Zupreem pellets - new variety

[BugLady]

I have been feeding Rascal Zupreem's Nature's Promise pellets... timothy as the main ingredient, no wheat, no soy, no pesticides. He has been doing wonderfully.

But it appears that the company has discontinued it in favor of their new Timothy Naturals food - which does have wheat and soy, and has some weasel-y wording about "tested and monitored for pesticides"

I am upset! I personally don't eat wheat or soy, and I don't really want Rascal eating them either. And I am worried about the change in wording about pesticides.

Here is the kicker - I ordered a 20lb bag from amazon.com of what I thought was the original variety (according to the title, description, and photo)- but they send the new one instead! As if it were the same thing!



Do any of you feed your buns this brand? Do you have any good/bad things to say about it? Should I just return the food and go for something else, or should I just deal with giving him the new food? Do you think corn (an ingredient in the original variety) is better or worse than wheat and soy for a rabbit?
I have had a heck of a time finding premium pellets without extra added unhealthy nonsense.

Here is the new food:
http://www.zupreem.com/our-food/small-animals/natures-promise%E2%84%A2-timothy-naturals%E2%84%A2-premium-rabbit-food

Thanks!

 

[JarJar Binks]

I'm facing the same dilemma as I'm starting to near the end of my bag of pellets. I saw this thread and ran out to the pet store in hopes of being able to get more of the original variety before it was restocked, butI only came across the new stuff. I went ahead and purchased a bag, though I hesitateto start transitioning to it.

The "tested and monitored for pesticides" label does worry me as the olderversion says "no pesticides" flat out.

Through the windows on the packages the pellets look about the same, though the ingredient lists vary widely. It alsostates it has "added vitamins and minerals" though the only thing I can pick out is more un-pronounceable ingredients. All the crude protein/fat/moisture levels stay the same but the crude fiber level decreases from (max.) 28.0% on the oldto (min.) 20.0% - (max.) 25.0% on the new. I'm not sure it would make much of a difference, but it is food for thought.

I'm no expert at deciphering ingredient lists, so maybe somebody could enlighten me on some of the different effects of certain ingredients.

"ZuPreem Nature's Promise Premium Rabbit Food" (old):

Sun-cured timothy grass hay, Corn gluten meal, Ground corn, Dried beet pulp, Dicalcium phosphate, Dextrose, Salt, Calcium carbonate, Flaxseed meal, Brewers dried yeast, Ground vegetables (carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Choline chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Natural mixed tocopherols, Zinc sulfate, Ferrous sulfate, Manganese sulfate, Copper sulfate, Zinc proteinate, Calcium iodate, Copper proteinate, Manganese proteinate, Cobalt carbonate, Sodium selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Calcium pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Thiamine mononitrate, Folic acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement

*This one has all the vegetable matter where as the other one doesn't


"ZuPreem Nature's Promise Timothy Naturals" (new):

Sun-cured timothy hay, Soybean hulls, Dried alfalfa meal, Soybean
meal, Wheat middlings, Dried molasses, Sodium bentonite, Flaxseeds,
Salt, Calcium propionate, Zinc propionate, preserved with Mixed
tocopherols and Citric acid, Choline chloride, DL-Methionine, Zinc
sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, Dried Yucca schidigera extract, Copper
sulfate, Ferrous sulfate, Manganese sulfate, Niacin, Calcium
pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine
hydrochloride, Thiamine mononitrate, Sodium selenite, Biotin, Vitamin
B12 supplement, Calcium iodate, Vitamin D3 supplement, Cobalt
carbonate, Folic acid, Dried Bacillus lichenformis fermentation product,
Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Copper amino acid
complex, Manganese amino acid complex, Rosemary extract

I thank you for taking the time to read this novel of a post. I'm probably going to try to order the original formula online before I must resort to using the new pellets.

 

[BugLady]

Thanks for pointing those things out - taking out the vegetables, and the addition of alfalfa, are really worrying to me. The alfalfa especially.

Wherever you try to buy online, call first to ensure it's really the old variety, I thought I had bought the old variety but they sent me the new one instead.