4health (Tractor Supply) vs Heart to Tail (Aldi)

Suru

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Due to COVID, I'm a little tight on my finances, and have downgraded my cats wet food... I am now debating between Tractor Supply and ALDI. He will be having this on top of however much Dr Elsey's dry salmon/chicken he pleases. He also drink plenty of water, so I'm actually not too worries about his liquid intake.

Here are the what I think are the pros and cons of each brand. If you *had* to choose, which one would you pick and why?
I'm also open to any other brand recommendations in the same price range!

Both have a Turkey and Giblet flavor, so that will be the basis of my comparison:

ALDI
Heart to Tail Turkey and Giblet Entree ($0.45/5.5oz)

Pros: Crazy Cheap, lower carbs, grain-free? (not on label)
Cons: Unnamed by-products, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Added Color


Ingredients: Meat by products, Poultry by products, Water for processing, Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken heart, Fish, Guar Gum, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Added color, Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Taurine, Magnesium sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid

Guaranteed Analysis: 176 kcal/5.5oz can
Crude Protein (min.) 10.00% Crude Fat (min.) 5.00% Crude Fiber (max.) 1.50% Moisture (max.) 78.00% Ash (max.) 3% Magnesium (min.) Taurine (min.) 0.05%


TRACTOR SUPPLY
4health Grain-Free Turkey & Giblet Dinner($0.79/5.5oz)

Pros: Grain-free, Named meats, Actual broth
Cons: More carbs, Guar Gum, Carrageenan


Ingredients: Turkey Broth, Turkey, Chicken, Poultry Giblets, Dried Egg Product, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Carrageenan, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Taurine.

Guaranteed Analysis: 193 kcal/5.5oz can
Crude Protein (min.) 9.00% Crude Fat (min.) 6.50% Crude Fiber (max.) 1.00% Moisture (max.) 78.00% Ash (max.) 2.8% Magnesium (min.) (max.) 0.028% Taurine (min.) 0.05%
 
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Willowy

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By products can be euthanized remains from animal shelters. Yuck.
Not "fresh" by-products. Only "by-product meal", because it's rendered. And also no pet foods have ever tested positive for cat/dog DNA, so the trace amounts of euthanasia drugs probably came from a cow or other farm animal that was euthanized.
 

Bobsk8

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So it's fried Dead animals. That makes me feel better
Not "fresh" by-products. Only "by-product meal", because it's rendered. And also no pet foods have ever tested positive for cat/dog DNA, so the trace amounts of euthanasia drugs probably came from a cow or other farm animal that was euthanized.
By products are something that is unfit for human consumption, period. I don't care if they are freeze dried, turned into "meal", flavored with gravy, etc, it is still crap that I wouldn't feed any pet I was caring for. Pet food companys use this garbage to insrease their profit margin, plain and simple.
Not "fresh" by-products. Only "by-product meal", because it's rendered. And also no pet foods have ever tested positive for cat/dog DNA, so the trace amounts of euthanasia drugs probably came from a cow or other farm animal that was euthanized.
By products are By products, no matter how they are disguised. Not feeding my pet anything that is unfit for human consumption, no matter how cheap it is.
 

Willowy

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Don't, if you don't want to. I was just pointing out a common myth.

And by-products aren't always unfit for human consumption. In many other countries, humans eat organ meats and other random parts (chicken feet, chicken heads, pig ears, etc.) so it really reduces waste to use them for pet food in places where humans don't consume those items.
 

Uncled

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My cats eat the Aldi brand on occasion and also a brand from Tractor Supply called Paws and Claws,not the one you were referring to, they liked both brands with no ill effects
 

Uncled

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I believe the Aldi brand is produced in Canada, that gave me a level of comfort in feeding my cats
 
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Suru

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Why don't you get some of each so he is not eating the same food over and over. He might get bored and go off the food.
That works too! I usually add some kind of plain homemade meat broth to his wet food, so hopefully he won't get bored of his food any time soon!

And by-products aren't always unfit for human consumption. In many other countries, humans eat organ meats and other random parts (chicken feet, chicken heads, pig ears, etc.) so it really reduces waste to use them for pet food in places where humans don't consume those items.
I've looked into by-products and most of the literature I've read said there's nothing wrong with it. so I'm totally okay with it myself! I do read that it's recommended to get by products that are named which aldi doesn't do for its first ingredient, but honestly I'm not too concerned since my cat gets a good mix of fresh cooked, raw, dry and canned food! Really I feed him the canned so his diet stays balanced. I try to give him a fresher variety on the 20% of his diet I'm supposedly allowed to mess around with, haha!


I believe the Aldi brand is produced in Canada, that gave me a level of comfort in feeding my cats
Oh! good to know! My friend's dog was affected by a recall years ago that had food component imported from China. do you think they get their meat from China or Canada? asking more out of curiosity than concern...
 

EmersonandEvie

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Look into the Friskies Poultry Platter. The first ingredient is a named meat, unlike the other Friskies varieties (which mine still love....). It's about $0.50/5.5oz can.
 
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