Acana Classics vs Royal Canin for puppy

[nadines1]

Hello all. I need some advice in feeding my 6 months old gsd. I am between Acana Classics Red ( that is for all life stages) and Royal Canin puppy. Or maybe Purina Pro Plan? I fed him Acana puppy large breed, but it's grain free kibble and i want to avoid that because of DCM problems. Now he is on Farmina N&D Ancestral grain but he has awfull diarrhea from it. So, Acana red or RC puppy?

 

[sevilodorf]

@nadines1 I wouldn't touch Acana after their response to the DCM issue. Instead of acknowledging and addressing the problem, they denied it and rushed "wholesome grains" formulas to market without ever addressing the poor formuation that likely caused the issue in the first place. The underlying problems that allowed DCM still exists there. Who knows what other imbalance issues exist.

RC has significant science and expertise backing it. I'd pick that in a heartbeat.

 

[darren1980]

@sevilodorf Is there something you know that Dr Steve Solomon, the Director of the Food and Drug Administrations Center for Veterinary Medicine doesn’t? Why didn't they come right out and say what you are saying? Why didn't he come out and say Champion is specifically linked or unsafe? Why did he make statements that said DCM was significantly more complex than brand or formulation?

Do you have some prejudice against their current MSc Animal Nutrition & Metabolism director? Maybe you don't like their in-house DVM? Is the PhD in Animal sciences their Research and Nutrition Manager not good enough?? I'm very curious as to your credentials as the Champion Petfood staff is quite decorated in educational credentials and experience. What are your credentials?

 

[sevilodorf]

@darren1980 Tracey Forfa is the Director of that body, and they don't say that exact thing because it's outside of their purveiw. The FDA isn't interested in regulating boutique dog foods out of existence, they're interested in ensuring animal feed facilities are modernized and sanitized, ingredients used are well-regulated, and that diets sold interstate meet minimum AAFCO nutrient profiles. We know that's a bare minimum standard, especially given the DCM issue.

Do you have some prejudice against their current MSc Animal Nutrition & Metabolism director? Maybe you don't like their in-house DVM? Is the PhD in Animal sciences their Research and Nutrition Manager not good enough??

That's correct, none of those credentials are a PhD in small animal nutrition, or a DACVN/ECVCN, aka a board certified

PhD in animal sciences is not the same as a PhD in animal nutrition for pets.

I don't need a PhD in animal science to know that a regular DVM and a Masters in animal nutrition is an objectively lower standard than the teams of DACVNs Royal Canin has on staff.

I don't need that PhD to know they don't do feeding trials or publish peer reviewed research either, or to know that their diets are highly associated with DCM, which is widely thought to be a consequence of a lack of credentials on staff, research, and feeding trials.

And I certainly don't need a PhD to listen to the many experts who identify these as the most important issue areas for consumers to consider in selecting pet food.

 

[darren1980]

@sevilodorf I’m sorry but you’re still saying that there is actual scientific proof that champion pet foods may be extremely dangerous to thousands of dogs and that the FDA just isn’t telling anyone about or doing anything about it. That’s a bombshell if it’s provable. If it’s not, you’re really scaring people with some heavy accusations on a very regular basis. If it is provable, the people with the proof also have a lot to account for as they should really be a little louder with a public message and sharing their irrefutable data.

As for the phds, these are still vets who swear an oath. You’re saying they are all complicit in taking on work that’s beyond their education and credentials by being responsible for these formulas. That’s another pretty big conspiracy theory and would break their oath as they’d be doing harm directly in doing so.