With the memory of the melamine pet food scare still fresh in the minds of many pet owners, a group is publicizing a new threat: potentially toxic doses of fluoride in dog food.
An Environmental Working Group (EWG) analysis found alarming levels of fluoride in 8 of 10 dog foods tested. The concentration of fluoride was up to 2.5 times higher than the safe level the Environmental Protection Agency sets for drinking water (there is no standard for pet food). Together with drinking water from the tap that has been fluoridated, some puppies may be exposed at five-times the safe limit, though it must be said that the safe limits were not designed for dogs.
According to EWG, the fluoride in dog foods originates in bone meal and animal by-products. EWG recommends choosing dog food brands free of bone meal and meat by product ingredients like chicken by-product meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken meal and beef meal. As EWG puts it: “Any ingredient described as ‘animal meal’ is basically ground bones, cooked with steam, dried, and mashed to make a cheap dog food filler.”
[Source]
Chapter: Animals & Insects :: 5 August 2009
