Pet Food Ratings
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FURminator Large Yellow deShedding Tool with 4-Inch Edge
Price: Too low to display
List Price: $59.95 |
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Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for Cats and Kittens, 6 Doses
Price: $48.99
List Price: $114.00 |
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Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for 45- to 88-Pound Dogs and Puppies, 6 Month
Price: $58.50
List Price: $100.00 |
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Advantage Once-A-Month Topical Flea Treatment for Cats Over 9 Lbs (6 Applications)
Price: $46.00
List Price: $67.99 |
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FURminator Large Yellow deShedding Tool with 4-Inch Edge
Price: Too low to display
List Price: $59.95 |
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Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for Cats and Kittens, 6 Doses
Price: $48.99
List Price: $114.00 |
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Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for 45- to 88-Pound Dogs and Puppies, 6 Month
Price: $58.50
List Price: $100.00 |
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Advantage Once-A-Month Topical Flea Treatment for Cats Over 9 Lbs (6 Applications)
Price: $46.00
List Price: $67.99 |
How Did Your Brand Of Pet Food Do In The Reviews
To see the full reviews on the products you are interested please click on the links below:
I used to do full reviews on pet food products. I would purchase different foods and let my dog and cats sample the products. Back in early December I noticed my little dog wasn't doing so well so I stopped doing full reviews. The products I was letting her taste were the same one's you use everyday. What a shame it made her sick.
The good news is Odie is on a good diet and back to her old self again.
What I've learned about pet food:
"Premium" Pet food marketed and sold as "Complete and Balanced" has historically contained such items as Euthanized Dogs and Cats, Restaurant Grease, Hair, Hooves, and Diseased Animals, and other Inedible Garbage.
Because manufacturers need to ensure that dry foods have a long shelf life (typically 12 months) to remain edible through shipping and storage, fats used in pet foods are preserved with either synthetic or "natural" preservatives. Synthetic preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze), and ethoxyquin.
Use of by-products. By-products are ingredients used which are not fit for human consumption. By-products are often floor sweepings from a rendering plant. "Animal by-product" is rendered product from animal tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices." Pet food labels contain the words "meal" or "byproduct" on the ingredient label. Inedible byproducts such as bone, fat, heads, hair, feet and condemned offal are used in commercial pet food. These materials are sent to a rendering plant for processing into pet food products.
"Meat" is often rendered dogs and cats as well as other animals such as road-kill. When the source of the meat is known it will be listed as beef, poultry, chicken, turkey, etc. If the source of the meat is not known it is simply called "meat.
Rather than the wholesome pictures shown on the pet food packaging, rendering companies dispose of millions pounds of inedible waste each day including, heads, feet,stomachs, intestines, spinal cords, tails, restaurant grease, feathers, bones and dead or diseased animals rejected from slaughterhouses for use in manufacturing pet food. Amazingly, animals from research laboratories may be rendered into pet food as well.
Ol' Roy dog food, which is considered one of the poorest quality dog foods on the market, scored 5 out of 10.
The life span of your pet should be at least 20 years. Your pet's diet strongly influences your pet's life expectancy. Always look for a quality pet food which scores 10 out of 10.
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What would you like for me to rate the foods on?
Wow, Vic, youv'e really done your home work. Thanks for sharing what you have learned with us. I'm sure glad you were able to help you Shih Tzu in time. People don't realize how important a good diet is to the health of their pet. Susan Peters
Hi Susan, do you know much about Wellness and Canidae dog foods? I've been trying them out with my two dogs because they're supposed to be healthier.
Kathy, I'll check on these two products out and see what I can find out. They are not products I am aware of. Thanks for asking.
Susan
Kathy, I've requested samples of the Wellness to test. Hopefully, I'll receive the samples before long.
I've checked out their website. The ingredients they list are wonderful. I'm excited to give this product a try. Kathy, you are well informed consumer! It's always a pleasure to hear from you.
Susan
Susan,
What do you know about Back to Basics pet food I just picked up some info on it at a home show and it looks like good stuff. They say its all human grade ingredients? The ingredient list looks very good. Could you check it out for me? Thanks
Joe
I'm checking on it, now. Thanks for asking, Joe.
Susan Peters
are there speific brands of cat food that are ?safe?
Also, does anyone know how long it takes symtoms to show, if my dog has been fed a food on the recal list? Please help, before its to late.
thanks again,
shari
Yes, there are specific brands which are safe..I'm working a a site. Most, aren't available at Wal Mart ... you would have to go to a pet food supplier like Pets Smart
Hello. We're miserable here. My 10 lb cockerpoo, Lily, could jump high as my chin and circle the house in seconds until Monday, Feb. 5 when she became ill. She died in one short week. Her diet was Beneful; we've saved the newly opened bag. We spoke with the vet on Feb 7; were told to keep eye on her, and that some vomiting/blood is not unusual if a bone sliver/small obstruction is the culpret. Commonwealth Vet, in Newton MA, ran blood tests and did x-rays on Feb 9, after blood continued to appear along with vomiting and coughing. Soem chest congestion was the only thing noted. They hydrated her and gave us an antibiotic and special diet to take home with her. However, she could not keep the medicine down. Commonwealth did additional blood tests and kept her Monday, Feb 12 to medicate and rehydrate her, balance her ensymes and electrolytes, and keep watch. She died that night at Commonwealth. The first blood tests on the 9th were normal but by the 12th they indicated renal failure, liver failutre, gall bladder failure. The vet speculates poisoning or else an infection such as (leptosporoses(?)). I would very much like to have the bag of dogfood tested. Beneful, a dry Purina product that is not on the tainted list, is very much suspect in my mind. We are, of course, heartbroken. She was an absolute love.
I don't believe Menufoods makes any dry food. and just another unaffected safe food to add to your list is Blue Buffalo. bluebuff.com
My dogs love it and have been doing great on it. considering it's all natural I can't think of something better than preparing them the food myself.
None of the foods you tested are of a high quality. These are all very low quality foods with lots of fillers and by products.Can you do a test on some high quality foods?
Do you have any information on "Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance," "Pet Promise," or "Newman's Organic"? These are supposedly healthful foods
Does anyone know a list of the dog foods or dog snacks that can cause illness and possibly death? I have go to know.
Does anyone have a list of the dangerous dog foods? That would be incedibly helpful so if you do please tell me.
I would like to submit a website that does very thorough reviews of foods...and so many brands that people think are great are really substandard in nutrition. Regarding the earlier question about Canidae and Wellness - they are two of the best brands available. Natural Balance is also very acceptable. Feeding our pets the best food we can is one of the best things we can do. In the long run the additional cost is well worth it in terms of a healthy, long-lived pet.
Susan, are you saying that you used your own dog as a test subject to analyze the food in your reviews, and now he's sick? I hope for Odie's sake I misunderstood.
as far as you know pedigree dog food isn't on the list, please let me know..
Isn't Canidae can dog/cat food on the list/ im almost sure I saw it. Makes you wonder about the Natural high pricy food. Im still cooking for all 10 dogs & 5 cats. Cats are real picky, having a hard time getting them to eat, guess they liked the junk stuff which I'll NEVER feed them again. Please everybody JUST COOK for them, its the only way for now. Aloha
For anyone that wants to know about what is in your dog food, please go to www.caninesincrisis.org There are some very good pages there with dog foods most people have never heard of. I have used this kind of food for years after becoming educated about food when my doberman contracted cancer. There is a good post there about making your own food and just what is in your foods. Joyce.
I use The Good Life for 4 dogs, all ages from 3 yrs to 12 yrs. So far, things have gone well. Today one of my older dogs vomited, but nothing serious except grass that she ate.
To the lady whose dog passed after she coughed up blood, did she have GI xrays to see if she had a ruptured diaphragm? One of my dogs had those symptoms in addition to not lying down, but falling asleep standing up. One Vet said it was an infection. My ENT for ME said it sounded as if her diaphragm ruptured. I got her to my own Vet just in time. He had to perform emergency surgery for the diaphragm. Her liver was in her chest, pushing her heart over.
My dogs hate Beneful. It smells nasty to me.
i just wanted to say so far canidae pet food has not been recalled , it is a great food i have been using there dry food and canned for a couple of years .If you go to canidae.com they tell you how all there ingredients are home grown in the usa and don't use any of the bad ingredients . hopefully it is the truth ,because we are slowly running out of safe foods . This is all so scary.
Can anyone tell me about "Three Dog Bakery" -- Entree for Dogs. Company is in Kansas City, Missouri. Contents looks good. Comes in a 12 ounce package. Their URL is www.threedog.com I cannot find it on any list.
Three Dog is not on any recall at this time. I visited the web site you provided since I wanted to do a product review. Seems their site is having issues so I couldn't get much information. I'll keep an eye on this site and see what I can find out.
Susan Peters
I just found this site and wanted to pass along the site to check if you are concerned about recalled food http://menufoods.com/recall/index.html. If you have questions about the food you are feeding, find a proven PET SPECIALTY retailer in your area, and ask a lot of questions before you buy. Some animals do better on different types of foods. My cat LOVES The Goodlife Recipe cat food. She is doing better than when she was on Cat Chow.
Susan - Do you have any info on Maximum Nutrition Dry Cat Food. It is distributed by Wal-Mart and comes in several different formulas - Kitten, Indoor, etc. It says on the bag it is free of by-products, artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. One of the ingredients is corn gluten. The #1 ingredient is chicken according to the label. I don't see it on either the recall or the safe list. My cats thrive on it. (so far) I can't imagine that Wal-Mart would not voluntarily take anything off their shelves if it is questionable, but still, I'd like more info. Thanks!
I can't find an ingredient listing for this product. You could help me review this product if you have a bag of it at home. Shoot me an email at asksusanpeters@hotmail.com
We can get this done together, if you like.
Susan Peters
here when I thought all the pet food recall was over, now I hear that tylenol is found in the pet food!! When will it end! The pain killer affects their liver and they bleed out.
Andrea,
It is awful these pet food companies put everything from euthanized dogs and cats to pain killer in their pet foods!
Don't forget National Pet Food Boycott week - June 17- June 23rd.
Check out the homemade pet foods or use a jar of baby food to get you through this week. Let's take a stand against these pet food companies and make them hear us!
Susan
I'm a proud owner of a new Pom puppy and have been reading several places about how difficult it is to trust dog food companies regarding thier ingredients etc and am searching for places w/ recipes for cooking your own dog food. HELP!!
Susan:
You did a great job as always. It's such a task with all the dog food brands available including natural dog food, premium dog food and commercial dog food. Thank you for all the hard work
Dogfeast,
Thank you so much for the support! As always, you support some pretty impressive pet food makers with some pretty awsome products.
Bless you,
Susan
Hi, I'd like to know which of these 2 dry dog food is best!
Royal Canine for small breed and Innova Evo?
thanks
Vera,
Innova did well in the reviews. Royal Canine has recalls and a Class Action filed against the company for so many pet deaths. I wouldn't risk using Royal Canine.
Susan
Hi:
Someone asked if Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance was on the recall list and it was. I was heartbroken when I feed my dogs something that I thought was healthy. I called and e-mailed the company that makes Dick Van Patten's food, no one had the decency to response. I also got Newman's organic that wasn't on the list, but my 4 dogs wouldn't eat it.
Nancy,
I looked back over the Newman's dog food reviews. I don't see any reason your dogs wouldn't enjoy this product. If your dogs are refusing to eat Newman's they may know more than I do! I'd listen to the wisdom of the dogs.
Susan
Hello,
I
Hello,
I was wondering if anyone feeds evo large bites to dobermans and what the out come has been. I have tryed many foods but none seem to be very good. I spend hours in the dog food isle reading the ingredient labels and still am unsure. However I just read Evo's website and this stuff looks good. I already suplement my dog food with Dog Bloom and it has done a fantastic job. But I know there is a better dog food out there. If Dogbloom has work this well with Nutro I wonder how well it will work with a higher quality food. Any information provided is much appreciated. Thanks a bunch Daisy Fields
Daisy,
I have done a few reviews on Evo but I have not done any on Dog Bloom. I'll get to work on Dog Bloom right away. Here is the page you should be looking over for the Evo information http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog_Food_Review
I will also fix the link at the top of this page.
Susan
Daisy,
I tried to obtain information on Dog Bloom. As for an actual break down of the ingredients I have not been able to discover. I have visited the Dog Bloom web site and things do look pretty impressive over there. From where I sit (behind this computer without an actual product in front of me) it looks like Dog Bloom is a good product.
Thank you for understanding,
Susan
I think Merrick, Canidae and Innova are very good dog foods and these are the brands I feed my dog by rotating after so many months. My dog does great on all three brands and loves them too.
Uyua,
Be careful with the Innova. Tests have confirmed the ingredients used in Innova are not fit for human consumption.
Thanks for the review!
Susan
Ipod,
Glad I can be of help to you.
Susan
I am in need of some help choosing a food for my labradoodle puppy. When I first got her I had her on Royal Canin Babydog Maxi. Then, I was introducet to the wide world of holistic dog food. I love the concept of feeding my dog human grade protein, vegetables, etc, however, they dont' seem to digest well. I gradually switched her food yet she had terrible gas, loose stools/diarrhea. I've since then switched her back to Royal Canin to give her system a rest, but I'm still open to getting her back on a holistic food. Any suggestions. I've tried Nature's Variety and Wellness Puppy. Plus, I'm concerned about switching her food so much.
Liz,
Make sure what ever pet food you are feeding does not include corn, wheat, or soy. These three grains are killers.
Since your dog is still a puppy I would suggest feeding smaller quanities more often. The better food will cause some problems if she is used to eating a corn based diet. Limit her food intake until she adjusts to the quality pet food you seek.
Susan
Thank you for the info, hopefully it's ok if I ask a couple more questions?? When I first got her I did try to put her on a feeding schedule 3 times a day, but I never was able to get her to eat that way. She seems to be a "grazer." She's never been one to wolf down her food. So, when you say limit her intake, are you refering to the smaller quatities more frequent -which will be hard if she grazes - or feeding her less than the recommended amount printed on the back of the packages? How much less? How long do I let her have loose stool/diarrhea before switching before trying a different brand? Also, do you reccommend one pet food over another? I apologize for all the questions, but I greatly appreciate the help. I want to do what's best for my puppy, but I'm getting overwhelmed by all the information and differing opinions. My vet reccommends Iams, Science Diet and Royal Canin. I 've read the research regarding the holistic/grain free foods and would love to get her on this diet - the research makes sense - but with the digestive problems that are occuring, I swing back to the Royal Canin that she had been on. Again, THANK YOU for all your information, every little bit helps!
Liz
Liz,
Keep in mind I am not a vet as I attempt to answer your questions. The three pet foods you mentioned were included in the recalls of 2007. There is a Class Action lawsuit facing each of these three companies for deceptive advertising. Seems a number of pet food companies are not disclosing the true ingredients in pet food and these three brands are part of that Class Action.
No corn, wheat, and soy are the main things to remember. To help with the bowl trouble I would suggest a big spoonfull of pumpkin. Yeah, the stuff in a can like what we use at Thanksgiving. Mix the pumpkin in with her food ... this should settle the tummy.
Holistic doesn't make "healthy" if the use of corn, wheat, or soy is included in the holistic ingredients.
I don't really suggest any one type or brand of pet food because I don't know what is available in your area. Look for a pet food with a 10/10 rating. This rating will let you know if there is corn, wheat, or soy in the pet food. Read the comments, too. If you have any pet foods you would like to see reviewed which aren't listed here, please let me know.
Since your little girl is a grazer she shouldn't be troubled with over loading her stomach. She'll eat what her body needs so you won't have to limit the food intake. (I wouldn't think). Check those grains again and make sure none of the three are included in the mix since the grains cause IBS.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have. I hope I've been of help to you.
Susan
Susan
My wife and I are at odds of what to feed out new Retriever mix 4mth old puppy. At the moment she is on Science Diet - Puppy. I have read not so good things on this food, yet read some also not so bad stuff as well. Our Vet even said Science Diet is good. I, on the other hand, would like to try Orijen since all I’ve read concerning ratings on Orijen food is excellent. The argument comes from the long term cost of choosing Orijen over Science Diet. Can you help on this one? Final note, I would be willing to bet I could get 4 different answers from 4 different Vets on which food is best. Again, help! :))Nick,
My internet has been down for a few days so I am playing catch up. Quick answer for now so the smoke may clear by the weekend....
No corn, wheat, or soy. If you feed these three grains you will kill your cat or dog. Other side effects of feeding a grain based diet is fever, ear aches, ear infections, body odor, excessive shedding, turmors, moles, abnormal nail growth, bloat, kidney inflamation, liver inflamation, weight conditions, heart problems, upset disgestive system, and early death.
Science diet is nearly 75% corn and other grains with floor sweepings (by-products) of animals for meat, including feathers and manure. Pet food review score for Science Diet 2/10. Ol Roy (cheap Wal Mart stuff) 5/10. You need a pet food which scores a 10/10.
Good luck,
Susan
Nick,
Who bet on Orijen http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog-Food-Review-Dog-Food-C
Science Diet http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog-Food-Review-Dog-Food-C
Susan
Hi Susan, I just saw that Innova Evo dry cat food was on the class action suit for false advertising. Before I started my cat on it i did extensive research and there was nothing wrong. I tried to see what you would rate this brand as I have the chicken and turkey among other veggies but couldn't seem to find it. Now that I see it I'm a little concerned and wonder if I should switch to the artemis holistic feline dry food as I see that you rated it a 10/10. Please help!
Kandice,
Innova company has made enough pets sick and even killed enough pets to be included in a class action against the company. Testing of the ingredients in Innova has proven to be unfit for human consumption. I would not feed a product to my pet which has a history of killing so many babies. I would look to Artemis for the answer (at this time) for it looks to be a safe product.
Good luck!
Susan
I did extensive research on all the high-end dog foods a year ago, and tried out at least a dozen on my two dogs for taste. We settled on Acana by Champion Foods out of Canada. It was highly recommended and is very hard to get. (Some of the best reviews did not fault it for containing chicken meal and actually said that was a better source of protein than just "chicken" (which contains water)....Now, one year later, I've been looking at updated reviews (i.e., Dog Food Analysis), and they are faulting Acana for having beet pulp (without sugar), as well as it containing citric acid as a preservative. Could you please give me your opinion?????? HELP! Also, do you have an opinion on which topical flea preventative is less risky as to long term side effects on dogs (I know this isn't a food-related question..). They are all herbicides and I am always nervous about giving it to them. Frontline, Advantix, and Advantage....any thoughts? THANKS!
Deborah,
Beet pulp is a cheap filler used by pet food companies to cut production costs with no value to the pets which eat the foods containing beet pulp.
I have no problems with chicken meal. I have a problem with by-products.
As to your question about drops for your pets. Advantage I have had little success with. I don't think the product lasts very long on the animal or it's effects against pest control.
Frontline Plus (much better than Frontline) has changed their formula. Frontline Plus used to be a 60 day product with a suggested 30 day period to reapply. Frontline Plus works by the flea or tick biting the dog, then killing the pest.
Frontline Plus is water proof but doesn't seem to work past 2 or 3 weeks. Frontline is not water proof so stops working when the pet gets wet from dew, rain, or bath.
Advantix has a strong repellant which begins working as soon as it is applied to protect the pet from bugs. For me, I like the idea of no bugs (like using Off spray on us). Advantix seems to work the entire 30 days and is water proof. Your pet may be bathed with a gentle baby shampoo without affecting the effectiveness of Advantix.
My vote goes to Advantix. Of course, you should always treat the area where the pet plays and sleeps. You should see my video http://hubpages.com/hub/My_Dog_Has_Fleas
Back to Acana... I don't like the use of "natural flavor" because the pet food companies don't tell us where this flavor comes from it is safe to assume the flavor is of the animal the product is supposed to taste of. Chicken flavor comes from chicken manure. Potatoes are a bad deal since pets don't need potatoes in their diet this is another cheap filler. Animal fat is a bad deal because the fat is usually obtained from restuarant greese and other less desirable locations. Animal fat is used to get pets to eat a product that the pet would not normally have a desire to eat.
http://hubpages.com/hub/ORIJEN_ADULT_Dog_Food_Acan
Susan
Susan
Thanks for all the help Susan. A listen learned in Science Diets deep pocket advertising and promotion. Even our Vet was brainwashed. Sad.
Susan,
Last question :) What do you think of Wholemeals? New product to be sold at Petco. Just the fact Mars Corp is manufacturing it sends a red flag.
Nick,
Sad, indead! Here's your review. I'll get more done in a few days http://hubpages.com/hub/WholeMeals-Dog-Food-for-La
Susan
HI Susan , whats better halo or wellness food . professional cat food did not return t the line while checking on my queation how long has the cat food been around.
Paula,
Professional dry cat food scored a 10/10. How long the pet food has been in production, I don't know.
Wellness dry scored 10/10
http://hubpages.com/hub/Cat_Food_Review
I don't have any reviews on Halo. I'll see what I can find out.
Susan
Paula,
I have several reviews ahead of yours but I did check real quick on Halo. I am happy to report I am every excited to do reviews on this product. I looked at the Spot Stew and I think we have a winner!!
Susan
Hi, I'd like to know what you think of Iams. I've fed to both my dogs and cats for years, but am finding out that its really not that good of a food. Thanks
Bart,
Iams has a history of recalls and a Class Action filed against the company related to the number of pet deaths. http://hubpages.com/hub/Iams_Class_Action_Law_Suit
Iams uses corn http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog_Food_Iams_Dog_Food
Corn is responsible for a number of pet health conditions from fever, ear aches, skin conditions, tumors, heart conditions, liver conditions, kidney conditions, seizures, etc.
I don't like Iams.
Susan
Thanks for the reply. I was thinking ofswitching to Diamond Naturals for the dogs, or Maxximum. I definately want to get away from Iams. What do you suggest for the cats, that is reasonbly priced?
I also wanted to say that i live in a small town that doesn't have a lot of shopping options. W have Walmart Kmart and Target, and 2 farm supply stores, and feed stores. Thanks
Bart,
Diamond has too many pet deaths associated. Maxximum Lamb formula for dogs doesn't look too bad. I've been feeding the dog formula to my cats since I can't find anything without corn, wheat, and soy for the cats which is available in a small town. Maxximum has grains in the cat formulas.
Susan
I have one more question or you. I also feed my cats Iams canned food, they get a little in the morning. I was wondering if its better for them to eat more canned than dry, or is what they are getting good enough? I appreciate you help, thank you
Bart,
Dry food has had the "goodies" cooked out so there is little nutrition for your pet. Wet is best.
Susan
What do you think of Eagle Holistic and Chicken soup cat foods?
Bart,
I'll get some reviews written on both of those products. But for now, Eagle Holistic uses a lot of fillers like beet pulp, oatmeal, etc. They have a lot of nice ingredients listed which does nothing for a cat. I am guessing this stuff would score about a 6 or 7 so should be cheap to purchase. I wouldn't feed it, though.
Chicken Soup has a long history of pet food recalls and pet deaths. Chicken Soup is named in a Class Action filed against the company for false advertising. There are grains and other unhealthy ingredients in the pet foods which are not listed on the label. Diamond lies about the contents of their pet food products.
Sorry Bart, back to the drawing board,
Susan
I went shopping with my list of good cat and dog foods. I found Eagle, chicken soup, Diamond naturals, Maxximum, Eukanuba, lots of Iams, and Science Diet. What about Eagle for the dogs, and what would be my best choice for the cats? I found a pet store in town that sell Preference ( I think) dog food. I found a pet store 40 miles from here that sold NaturesVariety, but when I called the number was disconnected. Thanks again
Bart,
Most of those are not good for your pets. Looks to me like Eagle Pack is safe for the dogs (maybe) but not the cats. If it were me I would feed the dog formula to my cats. Have you looked into Wellness brand?
Wellness looks to be pretty good for both the dog and cat. I'm working on reviews now.
Good luck,
Susan
Ok, I went and bought a bag of Eagle Pack Holistic lamb and rice dog food. I'm going to feed that to the dogs and the cats. I read that meat should be supplemented with this food too? Also Bart and Garfield are full brothers, but Garfield is fat. We also have a Bingle that is at the right weight. So does Garfields weight problem have anything to do with the Iams they've been getting? Thank you
Bart,
Take away the grains and the weigh of all dogs should return to normal. Adding meat to any diet is a good idea as long as it is made at home and not from McDonalds or the like. I don't really know if you have to add meat or if it is something allowed.
I boil chicken and remove the bones for my pets. I save the broth and add it to anything I think might be nice with a little juice. Chicken and the broth freezes nice and is less than a pound.
Susan
Bart and Garfield are cats. Sorry I should've specified. I have 2 dogs and 3 cats. Garfield is the only one that is fat! I plan to feed all my animals Eagle Pack Lamb and rice, or the chicken and rice dogfood. But I did find a catalog that I can order Natures Variety from for the. I was going to feed canned food for the extra meat, or I could by canned chicken for people to feed them. If I go with Eagle. Thank you, I love you're site I have learned alot this week. I had no idea how bad pet really can be.
Bart,
Anything canned for people (and usually pets) has added chemicals to keep the product fresh longer. Cats and dogs can't handle the chemicals.
I'm glad I have been able to help you. Thank you for letting me know what I am doing is a benifit to you!
Susan
You are welcome! So will the Eagle be okay for everybody, or should I order some of the Natures Variety for the cats at least?
I really like the looks of Natures Variety I feel this brand is much better than the eagle pack. The cat style and the dog formulas both look good.
Susan
Okay, thank you for all you're help.
I just have to say we had one of our Golden Retievers die A year ago in January. Just before the big pet food recall. She was 11 years old. She was fine one day then the next she could barely stand and didn't even make it the vet I called to make an appointment went to get her to take her in and she was gone. As I said before I have fed Iams for years, and after reading all of the reviews i am now blaming then for the death of our wonderful dog. A few years before that we had a cat die of cancer at the age of 8. She too ate Iams. I'm really starting to wonder. My poor babies I have now are still eating it, but not for too much longer they will all be getting Eagle Holistic I hope they are happier and healthier eating this food.
Bart,
I was an avid Iams fan until Nov. just before the recalls began. I noticed my dog became ill then my cats. My dog gave me the best example to go by because she is at my side at all times. I knew nothing in her life would cause her to hide under the couch, shake, chill, and bite at me. I knew the only thing I had no control of was what was included in the pet food so I looked at the bag and realized that Iams had changed the ingredients listed on the bag. I started cooking for my pets until I could find a better feed. My pets all lived but my dog seems to have lasting effects.
When I began sampling different foods for my pets I kept a watchful eye and always returned them to home cooking when I felt danger was near. I tried a number of brands and spent tons of money on junk claiming to be healthy. I figured I was not the only one having trouble with pet foods so I decided to start writing reviews on the products I had tried with my pets. Now, I write reveiws by request and research as many as time allows so other pet owners don't have to go through "near misses" or even the death of a pet.
I see a dozen pets a day in my salon and nearly all are afflicted with "PFD" (pet food disease) - Yeah, that is what I call it. We have several pets a week that are also "CID" (call in dead) - these pets won't be making their schedualed grooming appointment due to PFD. You should know that I live in a town with only 2,500 people. We might see one pet a week that does not show signs of PFD and three or more pets a week CID.
Sad, sad stuff! Thanks for hearing my story.
Susan
You're welcome! Another question for you. (sorry) I was just wondreing if you would reccomend Maxximum Lamb and Rice or the Eagle Holistics for my crew? Those seem to be the best two choices in my area. Thanks again!
Bart,
If what the label says is true I would choose the Eagle Pack dog food over the Maxximum. Of course, both cat food formulas are trash. The only reason I like the Eagle over Maxximum is that Maxximum uses by-products where Eagle says they do not. I don't have a lot of trust in the Maxximum because I believe I've seen the effects of grains from pets being fed Maxximum's grain-free formulas.
Try the Eagle but be watchful of fever, itching dry skin, and ear problems. These signs should be the first to show to let you know if the grains are present.
Good luck with this one! Please let me know how it goes. The signs should appear in just a couple of days if there are grains.
Susan
Thank you Susan! I did already buy a bag Of Eagle and have been mixing it half and half with the Iams for both the cats and dogs. I also started mixing in Cesar canned for the dogs too, just for some moisture for them. Our Golden Retiever has had ear problems for quite some time and cannot hear very well. Due to the grains I'm sure. I was thinking of at least donating what I have left of Iams to our animal shelter, I just can't throw it away even though I know its bad, its still money I spent. I also boiled some chicken gizzards and hearts up yesterday, boy was everybody in heaven!
Bart,
I don't like throwing away something I've spent hard earned money on, myself. I know a lot of shelters have even poorer quality pet foods than the Iams many feed Science Diet (triple yuck!). I think if I were in your shoes I would do the same and donate the remainder to the shelter.
I've been surprised by how many pets have had their hearing restored after the infections are cleared. I'd like to know how your Retriever does on the new diet. I know they loved the goodies! I keep stuff like the gizzards, hearts, and livers cooked and frozen for treats.
Susan
Susan,
I found your site, and I am having trouble finding what I wanted, so I will just ask. I am a small breeder, and I am having trouble finding a good food. I lost a beautiful great pyrenees from a bladder stone. The vet said it was probably the food. We were using pedigree. So I changed. I am now using Nutru Source, and Tuffies, made by the same company. Is this a good brand for my dogs? I also raise bulldogs and pugs. I love my dogs, and don't want anything to happen to them like my pyr. Can you help me? Thanks.
Nelda
Nelda,
I had not heard of either of these two pet foods until now so no wonder you were having trouble finding a review on them. I looked up the Tuffies and checked a couple - AWFUL !
I'm not sure if you meant NutriSource or not but I took a look at a couple of styles of pet food. It is clearly not a great product but would be okay if the ingredient listing is the truth. I see lots of by-products from beer/wine making. Realize that by-products are ingredients not fit for human consumption - bottom of the barrel screenings or floor sweeptings.
I have several requests ahead of yours for reviews. As soon as I can get to these products I will do a full review. In the mean time make sure what ever you are feeding your dogs and cats (if you have any) does not include corn, wheat, or soy. These three grains will cause countless problems before killing your pets.
Susan
Susan,
Yes, I meant NutriSource. Thanks.
Nelda
Susan, after reading lost of you're reviews and talking with you, I was wondering what is the difference between cat and dog food? Why is there cat food for cats and dog food for dogs? Why not just pet food with good ingredients? This just got me thinking after you suggested feeding the cats the dog food version of certain better brands. Thanks
Bart,
There is a difference between cat food and dog food in the better made products. That difference is taurine. Cats tend to not drink enough water, taurine is added to some cat foods to encourge drinking. I'm sure the ideal protein content is different but with such poor quality pet foods on the market there is no danger in feeding cats dog food but you don't really want to feed dogs cat food.
There is a pet food for both cats and dogs in one container. Halo makes the pet food. Halo (I've just discovered and still doing reviews for), doesn't mess around with fancy sales gimics and junk ingredients. I've not reviewed everything Halo makes but so far I am very impressed!
Susan
Thank you for the clarification. I always thought they were specific due to the ingredients and one shouldn't eat the others food. I did see taurine on the ingredient list of Eagle dog food. Is that basically like sodium? Or is it a vitamin/mineral that cats need? I will keep an eye out for the Halo reiview. I've haven't seen that brand around here.
Bart,
Taurine is bile salts thus causing thirst. I have not seen or heard of Halo around my area either. I believe Halo is fairly new or I've just been in the dark!
Susan
I have just started my dogs on Horizon Legacy dog food you do not have it rated . Also I noticed a lot of the 10/10 dog foods have garlic in it some say it is good a lot benefits others say poison to a dog what has your research shown. Thanks
susan can you look into Petecurians "go natural" grain free and also their "now" line for me thanks
Jen,
I give the Go Natural Wild Salmon dog food an 8/10. I'll get to the full review soon.
Thanks,
Susan
I'm always concerned about my cats getting urinary tract infections, that is why I fed Iams for so long, because they never had a problem while eating it. My mom said to avoid fish, so I don't buy any canned food with fish in it. What do you think? Thanks
Bart,
Cats tend to not drink enough water which leads to UTIs. Pet food with taurine added to the ingredients will encourge water consumption which is supposed to help a lot. There is such a tiny amount of fish in pet foods there should be no problem with a fish flavor cat food. For the record, I have never heard of fish causing thirst in cats.
Susan
Whats a good treatment for earmites? Our Golden has been plagued with them for a long time. I keep treating them with over the counter meds and can't seem to get rid of them. Thanks again
Bart!
Guess what... it's your turn, I'm working on your reviews (finally).
Are you sure your Ret. has ear mites? Have you seen an actual mite or just know her ears bother her? The best treatment for ear mites is to pick up a $2.00 bag of garden type powdered sulfer, some petroleum jelly, and some baby oil (mineral oil). Use about 2 tablespoons sulfer, enough baby oil to mix into the powder to make a cream. Mix all together and add some jelly to thinken the mess. Yeah, you will do best using your fingers to stir this stuff up and you are going to have it all over your hands. Using the mess on your hands reach down into the retriever's ears as far as a finger will go and coat the inside of it with the sulfer mix. Do this a couple or three times the first week, one or twice the second week and you should be done. If the mites remain, continue use.
I'm betting it's not ear mites. My bet is the ears are still draining from corn, wheat, or soy. If it is a grain related ear infection the drainage should stop in a week or two after the diet change. The effects of a grain based diet could last up to 6 weeks.
Keep me advised.
Susan
Bart!
Guess what... it's your turn, I'm working on your reviews (finally).
Are you sure your Ret. has ear mites? Have you seen an actual mite or just know her ears bother her? The best treatment for ear mites is to pick up a $2.00 bag of garden type powdered sulfer, some petroleum jelly, and some baby oil (mineral oil). Use about 2 table spoons sulfer, enough baby oil to mix into the powder to make a cream. Mix all together and add some jelly to thinken the mess. Yeah, you will do best using your fingers to stir this stuff up and you are going to have it all over your hands. Using the mess on your hands reach down into the retriever's ears as far as a finger will go and coat the inside of it with the sulfer mix. Do this a couple or three times the first week, one or twice the second week and you should be done. If the mites remain, continue use.
I'm betting it's not ear mites. My bet is the ears are still draining from corn, wheat, or soy. If it is a grain related ear infection the drainage should stop in a week or two.
Keep me advised.
Susan
I don't know, she shakes her head, and I keep cleaning brown junk out of her ears. Thanks for working on my review, I can't wait to see it!
Bart,
Yeah, what you described is food related if no mite is seen. I've been grooming a very long time and have seen only one pet with mites. I see ear infections daily. Don't be afraid to use a Q-tip - you can't access the ear drum from outside the ear so you won't hurt her by cleaning deep inside the ear.
Susan
PS
Have you signed up as my fan? If you join the fan club HubPages will notify you via email to let you know I've been posting reviews and what reviews I have posted. I've gotten several of the Eagle Pack reviews written.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Eagle-Pack-Healthy-Dog-Foo
I tried to sign up to the fan club and it wouldn't let me. It said my user name. or password is invalid. I tried using Bart, and my email and neither would work. Also I am having second thoughts about Eagle. My animals are not getting enough of something. I'm feeding the dogs the same amount as Iams and the cats get free choice. Everybody gets canned food or a cooked meat of some kind. The cats keep getting into the trash, and getting on the counter, they no both of those are off limits. The dogs which are normally well mannered are putting their noses on my plate and just acting hungry all the time as are the cats, but I've noticed the cats seem to be eating less of the dry food. I found a place to order, Wellness, Newmans, and Natural Balance, or I can buy Maxximum. All animals are gettin the dog food Holistic formula right now. Thanks.
Bart,
Great observation! I'll check into this and pass the information along to those who read my reviews. I've not tried Eagle Pack, myself but what you have described sounds like too much filler and not what the pets are needing. A quality pet food should require only about 1/4 of what the normal pet foods require to satisfy you babies.
A tribute to you. http://hubpages.com/hub/Eagle-Pack-Healthy-Dog-Foo
Susan
Thats exactly what I thought, too much junk. I went and bought some Maxximum. I'm really having a hard time trusting any pet foods and am thinking of homemade food for my crew. I'm still concerned about the cats not drinking. Is there a taurine supplement to add myself? And how much should I feed? I have 3 cats all of moderate weight, and 2 dogs, a Border Collie that weighs about 30 pounds, and a Golden that weighs about 80. Thanks again Susan, you are so helpful! :-)
Bart,
I don't suggest Maxxiumum because I don't feel the ingredient list accurately describes what is really inside of the container. If you have other foods available, please use the better brands.
I wouldn't worry about your cats getting enough to drink. The grains cause UTI's (urinary tract infections) so your cats need to drink more to flush the junk from their bodies. If you are feeding a healthy product then you don't have to worry about extra water. I don't feel comfortable with taurine since it is actually a salt and causes dehidration, thus causing the cat to drink more fluids.
I fix liver, chicken, beef, etc. for my pets. I add green beans, apples, bananas, squash, etc. I just put it all in the blender, freeze what I don't use and feed the rest. Go easy at first because the pets aren't used to getting food with nothing added so will over eat and cause tummy upset.
Susan
How much do I need to feed? I will be mixing in dry until it is all gone, and continue to feed free choice to the cats.
Bart,
Whew, tough question. You will have to test the amount to feed to figure out what works best for you. If you plan to use the dry for a while I would go with mixing the home cooked with the dry (add just a bit of home cooked) and slowly cut back on the dry while adding your own. You will be able to tell when they are satisfied - then you will know what the correct volume to feed is. Each pet is different so it is hard for me to tell you what works.
Susan
I just have to say my animals are not too impressed with the MAxximum. What are you going to feed when you're not cooking? I would like to have a dry food for them as well. Thanks
How about NATURES LOGIC CHICKEN ? Looks like a very good food. I like the high protein 38%
Jen,
I'll do a full review of Natures Logic, soon. For today, I'll say I'm not overly impressed. I do not see use of corn, wheat, and soy but I do see beer/wine making by-products and use of milk products. Your pets don't need either of these things. I am a little concerned about the ingredients since the company uses a lot of flowery words to describe stuff which pets do not require in their diets. IE "suncured" alfalfa. What cat or dog grazes the alfalfa fields?
I see use of animal fats to encourage a pet to eat a product they normally would not eat. There is "Animal Plasma" from what animal? Why put animal blood in the mix? Did they include puss from an injured "animal" ? Second ingredient is Millet - goose feed. Do your cats and dogs need goose and duck feed?
I'm not impressed.
Susan
Bart,
I like Party Animal for a canned dog food. Very expensive! Here are my other choices (I think) ORIJEN ADULT Dog Food Acana Pet Foods Wellness CORE Grain FreeWenaewe Adult.
Susan
Bart,
Here are your Chicken Soup Cat Lovers Reviews http://hubpages.com/hub/Chicken-Soup-Cat-Food-Heal
Susan
Are you sure Chicken Soup is ok? That is available here. I would feed the dry.
Bart,
Chicken Soup is not okay. It scored a 7/10 but the ingredient list does not reflect the actual contents. Did you read my comments on the food?
Susan
Yes, thats why I asked, I've been reading lots of reviews. O thought maybe you were suggesting it since you sent me the link.
My breeder has been feeding Royal canin puppy food 33 to our yorkie. Would you recomend continuing the use of this food and eventually the royal canin mini yorkshire food or would you suggest something different?
Thanks,
Renee
Renee,
I do not recomend to feed Royal Canin since there have been a number of recalls from this company and Royal Canin is involved in at least one Class Action related to the deaths of pets. Read through the products I have reviewed for a 10/10 rating. I don't know what pet foods are available to you in your area so it is difficult to suggest something.
If you have any products you would like to have reviewed drop me a line.
Susan
Bart,
I'm so far behind in getting out my reviews that as soon as I complete the reviews I am updating you on my findings. Sorry for the confusion! Let me be perfectly clear - STAY AWAY FROM CHICKEN SOUP - I've been in contact with the company and they are not concerned. Buisness as usual, I guess!
Susan
Ok, well hang in there for a while, and I will cook for my babies. An updated list of reviews would be great. Thanks
Thanks susan I live in Charlotte NC and there are a lot of pet foods available but most of the to brands listed I have never seen in any of the stores not even petsmart or petco which is where I will be getting my food from.Renee
Nelda,
Here are your Tuffies reviews http://hubpages.com/hub/Tuffies-Healthy-Dog-Foods
Thanks for your patients!
Susan
Wendy,
Here are your Horizon Legacy reviews. Thank you for being understanding.
Susan
What do you know about Nutra Balance? I saw the canned food at Walmart and dry at Safeway today. The dry didn't look to good, but the canned was a little better, I think.
Bart,
Nutra Balance? Could you check the spelling because I'm having trouble finding any information on this product. Could you tell me who makes the product?
Susan
Nevermind! It was Natural Life, after I've looked at so many pet foods its hard to keep them all straight! I saw Walmart is carrying Newmans canned foods now, maybe they will get the dry in.
Bart, I've looked at so many pet foods I can't keep 'em straight, myself! I figured out what you were asking for - Natural Life, just this morning. I had no idea Wal Mart carried Natural Life or Newman's Own. I feel like I'm in a dark hole or something, maybe I should get out and go shopping, huh? LOL
Susan
I think they just started this week, I've never seen it before.
WARNING!! About NUTRO dog foods. It has been making pet violently ill with VOMITING and DIARHEA, according to consumeraffairs.com. Mars company that also owns Pedigree has bought NUtTRO and apparently changed the formula, as they use BHA and BHT, two items known to cause cancer. If you google "problems with NUTRO dog food testimonials will come up. Hope all you're pets are safe.
Bart,
Thank you for the warning. Let me add more information about BHA and BHT.
Because manufacturers need to ensure that dry foods have a long shelf life (typically 12 months) to remain edible through shipping and storage, fats used in pet foods are preserved with either synthetic or "natural" preservatives. Synthetic preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze), and ethoxyquin.
Did you read that? Automotive Antifreeze!
Susan
Hi Susan,
We feed Flint River Ranch Trout and Sweet Potatoes to our Ratties, they're doing great. In the same price range is there any thing better that we could be feeding them?
Dean,
I'm not sure what to suggest for you to feed. If you are not having trouble with the pet food you are feeding then I would suggest you continue with what works.
Susan
Dean,
I looked up Flint River Trout and Potatoes Dog Food and was concerned to see that the ingredients are from beer/wine making by-products and goose feed. Thought you might like to know.
Susan
Jen,
I have completed the reviews you requested for Pecurean's Go! and Now! products. http://hubpages.com/hub/Petcurean-Pet-Food-Healty-
Susan
Hi Susan,
Have you reviewed Nature's Variety? http://www.naturesvariety.com/ We are looking to switch food for my 9 year Lab who has allergies. Wellness is top on my list but after reading your review where they would not disclose information to you I am hesitant.
Thanks,
Dina
Dina,
I'm running behind in all my product reviews but I did take a quick look at the Nature's Variety Canine Lamb & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food
Run to the trash right now and throw it away!!!!!!!!
I'll get a full review for you as soon as I can.
Susan
Hi Susan just wanted to let you know we tried feeding London the Royal Canin food the breeder gave us and she wouldn't eat it LOL. She is now eating Nature's Recipe
London,
Thank your Mommy for her review!
Susan
Hi Susan, thanks for such a great site! I'm an American expat who's living in England, and came over with my beloved 14 year old lab/vizla mix and a 11 year old tabby cat. Knock on wood, both are in great health sans an anal gland issue my dog has been suffering of late. I raised them on Nutros then got freaked out when I saw the dog food recalls happening, and switched them to Pedigree out of desperation a little over a year ago- Pedigree in the UK is made in Ireland of locally sourced ingredients so they claim they are unaffected. The quality of the food though is showing a bit on them, and I want to give the best food for their ages that I can buy or make. I'm frightened of making my own and missing out on some of the vitamins, etc. that manufactured foods can contain though. I considered ordering in Oriigen Senior, but your review gave me pause- what would you recommend? Many thanks! :)
Susan, could you do a review for Premium Edge dry cats foods? I see its on the safe list, but I would like to know how it would rate.Thanks again.
Bart,
Yes, Ma'am! I took a quick look at the Finicky Adult Cat Chicken, Salmon & Vegetables Formula product and found it to be only 67% safe to feed by the new "Pet Food Danger Gauge". Full review to follow soon. (YUCK!)
Susan
Julie,
Of the pet foods available I would feel most comfortable with the Orijen. But, I cook for my pets at home. I think the risk out weighs what might be missing in a good home cooked meal. Many evenings (when I have not had time to cook a real meal for my cats and dog) I fry some burger, add oats, grean beans, apples, etc. A little stir-fry in a couple of minutes.
Susan
Dina
Here's your reviews for Nature's Variety http://hubpages.com/hub/Natures-Variety-Dog-Food-H
Susan
Bart,
Your Premium Edge cat food reviews are ready at http://hubpages.com/hub/Premium-Edge-Cat-Food-Heal
Susan
Susan:
I am thrilled to find these pages and will be reading all of your reviews. I've been searching for the best food for my cats for a while now. My most immediate issue, however, is that I have an older cat with some digestive issue. My vet put her on Royal Canin Rx High Fiber (dry & wet) - which is just loaded with grains and other junk. Is there a brand you can recommned for her? Thank you!
I forgot to add, I have recently tried Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Light dry (that was before I read your review of 7/10). My one year old cat is not very fond of it but will eat it if he gets nothing else.
Ell,
Cat food is pretty hard to find anything of high quality. I'm not sure what to suggest. If you find something which doesn't have a review let me know and I'll write a review for you.
Susan
Ell,
I forgot to tell you that there are several issues with Chicken Soup so I have removed the Chicken Soup products from the Safe Cat Food list.
Susan
Thanks, Susan. I am curious about Castor & Pollack Ultramix (Indooor). I didn't see a review on your site. If you can find out anything about it, that would be wonderful.
Ell,
I will get a full review written for you shortly but at a quick glance I can see the formula you are asking about will rate about 43% safe to feed (very poor score).
Susan
Thanks again. It certainly is no easy task to find a healthy food for cats. For now, I think I will go back to Wellness - glad to see that one is still on your safe list!
Ell,
Here are the Castor & Pollux reviews you asked for http://hubpages.com/hub/Castor-Pollux-Pet-Works-Ca
Susan
Cat (and dog) owners who have veterinarians "prescribing foods:
I hope you run fast and far and find a good veterinarian who does not sell food, as your carvivore (or omnivore) will not, I repeat NOT get well otherwise -- despite those drugs it's on. Please look at the INGREDIENTS in the stuff? (This is what the suit in Miami is all about -- NOT recall-related).
There are some flavors of Fancy Feast which some cat owners have actually weaned their Diabetic cats off Insulin on, which is just one example.
"Certain foods" are proven cause of these health issues. There are many good foods on the market now which you won't see advertised which are healthy for your carnivores. Don't let the higher prices scare you either, because the pets need LESS, as the animal maintains the good stuff and nutrients -- NOT tHEAP fillers which the animal only poops right out.
www.cati,nfo.org -- the doctor, a Specialist and renowned vet, has all the info any cat owner will find proves vital.
Cats, being felines, are designed by nature to be eating meat anyway-- not grains & "cereal". That's where all the UTIs and Diabetes come from. That's why they get also dental issues, look at their teeth design, for one example -- they are meant to eat meat. Feeding a cat grain stuff is no different than feeding a Human snickers bars every day of their life.
If you Google "diabetic cat" there are doctors with websites with all the facts about felines which the Media will not inform us of because the pet foods are big advertisers.
Hope you see the evidence on those websites of specialists and write your editors and ask why we are not informed of these things! (Who's sick of hearing about Imus already????))
If you have a veterinarian pushing foods which they are famous for pushing, PLEASE ask them how they can POSSIBLY be ignorant to the fact that a feline is a STRICT carnivore? And ask them to cite any "medicine" in those "prescription" bags which would justify the high price for a bunch of cheap grains and fillers?
The page is sticking when I try to click "post comment", Susan, I think due to my connection -- apologies if it posts weird or more than once :>))
Opps, sorry that is www.catinfo.org. This doctor names some canned foods -- you'll see the link (she does not "endorse" any -- just knows which ones are suitable and has low enough carbs. Carbs are what gives cats Diabetes and other issues).
But google "diabetic Cat" anyways because all the BEST Feline sites will come up, and they have all the facts regarding cats.
Eli,
I hope, once you have seen the evidence on the Cat Specailists' websites and their proof, that you do get a refund from that "vet" and find a new vet -- like yesterday (can't be soon enough.)
Besides those sites, there is so much info out there proving "certain foods" are what causes these illnesses that it's not even funny. Look for the "Education Links" on Feline Outreach. There are research papers, books written by specialists -- I hope you see all this evidence and get refunds from that vet.
Frankly, I'd cite FRAUD (no medicine in that "prescription" and DECEPTION! How can a vet NOT know this species is a strict carnivore?!
Good luck with your Carnivore. :>)
D & D,
Great advise!
Susan
Hi. I got my cat from a shelter where she was starving herself to death. I fed her expensive vet food with a syringe for a month until she consumed a peeled easter egg she was playing with. Since then I have been feeding her cooked whitefish wettened with skim milk, cut chicken breast, and 90 percent lean cooked ground beef. I was doing this for the recall but feel bad becasue I was always told that you !must! give your cat one commercial food and never vary it...and that is what I did to previous cats not knowingly.
Now, after the recall seems over I also give this cat Purina Healthful Life cat chow because it had cranberry and other "cat food" ingredients...and feline greenies....but each in small ammounts for training because she likes them. Also for urninary health....greenies help with her teeth which I do brush...only when I bathe her. After reading this Hub, I realise I could tell someone her mostly meat diet and it feels like a confession...but her health is amazing...have you done any tests on Purina Healthful Life ?(I think) It is the best thing that I can get in my area after reading all the ingredient backs...that is why I feed her daily lean meat...plus she loves the feline greenies and dances for them...are they good for her? I am guessing the cat food isn't great, even in small ammounts but she loves it and I couldn't find anything without byproducts at PetCo.
Brerfox,
Throw out the commercial pet food. Your cat must never have any grains in her diet. Read the label on the Greenies, I believe there are grains in the Greenies, as well.
I am in the beginning stages of develping a new web site PetFoodQuestions.com I will write detailed reviews for each of these products as soon as I get the site fully developed.
I don't know who started the old wives tale not to change diets but diet rotation is very important. Commercial pet food does not inlcude anything intented for the good health of your cat. Commercial pet food producers are interested in sales and sales pitches not in perfect diets.
Susan
You're amazing.
There is so much science to back you up. You would not believe how many people told me I should never change the brand they had as a kitten or the cat would have health problems!
I have followed this diet with previous cats and didn't know why they didn't live longer. I spent an absolute insane fortune on vet bills. One "old" little guy was amzingly wise and he died at 11; of kidney failure.Cats are such intelligent creatures, and I am hopeful of the prospect of keeping my current 3 year old healthy for another 20 years.
I have realised a meat diet is making the sweety I have now big, sleek, energetic, and she has no health problems, but seems to be growing. She wasn't expected to survive when I took her home.
The meat diet is cheaper too by far than a commercial diet even before the vet bills get figured in. She eats a lot of food we normally have around.
The cooked lean unseasoned refrigererated burger looks like high quality kibble and tonight she watched me take a bite as I set out her fresh dish and I swear she smiled at such a shared meal.
My cat, my 5 year old son, and I are all in the same boat as far as possible meat recalls go. At least I'm not feading her anything that I couldn't find edible.
She really likes "crunchy" I am going to have to figure an alternative crunchy treat. I am going to be looking for easy cat cookies. She is finicky.
I have to tell you I don't feel bad now about stopping the Purina. I used to live by lush and "pure" Honey Creek Wisconsin, and a Purina Factory used to dump animal parts in it and I heard horror stories like you mentioned of forced cannibalism (the pounds cats and dogs) and old horses and sick farm animals. It supposedly messed up the ecosystem , too. Nevertheless, I have spent money on better brand names like science diet and etc. with no results, and they have the same ingredients.
Healthful Life says," contains wholesome grains...""garden greens" "taurine""calcium." and "high quality protein." That is what I bought it for. The ingredients looked the most "wholesome."
I need to work on finding easy crunchy treats. It is so much fun to watch her dance for a "cookie." I also like to hide treats around the house like a scavenger hunt and I think meat might be too messy:)
With help I'll figure it out.
Hey guys,My 1.5 year old male neutered cat began straining and producing small amounts of bloody urine this morning. He's been eating Nature's Variety Organic chicken raw food since he was a kitten and he has a Drinkwell Platinum water fountain. I took him to the vet and among other things, she prescribed Royal Canin SO(pouches). I'm not a big fan of prescription diets, but I want my boy to be healthy. Royal Canin's SO diet doesn't look as bad as Hill's C/D diet, ingredient-wise. Anyway, I've noticed that a lot of people recommend that pet parents switch to a high-quality canned food instead of a prescription diet and that many people have had success with this. But what about my kitty? Has anyone fed a high-quality raw or canned diet and still had urinary tract issues? I'm rather bummed out that my boy isn't feeling well, despite my best efforts to prevent any illness. Thoughts, advice, comments, criticisms, please?
I'm not sure and would try this past Susan...but...I got some Cranberry Paste and it helped my cat. The ingredients looked good, mostly cranberries with meat as flavor.
I just made a milkshake out of cooked chicken gizzards and salmon and my cat went nuts! (it smelled horrible) Are gizzards good for cats? They had 2 grams fat and 17 protein.
I got one of those drinkwells also and I think that helped...but antibiotics are probably needed if there is blood in the urine...
Lady, you are insane. Do some research and back up claims before you spout off half truths and lies!
Hi, i have a Shih Tzu-Palmerian-mini greyhound mutt. and i was asking if anybody has had any problems with their dogs eating Beneful adult formula dog food or Old Roy Kibbles and Bits? she ussualy jumps around and goes ballistic when i say "U wanna go for a walk?", now she kinda looks at me and gives me the 'Are you crazy?' look. its not like her and i was wondering if anybody has any preferances for me? Thanks, LittleCookie'sMama
Hello! I have a cat that is 16 and has kidney issues, including periodic stones. We have her on renal meds, but I'm not feeling good about her food. The vet says to give her canned RX diets, as one train of thought is to keep protein low on kidney cats.
I feed the other cats Spot's Stew mixed with Nature's Variety Chicken/Turkey raw. The vet didn't want me to feed the kidney kitty raw, saying that they are less able to fight the dangers of raw food.
I'd love to feed the kidney kitty just Spot's Stew, but I'm not sure about the protein thing. Can you enlighten me at all? Thanks much for your time!
This last year i've been feeding Dog Lovers Gold to my dogs (2 old retrievers, 16 years old and one youngster 2 years old). It's produced both in the US and in the EU. It's an holistic food with at least 70% meat/fish content, less than 20% brown rice, salmon oil, whole dried eggs, probiotics, chelated minerals and tocepherols and rosemary for conservation. One of my oldies had been having trouble keeping dry when sleeping deeply for more than one year, after just 1 1/2 weeks on this food the problem stopped altogether. She's been dry now for a year. The 6 year old dog of a friend of mine that was suffering from kidney-problems for 3 years was symptom-free within two weeks and a month later when the blood work was done there was no sign of kidney problems. It's not too expensive either, less than 40 euros (I'm not sure what that is in dollars, what with the changes in the financial world lately). They have a brand for cats as well: cat lovers gold! I'm very impressed with this food!
I have a cat that was on hills science because I thought it was top shelf...she started having diarrhea...vet said food allergy...put her on ZD hills science....no change...so I gave her yogurt for the tummy and switched her to a food called by nature. It has no wheat no corn and no soy. It does have vegetables and Taurine...have you ever tested this food?? I am at my wits end trying to understand how to straighten out her tract...I love this cat and want to do right for her.
I would like to know if Royal Canin Medium Adult Dog Food is or is not healthy. It is so difficult to find dog food that is what it claims to be. I really want to find a safe, healthy and affordable dog food for my precious dog, so that he can have what he needs to stay healthy and have a really good life.
The Plaintiffs maintain that these companies have spent $300 million a year in making false and misleading marketing statements regarding the contents of their pet food to the dog and cat loving American public. While these Defendants tout their pet food products as choice cuts of prime beef, chunks of chicken, fish, fresh wholesome vegetables and whole grains to induce consumers to buy them, the Plaintiffs contend the food is actually made from "inedible" slaughterhouse waste products of the human food chain such as spines, heads, tails, hooves, hair, and blood. Rendering companies who process this waste have also added other inedible "waste" such as euthanized cats and dogs from veterinarian offices and animal shelters, road kill, zoo animals, rancid restaurant grease, toxic chemicals and additives. Additionally, dead animals and those declared unfit for human consumption due to disease and illness are also placed in the mix.
I'm confused by your ratings for Taste of Wild. In one place you give it a 9 and in another it is shown as dangerous. Can you tell me what the current rating is on Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food. Venison, Fowl, and Salmon
i would like to know also about dog lovers gold. read this whole site looking for a new food to switch to, and that one caught my attention.
here is their website: http://www.dogloversgold.eu/usa/
I have recently moved from the US to France. Does anyone know a good brand of dogfood available in supermarkets in France? Alternatively, I can cook and freeze an all natural preparation to feed my two dachshunds during the week when I have to work. Anyone has a good recipe?
Is Blue Buffalo Dog Food safe?
Susan, currently I am completely at a loss and I am hoping that you can help. I have a 11 month old female English Bulldog, Glory. About 4 months ago she started developing hives constantly and stopped eating her food. We took her to the vet and he determined that she probably had food Allergies and switched her to prescription hypoallergenic food- Royal Canine Potato and Venison formula. We are pleased with the results, she loves the food and the hives had stopped. Around the same time that Glory started having the reaction we adopted another English Bulldog puppy named Giles. Her is not 4 months old. We also have two older Rottweilers. I am so happy with the food that Glory is on. Her coat is very soft and we have had no further skin problems and her weight is perfect. I would like to put all of the dogs on such a good food, but the cost is outrageous. I am currently paying almost $50.00 for 16 pounds of food. Is there anything non prescription that would compare to what Glory is on now? We also have tried some of the prescription hypoallergenic treats but she does not seem to like them. Any suggestions?
Thank you for your help!!!
After reading all this about the horrible ingredients in pet food, I would rather just buy my cat meat meant for humans ---canned chicken, baby food meats, etc. Is there some powder I could mix with it to turn it into complete nutrition? I don't think I could ever get my cats to eat vegetables, and do they really need anything other than meat? I've never seen a cat in the wild raiding the pea patch or sweet potato field. I am confused about your comment above, Susan, that canned meats for humans contain chemical preservatives that cats can't tolerate. If the label does not mention any chemical, why do you think it contains it? The canning process does away with the need for any other preservative.
MENUFOODS OF ST.LOUIS,MISSOURI MAKES DRY DOG AND CAT FOOD AND DOG SNACKS.
menufoods makes "EVER PET"DOG SNACKS VARIETY DOG BISCUITS WHICH IS SHIPPED TO THE DOLLAR GENERAL STORES.IF YOU,VE RECENTLY BOUGHT THE DOG SNACKS QUIT FEEDING THEM TO YOUR DOGS,THE DOG SNACKS CONTAIN PEANUTBUTTER FROM THE PLANT IN BLAKELY GEORGIA.WITHIN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS THEY HAVE PULLED THE DOG SNHACKS FROM THEIR SHELVES BUT HAVE NOT PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE NOR HAVE THEY NOTIFIED THE FDA.WHICH IN MY MIND IS A COVERUP.THE DOLLAR GENERAL IS JUST AS GUILTY AS MR.PARNELL.I HOPE THE INVESTIGATION WILL FIND THEM OUT.
We just got our little yorkie back from a 2 day stay at the vet. I bought a bag of Nutro small bites lamb and rice 3 days later she started vomitting etc. long story short. I bought Diamond lamb and rice and think she had a relapse this time she had to stay at the vet with iv etc., I have her back and have gotten samples from the local dog store. Along with the science diet Id for the next few days and antibiotics I have given her samples of various low fat dry food. She turned her nose up at the lamb and rice from Innova. But went right to Taste of the Wild Salmon and Bison. These apparently do not have any grains etc., But I found out that Diamond is the manufacturer. She has also tasted Solide Gold Hund-N- Flocken and liked that. I'm not sure at Taste of the Wild. Do you have any info??
vic says:
3 years ago
We have two Shih Tzus. We have always fed them dry food. One developed a liver condition due to the high simple carbohydrate foods/snacks he used to eat. Fortunately, we discovered the problem on time and were able to reverse the liver condition. The process was instrumental in us becoming educated on types of foods to feed them. We have since used Hills L/D and Royal Canin Digestive Lowfat L/F dry foods. Both of these are very low in simple carbohydrates.
We mix these two products 50/50 because Hills is fairly high in good fats and high in calories. Royal Canin has equally good ingredients, but with lower fat content. I wish that the fiber contents were a bit higher (perhaps 8%) to help our senior Shih Tzus with their digestive system.
I think the ideal dog food (dry) should have 20-25% protein, 8-12% fat and 7-9% fiber.