Iams Original Feline
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FOOD COMPARISON: IAMS ORIGINAL FELINE AND WELLNESS SUPER5MIX CHICKEN
So many of our clients feed Iams, Purina, Science Diet, and other foods that are recommended to them,
and which have slick advertising campaigns telling everyone how incredible these foods are. This image
gets in your mind, and makes it look like a great food choice… until you read the label! We encourage
you to read the front page of our food handout, which tells you how to understand your pet’s food label.
Once you learn what sounds good in an ingredient list, and what actually is good, you’re better able to
choose the right food for your pet.
Below, we compare Iams Original Feline (a chicken-based food) and Wellness Super5Mix Chicken
Formula, a higher-quality chicken-based food. Questionable ingredients are in bold type, with
explanation below.
IAMS ORIGINAL FELINE INGREDIENTS (Top 18 ingredients):
Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Meal, Chicken Fat, Fish Meal, Dried Beet Pulp
(sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, DL-
Methionine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Vitamins, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals, Salt
Interpretation: The official definition of “Chicken By-Product Meal” is as follows: “Consists of the
ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped
eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good
processing practice.” Note that this is an inconsistent ingredient, because of the multiple organs used
and their constantly changing proportions. They are cheaper and less digestible than chicken or chicken
meal. Anything called a “by-product” means it is not deemed fit for human consumption, and may even
contain diseased or chemically tainted tissue. “Corn Grits” are a fragment of the corn kernel. (See next
ingredient, Corn Meal) “Corn Meal” has no official definition under pet food manufacturing guidelines, so
could be anything, including the corn, cob, gluten, etc. In addition, corn is a carbohydrate that is
extremely difficult for cats to digest and use, and is a leading cause of allergies. “Fish Meal” denotes a
generic source. What kind of fish? Some are healthier than others. It is better to list a specific protein
source such as salmon meal or Menhaden fish meal, rather than the generic “fish meal.” “Beet Pulp” is a
source of sweetening and fiber. This says they remove the sugar, so that makes it somewhat less
objectionable. What, exactly, is “Natural Chicken Flavor?” It’s the 8th ingredient, so there must be
rather a lot of it. Manufacturers don’t want to tell you, if you care to ask, but in reality it is usually some
blood product. The official definition for “Dried Egg Product” is “USDA inspected whole eggs without the
shell in a dehydrated form.” These egg products are often those seen as unfit for human consumption.
"Potassium Chloride" is used as a salt substitute and to replenish electrolytes, but it is also used in
fertilizer and in massive doses for lethal injections Any type of salt is not something we should be adding
to our pets’ food. "Vitamins" would seem to be a good addition, but if they are using whole, quality
ingredients, why are they necessary, and how much of their nutritional value survives the cooking
process? “Calcium Carbonate” is a source of calcium, but that’s what raw bones are for! This is also an
ingredient in many antacids. For “Minerals,” see “Vitamins” above. Finally, adding Salt to our pets’ food
is completely unnecessary.
WELLNESS SUPER5MIX CHICKEN FORMULA (Top 18 ingredients):
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Liver, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Whole Oats, Canola Oil,
Cranberries, Blueberries, Flaxseed, Eggs, Peas, Taurine, Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Norwegian Kelp, Whole
Apples, Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes
Interpretation: There are essentially no objectionable ingredients in the top 18 in this food. Lots of
specific chicken proteins to start. Brown Rice is a superior carbohydrate source, much better than
processed white rice (which loses key nutrients during processing). Brown Rice is rich in B vitamins.
Ground Whole Oats are a good carbohydrate source, rich in B vitamins, a high quality protein, and easy
on the stomach. By using Brown Rice and Oatmeal, this food avoids the wheat, corn, white rice (often just
fragments) and soy commonly used, which are difficult to digest and are leading allergens in pet food.
Cranberries are good for the urinary tract, Blueberries are high in antioxidants. Flaxseed is the whole
ground seed, not a “meal” or fragment of the seed. Flaxseed is rich in essential fatty acids and B
vitamins, and Taurine is an important addition to cat food. The other ingredients listed here are whole
foods, minimally processed, rounding out the variety of nutrition in the food. A Salmon, Turkey and
Herring Oil Formula is also available.
So many of our clients feed Iams, Purina, Science Diet, and other foods that are recommended to them,
and which have slick advertising campaigns telling everyone how incredible these foods are. This image
gets in your mind, and makes it look like a great food choice… until you read the label! We encourage
you to read the front page of our food handout, which tells you how to understand your pet’s food label.
Once you learn what sounds good in an ingredient list, and what actually is good, you’re better able to
choose the right food for your pet.
Below, we compare Iams Original Feline (a chicken-based food) and Wellness Super5Mix Chicken
Formula, a higher-quality chicken-based food. Questionable ingredients are in bold type, with
explanation below.
IAMS ORIGINAL FELINE INGREDIENTS (Top 18 ingredients):
Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Meal, Chicken Fat, Fish Meal, Dried Beet Pulp
(sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, DL-
Methionine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Vitamins, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals, Salt
Interpretation: The official definition of “Chicken By-Product Meal” is as follows: “Consists of the
ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped
eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good
processing practice.” Note that this is an inconsistent ingredient, because of the multiple organs used
and their constantly changing proportions. They are cheaper and less digestible than chicken or chicken
meal. Anything called a “by-product” means it is not deemed fit for human consumption, and may even
contain diseased or chemically tainted tissue. “Corn Grits” are a fragment of the corn kernel. (See next
ingredient, Corn Meal) “Corn Meal” has no official definition under pet food manufacturing guidelines, so
could be anything, including the corn, cob, gluten, etc. In addition, corn is a carbohydrate that is
extremely difficult for cats to digest and use, and is a leading cause of allergies. “Fish Meal” denotes a
generic source. What kind of fish? Some are healthier than others. It is better to list a specific protein
source such as salmon meal or Menhaden fish meal, rather than the generic “fish meal.” “Beet Pulp” is a
source of sweetening and fiber. This says they remove the sugar, so that makes it somewhat less
objectionable. What, exactly, is “Natural Chicken Flavor?” It’s the 8th ingredient, so there must be
rather a lot of it. Manufacturers don’t want to tell you, if you care to ask, but in reality it is usually some
blood product. The official definition for “Dried Egg Product” is “USDA inspected whole eggs without the
shell in a dehydrated form.” These egg products are often those seen as unfit for human consumption.
"Potassium Chloride" is used as a salt substitute and to replenish electrolytes, but it is also used in
fertilizer and in massive doses for lethal injections Any type of salt is not something we should be adding
to our pets’ food. "Vitamins" would seem to be a good addition, but if they are using whole, quality
ingredients, why are they necessary, and how much of their nutritional value survives the cooking
process? “Calcium Carbonate” is a source of calcium, but that’s what raw bones are for! This is also an
ingredient in many antacids. For “Minerals,” see “Vitamins” above. Finally, adding Salt to our pets’ food
is completely unnecessary.
WELLNESS SUPER5MIX CHICKEN FORMULA (Top 18 ingredients):
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Liver, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Whole Oats, Canola Oil,
Cranberries, Blueberries, Flaxseed, Eggs, Peas, Taurine, Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Norwegian Kelp, Whole
Apples, Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes
Interpretation: There are essentially no objectionable ingredients in the top 18 in this food. Lots of
specific chicken proteins to start. Brown Rice is a superior carbohydrate source, much better than
processed white rice (which loses key nutrients during processing). Brown Rice is rich in B vitamins.
Ground Whole Oats are a good carbohydrate source, rich in B vitamins, a high quality protein, and easy
on the stomach. By using Brown Rice and Oatmeal, this food avoids the wheat, corn, white rice (often just
fragments) and soy commonly used, which are difficult to digest and are leading allergens in pet food.
Cranberries are good for the urinary tract, Blueberries are high in antioxidants. Flaxseed is the whole
ground seed, not a “meal” or fragment of the seed. Flaxseed is rich in essential fatty acids and B
vitamins, and Taurine is an important addition to cat food. The other ingredients listed here are whole
foods, minimally processed, rounding out the variety of nutrition in the food. A Salmon, Turkey and
Herring Oil Formula is also available.