PETA and IAMS Pet Foods

    • Bronze

    PETA and IAMS Pet Foods

    Does anyone know anything about IAMS Pet Foods..?
    I have been buying IAMS for over 15 years and I was shocked when I ran across this::
    [linkhttp://www.iamscruelty.com/index.asp]http://www.iamscruelty.com/index.asp[/link]

    So I decided to look around and see what else I could find out about IAMS, they have their own site in response to the PETA site above::
    [linkhttp://www.iamstruth.com/iamstruth/en_US/jhtmls/home/IT_Home_Page.jhtml]http://www.iamstruth.com/iamstruth/en_US/jhtmls/home/IT_Home_Page.jhtml[/link]

    What I want to know is who is telling the TRUTH...
     
    Apparently this has been going on for years and I am just finding out about it, anyone know anything??

    Sorry if this is posted in the wrong forum... or if it is off topic..
    • Gold Top Dog
    not PETA
    • Gold Top Dog
    Ok, I contacted Iams last year, and they deny being involved in cruelty, when confronted with undercover videos the rep then stated the facilties in question were contracted out.
    So, translation, yes, it was happening, but they deny knowing about it.
     
     
    So, you decide....my question is, why does any dogfood company have to test on animals in general?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Who would ever believe anything PETA, ALF or ELF would say?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Iams and Eukaneuba are both owned by Proctor & Gamble which is notorious for animal testing and cruelty regarding ALL of its products.  This is honestly something that has been 'hot' online for years now. 
     
    However, both these foods also contain a lot of carcinogens -- they use BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin as preservatives.  Altho in the US in most states they don't have to 'list' them on their ingredients as long a those ingredients were put in the ingredients BEFORE the manufacturer got them.  Because these companies use meat products from rendering plants which routinely use all three of those known carcinogens as preservatives (and a lot of it too -- these are places that get at least a portion of their meat from roadkill, etc. -- stuff already 'spoiled' when it comes in).  So they don't have to reveal those additives. 
     
    If you press *hard* you can get that answer but mostly they just don't 'list' those ingredients.  They've built their empire on only presenting the good side.
     
    and I know your last question, Snownose, can't be meant the way it sounded to me:  "So, you decide....my question is, why does any dogfood company have to test on animals in general?"
     
    They'd have to 'test' (i.e., feed their product to) animals unless they want humans trying out dogfood.
     
    But the animal testing part comes in regarding the other products Proctor and Gamble manufacture -- like putting shampoo or toothpaste in a dog's eyes to see if it "causes a problem". 
     
    It wasn't just PETA who exposed this (and no, I wouldn't believe PETA if they said :good morning" on the nicest day of the year)  -- but it's pretty common knowledge about P*Gs animal testing.
    • Gold Top Dog
    and I know your last question, Snownose, can't be meant the way it sounded to me: "So, you decide....my question is, why does any dogfood company have to test on animals in general?"

     
     
    Yep, you are right, I didn't mean the way it looked......what I was saying was ....you decide when it comes to the truth regarding IAMS..........[;)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Thanks!
    • Gold Top Dog
    I don't believe a word that comes out of PETA. They are horrible, evil people who threaten and lie (my family and friends were targets when I was a child as they attacked the hospital and lab my parents were associated doing research on infant heart transplant). Those of us who actually do animal research know that the field is VERY VERY tightly regulated. It is comical when thing like this come out in the media, because it just really can't happen with all the regulations and inspections we have to have. You cannot refuse them either. I'm not a huge fan of Iams, but they have a lot more creadability in comparison to PETA. As to why they have to do animal research, well how else are they going to figure out if their foods cause deficiencies, excesses, electrolyte imbalances. You could just make it and sell it, but especially for a huge company like that, the liability for putting a product out there that isn't well tested is huge. I would hope also that they are trying to increase the available knowledge in the field of animal nutrition. It sucks to have to think about being sued, but welcome to the world we live in. That's unfortunately a big influence on research these days, sigh.....
    • Gold Top Dog
    why does any dogfood company have to test on animals in general?


    Because if they didn't test on lab dogs YOUR dog would be the test dog.
    • Puppy
    IAMS is the worst possible dog food you can feed your pup.All dog food companies do testing on animals. If you want the best for your dog, please cook or feed raw. If you must buy kibble, than I'd recommend Newman's own. Not only they use organic meat but also free of by-products. IAMS use by-products and god knows what animal meat. They've been exposed for so many times for so many horrible things. It's just that they are too rich to cover up the bad publicity. Many people know that company for what they really are. It's just a matter of researching. No matter how they manufacture their foods, you should also know IT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR PUP. Their ingredients are questionable. Look for dog food labels with out the chemicals, toxic presevatives but most importantly WITHOUT the by-products. Innova, California Natural, Nature's Balance is to say a few BETTER dog foods. But the only cruelty free formula I know is Newman's Own. My goodness, please stop buying IAMS. Your dog will live longer.
    • Gold Top Dog
    But the only cruelty free formula I know is Newman's Own.

     
    Ok, it looks like there is a way to make dogfood without cruelty involved.........so, perhaps the other companies can jump on that wagon.....
    • Gold Top Dog
    ottoluv, do you really feel everthing Peta claims is a lie or is fabricated?
    • Gold Top Dog
    LuvAnimals -- They do test on animals, but so do many organizations.  PETA really wants people to follow what they say, so they make targets (in this case, specifically Iams, even though most other companies do as well) and then take a grain of sand and turn it into a beach.  You have to remember that when reading anything that a militant anything group says.

    ORIGINAL: ashley_2000

    IAMS is the worst possible dog food you can feed your pup.All dog food companies do testing on animals. If you want the best for your dog, please cook or feed raw. If you must buy kibble, than I'd recommend Newman's own. Not only they use organic meat but also free of by-products. IAMS use by-products and god knows what animal meat. They've been exposed for so many times for so many horrible things. It's just that they are too rich to cover up the bad publicity. Many people know that company for what they really are. It's just a matter of researching. No matter how they manufacture their foods, you should also know IT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR PUP. Their ingredients are questionable. Look for dog food labels with out the chemicals, toxic presevatives but most importantly WITHOUT the by-products. Innova, California Natural, Nature's Balance is to say a few BETTER dog foods. But the only cruelty free formula I know is Newman's Own. My goodness, please stop buying IAMS. Your dog will live longer.


    Okay, first of all, Iams is not the "worst." It's not great for your dog, but there's definitely worse food out there.  It's still considered one of the "premiums" (believe it or not, but that title only shows itself when compared to lesser dog foods).

    Second, to your "it's just a matter of researching" -- Considering how biased you are, I'm guessing you just "researched" enough to satisfy what you wanted to hear.  There are two sides to every story.  You have the right to choose which one you want, but until you prove that you understand the other side, your points are invalid and please do not devalue the term "research."  It just makes people who ACTUALLY do research seem less credible.

    Third, "your dog will live longer" -- That is not a guarantee, so don't state it like it is one.  With higher quality food you increase that chance and lessen the risk of health problems, but there's no guarantee and some dogs do better on foods like Iams. I know of a dog that lived almost 16 years on Iams, while a littermate on high quality food lived only 9 years.
    • Gold Top Dog
    ottoluv, do you really feel everthing Peta claims is a lie or is fabricated?


    Yup, just about. They even said that the lab that my parents were involved with did things like carve words in the poor animals stomachs for fun. For christ's sake the first trans-species heart transplant recipient was a goat and lived with me as a kid as a pet. They blow up labs were good, honest people sacrafice their time and much of their life studying ways to save the family members of these evil people. They treaten and terrorize. They lie and inflict emotional terrorism. Would you believe them? Do you ever see very itelligent, well educated people supporting them, no! They get people like pamela anderson with an IQ of a rock who can't discriminate between hysteria and truth. IMO many people who support them, don't really know what they do, they buy into the hysteria. I'm not meaning to insult the intelligence of anyone here because I'm sure there are supporters lurking. Animal rights is a wonderful cause and more of us should give time and money to these charities. Peta is not a charity, they are a terror group.


    They just aren't bright, I saw them on fox nexs yesterday with their newest campain agains the inhumane killing of chickens (the internet add shows one of their "representatives" stripping, intelligent as well, can you see my eyes rolling). The peta representative suggested gassing the chickens instead of the usual manner of slaughter. She went into this tirade about how she knows people eat meat and they need a happy medium so gassing them is better. Um, ok wasn't their last campain how slaughter houses are like concentration camps, hmmmm gassing animals well that sounds a hell of a lot more like a concentration camp to me. All they care about is publicity and terror. Please don't support this organization, there are many others out there full of people with good hearts and strong minds.
    • Puppy
    quote:

    Second, to your "it's just a matter of researching" -- Considering how biased you are, I'm guessing you just "researched" enough to satisfy what you wanted to hear. There are two sides to every story.


    I wish IAMS was a better company as you claim. I also don't have to satisfy myself with bashing dog food companies. I simply want the best for my dogs.  No need to get personal. You dont know me :-)
     
    Iams is owned by Procter&Gamble. They use low quality ingredients. (Insufficient meat content, by-products, low quality grains and other controversial filler.)  If you read the label, you'll realize it's also a grain heavy food. I do not want to feed corn to my dogs. A cheap source of protein that raises the crude protein standard by at least 5%. I dont eat corn myself either. Eating lots of corn everyday is good for no living creature. Another primary filler in IAMS is Sorghum. A difficult carb to digest. The by-products are danger. I'd rather give real meat to my dogs. Read your dog food labels very carefully, and and watch for what kind of fillers they have.
    As a dog owner, you should be always looking for healthier dog food with higher quality. Make sure the dog food lables do not contain the following toxic chemicals: 1- Sodium Pentobarbital
    2- BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytolulene), Ethoxyquin and Propylene Glycol
    3- Lead

     
    Sodium pentobarbital is the chemical that veterinarians use to put dogs and cats to 'sleep'. This toxic chemical is found in some dog food labels .. BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytolulene), ethoxyquin and propylene glycol are commonly used as fat stabilizers in dog foods as preservatives. BHA and BHT cause liver and kidney dysfunction while ethoxyquin is a potential cancer-causing agent.
    Lead, an extremely toxic heavy metal is also commonly found in pet foods. A research conducted in Massachusetts Institute of Technology published as "Lead in Animal Foods," presented one shocking discovery – A typical 9-pound cat was found to be ingesting, through commercial pet food, far more lead daily than the toxic level for children in their lifetime. Imagine that on your dog. And here is the worst part – heavy metals reside in body systems permanently. Heavy metals have known to cause nervous damage to animals when accumulated in their body systems.

    I dont understand. Why would you defend Iams. There are clearly BETTER dog foods out there.... Innova, California Natural, Nature's variety, Natural Balance. Watch for the labels. And try not to buy dog food with by-products and questionable fillers. I cook for my dogs and feed them raw often. I also have some canned foods and kibble. I work two jobs and sometimes need emergency food. For that I keep Innova food. Also, I recommend everyone PROZYME - an enzyme powder that is necessary for the life of your four legged friends. Kibble and canned dont have any enzymes.
    Three classes of elements are needed for good health -- vitamins, minerals and enzymes.The body uses enzymes to digest the food eaten.
    Recently, research scientists have found evidence that impaired digestion, as well as decreased enzyme activity in the blood, is directly related to the aging process and many of the illnesses and chronic degenerative conditions so prevalent in modern society. These studies suggest that as we age, the number of enzymes and their activity levels decrease. This is true for both animals and their humans!

    So dogs and their humans: You know we all will live better if we eat well together and take our vitamins and supplements. And please make sure you buy the best dog food possible - and for that dont believe the TV commercials.