After my recent analysis of a popular grain-free dry dog food where the marketing claims didn’t quite match up to the nutritional reality, I got to looking at the ingredients lists of dog kibble from one of the world’s top selling affordable brands. And what I encountered wasn’t pretty. The labels were dominated by ingredients that make nutritionists like myself cringe. It was just one nutritional red flag after another!
It made me actually feel bad for singling out the “meat-1st-ingredient” grain-free formula in my recent post “What’s in the bag”, which didn’t feature a single one of these red flag ingredients. So, I want to give credit where credit is due and for the moment, put the focus on problematic ingredients that signal low quality: those that tend to be cheap, highly processed, low in nutritional bio-availability, or that add no nutritional value, but come with health risks.
To make this educational journey more fun, I’ve decided to gamify the learning material. Say “hello” to “Dog Food BINGO: The Red Flags Edition!” This game of BINGO is all about sniffing out ingredients that signal company profits over pet health.
How to play: Check the label of your dog’s food or treats and use the BINGO card to mark off each red flag ingredient you find. Getting a BINGO in this game means that it’s time to reconsider your pup’s nutrition. The fewer squares you mark off, the better quality the food likely is; zero marks means you’ve found a lucky winner, or at the very least a solid contender for a decent dog food!
I also want to point out that the brand I analyzed in my previous blog post didn’t have ANY of these red flags! Sweet redemption is yours, Member’s Mark!
How many of these red flags can you spot in the labelling of your dog’s food and treats?
Stay tuned for my upcoming post that will breakdown each of these red flag ingredients, their various functions and how they impact your dog's health.
Remember: knowledge is power when it comes to your pup’s nutrition. Sometimes what’s NOT in the food matters as much as what is!
If you’d like personalized guidance navigating the complex world of canine nutrition, I offer one-on-one consulting services tailored to your dog’s unique needs. Reach out today for a free 15-minute discovery call to see if my services are the right fit for you and your dog.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes and to help pet owners become more informed consumers.