best dog food brands,healthy dog food brands,organic dog food,glyphosate levels

11 Best Organic Dog Food Brands

Toxic levels of Glyphosate (Round-Up) found in your pet’s food

We all know that glyphosate (RoundUp) is a carcinogen and can have neurological effects, however most farmers regularly use it on crops to produce a better yield.  The problem is that those crops are part of our food supply, including dog food.  

We all keep an eye on dog food recalls, some pet owners even buy the expensive fresh pet dog food. However, glyphosate is found in many common household dog foods.  Here is a list of glyphosate levels in various dog food brands:

DOG FOOD PRODUCT EFFECTIVE GLYPHOSATE LEVELS (2018)

 PPB 2018

 PPB 2015
     
Cesar Classics Wet Dog Food with Chicken & Liver in Meaty Juices  Detected  
Kibbles ‘n Bits Chef’s Choice American Grill  660.00 300.00
Natural Balance Small Breed Bites Dry Food Original Ultra Whole-Body Health Chicken, Chicken meal, Duck meal 441.89  
Rachel Ray Nutrish Super Premium food for dogs/ Real Beef Brown Rice Recipe  420.86 140.00
Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food Lamb and Rice Formula 377.30  
Rachael Ray Nutrish Dish Super Premium  350.00  
Purina Beneful Originals Adult Dry Dog Food  293.03  
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula with Life Source Bits Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Natural Food Dogs  284.39  
Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition Dry Roasted Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Flavor  220.64  
Purina Dog Chow Complete  212.00 98.00
Purina Pro Plan Adult Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula Dog Food  203.88  
Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Small Breed Adult Dog Food Turkey & Oatmeal  108.16  
Purina Beyond Natural Simply 9  93.50 47.00
Purina Dog Chow Natural plus vitamins  92.78  
Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy Chicken meal & oats recipe 92.03  
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula with Roasted Bison & Venison  80.91  
Hills Ideal Balance Natural Chicken and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food  79.73  
Iams Pro Active Health  65.00 65.00
Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Mini Adult Dry Dog food 27.79  
Merrick Classic Recipe Natural Grain Free Cowboy Cookout All Life Stages All Breeds Canned Dog Food  17.44  
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze Dried with Raw Grass Fed beef Super Beef Dinner Patties Grain Free Dog food 5.13  
Nutro Ultra Senior Chunks in Gravy Canned Dog Food 2.87  

Keep in mind that these levels will fluctuate, depending on where the factories get their ingredients and the concentrations of glyphosate used on each farm. However, this is a great baseline level for your knowledge, and provides a good option for you to make changes to your dog’s diet if needed.  

Here’s a link to what I feed my dog: Taste of the Wild (Amazon affiliate link) It is the best food quality at an affordable price. I haven’t seen it at grocery stores, but our local pet shop carries it.

The “Safe Limit” of Glyphosate

The U.S. has determined the acceptable daily intake of glyphosate for humans is 1.75 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (mg/kg/bw/day) while the European Union has set it at 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Based on the safety set for humans, a 100 lb dog would have an intake limit of 22,500 ppb in Europe and 78,750 ppb limit in the U.S.1 part per billion (PPB) = 1 microgram per liter (µg/L) 1 microgram (µg) = 0.001 milligrams (mg) 0.5 milligrams (Europe\’s Limit of Glyphosate) x 45 kg = 22.5 milligrams glyphosate limit = 22,500 microgram/day limit    1.75 milligrams (US Limit of Glyphosate) x 45 kg = 78.75 milligrams glyphosate limit = 78,750 micrograms/day
Lets look at a real life scenario: If a 100 lb dog eats approximately 4.25 cups of Kibbles & Bits per day and drinks 3 liters (1 oz of fluid per pound on average) they are ingesting 685 ppb/day Kibbles & Bits is 660 ppb = 660 micrograms per literDrinking water 1.75 ppb – 8.35 ppb = 8.35 micrograms per literKibbles & Bits 660 ppb +  25 ppb = 685 ppb total glyphosate / day     Why would a dog have higher levels of glyphosate in their urine if they are only ingesting 0.8% of their “safe” limit? Glyphosate is excreted through urine, and has a half life of 9 hours.  So after eating a meal it takes 9 hours for the dog’s body to filter out half of level of glyphosate, and then another 9 hours to filter out half of the preceding half.  Here’s a chart to demonstrate:

best dog food brands,healthy dog food brands,organic dog food,glyphosate levels
Half life clearance chart of glyphosate from dog food

Most dogs eat once per day, so this chart will stay relatively consistent.  Humans however eat multiple times per day, so the levels will look much different.  Here is another chart (changed to 8 hour half life for ease of math) to compare different brands and factoring the dog eating every 24 hours:

 
 
 
 
Half Life Comparison Chart
Day Hours Kibbles & Bits Dose (PPB) Taste of the Wild Dose (PPB) Half Life
1 0 660 80 100%
  8 330 40 50%
  16 170 20 25%
2 24 742 90 100%
  32 371 45 50%
  40 185 22 25%
3 48 752 91 100%
  56 376 46 50%
  64 188 23 25%
4 72 754 91 100%
  80 377 46 50%
  88 188 23 25%
5 96 754 91 100%
  104 377 46 50%
  112 188 23 25%
6 120 754 91 100%
  128 377 46 50%
  136 188 23 25%
7 144 754 91 100%
  152 377 46 50%
  160 188 23 25%

 

best dog food brands,healthy dog food brands,organic dog food,glyphosate levels

In a study done in rats in which feces and urine was collected for 7 days after oral administration of glyphosate.  88-91% of glyphosate was accounted for (62%-69.4% from feces, 22%-29% from urine), and according to the EPA there is no other known form of excretion.  Glyphosate that is not excreted (up to 12% of intake) can be metabolized into Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), showing similar toxicological concerns to glyphosate.  

On a disturbing note, the Health Research Institute Laboratories (HRI) measured the levels of glyphosate in pet urine (30 cats and 30 dogs).  Here’s what they found:

  • Cats urine levels average 8 ppb of glyphosate, which is 16 times more than than the average human level.
  • Dogs urine levels average 15.8 ppb of glyphosate, which is 32 times more than the average human level.

Oxidative Stress Can Cause Arthritis Pain

What does this mean for your pet? Glyphosate has is known to cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress causes overall tissue damage throughout the body, leading to health issues like cardiovascular disease, neurological issues, respiratory diseases, arthritis, liver disease, kidney diseases, and cancer. Limiting glyphosate intake will reduce the risk for these diseases, and allow your pet to have a healthier and longer life. The easiest way to reduce the amount of glyphosate intake is to avoid buying the worst dog food brands listed above, and to serve high-quality food.

Sources

  • https://truthaboutpetfood.com/more-concerning-news-linked-to-glyphosate/
  • https://petsandgmos.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Glyphosate-Tests-Dog-Food_100719.pdf
  • https://www.cesarsway.com/how-often-should-a-dog-urinate/#:~:text=The%20average%20healthy%20dog%20will,3%2D5%20times%20a%20day.
  • https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/contaminant.php?contamcode=2034
  • https://hemopet.org/glyphosate-your-companion-pets/#:~:text=They%20are%20measuring%20the%20levels,32%20times%20the%20human%20average.
  • https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/archive/glyphotech.html#referenceshttps://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp214.pdfhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551541/

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