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 the key component in newer automotive antifreeze.

However, propylene glycol is considerably safer (less toxic) than its far more dangerous cousin — ethylene glycol.

Yet 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.

However, it can still be used to make dog food.

The Bottom Line

No matter how safe propylene glycol 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 and Molly, long term use should worry you, too.

Bottom line? Avoid feeding any dog food that contains propylene glycol.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    “According to the Environmental Working Group, propylene glycol can cause a whole host of problems. It is rated a 4 by them, which is categorized as a ‘moderate’ health issue. It has been shown to be linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive issues, allergies/immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption. It has been found to provoke skin irritation and sensitization in humans as low as 2% concentration, while the industry review panel recommends cosmetics can contain up to 50% of the substance.” [The Good Human]

    Hmm…if propylene glycol carries these risks when in human cosmetics, imagine what eating it day after day would do to a dog? BTW – propylene glycol is banned from cat food because it causes Heinz body anemia. I agree with Patty – this is a chemical, not a food. Any substance that is created in a lab doesn’t belong in food.

  • Pattyvaughn

    That is so true, but why should we want propylene glycol in our dogs food. I don’t want it in mine either. It is a chemical, it is not food.

  • http://twitter.com/neandervalley Ana Banana

    propylene glycol is used in antifreeze because it helps lower the freezing point of water. you know what else has antifreeze properties? salt. should we ban it from all foods?
    Just because something is used in a toxic product does not mean the product itself is toxic. likewise, just because something is safe and “natural” does not mean it can’t cause harm. case in point: even excess water consumption can kill, and dirt and poop are natural but I wouldn’t want to eat them.
    we don’t have to fear all chemicals…

  • just the facts

    The above story is about methylene glycol – not propylene glycol – very different!

  • Brad

    God did’nt put that crap in the margerine, people did. God put lots of stuff on the earth that will kill you dead. All of this garbage in our food is unneccessary and unhealthy. We don’t need chemists producing our food for us. Read your labels people. proccessed food is full of GARBAGE.

  • liberty

    If u think poisoning your pets is bad, check out what the new world order is doing to US!

    . Chem-trails (Boron and aluminum nitrate),
    Vaccines (mercury ) ,
    GMO’s like corn with insecticides in its DNA,
    ASPERTAIME (an excito-toxin)
    MSG
    HFCorn syrup. Just look it all up
    INFOWARS .com is an excellent source

  • FedUP

    i found it as an ingriedient in Wish Bone deluxe french salad dressing!!!!! the globalist pigs are poisoning us everywhere!!!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000376015355 Barbara Smith

    My Moms collie died at only seven years old She was eating beniful I wonder if that had something to do with it . I thought She should have lived a lot longer She was treated well.

  • it’s a crime

    ban in dog food just put it in human food instead that dosen’t make any sense at all

  • it’s a crime

    they treat humans worser than dogs I just found other day the stuff in some veggie loma linda linketts

  • http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/ BryanV21

    Turn off caps lock, please. Thank you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505454279 Betty Lubnow

    YAH, GOD DIDN’T PUT THEM THERE SATAN DID , DO U WORK FOR THESE COMPANIES BY ANY CHANCE ;-/

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505454279 Betty Lubnow

    WELL WHAT IS KILLING DOGS THEN , IT IS A SUBSIDIARY OF ANTI FREEZE I WILL NOT TAKE CHANCES WITH MY PET FEEL FREE TO

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505454279 Betty Lubnow

    I JUST READ IT ON MY PUPPIES TREATS CAUSE SHE STARTED TO REFUSE THEM SO I LOOKED IT UP , STOPPED FEEDING THEM TO HER A BIT AGO , THANK GOD , HEARD BENEFIUL IS A GUILTY PARTY DOGS ARE DYING AND NOW BLUE BUFFALO IS BEING TALKED ABOUT MAN GOING BACK TO TABLE SCRAPS ………

  • Pattyvaughn

    You don’t have to be a believer to know what is polite, just like you don’t have to be an unbeliever to know what iis rude. If you have a problem with what was written, just stop reading and move on. If you have something constructive to say, then by all means say it.

  • Gindy51

    You lost me with the god crap.

  • http://www.theholisticchatterbox.com/ Shawna

    PS, that’s just the very tip of the iceberg. There’s A LOT more data out there just wating to be found.. :)

  • http://www.theholisticchatterbox.com/ Shawna

    I think your research skills may be a bit lacking. It is EASY to find research on the damages of MSG and aspartame.

    ” We demonstrated that (1) Treatment with MSG induces a dose-dependent swelling and death of mature neurons” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2802046/ (aka KILLS brain cells.)

    From the Annals of Neurology

    “Information obtained over the past 25 years indicates that the amino acid glutamate functions as a fast excitatory transmitter in the mammalian brain. Studies completed during the last 15 years have also demonstrated that glutamate is a powerful neurotoxin, capable of killing neurons in the central nervous system when its extracellular concentration is sufficiently high. Recent experiments in a variety of preparations have shown that either blockade of synaptic transmission or the specific antagonism of postsynaptic glutamate receptors greatly diminishes the sensitivity of central neurons to hypoxia and ischemia. These experiments suggest that glutamate plays a key role in ischemic brain damage, and that drugs which decrease the accumulation of glutamate or block its postsynaptic effects may be a rational therapy for stroke.”
    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ana.410190202/abstract

    The “wood grain alcohol” in aspartame is just as damaging as the free aspartic acid..

    If that isn’t enough though, this research paper discuses glutamate AND aspartate

    “Glutamate and aspartate also caused glial and neuronal changes in other periventricular structures, e.g., septum, hypothalamus, caudate and habenula, as well as in the most dorsal portion of the cerebellum. Dendritic swelling induced by glutamate and aspartate in the cerebellar molecular layer was accompanied by acute necrosis of Purkinje cell somata. These results suggest that seizure-associated brain damage is initiated by excessive endogenous excitatory amino acid receptor activation.”
    http://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&sclient=psy-ab&q=research+wood+grain+alcohol+aspartame&oq=research+wood+grain+alcohol+aspartame&gs_l=hp.3…59245.60924.1.61173.9.8.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.les%3B..0.0…1c.1.3.psy-ab.QDbtw8a3OD8&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42553238,d.eWU&fp=ab9ce16473b4f7aa&biw=1280&bih=642

  • NT

    People who follow this site religiously, should be directed to report their testimonials within the proper channels. There is much hate, anger and frustration directed to a dog food FB page. It is sad to see them persist, with no results. People who are experiencing no problems are panicking. They need to be directed to the FDA and Dept. of Agriculture, or their own attorney. The way they are going, they will be lucky if the company doesn’t sue them.

    As for the claims below, regarding MSG and Aspartame…I can find no evidence of danger. Studies, in fact, point the opposite way.

    Pure water can kill…it has happened.

  • http://www.facebook.com/suzyqwolf Susan Wolf

    Only the vile people that would add this to pet food. Are they souless?

  • Pattyvaughn

    I wonder if I’m bad because I recognize sarcasm when I see it, or because I don’t condemn people for using it?

  • LabsRawesome

    Nice name. lmao. Jess was being sarcastic. He feeds his dog Orijen, for goodness sakes! Neither of them are “bad” people. Get a clue. Maybe you should “detect” yourself.

  • assholedetector

    Your a bad person. So is Jess ^^^.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Poppy211,

    As I mention in my article, although propylene glycol is less toxic than ethylene glycol, the fact remains that the compound is still at least controversial.

    That’s because the FDA has stated, “According to the FDA “It was known for some time that propylene glycol caused Heinz Body formation in the red blood cells of cats (small clumps of proteins seen in the cells when viewed under the microscope), but it could not be shown to cause overt anemia or other clinical effects. However, recent reports in the veterinary literature of scientifically sound studies have shown that propylene glycol reduces the red blood cell survival time, renders red blood cells more susceptible to oxidative damage, and has other adverse effects in cats consuming the substance at levels found in soft-moist food. In light of this new data, CVM amended the regulations to expressly prohibit the use of propylene glycol in cat foods.”

    Unlike most human foods, commercial dog foods tend to be fed continuously, twice each day, 365 days each year. For this reason and in addition to the fact propylene has been banned from use in cat food (for safety reasons), we still feel compelled to remind pet owners they should avoid products containing propylene glycol.

  • poppy211

    PROPYLENE GLYCOL

    The truth about Propylene Glycol

    In chemistry ingredients are often known by more than one name. Examples are “glycerin” whose chemical name is usually referred to as “glycols” because there is more than one form of them. Glycerin and glycol are the same thing. Glycols, or glycerin’s are combinations of sugars and alcohols. In chemistry nomenclature all carbohydrates are known as “sugars”. But the word “sugars” does not refer to what most people think of when they hear the word “sugar.” What people sometimes misunderstand is that they mistakenly believe the word “sugar” is what they think of as “table sugar”. Like you use to sweeten your coffee, tea, or other foods. Actually that type of sugar is actually “sucrose”. Whereas to a chemist the word “sugar” refers to any carbohydrate, even dextrin’s, starches, celluloses or any other carbohydrate.

    Many people, falsely claim to be experts on the subject, claim that propylene glycol is used in “anti-freeze’. What they don’t tell you, probably because they don’t know the difference, is that propylene glycol is used as an anti-freeze in fruit juices, beer, and other liquid foods. Anti-freeze in automobiles or cars is usually “methylene glycol” not “propylene glycol”. Methylene glycol is used in cars because it is much cheaper and it would be toxic ingested orally. The alcohol used in it is “wood alcohol (methanol)”.

    Propylene glycol is used in liquid foods because when ingested orally it is converted in your body to “pyruvic acid (blood sugar)” and 5% acetic acid” which is usually known by most people as “vinegar”. They are the same thing, the word “vinegar” is the common name. The word “5% acetic acid” is it’s chemical name”, they are the same thing.

    Since “Pyruvic Acid” is “blood sugar” which is absolutely necessary for life to exist, both chemicals are harmless. You could drink it start by the pints or even gallons without any problems, other than increasing your blood sugar. That’s why it is used in food liquids.

    As you state propylene glycol being both “water” and “oil soluble” it serves to be the “coupling agent” to mix water and oil together which normally will not mix without using it. That’s how it keep the ingredients from separating.

    Also the alcohol part of propylene glycol serves to act as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It is an excellent natural preservative, which has the extra benefit of being totally safe for internal use.

    There are many false statements that some people have mislead about. Actually the chemicals found in propylene glycol are common in most foods we consume in a normal diet everyday. To say that they are dangerous to our health is ridiculous. God would not have put them there if they were bad for our health.

    In chemistry ingredients are often known by more than one name. Examples are “glycerin” whose chemical name is usually referred to as “glycols” because there is more than one form of them. Glycerin and glycol are the same thing. Glycols, or glycerin’s are combinations of sugars and alcohols. In chemistry nomenclature all carbohydrates are known as “sugars”. But the word “sugars” does not refer to what most people think of when they hear the word “sugar.” What people sometimes misunderstand is that they mistakenly believe the word “sugar” is what they think of as “table sugar”. Like you use to sweeten your coffee, tea, or other foods. Actually that type of sugar is actually “sucrose”. Whereas to a chemist the word “sugar” refers to any carbohydrate, even dextrin’s, starches, celluloses or any other carbohydrate.

    Many people, falsely claim to be experts on the subject, claim that propylene glycol is used in “anti-freeze’. What they don’t tell you, probably because they don’t know the difference, is that propylene glycol is used as an anti-freeze in fruit juices, beer, and other liquid foods. Anti-freeze in automobiles or cars is usually “methylene glycol” not “propylene glycol”. Methylene glycol is used in cars because it is much cheaper and it would be toxic ingested orally. The alcohol used in it is “wood alcohol (methanol)”.

    Propylene glycol is used in liquid foods because when ingested orally it is converted in your body to “pyruvic acid (blood sugar)” and 5% acetic acid” which is usually known by most people as “vinegar”. They are the same thing, the word “vinegar” is the common name. The word “5% acetic acid” is it’s chemical name”, they are the same thing.

    Since “Pyruvic Acid” is “blood sugar” which is absolutely necessary for life to exist, both chemicals are harmless. You could drink it start by the pints or even gallons without any problems, other than increasing your blood sugar. That’s why it is used in food liquids.

    As you state propylene glycol being both “water” and “oil soluble” it serves to be the “coupling agent” to mix water and oil together which normally will not mix without using it. That’s how it keep the ingredients from separating.

    Also the alcohol part of propylene glycol serves to act as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It is an excellent natural preservative, which has the extra benefit of being totally safe for internal use.

    There are many false statements that some people have mislead about. Actually the chemicals found in propylene glycol are common in most foods we consume in a normal diet everyday. To say that they are dangerous to our health is ridiculous. God would not have put them there if they were bad for our health.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Don’t see sarcasm much?

  • 4thevoiceless

    I hope to gawd you dont own any animals

  • Sherann

    We have been feeding ours Taste of The WIld because other foods were making them break out and other issues after research we tried the taste of the wild and they have not had any problems we will not change their food again.

  • InkedMarie

    Almost anything is better than Beneful. Go to the upper left hand corner and click  ”best dog foods”. How is your dogs weight? Outside of the hot spots, how is your dogs health, any issues (skin, ear infections, etc).  How much are you willing to spend? Are you willing to order online? 

  • Joan

    I have been giving my beloved yellow lab beneful everyday because she loves it. Must be the sugar. Tried other foods but she gets issues like hot spots etc. 

    What is the best food for a five year old gorgeous yellow labrador with a moderate to very active lifestyle? 

  • melbry11

    I was very disturbed yesterday to find propylene glycol listed as the first ingredient in a particular banana extract.  I also had no idea that our pets were also consuming it.  I am so disgusted with everything “they” see fit for human and animal consumption. It pays to be aware.

  • amsoil
  • losul

    Amazing story I saw on the TV news tonight, so I pulled up on the web. Give your vet a bottle of vodka for a gift but tell him not to open except under dire circumstances.

    http://www.dogheirs.com/elleng/posts/2613-sick-puppy-poisoned-by-antifreeze-saved-by-vodka

    Supposedly most automobile antifreeze manufacturers are now adding bitter taste to repel pets from drinking. Finally.

  • Tetreault Shirley

    My sweet pup had just turned 12 when we put her to sleep over a yr ago – due to chronic kidney disease, which I shall always believe was caused by all the years of feeding her Purina Beneful – due to my trust in the ‘great Purina company’ and my own stupidity! This was a dog that was never sickly, until the symptoms really showed up the last year of her life. Jessie and our 2 cats had always been fed Purina products – and all 3 of them, as it turns out, always shed like crazy – another thing I never gave too much thought about. Long, sad story short – I’ve switched our pets (a rescued puppy joined our home recently) to Blue Buffalo after much research and seeking advice from reliable people. BENEFUL CONTAINS PROPYLENE GLYCOL as one of its main ingredients – SHAME ON THEM!

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  • Blaq Karmel

    This is an ingredient in Dyne Dog Supplement http://www.revivalanimal.com/Dyne.html

  • Bkaymac

    I just had a friend who lost his dog because of the slow poisoning of these additives. It was a horrible way to die and Please please throw away any products that contain these additives!!!

  • Pattyvaughn

    The rule of thumb is that milk chocolate is considered toxic at 1 oz of chocolate per pound of body weight. Dark chocolate is stronger and bakers chocolate worse still. I don’t want my dog to develope a taste for it, so we have a zero tolerance policy. We make homemade candy so always have loads of the stuff around. We keep it in plastic containers in a closed pantry.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    DogLover,

    Whether or not chocolate will prove toxic to your dog depends on both the your dog’s weight and the type of chocolate. The darker the chocolate the more toxic (white chocolate is not toxic). Also larger dogs would have to eat a rather large quantity of traditional milk chocolate to cause issues. When I was a kid I had an 85 lb. german shepherd, she got into my easter basket one year and ate everything (including my rather large milk chocolate rabbit) – nothing happened to her. I also know of someone who had a golden retriever, they were baking chocolate chip cookies and left the room, the dog got onto the counter at half a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and died.  I would STRONGLY advise against voluntarily feeding your dog chocolate, it’s not worth the risk.

  • DogLover

     I have a serious question about the “chocolate is bad for dogs” thing.  My miniature dachshund ate it all her life, we didn’t know it was “toxic to dogs” back then.  Now, we did not feed it to her daily or in large quantities, but just a nibble every now and then.  She lived to be 17 years old.

  • Ci350silverado88

    Vet discovered toxic amouts of Propolyne glycol in my dog. I was feeding him BENEFUL. it lists it as a top ingredient. He is in full blown kidney failure right now because of it.

  • Shanna

    I contacted PetSmart after noticing this product on my dog’s treat package. I returned the package and then went to an organic store to buy something completely natural for my dog. After I wrote to them, PetSmart responded twice, first that they would contact consumer support for me about the product, which I thought was nice. But second, I got another e-mail saying that PG is not antifreeze, that it is not harmful and that it is used in many products, including cookies. Therefore, they said, it is safe for my dog. I have seen multiple reports of it being unsafe. This really bothers me that it is still being used on the market when there are other alternatives! Why are we killing our pets and ourselves?

  • Jess

    Whats wrong with you, everyone should take a couple straight shots of this everyday. Just like whiskey….

  • Shawna

    Vet, Dr. Karen Becker writes

    ” This is a scary preservative that is a second cousin to ethylene glycol, which is antifreeze. And while propylene glycol is approved for use in pet foods, it is unhealthy for dogs and cats. I do not recommend feeding any food that contains this additive.”  http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

  • Toxed2loss

    The FDA doesn’t work that way. It’s banned in cats because there were dramatic, documented reactions. The PPG poisoning in other species acts differently. The FDA requires a different “warning proceedure” for slower, less well defined toxic reactions. It first requires that consumers make the connection them selves, and file a complaint. Enough complaints must be filed, with an assigned dollar value to accumulate sufficient funding to run 10 trials before a fact finding declaration in filed. Then following the required red tape, hearings and appeals by manufacturers, the “warning” may be issued. That s the government process. It typically takes 20 years or more for factual evidence to be proclaimed by the FDA.

    I don’t wait on them. I rely on credible science. And it says PPG is an accumulatory toxin in all life forms.

  • Sdlfg

    You really think the FDA is more concerned with the welfare of cats than people? PPG is banned in cat food because it causes a reaction which only occurs in cats. Propolyne glycol, along with all of the other unrecognizable ingredients are there because they’re cheap and create an end product which can be sold for much more than the cost to produce. Not saying its completely safe, but is anything completely safe these days? Cows are being pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, fed corn when they should be eating grass, and plants are grown with chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The big companies have gotten into the “organic” market too, and the term is so broad, that it basically has no meaning. 

  • Sdlkfjasdf

    From what I have read, small quantities only cause health problems in cats. One chemical can be safe for one species, but toxic to another. Dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate; does that mean chocolate isn’t safe for human consumption?

  • Kikib127

    Propylene Glycol is in almost everything humans consume that is listed as “flavoring”" on the ingredients. Cake icing, suckers etc. Also in body lotion, make-up, soaps, asthma inhalors, variety of baby wipes and e-cigarettes

  • slojas

    How is Propylene Glycol Made?
    -Crude oil is made into Petroleum Naptha-Petroleum Naptha is made into Propylene-Propylene is made into Propylene Oxide-Propylen Oxide is made into Propylene Glycol
     Technically PG is a derivative of a petroleum product, but it is so far removed that the petroleum characteristics are not apparent.
    It is well proven that large doses of pure Propylen Glycol are necessary to induce a toxic response, for dogs, doses in the range of 9ml/kg are nessesary to induce toxics effects, thats 9ml of pure Pg in one KG of blood, to reach blood volume levels of 9m/kg would require a massive amount of PG to be ingested all at once by the dog, other animals in lab tests required levels in the 20ml/kg for toxic effect to occur.
    PG is one of the safest food additives in existence and has over 50 years of scientific data to prove it, it’s not the one you need to worry about.

  • Toxed2loss

    While propylene Glycol is approved for use, that is not the same as “safe” or “healthy.” MSG is approved for use in human food, is on the FDAs GRAS list and it is an excitatory neurotoxin. It’s proven to kill brain cells. Aspartame, (now labeled Neotame) is highly toxic. It’s also “approved.” it is an excitatory neurotoxin and causes tumors. Both cause obesity.

    Propylene Glycol is a petroleum derivative. Would you feed your animals crude oil, or gasoline? Even a little, with every meal?

  • slojas

    Is propylene glycol used in pet food safe for all animals?
    Propylene glycol is an approved feed material. However, whilst it is safe for use in cattle, dogs and poultry it shall not be used in cat feed.  When fed with propylene glycol containing feed, cats show an increase in Heinz body formation, which are deformities of erythrocytes and shorten the life time of the red blood cells. This is unique to cats.

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  • daisy1999

    Waggin Train Treats do not contain propylene glycol.  However, if you have been feeding the chicken jerky treats, you do have reason for concern.  While there hasn’t been an official recall, there was a warning issued by the FDA in 2011, Nov?, regarding Chinese chicken jerky treats.  They have received hundreds of reports of illness linked to them and in some cases death.  Waggin Train was one of 3 companies identifies by the FDA as “possible links” to the problem treats.  They haven’t pinpointed the specific contaminant.  Kidney failure is being seen.  There are some good articles on here for you to read. 

  • Roslynmeadows

    My 2 pound, 14 month old yorkie Gigi is in kidney failure as I write this…..has there been any connection with waggin train treats and propylene glycol?

  • 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!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 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.