Iams Dog Food Reviews, Coupons and Recalls 2024

Having been founded all the way back in 1946, the Iams pet food company has come a long way. Founded by Paul F. Iams, the company has expanded significantly from offering a single dog food product (called Iams 999) to offering dozens of products divided over numerous product lines. Back in 1946, Paul F. Iams started his company based on a philosophy of innovation, believing that following the principles of advanced nutrition would lead to the creation of better, healthier pet foods. This philosophy is based on years of careful research and it has resulted in a number of significant discoveries and innovations. They also note that “quality it at the core of [their] business” and they keep that promise by using only high-quality ingredients in all of their recipes.

According to their website, this company was the first to recognize that dogs and cats are carnivorous animals and thus should be fed a diet that suits those needs. They were also one of the first companies to develop and sell dry, animal protein-based diets and to offer formulas tailored specifically for dogs in different life stages. In addition to offering a wide selection of product choices for pet owners, they also offer a quality guarantee. Their website states that the company motto is, “never cut corners – never compromise”. So, not only do they use high-quality ingredients but they also subject their products to rigorous testing to ensure both quality and safety. In fact, they offer a money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with the product.

If you peruse their website you will come across a page about the “Iams Difference”. The Iams Difference is simply a promise to pet owners that they will see a visible difference in their dog after feeding him their food. Their foods are made with a balance of omega fatty acids from fish oils which helps to support your dog’s healthy skin and coat. When it comes to healthy digestion, their products are supplemented with beet pulp for dietary fiber and a blend of protein and carbohydrates provides plenty of energy. Finally, they offer a 100% money back guarantee on all of their products.

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Iams Recalls 2024:

Their website is full of lofty claims about the quality of ingredients and the safety of manufacturing processes. What the website doesn’t talk about, however, is the fact that their products are manufactured by Mars, Inc., a company that has been affected by many, many recalls over the years. Though Mars, Inc. is responsible for producing numerous brands, this is one of their largest and the this brand has been affected by quite a few recalls. Here is a list of recalls in the past decade:

• In March 2007, the FDA issued a recall for various cat food products as well as Chunks dog food, Select Bites dog food, and Small Bites dog food due to melamine contamination.
• In June 2010, the FDA issued a recall for several ProActive Health kitten and cat formulas due to low levels of thiamine.
• In July 2010, the FDA issued a recall of Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal formula due to potential salmonella contamination.
• In August 2010, the FDA issued a recall of Indoor Weight Control cat food due to potential salmonella contamination.
• In December 2011, the FDA issued a recall of ProActive Health Smart Puppy dry food due to aflatoxin contamination.
• In March 2013, They issued a voluntary recall for Shakeables Dog Treats due to potential mold growth issues.
• In August 2013, the FDA issued a recall of various dry food products due to potentiall salmonella contamination.

Iams Dog Food Coupons 2024

The quality of their food products varies from one product line to another and so does the price. For the most part, however, it is a fairly affordable brand compared to many other food manufacturers. A large 26-pound bag of ProActive Health dry food costs about $30 and a 23-pound bag of Healthy Naturals dry food costs a few dollars more. Veterinary Formula dry foods are more expensive, around $75 for a 30-pound bag and canned foods range in price from about $1.50 to $3.00 for a 13-ounce can, depending on the formula. If you are looking for a way to save money, check for Iams dog food coupons online.

Iams Dog Food Reviews

This is just one of many pet food brands produced under the Mars, Inc name. Other brands include Natura, Nutro, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Sheba, and Whiskas. This brand alone offers a number of different food product lines including ProActive Health, Naturals, Premium Protection, Veterinary Formula, So Good!, Woof Delights, and Naturistics. The ProActive Health line is one of the largest product lines, offering 31 different products for dogs in all life stages as well as size- and breed-specific formulas. The Naturals line of products is made with natural ingredients and is free from corn, soy, and chicken by-products in addition to being made without artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. The Premium Protection line includes four different formulas enhanced with dietary fiber, antioxidants, and various supplements.

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Is this food good for my Dog?

If you believe everything you read on their website, you would be led to believe that they are a premium quality pet food brand. If you dig a little deeper, however, and take into account recall information as well as the ingredients lists for several of their products, you will find a different story. The fact that their products (both dog and cat foods) have been recalled seven times in the past decade is definitely concerning. It is also worth noting that they offer a huge selection of different products. In many cases, when a brand offers dozens of different recipes that are supposedly catered to the needs of specific breeds or dogs with certain medical problems, the recipes are not all that different. A quick review of some of their classic dry food products also reveals the use of by-product meals as well as corn- and wheat-based ingredients. In taking just a quick look at the information provided by the website, it seems as though they are a mid-quality brand at best.

Dry: Shopping for food can be overwhelming because there are many different brands to choose from. Brands like them make the search even more difficult by offering dozens of different recipes divided over numerous product lines. When it comes to their dry food products, they offer eight different product lines. Some of these product lines are dedicated veterinary formulas while others standard or all-natural recipes. Here is a list of the different product lines of their dry food as well as the various recipes that belong to each line:

ProActive Health Recipes:

• Adult Chunks
• Adult Mini Chunks
• Adult Large Breed
• Adult Small & Toy Breed
• Adult Lamb Meal & Rice
• Smart Puppy Original
• Smart Puppy Small & Toy Breed
• Smart Puppy Large Breed
• Adult Weight Control
• Adult Weight Control Large Breed
• Mature Adult
• Mature Adult Small & Toy Breed
• Mature Adult Large Breed
• Senior Plus
• Senior Plus Large Breed

Healthy Naturals Recipes:

• Adult Chicken & Barley
• Adult with Lamb & Rice
• Sensitive Adult Ocean Fish & Rice
• Adult Weight Management with Chicken
• Grain-Free Adult Chicken & Garden Pea
• Grain-Free Adult Salmon & Red Lentils

Premium Protection Recipes:

• Puppy
• Adult Dog
• Mature Adult
• Senior Plus

Veterinary Formula Recipes:

• Joint Plus Joint
• Renal Plus
• Skin & Coat Plus Response FP
• Skin & Coat Plus Response KO
• Intestinal Plus Low-Residue Adult
• Glucose & Weight Control Plus
• Weight Loss/Mobility Plus Restricted Calorie

Iams Canned: Many of the same recipes that are available in dry food form also come in a canned food version. Their canned foods are made with the same quality ingredients as the dry foods but they have a higher moisture content. There are dozens of different canned food options to choose from and they are divided over several different product lines:

Proactive Health Canned Food:

• Adult Chunks with Chicken in Gravy
• Adult Chunks with Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy
• Adult Ground Dinner with Lamb & Rice
• Adult Chunks with Chicken & Beef in Gravy
• Adult Chunks with Beef & Vegetables in Gravy
• Adult Ground Dinner with Chicken & Rice
• Adult Ground Mixed Grill with Chicken & Beef
• Puppy Chunks with Chicken and Beef in Gravy
• Puppy Ground Dinner with Chicken and Rice
• Adult Ground Dinner with Beef and Rice
• Adult Ground Dinner with Turkey & Rice

Woof Delights Canned Food:

• Hearty Party of Chicken & Beef Stew
• Bowl Lickin’ Chicken & Vegetables Medley

Veterinary Formula Canned Food:

• Maximum Calorie Plus
• Intestinal Low-Residue/Canine
• Skin & Coat Response FP/Canine

Iams Treats: In addition to offering a huge selection for dry and canned foods, they also offer several dog treats. These treats belong to the ProActive Health product line and there are five different recipes for dogs of different sizes and life stages. Here are the five treat options they have to offer:

• ProActive Health Puppy Biscuits
• ProActive Health Adult Small Biscuits
• ProActive Health Adult Large Biscuits
• ProActive Health Adult Lamb Meal & Rice Biscuits
• ProActive Health Adult Weight Control Biscuits

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Iams ProActive Health Adult Lamb Meal & Rice Review:

This Iams ProActive Health Adult Lamb Meal & Rice formula belongs to the ProActive Health line of their food products which are designed to provide complete and balanced nutrition for dogs in various life stages. This recipe in particular is “rich in omegas for dogs with sensitive skin, because a comfortable dog is a happy dog”. In addition to being rich in omega fatty acids, this formula features a tailored fiber blend including beet pulp and prebiotics to support your dog’s healthy and regular digestion – it also contains 7 essential nutrients to support heart health. Overall, this recipe includes several quality ingredients but there are also some low-quality ingredients and the guaranteed analysis values for crude protein and fat are a little low.

The first ingredient in this recipe is lamb meal which is a very good ingredient to start with. While fresh meats contain up to 80% moisture by volume, meat meals have already been cooked to remove moisture. For fresh meats, much of their volume is lost during cooking but meat meals contain up to 300% more protein by volume than fresh meats once cooked. In addition to the lamb meal, this recipe also contains chicken by-product meal and dried egg product as supplementary protein sources. Some of the plant-based ingredients in this recipe also provide some protein – ground barley, brewer’s dried yeast, and flax meal contain a little bit of plant protein. These ingredients may help to increase the total protein content of the product but it is unclear how much of an effect they really have. Overall, the crude protein content for this recipe is 22% which could be much higher

After the lamb meal comes brewer’s rice, corn meal, ground whole-grain barley, and ground whole-grain sorghum. Whole grains are generally considered quality ingredients because they are digestible for dogs and they provide dietary fiber. The problem with whole-grain barley is that it contains gluten which could trigger food allergies in some dogs. Sorghum is a gluten-free grain and a decent ingredient but the corn meal provides very little nutritional value and it too can trigger allergies. Brewer’s rice is a byproduct of the milling process for rice and it contains very little nutritional value – in this recipe it likely serves as a non-nutritive filler to bulk up the product. Beet pulp is also used and it too is a controversial ingredient, though there is no solid evidence to suggest that it is dangerous. It is used here as a source of dietary fiber and a prebiotic to support healthy digestion.

The remaining ingredients in this Iams ProActive Health Adult Lamb Meal & Rice formula consist primarily of fats, supplements, and extracts. The main source of fat in this recipe is chicken fat which may not sound appetizing to you but is actually a highly concentrated source of energy for your dog. Other fats include flaxseed, a plant-based fat, which helps to balance out the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in this recipe. There are a number of vitamin and mineral supplements included in this recipe which help to provide nutritional balance, but they are less biologically valuable than natural sources for the same nutrients. It would also be better to see chelated minerals used – these are minerals that have been chemically bound to protein molecules, making them easier for your dog’s body to digest and absorb. This recipe is also lacking in probiotics like dried fermentation products.

Overall, this Iams ProActive Health Adult Lamb Meal & Rice formula has a guaranteed analysis as follows:

• Crude Protein (Min) – 22%
• Crude Fat (Min) – 12%
• Crude Fiber (Max) – 5%
• Moisture (Max) – 10%
• L-Carnitine (Min) – 50 mg/kg
• Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Min) – 1.56%
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Min) – 0.14%

Bottom Line:

Overall, Iams can be considered a moderate-quality brand when it comes to their food products. It is tricky to review this brand as a whole because they offer so many different product lines. Their products that are made with fresh, natural ingredients generally seem to be of higher quality than their traditional formulas, though quality varies greatly from one recipe to another. It is also important to note that Iams uses corn, wheat, and soy-based ingredients in their recipes – you also have to consider the fact that their products have been recalled more than half a dozen times in the past decade. If you are going to feed your dog this food, stick to the Healthy Naturals product line (particularly the grain-free options). You should also be careful to review the ingredients list and guaranteed analysis of any of this brands producta before you buy just to make sure that it is a quality product.