Red Clover
1 food contains this ingredient
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About Red Clover
Red Clover is a flowering herb added to some pet supplements and treats for its isoflavone and fiber content rather than as a protein.
Red clover is a plant-based ingredient sometimes used in pet supplements or treats primarily for its fiber and phytochemical content rather than as a protein source, supplying antioxidants and isoflavone compounds. While it may offer modest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, red clover contains phytoestrogens that could affect hormone-sensitive animals and potentially interact with certain medications, so avoid use in pregnant or nursing pets or those with hormone-related conditions without veterinary guidance.
Related ingredients
- Derived from
- Trifolium pratense flowers and leaves
- Primary role
- botanical additive supplying isoflavones
Why it's used
Red clover's isoflavones (plant compounds structurally similar to estrogen, including formononetin and biochanin A) are the reason it appears in some botanical pet products, and human research bodies like NCCIH have studied these same isoflavones for hormone-related applications. In pet products it is included in small, standardized amounts rather than as a primary functional ingredient.
Common concerns
- Phytoestrogen activity Red clover's isoflavones have documented estrogenic activity, which is why extra caution is generally advised around pregnant or nursing animals or those with hormone-sensitive conditions, best discussed with a veterinarian.
- Effects observed in livestock In horses, excessive salivation ('slobbers') from red clover is caused by slaframine, a mycotoxin from a fungus that grows on the clover, not by its phytoestrogens. Clover phytoestrogen effects in livestock are more typically reproductive, illustrating that clover exposure can produce measurable physiological effects in animals through more than one pathway.
- Clotting-related caution Herbal reference sources note red clover is generally not recommended for animals with existing clotting disorders, a distinction worth raising with a veterinarian before use.
Common Questions
What category is Red Clover?
Red Clover is categorized as a herb ingredient in the KibbleLab database.
Is Red Clover part of an allergen group?
No allergen group is linked to Red Clover in the KibbleLab database.
Which foods contain Red Clover?
1 food in the KibbleLab database contain Red Clover, including Earth Animal.
Foods with Red Clover
Alphabetical by brand. Scores run 0 to 10, higher is better, on published veterinary science.
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