Iams and Eukanuba: Behind The Paw

May 6, 2011 | Author Gracey

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Behind The Paw

Iams and Eukanuba: Behind The Paw
P&G’s Behind the Paw Pet Influencer Summit
Behind the Paw Influencer Summit- Iams Plant Tour
How is dry kibble made? Iams & Eukanuba Behind the Paw

Super exciting news!
I am sending my mom to Iams and Eukanuba’s Behind The Paw!

Our Friends at Iams have been super generous helping our cousins in need. We participated in the Iams Home 4 the Holidays where just by leaving a comment, Iams donated 25 meals to a shelter in need! We are now completing our Iams Premium Protection Senior Cat for PurrEver Ranch Sanctuary drive. Again, our friends at Iams stepped up and are generously donating meals to our senior citizen cousins at PurrEver Ranch. I know that Rita and the cats at PurrEver Ranch are grateful to be receiving this high quality food created specifically for senior cats.

We received so many heartwarming posts about how your cat lets you know when it is time for supper. Almost all of the comments made us smile and feel warm inside knowing that our cousins are in loving homes. But unfortunately, there was also a little thunder rumbling in the background. Some comments that were posted were a little grumbly, some were quite loud and some were so boisterous that we had to delete them because we are a retracted claws only community.

So I am sending my mom Behind The Paw! She will be touring the P&G Health & Nutrition Center, then the P&G Pet Care’s Leipsic Plant where the pet food is made. My mom will be meeting with the P&G Pet Care leadership and Iams and Eukanuba brand teams at their Mason, Ohio campus where she will have the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session.

I think this is the perfect opportunity to find out the answers to any questions that you might have about Iams pet care. So post your questions that you would like answered below this post and we will find out the answers for you. Ask anything that concerns you.

There is one thing that concerns me about Behind The Paw.

President Obama bowling-left pawed.

There will be a Pins 4 Pets bowling tournament where participants will have the opportunity to feed pets in need! Now this sound super terrific, but my mom is perhaps the world’s worst bowler. She really is. Don’t worry, she won’t be upset that I am telling you this because she knows it is true. I am not certain how many pets will receive food if it is based on my mom’s pin count. ~shiver~ I thought about sending my dad because he is an excellent bowler. He even has bowling trophies to prove it. But my dad said that my mom can go and just do her best. Then he reminded me of another left-pawed bowler that was a good sport. All that really matters for all of us is that we do our best!

I look forward to all of you posting any and all questions that you would like my mom to ask while she is Behind The Paw at Iams and Eukanuba.

Just write your question and post in the comments below.

When my mom returns, I will update you with the answers.

Series NavigationP&G’s Behind the Paw Pet Influencer Summit

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Posted in Feline Food Products |

Tags: Behind the Paw, bowling, Eukanuba, Iams, Iams Home 4 the Holidays, Iams Premium Protection Senior Cat Food, left-pawed, P&G, P&G Health & Nutrition Center, P&G Pet Health & Nutrition Center, Pins 4 Pets, Presdident Obama bowling, PurrEver Ranch Sanctuary

Steve R.

Several years ago, it was discovered that pet food manufacturers were adding melamine to their pet foods because it raised the Nitrogen content and the producer received a higher price-per-pound. The problem was that melamine is poisonous and a large number of cats and dogs died from renal failure. What steps are IAMS taking to make sure this (or another similar incident) doesn’t happen again?
Anonymous

Gracey, I think it is great that you are sending your mom to tour the facilities and talk to the people at Iams to find out what is going on. I too have heard many of the comments about Iams testing on animals and would like to know what they are doing. Of course Iams has to see if the dogs and cats will eat the food. But are any of their tests inhumane? What do they consist of, where are the animals housed, and what happens to the animals when the tests are complete? I have all the same questions about this as Janet V posed below.

It is possible that by testing on animals, some people are thinking about the toxicity testing done by Iams’ parent company Procter and Gamble. Even there, it is not all black and white. Procter and Gamble has been working with the Humane Society of the United States and others to develop alternatives to animal testing. Their efforts are outlined on this website – http://www.alttox.org. Some people accuse the HSUS of selling out by doing this, but we have provide alternatives to the large companies that still do animal testing to get them to change. I look forward to the day when none of our products are toxicity tested on animals, and if P&G is willing to work on this, I am willing to listen.
- Anonymous
  
  Thank you Amy for taking the time to post the link and information about Procter and Gamble working with the Humane Society of the United States.
MALIA RAGAN

Negativity breeds contempt in people rather then inspiring them to greatness. In the path of negativity you stifle success rather then inspire it. Let’s inspire Gracey and her mom by writing positive posts for the good they are doing for all animals.
- Anonymous
  
  Thank you Malia.
Dances With Cats

I too share the other commenters’ concerns about the ingredients in @Iams:disqus foods and animal testing, and I look forward to finding out the answers your mom gets when she’s Behind the Paw. However, I am very grateful that the company has been so generous to animals in need. I’d be curious to find out if Iams has any plans to make a gluten-free food. The reason I’d like to know the answer to this question is that many cats have sensitivities to corn, wheat, and other gluten-containing starches. I’m very aware that starches in general are not appropriate for obligate carnivores like cats, but some companies are beginning to make kibble with non-grain starches such as potatoes and tapioca, which can be much better for cats with sensitive digestive systems.
- Anonymous
  
  This is a good question Dances With Cats. I will make sure we ask this question for you. Thank you!
MALIA RAGAN

Oh, Gracey, that is pawesome that your mom is touring the facilities. I would love to have that opportunity. You are fortunate to have a facility in close proximity to your habitat. Looking foward to hearing more. By the way…do you think you could sneak a few shots of your mom, the left handed “world’s worst bowler”….heeee…We all could use a good laugh…sorry mom.
- Anonymous
  
  Malia, I think you will see photos of my dad in his monkey pajamas before you will see photos of my mom bowling. hahahahah.
Sheree1022

Iams needs to make a product without corn and animal-by-products. I won’t feed my cats their food. I only feed them foods which have recongnizable ingredients and the first product is chicken or turkey. For as much as they advertise being good for pets their foods suck.
- Anonymous
  
  This is a great question Sheree. I will ask this question for you. Thank you.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Janet-Vandenabeele/826217505 Janet Vandenabeele

Testing issues aside, I would like to know if/when IAMS might introduce a 95% meat product for cats? After the Wellness food debacle, I am loathe to trust any cat food maker, and since my husband just lost his job, I can’t afford any of the low-carb cat foods out there right now. This makes me feel incredibly guilty. Something more expensive than typical store brands but less than $15 for a small bag would be great. However, don’t make it happen at the risk of food made with melamine or lacking in a certain B vitamin that a middle schooler understands all mammals need.
- Anonymous
  
  This is a good question too Janet. I will ask for you. Thank you.
http://www.orphankittenrescue.com Heather

Hi Gracey,

I think that Iams has been very good to shelter & homeless animals.
They do make some food (canned only) that Shadow and Bella like, however
due to the meat by-products and corn I will not buy it regularly. I
would like to know why they don’t make a cat food without by-products
and grain free? They seem to be genuinely interested in helping animals
so I think its a logical step.
- Anonymous
  
  Heather, I think this is a great question. Thank you.
josephine skitt

When will they stop cutting big chunks out of dogs thighs & leaving them like that writhing in pain (yes i have seen the pictures) In fact i believe its P&G that owns Iams & Eukanuba – it is P&G that does the testing so when will P&G stop animal testing with all their products
- Anonymous
  
  Josephine, oh my! I can’t imagine they would be doing this to dogs. I will find out if there is any merit to this. Yes it is P&G that owns Iams and Eukanuba.
  - Anonymous
    
    Josephine, I did some checking and this is not true. Please visit http://www.IamsTruth.com. The people at Iams are pet lovers too. The only testing they do is feeding studies, and taste testing to make sure the dogs and cats like the food. Did you know that over 70% of the taste testers are family pets living in private homes? There is also a video with more detail.http://www.youtube.com/iams#p/u/30/ELi4cjnMYfo I hope you will take the time to watch. You can also call P&G Pet Care at 877-546-9851 with any other questions. Thank you for your concern for animals.
josephine skitt

Yes i have a question – when are they going to stop their evil cruel testing on dogs & cats?
Concernedcatmom

I would like to know when Iams is going to STOP their cruel, evil testing on animlas!! I will boycott all of their products until this practice is stopped!
- Anonymous
  
  Hi Concernedcatmom, Would you please tell me what specific information you would like to receive so that you will be assured that @Iams:twitter does not participate in cruel testing on animals? I want to make sure all of your concerns are addressed. Thank you for your question.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Janet-Vandenabeele/826217505 Janet Vandenabeele
    
    The information about Iams testing protocols goes back nearly 10 years. I first encountered it through my membership in PETA. They were very active in getting the word out. As I recall, Iams uses animals in labs to test products, whereas other companies work with animals that live in private homes, at least that was what was stated. Obviously, some testing has to be done (blood work, samples, etc…) or else you don’t know the effects of the products. But the animals do not live in cages and are not destroyed either bec. the experiment ends or to make sampling easier.
    
    I know I personally contacted Iams about this years ago and all I got in return was a link to a website that answered nothing specifically. Just an all-out information overload. That, to me, has always been very telling as a PR reply. We pet owners do not want other pets to be sacrificed and to suffer in cages because it is cheaper or expedient. IAMS already costs more than other name brands, so we expect more in return. I would like for IAMS to state one way or another whether it tests its products on laboratory animals, or to what extent. I would like to know if they do test in labs, who monitors the animals’ welfare, and what their testing procedures entail, and what happens to animals once they are no longer used. Some people may not find lab testing repulsive, but I think we all can agree that lying about it, or hiding it behind a wall of meaningless corporate gobbledygook is reprehensible. So IAMS, if you do it, man up and ‘fess up!
    - Anonymous
      
      Janet, Did you know that over 70% of the animals that taste test the food at @Iams:twitter and @Eukanuba:twitter are family pets living in private homes?
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Janet-Vandenabeele/826217505 Janet Vandenabeele
        
        That still begs the question about the other 30% and how they are treated but that is more of a statistic than I was ever able to get before. IF the company has a plan and is moving toward all family-owned pets as test subjects then that would be fabulous news. To me, it’s as much about accountability as it is about the issue itself.
  - Concernedcatmom
    
    I saw the videos that were posted years ago and have recieved mailers from various organizations about their practices. I don’t want to get graphic, but some displays ‘open’ stomachs to display digestion. It was extremely inhumane. Like the other lady, Janet V., when I emailed wanting to know if this was true or not, I got the same PR nonsense. If can just get a straight answer, without the runaround, I will be satisfied, so long as it’s true.
    
    I would also like say that I am very please that they are donating to ‘Rita and The Herd.’ Rita does wonderful work.
    - Anonymous
      
      Hi Concernedcatmom, what would you like in terms of an answer? Can you give me a specific question that I can ask to get a straight answer for you?

Iams and Eukanuba: Behind The Paw

Super exciting news! I am sending my mom to Iams and Eukanuba’s Behind The Paw!

Super exciting news!
I am sending my mom to Iams and Eukanuba’s Behind The Paw!