What is in your dog food? What a new survey reveals – NBC Chicago

Animal owners want the best when it comes to feeding their four -legged friends. And with so much choices of food for dogs, fees to lyophilized and everything else, how do you even know what is best for your animal?

A new survey on consumer relationships on popular dog food brands reveals what is in their food may not always be what you think you feed Fido.

Fifty-eight dog foods have been chopped, mixed, tested and analyzed to answer a simple and important question: is the food you feed your dog sure?

In the CR survey, popular brands like Blue Buffalo, the scientific regime of Hill and Purina were
Tested for nutrients and contaminants.

Consumer Reports Science Writer, Kevin Loria, says that most brands met basic nutritional standards, consumer tests have found potentially dangerous bacteria in certain raw dog foods.

CR has found Listeria Monocytogenes, which can be dangerous for animals and even more for
People, in a free chicken chicken sample of the raw bistro, and a sample of alive for chopped beef flour, which are both food for frozen raw dogs.

Raw Bistro claims that his internal tests have not shown no contamination, and the lot tested has since expired and is no longer sold.

Viva for dogs told CR that he had continued to evolve our systems with more robust finished product tests.

CR’s survey also revealed that a product, roasted chicken and rice and pedigree nutrition adult vegetables contained almost the maximum recommended vitamin D.

Too much vitamin D can be toxic to dogs, which makes it crucial that manufacturers remain
within safe limits.

“Following an in -depth examination of the only batch of Pedigree 2023 products
Referenced by consumer reports, we can confirm that our products are safe. All raw materials and production files show that this batch of Pedigree 2023 products complies with our high internal safety standards as well as to specifications of the FDA and AAFCO, including independent and internal controls of vitamin mixtures and vitamin D tests, “said a pedigree declaration.

Conclusion: Experts say that the best approach is to work with your veterinarian to choose the food for the needs of your pet. In general, search for foods labeled as standards of respect established by the association of American food control officials, which recommends nutritional directives for dogs and other animals.

Limit the calories of treats to just 10% of their diet and do not change foods without a good reason.

Animal owners are also advised to be particularly cautious with raw regimes, CR tests confirming that food can include serious risks.

CR results on 58 dog food

We tested the foods of Barf, Bil-Jacc, Blue Buffalo, Bravo, Cesar, Freshpet, Hill’s, IAMS, Instinct, Justfoodfordogs, Kibbles’ N Bits, Kirkland Signature, Northwest Naturals, Nullo, Open Farm, Pedigree, Petplate, Portland Peat Food Company, Rachael Ray, Bistro ultimate nutrition for pets, vital essentials, viva and we feed raw.

The products were bought between December 2023 and May 2024, and we tested three samples of each in April and May 2024. (We tested varieties packs by analyzing the nutritional content of all foods in the mixed pack together.)

In the table below, we included the results of CR tests for proteins, fats, vitamin D and copper. If a food lacked a nutritional directive of the AAFCO, this is marked with a red X.

We have also included our results for fiber – which is listed on dog food labels, but there is no level recommended for this nutrient. We tested food for vitamin D only if it was listed on the label; If this was not the case, the vitamin D column reads “n / a” for not applicable.

It is not a ranking of the best dog food. But this allows consumers to compare the nutritional composition of various foods – and can be a useful tool when you speak with your veterinarian of good food for your pet.

Be aware, however, that the levels of certain nutrients or minerals, such as copper, could fluctuate.

Foods marked with a red diamond is tested positive for Listeria.