Blood Meal and Blood Products in Dog Food

It’s not unusual to find blood meal and other blood products on a dog food label. These ingredients can include:

• Animal plasma
• Blood meal
• Dried blood

Although blood products are part of a dog’s natural ancestral diet, many are disturbed to find these items on a label.

Are Blood Products Healthy?

Blood products are a by-product of slaughter. Yet depending upon their source, they can be a quality source of animal protein.

For example, blood meal can be considered a blood concentrate that contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh meat.

In addition, they’re also low in ash.

Are They Safe?

Because blood products can carry BSE (mad cow disease), the FDA regulates their use in animal feeds.

So long as they are sourced from healthy livestock, blood products may legally be included in pet food.

Although no cases of BSE have ever been reported in dogs, cats are susceptible to their own version of mad cow disease — a deadly disease known as FSE.

The Bottom Line

As long as blood products are sourced from a quality supplier, they can be considered a safe and nutritious addition to any pet food.