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What pet food does P&G eat? The answer: Natura
By Gina Spadafori
May 5, 2010
Procter & Gamble, the immensely huge consumer-products company that snapped up Iams/Eukanuba years ago and put the former specialty brand on grocery-store shelves for the first time, has picked up another pet-food company.
From Reuters:
The acquisition [of Natura] may surprise some industry watchers who had wondered in the past if pet food was a business P&G would exit. The business, a relatively small one for P&G, has not performed as well as other parts of the consumer product maker’s $79 billion portfolio.
Natura, based in Davis, Calif., sells products under the Innova, Evo, California Natural, Healthwise, Mother Nature and Karma brands in some specialty pet stores and through veterinarians, mainly in the United States and Canada.
Natura has long been a well-respect brand with pet-owners, with more of a “health food” feel to it than Iams/Eukanuba. Reuters suggests that the purchase will give P&G a jump in the one area of the industry that seems to bring more new products to trade shows every year: The organic/holistic/green segment. As Dr. Marion Nestle (“Feed Your Pet Right” and “Pet Food Politics”) has pointed out, what people buy for their pets track what they buy for themselves pretty closely.
Dr. Becker and I noted in our recent newspaper column for Universal UClick that the desire for “Green Chic” went south in a hurry about the same time the economy did. The fact that green is back at the trade shows and now this — well, it does suggest that companies remain bullish on the pet market and are looking for places to grow. And maybe that means the economy really is getting better, too.
See how many ways our pets help us?
What it means for those who feed these products, only time will tell.
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Hmmm…wonder if they are going to be making recipe changes?
Comment by Liz Palika — May 5, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
Evo is one component of my feeding schedule here. I wonder what this will mean in terms of their formula, quality of ingredients, etc? I fear it can’t be good.
Comment by Dee — May 5, 2010 @ 2:39 pm
Guess this means I’ll stop feeding California Natuaral, a Natura brand, to the one dog that still gets it. Another one bites the dust.
Comment by Grahund — May 5, 2010 @ 3:14 pm
I’m concerned. We feed Innova, the dry kibble to our cats, and some of the canned. This worries me a lot.
Comment by mountain kimmie — May 5, 2010 @ 3:29 pm
Hopefully the formulas won’t change, but the ethical impact is what concerns me. Each year, thousands of animals die in Procter & Gamble laboratories - the victims of painful, archaic and entirely unnecessary product tests.
I love my pets & all animals for that matter. Our family will unfortunately be discontinuing use of any Natura products.
Comment by Mandy — May 5, 2010 @ 3:44 pm
That can’t be a good thing.
Comment by Terry Fisk — May 5, 2010 @ 3:48 pm
What is the point????? Really is anything “legal” going to happen? NO. So, I guess all of us animal loving parents are going to have to do what every other parent has to do!Weigh the options! I for one will be making my own petfood once again.
So “Bite Me” Proctor & Gamble
Comment by Paula Laney — May 5, 2010 @ 3:59 pm
Very disappointing. When they bought IAMS the immediately started with ingredient and recipe changes. Very causally, very discretely and very much in the wrong direction. This is so upsetting.
Comment by Cari — May 5, 2010 @ 3:59 pm
I am not optimistic about this P&G purchase. I changed foods years ago to Natura products because of their use of quality ingredients. P&G will probably cannibalize the recipies. I’m going to start my research now.
Comment by Jen — May 5, 2010 @ 4:50 pm
Thank you Mandy for pointing out the ugly truth about Proctor & Gamble! I would urge all animal lovers to rethink any P&G product use. There are many amazingly healthy pet foods out there to choose from made by companies who genuinely care about the well being of animals.
Comment by lulu — May 5, 2010 @ 5:25 pm
I say wait and see.
In some ways this reminds me of the debate over organic food at Wal-Mart. Some say everyone should be able to choose organic without going to Whole Foods or other “specialty” markets or co-ops. Others say the scale of organic food that would be required to keep the Wal-Mart pipeline filled would require an end to organic food as currently farmed — a move to “organic-labeled” factory farms.
The answer isn’t in yet on that, and neither is the answer to how this will turn out. And let me remind people on what we reported during the pet-food recall: It was P&G who refused to put up with Menu Foods’ delaying tactics when the Iams/Eukanuba folks found out what was going on, and forced the recall.
I’m sorry, but that gives them some corporate responsibility points in my book.
When a big company picks up a small idea, does it always have to turn out bad? I’m not sure it does — even though it often has.
I would rather see more pet food companies than fewer (well, more small business than big generally, because small businesses are better for America, in my opinion), so I am sorry to see Natura sold.
We’ll keep our eye on this here.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 5, 2010 @ 5:34 pm
Rats. I worried when Natura pulled their Vet Student Feeding Program in the middle of this school year that things weren’t going well for them financially… I still have a lot of faith in the company after a tour of the factory. I also have a lot of faith in Dr. Delaney in particular after getting the chance to speak with him a couple of years ago. Still, I’m sad to see a nice independent company get eaten up.
Comment by Megan — May 5, 2010 @ 5:48 pm
I sure hope they don’t mess up a good thing. If they change to recipe to go cheaper on us it will affect our dogs.
I had to stop feeding Iams/Eukanua years ago for once it went to super markets they cost was to high for junk food. My dogs coats lost its shine and soft texture. Had to shave the dog and start over with Evo. I run between 10 to 30 show dogs and I use to brag up the EVO food to people. I have 1 pallet of food left. If I see changes I will do to FROMMS instead.
Comment by Kathy — May 5, 2010 @ 6:35 pm
If it’s good for Procter, it’s good for Cincinnati, so it’s good for my family in a trickle down way. Procter will find ways to cheapen the ingredients list. But the quality control will be high. With their marketing might, they will attract many new customers who want to feed their dogs “health food” but who are not readers of Whole Dog Journal and do not realize that you can buy dog food someplace else besides the supermarket. These people will not notice the changes in the formula. The rest of us will switch to something else.
Comment by Monica — May 5, 2010 @ 7:42 pm
I’ve come to think of this “progression” with pet food as inevitable.
New, high-quality, mom & pop brand —> reputation with the cognoscenti —> sales growth —> slight quality decline —> giant corporate buyout —> total crap mining the brand name and logo.
Today I drove 35 minutes each way to buy 80# of ground beef and 25# of giblets, and get about another 80# of beef bones (but alas, no tripes today) that are free for the taking for the dogs at the local slaughterhouse. But it’s worth it.
I think I spend less time sourcing their food and putting their meals together than grahund does trying to choose brands that won’t kill his dogs.
Perfesser Chaos peers into dark hallway towards sounds of contented gnawing and asks “Does she have someone’s PELVIS?!”
If you have to ask, you don’t want to know the answer.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 5, 2010 @ 10:17 pm
This is all speculation. None of you have any idea what P&G’s plans are for the food and it is obvious that none of you have a clue about manufacturing. They are not trying to sneak bad ingredients into the food….that is just ridiculous. And you say animals are dying in testing facilities….seriously? Where are you getting this information? Show me the facts. Get a grip and be realistic. P&G did not gobble up Natura….Natura wanted to sell and P&G bought them. Simple as that. Every other statement about this is premature guessing with no actual facts or logic involved.
Comment by C Parry — May 6, 2010 @ 4:01 am
It was an Iams pouch food that killed our cat George. Needless to say, we will never feed Iams again. We do use Evo, so I’m going to have to rethink that. I will say this for P&G. Upon being presented with medical evidence, (blood tests) and a letter from our vet, they reimbursed me promptly for the George’s final medical bills.
Comment by Mark — May 6, 2010 @ 5:04 am
I make my own pet food and supplement with Evo. But not any more! I’ll not buy Evo or any Natura product again. it is very sad.
Comment by Genevieve — May 6, 2010 @ 5:09 am
I’m withholding judgment for now. I feed CA Natural products to the dogs and the cat gets some Evo dry along with his crappy canned Fancy Feast (he’s a CAT - I feed him what he’ll eat!).
Yes, I’m one of those horrible pet owners who uses convenience foods instead of feeding raw (which I *have* done). IF and when P&G changes things, I will make a different choice. There are a lot of great foods on the market fortunately. I DO prefer to use products from small companies, but freely admit to buying stuff in general from major retailers. Oh well - I support the economy by being a shopper!
I have stuck with CA Natural as it works very well for my dogs. A senior who does well on the canned rather than me feeding her crappy prescription food, and a young dog with a sensitive tummy who the L&R variety is perfect for. The youngest could eat anything and be fine.
Comment by Janet Boss — May 6, 2010 @ 5:28 am
Comment by C Parry — May 6, 2010 @ 4:01 am
No, we don’t know what P&G will do—but they do have a track record, and it’s not an encouraging one. As for quality of ingredients, I don’t know if you haven’t read the ingredients of CA Natural and the ingredients of Iams, or whether you have and truly think that’s “just as good”—but they’re not the same, and those of us who are choosing to use CA Natural, EVO, or Wellness in our pets’ diets, are not going to be happy if that difference disappears.
Now, Gina is right, also, that it was Iams that put its corporate foot down and told Menu to announce a recall or they’d go public. And it’s certainly possible that P&G wants the Natura portion of the market and understands that they won’t keep it if they mess with the quality of the food. We’ll see what happens.
But to suggest that we have no basis for being concerned? That’s ridiculous, and is a claim with “no actual facts or logic involved.”
Comment by Lis — May 6, 2010 @ 6:24 am
C. Parry, name one brand of premium food that did NOT suffer a degeneration in quality and ingredients within a year or so of being purchased by a giant multinational.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 6, 2010 @ 6:47 am
I am in the holistic pet food industry, and I can GUARANTEE that this means bad news for the holistic and trully natural food buyer. i would stay away from anything that falls under the Natura brand (now P&G).
there are SO many other choices out there. Fromm, Mulligan Stew, Canidae, Solid Gold, The honest Kitchen (a dehydrated raw food) that are AMAZING and will not compromise your pet’s wellbeing. Be prepared and start making your switch now. At the very least there will certainly be risk of cross contamination as they start useing the menu foods plants to make natura products. P&G can not mass produce with just the two plants Natura currently has. What a bad decision, but I guess money rules all!!! SAD, very SAD!
Comment by Marie — May 6, 2010 @ 6:52 am
“This is all speculation. None of you have any idea what P&G’s plans are for the food and it is obvious that none of you have a clue about manufacturing.”
Comment by C Parry — May 6, 2010 @ 4:01 am
Leaving aside past history with P&G, and many other companies, I, for one, have more than a clue about manufacturing. I currently work in food safety/quality control for a company that makes ready-to-eat meat products.
The vast majority of companies exist to make money. There are two main ways to do so - increase sales/prices or cut costs. Guess which one is easier for a manufacturer to do?P&G is no exception to this. Do you honestly believe they will NOT tinker with the formula to make it cheaper to make?
Comment by K.B. — May 6, 2010 @ 6:53 am
A lot of interesting views here…
C. Perry, have you not seen the millions of documentaries that PETA provided us, along with testimonials from ex IAMS employees. Cameras were rolling and dogs were on their death beds or dying in these “feeding facilities” Just Google it… or click on this link… hope you haven’t eaten anything recently
http://www.iamscruelty.com/iams-video.asp
IMO, I feel this will hurt small business (mom & pop pet shops) that have dedicated their stores to this line with the promise that they will always be supportive of small, independant business.
There are a lot of GREAT foods out there. Now a days, a natural pet food store can carry 20 plus lines - not the case 10 years ago. I just figure this is a way to educate more pet owners about holistic health and hopefully as they learn more it will open their eyes to all the wonderful brands out there such as, Fromm, Mulligan Stew, Canine Caviar, Honest Kitchen, Sojos, Grandma Lucy’s, Go Natural, Timberwolf, Primal, Orijen, Acana, Evanger’s and SO MANY MORE!!! Just find another food, because their is more than Natura out there…
Thanks,
Comment by Sally C. — May 6, 2010 @ 7:00 am
I spent no more than 12 hours researching my most recent pet food switch. Since then I haven’t thought about it. My local pet store carries the food I selected specifically at my request so it takes no time to buy. It takes no time to scoop into a bowl.
Would raw, BARF, etc be better for the dogs? Possibly. But for one dog the absolute consistency of commercial pet food is a blessing. Feeding him is a challenge and the least variation can cause problems. I feed the absolute best kibble I can find and monitor the dogs’ conditions closely. While raw might be better, it would take much more time and effort and the benefits are not obvious.
Comment by Grahund — May 6, 2010 @ 7:04 am
You know, I can’t tell you how many times people say, “Really, raw is as easy as/takes no more time than feeding kibble.”
C’mon. That’s like saying cooking takes no more time than nuking a frozen dinner.
While it’s true that one you get over the learning curve home feeding really is a lot easier than you think, it’s also true that it does require plenty of research and thought beforehand, usually an outlay for a freezer (if you have more than one dog, or big dogs), and some planning and time dedicated to sourcing and picking up the ingredients. (And by the way: If you have a freezer and work at it, you can do it for about the same prize as feeding premium kibble. But that also adds to the time contribution)
Is it worth it? I think so, but mind you, I’m home-preparing from scratch only maybe three-quarters of the time, and feeding commercial (Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw and Primal frozen raw grind) the rest.
Could I get to 100 percent home-prepared? Yes, but this is working for me and the pets. But if Lucy Postins ever sells Honest Kitchen, I guarandamntee ya I’ll be re-evaluating. Also, sobbing.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 6, 2010 @ 7:20 am
. . . Fromm, Mulligan Stew, Canidae, Solid Gold, The honest Kitchen (a dehydrated raw food) that are AMAZING and will not compromise your pet’s wellbeing.
Comment by Marie — May 6, 2010 @ 6:52 am
The problem is most of the other top foods either don’t have varieties for dogs with allergies, or the food costs is way out of the average person’s range. Solid Gold’s one grain free food costs ~ $100. Fromm is also in the $70+ range and has stopped making their foods that have fish as the meat source, without chicken, since their change in manufacturing last fall.
I used to feed Canidae but switched after their recipe changes. For well over a year now I’ve been feeding TOTW, along with buying 2-6 bags of Evo at my store’s twice yearly 30% off sales (can’t afford it otherwise). I only feed Evo and Ziwi Peak cans, 2x a week for the dogs and once a week for the rats.
I’ve spent well over 30 hours checking recipes online, pricing, comparing foods, and seeing what my store can stock because of my dog’s allergies to chicken, grains, and a host of other things (Vizsla). Looks like I’ll be doing it all over again to replace the Evo.
Comment by Sarah — May 6, 2010 @ 7:27 am
i guess i will change my dog food .. anyone have a suggestion on something else ,, i am sure proctor is looking to make money not quality food , take a good name , and sell bad quality that is all i have heard about there food , need good alternative .. thanks
Comment by jill carson — May 6, 2010 @ 7:59 am
I was picking on grahund, which I think by now I am entitled to do.
No, it definitely takes more time and effort to do a home-prepared diet. I never push this option on anyone, because you do have to do some research and also spend some time sourcing ingredients. But I also resist mightily the propaganda that it is rocket science. People become unnecessarily intimidated.
It is less expensive for us to do it this way, and we have economies of scale because of the number of dogs, and no one with a terribly sensitive tummy who can’t tolerate variety.
I think it takes as least as much knowledge of nutrition to evaluate commercial food as it does to make your own, and far more vigilance in the end, as manufacturers change formulas on the sly.
It shouldn’t be so hard.
It irritates me to no end that people like grahund, with a dog who has very specific dietary needs, can perform due diligence in researching pet foods, spend plenty of money on trial and error, finally find something that works, and then POOF, it’s gone, replaced by something quite different with the same label.
Most of them don’t get the heads-up about the change beforehand, either. They find out when their dog gets sick, or when it dies, or not at all even though both those things happen because of subtle or dramatic alterations.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 6, 2010 @ 8:06 am
H. Houlahan wrote:
…finally find something that works, and then POOF, it’s gone, replaced by something quite different with the same label.
Or ever more fun, replaced by something covered with green mold. That’s what prompted the most recent switch.
Actually, I’m glad it happened. I had misgivings about the previous brand, but it worked and if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I’m much happier with the new brand and the dogs are doing better. Unfortunately it is substantially more expensive and that is saying something since the previous brand is pretty pricey. And the new stuff is even harder to get. The only reason it is practical is that the owner of local pet shop agreed to carry it just for me. Last time I asked they had just sold a bag to another customer for the first time. No way I’d get that kind of service from PetSmartCo or Pet Food Express.
Comment by Grahund — May 6, 2010 @ 9:22 am
Re: Brand loyalty.
When I was writing “Cats For Dummies” with VIN founder Dr. Paul Pion, who (as you all may know) discovered the link between killer heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy) and the taurine deficiency in commercial cat foods, he said that best thing you could do was switch foods constantly. That way you’re covered if one brand is lacking something that turns out to be important.
Now, if you’re doing that with cats, well, good luck! Cats tend to be more brand-conscious than a teenage fashion diva in a rich high school. Even if that brand is the cheapest kitty crack on the market, good luck getting them to switch. (Dr. Pion suggests being sure to introduce lots of foods in kittenhood, so they’ll accept changes better as cats.)
Dogs, well, variety is what they’re designed for. After all, they’re opportunistic scavengers, not true predators like cats.
So varietize! Or at least, varietize while you can as the industry continues to consolidate (and outfits like Menu make food for all kinds of brands).
And Heather’s right: It ain’t rocket science. Even though during the pet-food recall, the former head of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine said in a press conference that he wasn’t capable of making pet food at home, that’s bunk.
While home-feeding lists tend to get bogged down in flame wars over calcium-phosphorus balance and other minute details, really, if you’re mixing it up and bringing good ingredient to the mix, it’ll all work out fine.
Seriously, you manage to feed yourself without a PhD in nutrition, don’t you?
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 6, 2010 @ 10:01 am
I feed Orijen - after the horrible pet food scandal and nearly losing our champion bitch - and am waiting for them to introduce their grain-added (oats) ACANA dog food into the American market. It comes in a range of varieties. Three of our dogs do well on Orijen, but one, and his pups as well, have tummys that object to the high fat and/or high protein content. They’ve been getting California Natural. No more.
Comment by Kristi — May 6, 2010 @ 10:05 am
Gina. LOL Feed myself without a Phd. ::snort::
The dogs are better fed than I am! (unless the leftover pizza and chocolate in the teacher’s lounge is better for me than I think.) But then again, they get more sleep and exercise too. And don’t get me started on their health care system VS. our new school health insurance plan.
Comment by Verde — May 6, 2010 @ 10:23 am
Leftover pizza and chocolate (dark only!) are two of the major and most important food groups, along with caffeine and red wine.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 6, 2010 @ 10:27 am
Thankfully, I have been feeding raw for over 10 years. Once you get over the initial learning/researching curve, I’m sorry, but it IS just as simple and fast as feeding kibble. I take perhaps 5 more minutes a meal (for 9 dogs) than I would dumping kibble because I weigh each portion. Supplements are the same as I would give if I were feeding kibble, so no difference there. But really, aren’t my dogs worth an extra 10 minutes a day?
Incidentally, I’m a *really good* defroster!
And I also don’t have to re-research every time the company who made my artificial pet food gets sold to a conglomerate, they end up inadvertently using substandard ingredients from China or they change formulas. That time right there more than makes up for the initial learning curve with raw. Not to mention the danger to my animals when any of the above things happens without my knowledge.
My puppy homes are at 100% for feeding raw to the puppies they’ve purchased from me. If my puppy people (who are not serious “dog people”, per se) can do this, anyone can.
Comment by Dawn-Renée — May 6, 2010 @ 11:14 am
Kristi— I am now feeding my dogs Acana, so it is available in the US market, if only barely. So far as I know there are only two shops anywhere near by that carry it and one is my local shop that carries it because I asked. I tried Orijen and as with your experience it is too rich for my one super-sensitive dog. You might ask the shop that carries Orijen to get Acana for you. They clearly can if they so choose.
I chose Orijen/Acana because the manufacturer, Champion Foods of British Columbia, Canada, manufactures in their own plant and uses only top quality, locally sourced, whole food ingredients. No Chinese rice gluten or whatever.
I agree with Gina on variety, but for one of our dogs, variety is not feasible. For specific medical reasons, bedrock consistency is mandatory. The other dogs get a variety of other foods, though the vast majority of their calories come from kibble.
Comment by Grahund — May 6, 2010 @ 11:24 am
Grahund,
Is the ACANA grain-free you are feeding not too rich? I thought I would have to go with the ACANA that had steamed oats and peas, and that ACANA type isn’t available in the U.S. at this time.
My research said the same, which is why I use Champion Foods and really feel it is the only dog food I can confidently recommend. I also believe that Canada has higher quality standards than the U.S., and that because Champion Food also exports to EU countries with even higher standards, it will maintain them. However, there are three Staffords that get gas and the runs from it!
I did write Champion Foods about getting the product with oats in the U.S. but if your dogs do well on the regular ACANA, that will be my next step.
Here is my reply from Champion after I sent them a link to Pet Connection: “Thanks for the link Kristi, it’s amazing how fast news travels! Diana and I in Customer Service are already getting emails and calls from people concerned with the news that PG has bought out Natura. I’ll let our US Sales Manager know that our Classic ACANA Series is in demand in the US.
Best Regards,
Bonnie
Customer Service
Champion Petfoods LP
Comment by Kristi — May 6, 2010 @ 12:07 pm
Darn, I was so recommending Nutura to my friends. I think we do know what will happen here. Obviously, pet food companies have to make money to stay in business. Proctor and Gamble, however is willing to ruin the health of dogs for their bottom line as we can see when we examine the ingredients of Iams and Eukanuba. It is a fact that they continually make little changes in their formulas in which they replace ingredients with ever cheaper fill. I was giving my dogs 50% homemade food and 50% quality canned foods from Nutura. I will watch the ingredients very closely and simply up the percentage of homemade and look into Fromm and Wellness. Solid Gold has switched to Ethoxyquin containing fishmeal so I no longer use this brand. Evangers and Merrick dry foods also use Ethoxyquin containing fish meals so I do not recommend them. See dogfoodanalysis.com
Comment by sue — May 6, 2010 @ 12:08 pm
I hate the implication that I’m a “bad” owner if I don’t feed raw. No, I don’t feed myself as well as I should (maybe I DO need a PhD), but my dogs getting high quality kibble is consistent and they thrive on it. Yes, it IS more trouble to feed raw. *Storing* food is a *very* big difference. The actual feeding process, not so much. The *cost*, if sticking with convenience being a factor, is also higher. It really shouldn’t matter what anyone is feeding if the dogs are in good shape and health (for as much as we humans can control THAT) and having their nutritional needs met. Aren’t there better things to argue about?
I have no problem with anyone choosing to feed raw. I just don’t think those owners are superior. Why don’t raw zealots offer the same attitude towards others?
Comment by Janet Boss — May 6, 2010 @ 12:12 pm
I thought the discussion was amazingly guilt-trip-free, Janet, and I’m sorry you are not taking it that way.
I thought those who talk about home-prepared were saying, “IF you want to, this is what it’s like” not “You have to, and here’s how you do it.”
You know, during the pet-food recall, lots of people who make pet meals from scratch (raw or not) jumped on us and said we were missing the chance to promote The One True Way.
Um, no.
Then as now, we remain committed to the idea that everything from the cheapest generic kibble to the most detailed free-range, sustainable organic home-prepared meal should at least do as advertised: Fulfill your pet’s basic nutritional needs and not make him sick or dead.
We still feel that way. There’s a reason why the bloggers here feed a wide range of meals to our pets, from Costco kibble to “premium” kibble to “raw easy” (HK/Primal) to 100 percent from scratch raw.
Not any one of us doesn’t love our pets and isn’t making the decision we believe is right.
And that’s cool.
As I’ve mentioned before: None of the puppies (except the One Who Chose Me) born here last year eat home-made meals. And you know what? Not only was it NOT a condition of placement, it wasn’t even a subject of discussion. Because I knew those who ended up with the ZinKuties are all intelligent, dedicated and experienced dog-lovers capable of making their OWN decisions.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 6, 2010 @ 12:21 pm
Sorry - took a very few comments and mixed them up in my “brane” with discussions elsewhere.
To move on - I’m in a “frequent buyer” program with CA Natural. Wonder if P&G will continue that (or even if my local store will continue carrying the food). I guess right now it really is a wait and see situation, and I’ll make changes when they become necessary.
Comment by Janet Boss — May 6, 2010 @ 1:02 pm
Kristi—I didn’t know there were that many varieties of Acaca. My pet shop, and the other foo-foo one not too far away, carry both the chicken and lamb. I think the other shop carries the fish. I know the owner of my local shop asked if I was interested in the fish.
The “Wild Prairie”, chicken in the orange bag, has potatoes and peas as the starches. Also fish and eggs.
I also thought Acana would be too rich, but the dog does better on this and the lamb, green bag, than anything else. He’s very sensitive to the fat content of his diet, so this is somewhat surprising.
I tried a small bag of Orijen even though I was pretty sure it would be too rich. And sure enough it was, but the Acana has worked out beautifully. I do alternate orange and green bags so he does get some variety. Again, surprisingly, this inconsistency has not caused any problems. I guess the two are sufficiently similar in the ways that matter to his digestion.
Comment by Grahund — May 6, 2010 @ 1:11 pm
” chose Orijen/Acana because the manufacturer, Champion Foods of British Columbia, Canada, manufactures in their own plant and uses only top quality, locally sourced, whole food ingredients. No Chinese rice gluten or whatever.
Comment by Grahund — May 6, 2010 @ 11:24 am “
I agree, but just in the sake of “truthiness”, Champion is based in Alberta, not BC. One province to the east :)
Comment by K.B. — May 6, 2010 @ 1:14 pm
First no matter what changes they do or don’t make to the food are pointless knowing the fact that P&G does horrible animal testing. That in its self is enough for us to no longer sell the product! I would bet my life that the once “100% China Free” Natura will no longer be 100% China free!
When we received the letter from Natura it was apparent that the bottom line was money, regardless what rhetoric was spouted. The importance of the far reaching distribution was a key point that made it obvious. Another verbal assult was the inclusion of the wording that they would keep the foods “essentially intact”. What the heck does that mean?
We stock Orijen and Acana which are cheaper than EVO and a better food. We are already looking into other foods to replace Innova and California Natural.
Only time will tell but if it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck………
Comment by Danielle Park — May 6, 2010 @ 2:08 pm
Mark my words, this will be the end of the Natura we know and love.
There’s a post on itchmo from a natura customer who received a notice of an ingredient change already - now this is unconfirmed, so pure speculation still as far as I’m concerned.
However, I would not be surprised. It’s only a matter of time.
Comment by Kim — May 6, 2010 @ 2:24 pm
To Sarah “Fromm is also in the $70+ range and has stopped making their foods that have fish as the meat source” We carry both the Salmon A La Veg and Whitefish & Potato in the Fromm 4 Star line.
We also carry Acana and Orijen (Indiana) grain-free lines and will hopefully be adding the Entire line to replace some of the Natura lines.
Don’t ever feel bad IF you don’t feed a certain type of food. No single food is best for every pet. Some do well with grain, some without, some on dry, wet OR raw. The best is a variety and rotation.
To Garhund- By too rich do you mean stomach heat/acid, gas, bloating, gas or other ‘hot’ issues?
Comment by Danielle Park — May 6, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
Danielle— By “too rich” I mean stomach noises, gas and diarrhea. This dog has a specific medical condition which makes him very sensitive to the fat content of his food, among other digestive issues. Those are the symptoms when he gets more fat than he can handle. I didn’t feed Orijen to the other dogs. They seem to handle everything so I doubt it would be a problem for them.
We still have one dog on California Natural Low Fat. She’s an thrifty dog so if we fed her Acana she’d only get one kibble every third day. Otherwise she’d gain weight. Though that would be enough nutrition, it wouldn’t be a satisfying volume. She’d undoubtedly figure out how to use the phone and call Animal Cops to report us for starving her. If she could reach the phone she’d probably do it now.
Comment by Grahund — May 6, 2010 @ 2:42 pm
Garhund-haha, You are funny!
Hopefully you don’t leave the cell out on the couch or get the cat to help( if u have 1).
I have a few dogs that have too much gas from a high protein food. I know it is a natural process in the break down of the protein but who wants to smell rotten eggs?
Comment by Danielle Park — May 6, 2010 @ 3:32 pm
FWIW, the Orijen adult varieties are too rich for my dogs, as well. But they do just fine on the senior formula (green bag, russet and sweet potato as carbs).
Comment by Rori — May 6, 2010 @ 4:51 pm
Did not mean to imply above that the carbs came from eating the bag itself! LOL. Rephrase: In the green bag; russet and sweet potato as carbs.
Comment by Rori — May 6, 2010 @ 4:58 pm
Bummer. I’ve been feeding Innova for 14 years (it’s what our second dog came from the breeder eating) and have been very, very happy with it. Tried switching a few times when the price kept going up, but I always came back to to it because my dogs have done the best on it over all. I’ve occasionally considered feeding a raw or home-cooked diet, but honestly, came to the conclusion that if the dogs are doing well on a high quality kibble, I’d rather use the time to train and exercise them than use that time to shop,chop, pack, freeze etc for a home-based diet.
Comment by Katie Bruesewitz — May 6, 2010 @ 6:57 pm
I’m at a loss. I wrote to Natura saying how disappointed I am they sold out. I’ve been feeding EVO and California Natural. Moving along!!!!!
In the ebook I wrote, I include websites to learn about ingredients in pet food and how to read labels. I recommend checking out the manufacturer and where the ingredients are sourced. I’ve always recommended Natura to the pet parents I speak with - but no more.
For those of you feeding Champion food made in Canada (Orijen/Acana), do some research on that company.
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 6, 2010 @ 9:26 pm
People continuing to use these foods should keep close watch.
I was feeding FF canned foods back in 2007 to my kitties. Years prior to that, it seemed a good food. Gradually it got worse (in my opinion), until in 2007 it resembled something similar to rubber, with sauce.
The change was so gradual that I didn’t even notice. It was just our “regular” brand.
This has taught me a lesson. Don’t take things for granted.
Comment by Marcy — May 6, 2010 @ 10:08 pm
“For those of you feeding Champion food made in Canada (Orijen/Acana), do some research on that company.”
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 6, 2010 @ 9:26 pm
You obviously have Sandra - care to share with the class? I’ve never heard anything negative about them myself.
Comment by K.B. — May 7, 2010 @ 3:06 am
Can anyone name ONE pet food that got better after such a consolidation?
No, the food won’t get better, or even stay the same. It will get worse. MUCH WORSE!
Sorry, but we’ve seen this movie before, and we know how it ends.
The Corporate Vulture mentality: If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em.
A toothpaste company should make toothpaste, and leave pet food making to those who are serious about pets and pet food.
Comment by 5CatMom — May 7, 2010 @ 4:01 am
I refuse to sell the wares of P&G. 18 linear feet times two stores full of Natura will be leaving my store through the back door. It’s going to hurt but we survived losing Iams in 1999 and we’ll survive this.
The changes in raw ingredient procurement are already happening. It was a good long relationship but it’s over. Another one bites the dust. :-(
Comment by Joy — May 7, 2010 @ 4:30 am
K.B. google “problems with Orijen in Australia” - many cats either died or became paralyzed.
My boys had diarreah for days in 2008. Spent $$ at the Vet and did a stool test - found no parasites. That evening, I found a large hard object sticking out from the kibbles about 1/2 way through the bag. I could have pierced my finger if I pressed on it. There was a thread on a group that showed pictures of the same object and other pets were getting diarreah two months before I noticed it. They also found shards of bone chips. The fish bones weren’t being separated during manufacturing. I understand there are mechanical & human errors, but the company had no visible warning on their website nor did they pull the bad lots from the shelf in which I purchased the bag. They weren’t even aware of the problem. When I spoke to another retailer, they were told those lots never made it to my state. There wasn’t a recall ever.
When they manufactured beef kibble, the cows had mad cow disease and they discontinued beef from their line.
I trusted Natura as a company and their ingredients. People mentioned the brands they think is good. Solid Gold’s food is manufactured by Diamond. My guy got a mast cell tumor and has been on EVO for 3 years. It’s only until recently he’s been getting hot spots and a cough which I believe he might be allergic to the chicken. I just switched him to California Natural and he’s not fond of it. My other guy is doing ok with CN. I have to come to terms with the fact there is no perfect kibble. I also add real food (sardines, mackeral, hard boiled egg) in addition to giving parsley. I also pan fry ground turkey on occasion.
What to do, what to do???????
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 7, 2010 @ 8:01 am
Danielle Park - sorry, got my dry and wet mixed up. They discontinued the tuna canned and added chicken to the salmon (and everything else), leaving me with no options there. The dry salmon a la veg and the whitefish are both on my (extremely short) short list of kibble options.
Sandra Smolker - Since you seem to know something about Champion that none of us know or have found, please share.
Joy - Wow, a pet store owner that sticks to her principles!! You are what I dream to be.
Does anyone have the old eukanuba and iams recipes from before they were sold to p&g? I think it’d be helpful to show the changes that were made.
Also, does anyone know anything about TOTW eliminating the chicken in 2 of the 3 foods? I was told about 2 years ago that they were going to have it done within a year, but that obviously hasn’t happened.
Comment by Sarah — May 7, 2010 @ 8:07 am
Whoops, posted at the same type of you, Sandra! The problems with the cat food in australia aren’t something that makes me question their food. Their foods are made locally, so the australian plants are different from the american ones. We also don’t have mad cow here, so that is another non-issue.
Comment by Sarah — May 7, 2010 @ 8:11 am
Sarah- TOW High Prairie and Pacific Stream are chicken free.
And I think you have a wonderful idea on getting the original recipes. I bet dogfood analysis might have them in the archives! I will be checking!
As a natural pet food store we also will be eliminating the Natura lines!!!
I know the some of the issues with Orijen in Austriala, but it was due to the fact the country NOT Champion iradiated the food coming in and not the company’s choice. BSE was an issue for lots of country’s AND human as well as pet food so I can’t say I would blame them for that either.
The bone thing well that I would have to blame.
Diamond is NOT a favorite manufacturer and I really feel just about every company has a pro/con. So its about the lesser of two evils I guess. However, some of the lines we are looking to replace Natura with are Go/Now from Petcurean, had previously sold Wellness Feline, but got rid of for Fromm. Now might bring back to replace EVO as they have a nice 95% line. Maybe Solid Gold-But not happy with some of the findings in kibble testing in our state. Azmira, Nature’s Logic, and oh I don’t know! Still in some shock.
Read somewhere else that Merrick no longer states they use ethoxyquin free fish. ANyone know if this is true?
Comment by Danielle Park — May 7, 2010 @ 8:25 am
“K.B. google “problems with Orijen in Australia” - many cats either died or became paralyzed.”
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 7, 2010 @ 8:01 am
I thought that was linked to the irradiation of food entering Australia, not anything linked to the way the food is processed or the ingredients. If you have other *facts*, please share.
Comment by K.B. — May 7, 2010 @ 8:27 am
The following privately owned companies come to mind, and there’re others.
Petcurean
Fromm
Orijen (Yes, I know!)
Nutrisource
Blue Buffalo
Kumpi
They don’t all have their own manufacturing facility, but (at least) they aren’t public corporations.
Pet food should be made by companies that are SERIOUS about pet food and pets - not by multinational toothpaste and candy companies whose only concern is today’s stock price.
Comment by 5CatMom — May 7, 2010 @ 8:36 am
Speaking of stock prices, did you see P&G was one of the ones slammed in that weird market freak-out yesterday? Along with Sotheby’s, which briefly had a share price that made the company worth more than many countries.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 7, 2010 @ 9:14 am
Cat deaths caused by Orijen in Australia has been well-researched. It occured because that country required Orijen bags go through high levels of irradiation upon import because the food contained fresh meat and was cooked at low temperatures. The irradiation knocked out vitamin A, which cats need, and caused chemical changes in the food (and should put serious doubt in the safety of irradiating food in general) Here is the report:
http://www.championpetfoods.co.....elease.pdf
Comment by Kristi — May 7, 2010 @ 9:46 am
Regarding problems with Orijen in Australia, it was linked to the irradiation of food.
http://www.championpetfoods.co.....elease.pdf
Remember the chicken jerky strips from China that were recalled some time ago, they were also irridiated.
http://www.k9obedience.co.uk/d.....reats.html
Comment by sonowwhat — May 7, 2010 @ 9:50 am
I’ve been looking at all the companies once again. Does anyone know about Wellness Simple Solutions? I’m looking for a kibble for allergic dogs. I’d prefer no grain, but this is not a perfect world. I called the company and the food is manufactured by American Nutrition and Hagen, she believes are in the U.S. Thanks!
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 7, 2010 @ 11:06 am
This is way to crazy and so sad. I have trusted Innova for the last 4+ years. On another note I just started my 11 year old dog on part raw (night) and part kibble (Innova)(Morning). Now I have a reason to get my husband convinced to go all raw as this will probably be less expensive in the long run and less time consuming in regards to having to worry about the ingredients changing.
Comment by Amy — May 7, 2010 @ 11:35 am
Danielle - TOTW High Prairie has chicken meal at #3, like the Wetlands formula. I did check the analysis site for the eukanuba and iams recipes, they only have them going back to 2005. Even comparing then to now you can see some big changes for the worse, though! I’m having no luck with google as well.
Sandra - My problem with the Wellness Simple Solutions is the major lack of meat. In all varieties rice is the first ingredient, followed by the named meat, inclusive of water (which makes up about 80%) of it. The salmon and lamb ones are followed by the meat meal at #3, but those are the only two meats. The 3rd, the duck and rice, doesn’t even have a second meat! It’s nice to see an attempt at a line geared towards dogs with allergies, but it seems like they forgot that these are dogs that need meat. Their CORE line is much better, particularly the Ocean one. CORE is their grain-free line, and Ocean also has no red meat or chicken.
I made a spreadsheet of my possible options, including a column for meeat sources followed by the entire recipe. It’s interesting comparing the individual breakdowns when everything is simplified.
Comment by Sarah — May 7, 2010 @ 11:43 am
We looked at Wellness Simple Solutions, but the fact that they have grains IMO make it a poor choice for a dog with unspecified allergies.
Of course the recent news knocks out Cal Nat. and the final choice being for our customers Natural Balance. Again, IMO not a favorite food/manufacter, but as stated before lesser of two evils.
Comment by Danielle Park — May 7, 2010 @ 11:44 am
Thanks all. I know he’s allergic to chicken and while I’m not crazy about Lamb being #2 as the meat source, well, doesn’t seem like much options out there. At least they are not using sunflower oil as California Natural does.
Ground Rice, Lamb, Lamb Meal, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Tomato Pomace, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Choline Chloride, Taurine
I just bought a small bag of Simple Solutions and will see how he does. I’ll add steamed vegetables and ground turkey or lamb to increase the protein amount. I’ll also add sardines, mackeral, hard boiled egg mixed in for variety. At this point, I think the least amount of ingredients the better off he’ll be. I tried Fromms - did you ever see how many ingredients they have? I rushed him to the ER around 12:00a a while back. I gave him their chicken treat and he was violently gagging. He’s never done that before. I discontinued chicken and stayed with Lamb and Parmesean until I found mold in the Parmesean. I notified Fromm’s/FDA and it turned out the mold was like “bread mold”. They apparently didn’t let the biscuits cool before packaging.
I think we should all be thankful our furry kids and ourselves survive eating everyday. Even our foods are recalled and some ingredients remain which shouldn’t be i.e. carrageenan. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it LOL. When you find the “perfect kibble” please let us all know.
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 7, 2010 @ 2:34 pm
This is ironic and I rest my case….
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/m.....74798.html
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 7, 2010 @ 3:49 pm
I’m not seeing the relevance of the link.
Sandra, what breed is the dog with the problems?
Comment by Sarah — May 7, 2010 @ 11:47 pm
Grahund - Let’s talk poop!
I was thinking of going to Orijen senior for the guy with the stomach (and his two pups) because of the lower fat content. The Acana grasslands you suggest actually has a higher fat content than the Orijen. However, you say he is doing well on it? When you have tummy trouble it seems often the best thing is a recommendation for someone with a dog that has the same problem. My guy has some allergies and a problem with digestion - the yellow squirts from Orijen, and with California Natural his poops are well formed but still a bit soft and still have a yellow cast. It was my belief that yellow indicated a problem digesting fat. Sorry to the rest of you, but tummy troubles can really make finding and switching foods a nightmare. I was happy with the California Natural low fat but absolutely won’t use it now. I had first-hand experience with contaminated dog food.
Comment by Kristi — May 8, 2010 @ 8:49 am
Sarah -
“I think we should all be thankful our furry kids and ourselves survive eating everyday. Even our foods are recalled”
I posted that statement before I read they recalled romaine lettuce. Sorry for the confusion.
I have two Whippets.
Kristi - do you add enzymes to the diet - good for digestion problems. I had problems with Kevin’s tummy while he was on EVO. It didn’t occur to me, after spending $$ at the Vets who couldn’t find anything wrong & suggested Pepcid, then to change his food. He’s on California Natural and no more tummy problems. I’m planning on switching him to Wellness (Lamb & Rice) Simple Solution and not buy any Natura products. If they don’t do well, I’ll try another brand. I can relate to you having gone through nightmares with my boys. Trying to figure out which brand to go with is another nightmare.
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 8, 2010 @ 10:06 am
Sandra, Wellness was also purchased by a large conglomerate.
From Wikipedia: WellPet LLC is a cat and dog food company formed by the combination of Eagle Pack Pet Foods and Old Mother Hubbard,[1] after both had been purchased by Berwind Corporation. Their brand names are Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack, Prism, Hy-Ration, Old Mother Hubbard, Holistix, and (previously) Neura Meats. The company is a fully-owned subsidiary of Berwind Corporation, along with (among others) Elmer’s Glue and the National Pen Company.[
Comment by Kristi — May 9, 2010 @ 11:04 am
Bernie was on Wellness Fish years ago and suffered from UTI’s. I switched to Solid Gold but when he got a mast cell tumor, I switched to EVO. Kevin was on Holistic Select when I got him two years ago so I’m aware they were bought out, thanks for the info anyway. I switched Kevin to EVO for a year before it started to bother his tummy - switched to California Natural. Bernie now has gotten another hot spot, first one in Feb. Wellness’ Simple Solution has limited ingredients - lamb & rice. I know I will switch to another brand since it has copper sulfate in it.
I’m just amazed seeing all the various pet foods including holistic, and I can’t come up with one that I’m totally comfortable with.
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 11, 2010 @ 1:33 pm
You can join the following Facebook page. People are putting pressure on Natura.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pag.....lling-Out/\
124100980934974
(Click on Page)
I’m now on facebook - Sandra Smolker - since I wanted to add my support.
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 13, 2010 @ 7:49 am
I am a week behind, but I wanted to make clear to Janet and others that while I feed raw and am a proponent, I am not anti-kibble. I know raw isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. But *I* just get tired of people dissing raw (harder, more expensive, etc) who haven’t seemingly ever TRIED it. Y’all scare people off from trying, and that is no more right than people who feed raw looking down their noses at people who don’t. That’s the only point I was trying to make. I am not superior, I am not whatever. But I felt compelled to say that if you are tired of these dog food formulation changes and whatnot, take it into your own hands. You can do it; it’s just like any habit. Now that this is all I know, it’s a “bother” to break out kibble for visitors! LOL!
Personally, while it doesn’t affect me directly, I am also not happy about this P&G purchase of Natura. It was one of the few alternatives to raw I felt comfortable suggesting to people who asked.
Comment by Dawn-Renée — May 13, 2010 @ 5:10 pm
But *I* just get tired of people dissing raw (harder, more expensive, etc) who haven’t seemingly ever TRIED it.
Comment by Dawn-Renée — May 13, 2010
Well, here’s the thing, Dawn. The three people who ALL said it takes more time and planning and often more money (especially if you don’t have time or planning) are ALL raw feeders, with a combined experience at it of excess of, oh, 50 years or so.
We are honest about home-prepared diets, pro and con. We have, for example, on many occasions pointed out that it doesn’t take a PHD in nutrition to prepare a homemade diet for your dog, and that if you can feed yourself well without help, you can probably home-prepare meals for your dog with no more than some basic research and recipes.
See, what we deal with here is the truth. In fact, we insist on it.
That’s not “dissing.” It’s “honesty.” People who try something armed with the truth are more likely to be prepared to deal with any issues they bump into along the road. And that’s because they did not jump in with unrealistic expectations.
Home prepared meals take more time and more planning, whether you’re making them for yourself or your pets. It takes more planning and effort to make a pizza than buy a pizza.
I mean seriously, duh. Even the fairly simple effort of remembering to think about what I’m going to feed the dogs tomorrow and pull out stuff to thaw takes more effort than scooping two cups out of a bag of Ol’ Roy.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 13, 2010 @ 6:14 pm
Well, Gina, one person’s “harder” and “more work” isn’t necessarily someone else’s. Aren’t those definitions based on the perspective of each person? I run. A 5K to me is nothing. A 5K to a person who hasn’t run for 20 years is going to be a lot of work. So, whose perspective is “right”?
I am saying we all have different habits and life experiences and perspectives and our perspective of work is different. Since I never just fed kibble “as is”, I never just scooped out kibble. The *only* thing I do differently at feeding time is I weigh instead of scoop. And I don’t have to think one iota about what I feed in the am or the pm. I just grab containers from the correct section in the freezer the feeding before. Do I take time picking up food and breaking it down into containers? Yep. Do I pay more for food? Nope. 70 cents average for raw vs. $1.50 kibble.
Honesty can be relative.
Comment by Dawn-Renée — May 13, 2010 @ 8:21 pm
False Dichotomy Week continues here on PetConnection.com.
You were not “feeding kibble.” You were feeding a combination of ingredients that included kibble. And now, you are feeding a combination of ingredients that doesn’t include kibble.
What people who are “feeding kibble” do is go to the store at regular intervals and buy a small, medium or large bag of whatever product they believe is best for their dog at the price they can or are willing to pay.
They then take that bag home, do their best to protect it from spoilage and measure it into food bowls on a regular basis. Wash, rinse, repeat.
If they offer “people food” — a/k/a “food” — they feel guilty about it because they have heard all their lives that “table scraps are bad.”
So maybe they give a commercial treat instead — or more likely in addition.
And of course, most of those dogs live just fine. Their owners are perfectly happy with the arrangement and see no reason to change it.
It is possible to feed a home-prepared diet at minimal expense. That point has been made repeatedly here. But again, securing, storing and combining multiple ingredients is not ever going to be as economical with time as measuring out a prefab diet.
That’s not a bad thing, but it is a thing that must be factored in when considering whether or not to try a home-prepared diet and what the benefits and limitations might be to you and your dog.
The people who made these points to you before — including me — are none of us people who “haven’t even tried and are dissing” home-prepared diets. We are all people who feed home-prepared meals to our dogs, some of us exclusively and others of us regularly.
It’s simple math. Adding one ingredient to a dish takes less time than adding many. If you are adding the contents of one container that contains multiple ingredients, that’s still a dedication of extra time — to fill those containers with multiple ingredients and even to wash them for re-use.
Seems to me that if you want converts (which I guess is what you want?), you ought not complain about people who actual feed home-prepared meals “dissing what they haven’t tried” and instead make your case for the benefits of a home-prepared diet.
The “it takes no longer and isn’t any harder to do” doesn’t pass the most basic sniff test — and never will to anyone who has switched from a home-prepared diet or even asks a few basic questions about it when considering a switch from a “complete and balanced” kibble diet.
You remind me of a woman I knew many years ago, who made her in fant daughter baby-food from scratch. I cannot tell you how many times she insisted that it was “no harder, took no more time or effort” even as I watched her wash, slice and puree ingredients fresh for every feeding.
OK, and if telling herself that really was “just as easy” as opening a jar of Gerbers, well, we all do what we need to do to get by, I guess.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 13, 2010 @ 9:22 pm
Thanks for setting me straight and telling me what my experiences are. I don’t know how I ever managed. It’s been soooo ‘hard’!! :)
Think I will move on to blogs who remember who their readership is and not one whose director (?) not only accuses readers of lying, but who reinvents their experiences for them. Whoo-eee! Enjoy the kool-aid, folks! Don’t think for yourselves!
Comment by Dawn-Renée — May 14, 2010 @ 5:51 am
Oh, come on. P&G has already been floating a survey to some pet owners regarding proposed ingredient changes, from five sources of protein to two. They are only motivated by profit, and that’s all, in my opinion. Judging by some of the canned responses customers are getting from them, my guess is that they will make the changes quietly during the six month period when they don’t have to include them on the label, and hope that the uninitiated won’t notice. They can take their animal testing and cheap China ingredients and peddle them to the masses (do enjoy the Kool-aid), but my dogs will not be eating this product again once the current supply is gone. For anyone who wants to join the FB page on this:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/gro.....038;ref=ts
Comment by Anne Springer — May 14, 2010 @ 7:02 am
@H. Houlahan and @Granhund:
Unfortunately, the Honest Kitchen uses some ingredients from China! Sad but true! So I would not turst thier food either!
Ther are NO pet food companies that we can trust!
The Honest Kitchen’s own box states: “Product of U.S.A., yet they use some ingredients from China!!
The FDA is wayyy too lax with food companies. They claim it’s a product of the U.S.A. but it’s not all from the U.S.A.!
Comment by Brandi — May 18, 2010 @ 12:45 am
Pardon us, “Brandi,” for not accepting your word on this.
What you’re up to, I don’t know, but considering HK founder Lucy Postin’s recent outspoken interview in Pet Food Industry magazine ( here’s an excerpt), it wouldn’t be hard to come up with more than a few reasons for the attack.
In any case, you just earned yourself a one-way ticket to Trolltown.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 18, 2010 @ 6:52 am
Not sure why Brandi chose me and Grahund for her edjimicating about Honest Kitchen. I feed raw homemade. Neither of us ever mentioned the product. And I won’t use HK, which for all I know is a very fine food, because they refuse to repudiate sending customer money to PeTA and won’t promise not to ever do it again.
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 18, 2010 @ 8:50 am
The Honest Kitchen was asked on Facebook about a rumor that their ingredients were from China and said:
We do occasionally purchases two ingredients – celery and cabbage — grown in rural China. This is due to seasonality, not cost. They are purchased through U.S. operated farms and like all our ingredients they are 100% human grade. We are currently preparing contracts with new suppliers and have a goal of sourcing these products from Europe or North America by 2011.
We guarantee that 100 percent of the chicken, turkey, beef and eggs, as well as the grains and flaxseed in our foods are United States-grown. Also, all testing and manufacturing takes place in the U.S. http://www.thehonestkitchen.co.....ntegrity/.
Comment by Lis — May 18, 2010 @ 10:30 am
Okay, so how do I know that MY celery and cabbage didn’t come from “rural” China?
(Like we were suspecting they were grown on rooftops in Beijing?)
Celery is the “worst” vegetable to buy as conventional produce, according to the Environmental Working Group:
http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php
If we have to be worried about residues on ANY conventional celery, what horrors come over on the Chinese-grown stuff?
Comment by H. Houlahan — May 18, 2010 @ 11:54 am
I’ll be much happier when they’ve stopped buying celery and cabbage from China, for sure.
Comment by Lis — May 18, 2010 @ 12:13 pm
That is shocking that the honest kitchen uses ingredients from China! Looking into it, I also found out the use bananas and papayas from Asia also!
@Gina do you work for them or something? Because you seem so adamant in defending them.
There is no excuse for a company that claims to be based on principles to be using cheap sources from China in there food. There food is a nice idea but the problems I have with it is that they use ingredients from China and their label is deceiving… They call it a raw food when it most surely is not. It is heat dehyrated atbove 120 degrees, which causes calhanges in the chemical structure of food.
Natura selling their company, did nothing wrong. They wanted to get out of the business and sold it to a company who could afford to buy it. Unfortunately for pet owners, that company is P&G and that is where the problem comes in. Can we trust food from companie. That use ingredients from China? I wouldn’t. Many do, even if they claim to be made in the USA . The only petfood I know forsure has 100% Canadian is Orijen and Acana. The only pet food in the usa that is all USA is PawNaturaw. If theses companies sell and change hands, then there might be a problem. But for now the are safer.
Comment by John — May 22, 2010 @ 2:41 pm
No, John, I do not work for them. Do you work for PawNaturaw? In any case, Honest Kitchen is one of our site sponsors, and I do know the company owners and have for years. I will ask Lucy Postins to address your comment on Monday.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 22, 2010 @ 4:19 pm
Does anyone know about Nature Variety’s new line? I wrote to them & haven’t heard back yet. I’m looking for no grain, limited ingredients, made in USA in a good facility. Lamb, bison, no fish/chicken/rosemary ingredients. This is like looking for the perfect man - don’t think it exists LOL. I switched from Natura to Wellness but since Wellness didn’t answer my questions on facebook, I’m switching brand. Thanks.
Comment by Sandra Smolker — May 28, 2010 @ 7:29 am
All the assumptions and negative reactions are expected, but I can tell you all, as someone knowledgable about the P&G aquiring Natura deal, who isn’t a P&G person, that ALL lines of Natura’s Pet food formula’s are remaining unchanged and exactly the way they always have! P&G has promised this and the same people are still running Natura from top to bottom. P&G’s head of North America pet products also said P&G will not take any Natura products from the specialty channel foods over to the mass channel like they did with Iams and Eukanuba. As someone who believes whole heartedly in what Natura’s core values are and what the Natura Brand stands for, and had concerns of my own at first when the takeover happened, I am telling everyone the honest truth as it was presented to all Natura employees by P&G.
Comment by Rott35 — July 6, 2010 @ 11:17 pm
This is not good. When P & G bought Iams they changes the ingredients and dogs and cats started to have problems. Animals suffer and die in P & G labs everyday. No ethics in this company and I just heard this today and started researching dog foods and will change immediatly. I have feed Innova for 10+ years. Bad!
Comment by Lisa — September 21, 2010 @ 5:08 pm
It’s December and I didn’t find out that the back stabbers at Natura sold out on us till last week. I feed my 2 Viszlas and Border Collie Evo. Now my dogs are gassy and my Viszlas don’t have any hair around their eyes.
I’m getting ground up chicken necks and backs from Whole Foods and starting them on raw this Friday.
I sent an email and left a phone message with Natura, no response.
I used to feed my dogs Canidae. I didn’t find out those back stabbers moved to Diamond foods until after my animals got sick from different/crappy ingredients. PLUS my friends who were feeding Canidae said their dogs got sick. When I called up Canidae, they fed me a bunch of lip service.
I’m beyond angry. How dare they mess with my pets’ health!
Comment by sarah — December 8, 2010 @ 9:52 am
sarah,
you are misinformed. We didnt move to Diamond foods? Not sure what Diamonds foods is even
Comment by Rott35 — January 18, 2011 @ 4:24 am
you are misinformed. We didnt move to Diamond foods? Not sure what Diamonds foods is even
Comment by Rott35 — January 18, 2011 @ 4:24 am
………Hmmmmmmmm, who is we???
……..Diamond Foods does contract manufacturing of dry dog/cat foods, including Canidae. Their plants have had more than one problem with recalls: aflatoxin and lack of thiamine in cat food.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Pet_Foods
Comment by CathyA — January 31, 2011 @ 8:24 am
All three of my dogs became ill with severe diarrhea after eating California Natural Lamb and Rice Small Bites this month. They required prescriptions from the vet and a special diet to recover. When the first one regained his health, I fed him the California Natural again (not knowing that was the cause of their diarrhea) and he became ill with severe diarrhea again. I started researching the internet today to find if others are having the same issues, and low and behold I find that P&G bought Natura. I will never trust or buy this brand again.
I have temporarily switched them to Nature’s Variety Raw Venison and they’re doing well. I’m going to try Honest Kitchen and also Monica Segal’s ‘K9 Kitchen’ book, which has complete balanced nutrition homecooked and raw recipes for dogs.
Comment by Tasha — September 24, 2011 @ 8:59 pm