It’s not the first time I’ve mentioned it, but it’s very much a hot topic — going by what our social media people see, and what’s being discussed on our Facebook community group, which I strongly urge you to join (more on that later).
Copper is essential in dog food. No dog food can be called "complete and balanced" without the minimum
required level. But there can be too much, leading to some dogs developing the potentially deadly Copper Storage Disease or Copper-Associated Hepatopathy, which you can read about here.
As with any topic, there’s misinformation out there about copper. However, the biggest problem is probably a lack of information. Too few dog foods include copper levels on labels, meaning it usually requires the consumer to contact a company. We’re working on a database of copper levels, which you’ll be able to search, but right now a phone call or email is your best bet.
Another issue is a lack of guidance. This is mainly due to a lack of hard evidence for what the upper limits of copper should be. AAFCO came under fire when it voted against a voluntary “controlled copper” label for dog food — and yet some people might argue the point of any such label being voluntary. It's an area that needs addressing urgently.
Throw in health conditions that require low-copper dog foods (we’ll be creating a list of those too), copper coming through the food chain, and copper supplements being added to dog food, and you’ll soon see the whole topic is splattered with gray areas.
To help make things more black and white, we’ve teamed up with
veterinarian Dr. Pete VanVranken to create video which he talks all things copper content, including the associated risks, how to control copper intake, and why there’s no need to panic (always important).
The full-length video will soon be added exclusively to the Facebook group I mentioned earlier. Not only that,
but members of the group will stand a chance of winning free low-copper Voyager dog food in the coming weeks. And if that’s not reason enough to join, it’s also a great place to learn about and discuss dogs’ diets with other engaged and passionate pet parents. What's not to love?
(FYI - It’s a private group, to avoid time-wasters, bots and spammers, so it may take a day or two for your membership to be approved.)
I should mention that there is an imposter Facebook group out there. It has nothing to do with Dog Food Advisor and is using our name to make money. We're trying to get it shut down but if you come across it or are part of it, please report it and leave it. It's here.
So, there you go. Thanks to you, I found something to write about. And if you’ve got this far, you read it all. So thanks again!
