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So what does everyone think of the recent pet food recall?  It seems like every day they annouce another tainted brand or product.  This is kind of scary; should I start cooking for my dog?

I am also surprised that "premium brands" such as IAMS are made in the same facility as "supermarket brands."   Is there any difference, any reason to use the premium brand?

 

 

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Oleg Issers | StartupNation.com Web Team

50% of computer programming is trial and error. The other 50% is copy and paste.

I never thought of IAMS as a premium brand and I`m not surprised they
are manufactured in the same places as the generics. It`s cheap food and
just because it has a brand name doesn`t mean it is "premium".

Today`s premium pet foods are the all-natural kinds. That`s what I feed
my dog. A little more expensive but not that much, unless you have a
team of hungry sled dogs or something.

Yes, there is a difference. The cheaper foods are made with more "fillers"
that are not as healthy and cause your dog to have to go to the bathroom
more... uh, in frequency and size. Enough about that! The premium
foods also contain less allergens that are common to dogs. More and
more it is being discovered that pet health is very much related to their
diet. But since dogs can`t tell us if their food is making their skin itch, we
rely on studies.

The killer pet foods are tragic but I`m hoping that the pet food
industry gets a kick in the butt for selling crap food. Just like with
people, the better your dog eats, the better off they are.

Oleg,

Actually, IAMs and Eukanuba DRY dog and cat foods ARE NOT produced at the Menu Plants. They are manufactured by P&G Pet Care Products. See the News Release at the IAMs website. Do I believe them? Yes I do. I also think they have done a great job in responding to this issue. IAMS and Eukanuba have increased customer service staff to talk to anyone who calls and have also added vets to their staff to answer questions from concerned pet owners.

Here`s a link to a letter that was published in the AJC - today`s issue - and 59 other US newspapers this week from IAMs and Eukanuba.

I`m a Eukanuba user. I wouldn`t feed my 13-year old Black Lab, Boogie, anything else. I tried other foods in the past with bad results. IMHO, there is a difference.

Just my $.02 worth.

R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

We use Canidae, and I will swear by them.

No wheat, no fillers, no byproducts ... no recalls!

CampSteve - Is IAMS really "cheap food"?  I have never done a price comparison; price is really not an issue but I always assumed that it is a premium brand as it was reccomended to me by a breeder as well as a vet.

My Dogue de Bordeaux has been eating IAMS dry food his entire life.  Started out on Large Breed puppy food on the breeders reccomendation; switched him to Large Breed adult at about a year.  I never really considered feeding anything else as he is in good health; so why fix what is not broken. 

I read the IAMS press releases, and I do believe when they say their dry food is safe (hell I just bought another 40-lb sack a couple of days ago).  Still, I am dissapointed that any of their products are made in some third party plant that also makes generic food.  This is really not what I expected of something perceived as a premium brand.  They may have added staff to their call center to talk to concerned pet owners, but I am not at all reassured by this -- it`s just a CYA tactic.  I suppose I will still feed IAMS as I am very hesitant to change my dog`s diet.... but I have very little faith in the brand at this point.

 

 

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Oleg Issers | StartupNation.com Web Team

50% of computer programming is trial and error. The other 50% is copy and paste.

Well, to clarify I don`t put IAMS in the same category of cheapo dog foods.
I consider them middle-of-the-road. I`m certainly one of those Colorado
healthy lifestyle people who like to buy all-natural foods, either for myself
or my dog. So understand what I say is bias to my personal opinions.
Additionally, these opinions are partially shaped by good friends of mine
that own a pet store specializing in natural pet foods.

So how does IAMS compare to what I prefer for my dog? It falls short.
That doesn`t mean I think it is BAD food. But it does have cheap fillers
and protein substitutes. Corn meal is one of the top ingredients in IAMS
dry foods, which is an inexpensive filler that`s not easily digested in a
dog, nor does it provide much nutrition. It creates more poop in your
yard. Chicken-by-product meal is another poor quality ingredient,
though the common chicken fat is actually a good ingredient. I`m not
sure if the foods you use have potato but that is also a filler and poor
source of necessary protein.

I compare it to a person having a side of greasy, fast-food french fries at
every meal. Maybe that person eats enough and gets some variety, but
all those fries are not good for you.

Speaking of variety, I also think it important to switch around your dog`s
food every once in a while. What if you had to eat the same thing for the
rest of your life? Sure a dog`s palette is not sophisticated and they don`t
really care, but there are nutritional balances that come with variety. Even
if you stick with one brand, try out different flavors. For example beef,
chicken and lamb offer not only different flavors, but different nutritional
elements. This also helps your dog`s stomach adjust to different foods,
say if you board your dog or he visits someone else`s home or gets a treat
from the park ranger as you enter Yellowstone or eats a stick in the yard.
Variety is important, even across different brands.

Nikole, wheat is not necessarily a bad thing depending upon the kind.
Whole-grain wheat is an excellent source of carbs for dogs. In cheaper
foods, wheat is used in large percentages as a filler so it gets a bad rap.
The same hold true for other grains.

And Oleg, don`t believe that every breeder or vet has the best opinion.
They are usually quite knowledgeable, especially vets, but it still comes
down to opinion. Also, many vets are paid to recommend certain foods
and the big pet food companies put a lot of money and effort into
seducing vets into giving recommendations. And they try to keep that
under the table as much as possible.

Breeders are even less reliable. The breeder I got my dog from used real
cheap generic food. And she`s a very reputable breeder of Silken
Windhounds. I was shocked. Why such bad food then? Well she`s got so
many dogs that it would cost her a fortune if she didn`t buy the cheap
stuff. Then I started to hear how common that is. The more you know
about the private dog-breeding industry, the less stock you would put
into it. And I`m not talking about puppy-mills.

Corn, soy and wheat are the 3 biggest allergens in a large portion of dogs.

Breeders (and sometimes even vets!) are not a good source of info for dog food. Science Diet IMO is not good dog food but a lot of vets push it. Pedigree is really crap but many breeders push it. Mostly they`ve just been sold by the marketing materials.

I`d give you a better rundown but my brain is not thinking very well back to my time in nutrition in college ... maybe some fruit will make it kick-start.

The idea is this. Sure byproducts have protein when you break them down to their component elements. But their bioavailability to a normal animal is low, so you end up feeding 6 cups of Pedigree to the same dog that eats 3 cups of Canidae. Corn is a filler, goes right through. Wheat is a common allergen. By-products can contain beaks, hooves, hair, skin ... parts that may contain nutritional value on paper but would be impossible for a normal animal to break down in the digestive tract.

I like Canidae because 1) no by-products. 2) no wheat or corn or soy. 3) multiple protein sources for balance (not just one meat, but several - poultry, red meat, and fish). 4) essential fatty acids from sources like flax.

Well my dog ate a plastic milk cap yesterday...  what is the nutritional value of a milk cap?

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Oleg Issers | StartupNation.com Web Team

50% of computer programming is trial and error. The other 50% is copy and paste.

Canidae is good food. I`ve bought it before. Currently I`m getting
Nature`s Variety.

Milk caps are an excellent source of synthetic polymer. It also provides
great amusement. :) Be careful though. Some milk caps have been
recalled.