Changes coming to Pro Plan (for those who use it)

jessies_mom

 Jana, is this what you're referring to;

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html;

 Scroll down to ;Cheryl of Ogden Utah (6/22/08)

 This person is a pet nutrition specialist, not a nutritionist, but it's the closest I could come to what you're referring to after a long search. 

I read the blog entry and it makes my point, sort of. If there's a lamb shortage, why aren't other companies with lamb formulas having the same problem? That's what makes me think that the discontinuation of even making that formula is a boardroom decision. And, if it turns out that they don't care about my dog, then I can return the favor by not caring about buying their product.

Perhaps the other companies are sourcing their lamb from other countries?  Like New Zealand?

glenmar

Perhaps the other companies are sourcing their lamb from other countries?  Like New Zealand?

No doubt, some are. I was under the impression that New Zealand was primarily a lot of sheep ranches. Have one or two companies cornered the world's market in harvested sheep meat? Meanwhile, there are no herds of sheep to be found anywhere else, evidently. Not America, Canada, or England. We must be consuming all the rest.

Nutro still makes Lamb and Meal Adult but they don't make that flavor in Large Breed Adult, the difference being the kibble size and the balance of calcium. Even if there was a lamb shortage, that means that our formula is cast out because it's not selling enough, whereas, possibly, the regular formulas still sell.

Maybe I'm wrong for worrying about large breed formula.

And maybe the stuffed shirt who works for Mars doesn't understand dogs and dog people. It makes me wonder if some people went to school in order to learn how to run a business into the ground. I've seen it happen locally. Someone buys out a business and the first thing they do is stop carrying what everyone bought there.

Can't give you an answer on the lamb thing, Ron.  On the large breed......I can only tell you what I do.  I rotate flavors, and that rotation includes the large breed formula of the brand I use, which happens to be chicken...the others being fish and lamb.  I think it's been mentioned before that some folks question if the added glucosamin and chondrotine are enough to be beneficial.  I'm guessing that depends on the brand, but I'm also guessing that the answer is going to be subjective.  I guess that if I were concerned about those ingredients, I would supplement them.

Back on topic....it's a shame that Purina has decided to degrade the quality of one of the only  halfway decent foods they make.  The sad thing is, many will fall for the advertising lies and misrepresentations, and still others won't even notice a difference.  IMHO Purina has traded on their "name" for years and pushed the envelope because of that name too many tmes.  The educuated might walk away finally, but those who don't pay any attention to ingredients will just go right on paying through the nose for a product that isn't so great. 

Meanwhile, there are no herds of sheep to be found anywhere else, evidently. Not America, Canada, or England.

As I'm sure you suspect even as you write this Ron (LOL), there are indeed plenty of sheep all over North America and a great deal is raised in Europe as well.  Sheep (and goat) is a staple of European diets (and central Asia and Saharan Africa).  Our Gus came from a sheep ranch near Denver that ran thousands of breeding females (ewes) - free range just like in NZ.

Why NZ lamb is cheaper is complicated but it's not because there's more sheep in NZ than North America.  It has to do with the fact that they can sell their wool and we can't.  But all that happened a long time ago.

Other companies, I imagine, simply source the lamb and pay the prices.  Sometimes if you look at a lamb formula you'll see it combined with fish meal, or some other protein source like eggs or dairy.  Sometimes they up the grain as they do with organic and specialized formulas.  Sometimes you'll see it combined in a "kitchen sink" red meat formula like  Evo RM or TOTW (the one with the bison etc).

Ron, I'm a big believer in feeding the breed.  Since he's a husky AND lab, fish might be very well suited to him.  Have you tried a fishy type formula?  I've had great luck with TOTW, which is a Diamond brand.  Also, speaking of Diamond, they have a lamb and rice formula that is similar to the Nutro - it's in their Naturals line, which has never been affected by a recall.

brookcove

As I'm sure you suspect even as you write this Ron (LOL), there are indeed plenty of sheep all over North America and a great deal is raised in Europe as well.

And you correctly picked up on my point. There's plenty of lamb. Ergo, Nutro is not making the large breed anymore because it doesn't sell as much as they would like to sell.

brookcove

Ron, I'm a big believer in feeding the breed.  Since he's a husky AND lab, fish might be very well suited to him.  Have you tried a fishy type formula

I agree and should look to that, as well.

jessies_mom

 Jana, is this what you're referring to;

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html;

 Scroll down to ;Cheryl of Ogden Utah (6/22/08)

 This person is a pet nutrition specialist, not a nutritionist, but it's the closest I could come to what you're referring to after a long search.

 
  Thanks for finding it! That was what I was referring to.

the selects is good.  We use the turkey/Barley in rotation with Eagle Pack.  I have one dog who has bowel issues on and off with it (its pretty high calorie) so i find I feed half the amount than I do with Eagle Pack (natural)

Selects is the best they make.  I would only feed that or the Salmon and Rice.  It is the only corn free options from them.