Formula Change? You Tell Me!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

So I bought a new bag of Jack's food and the minute I opened it, I thought it looked noticeably darker. The aroma was slightly different, too, and the texture seemed grittier, like it had a coating of some kind.

Called the company and asked if they had changed the formula, they said no. There can just be variations in the color. I knew better, but I was out of food, so I used it. Within a day or two, Jack got loose, very bulky stools and other digestive symptoms. I returned the food for another new bag, and this one looks dark and different too. The Best By date and lot number are different, but very close. I called the company again and told them there was definitely something wrong with the food. They said they would send me coupons and a prepaid envelope to send them some samples so they can see what is going on.

In the meantime, i had to go on a quest to find food for JD; my local store had a much larger bag than I normally buy with a slightly older date and lot number, and when I explained the situation to the store manager, she gave it to me. (Thank you, Pet Supplies Plus!)

Brought it home, opened it, and Eureka! It's the same color as it's always been, same texture, same smell.  

This newest bag will last us about a month. After that, I don't know what we'll do. if the company doesn't come back to me with a good explanation, I guess we'll have to find JD a new food, which with his issues is an extremely daunting prospect. 

Meanwhile, I put some of each food in a dish and took a photo. You tell me this is the same food: 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Janie. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Well that's not very helpful :(  I'm sure you've looked at this but can you try the Acana Singles Formula?  Finn's done real well (fingers crossed) on Lamb and Apple. I hate the idea of lamb but … let's not go there :)  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack can't have lamb or pork. Duck might work, but the fat level is too high for him, and there are really too many ingredients in the Singles formulas for an IBD dog. Two different kinds of lentils, two different kinds of peas, garbanzo beans, pears, carrots, pumpkin, etc. Plus duck meal, deboned duck, and duck liver. The Singles formulas are limited in terms of being single proteins, but most IBD dogs can't handle so many plant foods, either. The Simple Solutions had just salmon meal, potatoes, and peas. Nothing I've looked at has that few ingredients other than Rx foods. :( :(

[Malenie Piscetelli]

So sorry Karen. I know how you feel. Good luck!! I hope you find new food for Jack.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

This is pretty shocking especially with such an unhelpful answer from the company. I hope you manage to find a solution very soon.

[BG and Gavin]

Sorry for your situation Karen. If anyone can figure this thing out its you. Hugs to you and the great JD.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, guys. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, I just had an hour long conversation with the Consumer Affairs Manager for Wellness, and I will say that I am feeling a little bit better. One thing that's apparent is that the company does seem to care about the welfare of their customers' pets. 

It seems that they have a "handful" of different suppliers for each of their ingredients, and it may be that the salmon meal that was used in this particular run was from a supplier other than the one they typically use for salmon, and was darker in color than normal. That makes a little more sense to me. He did assure me that the food was safe, met the company's specs for that formula, and even gave me the protein & fat content from the tests they ran. And he gave me free reign to vent, which should tell you something about his patience, lol. 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

So, where did you end up with this Karen? Are you going to continue to use it? What a merry-go-round!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm still not sure at this point. They are supposed to be sending me a brand new bag, which is very nice, but even if it looks like the "right" formula, going forward I still don't know how I'll ever be sure when I buy a new bag that it won't be the "wrong" stuff again. I wish he'd have told me that they're not going to use that one supplier with the dark salmon meal again, but he can't do that. He did say that the appearance of the food on the right side is what they strive for. 

In the meantime, I have about 10 days worth of food from the current "right" bag, and I'm exploring other options. My problem is that none of the other companies I feel comfortable with makes such a simple formula. 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

How about  home cooking with single ingredients until they get the food issue sorted?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If I could do that, I would have been doing it since he was diagnosed, lol. Problems include the fact that he needs 8 cups of cooked food per day if we eliminate kibble, & the price and availabilty of the protein sources he can tolerate. As it is, I do cook about 30% of his daily food.