Main Page About the Author What Readers say Dog Discussions Forum Introduction Label Information 101 Identifying better products Ingredients to avoid Product List Organic Dog Food
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Choosing the right food 
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Canine Obesity
Is too much protein harmful?
Grading kibble - easily?
"Five Star Foods"
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How does your Dog Food Brand compare?
Are you concerned about the dry food your dog is eating? Looking for detailed information about certain food ingredients? Confused about inconsistent information about dogfood from pet food manufacturers? Need help comparing dog food brands and finding a better one?
Then you are exactly where I was when I first heard about the disgusting materials some pet food manufacturers put into their products. I picked up a bag of Science Diet and consciously looked at the ingredient list for the first time. Even without any previous knowledge I could see that it did not include any real meat and was preserved with the same chemicals I avoid in human food products. I never bought another bag of Science Diet and started researching and comparing products. One of the things I learned was that any commercial sources are best avoided if you want hard facts, not biased "infomercial" style sales pitches trying to sell you one product or another. Hopefully you will find this site helpful, make up your own mind about different food brands and their quality, choose a better food and who knows - maybe even save some money.
Questions? Feel free to send me an email!
Admin | April 23, 2009 1:42 pm
A statement from Nutro:
http://www.nutroproducts.com/nutro-food-recall-facts.shtml
According to wxyz.com FDA denied that there is an investigation
http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/FDA...qDNodwN3EQ.cspx
An FDA spokesperson says, "Normally, we do not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation. In this situation, though, it's unfair to the company to leave the implication out there, so I want to state that there is NO INVESTIGATION currently underway into NUTRO products."
Meanwhile I would really like to know why that FOIA request has been denied then. If an FDA employee states that “the document (s) constitute record (s) complied for law enforcement purposes, the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with law enforcement proceedings”, there's something going on and it's being kept from consumers.
Admin | April 21, 2009 1:08 pm
I've been hearing from owners whose pets have had problems eating Nutro products for a long time. Today the following was brought to my attention:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/04/nutro_foia.html
From the article:
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that the agency is investigating NUTRO pet food, following a series of unexplained illnesses and deaths."
"Today, the FDA’s Division of Freedom of Information confirmed the agency has an ongoing investigation into NUTRO — and said that investigation could be criminal or civil in nature."
"The investigation came to light when the FDA denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by ConsumerAffairs.com seeking a list of complaints and lab results the agency has collected regarding NUTRO pet food. The agency denied the request and said that releasing the information could hamper “prospective or ongoing” action by law enforcement."
Admin | January 27, 2009 6:02 pm
Have you seen any of new "Pupperoni" commercials yet? No? You can find them here: http://www.pupperoni.com/commercials.html
Not that it's anything new, but I find it disgusting that pet food companies and marketing agencies play on the emotions of pet owners so much for promoting poor quality treats. Here are the ingredients for these "special treats" that lets your dog know "you are listening". Do you really want to feed this junk?
Pup-peroni Original Beef Flavor
Beef, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Lean Beef Flavor
Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Beef, Propylene Glycol, Salt, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Original Bacon Flavor
Beef, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Bacon, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Oven Roasted Chicken Flavor
Chicken, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Beef Liver, Salt, Gelatin, Propylene Glycol, Flaxseed, Garlic Powder, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Nitrite, Onion Extract, BHA
Pup-peroni Ribs
Beef, Beef Byproducts, Soy Grits, Chicken, Soy Flour, Sugar, Corn Starch, Propylene Glycol, Molasses, Beef Liver, Calcium Sulfate, Animal Digest, Salt, Garlic Powder, Phosphoric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Caramel Color, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
For your reference, you can find a list of ingredients to avoid here.
Admin | January 27, 2009 5:16 pm
Madison, Wisconsin, January 26, 2009 – A class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of dog owners nationwide against the makers of CANIDAE brand dog food, seeking payment of veterinarian bills for dogs who allegedly took ill after consuming the food between last summer and the present. The lawsuit also asks the Court to order the defendants, Canidae Corporation and Diamond Pet Foods, to launch a corrective informational campaign. Affected dogs have experienced rectal bleeding, loose and bloody stools, lethargy, and death, according to consumer complaints posted on internet forums and websites.
“We can’t push back the clock: if hundreds or thousands of dogs have suffered, that can’t be reversed. But the lawsuit at least gives dogs and their owners an avenue for redress,” stated Ilan Chorowsky, one of the plaintiff’s lawyers with the Progressive Law Group, which has offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. The Animal Law Center, Rosner & Mansfield LLP, and Doyle Lowther LLP also represent the plaintiff.
Further information about the lawsuit is available at www.dogfoodclassaction.com.
I had previously written about possible consequences from formulation changes on 06/30/08 here.
Admin | January 25, 2009 9:40 pm
It's been a while since I have added any new articles, so please enjoy the highlights on "Choosing the right food", "Feeding Puppies", "Feeding Senior Dogs" and "Canine Obesity in the left-hand menu under the "Articles" header.
I'm also proud to report that the Dog Food Project was mentioned on "The Bark" Blog recently!
http://thebark.com/content/change-coming
Admin | January 15, 2009 6:59 pm
Berwind Corporation, the same company that bought Eagle Pack in 2007 also bought Old Mother Hubbard (Wellness).
I was told that Berwind is a very "hands off" company, and things have definitely gone ok with EP in the last year and with Wellness since last August, so I don't expect any negative changes to any of the products, but of course it's always good to keep an eye open and be aware of what's going on.
Here's the official press release:
Introducing WellPet®; Bringing Together the Best in Natural Products for Pets
Tewksbury, MA (January 14, 2009) —The Wellness®, Old Mother Hubbard®, Eagle Pack® and Holistic Select® brands of natural food, treats and supplements for pets are now members of one family, WellPet. This union brings together Old Mother Hubbard and Eagle Pack, two companies with a long history of delivering on the promise of doing whatever it takes to make the healthiest natural products for the pets that depend on us. With over 100 years of combined experience in the natural pet food market, both Old Mother Hubbard and Eagle Pack, have always put pet health first and share an unwavering commitment to product quality and nutritional innovation. Now, as WellPet, this commitment continues.
“We are excited to bring together the complementary yet unique values, visions and strengths of these leading natural pet product brands to create an unrivaled portfolio that we call the WellPet family,” said Tim Callahan, CEO of WellPet. “We are committed to carrying forth the strong heritage of nutritional excellence, product quality and innovation and look forward to continuing to provide pet owners and their companions only the best in animal nutrition.”
WellPet will be headquartered in Tewksbury, MA with WellPet’s own manufacturing facility remaining in Mishawaka, IN.
Visit the website at http://www.wellpet.com/
Due to concerns about the 2008 food recall, discount on basic consultations (canned and dry food)!
Available options include recipes for home prepared diets, cooked and raw, individually designed and balanced for your dog, according to the newest nutritional guidelines of the National Research Council (2006).
Check out BetterDogCare.com and contact me today for a consultation.
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