I notice that many posters recommend James Wellbeloved, but I am disappointed to find that they were taken over by Mars a few years ago, who, according to the bodies who campaign for ethical practises, still condone animal testing on their other products, so buying JWB endorses Mars.  This being so I do not feel I can use this food now, but I can't find anything to equal the quality (even though my little Lurcher seems to have now gone off it anyway!).  I have looked at Autarky and Burns, who themselves have recently been prosecuted anyway, and some other ethically more acceptable dry foods but they seem so full of cereals and fillers.

Can anyone help?  I feed my cats on JWB as well.  This area is such a minefield.  In the old days we fed canned food and mixer and it was much simpler.  I find I become more and more confused the more info i am given so I need some really knowledgeable advice.  I have a Retriever puppy that eats anything, as well as my 22" Whippet Lurcher (no, she doesn't eat Lurchers - you know what i mean!) who gets more fussy by the day, even though we are being very strict about picking up what she leaves and giving her nothing else till the next meal.  She is trying to steal from the fridge as soon as it is opened though!!!  We even got Duck and Rice as someone said it was more appealing, with no better result.

Hi Catherine,

Burns wasn't prosecuted because there was anything wrong with the food - merely the wording in advertising was regarded as potentially misleading :)

However a good alternative IME to Burns and IMO better than JWB is Wafcol - they have several product ranges but I personally can only endorse their Salmon & Potato which has minimal ingredients and none of the most commonly complained about unnecessary fillers.  Nature Diet is an excellent food too but is a moist complete food so not what you appear to be looking for.

HTH, regards Teri :)

Catherine i have to agree with Teri,i feed Wafcol salmon and potato,and i think the ingredients are better than Burns and JWB :) Naturediet also is an excellent food,easy to find at PAH and the like.

I just wanted to say that i think your stance on dog food/nutrition is admirable,i wish more pet owners were as vigilant and as willing to learn as yourself when it comes to feeding our pets :)

Thanks for that, I will try it.  Thanks too for your kind words.  The problem is that we are surrounded by all kinds of products owned by the few huge conglomerates who we often don't know own them and who still test on animals unnecessarily, and in unnecessarily unpleasant if not cruel conditions.  I think most of us would not use their stuff if we knew what it cost animals and knew all the products they sell. 

Why is the size of the company or the number of products they sell relevant?  This is very reminiscent of the anticapitalist stuff inevitably found on the web sites that perpetuate these tales of cruel testing.   As you say the tests are unnecessarily so it occurs to me that these very well run companies are unlikely to be forking out good money from their profits to conduct them :)  If there is any relevance to the size of the company it seems to me it can be very beneficial to buy from a large one as small companies are much more susceptable to the vagaries of the market and are more likely to cut corners in the quality of their products in order get them through lean times something large companies will be much more prepared and cushioned for. 

The size is not the issue.  The 'hidden' products are.  It is my choice not to support these companies but it is difficult to sift out the many products they sell in order to boycott them, not because they are rich but because I don't like to feed my animals or wash myself at the expense of others and prefer not to patronize them.  I am not anti-capitalist at all.  Don't you think you are rather jumping to conclusions?  For the same reason you are suggesting I don't like it if people are against say hunting, just because of the kind of people they believe do it and not because of the real issue.  That is just predjudice and sour grapes.

It is certain that testing goes on and i would prefer it didn't where possible and I am putting my money where my mouth is.

What "hidden" products?
Can't follow your hunting analogy at all I'm afraid.  If you thought that people were antihunting because of sour grapes or whatever about the people involved in it rather than about the issue itself then I would expect you to speak out against them as I do when I believe anticapitalists are using animal rights to advantage their real interests.  I have never seen any "certain" evidence that this sort of testing goes on and as I have pointed out they make no logical sense to me.

I think you are just argumentative.

Well that would take two :)
I prefer a debate actually, far more instructive :)

Unfortunately Catherine, almost all threads on the feeding board turn into a bun fight regardless of the specifics of the OP's enquiry or how well intentioned the advice any of those replying proffer.

I hope you find something you are happy with and see no good reason why any requested information asked politely has to be met by hostility (and there have been so many threads on this topic that have followed this route :rolleyes: you'd have thought it possible to spot why by now :( )

We are each entitled to have principles by which we are determined to adhere - whether in relation to dog food or not - and IMO it is not within the remit of anyone using the forum to force their views ad nauseum on anyone.  This is an info exchange, and the rules are set by Admin - no-one governs anyone's right to have opinions and certainly not to have particular standards unless the expression of same amounts to personal insult or inflammatory remarks which are against the TOS.

Best wishes, Teri  :)

Yes, Teri!  It is a shame that some people have nothing better to do than turn everything into mere semantics and a fight.  I have better things to do personally. 

I do appreciate your replies and will post again in a few weeks when I have tried Wofcol as suggested.

Have a lovely Christmas and New Year

Cathie

Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year to you too!

Regards, Teri :)

Burns were fined for using misleading statements not potentially but misleading
If you want a list of other  ethical pet foods check out www.buav.co.uk  -Jo  

I did that before I posted the first post, but as i say I found a lot of these products rather grain laiden.  Thanks anyway.

what  type of grains do you have a proplem with?

I've found the smaller ma&pop style run companies usually make the better foods.Naturediet for one,Burns etc. One of the best foods in the US is run by a small company who dont even advertise yet they are extrememly popular,all from word of mouth and sites like this.

Then you get to the big guns where the allmight dollar rules everything,the more money they make,the more they want and the more corners they will cut! Look at science plan for instance,when it first came out it was owned by a couple of guys and it wasnt to bad a food,then it was sold off to P&C and the food completely changed,meat was replaced with peanut hulls,whole grains were replaced with grain fractions and on and on it went :(

Are Naturediet and Burns really run by one man and his wife? :D

I do agree.  It of course does not necessarily follow that small companies are better, but you use your discretion.  i am merely asking for educated opinions not arguments!!

Thanks to those of you who gave constructive advice, which I will follow up. 

Merry Christmas

Cathie

As nobody here, as far as I am aware, has any education on this subject, certainly not examined on their knowledge by any recognised body anyway, I can't see how you can differentiate between one being an opinion and another an argument.  Unless you mean one is in agreement with your thoughts and the other isn't :D

As I say, argumentative, and I might add, pointless. Sorry, I am not going to bite.  Please do not bother to reply, you are just a nuisance.:rolleyes:

As Teri says everyone is entitled to their opinions.  If you are not interested in anyones that differs from your own I suggest you do not post on a discussion fora and stick to seeking information only from sites that have a single interest and viewpoint.

Just to clarify, I was not asking for opinions on my ethical decisions but for specific replies on other foods, and I am at complete ease with those who do not share my views, that is for the individual.  I do have a bit of a problem though with having a subject hi-jacked by grumpy opinionated people to turn a reasonable enquiry into a forum for disagreement.  I do not feel that was appropriate or necessary in this case.  If you want to argue then post a thread for that.

If you are entitled to give your opinion on large companies etc and feel that is relevent to the thread then so is anyone elses opinion on the matter.
The truth is out there :) but it will never been found as long as people try to supress others opinions.

Isabel, if you just read the language you use when you post you will see why you come across the way you do and are seen as being argumentative.  It is possible to make the same points you make without being so sarky/judgemental/superior-sounding to everyone.

I believe I present a rationale for my points of opinion, I avoid all personal comments and suggest you do the same if you do not want to fall foul of the TOS

I have been very happy with the products produced by Arden Grange. 

Mine never liked James Wellbeloved even before it was taken over by mars.  I have also found that of most of the complete dry foods they have one of the hghest meat content across the range.  They always have good toilet on it too.

I have used Wafcol in the past and been very pleased with how my dogs were on it, but wanted a food with a higher animal protein content.

all my animals are on jwb fish, they love it- great hair,skin, all round- great, esp for my dog with food allergies.
i havent studied the ingredients 1- cos they are well on it 2- no noticeably negative affects of feeding it 3- as long as they dont test on animals, i dont worry about jwb!

Although they do not test on animals the corporation that owns JWB now, Mars does, and it doesn't show who owns them on the bag either.