New Food, by Eukanuba

I walked by the Eukanuba section of PetsMart today and saw a brand new bag of food. Since the pricetag was only 6.99, I picked it up ready to see what kind of atrocity it was...and I just had to sign up so I could share what I saw:

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

Looks pretty decent doesn't it? It might not be the best food out there still, but it was VERY cheap and since it is at PetsMart, it is readily available to most pet owners. What do you guys think of the quality? Its called Naturally Wild, there were three flavors, this one was Venison.

I'll still continue to feed what I do, but it seems like a possibility to recommend to thriftier owners who aren't willing to go searching for good foods.

Well, it SHOULD be pretty cheap. Sure, the first ingredient is the venison, but after that you go through four cheap ingredients before you get to another meat.

And it's still not human grade ingredients. You're still dealing with the same dead, diseased and dying, not to mention the mildew, mold and rot.

Just curious, I know it's Eukanuba, but how do you know it's not human grade ingredients? Is there something in the ingredient list that shows that?

I was wondering the same thing. My eyes aren't the best but I don't see any by-products or mystery meat in the list.

That was the first thing that jumped out at me (even before Renee bolded it).

That, and remember that venison as the first ingredient includes all the water in the meat, which means there is less actual "meat" involved. Venison Meal would be better.

What's DL methionine? Well it's better than their other stuff but you won't see me recommending it any time soon (except maybe to my uncle, his pedigree food just got recalled oh wait should that be a sad face...)

Methionine is just an essential amino acid, that mammals cannot synthesize by themselves. It is found in meat and some vegetables.
I would suspect (although I dont know for sure) that it might be added as a supplement if the meat source used in the formula was of low quality or low amount- thus requiring supplementation to make the diet "complete"

~Mafia the name stealer~

DL-Methionine isn't synthetic K3.. I assume some of you accidentally misread it as that which would be nasty.. K3 is usually listed as "Menadione Dimethyl-Pyrimidinol Bisulfate, Menadione Dimethyl-Pyrimidinol Bisulfite, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite and Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex." (from the dog food project)

Eukanuba is pushing this food as the number 1 ingredient being venison.. Which it isn't as there is more junk than meat as pointed out before. Better than most of their foods. I still wouldn't buy it.

That was just one of the flavors, Venison that is. The other two choices were turkey and salmon flavors.

While it isn't something I'd feed of course, I think it is at least a step in the right direction in comparison to their other products which are littered with by products and corn fillers.

By comparison..this is their normal stuff:
Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Brewers Rice, Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid], Flax Meal, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Minerals [Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate], DL-Methionine, Rosemary Extract.

Furrybear- agree to your comparison to the "normal dog food ingredients)!!

Dekka- could you post a link to the dog food project you mentioned
Thx

Wow- a lot of info there!!.................that will keep me busy for a couple of days
Thx

Eukanuba isn't a company that uses human grade ingredients in their food. It's not in the ingredient list in particular, it's their standard manufacturing practice.

I was hoping you guys had confused the methionine with menadione, i was worried methionine was bad because the food i am going to buy for the cats has it (California Natural) and didn't want to buy a new food and switch again after finding out an ingredient is harmful.

Hi Maxy- no they aren't related at all. menadione is a Vitamin k- which can be harmful in high doses, but methionine or DL- methionine is an essential amino acid (a building block of proteins), is quite safe- I had made my previous comment only on the reason why the manufacturer might add extra- perhaps as the meat source was of lower quality or amount and required supplementation'.
My horse vet actually sells DL Methionine in pure form, as some people like to supplement- helps hoof growth etc

The bolded ones are the ones I have issues with.

When you consider that Taco Bell and KFC are considered "human grade" what do you think that leaves for our pets to eat? Ick.

Normal Stuff:
New Stuff:
If we re-order according to hydrated and dehydrated it's probably look more like

Normal Stuff:
New Stuff:
Dried egg product and dried beet pulp might move in accordance with how "dried" it actually is but oh well.
Less filler more meat but still crap.

You still have mystery fish which can be anything from grade A herring to bottum feeding suction eel and lots of pointless fillers.

I just got a coupon today for $5.00 (actually two coupons.......one for dog, one for cat) off this new food "naturally wild" so I figured I would come and search here first, LOL

If there is anyone interested in giving it a try, or anyone using it already, send me a PM and I will gladly mail you the coupons.

Haha Coop, you really DO love your COOPons