Propylene glycol is a controversial additive used to help preserve the moisture content in many dog foods.
You 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?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
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.
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
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?