HONEST DOG FOOD REVIEW
Trust me, I get it, it overwhelming trying to find the “best” food for your beloved fur babies. The battle between raw vs. kibble is fierce! I’ve literally lost sleep, stressing about which food to buy for my dogs. On one hand, I have actual veterinarians (lots of them) telling me that premium kibble is best and that the worst GI issues they see come in through their doors (including death) are dogs being fed a raw diet. Then on the other hand, I have dog nutritionists and trainers telling me that raw is best and their patients/clients thrive on this diet; with the best fur, skin and stools of all dogs. I haven’t even touched on fresh/gently cooked, air dried or freeze dried food yet; or which brands are most sustainable and planet friendly. Like I said, I know, it’s overwhelming. Plus, it feels like every review I find online is sponsored and motivated by money (aka not honest).
So I decided to share my journey with you. It has been a long and expensive one and I hope it saves you some trouble if your fur baby is having GI or skin issues or allergies. If you click on the brands name (above each photo), it will take you directly to the food, to browse and read about them for yourself. :)
Ok, so here are the brands we’ve gone through or are considering, in my quest to find a great quality food that checks all the boxes. 1) Healthy/nutritious 2) Sustainable 3) Affordable. I want to support a company that actually cares about dogs, their biological needs, longevity and the planet.
This is what we started on but it wasn’t sitting right in Teddys tummy. He ALWAYS had diarrhea and the absolute worst smelling gas. Stool tests showed no bacterial or parasitic infections, so that left the vet telling us it has to be the food. Not to mention the fact that I don’t feel like the company is honest. They advertise it like it’s raw but when I emailed them, they said “yes, it’s raw , BEFORE we cook it”. That felt really shady to me.
This is what we’ve been on for about a month and half now. At first, my picky eater Cooper would split out the veggies but quickly learned to love those too. Teddy loved it right outta the gate. I have noticed that Teddy has significantly less bouts of diarrhea, which is amazing AND no gas whatsoever! Total win there!!! My “issues” with this brand are that it takes up soooo much space in the freezer AND I have to remember to defrost it. I switched to the shelf stable option they offer to combat that but again, as someone who travels with my fur babies, I still have to have access to a fridge because Teddys serving size is 1 box daily (he gets half at breakfast and half at dinner) leaving me needing a fridge for preserving his food all day. If I’m camping, with limited space, this can be tricky. Also Teddys diarrhea issue hasn’t fully resolved, so I’m left feeling like I might need to keep looking. Although it is GREATLY improved, it’s still an ongoing issue. Lastly, it’s very expensive. For the price, I want my dogs to be completely thriving.
This is the food I am currently transitioning Ted to. I wanted to try this option because it seems just as nutritious, waaaay more convenient and significantly less expensive. Our vet also made a point that made my wheels turn. He said that when they have animals struggling with loose stools, the last thing they recommend is a wet food (which is exactly what I’ve been feeding him). That sometimes, switching to dry or kibble fixes everything. I have to at least try right?!?! I’ll let you know how it goes by updating the post in a month or so, after we’ve been on it for a while.
CURIOUS ABOUT
Freeze dried raw is an options I’ve been curious about for a while the benefits of raw, without the dangers of deadly pathogens or occupying all the space in the freezer and fridge. Of all of the freeze dried raw brands that I’ve researched, this one seems the best. They don’t use fillers, it’s minimal ingredient and they don’t use beans or legumes. Raw is the only diet we haven’t tried yet. I don’t feel comfortable going fully raw but I’m open to trying freeze dried raw if Sundays doesn’t work for Ted. I also love that you get all of the benefits of raw, without crowding your freezer or having to remember to defrost food. Have you tried this brand? Let me know your experience if you have!
Yora
OK, this might be the best brand to align with my values of sustainability. I LOVE that they have our pets needs in mind, without sacrificing the planet. After all, none of this matters if we don’t even have a planet to live on. I struggle with going back to kibble though, which is why I haven’t jumped on board yet but the more I research, the more I believe they might still have a high quality food, despite being kibble. Plus, on top of Teddy having GI issues, he also sometimes struggles with itchy skin and my research shows that insect food has a very low incidence of food intolerance and allergies. I find myself regularly going back to their website to order but I know I need to try ONE food at a time. We are currently trying Sundays, so I won’t add in another brand unless Sundays doesn’t sit well with Ted. Have you tried this brand? Thoughts?
I hope this post has helped you navigate some of the questions you may be struggling with. Either by introducing you to new brands to try or by sharing what the vets have told me. Of course, every animal is different and I’m not a doctor, so always consult your pets Veterinarian or nutritionist before making any decisions. If you click on the brands name (above each photo), it will take you directly to the food to browse. I am also on the same journey for my cats. They too suffer from bouts of diarrhea (with all negative stool tests) and I have gone through 4 foods now, trying to find the perfect food for them. I will eventually make a post about that experience for you too.
What do you feed your dog(s)? I’d love to hear about how they do on what you feed them and your experiences!