Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
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The Food Group has a lot of info on this. :)
What is Bentley's expected adult size? Are you free-feeding, or does he have set mealtimes? What else is he getting in the way of treats or chews?
It's common for puppies to eat less as their growth slows down and they require fewer calories per pound of body weight. If he's having normal bowel movements in terms of frequency and volume, he's probably fine. It may be time to switch to an adult formula, depending on where he's at with his skeletal growth.
Pupperoni contains propylene glycol (yes, that's antifreeze), BHA (which is an artificial preservative linked to cancer and banned from use in food in most countries), and a whole bunch of other truly awful things. So whether or not it's made in the USA is beside the point, lol. It doesn't sound like your DH is easily swayed, but you might have him take a look at these ingredients himself. Here are some references:
http://www.allpetnaturals.net/ever-wondered-whats-inside-a-pup-pero...
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/?page=badingredients
I can't imagine that anyone who is even halfway sane could give a good review to these kinds of ingredients.
Bacon grease and other very high fat foods can lead to pancreatitis. In addition, it's usually a bad idea to tempt a dog into eating. Generally, when a dog who has previously been a good eater suddenly loses interest in eating, it can be a sign that there is a health issue. Even where there is no health issue, tempting them into eating can contribute to a dog becoming a picky eater.
I'm really not sure what to say at this point. It doesn't sound like your DH would be open to the kinds of suggestions I would make about his food and treats, lol.
Karen, looking at Wikipedia (which is not the end all, be all of knowledge, I know, but it was the first link I found), it suggests that propylene glycol is safe in the amounts found in food:
The acute oral toxicity of propylene glycol is very low, and large quantities are required to cause perceptible health damage in humans; propylene glycol is metabolized in the human body into pyruvic acid (a normal part of the glucose-metabolism process, readily converted to energy), acetic acid (handled by ethanol-metabolism), lactic acid (a normal acid generally abundant during digestion),[17] and propionaldehyde (a potentially hazardous substance).[18][19][20]
Serious toxicity generally occurs at plasma concentrations over 4 g/L in, which requires extremely high intake over a relatively short period of time, or when used as a vehicle for drugs or vitamins given intravenously or orally.[21] It would be nearly impossible to reach toxic levels by consuming foods or supplements, which contain at most 1 g/kg of PG, except for alcoholic beverages which are allowed 5 percent = 50g/kg.[22] Cases of propylene glycol poisoning are usually related to either inappropriate intravenous administration or accidental ingestion of large quantities by children.[23] The potential for long-term oral toxicity is also low. In one study, in 1972, 12 rats were provided with feed containing as much as 5% PG over a period of 104 weeks and they showed no apparent ill effects; no data on offspring was offered.[24] Because of its low chronic oral toxicity, propylene glycol was classified by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) for use as a direct food additive, including frozen foods such as ice cream and frozen desserts.[25][26] The GRAS designation is specific to its use in food, and does not apply to other uses.[27]
Propylene glycol is an approved food additive for dog food under the category of animal feed and is generally recognized as safe for dogs,[41] with an LD50 of 9 mL/kg. The LD50 is higher for most laboratory animals (20 mL/kg).[42] However, it is prohibited for use in food for cats due to links to Heinz body anemia.[43]
Is this information wrong or skewed?
The amounts in the food or treats might be "safe", but is it wholesome or healthy? If something can cause death or serious illness in large amounts, is eating it in small amounts a good idea? Why give it at all? The FDA allows all kinds of things in food that other countries prohibit; the reasons have more to do with money and corporate lobbying than with health issues. (See Marion Nestle'sFood Politics for more on this.) These additives are banned from food in most civilized countries; there has to be a reason for that.
We know that antifreeze can kill a dog if they ingest too much of it. So if there is a puddle of antifreeze on the street, would you allow your dog to lick just a little bit of it, or would you avoid it entirely?
In the case of treats, is there a simple way to tell how much is in each treat, so that you can then monitor how much propylene glycol the dog is eating on a daily basis? Personally, with all the great treats on the market, I can't see why anyone would opt for something like this.
And there's also that BHA.
I thought this news story was relevant to this discussion on propylene glycol:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lawsuit-claims-purinas-beneful-...
Years ago I had a $3000 vet bill because my schnauzer got into some anifreeze that was flowing down our curb gutter. It was touch and go for a few days and wasn't sure he would survive. So glad they have finally make a pet safe one, especially if people are going to drain it down the gutter.
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