This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice.*

Are these ingredients in your dog or cat's current food or treats?

Artificial coloring: Used in many pet foods and treats, including rawhide chew toys, to make the product more attractive to humans to entice the pet owner into buying the product. May be harmful and cause toxicity. Has no nutritional value and has caused allergic reactions in some people.

BHA: A preservative and potentially dangerous for the kidneys.

BHT: Used to retard spoilage and is more toxic than BHA.

By-products: Defined by Webster's Dictionary "a derivative made from another product" and waste products such as hair, feathers, connective tissue, feet, claws, beaks, tongues and eyeballs. Peanut shells and newspapers are actually permitted to be used to boost protein and fiber levels in some commercial pet foods.

Sodium Nitrate: A preservative and color fixitive.

Ethoxyguin: A food preservative and pesticide. Ethoxyquin has been reported to cause mortality in fish.

Corn syrup: Used to give food a dampness and flexibility (as in semi-moist foods and treats). It's pure sugar, which is harmful to pets. They can get addicted to this taste and can cause the "finicky eater" syndrome.

Dry blood meal: An inexpensive source of poor quality protein in some dog and cat foods. It is very indigestible.

Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG): A flavor enhancer used to disguise inferior food quality. High percentage of allergic reactions in pets and people.

Propyl gallate: Chemical used to retard spoilage.

Propylene glycol: Chemical used in anti-freeze and a solvent in brake fluids. Used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in foods. Tastes very sweet.