Has the pet food recall changed your opinion about some of the 'premium' brands?

Question

I was personally more that a little shocked to find out that such supposedly premium and healthier brands like Nutro, Iams and Eukanuba apparently are serving the same content as several bargain and generic store brands. I was especially shocked to see Science Diet listed, as it has been recommended on more that one occassion by vets for my then-ailing pets.

For years I served Nutro Max to my late dog who had serious skin allergies - under the misconception that it was somehow healthier (it was, to the extent that it helped his skin)

I'm not knocking the nutritional content of "menufoods" per se, especially given that investigators are now speculating that the gluten content was contaminated with rat poison. I am not impressed however that such supposed premium brands are in essence the same food as the genric store brands.

Personally, now that I can afford it I feed my pets nothing but organic pet foods.

it's not just that they are using the same gluten.. they're using the same gravy and chunks.. "menufoods" is a rendering and processing facility

Answer 1

I am shocked as well but not too shocked. Last year my cat who was 16 1/2 yrs old got sick and went into kidney failure, well before that me & my mom were checking out the ingredients in all the foods b/c it seemed that she got very ill from foods made with by product and chicken. We learned that the very expensive brands used by products in their formulas which is very not good for a pet. I ended up going to petsmart and finding an organic brand that had no by product but it was too late for my cat. I certainly hope that you feed your pets the best and really read the ingredients, it's really a shock when you read between the fine lines...Good luck!
PS: Science diet was the worst for my cat, about 1/2 an hour after she would eat it she would scream and have vomitting, so be careful and feed your pets the best!

Answer 2

The big named companies aren't serving the same food as the crappy companies, just in a different bag or can. They happen to be using the same wheat gluten, which is what they use to make the gravy, bind it together. Just cause they use the same gravy binder doesn't make the quality of the foods all the same.. It depends on where the companies get their other ingredients and the quality of those ingredients.

I never considered Iams or Eukanuba to be a premium food, so my opinion hasn't changed.

Answer 3

I was personally not shocked to see "premium" brands on the list! I have for many years fed my dogs pedigree, and like others mentioned my dogs are very healthy! A name brand does not make it a better pet food, nor does the fancy packaging!

Answer 4

I don't feed any of the pet food on the recall list, I feed Pedigree, so we're ok. But I am a little wary of feeding the canned/pouched food now. They're going to have to deal with no canned treats for a while.

Answer 5

For years I have used Wal-Marts Ole Roy and my dogs have thrived on it. I have had no problems relating to what my dogs eat. They have healthy teeth, healthy coats, bright eyed, energetic & they really don't like others I have tried them on.

So this recall has not bothered me, except for the fact that it has killed peoples pets. That is terrible, horible and I think that the people who lost their pets due to this should file a class action suit against the companies to put the food on the market. This is very sad and should not be ignored.

Answer 6

I'll stay with dried foods and add a little rice mixed with lean chicken occasionally for my animals.