Dog owners issued with urgent warning over pet food which could be deadly - what is it and what are the signs

Dog owners are being warned that raw dog foods could be poisonous because they contain dangerous doses of toxic metals. Research from Cambridge University found that the safe limit of lead was exceeded in 77% of uncooked food samples with pheasant as its main ingredient.

Researchers at the university tested 90 samples of five different pheasant-based dog food products and found concentrations to be 245 times over the limit in just one product. Two other products were 135 and 49 times over, respectively.

Professor Debbie Pain, of Cambridge University’s Zoology Department, said: "We were already aware that lead concentrations in pheasant meat sold for human consumption are often far higher than would be permitted in other meats like chicken, beef or pork. However, we were surprised to find that lead concentrations in raw pheasant dog food products were so much higher."

Dog owners are being warned that raw dog foods could be poisonous | LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS - stock.adobe

Lead concentrations above the maximum residue level were found in the dried pheasant-based product but at levels lower than that found in the raw pheasant meat. No chicken, goose or tinned pheasant samples contained any dangerous levels of lead.