Hi all.. I have been reading the forum for a while and thought I would just flag up the BUAV scheme.  One or two of the feeds mentioned on here are in it - and the one that I use though no-one has mentioned it yet that I can see!
The BUAV have a special section on the scheme for pet foods which seems to start at the right end if you know what I mean.   I think the companies in the scheme all list ingredients in full on their websites so you can check for the derivative/byproduct bits and what meat meal is used and natural preservatives etc and are all I think independent as opposed to owned by the big boys eg P&G or Nestle etc.  It also tells you about the ones you think are ok but are owned by bigger companies - how many know that JW is owned by pedigree masterfoods for instance?
Anyway - some of you might like to have a look and see what is available from the scheme members. 

BTW - I dont approve of the loonier protesters at all, so please don't berate me about thier antics!  I am not a member - I just want a good food which isnt tested on animals (yes I know it sounds daft but you need to read the scheme details)

Beth

You could also try looking for the British Holistic vet assn stamp of approval. I believe that it is now on several 'complete' foods. 

Sorry that is the BAHNM if you are looking it up! Not a fab website but great aims!

Beth what food do you feed ? :)  Thanks for posting,what you said is very important,or should be to petowners ;)

I use Burns which I believe is one of the few approved by BUAV. I might be wrong though.  Does anyone have a list of what is approved by them and what foods are also approved holistic?

OK, I've said this before, and I'll say it again - how can you market a dog food that hasn't been tested on animals?    Not tested on dogs??   Or what?     BUAV I can understand, but the rest????

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Testing to me is palatability and weight gain or loss set in natural conditions.Breeders are good food testers,who better to test their foods than 2-3 generations of dogs :) If a manufacture uses all human grade ingredients,no artificial colourings,flavorings,mystery ingredients or preservatives then they do not need to test on animals,the pet owning public will do that for them. I for one would never feed a food that an animal has suffered for,i dont mind testing reputable foods on my dogs,i am more than able to read and decipher an ingredient list,and if there's items i dont have much knowledge on then i will research it until i do,thats good enough for me!

The testing i DO NOT agree with is the practice iams and the others do,cruelty,caged animals etc. etc. I honestly cant even think about it,lettalone talk about it.It upsets me too much!!

I think whats meant when its said about testing food on pets, is not the feeding of the food, although keeping dogs isolated in laboratories isn`t kind. More the testing of how much protein, calcium, vits etc. To calculate how much was too low/too little animals are/were fed a diet of too little or too much of those ingredients also how much to dtermine the total amount of food to make them obese/malnourished, see what effects this would have or what disease it would caused, then opened up to see effects on internal organs :(

The way some manus are going about it now, they test the pet foods in controlled trials in the home :)

Christine, Spain.

In which case, it would be more accurate to say 'not tested on laboratory animals'

Jo

dvnbiker, you can see a list of the BUAV approved foods here, and yes, Burns is one of them.  Not sure about holistic though! :)

-Kay

I see one of my favourites Arden Grange is among them.

Good to know it is what is say it is Kay.  Although I think it is marked at Holistic but in any case its the only food that my BC seems to stay on ok without going straight through him.

Claire