Dear Members:

For those of you who have been purchasing Wysong's Ferret Archetypal 1,
please be advised the company has just recently changed its formula --
and not for the better either. Wysong, the company that touts its
products as "The thinking person's pet food" used to make the Ferret
Archetypal 1 formula that was labeled on the front as being "99%+ cold
processed meat".

In a new shipment just received, I was mystified in reading on its new
label "A True Non-Thermal (TNT) Cold Processed Food". I was curious
about what this meant, so when I turned the package over, lo and
behold, the product analysis ratios had all changed. What used to be
a minimum of 50% protein is now 45%, with a lower fiber percentage, a
higher fat content and a higher moisture content.

When I opened the new package, it did not smell at all the same. The
old formula had a meaty, gamey smell, while the new product just has a
strange chemical smell to it. Also, the texture of the new product is
quite different... it's now more like chalk or sawdust. If I didn't
know better, I would swear this new formula is just pieces of Wysong's
Dream Treats all broken up for the consistency and smell are identical.
The old formula resembled dehydrated beef and chicken chunks and, when
reconstituted with water, one could clearly see it was wholesome meat
with stringy pieces including bone, pieces of organs, fat, etc.

I offered some of this new product to one of my kids and, within an
hour, she had terrible diarrhea.

I contacted Wysong's Quality Control Department and complained, telling
them I could buy similar garbage on store shelves. I was offered no
explanation as to why the formula changed. I can only assume it comes
down to greed for profit... the company has cheapened its product while
still selling it at its regular high price of nearly $20.00 for 7.5 oz.
Now I wouldn't mind paying a little extra to have the same product, but
I wouldn't pay even $5.00 for this new formulation.

I am sending the entire case back to Wysong for a refund. Shame on
them!

I'm hoping all FML people who purchase this food will likewise contact
Wysong to let them know how disappointed you are with its new
formulation.

Ferrets, being obligate carnivores, require a minimum of 50% protein
for optimum health and to give them anything less is doing them a
terrible disservice. Unfortunately, Wysong used to know this... I
wonder what has changed?

[GD]

[Posted in FML 5587]