Here's one of the hauls from a week ago.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Perks of working at a pet boutique
I got a part time job at this holistic pet food boutique and one of the cool things besides being able to buy things at wholesale prices is that I can keep any food that's "expiring". In most cases its a best buy date for dried goods like biscuits or these edible bones that are fine to use probably a year or 2 after best by date. So the dogs have been getting some goodies, plus I'm donating like 8 boxes of treats to a rescue this week.
Here's one of the hauls from a week ago.
Here's one of the hauls from a week ago.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Woot! today is a great day for pet deals and new food trial
So it's been an interesting couple days for me. I decided to order some Dr. Tims pursuit food based on high ratings and the fact that the vet who formulated the food, is active on the pet nutrition forum I participate in.
Looking at the food strictly from an ingredient perspective, there's nothing particularly stellar about it, I'd say that there are other foods on the market that look better on paper. The reason why I wanted to give this a try was because:
1) Dr. Tim stands behind his food and has been very forward about any concerns. He's even made changes to the ingredient list, such as removing menadione(Vit K).
2) It's produced at an independent plant, with no history of recalls
3) The chicken meal that is used is low ash, meaning that it does not have a whole lot of bone present making it superior to some other brands.
4) The vitamins/minerals in the food come from Holland, not China, which makes me feel better about quality control due to stricter European standards.
Here's the ingredient list of the formula I'm going to try with Uno:
Chicken meal, brown rice flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), oat flour, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), dried whole eggs, rice bran, menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), ocean herring meal, flax seed meal, catfish meal, chicken liver meal, dried porcine plasma protein, salmon meal, lecithin, potassium chloride, salt, canola oil, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried chicory root, calcium carbonate, yucca shidigera extract, organic kelp meal, dried psyllium seed husk, choline chloride, DL-methionine, L-lysine, algae fat product (a source of DHA), L-ascorbyl-2 polyphosphate (stabilized ascorbic acid), vitamin E supplement, L-carnitine, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, taurine, beta carotene, ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), manganese sulfate, inositol, niacin supplement, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, zinc oxide, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), copper proteinate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), calcium pantothenate, potassium iodide (source of iodine), manganous oxide, vitamin B12 supplement, sodium selenite, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, rosemary extract.
This particular formula is 30% protein and 20% fat.
Few things that I would prefer to see differently is catfish meal, herring meal and chicken liver meal higher up on the list, preferably keeping the protein levels the same, but reducing chicken meal. I also dislike the use of canola oil since it's a GMO ingredient. There are healthier oils on the market that supply omega 6, such as safflower oil or flaxseed oil.
There's some debate whether citric acid causes bloat in dogs, but I would rather not see it in food, just to be on the safe side.
The rest looks acceptable for the most part.
Originally I was planning on starting him on Back to Basics, but I think after he's finished eating Horizon Legacy, I'll try him on Dr Tims to see how he does on it.
Well unto more news! so couple cool things happened. I ordered this food from petflow.com, I really don't use them because they tend to have higher prices then some other websites, but I had a $10 off coupon, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Plus shipping was free.
Fast forward 2 days, the Fed Ex truck shows up, of course I was really happy how quick the shipping was, but upon opening the package, I was disappointed that I only received 2 - 18 lb bags instead of a 44 lb bag I ordered.
I emailed customer support getting ready to vent my frustration for screwing up my order. The lady on the other hand was very apologetic and she said that they would get it sorted out right away and I'll get my 8 lb bag of food in couple days.
So fast forward to today, I get home and the's a huge box on the porch. I open it up expecting a small bag, and guess what?? they send me a 44 lb bag!! so basically I got 80 lbs of food for $54 shipped. So I was pretty happy to say the least.
Little later in the day, I went online to check some deal sites I visit, turns out someone posted a coupon for 50% off total purchase at Petco. Whoever created the coupon did not think it through because it can be re-used multiple times by different people. Of course everyone went beserk after the coupon went viral and spend hundreds of dollars at Petco. Since I was going to the park with the dog and there's a store on the way, I figured what the heck.
I got a 30 lb bag of Pinnacle grain free, 50 lbs of cat litter, large flexi tape leash (it was on sale for $17), 3 toys, flea comb, bag of salmon jerky, and a small collar for Indy. I think the total was like $120, they scanned the coupon and voila! 50% off! So with tax everything came out to $66, so I am super happy.
I was thinking of going back and getting more food, but at this point I have 5 unopened bags for 2 dogs, so I'll have to use those up before they expire.
Then we went for an 8 mile walk/hike at the local park, came across a doe which was pretty cool and ran into a lost dog, thankfully he was wearing tags with his address so I was able to find his home pretty quickly.
So overall, satisfying day :)
Looking at the food strictly from an ingredient perspective, there's nothing particularly stellar about it, I'd say that there are other foods on the market that look better on paper. The reason why I wanted to give this a try was because:
1) Dr. Tim stands behind his food and has been very forward about any concerns. He's even made changes to the ingredient list, such as removing menadione(Vit K).
2) It's produced at an independent plant, with no history of recalls
3) The chicken meal that is used is low ash, meaning that it does not have a whole lot of bone present making it superior to some other brands.
4) The vitamins/minerals in the food come from Holland, not China, which makes me feel better about quality control due to stricter European standards.
Here's the ingredient list of the formula I'm going to try with Uno:
Chicken meal, brown rice flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), oat flour, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), dried whole eggs, rice bran, menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), ocean herring meal, flax seed meal, catfish meal, chicken liver meal, dried porcine plasma protein, salmon meal, lecithin, potassium chloride, salt, canola oil, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried chicory root, calcium carbonate, yucca shidigera extract, organic kelp meal, dried psyllium seed husk, choline chloride, DL-methionine, L-lysine, algae fat product (a source of DHA), L-ascorbyl-2 polyphosphate (stabilized ascorbic acid), vitamin E supplement, L-carnitine, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, taurine, beta carotene, ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), manganese sulfate, inositol, niacin supplement, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, zinc oxide, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), copper proteinate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), calcium pantothenate, potassium iodide (source of iodine), manganous oxide, vitamin B12 supplement, sodium selenite, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, rosemary extract.
This particular formula is 30% protein and 20% fat.
Few things that I would prefer to see differently is catfish meal, herring meal and chicken liver meal higher up on the list, preferably keeping the protein levels the same, but reducing chicken meal. I also dislike the use of canola oil since it's a GMO ingredient. There are healthier oils on the market that supply omega 6, such as safflower oil or flaxseed oil.
There's some debate whether citric acid causes bloat in dogs, but I would rather not see it in food, just to be on the safe side.
The rest looks acceptable for the most part.
Originally I was planning on starting him on Back to Basics, but I think after he's finished eating Horizon Legacy, I'll try him on Dr Tims to see how he does on it.
Well unto more news! so couple cool things happened. I ordered this food from petflow.com, I really don't use them because they tend to have higher prices then some other websites, but I had a $10 off coupon, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Plus shipping was free.
Fast forward 2 days, the Fed Ex truck shows up, of course I was really happy how quick the shipping was, but upon opening the package, I was disappointed that I only received 2 - 18 lb bags instead of a 44 lb bag I ordered.
I emailed customer support getting ready to vent my frustration for screwing up my order. The lady on the other hand was very apologetic and she said that they would get it sorted out right away and I'll get my 8 lb bag of food in couple days.
So fast forward to today, I get home and the's a huge box on the porch. I open it up expecting a small bag, and guess what?? they send me a 44 lb bag!! so basically I got 80 lbs of food for $54 shipped. So I was pretty happy to say the least.
Little later in the day, I went online to check some deal sites I visit, turns out someone posted a coupon for 50% off total purchase at Petco. Whoever created the coupon did not think it through because it can be re-used multiple times by different people. Of course everyone went beserk after the coupon went viral and spend hundreds of dollars at Petco. Since I was going to the park with the dog and there's a store on the way, I figured what the heck.
I got a 30 lb bag of Pinnacle grain free, 50 lbs of cat litter, large flexi tape leash (it was on sale for $17), 3 toys, flea comb, bag of salmon jerky, and a small collar for Indy. I think the total was like $120, they scanned the coupon and voila! 50% off! So with tax everything came out to $66, so I am super happy.
I was thinking of going back and getting more food, but at this point I have 5 unopened bags for 2 dogs, so I'll have to use those up before they expire.
Then we went for an 8 mile walk/hike at the local park, came across a doe which was pretty cool and ran into a lost dog, thankfully he was wearing tags with his address so I was able to find his home pretty quickly.
So overall, satisfying day :)
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Influence on vet students by pet food companies
So this week while doing some browsing, I came across a post on facebook warning about potential health issues associated with feeding Beneful including organ failure and seizures, posted by a vet in Arkansas. It seems to have caused a great divide and people commenting left and right, some agreeing with the post, others claiming it to be a "scare tactic" and still swear by Purina products.
I saw an interesting pattern of the people who swore by Beneful, most of them have not done any research besides what the vet has told them or what they saw in the commercial. Most claim their dogs to be healthy, but I know from experience, most people cannot tell a difference between a healthy dog and one that has obvious issues from eating crappy food.
I've been pet-sitting on/off the last 12+ years and I've seen dogs and cats with problems that people tend to overlook because they consider it a normal part of being a dog/cat. For example obesity, dental problems, frequent ear infections, dull/greasy coats, lethargy just to name a few. Cats most often struggle with kidney issues as well as urinary crystals due to being fed high carb, dry food their entire lives.
I recently watched a 10 year old cat with progressive kidney disease, she was put on prescription dry food which is mostly made up of corn and peanut hulls, along with daily subcutaneous fluids to re-hydrate her to maintain somewhat stable kidney function. I found it mind-boggling to see an obviously intelligent owner who meant well, blindly follow a very poor advice from a vet by feeding dry food to a cat with compromised kidneys, dehydrating her further in the process. All I could do was suggest an alternative course and leave a can of EVO canned cat food. She seemed very hesitant about my advice and said that the canned food was probably not a good idea because it was "high protein". It's incredibly sad to see animals that are suffering in the hands of misinformed owners.
So anyways, back to the topic. The above mentioned vet posted a response to all the Beneful comments by stating the following which I found very interesting. Particularly since I've come across a lot of naysayers that claim pet companies do not influence vet students while they are in school.
Here's an honest response and I really appreciate, it's a rarity to come across a vet that is willing to think outside the bubble and actually care about something as vital as nutrition when it comes to animals long term health. :
-I am a licensed and practicing veterinarian.
-I started this very thread on the dangers of Beneful.
-I graduated 10 years ago from the number 2 vet school in the nation.
-We as veterinary students received virtually no internal nutritional training.
-Nutritional education we received was from Hill’s Science Diet, Iams and Purina.
-Hill’s, Iams and Purina not only provided us as poor vet students with free food for our pets for the 4 years of veterinary school, but they sponsored major events, scholarships, educational meetings and provided us with endless freebees. Their support during our hardest times made veterinarian’s feel obligated to recommend these companies.
-Hill’s, Iams and Purina sponsor extremely expensive booths at veterinarians’ continuing education meetings, continuing to demonstrate their “strength” in the pet food market.
-I learned from my own trial and error, first on my own pets, then on the numerous dogs I rescue, how high quality diet plays a critical role in the health of our pets.
-Now in this practice I purchased 18 months ago, I have personally seen the significant effects that good nutrition can make. I started my campaign against Beneful, because about 80-90% of my dog owners in this practice were feeding it and thinking they were doing right by their dogs.
-Since we have started promoting good nutrition in this practice, I have seen about a 75% decline in my ear, skin and allergy cases. A decrease in medical cases is not good for our bottom line, but as I have learned on my own pets, nutrition is key for their overall well being. Overall, my patients are healthier, my clients are happier, and I sleep better at night knowing this.
-Please, if you learn nothing more from reading this, be an informed consumer for your pets. If you need to research pet foods, consult http://
You can read more responses and show your support on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Southwest-Pet-Hospital/171020129603271
I saw an interesting pattern of the people who swore by Beneful, most of them have not done any research besides what the vet has told them or what they saw in the commercial. Most claim their dogs to be healthy, but I know from experience, most people cannot tell a difference between a healthy dog and one that has obvious issues from eating crappy food.
I've been pet-sitting on/off the last 12+ years and I've seen dogs and cats with problems that people tend to overlook because they consider it a normal part of being a dog/cat. For example obesity, dental problems, frequent ear infections, dull/greasy coats, lethargy just to name a few. Cats most often struggle with kidney issues as well as urinary crystals due to being fed high carb, dry food their entire lives.
I recently watched a 10 year old cat with progressive kidney disease, she was put on prescription dry food which is mostly made up of corn and peanut hulls, along with daily subcutaneous fluids to re-hydrate her to maintain somewhat stable kidney function. I found it mind-boggling to see an obviously intelligent owner who meant well, blindly follow a very poor advice from a vet by feeding dry food to a cat with compromised kidneys, dehydrating her further in the process. All I could do was suggest an alternative course and leave a can of EVO canned cat food. She seemed very hesitant about my advice and said that the canned food was probably not a good idea because it was "high protein". It's incredibly sad to see animals that are suffering in the hands of misinformed owners.
So anyways, back to the topic. The above mentioned vet posted a response to all the Beneful comments by stating the following which I found very interesting. Particularly since I've come across a lot of naysayers that claim pet companies do not influence vet students while they are in school.
Here's an honest response and I really appreciate, it's a rarity to come across a vet that is willing to think outside the bubble and actually care about something as vital as nutrition when it comes to animals long term health. :
-I am a licensed and practicing veterinarian.
-I started this very thread on the dangers of Beneful.
-I graduated 10 years ago from the number 2 vet school in the nation.
-We as veterinary students received virtually no internal nutritional training.
-Nutritional education we received was from Hill’s Science Diet, Iams and Purina.
-Hill’s, Iams and Purina not only provided us as poor vet students with free food for our pets for the 4 years of veterinary school, but they sponsored major events, scholarships, educational meetings and provided us with endless freebees. Their support during our hardest times made veterinarian’s feel obligated to recommend these companies.
-Hill’s, Iams and Purina sponsor extremely expensive booths at veterinarians’ continuing education meetings, continuing to demonstrate their “strength” in the pet food market.
-I learned from my own trial and error, first on my own pets, then on the numerous dogs I rescue, how high quality diet plays a critical role in the health of our pets.
-Now in this practice I purchased 18 months ago, I have personally seen the significant effects that good nutrition can make. I started my campaign against Beneful, because about 80-90% of my dog owners in this practice were feeding it and thinking they were doing right by their dogs.
-Since we have started promoting good nutrition in this practice, I have seen about a 75% decline in my ear, skin and allergy cases. A decrease in medical cases is not good for our bottom line, but as I have learned on my own pets, nutrition is key for their overall well being. Overall, my patients are healthier, my clients are happier, and I sleep better at night knowing this.
-Please, if you learn nothing more from reading this, be an informed consumer for your pets. If you need to research pet foods, consult http://
You can read more responses and show your support on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Southwest-Pet-Hospital/171020129603271
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Trying out couple new brands in rotation
So few weeks ago I bought a food called First Mate on amazon because it was on sale for $30 for 33 lbs with free shipping. I mainly bought it because it's made in Canada in their own factory, and they have not been involved in any recalls. I originally planned on giving it to Indy, but he still has another 2 months of Nature's logic left and Uno is running low on Horizon Legacy.
It's a pretty basic formula, nothing flashy really, it's not even grain free but I figured I'd give it a shot regardless. Another reason I wanted to try it was because with summer heat, the dogs haven't been able to exercise as much, so Uno especially put on 2-3 lbs over the summer, so I thin lower calorie food would be beneficial to him.
Anyways, here's the ingredient list for First Mate:
Chicken meal, pearled barley, oat meal, brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), herring meal, fish oil, potato flour, tomato pomace, dicalcium phosphate, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, calcium propionate, calcium propionate, sage extract, rosemary extract, garlic oil, minerals (zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt, selenium), vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, d-pantothenic acid, thiamine, vitamin A, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3), glucosamine
It's 26% protein, 15% fat and 540 cal per cup (which is surprisingly high for this type of food)
http://www.firstmate.com/dog_food.aspx?guid=61D-0ADDA4075CE7
So we will start this food in about a week, gradually mixing with horizon and go from there.
Second food I'm trying out is Back to Basics, it's a relatively new brand of grain free food that is gluten/potato and grain free, making it a good choice for those seeking a low glycemic food. My main reservation about the food is the cost, it's pretty expensive ranging from $57 - $75 depending on protein source. Since I had a $10 off coupon to a new Pet Supplies Plus store, I used that to get a large bag of turkey formula which ended up being $55.
Overall I'm impressed with the ingredient list and the inclusion of organs. It could do without the chicken flavor and I prefer to see ground flaxseed instead of whole, but otherwise it looks good on paper. I'll be a while before we get to this food, so I'll keep you updated.
http://www.backtobasicspetfood.com/instinctively-better
It's a pretty basic formula, nothing flashy really, it's not even grain free but I figured I'd give it a shot regardless. Another reason I wanted to try it was because with summer heat, the dogs haven't been able to exercise as much, so Uno especially put on 2-3 lbs over the summer, so I thin lower calorie food would be beneficial to him.
Anyways, here's the ingredient list for First Mate:
Chicken meal, pearled barley, oat meal, brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), herring meal, fish oil, potato flour, tomato pomace, dicalcium phosphate, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, calcium propionate, calcium propionate, sage extract, rosemary extract, garlic oil, minerals (zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt, selenium), vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, d-pantothenic acid, thiamine, vitamin A, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3), glucosamine
It's 26% protein, 15% fat and 540 cal per cup (which is surprisingly high for this type of food)
http://www.firstmate.com/dog_food.aspx?guid=61D-0ADDA4075CE7
So we will start this food in about a week, gradually mixing with horizon and go from there.
Second food I'm trying out is Back to Basics, it's a relatively new brand of grain free food that is gluten/potato and grain free, making it a good choice for those seeking a low glycemic food. My main reservation about the food is the cost, it's pretty expensive ranging from $57 - $75 depending on protein source. Since I had a $10 off coupon to a new Pet Supplies Plus store, I used that to get a large bag of turkey formula which ended up being $55.
Overall I'm impressed with the ingredient list and the inclusion of organs. It could do without the chicken flavor and I prefer to see ground flaxseed instead of whole, but otherwise it looks good on paper. I'll be a while before we get to this food, so I'll keep you updated.
http://www.backtobasicspetfood.com/instinctively-better
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Dr Jean Dodds Nutrition Webinar
If anyone is interested, it sounds very promising and I'm a big fan of Dr. Dodds. Registration ends 8/11 or when the capacity is reached (100 participants)
What you will learn...
Wholesome nutrition is the key to maintaining a healthy immune system and resistance to disease. Commercial foods ingested by animals on a regular basis may not be balanced in terms of major nutrients, minerals and vitamins, and some continue to add chemicals to the final product to enhance its stability and shelf-life. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances as well as exposures to various chemicals, drugs and toxins present a continual immunological challenge which can suppress immune function, especially in those animals genetically susceptible to immune dysfunction (immune deficiency, autoimmunity, allergies).
Nutrition and the Immune System
Nutrition and Thyroid Metabolism
Nutritional Management (Commercial, Home-Made and Raw Food Diets)
Raw Food Diet Study
New Diagnostics for Food Sensitivity or Intolerance
http://www.farmdogsusa.com/w-jean-dodds-dvm-81212.html
What you will learn...
Wholesome nutrition is the key to maintaining a healthy immune system and resistance to disease. Commercial foods ingested by animals on a regular basis may not be balanced in terms of major nutrients, minerals and vitamins, and some continue to add chemicals to the final product to enhance its stability and shelf-life. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances as well as exposures to various chemicals, drugs and toxins present a continual immunological challenge which can suppress immune function, especially in those animals genetically susceptible to immune dysfunction (immune deficiency, autoimmunity, allergies).
Nutrition and the Immune System
Nutrition and Thyroid Metabolism
Nutritional Management (Commercial, Home-Made and Raw Food Diets)
Raw Food Diet Study
New Diagnostics for Food Sensitivity or Intolerance
http://www.farmdogsusa.com/w-jean-dodds-dvm-81212.html
Friday, May 25, 2012
Update on nature's logic
I dont know if anyone remembers a post I made a while back, I was trying to find a food for my parents dachshund Indy that would work with his digestive system. I really wanted him to be on grain free because he gets dry, dull coat on most grain inclusive foods, but after trying 4-5 grain free foods, they all give him the runs, even after reducing the amount, which resulted in anal gland issues (at one point they became impacted while on totw).
Anyways, I decided to try him on natures logic because even though its not grain free, it has a decent meat content and is low glycemic. My main concern was the yeast in it, though he hasnt had any ear issues, he does scratch sometimes, and I was worried that it could make things worse.
We'll he's been on it for over a month now and I'm happy to say that he seems to be doing really well! His coat is fantastic, good energy levels, small firm poops, itching seems to have reduced and he loves the taste. Right now he's on a beef formula which is 31.5% protein which is pretty good for grain inclusive food.
Anyways, I decided to try him on natures logic because even though its not grain free, it has a decent meat content and is low glycemic. My main concern was the yeast in it, though he hasnt had any ear issues, he does scratch sometimes, and I was worried that it could make things worse.
We'll he's been on it for over a month now and I'm happy to say that he seems to be doing really well! His coat is fantastic, good energy levels, small firm poops, itching seems to have reduced and he loves the taste. Right now he's on a beef formula which is 31.5% protein which is pretty good for grain inclusive food.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Oh diamond, where did you go wrong?
I'm sure by now everyone is familiar with Diamond fiasco and multiple recalls which include diamond naturals, premium edge, taste of the wild, canidae, solid gold, natural balance just to name a few.
I wanted to give them a second chance since their previous shady history, and I was hoping since the introduction of TOTW, they would see the positive turnout and avid following of their consumers and clean up their act. Well, it doesn't appear that way. Since FDA took over and did an inspection of their plant, the results were less then ideal.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofGlobalRegulatoryOperationsandPolicy/ORA/ORAElectronicReadingRoom/UCM304252.pdf
Ok, its understandable that such a large scale company would have few quality control issues, but me thinks that they have far more than I would be willing to accept as acceptable. It appears that they have some major sanitary violations and even possible cross contamination with uknown fats and digests.. yuk.
I dont even want to know what goes behind closed doors when inspection team isn't around.
So with a heavy heart, I can no longer in good conscience recommend any diamond products. It makes me sad because price wise, they made a good option for people on tighter budget that didn't want to settle for grocery store foods. Now, I fear that a lot will go back to feeding worse quality foods because of cost and more faith in the company, even if its a large conglomerate like Purina or P&G.
I don't know if diamond will be able to recover from this hit, based on facebook alone, taste of the wild has gone down from 40,000 to only 13,000 fans in matter of few weeks.
So are there any affordable brands that I would recommend? I'm still in process of trying to figure this one out. For example Healthwise is an inexpensive food thats made by Natura (aka P&G), while I'm not a fan of the company take over, since there hasn't been any issues or ingredient change, I feel better recommending that then any diamond foods. Another option is Nutri-Source, it appears to be manufactured by an independent company that also makes pure vita and natural planet organics.
Have you fed any diamond foods, what do you think of the whole fiasco, do you plan on switching? if so, to what?
I wanted to give them a second chance since their previous shady history, and I was hoping since the introduction of TOTW, they would see the positive turnout and avid following of their consumers and clean up their act. Well, it doesn't appear that way. Since FDA took over and did an inspection of their plant, the results were less then ideal.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofGlobalRegulatoryOperationsandPolicy/ORA/ORAElectronicReadingRoom/UCM304252.pdf
Ok, its understandable that such a large scale company would have few quality control issues, but me thinks that they have far more than I would be willing to accept as acceptable. It appears that they have some major sanitary violations and even possible cross contamination with uknown fats and digests.. yuk.
I dont even want to know what goes behind closed doors when inspection team isn't around.
So with a heavy heart, I can no longer in good conscience recommend any diamond products. It makes me sad because price wise, they made a good option for people on tighter budget that didn't want to settle for grocery store foods. Now, I fear that a lot will go back to feeding worse quality foods because of cost and more faith in the company, even if its a large conglomerate like Purina or P&G.
I don't know if diamond will be able to recover from this hit, based on facebook alone, taste of the wild has gone down from 40,000 to only 13,000 fans in matter of few weeks.
So are there any affordable brands that I would recommend? I'm still in process of trying to figure this one out. For example Healthwise is an inexpensive food thats made by Natura (aka P&G), while I'm not a fan of the company take over, since there hasn't been any issues or ingredient change, I feel better recommending that then any diamond foods. Another option is Nutri-Source, it appears to be manufactured by an independent company that also makes pure vita and natural planet organics.
Have you fed any diamond foods, what do you think of the whole fiasco, do you plan on switching? if so, to what?
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