Evo

Dear pet lover,

Thank you for contacting us about our products. We did have a formula change at the same time that we changed the packaging. We added cranberries and alfalfa sprouts to the formulas. Does your cat have any sensitivities to either of these ingredients?

Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional information or if you have any questions.

Veronica Moreno
Natura Pet Products
800-532-7261




I received this Monday and responded to this with my concern about alfalfa. I have heard no response.

email had a confidentiality notice attached, so I won't post the entire response...
They did say some things of interest:
1. "We made these changes in September 07".
2. "If you purchase products online, we do not honor our return policy" (so you would have to go through PFD or the other retailer to send it back, if you bought it in-store, you might be able to apply for a refund through Natura).

Based on that, it is possible that I have been feeding my cats the formula with the alfalfa in it this whole time w/o any reactions. Maybe it is something else in the food that is causing the reactions.

Art

Our problems started in December. Prior to that the bags I was getting from our food store were still with the old design.

Also, Natura told me that they offer a money back guarantee but that you had to return it to the store in which you bought it. The store I purchased it at will not refund me the cost of the bag.

I can't remember exactly when Zara started throwing up. At first it was low in frequency and amount. Over the course of several weeks both the amount and frequency increased until it was every other day for about 2 weeks. She hasn't thrown up once since I stopped the EVO.

Also, 3 of my 4 had no problem with the new formula. It won't necessarily bother every cat.

Just thought I'd update: I emailed Natura on Mon and have not received a reply. If I haven't gotten one by now I probably won't get one. It doesn't matter, I can't feed the EVO anymore regardless. I guess I was hoping they would say they were considering removing the alfalfa sprouts. I'm *soo* disappointed. EVO was the only high protein grainless my guys would eat.

I got some Taste of the Wild to go with the Pinnacle I have been alternating with the EVO. They don't seem wild about it but they do eat it. They are both higher in protein than most and grainless. I'll have to settle for that.

Well, if they changed it that far back, then Riley ate it with no issues, and he has been eating NV Instinct which has alfafa, with no issues. So I'm not worried about an allergy, but the possibility of it being toxic DOES worry me.

I think part of the problem with food allergens is that they build in the system over time. That's why most cats eat a diet that is chicken based, but chicken is among the top allergens for cats. I could be totally wrong, but that was my understanding. Alfalfa is a concern because of it being classified as a plant containing toxins. I've also read somewhere [if I could only remember where] that alfalfa is used in some pet foods as an appetite stimulant and can cause nausea when fed long term or in large quantities.

I think mine might have been eating it too...I'll have to look at the ingredients list I cut off of the first bag I fed them.

Along with the two bags of EVO that I ordered, I also ordered some taste of the wild (a small bag for them to try out). So, if they like that, I may switch to it entirely (especially considering that it is over $10 cheaper for a large bag than EVO).

Art

I just bought a small bag of Taste of the Wild for my boys to try and they both dug right in. I'll let you know if their diarrhea clears up now, too.


Also, the lady in the feed store told me that Merrick was coming out with a grain-free dry cat food. Has anyone else heard this? There's no evidence on Merrick's website.

Originally Posted by whiteforest

I just bought a small bag of Taste of the Wild for my boys to try and they both dug right in. I'll let you know if their diarrhea clears up now, too.


Also, the lady in the feed store told me that Merrick was coming out with a grain-free dry cat food. Has anyone else heard this? There's no evidence on Merrick's website.

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YES I have heard it ... saw the packaging but the site had no ingrediants

Originally Posted by whiteforest

Also, the lady in the feed store told me that Merrick was coming out with a grain-free dry cat food. Has anyone else heard this? There's no evidence on Merrick's website.

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Merrick told me they were developing a dry cat food, but didn't know when (was about 6 months ago that I asked them)

I emailed Merrick and the new food will be available in stores within the next couple of weeks, and available online May 1st. They will also have 100% meat cans, but are meant to be used as a supplement and not a complete diet. I also have the ingredients! It's too long to post here, so I'll post them in succession over few posts to follow.

CHICKEN:
Crude Protein (Not Less Than) 36.0%
Crude Fat (Not Less Than) 18.0%
Crude Fiber (Not More Than) 3.0%
Moisture (Not More Than) 11.0%

3780 kcal/kg (calculated) – One pound provides 409 kcal of metabolizable energy (calculated). One cup (100 grams) provides 108 calories (Caloric content calculated using Modified Atwater Method).

Chicken Deboned, Chicken Meal, Potato Dehydrated, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of Natural Vitamin E), Sweet Potato Dehydrated, Dried Egg, Natural Flavor, Yeast Culture, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Sea Salt, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Acai Berry Freeze-Dried, Blueberry Dried, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Taurine, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

SALMON:
Crude Protein (Not Less Than) 36.0%
Crude Fat (Not Less Than) 18.0%
Crude Fiber (Not More Than) 3.0%
Moisture (Not More Than) 11.0%

3771 kcal/kg (calculated) – One pound provides 407 kcal of metabolizable energy (calculated). One cup (100 grams) provides 108 calories (Caloric content calculated using Modified Atwater Method).

Salmon Deboned, Chicken Meal, Potato Dehydrated, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of Natural Vitamin E), Sweet Potato Dehydrated, Dried Egg, Natural Flavor, Yeast Culture, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Sea Salt, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Acai Berry Freeze-Dried, Blueberry Dried, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Taurine, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

TUNA:
Crude Protein (Not Less Than) 36.0%
Crude Fat (Not Less Than) 18.0%
Crude Fiber (Not More Than) 3.0%
Moisture (Not More Than) 11.0%

3765 kcal/kg (calculated) – One pound provides 406 kcal of metabolizable energy (calculated). One cup (100 grams) provides 108 calories (Caloric content calculated using Modified Atwater Method).

Tuna Deboned, Chicken Meal, Potato Dehydrated, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of Natural Vitamin E), Sweet Potato Dehydrated, Dried Egg, Natural Flavor, Yeast Culture, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Sea Salt, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Acai Berry Freeze-Dried, Blueberry Dried, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Taurine, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

All of those do have alfalfa though.

I was on PFD's website looking for alternatives to EVO and/or the EVO 95% meat cans (incase I need to switch to a different alergy diet for Toby)... Wellness has 95% meat cans for DOGS similar in makeup to the EVO 95% cans...but, almost twice as expensive (as is all wellness *sigh* ) They didn't have a "cat" version though.

Art

This is so disappointing. Why would pet food companies put an ingradient known to cause problems into their food? The change in proportions in chicken and chicken meal is also likely a measure to save money for EVO. I am looking for an alternative grainless dry food for my cat - any suggestions? Please help.

As I said before, I got a bag of Taste of the Wild for my cats. It's been about 3 days and they're eating fine and, more importantly, their diarrhea has cleared right up!

Originally Posted by asntp

This is so disappointing. Why would pet food companies put an ingradient known to cause problems into their food? The change in proportions in chicken and chicken meal is also likely a measure to save money for EVO. I am looking for an alternative grainless dry food for my cat - any suggestions? Please help.

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Harvard Business School has a course called "Administrative Practices." It studies how to run business to increase profit, both historically and theoretically.

One thing they study is called "the sausage game." Essentially, there really isn't much difference between sausage brands. So, for a new brand to gain a foothold, it has to have excellent quality and a low price. Once the company attains its market goal, it then begins to lower quality and raise price until there is a noticeable drop in market share, and they stay there.

So, EVO may have attained their market goal, and now they fiddling trying to bring their profit up.