Pet food brands

[smoochies 0]

LOL thanks Frances... I call him my baby-boy, even though he and his brother are almost 9 years old now... for as frail as he seems, he took more tranquilizer than the other 2 combined to calm him down on the trip down here, so he's tougher than he looks, I guess...

as for the BARF diet, I admire people who can commit to something like that, but I can barely boilk water, so I would probably make things worse if I tried that

[denali_1963 0]

My puggy like hotdogs and chicken.

[smoochies 0]

My puggy like hotdogs and chicken.

awww how cute

[Flames9_RN 359]

As I mentioned in the original post, i highly recommend Canidae for dogs and felidae (made by same company) for cats. http://www.canidae.com/

Human grade ingredients and no fillers. Here is a a quick blurb from their website explaining the difference between cheap food and high quality food:

http://www.canidae.com/ingredients/meatvmeal.html

So even if certain brands start off with meat, its not that high quality of a meat!!

We just brought home a Siberian kitten. The unique thing about the Siberian is that people that suffer from cat allergies, don't normally with a siberian! We have named her Bosco. She is a reddish orange and white. We will be feeding her Felidae. It was actually cheaper than many mid level cat foods. Cheers

[kc456 0]

I recommend cat tuna from Trader Joe's.

[daisy16 1]

smoochies, I love your avatar kitty!

You can probably order your preferred catfood online. Either through their website or PetValu

[smoochies 0]

smoochies, I love your avatar kitty!

You can probably order your preferred catfood online. Either through their website or PetValu

I looked on what I thought was their website, but I didnt see any way to order, it was just "find a location near you".

Flames, I will definitely look into that brand, thanks for the tip

[Saddle Bronc 124]

NutriPet!

[Tim and Bethanie 1]

Kitty food: http://www.proplan.com/cat_products/produc..._dry_extra.aspx

Doggy food: http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/dry_dog_food.php

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I used to get my catfood as well at PetValu and missed it when I got here. I brought along a good supply of their food knowing I would probably have to switch and didn't want it to be too traumatic. I have 5 cats - one of which gets the same weepy eyes. It is an airbourne allergy of some sort. I have two with sensitive digestions who also require higher quality food (vet bills from intestinal infection and another from pancreatititis). They are on proplan tinned which is consistently good although it only comes in the smallest tins, and then dry is a mixture of maxcat gourmet classic chicken (I have one who will eat nothing but that), innova evo (no grain based carbohydrates) and natural choice Complete Care also by Nutro. They are all doing well. Fortunately I have a PetSmart nearby,and then a specialty animal care/feed store where I can buy the innova. One other thing I do is instead of giving the cats commercial treats, I buy the little sampler packages of different catfoods including some of the cheaper varity like fancy feast or whiskas and then give them those as if they were treats. It is cheaper and healthier - and they do seem to think it is something special!

Edited July 6, 2006 by Kathryn41

[Kathryn41 3,205]

"thanks for the input, my little kitty Silas is 9 years old and only 6lbs, his brother Ike weighs in at 11. Ike doesnt have the same health issues that Silas does, Silas was the runt, and will not put on weight. I spent almost $1000 on blood work and tests to find out that there's nothing wrong with him other than the sensitivity to food, but he's skin and bones, always has been".

Just re-reading your post again . . . I would really try the Innova Evo (for 'evolutionary') for this little guy. It is an alternative of a raw food diet, contains no grain and is designed to closely match of nutritional content of a cat's natural diet - high in protein, low in carbohydrates. Ingredients are: turkey, chicken, chicken meal, herring meal, potato, chicken fat, eggs, turkey meal, apples, carrots, tomatoes, cottage cheese, dried chicory root, taurine, herring oil, then all sorts of vitamin supplements including lactobacillus and bifidobacterium - the naturally occuring bacteria in the digestive tract that help digest food. Analysis is: protein - 50%, fat 22%, fiber 2 %, moisture 10%, linoleic acid 4% then the micro nutrients are listed. Calories are 542 kcal/cup. If you want to find a supplier or learn more about it - it is pricey but worth the investment - check their website: www.naturapet.com

[samir_shannon 0]

Well, when I was a kid, I had a cat named roscopecotraine hahahahahhahh we fed him Meow Mix and he lived to be 18 years old.

[Kajikit 65]

Our furry girls get science diet... we tried them on several other kinds of 'premium' kibble but the only brand they would eat was the one they were used to. They love Kit'n'kaboodle and 'Kibble'n'bits' but theyonly get them for treats - it's not nearly nutritious enough to be their primary food.

[babybunny 2]

I just tried the benifuls - my dog loved them things. they look like little microwave containers - kind of small but, they look like people food.

has pasta, rosted chicken, spinich, peas. it looked dayum good I wanted to take a bite of it. anyways my dog loved it. made him full. since I have a small dog. 1 of those little thigns is 2 meals for him. the down side is them things are expensive 2.00 for one of them things.

[danae 0]

Where your Pet Food comes from & What's in it.?

We see pictures of whole grains, prime cuts of meat and human grade vegetables on the bag, and we assume there's some chef in a pet food kitchen cooking up the best for our loved ones. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.Most of what makes up dog and cat food comes from the rendering plant.

To render, as defined in Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting."When chickens, lambs, cattle, swine, and other animals are slaughtered for food, usually only the lean muscle is cut off for human consumption.This leaves about 50 percent of a carcass left over. These leftovers are what become what we so commonly find on pet food labels, such as "meat-and-bone-meal" or "by-products.

"So basically, what pets eat are lungs, ligaments, bones, blood and intestines.Some other things that go into rendering to make your Cat and Dog Food are:

* Euthanized companion animals Cats a Dogs

* Spoiled meat from the supermarket, Styrofoam wrapping and all

* Road kill that can't be buried on the roadside

* The "4 D's" of cattle: dead, dying, disease and disabled

* Rancid restaurant grease

When dead animals from cow pastures are picked up, they may not be rendered until up to a week after they are dead. Because of this, it is estimated that E. coli bacteria contaminate more than 50 percent of meat meals.

The rendering process destroys the bacteria, but it does not eliminate the endotoxins bacteria release when they die.

These endotoxin, which can cause sickness and disease, are not tested for by pet food manufacturers.When all this comes to the rendering plant, it's put in a huge vat and shredded.Then it's cooked at 220 to 270 degrees for 20 to 60 minutes. After it cools, the grease is skimmed off the top.

This is "animal fat." The rest is pressed and dried. This is "meat and bone meal."Dogs wouldn't eat this stuff in the wild, so why will they eat it out of their bowls? Their noses are tricked by the smell of it. The smell of animal fats for dogs and fish oil for cats is sprayed on the dry, bland kibble bits to make them appetizing.

These flavors usually come from rendered restaurant grease, animal fat, or other oils unfit for human consumption. Huge conglomerates use pet food companies as a cheap, and even profitable, way of disposing of the waste from their human food companies. Three of the five major pet food companies are owned by these huge corporations.

Who owns what? Corporation & Pet Foods:

Nestle: Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, Purina One

Heinz: 9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature's Recipe

Colgate-Palmolive: Hill's Science Diet

Proctor & Gamble: Eukanuba and Iams

Mars: Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, Waltham's

VETERINARIANS AND PET FOOD: So why don't vets warn people? The question should be, what makes veterinarians think they can recommend food. In Food Pets Die For, Ann Martin says, Our family physician doesnt display weight loss products in the reception room So why is this going on in our veterinary clinics that do not specialize in nutrition. She says she considers it unethical for vets to sell pet food unless they are trained in pet nutrition.The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by representatives from the pet food companies.

Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free pizza.The companies also hire students to be representatives for the company and to promote their products to other students.This issue was even placed on the agenda for an Executive Committee meeting at the vet school at Colorado State University. According to the minutes discussion was held on how to handle dealing with pet food companies and their donations of pet food to the university. It was agreed to put together a task force to discuss this issue, investigate the possibilities, and make suggestions to the Executive Council on how to work with the numerous pet food companies that want to donate to CSU. There was no further mention of this topic in meetings since.

In May 2000, Purina made the announcement that in an effort to help university, veterinary hospitals provide optimal nutrition recommendations for dogs and cats, Ralston Purina is funding three new veterinary diet technician positions. They donated $100,000 to support these positions for the first year. How would you feel about a company that paid your salary?

CHEMICALS IN PET FOOD:Because the ingredients in pet food aren't exactly as pure as consumers are made to believe, not only is the food unhealthy, it may also be poisonous.When the "food" comes out of the rendering plant, there's no way it would be bought by a consumer or eaten by a dog. To make it more pleasing to the eyes of owners and the mouths of animals, the producers of pet food add a myriad of chemicals.To keep the food fresh, the first thing added is a preservative. The bags of food must stay fresh through shipping and on the shelf. There are several synthetic preservatives out there:

* Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

* Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

* Propylene glycol (also used as automotive antifreeze)

* Ethoxyquin

Their is little known about the effect these chemicals may have on an animal. Some experts and veterinarians claim ethoxyquin is the best and safest preservative on the market, others claim it is a potential carcinogen, causing skin problems and infertility in dogs.Some other things that may be added to your dog or cat food are:

* Coloring agents

* Drying agents

* Flavoring agents

* Lubricants

* Nutritive Sweeteners

* Texturizers

IS THERE CAT AND DOG IN PET FOOD?:Reporter John Eckhouse was one of the first people to discover the practice of sending euthanized pets to the rendering plants.He quoted an employee of Sacramento Rendering as saying, "Thousands and thousands of pounds of dogs and cats are picked up and brought here every day."When a vet tells a grieving owner that they'll "take care" of their dead loved one, they usually mean sending it off with the disposal company for rendering. This is all perfectly legal. Many veterinarians and especially shelters don't have the money to bury or cremate animals.Although many in the pet food industry deny that they use euthanized animals, proof that the practice goes on continues to surface.

Also Do you know what is in meat meal, the major constituent of dry dog/cat food?...Urine, fecal matter, hair, pus, meat (from animals, afflicted) with cancer and T.B., etc."

All I can say is that if you must buy meat for your companion animals, buy organic!