Rating: 
Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat Response dog food earns the Advisor’s second-lowest rating of two stars.
The Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat Response product line includes two dry kibbles… each designed to “nutritionally manage inflammations of the skin” and to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
- Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat Response FP
- Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat Response KO
Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat Response FP was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.
Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat Response FP
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Potato, herring meal (source of fish oil), catfish, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), dried beet pulp, fish digest, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate [source of vitamin B1], vitamin B12 supplement, niacin, riboflavin supplement [source of vitamin B2], inositol, pyridoxine hydrochloride [source of vitamin B6], vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), choline chloride, potassium chloride, dl-methionine, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate), ethoxyquin (a preservative)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The second ingredient is herring meal. Herring meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh herring.
Unfortunately, the controversial chemical, ethoxyquin, is frequently used as a preservative in many fish meals.
But because it’s usually added to the raw fish before processing, ethoxyquin’s presence does not have to be reported to consumers.
However, in this case, Iams does indeed report the use of ethoxyquin as a preservative. Because of its higher position on the ingredients list, we would assume there to be a notable amount of the preservative in this herring meal.
The third ingredient lists catfish. Although it is a quality item, raw catfish contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
The fourth item is animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering… the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.
Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere… restaurant grease, slaughterhouse waste, diseased cattle… even euthanized pets.
We do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.
The fifth ingredient is dried beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The sixth item is fish digest. Fish digest is a chemically hydrolyzed concoction of unspecified body parts… from unspecified animals. This product is usually sprayed onto the surface of a dry kibble to improve its taste.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat
The Bottom Line
The veterinary product reviewed here may or may not be suitable for your particular pet. Moreover, it is not our intention to judge the capability of any dog food to treat a specific health condition.
Nevertheless…
Judging by its ingredients alone, Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat appears to be a below-average dry dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 24%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 54%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 23% and a mean fat level of 13%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 56% for the overall product line.
Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.
However, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include ethoxyquin in its recipes. For without this controversial preservative, we would have been compelled to award this brand a higher rating.
Bottom line?
Iams Veterinary Formulas Skin and Coat is a plant-based kibble using a limited amount of herring meal or kangaroo as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand two stars.
Not recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
02/02/2010 Original review
09/07/2010 Review updated
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.