even meat meals.

Meat meals are nothing more than ground-up meat. High-quality foods utilize things like beef, chicken, turkey, fish, and more.

Substandard Foods

Substandard foods will utilize mystery byproducts.

Byproducts are usually things that aren’t fit for human consumption. They could refer to the “4-D” meats. “4-D” meats include protein from dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals!

It’s not uncommon for some unscrupulous manufacturers to source their meats from slaughterhouse leftovers, roadkill, or even euthanized animals.

There are tons of problems with these questionable meats. The biggest is that they could be infected with harmful bacteria and diseases.

Do you really want to run the risk of feeding your dog diseased meats?

It’s best to just avoid byproducts altogether to avoid the risks.

Manufacturers often get these cheaper meats from a wide variety of sources. As a result, they don’t provide specific information.

Instead, they put “meat byproducts” on the ingredients list and call it a day. If you’re unable to identify the specific animal that meat came from, move on to another option.

Unnecessary Fillers

Another huge issue with cheaper dog foods is the use of fillers. Filler products like corn, wheat, and soy, are notorious for causing health issues.

These ingredients are used to beef up the food a bit and increase the calorie count.

While they’ll help your dog feel fuller, they don’t provide any nutritional content. They’re essentially empty calories.

Fillers are primarily used to keep the costs low.

Instead of utilizing healthy complex carbs or plant-based ingredients as a source of vitamins, some manufacturers will simply use those fillers to make the product as affordable as possible.

Corn, wheat, and soy are all very cheap to source. They grow fast and can be harvested in bulk. Some brands will even use these ingredients in lieu of meat-based proteins!

Unfortunately, dogs aren’t designed to handle those ingredients.

They could experience digestive issues. Not only that, but they lack the good amino acids your dog needs to stay in shape.

A lifetime of filler-based foods can cause obesity, heart problems, and more.

Synthetic Ingredients

Finally, there are the synthetic additives you need to worry about. Artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives have no place in dog food.

There’s no practical need for colors and flavors.

Dogs don’t care about that stuff at all! You could make the argument that artificial flavors do more to entice dogs. However, there are much better alternatives out there.

There’s no better way to add flavor to dog foods than animal fat and protein. If the food is utilizing good-quality meat sources, there shouldn’t be a need for artificial flavors in the first place.

Preservatives

The same goes for preservatives. Preservatives are meant to prolong the shelf life of products. Dry dog foods do need preservatives to prevent spoilage.

But why use artificial ingredients when there are natural alternatives out there.

Mixed tocopherols are typically used by high-quality brands. It’s safe for dogs and does just as good of a job as the chemical-based stuff.

The issue with synthetic additives is that they can cause a wide range of health issues. Dogs that have allergies are particularly sensitive to them.

Imagine eating nothing but chemical-based foods your entire life. You’d eventually run into some health problems, right? The same concept can be applied to your dog’s food.

Conclusion

Dog food requires special consideration. It’s the one thing that you should never skimp on. Your pup is an important member of your family. So, you should be providing them with high-quality foods that will keep them healthy.

There are tons of options on the market. Avoid these listed worst dog food brands and find one that offers everything your dog needs.

#dog food #bad dog foods #dog foods to avoid #unhealthy dog foods

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is-the-owl-video-cute · 6 months

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i think the most annoying part of dog food discourse is how many people will act as though proplan/hill’s/Royal canin diets aren’t extremely and prohibitively expensive and that THAT is the reason so many people look into healthy alternatives.

People complain about corn being in the first five ingredients on most of those feeds because, regardless of other factors here, that is not an expensive ingredient. But it makes up a large chunk of the dry food. So the dry food should be fairly affordable, right?

Oh… with tax you’re spending about $100 for one 45lb bag of food where the third ingredient is wheat and the fourth and fifth ingredients are corn.

Oh… well! It’s slightly cheaper! But the second ingredient is rice, third is wheat, fourth is corn, and then fifth is poultry byproduct. None of those are very expensive so this just must be the low end cost of dog food unfortunately. The vets recommend it so surely that means prices aren’t inflated, right?

Oh? This one has similar ingredients with the only real difference being no corn? And it’s half the price?? Well surely that’s just a fluke.

Oh. Oh no.

This one even has CORN in it and it’s $20 cheaper?? Wow!

Like listen at some point I don’t care if your dog food has the ichor of the gods in it, I’m not spending $100 every five days if there are cheaper options with just as many “good” ingredients in it. If you think I’m a dog abuser because I can’t afford this overpriced garbage, that’s too bad. I don’t care. My dogs are perfectly healthy with the food I give them. Great weight and great coat. People giving dog food recommendations that aren’t those top three hyper-expensive dog foods aren’t trying to epic own those dastardly vets half the time, but I really don’t blame the ones who do lose trust in vets when the only heartworm protection they recommend lately are expensive triple-action brands like Simparica Trio that costs $120+ as opposed to the other heartworm protections that are only about $40-$60 on average, which is still cheaper even if you add on a $20-$40 flea and tick protection separately, and only recommend dog food that costs $85+ a bag even if your dog doesn’t have specialized dietary needs.

Those top three foods are GREAT at making competent prescription diets, I don’t deny that. I do still have to criticize the pricing of those prescription diets though because I have spoken to DOZENS of people who had to pull their pets off of a prescription diet and struggle to find something comparable because they couldn’t afford the food, and that’s terrible! These are not poor companies! Purina, Royal Canin, and Hill’s can ABSOLUTELY afford to lower their prices to make their food accessible to people who need it for their animals but they don’t. They probably never will. Because at the core they are run by greedy corporations. It doesn’t matter how many good nutritionists are on board if the company is run by people who put profits over customers and make the food impossible for people to afford.

#I keep seeing posts from people on both sides of this #and it is frustrating to see how many vets don’t seem to acknowledge #that a MASSIVE part of the dog food debate has and always will be #the inaccessibility of these three brands #because whether corn is good or bad or neutral for a dog #It’s a cheap ingredient #any meat byproducts are a cheap ingredient #wheat in any form is a cheap ingredient #rice is a cheap ingredient #they aren’t putting Diamond dust and gold flakes in the kibble it’s very accessible and affordable ingredients for the most part #and many comparatively smaller companies use very similar ingredients and make food people can actually afford #So yeah when people look at these factors it does make them distrust vets who will almost exclusively push expensive brands #and that’s where the distrust is coming from #it’s not primarily smug tiktok kids who think they know everything #it’s just people who have less money than you and get treated like they care less for their animals because of it lol #and people who feel scammed because anything veterinary is already expensive to the point not everyone can afford it as regularly as needed #the fact people have to give pets vaccines themselves to make ends meet because most vets charge so much just to walk in the door #is a sign of a larger problem #I criticize people who avoid taking animals with surprise sickness or injuries to the vet #but it’s not exactly hard to see why that isn’t even an option for a lot of people #people can’t even afford surgery on themselves if they’re suddenly injured out of the blue in this country #So I can’t pretend to be shocked they don’t have $10k squirreled away if something unavoidable happens to a pet #no one is entitled to an animal they can’t afford yes yes but a routine vet visit shouldn’t be $600-$1000 per animal sorry #give me a copay or something

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hylianengineer · 6 days

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I mostly like living with other people but if they don't stop stealing my food I will explode.

The worst part is that no one will admit to it, but there are only so many people who have access to our fridge. We've also had stuff mysteriously appear in there that no one will admit to putting there. I almost wonder if my roommate's friends she invites over sometimes are to blame, because surely she wouldn't lie to me about this? And she doesn't have much of a motive to lie about who the moldy tupperware belongs to, considering we've all made that mistake and no one gets mad about it.

I'd just really like my food to stop disappearing, okay? It's always the good, expensive food too. Regular food thievery is bad enough, but stealing food from someone with food restrictions who A) can't easily get more and B) has to pay three times as much for food as everyone else? Really fucking uncool.

Yes, I know the mature responsible thing to do about this is have an actual conversation with my roommate. But I'm not going to do that, I'm going to continue quietly seething.

#two years ago food was disappearing FROM MY ROOM and I was so fucking baffled #there was a time i wondered if i ate it in my sleep because what the fuck?#but i am rather convinced I did not. tis the food thief.#at least that stopped happening?! still mad though #food tw #i kind of have some food-defensive aggression. like a dog. because my food is hard to get! i can't eat normal things!#leave my allergy friendly food ALONE!#go eat your stupid gluten containing stuff instead. and i better not hear any nonsense about how my food is gross.#if it's gross why is someone fucking stealing it #however my roommate is moving to new york this summer so i guess i only have to tolerate it a couple more months #unless the new roommate (presuming the landlord finds one) is worse #vent post #hylian rambles #look don't be me okay have adult conversations about your problems #but also i cannot hold it against you if you don't cause that shit's hard #i'm a conflict avoidant person and i need to fix that but i don't have spoons for it at the moment #it's finals week!#grrrr

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arfid-is-hecc · 4 months

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I had cooked a pizza for dinner last night, though I wasn't really hungry and only ended up eating one slice, then both my parents had one slice each

I was planning on eating the rest for lunch today, but when I woke up from my nap my mom told me she ate the rest of my pizza because she has the munchies

😮‍💨 Can't have shit in Detroit I guess

#and there goes my lunch plans #nothing else sounds good #i am. upset #arfid #avoidant restrictive food intake disorder #actually arfid #arfid struggles #rant #personal #i only got one slice from my pizza 😭#and i garuntee you she gave a good portion of it to the dogs #i love the dogs but they are so spoiled

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girlwithfish · 4 months

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he says he thinks im a really good person even said the word amazing person amd that i seem put together and like genuinely nice and good which is cool i guess i dont really feel like that towards myself. also used to my ex tellign me im going to hell and im an evil person and so and so soo its like oh okay maybe thats not true or interesting i come off as a good person to other ppl idk what even is a good person. though its funny he thinks im put together bc i most definitely am not i told him um im unemployed not in school and living w my parents girl what... lol also wearing the shirt my ex covered my mouth with and smothered me with rn today! just for fun

#id been avoiding wearing it but then i thought this is so stupid it doesnt mean anything i will wear it #But yeah thats pretty fucked up i still think abt it sometimes dont even remember when taht was i think it was months ago but it could have #been in like november wait no it wasnt. early last yr ? idk lol #Im confsued now bc i genuinely dont rememebr when and it kind of freaks me the fuck out #my memory and like ability to retain stuff and info and also just remember something someone said to me just then are all so bad #my mom was telling em whcih food bowl was which dogs and they're identical besides the colors and i had to keep repeating to myself which #color belongs to which dog or ill forget and i think im just so distracted these days and have so much on my mind #which is dumb bc i dont have much going on in life atm but i also do and my anxiety is skyrocketing all month so yeah cool and yay and such

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nimblermortal · 9 months

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Hey, I have a theoretical question about fandom politics.

There's the thing going around about how we should refer to the concept in question as Omegaverse or A/O/B because the current system is a slur in Australia. Well and good. My question is, why is this a discussion we're having? As opposed to, say, hell meaning bright in German, or nega being a Chinese word for um? Is it because Australia speaks English, and the systems we're operating in are in English?

I don't want to suggest this isn't something we should do, or that this is some sort of PC slippery slope, I'm just not sure where the distinction lies.

#and a little bit wondering whether it's going to be like when we all started tagging food for Ramadan #and the Muslims were like 'cool but. y'all know we have self-control and will not immediately break fast because we saw a picture of waffle #so secondary question - is this a widespread problem for Australians or is it just one person who got popular all of a sudden?#again! this is something so easy that there's no reason not to #and my only dog in the fight is that I'll have to change my blacklist to avoid seeing this content that I don't like #just. wondering.#(I still use my food tag! cause it's useful! thanks PC panic of whatever year that was!)

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bosspigeon · 2 years

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i cannot express enough how Fucking Insane this last month has made me feel. i've been living with someone for almost a year who was emotionally manipulative, entitled, and codepedent to a destructive degree, who turned out to be violent to boot, was guilted (and borderline threatened) by her enabling parents for daring to call the cops on their darling child, and got kicked out of my home (which never actually felt like my home due to aforementioned violent, entitled brat) thanks to her decisions.

it's almost over, but i've felt so completely unmoored and lost for the past month because this person who insisted until the end that she was my friend and she cared about me caused me so much grief and devastation because i snapped and told her something about herself that she didn't want to hear

i just want to understand what kind of person can do shit like this, not even for the first time, and still be convinced she's a good person and nothing bad she's ever done is her fault. i know i'm never going to understand, and i could drive myself crazy trying, but i just. i don't get it. i don't understand how someone can be so fucking awful.

#pidge whines #sorry im just #im finally getting to the end #seeing the light at the end of the tunnel #its going to be rough adjusting #its expensive to live in a one bedroom #especially in my city #but i cant live with other people anymore #i cant trust people anymore #not when a certain shade of blue makes my heart pound #not when i see a girl in public with a particular shade of faded-pink hair and want to hide #not when im lying in bed unable to sleep because im convinced her rich parents are going to make me regret getting their kid arrested #im just trying to tell myself it's going to be worth it #that struggle of being forced to essentially rebuild my life from the ground up is going to be worth it #i won't have to ask permission to cook myself a meal #i won't have to guard my food like a starving animal #i wont have to worry about my dog being hurt and neglected when im not around to protect her #i wont have to walk on eggshells and hide in my bedroom to avoid upsetting the person i live with #i can feel safe again

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