What is Ethoxyquin, and why may it be bad for piggies? Read the linked articles, and you decide; both opinions are presented, as well as some U.S. Government articles.

My personal feelings are: if it allegedly can harm birds, rats and mice, and has not been proven safe, it does not belong as part of my piggies' diet. As with anything, there is calculated risk, and it is one I choose to avoid.

How can you avoid it? It's difficult! For starters, read the ingredients! If you see Ethoxyquin listed as a preservative, put the package back on the shelf. If you want to carry it a bit further, contact the manufacturer and tell them you will not buy their product until they have eliminated Ethoxyquin from it.

I can't start to list all the brands of food that have Ethoxyquin in them; almost every bag of food and/or treats contains it. I can list the manufacturers I have found that do not use it. Note: The omission of a specific brand of food from the list here does not necessarily mean it contains Ethoxyquin - but it may be safer to assume it does until you learn otherwise.

You can also help to expand this list by sending your findings to me for posting. If you are a food manufacturer, and have recently eliminated Ethoxyquin from your products - or do not use it - we'd be happy to add them to this list of safe piggie products:

Products that do not contain ethoxyquin:

Food pellets:

All AmericanPet Diner products

Treats:

"Beans and Greens" from Eight-In-One
(Eight in one stopped using ethoxyquin in this product a few years back - good for them!)