Consumer Reports recently published results of a large pet food testing project they performed. The pet foods were purchased between December 2023 and May 2024, and were tested in April and May 2024.
Consumer Reports provides testing results of protein, fat and fiber content, as well as copper and vitamin D levels. The organization also tested pet foods for Salmonella, Listeria and some mycotoxins – but those results were not provided. They did report that two raw pet foods tested positive for Listeria – Raw Bistro and Viva Raw – but again, they did not provide those results.
In 58 pet foods:
- protein content ranged from 22 to 61.8%.
- fat ranged from 9.6 to 54.3%.
- fiber ranged from 0.6 to 5.6%.
- copper levels ranged from 10.1 to 61.8 mg/kg.
- vitamin D levels ranged from 252 to 14,283 IU/kg.
Both the lowest and the highest level of vitamin D pet foods were out of compliance. Stella & Chewy’s Dinner Patties Chewy’s Chicken tested approximately 50% below the required minimum of vitamin D (500 IU/kg required minimum).
Pedigree Complete Nutrition Adult Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor tested significantly above required maximum of vitamin D. Regulations state 3,000 IU/kg is maximum allowed level of vitamin D in dog food, this Pedigree dog food tested more than four times higher than maximum (at 14,283 IU/kg).
Excess vitamin D can be deadly.
In a 2019 Warning Letter to Hill’s Pet Food regarding excess vitamin D, the FDA stated: “According to the scientific literature, concentrations of vitamin D in dog food above 4,000 IU/kg dry matter cause signs of vitamin D toxicosis, with severity of signs increasing with increasing concentrations of the vitamin. Although vitamin D is an essential nutrient that allows dogs to regulate the balance and retention of calcium and phosphorus, when high levels of vitamin D are consumed, excessive amounts are not excreted but are stored in fat tissue and the liver. The adverse health consequences from consuming excessive levels of vitamin D can lead to kidney failure and even death.”
While this testing by Consumer Reports is appreciated, it is concerning that the organization did not seem to report the excess vitamin D result of Pedigree Dog Food to FDA. The organization did report the Listeria results in raw pet food to FDA; “We notified the FDA of our findings.” BUT…they did NOT make the same statement of reporting regarding a potentially deadly level of vitamin D in the Pedigree dog food.
Why?
We hope this is an oversight by Consumer Reports, and the Pedigree Dog Food excess vitamin D levels will be reported to FDA.
To read the full story, visit: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/pet-food/whats-really-in-your-dogs-food-a1115304393/.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Rox
February 13, 2025 at 1:24 pm
Consumer Reports claims to be nonprofit but behaves more like an actual for-profit organization. It requires paid membership to review any of their investigative reports in detail – even brief summary articles teased in mainstream media outlets are after the initial paragraph behind a paywall. Rather than paying for memberships and trusting Consumer Reports people should understand that back in the day this organization failed to accurately investigate and report on the Ford Pinto.
T Allen
February 13, 2025 at 1:58 pm
Thank you for reporting on this. I dropped my decades long subscription to CR due to their decreasing level of trustworthiness. This is very disturbing rvrm for them though. Dogs could have, and likely did, die that didn’t need to because of their negligence. Dogs in rescues, etc aren’t going to be tested to determine the cause of death. 🙁
Joanne Keenan
February 14, 2025 at 11:48 am
Just once I’d like to see CR or any reporting body call on “experts” like the growing list of holistic veterinarians that practise with nutrition rather than a prescription pad and shelves of dry dog food. I found it amusing that the raw foods they made “discoveries” about had been off the market before they even got around to testing them — as opposed to the dry foods that probably have a 2 or 3 year shelf life. Unfortunately they don’t see the irony.