Purina Beneful Brand dog foods have been in the media lately, accused of harming pets worldwide. A class-action lawsuit has been filed as of February 5 in federal court, claiming that Purina Beneful foods are extremely harmful to pets and have even caused death in some cases.

I have worked in the pet food industry for over four years now and have been educated on pet food nutrition and the importance of a balanced diet for your pet.

The following is my opinion of the Purina brand  foods that are sold in many chain stores around the country. I will go over the first five ingredients in Purina Beneful Original dog food to help you have a better understanding of why this food is not healthy and has little to no nutrition for your fur babies.

#1 Ground Yellow Corn: Many pet foods contain some type of corn product. When it is listed as the first ingredient, it is the highest-percentage ingredient of the food. Corn has a high glycemic index, which means it can raise your pets blood sugar to an unhealthy level. Corn and the undetected contaminants within the grain have also been known to be a key factor in causing pet allergies, which can result in scratching, hot spots, sore paws and obsessive chewing or biting at the skin. As a whole grain, corn is not easily digestible. It first has to be ground into a meal or flour, which actually raises the glycemic level, before being cooked into the food — and even then it has little nutrition for your pet.

#2 Chicken Byproduct Meal: Byproduct meal is made by rendering the parts left after the edible parts of the animal have been removed. Some of the parts that the byproduct meal is made from are the heads, feet, brains, lungs, backs, and liver to name a few. There are two different grades given to byproduct meal: human grade and pet food grade. The difference in these two is not always the actual body part, but how that body part is stored after slaughter. For example: Liver that is refrigerated is legal to sell at human grade, but when left in a offal trailer overnight it can still be used as a main ingredient in pet foods.

#3 Corn Gluten Meal: Protein is the most important aspect of a dog food. Since protein can come from almost anything: leather, chicken beaks, corn gluten meal, it is important to know what type of protein is being fed. Some may not even know what gluten actually is. It is made from the material left over after all the starchy carbohydrate is washed out of  the grain, leaving a rubbery protein residue which we call gluten. Gluten is a lot less nutritionally complete than meat-based proteins and raises the protein on a dog food label, making it look more wholesome then it actually is. 

#4 Whole Wheat Flour: Like other grains such as corn, wheat can cause your pet to develop allergies. Itching, chewing and biting at the skin are all signs of a allergic reaction.  Unfortunately, wheat is also used in a wide range of foods and treats so it is important to read the ingredient list on anything that you are buying for your fur baby.

#5 Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols: Although fats are a good ingredient to have in a food, this ingredient listing does not state what type of animal it came from — and being mixed with Tocopherols can make it dangerous. Tocopherols are a type of  artificial preservative put into fat to create a longer shelf life. These preservatives add the risk of being toxic to your pet and causing serious health issues or even death. Some named preservatives to be on the look out for are: BHA, BHT, propylene glycol, ethoxyguin.

Just to remind you, these are my findings and opinion of this dog food. I would never recommend any Purina product to a customer or client. There are many healthy nutritious grain-free dog foods in both dry kibble and wet canned form.

If you are unsure of  your current pet’s food ingredients or would like to be better educated on pet food nutrition, visit the following amazing site:  www.dogfoodadvisor.com. It has everything you need to know. It also rates all dog foods on a one-to-five star system, which helps when choosing a new food.

I hope this helps you to better understand the health concerns about the food we give our pets on a daily basis. Switching foods may be the best thing you can do for your pet and could even add years to their life!

We love our pets, they deserve the best!

Audies Angels

Audrey Lohrey-Owner

What pet food do you give your fur baby?