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Billy + Margot Dog Food Ingredients

According to our research, Billy + Margot manufactures 33 dog food recipes using 158 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Billy + Margot, we've studied all 158 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Billy + Margot ingredients.

Dog Food Recipes	33
Unique Ingredients	158
Artificial Colors	0
Animal By-Products	0
Anonymous Meats	1
Controversial	5
Harmful	1

First 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.

For Billy + Margot, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.

chicken
chicken broth
chicken
animal plasma
carrot

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Billy + Margot is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken broth, followed by chicken, animal plasma, and carrot.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Billy + Margot does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 33 Billy + Margot dog foods contain artificial food dyes.

Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.

In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most dogs consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.

To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.

Animal By-Products

According to our records, Billy + Margot does not contain any animal by-products.

Animal by-products are basically the leftover parts of the the carcass after its been processed for meat. AAFCO defines by-products as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals.

Although by-products are still fairly nutritious ingredients, consumers have equated them with slaughterhouse waste. Therefore, most premium brands, including Billy + Margot have decided to remove by-products and instead use named organ meats (beef liver, chicken gizzards).

For further reading on the controversy over animal by-products, click here.

Anonymous Meat Ingredients

Anonymous meats are animal-based ingredients which do not provide the source animal's name. These ingredients are controversial because they can come from almost any animal.

In addition, anonymous animal-based ingredients are very inexpensive and often the lowest quality meats that are still allowed to be used in pet food.

In general, we do not recommend feeding any products which contain anonymous meats. When in doubt, always contact the brand's customer service desk for further clarification.

Unfortunately, we've identified 1 anonymous meat ingredient used by Billy + Margot.

animal plasma

8 Recipes

Animal plasma can be a nutritious addition to pet food, however, the source should be specified. In this case, the animal source is not specified and therefore we cannot determine which animal was used to obtain the plasma.

The following recipes contain animal plasma:

Controversial Ingredients

In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.

Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce dog foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.

In our analysis, we've identified 5 controversial ingredients inside Billy + Margot products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

pea protein

8 Recipes

Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

The following recipes contain pea protein:

garlic

3 Recipes

Garlic in very small quantities can be an acceptable addition, however, garlic can also be toxic. Therefore many pet owners choose to completely avoid garlic.

The following recipes contain garlic:

caramel

3 Recipes

Caramel is a widely used natural food colorant. The concentrated form of caramel is typically listed as caramel color and has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. Since our pets do not care about food color, caramel is an unnecessary addition with possible health risks.

The following recipes contain caramel:

caramel color

10 Recipes

Caramel color is a concentrated form of caramel, a natural food colorant. Caramel color has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. Since our pets do not care about food color, caramel color is an unnecessary addition with possible health risks.

The following recipes contain caramel color:

animal plasma

8 Recipes

The following recipes contain animal plasma:

Potentially Harmful Ingredients

Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.

There are certain situations where these ingredients may be necessary. We always recommend contacting Billy + Margot for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.

We have identified 1 harmful ingredient used in certain Billy + Margot recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.

menadione sodium bisulfite complex

4 Recipes

Menadione sodium bisulfite complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."

The following recipes contain menadione sodium bisulfite complex: