Karen what do you think of Innova and California Natural made by Natura? – Julie
It’s good food. The only thing is sometimes dogs are sensitive to the flax oil and some people don’t believe in giving any dairy. But that is for each person to decide.
Here is what they say on their site:
Natura’s Nutritional Philosophy was developed: Innova & Calif. Natural
I. Use Only High-Quality Dog and Cat Food Ingredients
It is important to understand that the pet food industry is the primary outlet for human by-products. There are ingredients which are allowed to be used in pet foods that are, at best, scary. Natura uses only high-quality,
all-natural ingredients to create foods that are denser and richer in essential nutrients. This means pets get more nutrition from less food, with calories and fats in each formula balanced to fit their specific needs.
II. Use Whole Pet Food Ingredients That Are NutrientRich and Unaltered Mother Nature made the grain in its whole state. As such, it includes nutritious protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Other pet food companies use fractionated grains, which do not include this balance of natural nutrition.
III. Use Highly Controlled Cooking Methods and Quality Checks to Preserve Natural Levels of Nutrients
Natura products are subjected to well over 100 defined quality control checks throughout the manufacturing process. These structured and rigorous checks ensure the highest- quality and safest pet food on the market. Multiple tests must be passed and specifications must be met for all raw materials and at many key control points during the manufacturing process before any food, treat or supplement makes it out of the manufacturing facility and on to retailers’ shelves.
Hi Julie…..I’ve been feeding Roman Orijen and am very happy with it. All of the ingredients are from a 100 mile radius of the factory in Alberta. All three dogs love it and are doing really well. Rita
Good for you Rita! Orijen (by Champion Petfoods, right?) is a “clean” food. It’s human grade. If you’re gonna feed a dry food, that is a good one! I don’t know what size dogs you have, and Orijen is a little pricey if you have several large dogs to feed, but have you ever looked at Wellness Core? A little more cost effective and a very clean food. BUT “if it ain’t broke……don’t fix it”! :~) Just change flavors with each bag so they don’t get allergic to it!
Regards, Karen
Good to know that’s a “clean” food! I’ve been feeding Schumi Orijen but it’s kind of a pain in the butt to get so I just bought some EVO.
@Chris
Fortunately, there’s a great pet store near by that carries Orijen. Roman is about 75 lbs and we also have 2 shiba inus. It is a bit pricey, but all 3 can eat it and no one gets the poops!! So, for me, it’s worth it 🙂
@Chris, Hi Chris and Rita,
Are you opened to rotating the Orijen flavors so that your babies won’t become allergic to one kind of food?
Regards, Karen :~)
I use California Natural Limited Ingredient Diets (usually lamb and rice but sometimes the chicken one). We switched to this over a year ago, when one dog was having some sporadic issues that we couldn’t really nail down to a specific allergy, but decided to try a LID and avoid turkey. All three of my dogs are on it for simplicity’s sake. Only dog people understand this, but I gotta say their poop is best on this kibble, lol. They are all healthy, active, and we get lots of compliments on their coat condition. A random person ran up to my husband on the street to ask what we feed! I admit I also let the dogs lick dishes and sometimes have table scraps or stale food (within reason) and they get training treats, usually Natural Balance lamb food roll. My one concern is if it’s OK to feed them such a simple diet for an extended (indefinite I guess) period of time?
@Lies Rosema, Hi Lies, Hope you are well! Calif. Natural is a better end food. Simple diet….ok. Forever…….not so much! Your dogs could become allergic to CN too! And “Poo” a necessary evil to always watch!!!! I just wrote Carole about Honest Kitchen Preference (see comments) that you can choose your own fresh meat AND rotate every day or so, which is SO important. Also sounds like your dogs might need some digestive enzymes. You can get the BEST one called “Pancreatin 8X Plus from Marina Zacharias (she is a Homeotoxicologist [homeopathic remedies]). You will also LOVE to read her “learning” & “articles”. Go to naturalrearing.com As for table scraps, that is all people use to feed their dogs and cats before dry kibble came into being 70 years ago! So they will be just fine with treats! Just not cooked fat. Dogs cannot digest cooked fat. Before you cook your chicken, cut a few chunks off, raw, and give it to your furry ones! Watch their eyes!!!!!! :~)
Hope this helps! e-mail me with any other questions you have. I’d be happy to coach you thru a diet change if you decide to do so.
Regards, Karen :~)