Much to our utter frustration, EVO has once again been recalled. They aren’t messing around with lot numbers this time … anything made by Natura Pet with an expiration date earlier than June 10, 2014 has been recalled. There is a form you can fill out to be reimbursed on their website.
I have used EVO for years and I can’t remember a single recall until after they were purchased by Proctor & Gamble. It’s frustrating and disheartening.
Replacement Foods:
In rough order of my preference
Orijen Cat/Kitten: Ingredients: Boneless chicken*, chicken meal, chicken liver*, whole herring*, boneless turkey*, turkey meal, turkey liver*, whole eggs*, boneless walleye*, whole salmon*, chicken heart*, chicken cartilage*, herring meal, salmon meal, chicken liver oil, chicken fat*, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, yams*, pea fibre, chickpeas, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, blueberries*, kelp, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium. *FRESH AND PRESERVATIVE-FREE
Analysis:
Crude protein (min.) 42%
Crude fat (min.) 20%
Crude fiber (max.) 3%
Wysong Epigen 90: Ingredients: Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols as a source of Vitamin E), Chicken Giblets, Gelatin (source of collagen and proteoglycans), Apple (source of soluble fiber), Beet Pulp (source of prebiotics), Plums (antioxidant source), Inulin (prebiotic), Blueberries (antioxidant source), Tomato (source of lutein), Taurine (amino acid), Oregano Extract (antioxidant source), Sage Extract (antioxidant source), Rosemary Extract (antioxidant source), Probiotic Microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis), Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.
Analysis:
Crude Protein (Min) 60.0%
Crude Fat (Min) 20.0%
Crude Fiber (Max) 3.5%
Wellness Core Kitten Ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Whitefish Meal, Deboned Chicken, Herring Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Cranberries, Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.
Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 45.0%
Crude Fat (min) 18.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.0%
Wellness CORE Cat Ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor, Flaxseed, Cranberries, Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin],Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.
Analysis:
Protein: 45% (min)
Fat: 18% (min)
Fiber: 3% (max)
Blue Wilderness Kitten Ingredients: Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Fish Oil (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Natural Chicken Flavor, Potatoes, Potato Protein, Sunflower Oil (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Alfalfa Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Turmeric, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
Analysis:
Protein: 40% (min)
Fat: 20% (min)
Fiber: 3.5% (max)
You can use any food that has no grain, has meat as the first 3-5 ingredients (more is okay) and at least 38% protein and 18% fat (more is better).
Stay away from Zupreme Grain-Free as the pea protein has been linked to bladder stones in some ferrets. Peas are okay if they are listed 6th or later. Zupreem Grain-Free’s first 6 ingredients: Chicken meal, Dried sweet potatoes, Dried peas, Chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Potato protein. This is bad because the 2nd ingredient is non-meat and the 3rd ingredient is peas.
Stay away from foods that have starches or grains in the first 5 ingredients and certainly stay away from any food that has peas in the first 5 ingredients.
Good Foods not all ferrets will eat:
Wysong Archetypal 1 This is a raw, freeze-dried food that looks like shredded meat. It is most often served rehydrated with hot water, although ferrets who like it will often eat it dry like a treat. Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Hearts, Chicken Livers, Ground Chicken Bone, Milk Calcium, Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Coral Calcium, Organic Mung Bean Sprouts, Organic Millet Sprouts, Organic Quinoa Sprouts, Organic Blueberries, Organic Apples, Plums, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Dried Whey, Kelp, Dried Seaweed, Artichoke, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus lactis Fermentation Product, Dried Yeast Culture, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product, Phytase, Sage Extract, Rosemary Extract, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.
Analysis:
Crude Protein (Min) 45.0 %
Crude Fat (Min) 33.0 %
Crude Fiber (Max) 2.0 %
Raw/whole prey
There are strong indications that ferrets (cats & dogs) should really be fed a raw/whole prey diet. We know this is not for everyone, and you have to become educated in the right balance. Feeding only meat (muscle) will have serious consequences. Carnivores need meat, bone and organ meats to be healthy. It’s not hard once you (a) understand what to do and (b) convince your ferret it’s food. The latter is usually the harder of the two. If you have a baby ferret (under 3-4 months old) you can just start right in with raw. They will eat pretty much anything at this point. The Holistic Ferrets group has a lot of advice on how to convert older ferrets. Some people use commercially prepared ground frozen raw, but this will not keep the teeth as clean as when they chew on raw bones (of an appropriate size).
75%- Meat (flesh, tendons, fat, skin)
15%- Edible bone (RAW chicken bones, mouse bones, SOME rabbit bones)
10%- Organ meat (livers, gizzards, Hearts, etc)
Search for Holistic Ferrets online or on Facebook for more information on how to properly feed raw.
