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Ingredient file // Vitamin or mineral

Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide

A trace iodine source with a real job

Ethylenediamine dihydriodide is a manufactured iodine salt added to mineral blends. It supplies iodine for thyroid hormone production. Its presence on a label does not show how much iodine the finished food contains.

Role in the food Supporting nutrient
What it is
A manufactured iodine salt used in feed mineral blends to supply dietary iodine.
Made from
Ethylenediamine and hydroiodic acid
Main job
Supplies dietary iodine
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Excess iodine from the whole diet
Not the same as
Iodized salt

Straight answer

Is Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide safe for dogs?

Read it as iodine, then check the diet

A low position among the minerals fits this concentrated ingredient. Check the bag's nutritional adequacy statement for your dog's life stage. The ingredient list cannot tell you the iodine dose. If your dog has thyroid disease or takes an iodine supplement, ask the manufacturer for measured total iodine.

Why it is in the food
Supplies dietary iodine

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 21 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

5%

152 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 11 brands. 115 dry dog food, 36 wet dog food, 1 freeze-dried dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 20. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

3%

Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 97% of foods.

Price per lb

Foods with it $3.46
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 89 priced foods, 6% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

39%

of the foods that list it are from NutriSource. 11 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Chemical producers manufacture this salt for feed mineral blends. One documented route reacts ethylenediamine with hydroiodic acid in water. Suppliers offer the resulting ingredient as dry crystals, powder or granules.7,8

  1. 01 // Source Chemical inputs Ethylenediamine and hydroiodic acid are the starting materials in a documented production route.
  2. 02 // Process Reaction in water Aqueous solutions of the starting materials react to form the iodine salt.
  3. 03 // Output Crystalline EDDI A supplier offers white or off-white crystals, powder or granules for use in pet food.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

80

% iodine

About four-fifths of the dry ingredient is iodine, so a recipe needs only a trace to change its iodine level.

Iodine 800,000 mg/kg4
Crude protein 0%4
Crude fat 0%4
Starch 0%4

The dry matter figure is rounded. One supplier specifies 79.50 to 80.70% iodide for its powder as sold. The recipe dose also depends on iodine supplied by other ingredients.4,7

Why it is in the bag

A trace dose of iodine, doing real work

  1. Main nutrition
  2. Supporting nutrient
  3. Does a job
  4. Mostly filler

Manufacturers add EDDI so a complete food meets its iodine target, and dogs need iodine to make thyroid hormone. Labels list ingredients by weight, and this salt is about 80% iodine, so a trace near the end of the list does the job. That small amount is the point, not filler. What the label cannot show is whether the finished food sits near the minimum or well above it.4,6,9

  1. 01

    Supplies required iodine

    Manufacturers add EDDI to help a finished food meet its iodine target. Dogs need iodine to make thyroid hormones, but the ingredient list does not disclose the finished level.3,5,9

  2. 02

    Delivers a trace dose

    At about 80% iodine, a small amount contributes measurable iodine without adding meaningful protein, fat or starch. Other ingredients must be counted when setting that amount.4,6

  3. 03

    Fits bulk mineral blending

    A supplier sells dry EDDI for pet food and cattle feed. FDA also documents its use in mineral mixtures, a way to distribute a trace ingredient through production batches.5,7

How much At 80% iodine, meeting the 1 mg/kg dry-food minimum would take about 1.25 mg EDDI/kg if no other ingredient supplied iodine.4,6

Our read // The claims

What the evidence supports

Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.

  1. Brands say

    EDDI supplies iodine dogs need

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    Feedtables lists 800,000 mg iodine per kg of dry EDDI, and FDA recognizes its nutritional use. It supplies iodine, but its place on the ingredient list does not reveal the finished food's iodine level.4,5,9

  2. Brands say

    EDDI prevents iodine deficiency hypothyroidism

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    Two single-dog reports describe recovery after dietary iodine was restored; one dog's thyroid tests normalized after 31 days. Neither report tested EDDI or showed that an already adequate diet needs extra iodine.2,3,5

  3. Vets say

    Too much dietary iodine disrupts thyroid function

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    In a controlled study of 18 puppies, iodine-rich diets raised TSH, lowered T4 and enlarged thyroids. The study used potassium iodide, so it supports a total iodine concern; it did not test EDDI at normal recipe amounts.1

  4. Owners say

    Extra iodine speeds a healthy dog's metabolism

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    The 18-puppy study found worse thyroid measures with high iodine intake. The case reports show improvement after correcting deficiency, not after raising iodine above an adequate intake. No metabolic boost was demonstrated.1,2,3

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    It has a specific mineral job: supplying iodine. Feedtables lists no crude protein, fat or starch for this ingredient. Its iodine concentration is high enough that a recipe uses only a trace.4,5

  2. Q02

    Does the name mean too much iodine?

    No

    The ingredient list says EDDI was added, not how much iodine the finished food contains. If your dog needs a controlled iodine intake, ask the manufacturer for the food's measured total iodine.6,9

  3. Q03

    Why is it near the end?

    By design

    Ingredients appear in order of weight. A concentrated iodine source belongs in a small amount, so a low position among minerals is expected. Its list position cannot tell you the finished iodine concentration.4,9

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. NutriSource 59 / 91
  2. Instinct 38 / 98
  3. Nulo 20 / 117
  4. Castor & Pollux 12 / 20
  5. Zignature 10 / 46
  6. Rayne Nutrition 4 / 14
  7. Jinx 3 / 21
  8. Evanger's 2 / 30
  9. Verus 2 / 19
  10. Dave's Pet Food 1 / 22

Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.

Plus 1 more brand.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Chicken Fat 44%
  2. Peas 41%
  3. Mixed Tocopherols 38%
  4. Citric Acid 37%
  5. Chicken 36%
  6. Chicken Meal 36%
  7. Natural Flavor 35%
  8. Barley 34%
  9. Turkey Meal 31%
  10. Brown Rice 27%
  11. Sweet Potatoes 23%
  12. Oatmeal 22%

On the shelf

Foods that list Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide

152 foods in our catalog list it. These 60 list it highest on the label.

Zignature Inception Fish Recipe Food Can Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Inception Fish Recipe Food Can Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 10 on the labelZignature Inception Chicken Recipe Food Can Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Inception Chicken Recipe Food Can Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Lamb Dry Dog FoodInstinctInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Lamb Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelDave’s Pet Food Carbolight Carbohydrate & Weight Management for Dogs / Wet Dog FoodDave's Pet FoodDave’s Pet Food Carbolight Carbohydrate & Weight Management for Dogs / Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 12 on the labelNutriSource Chicken Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Chicken Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 12 on the labelInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Turkey Dry Dog FoodInstinctInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Turkey Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelZignature Essence LIR Ocean Recipe Food Can Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Essence LIR Ocean Recipe Food Can Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelZignature Original Food Whitefish Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Original Food Whitefish Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelZignature Original Food Venison Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Original Food Venison Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelNutriSource Choice Performance Chicken Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Choice Performance Chicken Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelNutriSource Heartland Select Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Heartland Select Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 14 on the labelNutriSource Choice Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Choice Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the label
Show 48 more
Zignature Inception Pork Recipe Food Can Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Inception Pork Recipe Food Can Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 11 on the labelZignature Original Food Duck Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Original Food Duck Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 13 on the labelInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Turkey Dry Dog FoodInstinctInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Turkey Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon Dry Dog FoodInstinctInstinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelZignature Original Food Goat Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Original Food Goat Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelNutriSource High Plains Select Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource High Plains Select Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelNutriSource Prairie Select Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Prairie Select Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 15 on the labelNutriSource Choice Large Breed Chicken Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Choice Large Breed Chicken Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNutriSource Choice Turkey Meal & Barley Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Choice Turkey Meal & Barley Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelNutriSource PureVita Duck Dog Entree Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource PureVita Duck Dog Entree Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelZignature Original Food Pork Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Original Food Pork Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelZignature Original Food Trout & Salmon Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodZignatureZignature Original Food Trout & Salmon Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelNutriSource Trout & Rice Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Trout & Rice Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 16 on the labelNutriSource Choice Beef Meal & Barley Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Choice Beef Meal & Barley Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelNutriSource Small Bites Adult Chicken & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Small Bites Adult Chicken & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelNutriSource Choice Whitefish Meal & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Choice Whitefish Meal & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelInstinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck Dry Dog FoodInstinctInstinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelNutriSource PureVita Turkey Dog Entree Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource PureVita Turkey Dog Entree Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 17 on the labelJinx Grain-Free Beef Paté Wet Dog FoodJinxJinx Grain-Free Beef Paté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 17 on the labelJinx Grain-Free Chicken Pâté Wet Dog FoodJinxJinx Grain-Free Chicken Pâté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Seafood Select Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Seafood Select Grain-Free Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Chicken & Rice Small & Medium Breed Puppy Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Chicken & Rice Small & Medium Breed Puppy Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 17 on the labelRayne Nutrition Rabbit Maint Quinoa Rabbit-Maint with Quinoa Dry Dog FoodRayne NutritionRayne Nutrition Rabbit Maint Quinoa Rabbit-Maint with Quinoa Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Chicken Puppy Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Chicken Puppy Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource PureVita Grain-Free Salmon & Peas Entree Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource PureVita Grain-Free Salmon & Peas Entree Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Large Breed Chicken & Pea Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Large Breed Chicken & Pea Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Large Breed Beef & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Large Breed Beef & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Small and Medium Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Small and Medium Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Small & Medium Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Small & Medium Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelInstinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog FoodInstinctInstinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 17 on the labelNutriSource Turkey Dog Stew Tetrapaks Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Turkey Dog Stew Tetrapaks Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 18 on the labelJinx Grain-Free Salmon Paté Wet Dog FoodJinxJinx Grain-Free Salmon Paté Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Harvest Selects Northern Feast Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Harvest Selects Northern Feast Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Turkey & Rice Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Turkey & Rice Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Woodlands Select Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Woodlands Select Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Chicken & Rice Puppy Wet Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Chicken & Rice Puppy Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 18 on the labelRayne Nutrition Adult Health RSS Adult Health-RSS Dry Dog FoodRayne NutritionRayne Nutrition Adult Health RSS Adult Health-RSS Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelRayne Nutrition Low Fat Kangaroo Maint Dry Dog FoodRayne NutritionRayne Nutrition Low Fat Kangaroo Maint Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelCastor & Pollux Pristine Grain-Free Wild-Caught Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog FoodCastor & PolluxCastor & Pollux Pristine Grain-Free Wild-Caught Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Chicken & Pea Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Chicken & Pea Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Small Bites Seafood Select Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Small Bites Seafood Select Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Lamb Meal & Peas Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Lamb Meal & Peas Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Super Performance Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Super Performance Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Seafood Select Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Seafood Select Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Grain-Free Small Bites Chicken & Pea Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Grain-Free Small Bites Chicken & Pea Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Beef & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Beef & Rice Recipe Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelNutriSource Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodNutriSourceNutriSource Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the label

On labels as

Other names for this

One page covers every name. Here is what each label word adds, and whether it changes anything for your dog.

Other wording

Matters for your dog No

Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide

What it means Dihydroiodide and dihydriodide are two spellings of the same compound name. FDA's compliance guide and the Feedtables database both use the dihydroiodide form. Neither spelling signals a different grade, source or iodine content.

For your dog Nothing changes. Both names describe the same iodine salt, about 80% iodine, added in a trace amount. The spelling a brand picks does not change the dose, and the ingredient list does not show the dose either way.4,5

Sources

What we read

Checked September 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Morphologic Changes in the Thyroid Glands of Puppies Fed a High-Iodine Commercial Diet International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine, 2003 // Journal
  2. 2 Case Report: Technetium-99m Pertechnetate Scintigraphy Findings in a Dog With Iodine Deficiency-Induced Goitrous Hypothyroidism Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2022 // Journal
  3. 3 Case Report: Diet-associated iodine-deficiency goitrous hypothyroidism in a dog: a longitudinal clinical, endocrine, and ultrasonographic evaluation Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2026 // Journal
  4. 4 Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide Feedtables (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ), n.d. // Database
  5. 5 Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 651.100 Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide (EDDI) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2019 // Government
  6. 6 AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles AAFCO, 2013 // Regulator
  7. 7 Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (EDDI) Deepwater Chemicals, 2019 // Industry
  8. 8 Process for making halogen salts United States Patent and Trademark Office, 1978 // Government
  9. 9 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

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