Iams Dog Food
October 31, 2008
Filed under Dog Food Reviews, Iams
Iams Dog Food
Iams is made and manufactured by Procter and Gamble.
The Iams Healthy Naturals product has different formulas each tailored to meet the needs and preferences of each life stage (puppy, adult, senior dogs), dog size (small, medium, large or giant dogs) and for special concerns such as weight control.
Iams dog food formulas are manufactured based on a formula that mainly consists of viable sources of nutrients including chicken, chicken by-product, brewer’s rice, corn meal, ground whole grain sorghum, ground whole grain barley, and chicken fat.
Although chicken is an excellent source of protein, raw chicken contains approximately 80% water which can be lost upon processing. The meat content is therefore reduced to only a small percentage of its original weight which means that there is an insufficient source for animal protein. The manufacturers of Iams try to remedy this situation by incorporating chicken by-product meal, another source of animal protein. However, being a by-product, the meal is made up of undesirable cuts and parts of chicken which has been discarded because it was deemed unsuitable for human consumption. The bright side of it though is that chicken by-products are meat products and contain more than 300% protein compared to fresh chicken.
Brewer’s Rice is a cereal by-product of when milling whole rice. This is not considered though to be a quality ingredient.
It is necessary that the source of corn should be specified in order to ensure that the corn meal is of good quality. Many pet food manufacturers often use corn which are used for livestock feed. Corn in any form has been linked to food allergies in dogs. It is for this reason that premium quality dog foods don’t incorporate corn or any corn by-products in their formulation.
Sorghum is a gluten-free cereal grain with a lower glycemic index compared to other grains just like barley, another starchy carbohydrate source.
Among the different ingredients of Iams dog food products, the ones which are often deemed controversial include dried beet pulp which is often used as inexpensive filler, and dried apple pomace.
There is no mention of probiotic coating of kibbles which is the latest trend to hit dog food manufacturing. Minerals which have been incorporated in the Iams dog food have not undergone chelation, thus they are more difficult to assimilate and be utilized in the body.
Considering the acceptable standards set for the amounts of nutrients, particularly meat, that should be present in dog food formulas, Iams have lower meat content. There are minimal amounts of plant-based boosters (if any) which should have added to the protein content of the dog food.
Customer Reviews
There have been a lot of negative reviews on the Iams dog food products. Most of these arise from the bad publicity that animal rights waged on the company regarding animal testing. Another factor that makes dog owners think twice about getting Iams dog food for their dogs is the inclusion of corn and corn by-products which has been associated with hypersensitive reactions. Some dog owners also noted that their dogs gained a lot of weight (which was unhealthy for them, of course) even after they finished their first bag of Iams dog food. There are others who also reported of kidney failure and digestive upsets.
There are dog owners, though, whose dogs eat only Iams all their life and only have good words to say about Iams.
Overall, we do not recommend Iams dog foods.
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Please visit the links listed below for Iams dog food reviews by formula.
Have a comment or question about our Iams dog food review? Want to share your experiences with others? We welcome your comments!
Iams Dog Food Reviews
Iams Dog Food Formulas:
- Iams Active Maturity Large Breed ProActive Health Dog Food
- Iams Active Maturity ProActive Health Dog Food
- Iams Adult Small & Toy Breed ProActive Health Dog Food
- Iams Dog Chunks Dog Food
- Iams Dog MiniChunks Dog Food
- Iams Dog Weight Control Formula Dog Food
- Iams Dog Weight Control Large Breed Formula Dog Food
- Iams Healthy Naturals Dry Dog Food
- Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula for Adult Dogs
- Iams Large Breed Adult Dog Food
- Iams Premium Protection Dry Dog Food
- Iams Smart Puppy Dog Food (Formerly Puppy Original Formula)
- Iams Smart Puppy “Proactive Health” Large Breed Dog Food
- Iams Smart Puppy Small Breed Formula Dry Dog Food
Iams Dog Food Consumer Ratings
| Title | Votes | Rating | Review |
| Iams Active Maturity Large Breed ProActive Health Dog Food | 31 | 2.3 | -1.0 |
| Iams Active Maturity ProActive Health Dog Food | 27 | 2.8 | -1.0 |
| Iams Adult Small & Toy Breed ProActive Health Dog Food | 19 | 2.4 | -1.0 |
| Iams Dog Chunks Dog Food | 32 | 3.7 | -1.0 |
| Iams Dog Food | 120 | 4.2 | -1.0 |
I’ve tried science diet, beneful, bil jac and now Iams. I now have 3 dogs. My gs mix will eat anything she’s not picky, my brindle boxer is a puppy he will eat anything too. My rednose is a very picky eater, she was given to us abo 2 years ago and I assume her old owner fed her table scraps because we had issues with her eating dog food. We used to have to mix can food with dry dog food for her to eat it. But ever since I started with Iams she eats dry dog food with no complaint.
I don’t know if it’s the greatest dog food…can’t be if it’s in the grocery store, but it works for my dogs and it works for me.
Iams is nothing but corn and by-products. Read the label! I will not feed my dogs anything with by-products, it is impossible to tell what the source is.
I think Iams used to be good before the company was bought out and started selling it in the big box stores. Now it is a slow poison death for dogs.
i consistently use science diet and my dogs have no problems at all. one day at wal-mart i remembered i needed dog food (prior to going out of town for business), so i grabbed a bag of iams (do not sell science diet here). my wife called me a few days into my trip saying that one of my three dogs was constantly scratching, biting herself (other two were fine though). when i got home i noticed her skin was a very bright pink and she seemed terribly uncomfortable. i decided to dump the iams and went and got the usual science diet and after one day all her symptoms went away. i was amazed.
I don’t think that any of you that are being so negative about vets and their ability to recommend foods have any knowledge to base your claims on. If you think that vets get very little training on nutrition, you are grossly mistaken. Unless you have attended vet school, or even glanced at the required curriculum to get into vet school, you should not comment on the lack of education regarding nutrition. Many of you talk about ingredients on the label. Do you even know what they mean? For example, not all chicken is the same. Did you also know that even though many people say corn is bad, it is one of the most highly digestible foods found in pet food. Do not confuse opinion and conjecture with actual knowledge and education. I recommend you talk to your vet and ask them specific questions such as: “Why do you recommend that food and what makes it better than other foods?”
I have a 4 month old chocolate lab and i feed her nature’s recipe, which is an excellent food! no byproducts, fillers or preservatives. My cousin has a german shorthair and he feeds it iams puppy pro plan. This food is terrible! They don’t care about his health or well being and im constantly having to tell them that it’s not healthy for him. All of the added ingredients and vitamins are really unhealthy in a dog’s dietary track. Their dog has constant behavior and attitude problems, as well as pooping a ton! Iams is a bad food and is very unhealthy for your dog. Don’t use it!
If you really care about your pet, we have to check ingredients for each brand and compare to see which is best for your pet, a lot of people think dog food is just that: dog food, have you really check what are the ingredients in your dog’s food? I think you should do more research, Iams,science diet,ukanuba, and other commercial foods have pretty much the same ingredients, and believe me you will pay the price when your dog gets older and starts getting sick because of bad nutrition, please check this web site http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com go into the index (bottom left corner)and look for the brand that you are feeeding your dog and take your time to read the ingredients.
Owen,
Have you been to Vet school? I have been in pet food biz for over 20 yrs and can honestly say that most vets do not know their butt from their elbow on food. In their schooling, nutrition is a very small part, sponsored usually by the same companies Royal Canin, Proctor and Gamble, Colgate Palmolive. Can you tell why that all these foods have had recalls? The reason is they use the lowest common denominators to get the protein, fat, and fiber from. The corn of cooked corn is digestible yes, but is a top 3 allergen and is a product that is not found in a canid’s diet naturally. The question to ask your Vet is “why does the foods you reccomend constantly get called for recalls. Blind faith in a person with a white coat is not going to cut it these days. I speak with conviction on this subject and have the history on my side to prove of most Vets ignorance on Pet nutrition. Prove me wrong on this. Tell us where they get their information and why they usually only promote certain foods when they access to a wealth of knowledge on many different foods.
My wife and I have been using Iams over the past 2 years for our Rottwiler. Although she has horrible gas people dont seem to realize that you cant just switch dog food. You have to first introduce the NEW dog food slowly to wean the dogs system from the OLD food. ANYWAYSSS…Iams seem to be doing her good. So much better than OL Roy, who my wife insist not to EVER buy.
Iams is junk food for dogs!!You should buy a pet food based on the first 5 ingredients.Iams first 5 : 1 Corn Meal 2 Chicken By Product Meal 3 Chicken 4 Ground Whole Sorghum 5 Ground Whole Grain Barley.In case you didn’t know it dogs are carnivores.Grains are not a natural part of the canine diet.If you want a truly good food for your pet the Ingredient list should look more like this:#1 Deboned Chicken #2 Chicken Meal #3 potatoes #4Turkey Meal #5 Canola Oil.Witch list looks better to you?? Again dog food should not contain grains especially not as a first ingredient!!!Iams is very grain heavy and light in any good quality meat!Oh incase your wondering the dog food with the good ingredient list is made by Merrick it is called Before Grain,It is a totally GRAIN FREE product much more appropriate for your carnivore.But don’t just take my word for it,Do some research on pet food,Educate yourself!!Type in dog food ratings and reviews.Boxer World has a great website,they do ratings based on a scale of 1 to 6.Iams rates at a 1 simply because there is nothing lower.Before Grain has a 5 star rating.Arm yourself with knowledge!!Pick a truly good food for your best friend!!
You really wanna feed this to someone you love??????
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/brand_list.cfm?Trade_Name=IAMS&pet=Dog
I’ve had 1 yellow lab and 2 goldens. They all were on an Iams diet. They all lived very long and happy lives (12 yrs or older!). So stop all the Iams hating. Yes there are more expensive “better” dog foods out there but you have to find the right diet and nutrition for YOUR DOG! Every puppy/dog is different. My wife and I picked up or newest golden puppy a few weeks ago and he will be on Iams as well. And I’m pretty sure his organs won’t fail and his limbs won’t fall off. Yes I love my dogs and yes I feed them Iams!
Why don’t you people JUST read whats in this food????
1.Chicken.. This is great the only good thing in this food.
2.Corn Meal. Corn can not be digested by dogs. It causes eye goo, smelly skin and excess shedding and ear problems.
3.Ground Whole Grain Sorghum. This is the same as corn but also causes digestive problems.
4.Chicken By-Products..We have talked about this 100 times here it is feathers ,manure, feet, beaksand other crap on the floor.
5.Chicken Fat, Purdue University did a study and their conclusion was that fat in the first 5 ingredient can promote bloat in dogs.
Dried Beet Pulp,, is whats left over after making beet sugar AND THE ONLY REASON IT IS IN DOG FOOD IS TO MAKE THEIR STOOLS FIRM, otherwise it would go to the city dump !!!!
I have a question for all you Iams lovers how much does your crappie dog food cost?? ( BASED ON INGREDIENTS-SO DON’T CALL ME A HATER!!)It has been recalled numerous times.See above posts for recall info-and ingredient list.And YES-every puppy-dog is different but- EVERY dog needs real meat Which their isn’t much of in Iams-Check out this ingredient list- 1)Deboned Chicken 2)Chicken Meal 3)Potatoes 4)Turkey Meal 5)Sweet Potatoes – which list looks better to you??-See post above for Iams ingredient list- the food with 3 MEATS in the first five ingredients is Before Grain by Merrick- You can get it at your local INDEPENDENTLY owned pet store-they do not distribute to the chain pet stores-Petco-Petsmart.Anyway I can get a 25 pound bag for 37 dollars and some change-I don’t have any idea how much Iams costs-because I would never buy it.BTW you feed much less because the food is so nutrient dense-My 65 pound Labrador eats 2 cups of Kibble and 1 can of Merrick’s A day-if she ate only kibble it would be 3 cups a day.Also your Iams is made in a huge dog food factory with all the other grocery store CRAP-I’m sure the other brands ingredients get mixed in-Merricks is family owned and operated and made in their facility.WHATEVER brand you choose-Please do some research-on good and bad ingredients-Check out The Dog Food Project or The whole dog Journal Or Dog food Analysis.
Wow, thats cheap for Merrick, in my area it is 57 bucks a bag and Fromm is 55 bucks a bag. Orijen is cheaoer in my area. Now the good dog foods in my area that are priced right are California Natural, Healthwise and Taste of the Wild. I am still looking at some others. I am not sure what Innova is because I used their Large breed puppy and it was goofy high priced.
Like I have said before, many of these people get fooled by big business advertisement. I know I used to be one of them.
I found some really disturbing information on Iams!
A Few Surprise Ingredients in the Iams Dog Food
Check it out it’s the 6th paragraph down, on the The Campaign to Get Animals Out of Iams’ Labs.by HSUS and the ASPCA
http://www.iamscruelty.com/iams-feat-nocontract.asp
Iams Tortures Animals: Join the Iams Boycott for Everyone.