A recent trend on social media involves “gym bros” consuming dog food to increase their protein intake, much to the disgust of many viewers.
In a viral TikTok video, a user named Henry Clarisey points to the nutrition page on MyFitnessPal for Pedigree dog food, which falsely claims to have 666 grams of protein.
Clarisey tries the dog food in a follow-up video, concluding that it is not worth it despite being high in protein.
Other social media users have also posted videos of themselves eating dog food or joking about trying it.
However, health officials warn that some ingredients in dog food are unsafe for humans, and dog food may not meet human nutritional requirements.
A spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stated that while some ingredients in dog food are similar to human food, they are meant to meet the needs of dogs, not humans.
Additionally, dogs’ digestive systems are different from humans, which makes them more capable of handling bacteria, viruses, parasites, and pathogens.
Pedigree officials deny that their product could be harmful to humans, but health officials caution against consuming dog food.
Clarisey’s claim about the protein content in Pedigree dog food was found to be false by the company, and MyFitnessPal officials could not explain how their app came up with those numbers.
Overall, while some dog foods do state they are “human grade,” that label means very little, according to one veterinarian.
»When a High-Protein Diet Goes Too Far: The Rise of Dog Food Consumption on Social Media«
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