Why are people still making a big deal about IAMS food?

Question

I know what they discovered 3-4 years ago. At that time, the person running the research department had personal problems going on and his work and criteria reflected it. Since then, he has been fired and a new director of research has taken over. IAMS is a good brand for dog food and cat food. Their formula is proven to work and deliver everythign it promises and says on the bag. I own 4 dogs and feed them IAMS kibble along with some canned alpo from time to time. My coats are beautiful, teeth pearly white with NO decay or cavitites and their energy level is still as high as ever. So, why, 4 years later, after the "bad guy" was fired and removed are people still making a big deal. IAMS is proven to be better than 85-90% of the brand out there.

Answer 1

When Paul Iams owned the company it was amazing food. Since Proctor & Gamble bought it out, it's become a cheap brand. We had many many complaints from clients who bought Iams faithfully for years. They complained about large smelly stool, rough skin and coat, increased gas, dogs refusing to eat it, etc. We stopped carrying the brand in 2001 in our store. I've asked Iams repeatedly for recent pictures of their feed test sites and they've refused to send me any, therefore I believe they are hiding something. I also emailed them some questions about their foods (why they use ground grain sorghum - why they use by product - why they use sugar and sugar products - why they use cheap grains and no vegetables). Then I asked them if their IAMS or EUKANUBA were such great fantastic foods, would the company owners be willing to eat a bowl of it themselves??? Afterall, if Iams is made with good ingredients and safe procedures, it shouldn't be harmful to humans, right ? They REFUSED to eat one kibble !!! What does this tell me? Why would I feed my own DOGS a food that I won't eat myself ??
I invest my money in products that I've seen use top notch ingredients, human grade meats and lots of fresh veggies/fruits with natural preservatives.
Best Wishes

Answer 2

Because IAMS agreed to monitor the research labs they were using and make immediate changes in the protocol. I don't believe just one person was responsible for the horrible acts of cruelty IAMS research labs were allowed to practice. If so, IAMS should have done extensive research on the individual before they hired him/her. IAMS knew very well what was going on in their labs, they condoned it. IAMS lied and very little has changed to this day over their treatment of the dogs IAMS uses in testing.

Why would you patronize a company that has so little compassion? Why would you patronize any company that insists animal testing is necessary when it's been proven alternatives are available and in most cases documented to be more reliable?

Remember that the next time you open a bag or can of IAMS that some dog gave his life so your dogs could have beautiful coats, pearly white teeth and high energy levels, something the test animals would never experience.

Answer 3

Because now there are way better brands than Iams out there. Both brands you mentioned are full of by products and other junk. My dogs are like my kids and deserve only the best which does not include supermarket brands.

Take a look at how to grade your dogs food, as you can see Iams doesn't even compare to the better brands.
How to grade your dog's food:
Start with a grade of 100:

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or
fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five
ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer’s rice", "rice flour" are
all the same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats
in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 morepoints

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil,subtract 2
points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to
beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or
nutritionist, add 5 points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than
the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein
source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are
pesticide-free, add 1 point

94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D

69 = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored.
Dog Food scores:

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+

Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F

Canidae / Score 112 A+

Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+

Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B

Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+

Foundations / Score 106 A+

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D

Innova Dog / Score 114 A+

Innova Evo / Score 114 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F

ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+

Purina Benful / Score 17 F

Purina Dog / Score 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F

Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Answer 4

I disagree with your statement that Iams is a good food. It is rated a one or two star food (out of 5) because it contains a lot of corn (which dogs don't digest well) and other cheap filler.

Next time you're at the pet store, take a look at the ingredients in Iams and then look at the ingredients in Performatrin Ultra, or Canidae, or Innova....etc.

Answer 5

they test on on cats and dogs! and its a cheap food. I used to work at petco and it wouldnt sell its considered a grocery food because its so cheap. you dog or cat is literally eating so much by-products that it may not show now but it later on have problems. they eating chicken beaks and all the left over meat that is so unhealthy. And plus they go to the bathroom alot more often and dirty when fed grocery food! if you buy a healthier more organic food its a fact they goes less and alot cleaner and live alot longer. Most dogs are allergic to corn and wheat also and thats what cheap foods are mostly made up of!

Answer 6

Eukanuba and Iams WAS a great dog/cat food at one time. I don't judge what one "bad guy" did. If there are too many ingredients in a pet food I for one stay away from it. Most commercial pet foods out there are not telling you what they really put in they're food. I'm sorry but IAMS got too commercialized for their own good and jumped on the band wagon to putting some questionable crap in their foods.

Answer 7

If you will look on the back of any brand dog food, the first 3 ingredients is the main source of food for your dog. If there is alot of by product or corn, not the best thing for your dogs digestive tract. I use Nutro, because of the ingredients, more natural and better for your dog.

Answer 8

Because they test their products on animals. Yes, some people may say well we test drugs on humans. No then same when you consider that we do not make humans sick so that we can try to make them better. That is what IMAS does. Please check out my doggies website www.winstonwebster.aboutmybaby.com
and he has a link on there that says Winston loves PETA. Look at you pets and honestly ask yourself if you could cut their gums over and over again just so that you could try a product on them to see if it would help to. That is one of the many things that IMAS has done.

Answer 9

back in the late 80's when i was in the dog show business all the dog show people used Eukanuba an Iams product. that was good enough for me.

Answer 10

My cat, Miss Luxy Marie, swears by Iams! If its good enough for Miss Lux its good enough for me!