Got a question or comment on this topic? Share your views and experiences with other Consumer members...
To add a comment you need to be a member of consumer.org.nz. Login or Join.
Previous: Pet food FAQs
Previous: Pet food FAQs
Hello,
Why are Iams and Royal Canine wet food for cats not compared in this survey?
I have done hours of research looking for the best food for dogs! all my life I have fed ALL my cats and dogs 'highly recommended kibble' from the vets who "know better" than us clueless animal owners and lovers. All had normal pet problems .eg. smelly breath, dirty teeth, allergies etc. I bought a rotty pup 3months ago and he was allergic to something in the food, I switched to other expensive kibble but he kept scratching! After all my research I finally realised how BAD processed food really is! Its not rocket science..people only care about money, not our pets..including your vet! Like us, we can either eat a healthy banana for fibre or a processed musli bar- high in fibre..not to mention sugar and fat etc, exactly what we DONT NEED! Dah everything 'natural' is better! raw meaty bones with heart, tripe, kidney, sometimes a bit of vege and egg+shell, rice, (because that is what they would have eaten from the stomachs of their kills thousands of years ago) and flaxseed oil (or fish oil). Thats what my pup gets hes now very healthy, looks like a shiny show dog to be! I feel sorry for people who dont know the truth about how the kibble is made and exactly what is in it! I advise all to do some research too! And you are so right about vets, they will ONLY recommend their CRAP food, they said I was making a big mistake changing to raw food diet! probably coz now they'll be losing out!!!
If you are interested in the distinction have a look at:
http://files.championpetfoods.com/Orijen_white_paper.pdf
I now have 7 hedgehogs waiting at my door every night. I was feeding them my cats expensive Royal Canin (vet product).To save money I purchased a bag of Budget Dry Cat Food from the supermarket....the little blighters wouldn't even touch it (nor would my cat or the neighbours cat) Shows you how horrid it must be if hungry hogs aren't even interested!
I read an item in last weekend's Herald re K9 dog food from Christchurch. I bought some early this week and my dog is really enjoying it. It is raw meat freeze dried.... I read a comment that a dog's proper diet should run past its nose wearing fur... VBG She is having the venison at the moment and the pack says it contains min. 85% fresh venison from grass fed ranch raised animals deemed fit for human consumption and free of antibiotics and hormones. No cereals, artificial ingredients, rice, soy or gluten.
That is a very good food to feed raw. I started out on it. Very expensive and I don't believe dogs need fruit and veg. Make sure you give your dog bones aswell for teeth cleaning as K9 is a soft food and won't give the teeth a clean or workout.
I now do prey model raw and am loving it.
I see so many overweight dogs around it is a real shame. I think because so many commercial dog foods contain cereals which are not species appropriate and or people overfeed. It is NOT normal to see rotund dogs, it will shorten their lifespan. They should be lean and muscular.
I recently went in to a pet chain store and was asked what brand of cat food I bought. When I said that it was Purina One I was told that I was ensuring that my cat would have a limited lifespan compared with if I bought their premium brand.
Good to see that my hunch was correct that he was trying to use emotional blackmail techniques to make a sale and that there isn't anything in it after all.
Feeding a raw meaty bones diet to your cat or dog is the natural way to feed a complete diet without all the fillers, processing and additives. I am lucky to live near raw essentials who supply a huge variety of meat and bones including organ meat and tripe for dogs. I agree with Shad it is fantastic to know what your animals are eating and it is great to see them enjoying eating meat off the bone. I guess as there is not currently a nationwide supplier of this type of diet it is difficult for organisations like consumer to compare in this type of survey but it would be good to at least have a mention. If you don't have a local supplier I believe there are books on DIY diets.
I have changed to a NZ made 'premium' dry dog food made by Ultra Petfoods. Please include in future comparisons as made with NZ grown meat. Developed in conjunction with Massey to AAFCO standards. I would like to know how this stacks up in comparison.