*** Quoting Janis Kracht from a message to MIKE ROBERTS ***   
      
    JK> Hi Mike,   
      
   Hi Janis...   
      
    > http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/natura-dog-food.html   
      
    JK> Yes, that's a trip :(   
      
    JK> Darn and it's not like these dog food brands are inexpensive.  I   
    JK> think a large bag of weight-control Adult dog food goes for about   
    JK> $20.00 plus now.  We were buying IAMS brand.. but this article also   
      
   No they are not cheap, that is for sure.. Especially when talking a mid range    
   brand like IAMS or Eukanuba. I don't know what they are getting for the    
   specialty brands, That put a lot of natural ingredients in almost sounding to    
   me that they are trying to cater to the thoughts of the owner, rather than    
   actually be doing any great nutritional thing for the dogs/cats. What I mean    
   is, have You seen some of those cat food commercials with all these special    
   foods in it? Kinda wish the food we are served at some fast food places were    
   so healthy. I mean some of that looks better than what we humans eat    
      
   I don't feed my little ones on IAMS anymore. The big ones I fed IAMS and the    
   one guy got tooo big tooo fast. Joints and such could not keep up with the    
   fast speed of growth. And every dog I fed IAMS to got Cancer. Could be    
   coincedence.  But they did live long lives for their breed, so that    
   may be the cause.   
      
   My first Newf, the breeder wanted me to feed him all natural. Making a    
   special food for him. It was a lot of work. I spent a Saturday Morning at her    
   house learning how to do it, and I will admit it was a lot of work. I told    
   her I don't think I can do this. She at that time them made me sign a paper    
   saying only high quality kibble, like Iams. So I did. A lot of time has gone    
   by since then. She still breeds, but will only sell now, to buyers who agree    
   to natural only diet.   
      
   I sometimes listen to vet talk shows on satellite radio when I get a chance.    
   I have heard a couple of them say. If You are going to do that ( natural food    
   ) Go the whole way.. Feed them Meat. Nothing else! Meat! If You can afford    
   the natural food route, then You can feed him Meat. that is their diet in the    
   wild and what they do best on. But admit that most would not go for that,    
   because we as humans think they should eat like we do. Things I did not know,    
   is like Yeah, owners get away with feeding their dogs grains and stuff and    
   they can handle it, but it is not good for Cats at all. I did not know that,    
   but never tended to feed my cats scraps, like one is tempted to do sometimes    
   with dogs. Oh a piece of ham or thanksgiving turkey or something, but not    
   like what the dog would get. I guess thats a good thing. I never knew that    
   about cats.   
      
      
   .   
      
   ... The good news is that the bad news was wrong...   
      
   --- Telegard v3.09.g2-sp4/mL   
    * Origin: The Holodeck BBS  (1:261/1381)