# iVet dog food?



## hk45shooter (Apr 7, 2009)

Anybody feed their puppies this? I went to the Vet today so Nico could get his booster shots, & they give me a 8# sample bag (that's a big sample









) of it. They praised it very highly, & explained why it is better than IAMS & Science Diet. Which I already knew SD was not that good of food, just by reading posts here & the ingredients on the sample bag they give me on Nico's first visit.

The Vet recommended (& gave me) the Small Breed Puppy food until the dog (Nico) is 35 lbs, then to go with the Large Breed Puppy food. Does that make sense to anyone?

<u>*Ingredients of the iVet® Healthy Gourmet Small Breed Puppy food:*</u>
Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Oatmeal, Canola Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Flaxseed (source of natural omega-3 fatty acids), Fish Meal (source of natural DHA), Dried Brewers Yeast, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Yucca Schidigera, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite), Beta-Carotene, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (a source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Rosemary Extract.

Anyway, what do you all think?

ETA link to iVet's home page.
http://www.ivetfoods.com/index.html


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

It looks mediocre to me.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

How much does it cost? I bet your vet is making a tidy profit selling it to you. 

I don't like to see Brewers Rice or Corn Gluten Meal in dog food ingredients, especially in the first 2 ingredients. 

I think you can do better.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I wouldn't feed it to my puppy/dogs even if it was free. I would take the free bag though and donate it to the Humane Society.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: hk45explained why it is better than IAMS & Science Diet.


it may be.....but Herve Villechaize was taller than Mini-me, but he still wasnt tall.


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## hk45shooter (Apr 7, 2009)

It is about the best that is available to me, where I live. I do not live in a big city where I have lots of options. I have a couple of grocery stores, a ShopKO (a small department store), & the Vet. So out of the choices I have & with what they have to offer (Purina, IAMs, Science Diet, & the iVet), which is better?

While I appreciate the responses to this, I do not live in a perfect world where I can do what is absolutely the best choice for me or my dog, but I want the best I can do for him with *<span style="color: #CC0000">MY</span>* options. I find that most people on the internet like to make themselves out to have the best stuff & be able to do all the right things all the time. Well I'll be honest, I can not. 
____________________________
Chicagocanine, thanks for your honest to the point answer.
____________________________
BowWowMeow, it cost less than the IAMs & Science Diet, but more than the Purina & store brands. 

Besides isn't that what a business is in business for, making a profit by selling things? Who cares if they are making a little larger profit, I don't, if it is a healthier option for my dog.
____________________________

BlackGSD, great, if you have other choices, but I do not.
____________________________

roxy84: Sorry I did not ask about Herve Villechaize & Mini-me.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: hk45It is about the best that is available to me, where I live. I do not live in a big city where I have lots of options.
> ...


Have you checked with your local feed stores to see what brands they sell? I don't know about other areas, but around this area you can't find the brands people recommend in grocery stores, they're only available in the feed stores.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

When I couldn't find the dog food I wanted to buy locally (the distributor was no longer available) I ordered it online instead. This might be an option if you can't find a good food in your area. There are quite a few websites which sell dog food and also several dog foods which are exclusively available through mail order. I was lucky when I had to order online because I found a good price and a coupon which covered the shipping cost. Unfortunately the website I ordered from is gone now (the old Pets.com) but you can find similar deals at other sites. For example if you sign up for the newsletter with Pet Food Direct they often have 20% or 22% coupons which usually cover the cost of shipping a large bag of food. I've ordered food from them a number of times.

Also here are a few brands that offer mail-order:
Flint River Ranch http://www.frrco.com/
Great Life (my vet recommended it) http://www.1doctorschoice.com/GreatLifeDogFood.html
Life's Abundance http://www.healthypetnet.com/


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Chicagocanine ...
> Life's Abundance http://www.healthypetnet.com/


This is off topic, but this just reminded me that about 9 or 10 years ago Niki & Too were in an infomercial for the Life's Abundance dog food. 
lol - They ended up on the cutting room floor.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

hk45. 
I have NO opitions in the town where I live. We have no vets and only a small family owned grocery store. (Where my only option would be Purina Dog Chow and similar foods.) I go out of my way to drive almost 100 miles round trip to buy my dogs a better food than I can get in my town!


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: hk45It is about the best that is available to me, where I live. I do not live in a big city where I have lots of options. I have a couple of grocery stores, a ShopKO (a small department store), & the Vet. So out of the choices I have & with what they have to offer (Purina, IAMs, Science Diet, & the iVet), which is better?
> 
> While I appreciate the responses to this, I do not live in a perfect world where I can do what is absolutely the best choice for me or my dog, but I want the best I can do for him with *<span style="color: #CC0000">MY</span>* options. I find that most people on the internet like to make themselves out to have the best stuff & be able to do all the right things all the time. Well I'll be honest, I can not.
> ____________________________
> ...


youd be surprised how many country stores/feed stores may carry some other options. canidae is relatively common. you could check their store locator on their website. 

just picking a random town in SE Iowa gave me 10 locations that sell it.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

There are a lot worse on the market. This product is decent in my opinion. Is there "better" on the market - yes; is there worse - yes. One key is does your dog eat it with no adverse reactions? That's important. Also, can you afford it? I think people should get the best kibble THAT THEY CAN AFFORD. We all can not buy dog food that is more expensive than the food we eat. So we do our best to give our dogs the best we can. No one should critise a person for that.

I'm not a fan of corn gluten but it is listed down the line in this product meaning there is some in the product but not a great deal. My main concern is the Chicken Fat being listed 3rd. High amounts of chicken fat has been associated with an increase in bloat in large dog. I would like it see it listed 5th or lower.

I'm not saying it is a "bad" product, but I think it is important to know the pros and cons.

If you can find the new line of Purina, (I do not feed Purina so this is not an advertisement for them) I would compare some of those with this product. Other on here will know the name of the Purina line - I think it is something like Pro Plan Select.


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## hk45shooter (Apr 7, 2009)

OK thanks for the replies, & the feed store suggestion. I asked a guy at work about feed stores (he's a part time farmer), & he said there was a real nice one in a town about 20 miles north of me, that carries many brands of dog food. So I am gonna go check it out this coming weekend.

What should I be looking for in the ingredients, the good & the bad?

As far as costs go, I don't mind (& can afford to) spending a little more if it is gonna make him a healthier, happier dog.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

The Tractor Supply Stores down here offer everything from Blue Buffalo to Taste of the Wild (which I dont' think is recommended for puppies). I'm betting the feed stores up in your neck of the woods would be a great place for better choices.


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## hk45shooter (Apr 7, 2009)

OK, I made it to the feed store this weekend, that the guy from work told me about. This place had a food called EXCLUSIVE, that sounded pretty good, so I picked up a sample.

What do you all think of this (puppy) food? Good, bad, in between, or "I would not feed that to my dog if it were free"?

http://www.pminutrition.com/main.html 

INGREDIENTS: Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice,
oatmeal, corn gluten meal, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols (a form of Vitamin E),
beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, fish meal, natural chicken flavor, salmon oil
(as source of DHA), potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride,
L-carnitine, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate,
ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, potassium iodide,
thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid,
vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate,
sodium selenite, pyridoxinehydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement,
riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


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## luvu2 (Jan 13, 2009)

it has corn and beat pulp. Two ingredients I try to avoid. At least they are down the list some.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I did read that you were looking for a good food based on your own situation. I did read the ingredients of the iVet and the ingredients look good (my preference is no corn gluten meal as seen in some of their formulas but it is still highly digestible by dogs as a protein source based on studies). In fact, it is made at the same plant my food, Kumpi - http://www.kumpi.com, is made. I trust Crosswinds. I personally prefer Kumpi (completely different formula) as we have had great results with it and I got to know the owner over the years.
However, I trust any product produced at Crosswinds because they are very meticulous and serious about quality. Our Kumpi bags have had the same consistency bag after bag after bag after bag. We never get any of those bone looking fragments others have seen in some other brands. And there is almost no dust fragments in the bag. The kibble always smells so fresh. Crosswinds is about quality so if this meets your price point then I would say go for it 
Kind Regards,
Robert Davis


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

It is a Purina product. I WAS able to get it FREE and STILL wouldn't feed it.









(That said, you COULD do much worse. But there is also "better" avaliable. What is most important is what works for your dog AND your wallet.)


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSDIt is a Purina product. I WAS able to get it FREE and STILL wouldn't feed it.


Where did you find that information? From what I've read on http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg2.htm

"iVet Professional Formulas (information provided by company)

Only iVet brand is iVet Professional Formulas 
Manufactured by Crosswind Petfoods, Inc. ( Sabetha , KS ) 
All major ingredients, which would include protein meals, grains, etc. are sourced from the US or Canada. 
Micro nutrients like vitamins & minerals are sourced from a variety of countries, including Asia. 
We do not use wheat gluten. We do, when nutritionally needed, utilize corn gluten as a secondary non-meat sourced protein. 
We do not use rice concentrated protein in any products. 
Our ingredient suppliers have performed extensive testing on the ingredients we use, all of which have been negative. They have also done further upstream testing\inquires at the producer level with no positive test results. Documentation of these results is held by the producers and thus confidential to them. Based on these results and the fact our ingredients have not been exposed to other affected ingredients (cross contamination), we saw no reason to test the final products. 
iVet formulas are not private labeled out to other companies. 
Crosswind Industries and\or subsidiaries is majority owner of iVet. "


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

canidae would, imo, still be a decent step up from any of the aforementioned choices and is available in SE Iowa. (dpending on where you arew located and your tolerance for driving) the regular formulas are still not too expensive (relative to others of that quality) it doesnt mean it would work for your dog, but it is a decent place to start.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobos
> Our ingredient suppliers have performed extensive testing on the ingredients we use, all of which have been negative. They have also done further upstream testing\inquires at the producer level with no positive test results. Documentation of these results is held by the producers and thus confidential to them. Based on these results and the fact our ingredients have not been exposed to other affected ingredients (cross contamination), *we saw no reason to test the final products.*
> "












must be the cleanest factory on the planet since apparantly no contamination could occur there, not to mention the completely blind trust in their suppliers (yeah, no problem there). i thought all manufacturers tests final product, radomly at the very least.


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## Taylor (Apr 7, 2009)

Ive seen the EXCLUSIVE. Its not horrible. Its an okay food. I feed my GSD Eagle Pack. Good luck on your search.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: roxy84
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobos
> ...


I'm not sure I understand your post? If the test results have been negative, thus all ingredients that came into the factory were negative, how is that blind trust? As an FYI - iVet was not listed as having any recalls. I know my own pet food is made at Crosswinds and in 10 years my pet food maker has been in business, no recalls either. I believe that is a very good track record compared to others in the industry. I know looking at my own bags of food, it is always the same consistency bag after bag after bag - fresh smelling (smells like chicken!), very little food particulates that you see in other brands, no bone shards and consistent kibble size. Crosswinds does a fine job.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Robert,

I was talking about Exclusive being a Purina product. (Since the Exclusive was the last thing asked about and I had already replied RE: the Ivet food earlier in the post.)


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

BlackGSD. Sorry I misunderstood. Makes we sense to me now.  pminutrition website is registered to land o'lakes, the butter I use.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobos
> 
> I'm not sure I understand your post? If the test results have been negative, thus all ingredients that came into the factory were negative, how is that blind trust?


they rely on their suppliers tests and not their own. its one thing to forego tests on the supplies they receive, but not testing the finished product seems irresponsible, imo.

most companies test post production for the very reason that contamination, even under the most careful conditions can, and does, occur in the factory. 

additionally, the only way to know the products from your suppliers are clean is by testing random samples regardless of what a supplier tells the company.

for them to assume that 1) their suppliers could never supply a tainted product and 2) contamination will never occur in the manufacturing process itself is simply not sound quality control, imo.


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