# How bad is...



## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

Iams?
Just curious... A family member gave me a huge bag of Iams Smart Puppy. Large Breed.
I do believe I've heard it is pretty bad, right with Purina and Pedigree. 

Our dogs who lived 15-16 years, also GSDs, were raised on the cheapest dry dog food available, Ol' Roy and some others, with no health or joint issues.. They may be lucky, but does anyone here have actual experience with certain puppy foods damaging joints and such?

Thank you guys









P.S
What would YOU recommend for a good dry food that doesn't cost $45 for a 16lb bag?


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Finish the bag of Iams and don't worry about it. Use the time to do some research at your own pace. I fed my last dog Eukanuba and Iams, and he did SPLENDIDLY on it for 15 years. (Really!) The vets all asked what I fed him! Phenomenal muscle tone, and glorious coat!

That said, I'm a dedicated raw feeder who, when I have fed kibble due to boarding, reccomend grain-free kibble such as Orijen, Wellness Core, and others. Yes, it costs more than Iams might, but the results are worth it for the dog.

We have a sticky in the forum too about grain-free kibbles!


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

I have been feeding Bella Iam Large breed puppy too, for 1 year and she is healthy, strong, shiny coat. Now that she is one I need to change it and currently have her on the Natural 26 Blue Seal till I can figure out what to do.

I have Bo on the Iams LPB now too. 

My last GSD lived to be almost 12 yrs and she was on Kibble and Bits!! 

I mainly shop in Grocery stores or walmart. 

I have three college students so I am in a budget.


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

Now that I've researched a bit more, I will use this bag and go with one of those when it's gone.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

It's definitely not the worst, but no where near the top in terms of quality. I'd say on a scale from 1-10 (10 being orijen / 1 being pedigree), it's about at a 3 or 4, but that's just a guess off the top of my head. It's got some decent ingredients (first ingredient chicken though not chicken meal) and it's got some bad ingredients (corn, by products).


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

breeder's choice pinnacle is a great food. $50./30#.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Iams® ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Large Breed ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Corn Grits, Brewers Rice, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Fish Meal, Chicken Flavor, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Caramel, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), DL-Methionine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Rosemary Extract. 


I think at one time many of these foods had way better ingredients than they do now. Of course it is the American way to make more money







so adding more cheap ingredients but keeping the food "balanced" isn't surprising. 

Is this the worst food out there? Nope but it is far from the best. I would find something else to feed as soon as I could and then donate the rest of the food to a shelter or rescue!!

Compare that to the Acana Large Breed Puppy food (made by the same company that makes Orijen but it's their less expensive line)

Chicken meal, steamed oats, fresh free-run chicken, peas, fresh deboned salmon (source of DHA), brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary), chicken liver, fresh whole eggs, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, pumpkin,
chicken cartilage (natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin), red delicious apples, carrots, turnip greens, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, organic sea vegetables (kelp, bladderwrack, dulse), burdock root, marshmallow root, juniper berries, fenugreek, sweet fennel, angelica root, sea buckthorn, chicory root, stinging nettle, red raspberry leaf, milk thistle, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers, chamomile flowers, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Vitamins (vit. A, vit. D3, vit. E, niacin, riboflavin, lysine, thiamine mononitrate, vit. B12, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin). Minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate).
http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/products.php

I would bet dimes to dollars that not only would any pup would do better on the Acana but the poop would be WAY less and not stink as much!!


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## mastercave (May 2, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Barb E.
> Compare that to the Acana Large Breed Puppy food (made by the same company that makes Orijen but it's their less expensive line)


Thanks for that little tidbit, Barb! Do you know how does it stack up against Orijen?


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

When Bella was on Iam's yes her pooped stunk but it was firmer easy to clean up in the yard and now she is on Blue Seal 26 natural and it stinks worse and a little mushier. But does poop stink any ways!

Does Petco sell the better food. If not walmart or the grocery store, which are convenient.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: c20 and DudleyThanks for that little tidbit, Barb! Do you know how does it stack up against Orijen?


I actually don't, I feed Nature's Logic (Link) but a year or so ago talked to the Champion rep at a dog fair about their lines of food.

Here though is the ingredients of the Orijen LB Puppy:


INGREDIENTS
Fresh deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, fresh deboned salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), herring meal, sweet potato, peas, fresh deboned lake whitefish, fresh deboned walleye, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E and citric acid), chicken liver, salmon meal, fresh deboned turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh deboned herring, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product 

http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/puppyLargeIngredients.aspx


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: Heidi WWhen Bella was on Iam's yes her pooped stunk but it was firmer easy to clean up in the yard and now she is on Blue Seal 26 natural and it stinks worse and a little mushier. But does poop stink any ways!


Actually Dante's has *very* little odor to it since I've been feeding the Nature's Logic and *no* odor on a raw food poop!!



> Originally Posted By: Heidi WDoes Petco sell the better food. If not walmart or the grocery store, which are convenient.


Petco is going to have better foods than either your every day grocery store or Walmart, though you usually find the best foods at natural pet supply stores and often you can get them through feed or tractor stores!!


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: c20 and Dudley
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: Barb E.
> ...


i think the main difference is orijen is grain free (though acana does have the provincial grain free line), a bit less meat in the acana, a lower protein %, but a better price than orijen.

if i could have found the acana large breed puppy when my girl was a pup, i would have loved to feed it as i trust champion foods more than any other manufacturer at this point.


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Has any one ever fed the Natural 26 from Blue Seal?


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Their website does not allow me to copy and paste the ingredients but here are the first few ingredients:
Pork Meal, Ground Corn, Ground Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal 

A LOT of grain there and Wheat is a pretty high allergen for dogs. 

http://www.blueseal.com/canine/Classics/natural26.php

Would I feed it? No, I don't know how much it is but I'd bet you could actually feed a higher qaulity food for less money because you would feed less


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: BrightelfFinish the bag of Iams and don't worry about it. Use the time to do some research at your own pace. I fed my last dog Eukanuba and Iams, and he did SPLENDIDLY on it for 15 years. (Really!) The vets all asked what I fed him! Phenomenal muscle tone, and glorious coat!
> 
> That said, I'm a dedicated raw feeder who, when I have fed kibble due to boarding, reccomend grain-free kibble such as Orijen, Wellness Core, and others. Yes, it costs more than Iams might, but the results are worth it for the dog.
> 
> We have a sticky in the forum too about grain-free kibbles!


Keep in mind that back in the day Iams WAS one of the better foods available before they grew in mass. Once they started being available in EVERY store in town they seemed to have better quality and better ingredients. Granted I do not follow kibble stuff as closely as some but that is what I remember from way back then (5-10 years ago).


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## lauramichelle (Mar 11, 2009)

Ranger is on Iams....and started on Iams. I didnt like the quantity of poop he was having on Iams. He was pooping like 7 times a day.

After reading and posting here...we decided to switch to the Kirkland Brand dog food from Costco. It was $21 for a 40lb bag. And the ingredients are much better than Iams. No corn meal in the first 5 ingredients. 

We're only on day 3 of switching over...so he's still mostly on Iams...and except for the day my husband fed him way more of the new stuff than he should have....his poops have been much less frequent. He seems to poop more at one time...but less times pooping....if that makes sense. I've also noticed some increased energy on the the Costco food.


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for the good information, I would like less poop and healthy for my dog. Also budget friendly two GSDs. I know nothing about dog food.


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

New hampshire does not have many good stores to buy good quality dog food. We Have a Blue seal, Pet smart and Pet Co.


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