New Study suggests Rice in Pet Food can lead to Chronic Arsenic Exposure – Truth about Pet Food
Researchers at the University of Helsinki have released a study regarding arsenic exposure to dogs consuming a food containing rice (high on the ingredient list).
“Hair arsenic level in rice-based diet-fed Staffordshire bull terriers” compared the arsenic levels in hair analysis of dogs fed a diet high in rice (rice listed as the first or second ingredient) to dogs fed a diet with no rice. The hair arsenic analysis “was significantly higher in dogs fed a rice-based diet.” “The results suggest that eating a rice-based diet for long periods of time represents a risk for chronic iAs (inorganic arsenic) exposure in dogs.”
The study states:
“In human beings, chronic exposure to iAs has been associated with tumours of the skin, bladder and lungs, and with alterations in gastrointestinal, neurological, cardiovascular, immunological, haematological, pulmonary and developmental function. In dogs, research has mainly focused on nephrotoxicity (toxicity in the kidneys).”
“Even though the legal safety limit of total As content might not be surpassed in most pet foods, iAs is considered a non-threshold carcinogen and any exposure constitutes a health risk.”
“In conclusion, dogs eating a diet of rice-based dry dog food had higher hair iAs levels than dogs that did not eat any rice. This suggests that eating a rice-based diet for long periods of time represents a risk for chronic iAs exposure in dogs. These results emphasise the need to establish a less monotonous diet for dogs to minimise the risk of accumulating a certain contaminant.”
Cats were not tested in this study, however we can safely assume the same risk applies to cats fed a continuous diet of a rice-based pet food.
Interpretation of “a less monotonous diet“: vary your pet’s food ingredients. Don’t continuously provide your pet with the same food, same ingredients day in and day out. Vary the diet including variations of ingredients your pet is consuming.
To read the full paper, Click Here.
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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