Propylene Glycol… Dog Food Aid or Automotive Antifreeze?

by Mike Sagman
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Propylene glycol is a controversial additive used to help preserve the moisture content in many dog foods.

AntifreezeYou may already recognize this chemical by its more “infamous” use… as a key ingredient in some newer automotive antifreezes.

No kidding… antifreeze.

Now, to be fair, propylene glycol is considerably safer (less toxic) than its far more dangerous cousin, ethylene glycol.

But here’s the problem… because of its proven ability to cause a serious type of blood disease… Heinz body anemia… propylene glycol has been banned by the FDA for use in cat food.

Now, get this… believe it or not, it can still be used to make dog food.

No matter how safe this stuff may seem, it’s the continuous, day-after-day feeding of this controversial chemical that worries me.

And if you love your dog as much as I love Bailey… that long term use should worry you, too.

So… buyer beware.  Avoid choosing any dog food that contains propylene glycol.  After all, why take the risk?

Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


  • Gordon

    Yep Toxed, Australian don’t have a 1st amendment in our constitution like yous do. “The right to bear arms” if I got that right?

    And our gun laws got even tougher since 1997′s – now world’s second biggest lone gunman mass murders (The biggest one being the recent one in Norway), of Port Aurthur in Tasmania.

    And subsequently our stricter laws were able to overcome the country’s gun lobby, contrary to your own powerful gun lobby which has to date, been able to stave off any significant restrictive gun laws. At least, to my knowledge. Happy to be stood corrected? But the point is, yes you’re right, Australia has a much greater restriction re gun laws than the US.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Debbie, I’m sorry to read about your dog’s death too. You are right. “Less toxic” is still toxic. That is so sad!

    Gordon, “You hit the nail right on the head!” There is no need for all those toxins in our consumer products. There are non-toxic or safer alternatives for just about everything. Until manufacturers start listening, as consumers, our best choices are organic and additive free. Raising our own and hunting are still better than CAFO or processed meats. You’re also right about this being “right up my alley.” This is where I live. :-)

    (Yeah, I always wanted to live in Australia :-D … But my husband is a hunter and heard you couldn’t have guns there.
    :-( Besides, I just couldn’t eat kangaroo! Too cute!)

    Having that knowledge certainly helps in evaluating dogfood and it’s processing. But what I keep learning is that there are always more layers of “the onion” to peel. I only feed raw scrap from our own livestock or game and dehydrated liver treats as treats to our dog, or a 5 star kibble as training treats. I had never read a soft dog treat package and didn’t even realize they were putting PPG in there! I always tell people, Read the Label! If you don’t recognize it as regular food, don’t eat it and don’t put it on your body!

  • Gordon

    Sorry to read about your loss, Debbie.

    These articles would be right up your ally, Toxed, re these questionable additives to commercial dog food. Let me rephrase that….these and many other questionable and toxic additives found not only in dog foods, but even so called whole fresh fish re mercury, and raw meats containing sulphur dioxide, hormones and antibiotics, even.

    That’s why it’s always best to try and seek certified organic where possible. Failing that, hunt for game oneself, lol.

    I’m probably still a little more lucky in that in Australia, I can sill obtain more prevalent grass fed and drug free raw meats, than maybe the US.

  • Debbie

    I just had a dog die from propylene glycol poisoning. She apparently got into it after my husband was done servicing a solar hot water system. The vet even suspected poisoning but when I brought up ppg she said “oh that wouldn’t have caused this” THINK AGAIN, just because it is less toxix than peg doesn’t mean it isn’t toxic!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://dogfoodadvisor Nancy

    Toxed2loss
    I don’t care when it was originally written! I just read your post today and greatly appreciate the your professional input! I say, Thank goodness you posted!

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Sorry Mike! I see the first post was Dated Jan. 2010. Is that when this was written?

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Hi Mike,
    I LOVE this article! I am so glad you raised this important issue. I have certifications in PPG & PEG poisoning from CDC. So I can actually say I am an “expert” on this. I hope you don’t mind my making a few clarifications. PPG is just now becoming an anti-freeze product, due to the number of poisonings from PEG, antifreeze. PPG is tons LESS toxic than PEG. However, that doesn’t invalidate any of the things you listed as concerns. :-)

    Mainly Accummulative effect. It is toxic, and persons or animals can become extremely reactive to it. The CDCs monograph on it says that it’s not toxic enough to warrant concern for dermal and respiratory vectored poisonings, unless your reactant to it.

    Did you all get that? (sometimes I don’t communicate clearly, so I’ll restate it bluntly…) It is toxic if accumulated to a high enough level, primarily by ingestion but even by transdermal and respiratory routes! “High enough level” is determined on a case by case basis, as each individual is different, in so many ways!

    So, re-read agostine’s post specifically for topicals. He’s extremely well informed, except for the ice cream thing. It is used in some ice creams and it doesn’t have to be on the label due to US Code of Federal Regulations concerning milk and milk products when used as a “thickening agent” to enhance consumer appeal…. Bet that floors ya’. Did me too!

    Moving along to Jason’s comment… PPG is used a lot in veterinary medicine. PPG is a petroleum based synthetic sugar. It is toxic, wether you feed it or inject it or trowel it on. You won’t notice anything that you can connect to it with random application. It will, however, still depress your critters immune response. My vet told me to use this, straight, for sheep that were experiencing pregnancy toxemia, with the caution that no more than x amount, or it will kill ‘em. (I used stock molasses instead. Hid response, “that will work.”)

    Interesting that they know it’s toxic but figure there’s a lower limit that’s the same for every critter. Food for thought….

  • http://www.americanikennels.com Jason Young

    I would just like to note that, in addition to the existing propylene glycol content in some foods, some wormers require dilution using propylene glycol. So that is even more they are ingesting. I’m not 100% sure, but I believe long term effect of ingestion can lead to blindness amongst other things. I personally use Ivermec which uses propylene glycol as the diluting agent, but I feed a raw natural diet. This way I know exactly what my dog is eating, and if / when I need to pinch pennies and use a kibble, I use Blue Buffalo. It does not contain many of the known harmful ingredients which so many others do.

  • agostine

    Propylene Glycol doesn’t just exist in ice cream. It is in many baked goods, it is the basis of many artificial flavorings, it is in cake mixes, it is in salad dressings, it binds artificial flavoring to coffee beans, it’s a foam stabilizer in many beers…
    So it doesn’t matter if you don’t eat a tub of ice cream daily, people are consuming PPG. Beyond that, it is an ingredient in most topical creams, make-ups, soaps, hair products, cleaning products and medicines. So it is not just about a gel cap or two here and there. I know, because I am allergic to PPG and I can assure you it is nearly impossible to eliminate it because it is in EVERYTHING! Even so-called “natural” products. While PPG may be deemed safe in small quantities, it is the cumulative effect of all the products that it is in that concerns me.

  • Joseph LattaTorres

    I think that if its bad for cats it should be just as bad for dogs and people. I think that if these people who think its ok for dogs and people to ingest this chemical they themselves should be more than willing to consume reasonable amounts of this chemical and see what they long term effects are.

  • Meagan

    I was not aware this was used in moist dog treats, but I will definealty be watching for it now.

  • citygirl

    Let me tell you something. If you can get it in a supermarket, it is NOT good pet food! Learn to read labels, learn what those ingredients actually are. Check out your local pet feed store, where they cater to the better brands. And no, more expensive does not mean THE BEST. There are a few out there that are in the middle price bracket that I still would not feed to my dogs, and they call themselves Premium. You still spend the same amount of money, because the cheap crum is fillers that your dog poops right out again. Then you buy it again in a week. Get the ultra-premium foods, and you buy LESS and without all of the added gunk. Same money spent.

  • Angela Griede

    You can say small amounts of glycol in food for people or dogs is safe..I don’t believe it..thats nice to know that the FDA banned it in cat food, but what about dogs and people?
    Don’t think somebody isn’t out there to slowly kill us with poison. We need to wake up and pay attention.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Terry… Your point is well-taken. However, infants don’t eat baby wipes. And most of us don’t consume a meal-size chunk of ice cream twice a day, every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year… year after year.

    I’m never concerned about an occasional “dose” of most food additives. It’s when consumption becomes chronic that I worry. Like I said in the article, “no matter how safe this stuff may seem, it’s the continuous, day-after-day feeding of this controversial chemical that worries” us.

  • Terri

    you should also be checking your favorite human food labels. propylene glycol is used in human foods & baby wipes! Check the label of your favorite ice cream. If the FDA has banned in cat food why are they allowed to use in our food?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Karen… your point is well-taken. However, we’re talking species-specific and dose-specific toxicity here. Using PPG in larger doses (not as an excipient in human medications but as a humectant in pet food) can present greater toxic risk to dogs (especially at doses exceeding 9ml/kg). And PPG is even more toxic to cats.

    By the way, dog food manufacturers do not publicly inform buyers regarding the actual amount of PPG in the food.

    Dogs and cats are significantly more sensitive to (the toxicity of) PPG than humans. As I stated in my article… “No matter how safe this stuff may seem, it’s the perpetual daily feeding of this controversial chemical that worries me.” Chronic ingestion of any toxin on a steady, long-term basis can have greater impact on a pet’s health than just occasional ingestion.

    OK, maybe some human medicines require PPG as an excipient (a therapeutic “carrier”)… but no dog food ever “needs” PPG for anything of vital importance. So, why take the risk?

  • karen

    If you are having trouble with PEG, and PPG in dog foods, you need to check your gelcap medicines and supplements. All contain these as an excipient. That’s the stuff that they use to keep the active ingredients soluable. Good luck finding a form that can be digested any other way…..other than eating them in FOOD! :-) Food, the ultimate excipient! hehehe

  • http://demigio@bex.net Dee

    Hi, Mike.

    Great information. Readers should know to be as diligent in checking labels on treats and chewies as they are in shopping kibble and canned foods.

    Glycol is high on the list of ingredients of most soft (i.e., moist) training treats.

    I couldn’t believe it when I first noticed this. I had to look around me to make sure I hadn’t walked into an auto parts store by mistake.