I think the pet food business is the biggest scam. It is true we feed ourselves, our children but we can't be trusted to feed our pets. I cook for my dogs and my cats, well they are cats and want what they want so they get a mix of homecooked, kibble, and canned. Yesterday I was getting the dogs breakfast together--whole grain pasta, fresh vegetables, and a grilled lamb patty that I get at our local butcher. I thought they are trying to tell me kibble is better than this?! I make the dogs' food in batches so I just have to take it out of the fridge/freezer and it is ready to go. Plus I don't have to drag around huge bags of dried food. I also want to say that my cats throw up everytime they eat Wellness. I think it is the size of the kibble and they just swallow it whole as it goes in and comes out looking exactly the same. All that said my friend's cat lived to 22 eating only Friskies dried and canned. My cats right now are eating and loving Royal Canin #33.
is IAMS and Science diet really that bad?
- Thread starter josiespcah6ojsh
- Start date
horseshowmom
Cathlete
While on this topic.....I have an 18 month old golden retriever who seems to be struggling with allergies. I fed her turkey and barley pro plan as a pup. When I began to switch her over to adult food, I substituted chicken and rice...close enough I thought....wrong! Major allergic reaction! I found a small pet food store where the owner has removed any foods which don't score a 100 or better according to the previously posted scoring criteria (thank you for taking the time to post!!!) Digestively there is not a problem, but she seems to have the itchies....unfortunately we moved about the same time I switched food so I'm not sure which it is...environmental or food related or a little of both. I'm looking for something with very minimal grains...obviously no by-products....any ideas?
I had tried Taste of the Wild for my cats, but their tummies protested...I went back to Friskies ( I know...the horror) and they've calmed down again. Getting ready to try again...Wellness or Royal Canin???
I love how knowledgeable y'all are not just about your own health, but about our fur children as well!!!!
Becky
I had tried Taste of the Wild for my cats, but their tummies protested...I went back to Friskies ( I know...the horror) and they've calmed down again. Getting ready to try again...Wellness or Royal Canin???
I love how knowledgeable y'all are not just about your own health, but about our fur children as well!!!!
Becky
fit44
Cathlete
Becky,
My two boxers could not eat kibble at all. My girl would vomit her food daily. I began home cooking and that worked for my female, but my male was bloating a lot. We were making emergency vet visits and he always had diarrhea. I drove my male to a
Veterinary University that was two hours from our home. It was there they diagnosed the bloat problem as food allergies. My boy was allergic to grain.
I switched my two to a raw diet. I purchased a premade mix from this company- http://aplaceforpaws.com/ and had it shipped monthly for several years. It was a pricey alternative for me, but raw was an overnight success. No more bloating or vomiting and my boy had his first solid stool. I went from 8-12 vet visits a year to one healthy check-up visit. The quality of their life had improved greatly.
I tried grinding my own raw and couldn't do it. It was just too difficult to keep up with. I tried feeding whole and that didn't work either
Our local grocery store starting carrying this brand.
http://www.freshpetselect.com/
It's not raw, lightly blanched, all natural, with a very small amount of brown rice. It only last 8 weeks in the fridge. I tried it just to see. My two have been eating it for over 6 months now and are doing great. No stomach or allergy issues. My two love the taste and gobble it like it's candy. It is saving me $150 a month because I can buy it locally.
My two boxers could not eat kibble at all. My girl would vomit her food daily. I began home cooking and that worked for my female, but my male was bloating a lot. We were making emergency vet visits and he always had diarrhea. I drove my male to a
Veterinary University that was two hours from our home. It was there they diagnosed the bloat problem as food allergies. My boy was allergic to grain.
I switched my two to a raw diet. I purchased a premade mix from this company- http://aplaceforpaws.com/ and had it shipped monthly for several years. It was a pricey alternative for me, but raw was an overnight success. No more bloating or vomiting and my boy had his first solid stool. I went from 8-12 vet visits a year to one healthy check-up visit. The quality of their life had improved greatly.
I tried grinding my own raw and couldn't do it. It was just too difficult to keep up with. I tried feeding whole and that didn't work either
Our local grocery store starting carrying this brand.
http://www.freshpetselect.com/
It's not raw, lightly blanched, all natural, with a very small amount of brown rice. It only last 8 weeks in the fridge. I tried it just to see. My two have been eating it for over 6 months now and are doing great. No stomach or allergy issues. My two love the taste and gobble it like it's candy.
It is saving me $150 a month because I can buy it locally.
sparrow13
Cathlete
I know! Unfortunately, it's not just the pet food industry. Many vet's are kibble pushers too.
I'm amazed by how many people tell me feeding my boxer's roasted chicken is bad for them, but kibble is good
Oh, another one.....kibble cleans the dog's teeth.You know, because eating crunchy food cleans our teeth you know
When Comet was diagnosed with diabetes our vet tried to sell us some kibble for diabetic cats, which of course was full of crap. When we told him we were putting her on Wellness brand wet food he protested. A month or so later she was diabetes free and he closed his lips.
Now if we give Comet anything other than Wellness grain-free turkey she throws up. I just wish the stuff wasn't so darned expensive.
carres1973
Cathlete
I see that there are a lot of choices to feed dogs "fresh" food. My local grocery store even carries it in a refrigerator in the pet food section. However, I cannot find natural, fresh food for my cats. What, cats aren't "people" too? Has anyone found a good, natural/fresh cat food? The canned stuff smells terrible (though my cats seem to LOVE it!).
Carrie
? Has anyone found a good, natural/fresh cat food? The canned stuff smells terrible (though my cats seem to LOVE it!).Carrie
I see that there are a lot of choices to feed dogs "fresh" food. My local grocery store even carries it in a refrigerator in the pet food section. However, I cannot find natural, fresh food for my cats. What, cats aren't "people" too
Carrie
Hi Carrie - Are you looking for raw? I've tried Nature's Variety raw patties (frozen) and it's listed as being for dogs AND cats, with feeding amount for each.
LauraMax
Cathlete
My vet says feeding your dog Iams every day is like taking your kids to McDonald's every day.
There are so many healthy pet food options out there--they are more expensive but I think worth it. And shopping for pet food is just like shopping for people food, you just have to know what ingredients to look for.
There are so many healthy pet food options out there--they are more expensive but I think worth it. And shopping for pet food is just like shopping for people food, you just have to know what ingredients to look for.
caseysmomgo
Cathlete
I used to feed my yellow lab Iams Eukanuba Lamb & Rice per my vet's recommendations, and he always had a tendency to vomit frequently, and then he started having seizures. After $1500 in vet bills, with no clear determination of what was wrong, I decided that maybe the first thing would be to look into his diet. I searched online and found Eagle Pack Holistic dog foods. They have a great web site and even have counselors who you can discuss your pet's issues with and they will recommend a suitable food for your pet's particular problem. I was able to discuss my dog's problems with them on the phone and they even asked that I call them back to follow up with them!
I started feeding my dog their holistic fish formula. I threw away the bag and can't remember the exact name...It's got anchovies, salmon, flax seed, etc and (knock on wood) he hasn't had any issues since! It's hard to find in the pet stores. Pet Supplies Plus (don't know if that's a national chain or not) seems to be the only store around here that carries it, but I think you can order it online. They also have cat food as well.
I started feeding my dog their holistic fish formula. I threw away the bag and can't remember the exact name...It's got anchovies, salmon, flax seed, etc and (knock on wood) he hasn't had any issues since! It's hard to find in the pet stores. Pet Supplies Plus (don't know if that's a national chain or not) seems to be the only store around here that carries it, but I think you can order it online. They also have cat food as well.
carres1973
Cathlete
Thanks Gayle! I found a store by me that sells Nature's Variety. I will get some this weekend and see how my kitties like it.
Carrie
Hi Carrie - I usually buy the Nature's Variety kibble for Rascal, so when I went to the store to get that, I inquired about the raw stuff and the clerk gave me a package to try for free. YMMV, but it might be worth asking.
Also, Nature's Variety has a place where you can register for coupons via email. http://www.naturesvariety.com/tryit
Dog Food
I also feed my boxers Nature's Variety. They love it. My female can not have corn products. Since we've switched them over, no more trips to the vet! The corn was having the opposite effect of others on here. It stopped her up. My male could and would eat whatever what available!
I also feed my boxers Nature's Variety. They love it. My female can not have corn products. Since we've switched them over, no more trips to the vet! The corn was having the opposite effect of others on here. It stopped her up. My male could and would eat whatever what available!
horseshowmom
Cathlete
Cynthia, thank you for the links!!! It's very scary to watch your baby's muzzle and eyes swell up in front of you! I will definitely give your suggestions a try! Thanks again! Becky
kathryn
Cathlete
The quality of the food and ingredients isn't the only reason to avoid Iams. They have a history of grossly mistreating and neglecting animals when doing their nutrition testing: http://iamscruelty.com/