# iVet Healthy Gourmet, list of ingredients



## jen_hedz (Mar 5, 2008)

It seems that my angelo is allergic to something in the science diet food that they have been on up to this point. He chews on his paws a lot and just seems to be itchy quite a bit. He also has pretty runny stools. I have been looking at other foods and I mentioned to my vet that I wanted to switch them to the natural balance potato and duck and she said that I should try this first. I was wondering what you all think. Thanks in advance!!


iVet® Healthy Gourmet™ Small Breed Puppy


iVet Healthy Gourmet Small Breed Puppy Formula is specially designed to cater to the needs of a small breed puppy during the critical periods of growth. Small-breed puppies need increased levels of protein and fat to support the energy required in smaller breeds. Small-breed puppies also require increased levels of calcium and phosphorus for stronger bone and muscle development to accommodate their unique growth process. iVet's Healthy Gourmet Small Breed Puppy Formula is also recommended for dogs during pregnancy and while nursing.

Nutrient Content (%)
Crude Protein (Min.) 29.0 
Crude Fat (Min.) 19.0 
Crude Fiber (Max.) 4.0 
Moisture (Max.) 10.0 
Calcium (Min.) 1.2 
Phosphorus (Min.) 0.9 
Vitamin E (Min.) 400 IU/kg 
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)(Min.) *60 mg/kg 
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)(Min.) *0.05 
Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Min.) *3.5 
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Min.) *0.7 
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. 

Ingredient List
Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Oatmeal, Canola Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Flaxseed (source of natural omega-3 fatty acids), Fish Meal (source of natural DHA), Dried Brewers Yeast, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Yucca Schidigera, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite), Beta-Carotene, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (a source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Rosemary Extract.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

> It seems that my angelo is allergic to something in the science diet food that they have been on up to this point. He chews on his paws a lot and just seems to be itchy quite a bit. He also has pretty runny stools. I have been looking at other foods and I mentioned to my vet that I wanted to switch them to the natural balance potato and duck and she said that I should try this first. I was wondering what you all think. Thanks in advance!!
> 
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> iVet® Healthy Gourmet™ Small Breed Puppy
> ...


Honestly I'm not fond of corn gluten, as it is a high allergen, and brewer's rice is a by product, it is not like regular rice. Have you tried California Naturals? It doesn't have a lot of ingredients, and they make a dry puppy food as well as a life stages canned. I've heard that Merrick's makes a good canned puppy food, and Canidae, Evangers and Innova have life stages food as well. If it is a grain allergy then you'd have to try the grain free types.

The allergy might be to something on the floor or in the type of bedding. An awful lot of dog beds/mats these days seem to be made of synthetic fabrics. Or it might be the detergents used, or maybe airborne, like scented products. There was another thread up yesterday or the day before about allergies. 

My vet said the reason why they don't like to switch to "exotics" like duck or rabbit at first is that they leave the exotics as a last resort for allergies and try other things first. 

Hope this helps!


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## carolicious (Feb 25, 2008)

I personally would not feed Coby that. It has Corn, Yeast, Beet pulp. Angelo could be allergic to the corn or the yeast? Doesn't science diet also contain these ingredients? A lot of dogs are allergic to the those ingredients and beet pulp worsens tear staining from what I've heard. 

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Science Diet is rated only 1 star, and I don't see how iVet is any better? But I'm not a vet, so who knows, but just to be aware that a lot of vets are paid to promote certain products even if it's not so wonderful because they are paid. 

Good luck with your search! I hope Angelo finds food he's not allergic to soon!


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## jen_hedz (Mar 5, 2008)

My vet thinks it could be the corn in the science diet since it has a lot and she thought that the corn gluten in the iVet would be less I guess. It is something that is sold in her office so she could be promoting it. Is there a good food out there that is corn free?


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

Unfortunately often vets only recommend what they sell. They don't study nutrition in most cases.

Read "Scared Poopless", or Whole Dog Journal, or any other good article in regard to what is "what" in dog food, and you will see that the following ingredients as copied from your post about this food are not at the top of the list.

Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Oatmeal, Canola Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Flaxseed (source of natural omega-3 fatty acids), Fish Meal (source of natural DHA), Dried Brewers Yeast, Dried Egg Product

Personally the only thing I see in there worth using is Oatmeal, Flaxseed and maybe the dried egg product but they should be well after the first main ingredient which should be real meat. If it actually said "chicken" first then chicken meal would be better or if it said "rice". The Brewers Rice, Canola Meal, Corn Gluten meal, beet pulp are filler junk.

As mentioned above California Natural makes a good puppy food as does Wellness and several other premium natural brands. Many these days stay with only 1 protein for allergy reasons. Natural Balance Duck and Potato makes a small bites that is vey tastey if allergy is really a problem. It isn't designated "puppy" but is complete.

Are you feeding some canned puppy food. You may have better success with it. It has less of the fillers and more meat. Learning to read the labels and knowing what is meant by things such as "Brewer's Rice" is the best thing to do. Look for things like "organic" or holistic.


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

> It seems that my angelo is allergic to something in the science diet food that they have been on up to this point. He chews on his paws a lot and just seems to be itchy quite a bit. He also has pretty runny stools. I have been looking at other foods and I mentioned to my vet that I wanted to switch them to the natural balance potato and duck and she said that I should try this first. I was wondering what you all think. Thanks in advance!!
> 
> 
> iVet® Healthy Gourmet™ Small Breed Puppy
> ...


Thats not a food I would buy because some of the ingredients I don't like. 



Have you thought of trying california natural? Here is a link to it. 
http://www.naturapet.com/brands/california-natural.asp


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## jen_hedz (Mar 5, 2008)

I just spoke to a woman from a feed store and she thinks it could be the chicken that he is allergic to as well as the corn so she suggested diamond lamb and rice naturals. So I looked up the in the ingredients and it has chicken fat. Is chicken fat not chicken in some form?


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

> I just spoke to a woman from a feed store and she thinks it could be the chicken that he is allergic to as well as the corn so she suggested diamond lamb and rice naturals. So I looked up the in the ingredients and it has chicken fat. Is chicken fat not chicken in some form?[/B]


Yes, chicken fat is from chicken. Dogs can be allergic to anything, just like people, even preservatives found in some foods. I personally wouldn't buy diamond foods. They had a recall on their food a few years ago. The reason I suggested california naturals is because it is simple. One protein, one carb and one fat. The lamb and rice has no chicken. There also is a fish and sweet potatoes. My malt is allergic to sweet potatoes, so he can't have that one. I called the company and I was told all their products are tested before sent to stores.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

> I just spoke to a woman from a feed store and she thinks it could be the chicken that he is allergic to as well as the corn so she suggested diamond lamb and rice naturals. So I looked up the in the ingredients and it has chicken fat. Is chicken fat not chicken in some form?[/B]



I would stay away from it. Diamond was one of the foods on the recall list for last year, but maybe not that specific product. If the dog is allergic to chicken he'd be allergic to the fat. 

Food allergies for the most part are a guessing game, unless you do specific allergy testing, no one can tell you for sure. Othewise, the only way to find out if it is a food allergy is to do an elimination diet. If you take him off Science Diet and start feeding him one of the "premium type" foods like Canidae, Innova, Cal Natural, Merrick, etc., he will probably improve. 

If it were me, I'd start with a food that has very few ingredients. 

Here's a link to California Natural. It is a hypoallergenic dog food. If you cannot find it in your area, you can order it online. Some places have free shipping if you order in quantity. Many shops will have samples of the dry food. The canned Lamb and rice adult food is life stage, and the kibble comes in adult and puppy food. 

http://www.californianaturalpet.com/default.asp

This is not a criticism of vets at all, but many of them have much more training in diseases than they do in nutrition. It's the nature of medicine. I wouldn't feed my dog Science Diet. I've dog sat for too many itchy dogs who eat Science Diet/Hills. My vet is also a nutritionist. I sought her out because I've seen too many dogs with food allergies. These are some of the foods she recommends, in random order:

Wellness
Canidae
Natura (Innova, Evo, Cal. Natural)
Pet Guard 
Merrick
Wysong


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## jen_hedz (Mar 5, 2008)

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I have looked into the california naturals and it would probably be my top choice besides the fact that it's over an hours drive to the nearest location that sells it. I guess that in my location most of the premium foods are going to be further away. I think I'm just going to have to find the time to make the drive. Thanks for your help!


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

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I have looked into the california naturals and it would probably be my top choice besides the fact that it's over an hours drive to the nearest location that sells it. I guess that in my location most of the premium foods are going to be further away. I think I'm just going to have to find the time to make the drive. Thanks for your help!
[/B][/QUOTE]
The pet store here that has lots of premium brands will order any they don't carry in the store. You might ask locally and see they'll order.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

If you try Cal Nat and like it, you can order it from amazon.com. You can find just about everything on amazon.com

amazon.com link


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