Sandi writes:
>IAMS changed their formula over a year ago now, so that there's way more
>grains and less meat.  It's now just a poor quality cat food.  With all
>the ferret foods available, are people still using IAMS and other cat
>food for their ferrets?
 
Iams made no changes to the amount of meat based protein in Iams kitten
food.  They changed the main carbohydrate (rice) to a mix of corn grits,
corn meal and sorghum.  Their studies showed this mix resulted in steadier
blood sugar levels in dogs and cats.  To my knowledge, there are no studies
that show the effects of different carbohydrates on blood sugar levels
in ferrets.  Some ferret vets do think that rice may not be the best
carbohydrate for ferrets.
 
As to the people who found bugs in their Iams kitten food, any pet food
can get bugs in it if the bag is not properly sealed or is torn.  Their bag
of food may have been a bad lot from the manufacturer, or may have been
damaged in transit or at distributer, retailer or home.  They should check
with the retailer and see if other bags are damaged.
 
Linda Iroff
Oberlin OH
[Posted in FML issue 3237]