Iams vs. Purina

There are many decisions to make when choosing brands for dog and cat foods, and other needs, such as pet insurance to keep your pet healthy. There are many things to consider, such as price, quality, availability and variety. Purina and Iams are two well known brands that offer or suggest a variety of products, prices and insurance opportunities. There are many similarities between the two brands, but there are also many differences as well.

  1. Purina Nutrition

    • Purina One dog and cat foods use real meat as their first ingredient. Purina One also offers specific formulas for cats and dogs with higher needs, such as for kittens, puppies and older pets (See Reference 2).

    Iams Nutrition

    • Iams Healthy Naturals includes four food groups in its cat and dog foods: grains, vegetables, fruit and meat. Iams Premium Protection cat and dog food is made specifically to help adult pets keep a balanced diet, maintain energy, maintain a healthy body weight and benefit the immune system (See Reference 1).

    Purina Pet Insurance

    • Purina offers a pet insurance that, depending on the plan you choose, will cover 80 percent of veterinarian bills for a monthly fee between $10 to $35. There are two plan choices: PurinaCare without preventive care, which offers illness and accident protection, or PurinaCare plus preventive care, which offers the same protection plus routine visits and shots (See Reference 2).

    Iams Friends for Life

    • Iams does not offer pet insurance, however it does offer an annual 5 percent discount off of VPI pet insurance when you sign up for Iams Friends for Life. Iams Friends for Life is a fundraising program to promote pet adoption from humane societies (see References 1).

    Purina Litter

    • Purina offers a litter called "Yesterday's News" that is made out of recycled newspaper bits (See Reference 3).