whats the difference between iams and pedigree?

Question

i fed all my pitbulls iams then switched to pedigree, when on iams they loss weight. so a friend who breeds them told me to try pedigree i did. pedigree thickend his bones, and gave him alot of muscle tone with exercise.(on iams they constantly loss weight--ALL--of them.) can anyone tell me the cause of this....and is beniful a good dog food for pitbulls(like show/champion).

Answer 1

I feed my pit Iams (I let her free-feed on the large breed puppy, she's 1 1/2 yrs old) and she's right where she needs to be on weight (you can feel her ribs when you run your hand down her side, but not see them, and her stomache is recessed in comparison to her chest along the bottom). Be very careful about who you accept advice from on pits and weight. My Tater is tall for the breed, and about 15 lbs over what the average female weighs (she weighs 60lbs even). There are pit owners out there who want their dogs to be bulky and muscle-bound, but unless you have a champion weight puller, you're doing the dog a disservice attempting to "bulk up", like people who use weights or heavy logging chains for tie-outs or leashes....it's completely unneccessary, a good lead will keep your pooch under control...people use the weights to beef up their pet's muscle. Pits should be chosen as pets for people who want the best friend they've ever had, not someone who wants a big scary dog to scare people or protect their property. I look at dogs the same way I look at people, ignore what the scale says; do they look healthy? are they proportionally figured? are they happy and active? As far as dog food goes, Iams, Nutro, and Science Diet are some very good foods, but pick a brand and stick with it, dogs don't need variety when they're eating a quality food.

Answer 2

Thats quite interesting as pedigree is not a premium pet food, and as such tends to cause loose stools, contains a lot of "fillers" and you usually have to feed more. I feed my aussie on Royal Canin Medium Junior, which is a premium food (like the Iams) and have had no issues at all. I did find that my boy started to put on weight, but this is because the feeding guide can be quite generous (different environmental conditions, exercise etc) and so have reduced the amount and have a dog in top form now (I reduced my feeding regime by about 60%!)
But, to get back to your question, pedigree firstly uses a lot of fillers, which includes grains, rice husks etc, which are not absorbed by the dogs digestive system (short gut=less transition time). This means more for you to clean up in the backyard, and can sometimes cause intestinal blockages. It tends to use animal by-products as the main meat ingredient, which can include bones, beak, parts of the carcass a dog would actually leave if they are fed a whole one (offal). Some premium brands (eg Royal Canin) use muscle meat as the main ingredient (and is human grade). Pedigree does use a lot of fat in their food, which may be one of the reasons your dogs put on weight; this is why the dogs enjoy eating it - it is like comparing McDonalds to a plate of meat and veg. It could also be that your dogs did not like the taste of the Iams, and therefore did not eat as much as they needed to. Also brands like Pedigree use preservatives, which some dogs can have allergies to. If you wanted to ensure your dogs were maintaining a "complete" diet, which you do not typically get from your "supermarket" brands, you could try switching to something like Hills, Eukanuba, Royal Canin (this is what I use for all my animals - they have breed specific food also. The Boxer food is designed to maintain muscle toning so you could perhaps try this?), Eaglepak etc. As far as I am aware Beneful is not a premium food. I dont know if it is applicable to other countries but in Australia we have a 100% money back guarantee on our premium food (with a receipt) if your dog does not like the food, or you are not happy with the product.
Have a read on the website of each brand and this should be able to give you some more info on ingredients listed. Pet stores should also be able to give you further information.
www.Royalcanin.com has some more info about the different breed specific food available.
If you are a registered breeder, you can also sign up to receive breeder bags for most premium pet food (and puppy packs).
Hope this has helped a little!

Answer 3

I have had dogs all my life(47) and they are all fed Eukanuba and have been fed it for many years.They are ideal weight and have the glossiest coats around. I have a comment or two from reading the aboves. Peta has something against everyone.They have some good points and just as much nonsense. They aren't just against Iams(who makes Eukanuba).They also are against PetsMart and thousands more. I think they do great work but ought to stay out of a lot of things.I was supporting them and so they sent monthly newsletters.After I read only one I stopped sending them money and now send it elsewhere.Not that I am able to send much but have always been of the mentality that every bit counts.On owning just one pit at a time- Does that alone not say something about them? I'm glad I can have as many of the breed I have as I want.

Answer 4

Next time you're at the store, compare the labels. I've always heard the foods that start with meat, like chicken, lamb, beef, are better for the animals. The ones that start with corn meal byproduct, etc. aren't as good. Something to do with the meat being the main ingredient. As far as why yours did that, I have no idea. Iams is supposed to be a great brand, wish I could afford it for my dogs. I loved the pedigree lamb and rice, but had a hard time finding it at a lot of stores. Try asking your vet.

Answer 5

Perhaps you were using the Iams Weight Control formula Pits, if so, that's why they lost weight. If not, then you probably should have fed them more of the Iams. Different dog food brands should be fed differently. You have to experiment with stuff like that.
Beniful gives dogs very smelly diarrhea, I wouldn't suggest using it.

Answer 6

If you really love animals, you may want to check PETA's website...I know they had a boycott on Iams for some time due to the fact they tested on animals. In fact, Anna Nicole was part of their boycott Iam's campaign. They should have the latest info there
http://www.peta.com

Answer 7

the SPELLING!!!