# Ethoxyquin in dog food...



## Apdfranklin

What is this ingredeint exactly?


----------



## RawFedDogs

It is a chemical that has been used as an insecticide and has been linked to cancer in rats. If you feed a dog food that has fish in it, it probably also has this chemical in it. USDA requires that any fish caught by commercial boats that cannot be used for human concumption be "denatured" with ethoxyquin. This is the fish that ends up in dog food. The dog food companies don't have to list it as an ingredient because it was put on the fish before they bought it. Some dog food companies add it to the food at the dog food plant to use as a preservative. In this case they must list it as an ingredient.

It is illegal to use ethoxyquin in human food.

It's been a couple of years since I read all this but I think it is pretty accurate. :smile: If it's not, i'm sure someone will chime in. :smile:


----------



## Snowden

*Orijen's 6 fish *dog food is the only dog food with fish in it that I know does not use/buy fish that have been treated with Ethoxyquin. If your looking for a great fish based dog food I would recommend Orijen's ( any of thier dog foods). My 11 month old Newf loves it!! I also give him Human grade Wild Alaska Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel Daily with his food.


----------



## LoveNewfies

Whatever food you decide to feed, if it contains fish, particularly fish meal, ask the company for a copy of the certificate or guarantee from their supplier stating that ethoxyquin is not used in the product they use. Some will even provide test results from sample tests.


----------



## rannmiller

I'm pretty sure Wellness also guarantees ethoxyquin free protein sources, including fish.


----------



## ILuvLabs

This is a good page to bookmark for future use. Covers ingredients to avoid (& there are many):

The Dog Food Project - Ingredients to avoid


----------



## BoxerMommie

Snowden said:


> *Orijen's 6 fish *dog food is the only dog food with fish in it that I know does not use/buy fish that have been treated with Ethoxyquin. If your looking for a great fish based dog food I would recommend Orijen's ( any of thier dog foods). My 11 month old Newf loves it!! I also give him Human grade Wild Alaska Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel Daily with his food.


Wellness also guarantees this, as does , Solid Gold, Canidae (well they used to, not sure about since they changed formulas, etc), Nature's Variety, California Natural, Innova, Natural Balance, and a few others. There ARE quite a few companies that do not use it and do not buy from suppliers that use it.


----------



## FriskFantastic

RawFedDogs said:


> It is illegal to use ethoxyquin in human food.
> 
> It's been a couple of years since I read all this but I think it is pretty accurate. :smile: If it's not, i'm sure someone will chime in. :smile:


I'm chiming in.

I've spent the past 4 weeks learning about dog nutrition, pet food brands and all the myths and truths surrounding dog and cat food ingredients.

Did you know ethoxyquin *IS* used in human food? 
It is used as a preservative and for colour retention in spices like paprika and chili powder. It is also used on pears and a few other fruits as an anti-oxidant so that they don't become "scalded" as easily. Scalded is just a fancy way of saying "getting brown bumps and bruisies" you see on pears frequently.

Here is a paper from an unbiast organisation. The US Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/0003fact.pdf

*Ethoxyquin has been in used in petfood for over 35 years and is approved by the FDA and the AAFCO.* Ethoxyquin is a synthetic anti-oxidant whose role is to protect fats, fatty acids, and fat-soluble vitamins from rancidity.

Also, did anyone know that there is not a single scientific paper out there stating that ethoxyquin causes any harm to animals when used at or below its approved dosage? (150ppm) 
Sure anybody can sit at a computer and write an article saying anything they want, there are plenty of those around, but as far as papers from legitmate sources there is Zilch...not a single one.

You can find plenty of trustworthy sources stating Ethoxyquin is harmful is in doses 33 or more times (depending on the test animal) the allowed level in petfood, but none saying anything bad about levels around the permitted level of 150ppm. *If it was proven harmful, then it would not be approved for use.* Most of your vitamins and minerals are also toxic at high levels, depending on the vitamin, anywhere from 25 times to 1000 times the recommended daily dosage can be lethal. Look up Vitamin A, it is a pretty toxic vitamin in high doses, why aren't we picking on that too?

A lot of these "Bad Ingredients" are not actually so, but definitly look that way superficially. If you dig a bit, quite often you can't find any scientific proof, just personal opinions on messageboards and websites.


----------



## PeanutsMommy

You are right that EQ IS in human foods. 

My thing is if the dog is fed the same food with EQ in it 150PPM they eat that food everyday for so many years does it build up enough to become harmful?

IMO, thats where the problem is. Sure in small doeses its fine but when it is eaten all the time it is going to cause a negative effect.


----------



## FriskFantastic

PeanutsMommy said:


> You are right that EQ IS in human foods.
> 
> My thing is if the dog is fed the same food with EQ in it 150PPM they eat that food everyday for so many years does it build up enough to become harmful?
> 
> IMO, thats where the problem is. Sure in small doeses its fine but when it is eaten all the time it is going to cause a negative effect.


I wouldn't say it's going to have a negative effect.

No studies have ever shown that, but then I can't picture those studies lasting much longer than 5 years. 

I would say we don't know, just like we don't know the side-effects of birthcontrol over 15-20 years, or even the effects of eating frog legs for 5 years. The tests are too costly and time consuming.

Personally I don't feel the need to worry about it if there are no proven effects after 5 years. Depending on the breed of dog, that's roughly 1/2 to 1/4 of it's life. I just worry about overall quality of the product.


----------



## PeanutsMommy

Yeah, I chose to feed my dog healthy so I have checked with my food company they require that their suppliers do not use EQ. 

If EQ is in the food its IMO a very poor product.


----------



## Lovemymunchkins

I personally don't trust any pet food company that puts Ethoxyqin in their foods, I don't care what dosage amount; it shouldn't be in there in my opinion. 

Given the fact, that there are other natural preservatives that can do a similar job that Ethoxyquin does, but do it SAFELY, I don't understand why it's still allowed.

Ethoxyquin was originally approved by the FDA as a grain preservative that could be used in animals raised for slaughter so long as those animals were not fed those grains containing it for more than two years...
To me that says something big in and of itself about long term usage for large animals, let alone feeding it to your dogs...

The Department of Agriculture lists Ethoxyquin as a pesticide...would you give any dosage of a pesticide to your pet no matter how small it was?

I don't think if you feed your pet something with Ethoxyquin in it that your pet is going to kill over right then and there...however, I think, if you could look at it from a cellular view point and see what Ethoxyquin is actually doing inside your pets body in the long term, I think you'd think twice before giving your pet something preserved by it.

That being said, most foods that are preserved with Ethoxyquin, in my opinion, have a whole slew of other problems tied to them, and the companies selling them, again, in my opinion, don't really have your pet's health as their number one interest.

I found an interesting fact concerning Ethoxyquin and the amounts pets get of it when I was looking into it years ago....they said

"Take a dog food preserved with ethoxyquin and feed the average dog (44 lbs) by the label instructions and that dog will consume 26 lbs of ethoxyquin in 1 years time."


----------



## PeanutsMommy

lovemymunchkins said:


> i personally don't trust any pet food company that puts ethoxyqin in their foods, i don't care what dosage amount; it shouldn't be in there in my opinion.
> 
> Given the fact, that there are other natural preservatives that can do a similar job that ethoxyquin does, but do it safely, i don't understand why it's still allowed.
> 
> Ethoxyquin was originally approved by the fda as a grain preservative that could be used in animals raised for slaughter so long as those animals were not fed those grains containing it for more than two years...
> To me that says something big in and of itself about long term usage for large animals, let alone feeding it to your dogs...
> 
> The department of agriculture lists ethoxyquin as a pesticide...would you give any dosage of a pesticide to your pet no matter how small it was?
> 
> I don't think if you feed your pet something with ethoxyquin in it that your pet is going to kill over right then and there...however, i think, if you could look at it from a cellular view point and see what ethoxyquin is actually doing inside your pets body in the long term, i think you'd think twice before giving your pet something preserved by it.
> 
> That being said, most foods that are preserved with ethoxyquin, in my opinion, have a whole slew of other problems tied to them, and the companies selling them, again, in my opinion, don't really have your pet's health as their number one interest.
> 
> I found an interesting fact concerning ethoxyquin and the amounts pets get of it when i was looking into it years ago....they said
> 
> "take a dog food preserved with ethoxyquin and feed the average dog (44 lbs) by the label instructions and that dog will consume 26 lbs of ethoxyquin in 1 years time."



great post!!!


----------



## allisonglass123456

*Artemis Kibble IS NOT HOLISTIC/NATURAL dog food*

I found this *Artemis company reply* sad & funny that they *think ALL fish is preserved w/ ethoxyquin!* 

Fortunately I am an educated consumer & know better. So Avoid Artemis dry kibble w/ fish meal since it has ethoxyquin!

Read this link to see there are healthier preservative options for fish/ fish meal:


HTML:


 http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/440/1/More-on-Ethoxyquin-Preserved-Fish-Meals/Page1.html


From: Nima C. <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Regarding your dog food ingredients
To: "'a g'" 
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 11:39 AM

Thank you for contacting us.

Unfortunately I do believe our fish sources use ethoxyquin as a preservative. From my understanding, *all ocean caught fish is legally by FDA standards to be preserved with ethoxyquin.* From what I’ve been told by our company vet, the preservative is killed off by the cooking process of the product. 



Sincerely,





Nima C.

Sales Manager

Artemis Pet Food Company, Inc.

8120 Webb Ave.

North Hollywood, CA 91605

800-282-5876 Ext.107

818-771-0700 Tel.

818-771-0750 Fax.

[email protected]

This e-mail, including any attachments, is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 USC. 2510-2521. It is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.

If you want to get educated:

There are studies!!! *Ethoxyquin overusage in pet food & study:*
ScienceDirect - Food Chemistry : Apoptosis and cytotoxicity caused by ethoxyquin salts in human lymphocytes in vitro

*Good dog food sites*

http://TruthaboutPetFood.com

petfood

Ethoxyquin in Pet Foods

The Dog Food Project - Ingredients to avoid

Pet Food Ingredients

Pet Food information, manufacturers, products, ingredients, cat, dog, pet food.


----------



## mzpatti

*Correction on pet food companies using ethoxyquin*



BoxerMommie said:


> Wellness also guarantees this, as does , Solid Gold, Canidae (well they used to, not sure about since they changed formulas, etc), Nature's Variety, California Natural, Innova, Natural Balance, and a few others. There ARE quite a few companies that do not use it and do not buy from suppliers that use it.


*Canidae/Felidae Pet Foods* Per Diamond Pet Food (manufacturer) “all fish meal, ocean fish meal, and salmon meal ingredients are preserved with ethoxyquin.”

*Natural Balance* Pet Foods Per Diamond Pet Food (manufacturer) “all fish meal, ocean fish meal, and salmon meal ingredients are preserved with ethoxyquin.” 10/21/2009, Natural Balance confirmed that all products they make that contain fish meal - the fish meal supplier uses ethoxyquin.

*Premium Edge *Pet Foods Per Diamond Pet Food (manufacturer) “all fish meal, ocean fish meal, and salmon meal ingredients are preserved with ethoxyquin.”

*Taste of the Wild * and *Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul* Pet Foods Per Diamond Pet Food (manufacturer) “all fish meal, ocean fish meal, and salmon meal ingredients are preserved with ethoxyquin.”


----------



## mzpatti

*If proven harmful, it would not be approved*



FriskFantastic said:


> Also, did anyone know that there is not a single scientific paper out there stating that ethoxyquin causes any harm to animals when used at or below its approved dosage? (150ppm)
> 
> You can find plenty of trustworthy sources stating Ethoxyquin is harmful is in doses 33 or more times (depending on the test animal) the allowed level in petfood, but none saying anything bad about levels around the permitted level of 150ppm. *If it was proven harmful, then it would not be approved for use.*
> .


Nov 2004: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/0003fact.pdf

EPA obtains and reviews a complete set of studies from pesticide producers, (in this case it's *Monsanto),* describing the human health and environmental effects of each pesticide. *This is crazy! EPA allows pesticide producers to police themself! Monsanto is the largest chemical/ pesticide producer in the world! Do you really think they would publish anything negative about the products they produce? These studies should be published by an independent 3 party company. *

Although the ethoxyquin toxicology database is not complete, *And why isn't it? Ethoxyquin has been in use for 35 years and the database is still not complete. Sounds like someone is dragging their feet.*

Tests in animals show it to have a weak sensitizing potential, and extensive human experience from the use of this chemical showed *strong association with contact dermatitis* that ceased upon discontinuation of working in an ethoxyquin environment. *The primary target organs affected by ethoxyquin in experimental animals are the liver and the kidneys.* No mention of what levels produced the organ damage but does it really matter?????????

Ethoxyquin has *not been tested for its carcinogenic potential*, though a closely related chemical, 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline, *showed some evidence of carcinogenic activity in rats.*

Why take a chance of exposing our pets to even a small dose in their food each and every day of their life. That's enough information for me to decide I don't want this in anything I feed to my pets!


----------



## mzpatti

*Proven Harmful Yet Still in Use*



> Originally Posted by FriskFantastic
> *If it was proven harmful, then it would not be approved for use. *


Do you really believe that statement? All of the following are linked to cancer and still widely used in human and pet food. It took me all of 10 minutes to find this small sampling of harmful yet approved chemicals!

*Propyl gallate* has not been proven to cause cancer, but *studies done on animals have suggested that it could be linked to cancer.* The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, consider *BHA / BHT *to be *possibly carcinogenic to humans, and the State of California has listed it as a carcinogen*. Banned in Europe an a carcinogen. Still widely used in pet treats and pet food.

*MSG* can cause headaches and nausea in some people, and *animal studies link it to damaging nerve cells in the brains of infant mice.* 

Center for Science in the Public Interest gave *aspartame* their lowest ranking in a review of food additives, quoting animal studies in 1970 and in 2007, which suggest that there is a *link between aspartame and cancer*. 

Five *artifical food colorings *are still on the market that are *linked with cancer in animal testing*. Blue 1 and 2, are considered low risk but have been *linked to cancer in mice*. Red 3, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3, has been *linked to bladder cancer.* Studies have linked the widely used yellow 6 to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.

*Olestra*, a synthetic fat known as the brand name Olean and found in some brands of potato chips, prevents fat from getting absorbed in your digestive system. often leads to severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and gas. It also blocks vitamin absorption.

*Potassium bromate *is used as an additive to increase volume in white flour, breads, and rolls. Most bromate rapidly breaks down to an innocuous form, but it is *known to cause cancer in animals—and even small amounts in bread can create a risk for humans.* California requires a cancer warning on the product label if potassium bromate is an ingredient. Big deal!

*Sodium Nitrite*, is commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef to stabilize the red color and add flavor. The preservative prevents growth of bacteria, but studies have *linked eating it to various types of cancer*.


----------



## ruckusluvr

ethoxiquin does not worry me in the least.

it has been LINKED to cancer in RATS. not proved to cause cancer in dogs, humans, etc

orange juice, pineapple, and most artificial sweeteners cause cancer in rats. most rats, even pet rats that live the good life die of cancer between ages or 2 1/2 to 3. 

i do not think the studies are accurate enough. and if it wasnt E linked to cancer it would always be something else.

can you believe that seen a toddler toy at target and on the back of the box it said "this toy contains a chemical known by the state of California to cause cancer in rats"


----------



## RawFedDogs

ruckusluvr said:


> ethoxiquin does not worry me in the least.
> 
> it has been LINKED to cancer in RATS. not proved to cause cancer in dogs, humans, etc


I kinda feel the same.


----------



## ruckusluvr

and of course since orange juice causes cancer (not linked, CAUSES) in rats then i guess we better stop drinking it


----------



## wags

This is a very good read on the subject!

The Problem with Ethoxyquin


----------



## Nan

Dear Peanutsmommy: Thank you for caring enough about your dog to worry about and hopfully not use ethoxyquin, BHT or even sodium senite in dog food. Selenium yeast is more healthier and more expense. Some foods have selenium yeast and that is what I get for my dogs. Here is an article you might find interesting, see below. BTW Orijen and Acana state on their bags of dry food that they don't use it. This is one of the dog foods I use and trust. Or be safe and find a food that doesn't have fish meal.

Taste of the Wild Ethoxyquin Free? - Boxer Board


----------



## PeanutsMommy

thank you Nan.

I had fed Orijen for a year and ahalf but I have since move to making my own food. However when we are in competion i do still use Orijen as it is not easy to do home made when away from home and competing. Orijen (champion) is the only company I still trust. Jade, my parents pit bull still eats Orijen everyday and does very well on it.


----------



## monkeys23

Lily's boyfriend Lynley the RR mix eats Orijen as well and he looks amazing. My good friend is his owner and she is basically ecstatic over the results she's getting from feeding him Orijen. Six Fish I believe.


----------

