FREE iams canned food @ petsmart

[teeneythebetta]

I realize iams is not that great of a brand, but you can always use your free can to donate to a shelter or feed strays.

If you go on to petsmart's Facebook page, you can print a coupon for a free can of iams dog or cat food.

[Jrf456]

Awesome! Now if only they had free bags of Science Diet food! That's what we feed our cats and our dog, it's like $50 a bag! I like this idea though, I might have to do that next time I hit up Petsmart. :D

[Aus]

Iam's isn't a good brand? Why not?

[TheCrabbyTabby]

Iams is bad because its full of grains used as a filler, and low quality cuts of meat and meat by-product. A good brand of dog food wouldn't have grains in it and high quality cuts of meat and no meat by-product.

[Aus]

I would think a food with mixed meat, organ meat and grains would be more balanced, though? Sort of mimicking the natural diet of a wild canine, which doesn't just eat steaks but the whole prey animal. Gut contents and all.

[TheCrabbyTabby]

Actually, a wolf (or a dingo in your case) in the wild eats meat almost exclusively. Mostly whatever they can run down and catch. The bowels of their prey contain grasses and leaves, and possibly a minimal amount of grain, less than 2%.

Grains are bad because a lot of dogs are sensitive to them and it causes hot spots and raw itchy skin, among other things. I would never ever recommend that they be fed them. There is no reason to be fed them.

A good rule of thumb when shopping for dog food is that if its on a grocery store shelf, its usually chalk full of grains and meat by-products aka very very crappy. Meat by-products are usually what is left over from butchering an animal and can't be sold for human consumption. Stuff that isn't very good quality.

[Pataflafla]

Science Diet also isn't a good brand. Veterinary offices are just paid to advertise and sell it. The one aimed at diabetes control is actually full of carbs, which the body makes into sugars so it kind of defeats the purpose.

But I might just print out a coupon or two and donate to my local shelter since they need all the help they can get.

[Aus]

So, just out of curiosity - what IS a good brand? Are there any that actually are cheaper than making the dog food yourself?

[TheCrabbyTabby]

Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Royal Canin.

IMO its just easier to buy a good quality premade dog food than to try and make scientifically balanced one at home.

[Pataflafla]

Blue, Innova, AvoDerm, Royal Canin, Wellness

Purina and Iams tend to be pretty bad, but they're ok.

Never feed Ol'Roy though since that's lowest quality ingredients for everything.

When your dog's on a good food, the coat should be shiny and soft. When you pet them you shouldn't have a greasy feeling on your hand, and shedding will be drastically less.