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Killing dogs and cats to make a better pet food
Unbelievable as it sounds, the Iams Co., manufacturer of the Iams/Eukanuba line of quality dog and cat foods, has been harming and even killing dogs and cats, claiming to make a better brand of pet food. In dozens of painful and invasive experiments, hundreds of dog and cats just like your animal companion, were made to suffer and sometimes die in the name of "nutrition research." These experiments were not designed to help the animals involved. These innocent victims were all healthy animals who were used simply as disposable objects.
Best Friends Betrayed
Iams/Eukanuba has been using dogs and cats in highly invasive experiments that subjected them to major surgeries and implanted them with tubes and other apparatus throughout their bodies. All of the experiments described below have been published in recent journals of veterinary research, most within the past three years.
One cruel experiment to study the effect of extreme weight fluctuations on the liver forced 24 cats to become obese by feeding them a high-calorie diet immediately after being spayed. Once obese, these cats were then starved for 7 to 8 weeks on a diet containing only 25% of the calories needed for maintenance, in order to induce drastic weight loss. The rapid, extreme weight loss forced 3 of the cats to develop hepatic lipidosis, a devastating disease that is difficult to treat and often fatal. No mention is made about the ultimate fate of the surviving cats. [i]
In another study to look at diet and allergies, 14 newborn puppies were manipulated with injections to develop allergens to various food ingredients. When the dogs were later placed on diets containing the allergen, they lost weight, developed moderate to severe diarrhea, hair loss and itching. Twice during the experiment, the dogs had solutions of the allergy-causing ingredient injected into the lining of the stomach while under anesthesia. These dogs will remain allergic for the rest of their lives. [ii]
One cruel experiment to study the effect of extreme weight fluctuations on the liver forced cats to become obese by feeding them a high-calorie diet immediately after being spayed. Upon becoming obese, the same cats were then starved for 7 to 8 weeks on a diet containing only 25% of the required calories in order to induce drastic weight loss. The extreme weight fluctuations forced the cats to undergo hepatic lipidosis, a devastating disease that is not easily cured. No mention is made about the ultimate fate of these cats. [iii]
A 1998 experiment sponsored by Iams killed 18 young Great Danes to study the effect of diet on bone density. The dogs had been placed on diets with varying amounts of calcium and phosphorus and were later killed so that their bones could be removed and analyzed. [iv]
To study fiber in the diet, cats were subjected to surgeries that opened their abdominal cavities and flushed out the contents of the intestines. At the end of the experiment, all 28 cats used in the study had the entire large intestine removed. The study does not state the final fate of these cats. [v]
In fact, most of these experiments do not address what happens to the animals after the experiments. Animals with complex medical problems, missing large sections of their intestines, or forced to develop chronic allergies, are all manipulated to endure a life of disability and suffering.
Iams: Supporting the Vivisection Industry
Not only are animals made to suffer in these experiments, but Iams also supports the vivisection industry by purchasing animals from companies that specifically breed them to sell to laboratories. These animals are no different from your own cat or dog and suffer even more from a barren life. They are deprived of companionship and sentenced to life in cages. They miss out on everything that we know is important to our animal companions - the chance to bask in the sun, live as part of a household, or simply be free. After this tragic, empty life - one which they were deliberately created for - they meet their fate on the cold, operating tables of the laboratory.
Is any of this necessary?
Making dietary improvements in commercial pet foods and nutrition research for animals are important goals. But they can be accomplished without inducing suffering and death, and without perpetuating industries that specifically breed animals for experiments. This research can be done ethically by studying animals who suffer naturally from diseases or conditions which may be improved by enrolling them in the study. Samples and readings can be taken during routine veterinary examinations and can utilize non-invasive to minimally invasive procedures such as ultrasound, x-rays, and blood and urine tests. Autopsies on animals who have died can reveal a great deal about diseases and their progression. It simply isn't necessary to harm animals to find out how to improve their diet any more than this is required to study dietary needs for people.
Iams joins Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) acquired Iams in September 1999. P&G is a multi-billion dollar international corporation that maims and kills hundreds of thousands of innocent animals each year to test household and personal care products on animals. Toxic chemicals are placed into the animals' eyes and lungs and forced down tubes into their stomachs. P&G claims to only test products on animals when required by law, but the company has refused to confirm this policy in writing to In Defense of Animals (IDA). IDA will uphold its boycott of P&G until the company abandons all unnecessary animal tests, including those carried out by Iams/Eukanuba.
What can you do?
Join IDA in demanding that Iams/Eukanuba cease this sort of harmful research. Do not purchase any products made by Iams/Eukanuba, and encourage your friends and family to do the same, until the company takes steps to eliminate its sponsorship of highly invasive and unethical research on animals.
Contact the company and demand that they immediately:
• Cease all invasive and harmful studies performed on healthy animals
• Stop purchasing animals from companies that breed animals for sale to laboratories
• Engage only in clinical research that utilizes non-invasive procedures on dogs and cats who are enrolled in the study by their guardians and who suffer from naturally occurring conditions that stand to benefit from the experiment.
[i] Ibriham, WH, Szabo, J, Sunvold, GD, et al, Effect of dietary protein quality and fatty acid composition on plasma lipoprotein concentrations and hepatic triglyceride fatty acid synthesis in obese cats undergoing rapid weight loss, Amer J Vet Res 2000; 6(5):556-572.
[ii] Hayek, M.G., Hypersensitivity reactions to dietary antigens in atopic dogs. Proceedings of 2000 Iams Nutrition Symposium
[iii] Ibriham, Szabo, Sunvold, Kelleher, Bruckner, "Effect of dietary protein quality and fatty acid composition on plasma lipoprotein concentrations and hepatic triglyceride fatty acid synthesis in obese cats undergoing rapid weight loss," AJVR, Vol. 61, Iams)5:556-572 (2000)
[iv] Crenshaw, Budde, Lauten, Lepine, Nutritional Effects on Bone Strength in the Growing Canine, 1998 Iams Nutrition Symposium.
[v] Bueno, Cappel, Sunvold, Reinhart, Clemen, "Feline Colonic Morphology and Mucosal Tissue Energetics as Influenced via Sources of Dietary Fiber," Nutrition Research, Vol. 20, 7:985-993 (2000).
IAMS Headquarters:
The Iams Company
7250 Poe Avenue
Dayton, OH 45414
(937) 898-7387
IAMS CO. U.S. FACILITIES
[Note: A prior list posted on this web page mistakenly listed some sites that were not affiliated with the Iams pet food company. Please discard any prior list and utilize ONLY these contacts below for any complaints or protests concerning the experiments on animals conducted by Iams Co.]
IAMS invites people with questions about their research on animals to call toll-free in the US at 800/525-4267/ Call frequently.
IAMS CO
6571 STATE ROUTE 503 N
LEWISBURG,OH
(937) 962-2624IAMS CO
3700 STATE ROUTE 65
LEIPSIC,OH
(419) 943-4267IAMS CO
1055 W HIGHWAY 34
AURORA,NE
(402) 694-4267IAMS
845 COMMERCE DR
HENDERSON,NC
(252) 430-1062IAMS CO
630 N DERBY LN
NORTH SIOUX CITY,SD
(605) 232-4851IAMS PET FOODS
9201 N 25TH AVE # 260
PHOENIX,AZ
(602) 997-2260IAMS CO
9948 HIBERT ST # 106
SAN DIEGO,CA
(858) 653-6691IAMS PET FOODS
2020 E ALGONQUIN RD # 301
SCHAUMBURG,IL
(847) 925-0955IAMS CO
1660 S STEMMONS FWY # 285
LEWISVILLE,TX
(972) 420-0756