After all, a well-known company like Del-Monte® only has your dog's happiness in mind, right?
Wrong. Going through the ingredient list will show you why:
1. Beef: Could be steak, could be trachea as both are included in the AAFCO definition of "beef". I'm not saying beef trachea is bad for your dog. They are a superior alternative to rawhide. I'm just saying that you would never be able to tell what the quality of the meat is or if there is any consistency in the beef used in their product.
2. Meat By-Products: The good news is that it's not rendered and it does not contain hair, horns, teeth or hooves. The bad news is that it could be anything else from a slaughtered mammal. And what kind of mammal? It could be beef or lamb; it could be horse. Who knows? Del-Monte doesn't. They don't have to because the definition of this ingredient doesn't require them to.
3. Soy Grits: Soy contains many nutrients, and if your dog does not have an allergy, it is not necessarily a bad ingredient. The main problem with soy is that 91% of the soy grown in 2007 was genetically modified. GM foods are still a hot topic. Growers may want you to think there is no difference between GMO and non-GMO, and they may be right, but the truth is that no one knows what the side-effects of consuming GMOs are. There has not been enough research on this topic to say that GMOs are safe. I, for one, do not buy franken-foods for myself. Why should I subject my dog to them? Oh, and soy can give your dog really smelly gas.
More info: gmo-compass.org
4. Sugar: Most people consume sugar every day in some form or another. And it is true that dogs can utilize the energy derived from sugar. But, just like people, if dogs eat too much, then it can exacerbate or cause the same problems in them as it does in us. Obesity, tooth decay and diabetes are all major concerns for pet dogs in the U.S.
5. Liver: is liver and can be a good source of vitamin A, but what animal did it come from?
6. Salt: Sodium is a necessary nutrient for proper cell function, but needs to be consumed in moderation.
7. Propylene Glycol: The Material Safety Data Sheet, which you may remember from chemistry class, gives this substance a health rating of 2, which means the substance is of moderate concern for human health. It has been shown to aggravate kidney problems, so if your dog's kidneys are already compromised, stay away from this ingredient completely. Did I mention that this is sometimes used as a substitute for ethlyene glycol as the active ingredient in antifreeze?
More info: MSDS: Propylene Glycol
EPA: Antifreeze
8. Garlic Powder: Some resources will tell you to never feed garlic to your dog, as it is in the same family as onions, and onions can be toxic to dogs. More on this toxicity at the end of this post. Garlic can contribute to heart health and when ingested, it is reported to be a natural flea and tick repellent for dogs.
9. Caramel Color: This is usually derived from the heat treatment of ingredients such as lactose or malt syrup, so it is not an ingredient of great concern. The main problem is that the whole food sources of caramel color are often grains or dairy products, which are allergens for some dogs.
10. Natural Smoke Flavor: This is made by condensing smoke. Hopefully the smoke came from something such as hickory wood, but this was a difficult one to find information on.
11. Potassium Sorbate (used as a preservative): Potassium sorbate has a similar toxicity to table salt. The Environmental Working Group labels it as a moderate hazard of 3 out of 10. If anything, ingest in moderation.
More info: EWG: Potassium Sorbate
12. Sodium Nitrite (for color retention): According to its MSDS, sodium nitrite can be toxic if ingested. When overheated, sodium nitrite can be converted into carcinogenic nitrosamines.
More info: MSDS: Sodium Nitrite
13. Red 40: On June 30, 2010, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) called for the FDA to ban Red 40. It has been linked to cancer and behavioral problems in children. It is also a potential allergen.
14. BHA (used as a preservative): The BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) MSDS states that it is possibly carcinogenic for humans and gives it a moderate rating of 2 for human health. This is based on the fact that it has been proven carcinogenic in experimental animals! The Environmental Working Group gives BHA a rating of 10. This is the highest level of concern possible in their database.
More info: MSDS: BHA
EWG: BHA
15. Onion Extract: Last but certainly not least, in part because it makes absolutely no sense to add onion anything to something intended for dogs. Google the phrase, "foods that are toxic to dogs" and basically every website will list onions as toxic to dogs. It does not matter if the onions are cooked or fresh; they all contain thiosulphate which can damage a dog's red blood cells and cause hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic anemia can be the result of a single, large dose of onions or PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO SMALL QUANTITIES. Why bother?
There are so many dog treats on the market that are delicious and have health benefits. The Original flavor of Pup-Peroni® is pure junk food; don't even get me started on the newest Combo Bites™ Original Beef Recipe with Cheddar Cheese (now with more added color!). Del-Monte® is also known for such "high-quality" crap as Gravy Train®, Milk-Bone® and Kibbles 'n Bits®. Some brands of their treats were also recalled during the 2007 melamine contamination recalls. Del-Monte® uses the cheapest ingredients possible, and I'm sure they care more about the profit they make off of unsuspecting pet parents, than about the health of your dog. I can see no logical reason to feed this product.
