Animal abuse and IAMS

[GoldDustGypsy03]

I don't know if there's anyone else interested in this, I know that it hit me hard; I just wanted to let this be known to some people that may buy IAMS food for their pets ~ some may have heard about it but some haven't and that's why i'm letting you know, and I would love to help these animals in any way that I can...


What Our Investigator Found: Iams™ Den of Horrors

-Iams dogs dumped on cold concrete flooring after having huge chunks of muscle cut out of their thighs
-dogs and cats gone stir-crazy from confinement; dogs and cats in windowless, dungeon-like buildings
-a coworker who instructed her to hit the dogs on the chest if they quit breathing; another coworker who talked about an Iams dog found dead in his cage, bleeding from his mouth
-a dog who limped in pain from Lyme disease
-cruel studies done by Iams involving sticking tubes down dogs’ throats to force them to ingest vegetable oil
-Iams dogs with such severe tartar buildup on their teeth that it was painful for them to eat
-vet technicians with inadequate training and experience performing invasive procedures
-coworkers who talked about a live kitten who was washed down a drain
-coworkers who talked about how they had to go home because the ammonia fumes in the animal trailers were so overpowering that it made their eyes burn (try being one of the animals in those cages!)
-cats kept in a cinderblock room with crude wooden œresting boards that had nails sticking out of them; one of the boards fell on a cat, crushing her to death, while our investigator was there yet the lab director did not remove the boards when the cat was crush ”he removed them when he was told that the lab was going to be inspected because he knew they were illegal

And here is the rest of the article:

Why Iams?

For nearly 10 months in 2002 and early 2003, a PETA investigator went undercover at an Iams contract testing laboratory and discovered a dark and sordid secret beneath the wholesome image of the dog and cat-food manufacturer: dogs gone crazy from intense confinement to barren steel cages and cement cells, dogs left piled on a filthy paint-chipped floor after having chunks of muscle hacked from their thighs; dogs surgically debarked; horribly sick dogs and cats languishing in their cages, neglected and left to suffer with no veterinary care.

Iams lied to PETA with promises to improve the conditions for animals in its contract laboratories, even assuring us that enrichment programs were already in place, but our undercover investigator saw otherwise. She fought for six months to have a single cheap, rubber toy placed in each cold, lonely kennel. This is Iams’ idea of enrichment.

Our video footage shows Iams representatives touring the facility and witnessing dogs endless circling in barren cells, sweltering in the summer heat. Iams knew the truth yet did nothing to protect the animals.

The dogs and cats in Iams tests are no different from our dogs and cats at home when it comes to deserving companionship, play, a stimulating environment, and the right not to be tormented in painful experiments.

Luckily, caring consumers know that advances in nutrition don't have to come at the expense of animals in labs. Help PETA force Iams to end these painful and unnecessary tests, as many compassionate companies have already done.

The Investigation

Our investigator videotaped Iams representatives touring the facility. They saw the sad, distressed dogs. They felt the sweltering heat and humidity in the kennels. Then they walked out. But the animals couldn't.

An Iams veterinarian inspecting a group of dogs purchased from a USDA Class B dealer did nothing when he saw that a mother dog who had just given birth in a cement kennel had been provided with no bedding to rest on. A puppy and an adult dog from that group died during our investigation, most likely the result of neglect and temperatures that fell below 34 degrees in the building.

An Iams behaviorist saw dogs spinning in their cages out of madness and yet said nothing. An Iams cat dental researcher even overheard two employees talking
about animals who were treated inhumanely at the facility yet Iams continued to conduct business there as usual.

Despite assurances in the Iams research policy that no animal would ever be killed, our investigator documented the destruction of 27 out of 60 dogs who underwent an invasive procedure that involved having huge chunks of muscle cut out of their legs. Two more of those dogs were found dead in their cages after the surgery; one had been suffering for 11 days prior to her death.

When our investigator reported that Humbug, an Iams dog, was limping, she was told by a vet tech that the laboratory had an x-ray machine that dated back to the 1960s but no film for it and that the director of the laboratory preferred to kill, rather than treat, animals with broken bones. In addition, Fifi and the other dogs used in Iams metabolic studies were bled by the laboratory in order to sell their blood to other companies even though the studies do not call for blood draws.

Finally, shortly before our investigator left, the lab director told the vet techs to debark all the Iams dogs as he was being disturbed by their desperate cries for attention. Our investigator e-mailed Iams researchers in Dayton with this information, hoping that Iams would intervene. But all she got was the sickening sight of a lab technician covered in blood after a day of performing the debarking surgery.

When our investigator resigned, she told the Iams representative and the lab director that she was leaving because despite her best efforts, nothing was being done to enhance the desperately boring, lonely, harsh lives of the animals. The Iams representative admitted that both he and the lab director were from the old school.

All information attained from this site:

www.iamscruelty.com/iams.asp

[heyjupiter678]

It's sickening, but I can't say I'm shocked. Iams' parent company, Procter & Gamble, has been known for its inhumane treatment of animals for years. My advice would be to, if at all possible, boycott as many P&G products as you can -- something that was drilled into my brain during my first couple of months as a PETA member.

[chiffon head]

OMG!!! I'm disgusted! I was feeding my dog Iams for a couple of weeks but he didn't take to it well so I switched to Max. I feel like printing this out and showing it to the people that work at PetCo. Anyway, thanks for the info.

Renee

[Mari]

damn
I've bought it occasionally to see if the cats liked it and wouldn't puke it out again. Definitely noot going to buy it again.
You'd think of all products that animal food would be animal testing- friendly, right?

[DeeGeMe]

Thankfully, my babies never liked it. They preferred Hill's instead. I just hope that Hill's isn't guilty of this sort of thing but it wouldn't shock me if they were. What corporations do to animals is deplorable.

[strandinthewind]

For what it is worth, here is somw info. from the IAMS company:

http://www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/i...pti=IN&ai=1365

Animal Care Advisory Board Meets, Discusses Unannounced Study Site Visits

Dayton, OH - The International Animal Care Advisory Board convened its first-quarter meeting to discuss with The Iams Company three unannounced site visits undertaken by various members of the Board. The purpose of these visits was (1) to inform the board about the conditions in which Iams conducts its research, and (2) so that individual members of the Board can advise Iams on specific issues on which they have expertise. The visits were not undertaken to ensure that sites comply with national or international legislation and because of their brevity they provide only a snapshot.

The Board was pleased with the commitment that Iams has shown in working towards high standards of animal care and were impressed by the professionalism and caring nature of the staff that they met. At all sites considerable efforts had been made to provide substantial environmental enrichment. All of the cats or dogs seen during the visits appeared to be in good health, and they also appeared to be well socialized to each other and to humans. The Board made recommendations to Iams regarding specific ways to further improve the animal accommodation and on future policy. One of the sites was dated and the board advised that plans should be made to modernize the accommodation for these dogs.

The Iams Company accepted all the advice given by the Board and made plans immediately to implement the advice.

In addition, recommendations accepted at one site are being applied to all. Iams has indicated a commitment to future research on enrichment, the results of which will be disseminated to and applied at all of the study sites.

Members of the Board will continue to make unannounced visits at Iams' study facilities on a regular basis.

The Iams Company is dedicated to communicating openly and honestly with pet lovers everywhere, and will provide periodic updates of the outside review process.

See related links:

International Animal Care Advisory Board Established
Advisory Board Meeting Outcome
ASPCA Site Visit Report
___________________________________________________

Again, take it for what it is worth.

[greatdarkwing]

I usually try to switch up my 3 doggies foods, but after reading this there is no way in hell I will ever buy Iams. I think anyone who abuses animals needs to be taken out back and beaten with a club.

~Alex

[Alison]

This is so sick. Here I thought I was buying the best food for my cat from a company that treated their animals in the same way that that I treat mine.
Just real sick. Now what pet food should I be buying that good?

[Violet]

Great, my cats have been eating nothing but IAMS for 2 years. Anyone have any suggestions for another weight control cat food? My one kitty had a bad declaw job (Yes, I know, and I'll never do it again) so he doesn't get much exercise and as a result has a slight weight problem....

Carol

[strandinthewind]

Here is another website on this

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/i/iams.htm

My only beef with the PETA stuff is they are seemingly bitching about concrete kennels. Most people agree concrete kennels are the best because they are easily cleaned and thus, disease is more easily prevented.

But, if PETA has video, that is hard to refute for the other stuff.

So, shame on IAMS

[Patti]

Originally Posted by Violet

Great, my cats have been eating nothing but IAMS for 2 years. Anyone have any suggestions for another weight control cat food? My one kitty had a bad declaw job (Yes, I know, and I'll never do it again) so he doesn't get much exercise and as a result has a slight weight problem....

Carol

Carol, you might want to try Science Diet. That's all I feed my cat. I like it better than IAM's and this was before I read this. BTW, I couldn't even read this whole article I was so sickened.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Violet

Great, my cats have been eating nothing but IAMS for 2 years. Anyone have any suggestions for another weight control cat food? My one kitty had a bad declaw job (Yes, I know, and I'll never do it again) so he doesn't get much exercise and as a result has a slight weight problem....

Carol

My vet told me that he sees more overweight animals from Iams supposed weight control products than any other brand. As long as the first listed ingredient is a meat-derived product, and not corn meal, you're okay. Higher-priced products are not necessarily better, just higher-priced. I've been feeding my kitty Purina One.

[strandinthewind]

When I have to, I use Nutro Max ( http://www.nutroproducts.com/maxdogadult.asp )along with a supplement of chopped and sometimes a little steamed but usually raw green beans, brocolli, carrots, or brussel sprouts (Scotties love raw veggies).

Actually, cooking for your pet is the best and is not really more expensive than the processed food I boil a non-chemical laden chicken (with carrots if you like) until the bones are soft like wet paper and then mix that with chemical free brown rice (I like brown better but some like chemical free white), organic plain yougart (sp.?), the veggies listed above, and a natural vitamen supplement - that will last a week or two and costs about $10 or less. That is essentially what is contained in the dry and wet pet foods, but it is without the preservants. For example, here are the ingredients of Nutro Max Adult Food (from the site above):

Chicken Meal, Wheat Flour, Ground Whole Wheat, Rice Bran, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Rice, Lamb Meal, Natural Flavors, Yeast Culture, Calcium Carbonate, Monosodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dried Buttermilk, Dried Kelp, Dried Egg Product, Lecithin, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Oxide, Garlic, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin (source of Vitamin B2), Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Copper Sulfate.

[Interestingly]

Nutro supports the safe, ethical and humane treatment of all animals, including those used by our suppliers who provide our ingredients.
______________________________________________________________

Put it this way, dry pet food has a shelf life of years and the canned food sort of does as well, how can that possibly be a good thing?

Having said that, not everyone can or will take the time to cook for their pets, so processed food is their only option. Again, I like Nutromax. I also like Wysong, although my Scotties tended to gain weight on it.

Finally, I know the ingredients above sound a little horrifying, but we as humans eat them all of the time. Just look on the back of any processed food container. Look on the back of the sauce containers like ketchup. You will see some of the same ingredients. And people live until their 90's eating this stuff. So . . . . .

[Lisa1769]

Whenever I see their commercial, I wonder how long they starved that poor kitty. He's gulping down that food like he hasn't had a meal in weeks, scooting that bowl across the floor.

[Lisa1769]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Put it this way, dry pet food has a shelf life of years and the canned food sort of does as well, how can that possibly be a good thing?

Finally, I know the ingredients above sound a little horrifying, but we as humans eat them all of the time. Just look on the back of any processed food container. Look on the back of the sauce containers like ketchup. You will see some of the same ingredients. And people live until their 90's eating this stuff. So . . . . .

Agreed!! Monosodium Glutamate is what everyone needs to avoid, but it's practically in everything that is tastey.