NEW BRAND of DOG FOOD??

[Nancy Berry]

I know there's another area about foods & feeding but, I'm here so ....
I've been looking at different dog foods & looking at all the ingredients is mind boggling but, have any of you heard of Freshpet? They have several kinds like, a refrigerated roll, Whole Blend Mix-ins & a couple of others. I'd like to know if anyone has used Freshpet? If so, what did you think about it & did your 4 leggers like it? What about the cost? They also make dog treats ... my ears are open to all opinions about it! Thanx! :=)

[tanza]

I have used Freshpet, my Basenjis like it.... bit expensive if you were to feed it all the time, so I use it as a mix with grain free kibble.

[tkdbasenji]

My basenjis have done well on Rachel Ray Nutrish chicken flavor.

[DebraDownSouth]

I was surprised to see that some of Rachel Ray foods are really rated high. I remember there used to be issues I think about sources. Glad that has been fixed.

I was not aware of Freshpet. I am trying to find foods that don't use carrageenan, which it does.

Most of the time, I rotate food.

Currently I am using Blue Buffalo salmon, Fromm pork and applesauce, and just got (not kidding... figured really new protein!) Blue's alligator meat.

One 22-lb. bag
Contains real alligator, catfish and shrimp meal
High-protein and grain-free
No chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, no corn, wheat or soy, and no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors
Suitable for dogs of all life stages and breed sizes<
....Ingredients
Deboned Alligator, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Tapioca Starch, Peas, Potatoes, Pea Protein, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine), Dried Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene), Dried Egg, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Deboned Catfish, Flaxseed (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Natural Flavor, Fish Oil (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid and ARA-Arachidonic Acid), Shrimp meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Salt, DL-Methionine, Dried Chicory Root, Choline Chloride, Potato Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Caramel Color, Mixed Tocopherols, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Oil of Rosemary, L-Lysine, Parsley, Dried Kelp, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Spinach, Blackberries, Pomegranate, Pumpkin, Barley Grass, Turmeric, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Nicotinic Acid<<<

Crude Protein 30.0% min
Crude Fat 16.0% min
Crude Fiber 6.0% max
Moisture 10.0% max
Calcium 1.3% min
Phosphorus 0.9% min
Choline 2,750 mg/kg min
ARA* 0.05% min
DHA* 0.15%min
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* 1.0% min
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* 2.75% min
Glucosamine* (naturally occuring) 400 mg/kg min

[Nancy Berry]

@tkdbasenji The boy I have now is 3 & I was given the food he was eating, Rachael Rays Grain free Turkey & Potato. My problem with it is when he has his b.m.'s.....it's always 3 rounds. I can pick up the 1st round if I'm careful. 2nd round......is very soft but round 3 ~ wait til it's frozen to pick up. When the stools are that soft all the time, it doesn't express his anal glands normally so he constantly "cleans" when he comes in & I can smell what he's cleaning, it's anal glands. I have some Iams Essentials left from my other b but he won't touch it. Does the Chicken Flavor make the stools better??? I hope!!

[Nancy Berry]

@DebraDownSouth Sounds like pretty good food! But how are the stools to pick up? Please, tell me they are solid enough to pick up & express the anal glands!!

[Nancy Berry]

@tanza Did you use the Freshpet that's in a meat roll or the stuff in the zip-lock bag? I know that it's in a local grocery store here, Schnucks. I usually don't go there but I will if it's going to help this boy I've got, to have more solid stools!! Also, what Grain Free kibble are you feeding? Or is that the name of it (Grain Free kibble)? I hate to be so dumb about dog food but, there never were so many studies on it years ago & now..it's just mind boggling all the info about it but I'm not being stupid when I ask about it! I remember in school, a teacher said, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask." I really think my young fella' doesn't like going out to poo so often, especially in the cold! Oh, another question ~ Where are you getting the Kibble that you're using? Thanks for your input!

[Baba Bamidele]

@Nancy-Berry said in NEW BRAND of DOG FOOD??:

@tkdbasenji The boy I have now is 3 & I was given the food he was eating, Rachael Rays Grain free Turkey & Potato. My problem with it is when he has his b.m.'s.....it's always 3 rounds. I can pick up the 1st round if I'm careful. 2nd round......is very soft but round 3 ~ wait til it's frozen to pick up. When the stools are that soft all the time, it doesn't express his anal glands normally so he constantly "cleans" when he comes in & I can smell what he's cleaning, it's anal glands. I have some Iams Essentials left from my other b but he won't touch it. Does the Chicken Flavor make the stools better??? I hope!!

We've been having similar issues with Rachel Rey's beef and bison formula. We left Cosette with the in-laws over the holidays, and we forgot her food (oops), so we emergency ordered the Rey food online, since our normal stuff didn't have a one-day delivery option. Ever since, we've been getting three BMs each day, with them getting progressively softer each time, exactly as you describe. I'd agree that there seems to be something wrong with this brand!

We normally feed Cosette Canidae's grain-free line of foods. We rotate through the different kinds, and we've had great success with the fish, duck, and bison blends. It's about on par in price with other high-end foods, and you can get it for a discount on places like Chewy.com or Jet.com (where they're trying to lure people away from Amazon by offering big discounts if you hunt around online).

[Nancy Berry]

@Baba-Bamidele I hate that we're having this problem with the stools & R.Rays food but I am glad that it's not just me! Well, the 4 leggers. I've noticed that if I reach into his bowl & get some of the food in my hand, it's greasy! Really greasy & I don't think that's good at all. Does yours feel greasy too? To the point that you can see the grease on your hand?

[tkdbasenji]

I have had a male and a female onchicken flavor. Both their stools were firm and easy to pick u. The male is why we tried it in the first place. He had an irritable bowel and he improved greatly on this food.

[tanza]

@Nancy-Berry - I use the meat roll when I use it. What I also use is the Nature's Fresh (by Freshpet) but out in Calif, only available at Whole Foods. I use the Grain Free, Turkey with Spinach, Cranberries & blueberries. Also in meat rolls. For grain free, I use Fromm's Surf & Turf, Fromm's Game Bird Recipe, Acana Heritage Free-Run Poultry, Earthborn Great Plains Grain Free, I have also used Nutrisca Chicken & Chickpea, Natural Balance Duck and Potato.... any number of good grain free foods, I get the smallest bag, mix two different ones together and also switch them up all the time. Never had a problem switching foods, never as they are used to different types of foods. I also make veggies for them. All kinds, mine especially like root veggies.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Nancy-Berry
While firmer stools help with anal glands, every dog responds differently to different foods. Simply adding in fiber (which is what we do with Cara) can make stools large enough to help with anal glands and also make her go outside to potty even if the ground is wet. Diet food made for anal glad issues simply add psyllium husk to them. I just buy canisters and add my own. Of course, if your dog will eat raw apples or carrots, that helps too.

[Nancy Berry]

@DebraDownSouth I was surprised when I called around & no place had the Blue's alligator meat! TFS said they had no idea of the alligator meat but are going to check about getting some in!

[Nancy Berry]

@tanza I forget at times that dogs do like veggies! I know that I need to get stocked up on some veggies & more on green veggies as my triglycerides are touching the clouds! I bet my little fella' would eat some veggies! Very good reason for me to get & eat veggies' .... because he needs some too! If it were just for me, I don't really care if I have them or not (I like them!) I know when I walk him, when we walk by this one fence line, there's several raw (& rotten) carrots that I've had to tell him to leave it. I have to admit, I was sort of curious as to whether or not he'd eat any of a raw carrot or not but I'll get some carrots to try for him. I don't trust something laying outside of someone's fence line! But I remember a little tidbit that I read once: If a dog eats onions, it keeps them from being able to digest their food for about 3 days!!

[eeeefarm]

I have had several dogs that enjoyed carrots, starting with our family Sheltie when I was growing up. My last Basenji loved carrots and I could use them as a reward for learning new things. Most of my dogs have enjoyed vegetables, some favourites being green peppers and tomatoes, but also broccoli and cauliflower, green beans, etc. Also most fruits, including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and my girls also liked oranges!

Dogs historically were fed leftovers from the table, and before that whatever they could scavenge around a human's camp. Probably still eat that way in villages in Africa. Feed companies have implied that you need a degree in nutrition to nourish a dog properly. Funny, children don't get that much consideration! Junk food would seem to suffice for them....

[Nancy Berry]

@eeeefarm I used to think about how dogs were fed years & years ago! You're absolutely right about being a nutrition expert, with a degree to make dog food! I know I would never feed my dog anything labeled Nunn Better. I know what's in that food as filler & it's 100% pure trash! I'd bet my life that you're right as to how b's eat in Africa to this day too! I can't blame the African people for not wanting to sell any of their b's to us ~ they love them as much as we do! I sure am going to start getting some veggies & try this fella' on some of them! I'm just not big at all on oranges & apples but I do like pears! I love cauliflower & broccoli, especially with cheese sauce on it ~ Swiss Cheese is my favorite!

[eeeefarm]

One caveat with fruit, although my dogs all liked peaches, you want to make sure they don't get hold of the pits. Same applies to corncobs. If you do catch them ingesting either substance, make sure you make them vomit it up! (hydrogen peroxide works well in a pinch).

[DebraDownSouth]

@Nancy-Berry said in NEW BRAND of DOG FOOD??:
my triglycerides are touching the clouds!
But I remember a little tidbit that I read once: If a dog eats onions, it keeps them from being able to digest their food for about 3 days!!

Nancy, onions are bad for dogs. It won't keep them from digesting their food, but can cause other problems. My rule is.. if a lot is dangerous, don't give a little either.

Onions contain an ingredient called thiosulphate which is toxic to cats and dogs. The ingestion of onions causes a condition called hemolytic anemia, which is characterized by damage to the red blood cells. Onion toxicity can cause the red blood cells circulating through your pet's body to burst.<<
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets

My triglycerides have been 300 to 500 since I was in my early 20s. About 7 mos ago I read a research paper saying that for fish oil to be effective, you need about 3000 mg a day . I had tried fish oil in the past.. didn't help my triglyceride level at all, but the most I had taken was about 1200. So I went on 3000. My results since have been between 120 to 125. My doctor just gave me a script for the RX version. To say she and I are happy would be putting it mildly since I cannot take any of the meds for high triglyceride levels.

[Baba Bamidele]

@Nancy-Berry said in NEW BRAND of DOG FOOD??:

@Baba-Bamidele I hate that we're having this problem with the stools & R.Rays food but I am glad that it's not just me! Well, the 4 leggers. I've noticed that if I reach into his bowl & get some of the food in my hand, it's greasy! Really greasy & I don't think that's good at all. Does yours feel greasy too? To the point that you can see the grease on your hand?

I picked up a piece when I fed Cosette this morning, and it does indeed greasy! I wonder if that's part of the problem?

[Baba Bamidele]

@eeeefarm said in NEW BRAND of DOG FOOD??:

Dogs historically were fed leftovers from the table, and before that whatever they could scavenge around a human's camp. Probably still eat that way in villages in Africa. Feed companies have implied that you need a degree in nutrition to nourish a dog properly. Funny, children don't get that much consideration! Junk food would seem to suffice for them....

This is absolutely true! The dogs where we got Cosette were free-ranging, and they ate from trash piles by day and got table scraps at night. People thought my wife and I were crazy for buying French dog food in the big city...