MARS Inc., the same company that mass produces M&M's, Twix, Skittles, 3 Musketeers, Orbit Gum, Dove chocolate, Juicy fruit, Lifesavers, Snickers and Starbursts, to name a few, is the same company that has a monopoly on the vet industry.
They produce dog food, own animal hospitals, partner with the vaccine companies and donate to vet schools. Their dog food brands include:
- API
- Aquarian
- Buckeye Nutrition
- Catsan
- Cesar
- Chappie
- Crave
- Dreamies
- Eukanuba
- Greenies
- Iams
- James Wellbeloved
- Kitekat
- Lovebug
- Misfits
- My Cat DNA
- My Dog DNA
- Natusan
- Nutro
- Peawee
- Pedigree
- Perfect Fit
- Royal Canin
- Sheba
- Spillers
- Temptations
- Thomas
- Whiskas
- Winergy
(Source: MARS Petcare)
Here is a list of animal hospitals they own worldwide:
- MARS veterinary health
- Anicura
- Antech
- Asia Veterinary Diagnostics
- Banfield Pet Hospitals
- BluePearl Specialty & Emergency Hospital
- Linnaeus
- Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group
- VCA Animal Hospital
- Veterinary Speciality Hospital
(Source: MARS Petcare)
They also have made significant donations to vet schools, including Colorado State University (Source: Colorado State University / Donor Names: VCA Antech & Royal Canin) and University of Florida (Source: University of Florida / Donor Name: Banfield aka MARS Inc.)
They also partner with Pfizer, a biopharmaceutical company that owns Zoetis, the largest producer of animal vaccines and medications (Source: Pipeline Review)
So they own the food, and the hospitals, vets that staff these hospitals and have made significant donations to vet schools, which teach future vets and partner with a company that dominates the animal vaccine and medicine industry. How can this possibly be ethical? This is the equivalent to"an antidepressant behemoth trying to own the psychology sector, or a fast-food clown owning the nutritional information your doctor is to receive" (Source: DogsFirst)
There is no doubt that this company is also funding research that suggests their food is superior, when in fact, it is highly processed garbage that will destroy your animals' health over time. Similarly, they are also funding research that suggests vaccinating your pet every 5 minutes will keep them healthy.
We have learned from our own experience, that doing both of these things: feeding kibble and vaccinating just because the guidelines "say so," will result in a sick dog. We have also learned that by feeding a diet that resembles what they would eat in the wild, raw or home-cooked protein and veggies, and vaccinating very carefully results in a much healthier and happier dog.