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Sundown April 15th begins the observation of Passover, an 8-day Spring celebration of the freedom of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Through certain rituals, modern-day Jews can relive and experience the true freedom their ancestors gained.
From the evening of April 15th through the evening of April 23rd, in recognition of the unleavened bread that the Israelites ate when they left Egypt, Jews do not eat – or keep in their possession – any chametz, or grains that can become chametz. This includes any food or drink that contains even a trace of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives.
Remember, recipes sometimes change. Please check your dog’s food labels carefully before feeding.
Dogs are family members who share our homes and mealtimes and join us in celebrations. Because Jews cannot have these grains during Passover, we’ve compiled this list of Passover-approved dog foods that are highly recommended for quality, healthfulness, and taste.
Historically, only grain-free foods were recommended for Passover feeding. However, with recent concerns of heart disease and DCM and a possible association with grain-free dog foods, many pet parents have switched to grain-included diets for their dogs. We’ve named foods with allowable grains (including rice and quinoa) in this updated list.
Many other dog foods do not contain prohibited grains. The following is a list of pet foods approved for Passover 2022.
THE DOGINGTON POST 2022 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER DOG FOOD LIST
Blue Freedom Grain Free (canned): Chicken Recipe (Small Breed, Puppies, Adult), Grillers (Hearty Lamb, Hearty Chicken, Hearty Turkey)
- REAL CHICKEN FIRST: This Blue Buffalo dog food is made with real, high-quality chicken as the #1 ingredient
- GRAIN-FREE DOG FOOD: This wet dog food is free of grains that contain gluten, which some Pet Parents choose to avoid
- FEED THREE WAYS: Mix this wet dog food into dry dog food, serve alone for a complete and balanced meal, or give as a tasty treat between meals
- HEALTHY, WHOLESOME INGREDIENTS: This Blue Buffalo dog food is made with no chicken (or poultry) by-product meals and no corn, wheat, or soy
- Contains: Twelve (12) 12.5-oz. cans of BLUE Freedom Grain-Free Wet Dog Food, Chicken Recipe
Kirkland (Costco) Natures’ Domain (dry): Salmon Meal and Sweet Potato, Turkey Meal and Sweet Potato, Organic Chicken & Pea, Puppy Chicken & Pea
Prescription Diet: a/d, d/d, h/d, s/d, u/d, r/d
Purina Pro Plan Grain-Free (canned): Adult Beef & Pea Entrée, Adult Chicken & Carrot Entrée, Adult Turkey, Duck & Quail Entree, Adult Beef & Venison Entrée
- Purina Pro Plan adult made with real turkey as the number one ingredient, plus sweet potato
- High protein canned dog food helps support healthy hydration
- 100 percent complete and balanced adult dog food has antioxidants for a healthy immune system
- Pro Plan Turkey dog food developed with 23 essential vitamins and nutrients
- Premium dog food with no artificial colors or preservatives
Wellness Core Grain Free (dry): Ocean, Original, Reduced Fat, Small Breed Original, Senior
- GRAIN-FREE ADULT DRY DOG FOOD: Premium protein from responsibly sourced turkey is expertly balanced with nutrient rich superfoods for a complete and balanced dog food, with guaranteed levels of all the nutrients your dog needs to thrive
- LEANER BODY MASS AND MUSCLE TONE: Based on the nutritional philosophy that dogs thrive on a natural diet mainly comprised of meat, this dog food is made with 44% high quality protein ingredients
- SUPPORTS HEALTHY COAT & DIGESTIVE HEALTH: Guaranteed levels of omega fatty acids from ingredients such as flaxseed and salmon oil support healthy skin and coat, glucosamine for strong joints, probiotics for digestive health and taurine for a healthy heart
- NO CORN, WHEAT, OR SOY: Contains only premium, all natural ingredients with no poultry by-products, wheat, wheat gluten, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives
- MADE IN USA: Using only the finest globally sourced ingredients, we prepare each of our diets in our own state of the art facility; recipes crafted with wholesome, non-GMO ingredients chosen for their nutritional benefits
Wellness Core Grain Free (canned): Beef & Venison & Lamb, Puppy, Turkey & Chicken Liver & Turkey Liver, Whitefish & Salmon & Herring
- GRAIN-FREE ADULT WET DOG FOOD: Wellness CORE natural dog food is free from grains and packed with premium protein, vegetables, and nutrients your dog needs to thrive.
- TURKEY & CHICKEN PATE: This natural, grain-free recipe features real turkey and chicken for a complete, balanced nutrition. Pate is completely smooth for an irresistible taste your dog will love.
- LEANER BODY MASS AND MUSCLE TONE: Based on the nutritional philosophy that dogs thrive on a natural diet mainly comprised of meat, this dog food is made with high quality protein ingredients sourced from turkey and chicken.
- NO CORN, WHEAT, OR SOY: Contains only premium, all natural ingredients with no poultry by-products, wheat, wheat gluten, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives.
- MADE IN USA: We prepare each of our recipes in our own state of the art facility, using only the finest, globally sourced ingredients. All ingredients are wholesome, non-GMO, and chosen for their nutritional benefits.
Wellness Core Grain Free Ninety Five Percent (canned): Beef with Carrots, Chicken with Broccoli, Turkey with Spinach
- GRAIN-FREE WET FOOD TOPPER: Each can of Wellness Ninety-Five Percent Beef Pate is packed with all-natural, grain-free beef and not much else. Serve as a delicious mixer or topper with a complete and balanced diet.
- BEEF PATE: This natural, grain-free recipe features real beef for complete, balanced nutrition. Pate is completely smooth for an irresistible taste your dog will love.
- LEANER BODY MASS AND MUSCLE TONE: Based on the nutritional philosophy that dogs thrive on a natural diet mainly comprised of meat, this dog food is made with high quality protein ingredients sourced from beef.
- NO CORN, WHEAT, OR SOY: Contains only premium, all-natural ingredients with no poultry by-products, wheat, wheat gluten, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives.
- MADE IN CANADA: We prepare each of our recipes in our own state of the art facility, using only the finest, globally sourced ingredients. All ingredients are wholesome, non-GMO, and chosen for their nutritional benefits.
There are other Passover-friendly dog foods available in addition to this list. Look for grain-free options or those with rice or quinoa as the only grain(s). While corn is an acceptable grain to feed during Passover, it is proven to be an unhealthy ingredient for dogs and should be avoided. The Passover-approved dog foods on this list would all make excellent choices for feeding your dog year-round, too.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT FEEDING YOUR DOG DURING PASSOVER:
Still not sure if your dog’s food is acceptable during Passover? Star-K provides answers to commonly asked questions.
Q. Are “grain-free” pet foods acceptable?
A. There are many “grain-free” dog and cat foods on the market. While we still recommend checking the ingredient panel on those foods, they are a good place to start your search for an appropriate food.
Q. Is it necessary to buy a new food bowl for your pet for Pesach?
A. No. However, the bowl used year-round should be thoroughly cleaned before Pesach.
Q. If I am going away for Pesach, what should I do with my fish?
A. Vacation blocks often contain chometz. One can purchase a block without chometz or use an automatic fish feeder and fill it with non-chometz food.
Q. During a Pesach visit to the zoo, may one purchase the animal feed?
A. No. This feed is often chometz and should not be purchased or fed to the animals during Pesach.
Q. Must pet food with chometz be put away and sold before Pesach?
A. Yes.
Q. Can kitniyos, such as rice and beans, be fed to animals on Pesach?
A. Yes.
Q. What are some common chometz ingredients in pet food?
A. Wheat (cracked, flour, germ, gluten, ground, groats, middlings, starch), barley (cracked, flour), oats (flour, groats, hulled), pasta, rye, and brewer’s dried yeast. Any questionable ingredient should be reviewed by a competent rabbinic authority.
Q. What are some common ingredients which may be kitniyos but are permitted in pet food?
A. 2, buckwheat, brewer’s rice, corn, grain sorghum (milo), millet, peanuts, peas, rice, sesame, soybeans, soy flour, and sunflower.
Q. Is pet food “with gravy” permitted?
A. Most often, gravy contains chometz. Read the ingredient panel carefully.
Q. Are the vitamins or minerals in pet food chometz?
A. They may be chometz, but are batel (nullified) due to the small amount added.
We wish all of our Jewish friends a Happy (and Kosher) Passover!
