Best Dry Dog Food Choices with Low Copper

By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, Dec. 31, 2024
Patch - 4 months old - trotting forward
Patch from the Harvest litter at 4 months old

Last week, we discussed that Copper Toxicosis has now been discovered by DNA in the American Dirus dog breed.

First of all, let’s remember that the only reason you know this is because…

  • I TOLD YOU.

How many dog breeders out there do you know who have DNA tested every single puppy born for over ten years??

And how many of those are willing to discuss publicly the health issues that arise in the breed?

Some people unsubscribed from this email newsletter when they found out that Copper Toxicosis exists in the Dire Wolf Project.

That’s really too bad because if you go to any other breeder in the whole wide world you get…

Don’t ask, Don’t tell.

I guess ignorance is bliss for some people.

Not for me, though.

I would honor and revere ANY other breeder who had the courage to DNA test each and every puppy born AND publicly reveal the results AND write about the situation in an honest public review.

(If you know of another, let me know, I’d love to be friends with them. Us few brave souls have to support each other, you know?)

So, for those of you who stayed for the real conversation, well, count yourselves lucky.

Because TODAY I reveal some incredible information!

We called a bunch of dog kibble manufacturers to find out the copper ratio in their dry dog food.

And it isn’t as grim as I thought, actually.

Most of them were at or below the suggested maximum levels proposed by veterinary professionals around the country.

But before we get to the list…

First, a short history lesson.

In a 2021 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) Viewpoint article, veterinarians, notably from Cornell University, called for AAFCO to set maximum copper concentrations in dog foods.

In response, AAFCO convened an expert panel to review the guidelines.

The panel concluded that current scientific data is insufficient to establish a safe upper limit for copper in dog foods.

Consequently, AAFCO reaffirmed its existing guidelines, opting not to set a maximum copper level at this time.

(Some articles report that dissenters, like Hills Science Diet and Royal Canin who produce prescription diets, lobbied hard against the maximum level proposals.)

To address consumer concerns, AAFCO's Pet Food Committee considered introducing a voluntary "Controlled Copper" claim for dog foods, indicating products with copper levels not exceeding 15 mg/kg dry matter.

However, in May 2024, the committee voted against establishing this claim.

As of now, AAFCO has not set a maximum copper level for dog foods.

The regulatory organization maintains that its current recommendations are appropriate until more definitive scientific evidence becomes available.

And now…

List of 26 Dog Kibble Brands’ Copper Ratios (as fed)

  1. Purina Pro Plan adult chicken and rice - 17.6 mg/kg
  2. Purina One Complete shredded - 15 mg/kg
  3. Blue Buffalo Adult Chicken and Rice 13.86 mg/kg
  4. Taste of the Wild High Prairie 16 mg/kg
  5. Victor Beef Meal and Brown Rice 16 mg/kg
  6. Diamond Naturals Beef and Rice 16 mg/kg
  7. Royal Canin chicken 14.25 mg/kg
  8. Ol’ Roy - waiting
  9. Nutri Source adult chicken and rice 12.4 mg/kg
  10. Natural Source limited ingredient lamb and brown rice 31.66 mg/kg
  11. Fromm Gold chicken, large breed 13.36 mg/kg
  12. Nature's Logic canine beef - 10.2 mg/kg; canine sardine - 10.6 mg/kg; canine rabbit - 17.9 mg/kg
  13. Beneful (Purina) original farm fed 12.1 mg/kg
  14. Beneful (Purina) chicken, peas, carrots 13 mg/kg
  15. Nature's Logic Distinction® Land&Sea - 12.7 mg/kg; Sardine - 7.4 mg/kg
  16. Hills Science Diet (wet) - Hepatic 4.5 mg/kg; (dry) - Hepatic 4.5 mg/kg
  17. Royal Canin - Hepatic 7.2 mg/kg
  18. Open Farm grass fed beef grain free raw mix 15.89 mg/kg
  19. Orijen original dry dog food - waiting
  20. Wellness Complete Health lamb and barley 11.43 mg/kg
  21. Wellness Natural de-boned chicken 13.74 mg/kg
  22. Nutro Natural Choice large breed dog - waiting
  23. Dr. Pol chicken - waiting
  24. Sundays For Dogs: Turkey waiting; Beef 45 mg/kg; Chicken 18 mg/kg
  25. Royal Canin - Labrador Retriever 9.39 mg/kg
  26. Voyager: Chicken 7.5 mg/kg; Pollock 7.3 mg/kg; Performance 9.5 mg/kg; Salmon 8.1 mg/kg

Now, when you signed up to this email list, your very first email from me included the free ebook “The 10 Ways to Alter Your Dog’s Diet for Immediate Health Results.”

In that ebook, you learned the FIVE INGREDIENTS TO AVOID when choosing a dog kibble.

Those “five ingredients to avoid” still apply!

If you are concerned with the copper ratio in your dog’s dry kibble, choose a kibble with a lower level (as close to ~7 as possible), but don’t forget that you should NOT compromise on the “five ingredients to avoid,” either.

Don’t go from the frying pan into the fire, in other words.

Again, I am working with Embark right now to find out the updated DNA for Copper Toxicosis in our breeding dogs.

Once I know that, I will ask them to update all of our DNA tests, which is around 250 dogs at this point.

And again, I must remind you…

A genetic inheritance of Copper Toxicosis DOES NOT necessarily mean your dog will develop excessive copper in the liver later in life.

This is because this particular inherited condition is an incomplete dominant.

In other words, some dogs with the gene do not ever acquire any symptoms of the disease.

It’s like a predisposition in certain humans to more easily develop Type II diabetes.

Some of us humans with the genetic propensity to develop Type II diabetes never develop it.

Same deal here.

So, while it’s wise to make sure that your dry dog food does not overload on copper, it’s not a cause for panic, either.

Most of the foods listed above aren’t as high as I thought.

And simply keeping the copper intake between 7-15 mg/kg mimics what we learned the other day about wild wolves and their natural copper intake by eating whole prey raw food.

Now, listen to me.

Pumpkin Patch is one heck of a puppy.

If you let this boy go, you are going to kick yourself for not jumping on this one if you want a great dog with a beautiful wolfie look.

I know because I’m already kicking myself by letting him go like this.

But that’s why I’m the breeder.

I must make some really tough decisions sometimes.

And many people simply wouldn’t have the heart to do what I do.

However, for the breed’s advancement, he can no longer remain to produce offspring.

And that means, you reap all the rewards this time.

There are plenty of foods on that list above that work well with his needs of a lower copper ratio (without needing an expensive prescription diet).

Just be mindful of his copper ingestion throughout his life and he should be just as healthy as all of our other dogs.

Now…

Do you want an amazing dog or what?

Pups like this don’t come along very often. (Because I hoard all the great ones for the breed.)

Here’s the link to learn more about him and check out his pictures:

https://direwolfproject.com/pedigree/7471/

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.