The Dog Foods You Need to Avoid Giving Your Pet

Even though your dog will eat pretty much anything; that doesn’t mean that they should. There are some things, such as chocolate, that a dog must never eat. When it comes to the worst dog foods there are even some branded products you should avoid. Here’s a rundown of the worst dog foods you need to avoid.

  1. Alpo

Alpo dog food was founded around 80 years ago and was intended to be a dog food brand that offered meaty and tasty dog foods. The Alpo brand comes under the Purina umbrella, alongside other low-quality brands such as Mighty Dog and Purina Dog Chow. Alpo may claim that their food is rich in meat, but the truth is there are lots of low quality additives and fillers included on the ingredient list. They have also been subjected to a number of recalls including a recent recall about melamine contamination.

  1. Grreat Choice

As if in some twist of irony, Grreat Choice is actually a terrible choice for dog food. It’s produced by PetSmart; who are one of the leading pet retailers in the United States. It’s an affordable brand of dry dog food. In fact it’s a little too cheap. Nothing that costs $15 for a 20-pound bag is going to be good quality. These foods are filled with low quality ingredients including artificial additives and fillers. They also contain too many carbohydrates and not enough protein and fat.

  1. Beneful

Beneful, much like Alpo, also comes under the Purina umbrella. They have been around since 2001 and their main appeal is that the kibbles come in a range of different colors, shapes, and textures. While Beneful claims that their product contains real meat (and it does), the real meat is outweighed by the synthetic products and plant proteins. Beef might be the first ingredient in Benefuls Originals with Real Beef but the following five ingredients are by-products and fillers.

  1. Pedigree

Most people have heard of the Pedigree dog food brand but don’t understand it’s actually a very bad choice. It’s created by Mars PetCare; a subsidiary of Mars, Inc. Pedigree offers a range of pet products for dogs of all ages. If you to really look at the ingredients list though, you would see that there is very little difference in the different formulas. Their food for senior dogs is made from pretty much the same ingredients as their formula for puppies. They also offer poor nutritional value; being heavy on carbs and filled with fillers.

  1. Kibbles ‘n Bits

Kibbles ‘n Bits is one of the most popular dog food brands there is. It’s produced and manufactured by Big Heart Pet Brands with the promise to deliver “joy in every bite.” A quick look at the formula shows you that the ingredients list is missing some high quality ingredients. Many of them are made primarily of corn, which is certainly not a good ingredient for dog food. They also contain a lot of additives and plant proteins.

If you want to ensure that your dog only has the best dog food then find out more about the best and worst dog food brands. Make the right choice for your dog; they’ll thank you for it.

Melissa Thompson
Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn't know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.