[novacats16]

Hello all pet lovers,

I am a graduate student at the University of Chicago and I'm currently taking a class on New Product Development. One of my projects requires that I collect data on the perceptions of various brands of pet food on the market.

If you have 5 minutes, I'd appreciate it if you could voice your opinions on a few pet foods. It's as simple a survey as you'll ever find!

Thanks!

http://gsbsurvey.uchicago.edu/ViewsF...wproducts!Aqua

[Brandismom]

I had a sheltie who had allergies so I had to be very careful about what she ate. I've done some research on pet foods and found that Science Diet, Euchanuba, Purina, Iams and most of the common brands of dog food contain corn. While it may be ok with most dogs my breed (a sheltie) has lots of tummy problems with corn. Also I find that a lot of these brands use BHA and BHT as preservatives. I'm not too keen on feeding my dog a food that has a shelf life of 1 year. It's also been hinted (not proven) that these preservatives are causing cancer in dogs......
These so called designer dog foods holistic, healthy and supposedly allergy free are very rich in protein and can cause more gastric distress. I've almost given up on most commercially manufactured foods. I do home cook for my dog right now and plan on doing so for the rest of her life. It's not easy to balance vitamins, minerals, calcium and phosphorus but I've got a good handle on it with the chart from the USDA values and a list of daily requirements for a normal canine.....

That's my take on dog food..

[OwnedBySix]

I'm sorry, but as an owner of 6 dogs that prides herself in doing what's best for my babies, I found your questions utterly pointless. Who cares about odor and portability? And you only offered a MINIMAL choice of the wide array of foods available. Oh well, my 5 minutes is up.

[2BrownDawgs]

Took the survey!
I won't criticize your survey, as you pointed out...your studies are in Product Development, not in Nutrition. You are interested in brand recognition, packaging, sales tactics, no? You don't need a lecture on what we feed or what you need to be feeding your dogs!
Good luck in your studies!

[Brandismom]

Product recognition is only to entice the buyer. It doesn't make a difference if it's good quality dog food or bird poop with vitamins added. The normal American shopper doesn't take the time to read the lables or consider the product's nutritional value. They take the word of the manufacturer (big mistake IMO) That's why Purina, Iams and Science Diet are so popular. I wouldn't feed any of it to my dogs, I love them too much.

Guess I took my five minutes too.....

[LabLady101]

Originally Posted by Brandismom

I had a sheltie who had allergies so I had to be very careful about what she ate. I've done some research on pet foods and found that Science Diet, Euchanuba, Purina, Iams and most of the common brands of dog food contain corn. While it may be ok with most dogs my breed (a sheltie) has lots of tummy problems with corn. Also I find that a lot of these brands use BHA and BHT as preservatives. I'm not too keen on feeding my dog a food that has a shelf life of 1 year. It's also been hinted (not proven) that these preservatives are causing cancer in dogs......
These so called designer dog foods holistic, healthy and supposedly allergy free are very rich in protein and can cause more gastric distress. I've almost given up on most commercially manufactured foods. I do home cook for my dog right now and plan on doing so for the rest of her life. It's not easy to balance vitamins, minerals, calcium and phosphorus but I've got a good handle on it with the chart from the USDA values and a list of daily requirements for a normal canine.....

That's my take on dog food..

Just so you know, Purina, Iams, and Eukanuba do not use BHA or BHT- and I believe Science Diet has also made the switch. Also, BHT is the culprit in the cancer cases. BHA is actually being tested for fighting cancer.

That being said, I would still opt for something preserved more naturally.

Darcy

[NewfCrazy]

I took the survey, but was disappointed in the brands you questioned about. There are much better dog foods out there, although admittedly they wouldn't have the brand recognition because you don't see them spending their money on advertising to the extent of the others. And although Iams may have considerable brand recognition, in my mind they are most noted for the cruel, invasive testing that they do on animals. Of the brands that you listed, the only one I would even remotely consider feeding would be the Natural balance products - although even that one would be a last resort for me.

[Danegirl2208]

i took it..but am also not impressed with the brands that were mentioned, there are MUCH better things out there..i dont feed kibble and never will again, but come on now, kibbles and bits? Thats nothing but junk food for a dog