The BEST Dog Food for Beginners

I have been asked by friends and acquaintances about what have fed my dogs (Beverly & Harriet) so I figured I would tell them all and share with you my readers.  If you prepare your own food for your dogs, cooking removes a lot of nutrients.  Kibble is the biggest enemy for several reasons.  Raw diets are by far the most biologically appropriate source of nutrition for dogs.  Preparing food for dogs could be complicated and time-consuming.  A raw dog food diet requires specific balances and ratios of certain nutrients and ingredients. One of the really tricky calculations is balancing the calcium/phosphorus ratio. One must also have the appropriate balance of organ meat, muscle meat and greens.  I get food for my dogs from Barfworld.com.  Barfworld comes in the convenient form of patties and  nuggets or small 2 pound chubs.  The food also comes in small 2 pound chubs which might be more convenient for feeding big dogs.  Some people prefer freeze dried food.  That’s my second choice as I much more prefer raw.  Barfworld carries freeze dried varieties as well as raw.  For information about a special promotion through my website, I have included the details at the end of this article.  For more advanced raw feeders I recommend Raw Paws.  You can read more about their food in my article The BEST Dog Food for Advanced.  In that article, I discuss the Raw Paws diet.

My dogs are on a BARF diet which is raw food.  Raw food is the healthiest diet option for dogs.  BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.  It’s based on Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s diet for animals.  I order their food each month or so.  I have several articles that stress the importance of raw feeding.  One of interest might be Why a Raw Diet is Vital.  Vets who practice conventional medicine are not educated about biologically appropriate nutrition.  The article, Why Don’t Conventional Vets Recommend Raw Feeding will begin to help you understand why.

The food is packed in sturdy plastic bags (that can be re-sealed) and comes in a cooler with dry ice.  It’s more expensive than the processed commercial products from most pet stores.  I feel that it is well worth it though.  I also add my own supplements as well.  I have fed my dog this diet for many years with no problems and no health issues.  For a short time, I switched to a different company to try it out, but I discovered that they were using bone meal in their food which is almost always a rendered product.  That FREAKED me out so I switched back to Barfworld.  I will go more in-depth about raw food diets in future articles because there is so much that the public doesn’t know about it.  I illustrated how little most people know in my previous article entitled What’s Really in Dog Food?  If you have concerns about salmonella, please read my articles that provide the facts about salmonella.  I have a video from the FDA that states that the illnesses and deaths from contaminated dog food are NOT due to salmonella.  Think about how much commercial kibble has been recalled for salmonella contamination.

I was able to negotiate a promotion for my blog community. Just call Barfworld at 1-866-282-2273 (BARF) and mention my website essentiallydogs.com and ask about my promotion. Feel free to share this with your family and friends. 

They provide free telephone consultations so you can gain a better understanding about raw diets and products that are appropriate for your dog. They will guide you with portions for your dog’s size and weight as well making the transition from your dog’s current food. Barfworld also carries excellent supplements. At Barfworld the staff members are trustworthy and very competent. They are my choice for a nutritious diet for my dogs. They wolf it down like wild beasts! They LOVE it!!!

Raw Paws Freeze-Dried Diet:  The moisture is removed from the food while keeping it frozen.  This allows the food to remain uncooked and raw.  Freeze-drying is more nutritional value than other dehydration processes because of the manner in which the moisture is removed.  If I would choose a freeze-dried food for my dogs, I would go for Raw Paws Freeze-Dried Food.  It comes in three formulas (beef, chicken, and Green Tripe).  


Green Supplements are critical,  I recommend one of my favorites – Dr. Dobias’s SupplementsIt is important to provide an excellent source of greens for your dog when feeding a diet that doesn’t contain any.  Natural supplements formulated by the well-known Canadian holistic veterinarian, Dr. Dobias are packed with whole green superfoods and vital nutrients.

Raw Paws Dehydrated Complete Green Tripe
Raw Paws Dehydrated Complete Beef
Raw Paws Dehydrated Complete Chicken

 


 

 

 

 

This article was written a year and a half ago.  I have decided to dive into a more complex raw diet.  You can read my article The BEST Dog Food for Advanced in which I discuss the Raw Paws diet.  The Raw Paws carries diets that contain the right balance of muscle meat and organ meat in their products called “complete and balanced” diets.  They also have ground bone in many of their foods.  This is important for dogs to maintain healthy bones.  The only important thing missing is the greens, but I add my own natural supplements that contain dried greens.  


Barfworld featured in the media!!!


Pet World Insider


Inventor Spot


 


 


 

 

Barfworld, DrDobiasRawPaws

81 thoughts on “The BEST Dog Food for Beginners”

  1. I’ve always been curious about starting my two on a raw food diet. Currently, they are on a very high quality kibble, but I know I could be doing better for them. I just haven’t quite figured out the whole raw food thing yet. I’ll definitely have to look into something you can order rather than coming up with the percentages of foods myself!

    1. Hi Kelsie-
      Thank you so much for checking out my blog. I used to have my dogs on Wellness and Solid Gold. If you read my article: , I am sure you will learn a lot. It’s preety scary. I also wrote about what I give to my own dogs. I have the link at the bottom of that article in green. Many people are concerned about salmonella when it comes to raw food. I wrote an informative article on that as well. Just use the small search bar on my website and you will find it. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. That’s what I’m here for.

      1. I have a 13 year old husky with horrible spinal arthritis. He is on some pain meds and recently injectible Adequan. I have generally given him Merrick canned food. He is very picky and turns up his nose to most dog foods now. I am currently boiling him chicken and rice (but will stop the rice now that I have read about arsenic in rice products). Can you tell me what you found out about Wellness and if you have any other canned dog foods you can recommend? He will absolutely turn his nose up at bagged dog food. I am unable to afford the raw diet for him. Thank you so much 🙂

        1. Hi Julie-

          I am not a fan of canned food or dry food. Dry food is an absolute no. Lightly cooking food is the less expensive alternative, but getting a correct balance is extremely difficult. Dogs require certain percentages and ratios of ingredients. I don’t know how to do this and I am not comfortable messing around with that stuff. Dogs require meat, organ meat, veggies, and some fruit. Corn products are like poison. Corn is one of the most common allergens. Carbs and starches in general should be avoided as dogs are not biologically designed to digest them. They are used as fillers to keep prices down. The lesser evils would be potato. Stay away from products with BHA and BHT. Fats like animal fat and tallow. Also, if it say only “meat” or “animal fat,” be aware that those ingredients can come from ANY animal including euthanized dogs and cats. I wish I could be of more help.

          1. I just happened to come a accross this page while surfing. I found this article informative but a little scary. My Yellow lab passed away about two years ago. She was 14; labs typically live 12 to 14 yrs. I think. I probably fed her and any dogs I have ever had the usual commercial foods and cheated with table scraps. According to what I read here one would have to be well off to buy the “right” foods. How many people who have pets can go that route-have the money or patience to do these “save” diets? People don’t eat so well either these days if you read all the articles about what is in our food. I am not planning to get another dog, but I have adult children with dogs or who plan to get a dog and I don’t know that some of them could afford this diet you mention in the article.

            1. Hi Irasara-

              Thank you so much for visiting my website and for your comment. You are very fortunate that your Lab had a life without suffering from disease. Yes… food that is biologically appropriate is expensive. The majority of dogs do not die of natural causes. I see organ diseases, diabetes, bad teeth, skin issues, ear infections, allergies which could often be avoided with the proper diet. A dog’s diet is key to a healthy immune system. Vaccines over-work the immune system and dogs on synthetic diets are impacted the most. Please check out the following article: Are Dog Vaccines Really Safe?

              Dog diets don’t come close to comparing to human food. Yes… McDonald’s is really bad. If you eat the same McDonald’s meal every day for the rest of your life, that is similar to what dogs are living on (except the McDonald’s is usually healthier food). You see, human food has regualtions which the FDA enforces. Dog food regulations are very loose and are not always enforced. This is why we have lawsuits like Blue Buffalo who made advertising claims which were completely false. When you see a dog food label, there are tons of vitamins and minerals added. That is because the food is basically void of nutrients. That is why I refer to most dog food as “synthetic” food. Processing is very scary. Sometimes companies use euthanized cats, dogs, alson with their flea collars in processing the food. Please check out the following article: What’s REALLY in Dog Food?

              I feel that it is best to pay for health rather than take a chance and pay in the end to fight illness. There are ways to make your own raw food, but honestly, it is wayyy too complicated for me to do and it is very time-consuming. I cannot recommend any brands of commercial food because I am all about optimal health, but also, because there is not much reliability regarding the ingredients, processing. poor standards, lack of regulation. A great website is Poisoned Pets and Truth About Pet Food.

              That pet food industry scares me.

              All the best
              Janie

        2. Other things to avoid are ethoxyquin, by-products, anything that says “meal.” Call the manufacturer and ask them directly which of their ingredients are sourced from China. It is a really tough job to sort though this stuff. Even the premium foods are are very expensive. Like me, she has 2 dogs. One is overweight the other is fine. They should weigh around 10 pounds each. She was looking at Merrick and Wellness. Based on their weight it would cost around $90 per month for the canned food. Math is not my strong suit and her math skills are awful as well. It is a good idea to double check that calculation. I told her that my food runs me around $125 every 5 weeks or so. Again… Double check on that math. I am terrible with calculating prices and amounts of food… Each dog require an amount of food based on the dog’s weight. You need to manipulate the amount though based on how active your dog is. An active dog needs a little bit more than a dog who is less active. That part is not a precise science. Prices are outrageous. You might want to check out Dr. Karen Becker’s book about feeding dogs.

      2. Dear Janie,
        Thanks for all the information. MY little Jessie is very precious to me so I certainly will think twice what I will put in her little tummy.
        I look forward to reading your wonderful articles.

        1. Dear Jackie-

          Thank you so much for reading my articles and for your comment. I STRONGLY suggest that you change her diet. Jessie is an enormous priority. I want her to have the very best care and treatment.

          Janie

    1. Excellent question!!!
      It is only toxic in larger amounts.

      When it is in food in appropriate amounts garlic is very beneficial:

      *Garlic acts as a tick & flea repellent.
      *Garlic has antimicrobial and antibiotic properties and is effective in fighting various forms of internal or external bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, including parasites, and repels ticks & fleas.
      *Garlic fights infections of the mouth, throat, respiratory tract, stomach, and intestines.
      *Garlic helps to lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
      *Garlic enhances liver function by helping the liver to eliminate toxins from the body and reducing toxic accumulation that may lead to cancerous growths.
      *Garlic stimulates immune functions in the bloodstream by increasing the activities cells that seek out and destroy invading microbes and cancer cells.

      I took this information from:
      http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/garlic-for-dogs.html

          1. One time my dog ate garlic and he kept itching. Can you tell me how is this possible?And I don’t believe that garlic is a flea repellent.

            1. Hi again

              Your dog might be sensitive to garlic or maybe it was something else. It’s quite possible that it was the garlic. Maybe it was too much. Maybe your dog was detoxing. Garlic is great for detoxing. Itching can happen as toxins are released. There are many possibilities.

              Here’s a great article from an excellent website that contains tons of information about diet and holistic care:

              https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-for-dogs-poison-or-medicine/

              I hope this was helpful.
              Janie

              1. My dog ate 4 cloves. There was nothing I can do about it. If I tried to get the garlic out of his mouth my dog will growl and bite me. 🙁

        1. So after reading everyone’s concerns and answers, I still don’t know what kibble and canned food to use. I can’t use raw. Could someone please give me a dogfood that’s safe Ty Leanne

          1. Hi Leeann-

            I’m sorry, but I do not recommend processed foods. There are many issues with canned food and kibble food.

            If raw is not feasible, you could take raw and lightly cook it. I only focus on balanced biologically appropriate diets. Barfworld is an excellent raw diet that has everything needed and it’s balanced properly. If you get in touch with them, let them know that you found out about their food from my website. Ask them is they could provide you a discount for finding them through me.

            Here are some articles that you might want to check out.

            https://essentiallydogs.com/whats-really-in-dog-food

            https://essentiallydogs.com/4-ds-in-pet-food-whats-that

            https://essentiallydogs.com/illegal-pet-food-you-wont-believe-it

            http://essentiallydogs.com/shocking-dog-food-research-study

            Raw diets are pricey. If you prefer to make your own properly balanced diet you can check out http://www.keepthetailswagging.com. It’s an excellent website and I highly recommend exploring a ready-made raw diet.(I.e., Barfworld) or making some of the recipes from keep the tails wagging.

            Warmly,
            Janie

  2. Hi,
    Right now I supplement Evangers wet dog food with Nature’s Source. My dogs are very finicky. What is your take Honest Kitchen, which just got FDA approval? I am curious about a raw food diet and I would like to know if Barfworld sends out samples.

    1. Hi Angie-

      Although I have many issues with The Honest Kitchen’s recipes, their food is far superior to the bulk of food produced by the commercial dog food industry. The FDA approval for “human grade” is assuring that there are no scary ingredients from rendering plants… At the same time, this is a clever way of marketing their products. You see, “human grade” is very comforting to most dog owners.

      If we look at the ingredients you will see that they include a lot of vitamin & mineral supplements, many of which are likely to be sourced from China. There are no regulations that require companies to reveal the source of their ingredients only the location of their manufacturing plant). You can read article http://www.essentiallydogs.com/is-the-government-addressing-the-dog-food-issue. If you call them to ask where their supplements are sourced from, they are required to be truthful in their disclosure.

      It can be easily argued that the most nutritious thing a dog can eat is green tripe. That is an ingredient that is not permitted to be sold for human consumption in the USA. I like that Barfworld uses that in their recipes.

      The Honest Kitchen includes potato & grains in their recipes which are really not a biologically natural part of a canine diet. Starches are not healthy for dogs as they convert to sugars as they are metabolized.

      A biologically natural diet for dogs REQUIRE a percentage of organ meat (liver…) which NONE of their recipes include.

      Yes, they do testing for contaminants, but many contaminants are found when food is made in deplorable conditions. Salmonella is a big scare that dog food companies and the FDA has put into consumers. Salmonella is NOT a danger to dogs. It is only toxic and dangerous to humans. http://www.essentiallydogs.com/salmonella-whats-the-truth is an article which will put your mind at rest.

      They state that they products are GMO-free. That is very difficult for them to prove. THE Monsanto corporation has provided our government with a great deal of money so our government owes them big time. If something contains GMOs, Monsanto has done everything in their power to prevent labeling that states something like “GMO Product.” If a product has the “USDA Organic” seal, then the majority of the product itself is organic. You can read about the subject in http://www.essentiallydogs.com/the-truth-about-holistic-organic-dog-food.

      By FAR, Barfworld is a superior diet as it provides the nutrients and the content that is specifically designed for dogs.

      Whew… OK… With regard to samples, although I didn’t see them on their website, I believe they do have. I know they are not free as the food itself has a cost and special shipping is necessary because it is raw. I will call them on Tuesday to find out if they can provide samples to people. I will get back to you on Tuesday or Wednesday about that.

      Thank you so much for visiting my website and for your desire to the best you can for your dogs. I love my devoted website visitors. Please tell other dog owners about my website. I want to educate as many people as possible and to help as many dogs as I can reach out to.

  3. I recently signed up for your newsletter and found it to be informative, easy to understand, well-written but most of all I’m impressed that you take the time to answer questions your readers have. From it, others will learn. I’m not a fan of social media but will forward your website to my dog-friends as many of them are uninformed about the benefits of feeding raw food. Am looking forward to future newsletters. Are any back issues available?

    1. Hi Sylvia-

      Thank you so much for your kind words. When I send out a newsletter, I simply introduce my newest article(s). Therefore, if you would like to see exactly what is in each newsletter, you can go to the blog page and just skim down until you find an article that you like. Otherwise your mailbox will become cluttered and you will need to open each one and sift through. I would recommend putting your cursor onto each link, right clicking and choose the option to open link in new tab or new window. I really don’t know how to send out more than one newsletter at a time. I think I need to brush up on my skills.

      I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying my articles and that you will be sharing with your friends.

      Sincerely,
      Janie

    1. Hi Diana-

      Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my article. I hope the information will be helpful and that you will be able to provide your dog(s) with the healthiest lifestyle possible.

      Janie

  4. I am from India having an abandoned 7-year-old male mixed Pom+German Spitz short stature 13 kg companion. Found it about a year ago with a maggot infested wound around its tail, an ear bitten off. It is fine now and very affectionate. It seems to have corneal dystrophy in one eye and we give it Cineria Maritima eye drops and had been on Cod Liver capsules for 30 days. It is on Farmina low grain Natural & Delicious Adult mini kibble and Morando Migliorcane Professional Chicken & Turkey Chunks gravy. The low grain comprises of 20% oats and kelp. BEEF is strict NO in India.

    At Barfworld I was going through the ingredient list of Juicy Chicken Recipe Item # 101. I just want your professional opinion on its ingredients. It contains Cod liver Oil which has toxic levels of Vitamin A & D aside from Omega 3. Ground flax seed has Omega 3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA which is poorly absorbed by a dog.

    Is it available in India?

    1. Hi Gspal-

      You are a true hero for rescuing that lucky dog!!! The amount of cod liver oil is so small that it is not toxic and dogs can metabolize it well. Marine sourced omegas are best because it is absorbed better than plant sourced oils. However, it is very healthy for dogs to have various oils because different oils have different benefits outside of the omegas. The key is not to overdo anything. It is best to provide small amounts of plant omegas (as opposed to larger amounts) so that dogs can reap the benefits of the oils without worries of toxicity. Plant based oils are not absorbed as easily as marine based oils, but they DO in fact have nutritional value. For example, I wrote about coconut oil and its health benefits for dogs.

      As far as food goes, the best thing to do is stay with a prepared raw diet. I don’t know what is available in India. I have lots of articles about the problems with kibble and canned food. http://essentiallydogs.com/whats-really-in-dog-food is a great article that shows what commercial dog food is all about. It is very scary stuff. I am into the raw diet because it is biologically appropriate. I am not able to recommend any commercial food because it conflicts with the concept of feeding a diet that is natural and what carnivores require.

      Thank you for writing and for visiting my website.
      Janie

  5. Hi Janie, Thanks for the info, I have been doing a lot of reading today on the various sites. I have 4 little furry rescues that all have their own personalities. I feel like I am on information overload! One of my critters has stones in her bladder and the Doctor is insisting she be on Royal Canin Urinary SO and that it is okay to feed it to all my dogs for right now. But one of the articles I read had this brand as a no go and then your feelings about dry food has me so confused. Also I have to admit to you that I am guilty of having the endless feeder of dry food for my babies for one so they can eat whenever they are hungry but also for selfish reasons being cost and time effectiveness. But this is my 2nd of the 4 that seems to be having troubles so I want to do right by them so I can keep them happy and healthy for a long time. Can you give me some insight on the following things I seem to see in some of the foods that are supposed to be “High quality” 1. potatoes 2. flax 3. crushed bone? Also I wanted to know how to determine if you are giving your dogs food with garlic 2-3 times a day what would the toxic level be for a small breed pooch.

    1. Hi Stacey-

      As far as potatoes go, dogs do NOT need carbs (unless they are working Greyhounds or sled dogs). In those canned and kibble food you find lots of added vitamins and minerals because the nutrients of the “food” itself is gone due to processing.

      I’ve gotta tell you that I HATE those prescription diets; that food is like poison. Conventional vets do not study nutrition beyond the tiny bit they get that is usually funded by Hills or other corporations. When a vet carries those diets, it means that the vets don’t have the knowledge to design a diet to address health issues.

      I STRONGLY recommend that you find a vet who is schooled in nutrition and holistic medicine. Vets who have an extensive education do not carry those diets. You can find a holistic vet who will guide you and feed your dog proper food along with herbs and supplements as opposed to all the synthetic garbage in those prescription diets. Check out the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association website. They have a search tool there. Choose the NUTRITION option and plug in the other information. You might also want to search for WESTERN HERBS and HOMEOPATHY. Nutrition needs to be your first priority. From there, various herbs can be combined to treat your baby’s issues. You can use a “find” or highlighting tool in your browser to search for herbs and homeopathy when you have the nutrition list. A good way to ensure that the vet is knowledgeable is to call and ask if they sell any prescription diets. If they say no, it is a good sign. Ask them if they are familiar with raw diets and how to guide you to make your own at home. These questions will help you determine the extent of their knowledge. Personally, I would not feed a raw diet unless it was already prepared. There are too many risks when it comes to balancing it and even though I could probably figure it out, I wouldn’t feel comfortable and it would be exhausting and VERY time consuming for me.

      Implementing a healthy diet with herbs will be some work, but your dog will live longer and healthier for it.

      Thank you so much for visiting my website and for your comment. I wish you the very best.
      Please keep me posted.

      Sincerely,
      Janie

  6. Hi Janie,

    Thanks for sharing great info!

    Can you recommend a broad-spectrum non-diary probiotic? I did a search on your website for one, but couldn’t find it. I bet you are going to ask me why. The short answer is I think my sweet Addie has a UTI — licking, accidents 🙁 and I know it is probably because of the crap food she’s been eating…also, what do you think of Easy Raw dehydrated Grain Free Dog Food? Thanks for your help!

    Love ya!!! Alissa

    1. Hey Alissa-

      Supplements has a probiotic/digestive enzyme product that I use. I would give it a try. Stay away from anything that converts to sugar (carbs…).

      As far as raw-dehydrated, you need to look at the vitamin premix. If there are more than 5 or 6 vitamins added, it indicates that the actual food is void of those nutrients so I would compare it to cereal that is “fortified” with vitamins because it is junk food that needs the supplements.

      The most economical food that meets those parameters is Raw Food and Some Alternatives.

      Thanks so much for visiting my website. Talk to you soon.
      Janie

    1. Hi Mary-

      Thank you for visiting my blog. To get the newsletter just go to the blog page and see the image of the dog with the newspaper on the upper right hand side of the page. Simply fill out the form and you’ll be set!

      Please check out my vaccine articles too. See if your vet is doing the right thing or is you vet hurting your animals.

      Al the best,
      Janie

    1. Hi Leslie!

      Thanks for visiting my website. Regarding kibble, I never recommend it. I have several articles about it. Here’s one: https://essentiallydogs.com/4-ds-in-pet-food-whats-that

      If you do a search “kibble” in my site you’ll see plenty of articles. Kibble contains a huge amount of carbs, usually contains rendered meat (you’ll see what that is in the article), and contains tons of synthetic vitamins and supplements because it is so processed that it lacks nutrients on without the supplements.

      I prefer a raw diet. Dogs in nature do not eat food from cans or kibble. As an easy raw diet I recommend Barfworld as it is biologically appropriate and has very few added supplements. https://essentiallydogs.com/dog-food-the-best

      The most important thing for dogs is the love you give to them.

      If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

      All the best,
      Janie

      1. My dog stopped eating this food after that I asked my dad can you get The Honest Kitchen at Petco. Instead of getting the honest kitchen he got that garbage Caesar dog food. I’m trying to get my dog off the food but my dad won’t listen to me.

        1. Hi Cherry!

          Thanks for stopping by. As many people enjoy food that’s not good for us, dogs sometimes like to do the same. I would stay away from Caesar’s. I completely agree with you about that. A big challenge you have is dealing with your dad. You might need to explain to him what “biologically appropriate” nutrition is. It’s a very difficult situation and I feel for you.

          I have so many articles on commercial dog food. Another great source for information is Susan Thixton’s website – http://www.poisonedpets.com.

          All the best,
          Janie

      2. Now I don’t know what to feed my dog. Delivery pet food or a lightly cooked diet. I don’t know which one to choose from.

        1. Hi Leslie-

          Either way is fine. The key is to feed your dog a diet that has real whole food and as few chemicals possible. You can take the identical and cook it very lightly. It is best not to cook though as cooking kills the nutrients in the food. If you cook, do so VERY lightly otherwise you will be defeating the whole purpose. If you make your own it can be complicated as the meat part should be close to 80%, varied organ meat should be around 10%, crushed bones should be around 10%. You can use eggshells instead of bones, but you need to know how much eggshell equals how much crushed bone. You then add veggies and fruits to it. The reason why I love the Barfworld diet is because it uses the proper proportions and includes fruits and veggies.

          Yes – it is expensive, but in the long run, it will keep your dog much healthier.

          Have a good one,
          Janie

    1. Hi Leslie-

      Please see my other response. The issue is proportioning the nutrients. I prefer a diet that is already figured out so I prefer raw delivery.

      Thanks
      Janie

        1. Hi Cherry-

          I’m not crazy about Ollie’s. I looked at the beef recipe. It contains peas which are legumes. Legumes are not healthy for dogs. The organ meat should all be higher up on their ingredient list. It should directly follow the muscle meat. There is no crushed bone. Real bone is essential. The meat portion should be around 75% or 80%. The organ meat should make up around 10%. The crushed bone should be around 10%, but they don’t include it in their recipe.

          For a prepared all-in-one recipe, I feel that Barfworld is a superior product.

          Thanks for your question.
          Janie

          1. How are legumes not healthy for dogs? It thought the only reason that the dcm warning occurred as because there was too much legumes and not enough animal meat.

            1. Legumes are not healthy, but very little might not hurt. There is no healthy nutritional purpose to include them. They are not natural to what dogs are designed to eat. Peas are very cheap so it allows larger profit margins. Adding ingredients that are biologically inappropriate only serves to act as fillers. I’d rather my dog have food with ingredients that are beneficial. It’s best to pack food with as quality ingredients that contribute to good health.

              1. That is what a properly balanced raw diet consists of unless you want to use a bone supplement. You can find NuVet on my website. You can also use eggshells. I would grind them up really well or and get “eggshellent.” You can check it out at mypetsfriend.com.

    1. Yes. My concern is why they would put something into their food that is not healthy and serves no purpose when there are so many other things they could have put into their food that have beneficial to a healthy diet.

    2. Here are the ingredients of the beef recipe.

      USDA Beef, Sweet Potato, Lentils, Carrot, USDA Beef Liver, Kale, Sunflower Seeds, Fish Oil, TFD Nutrient Blend [tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamin B12 supplement, taurine, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, vitamin E supplement, copper amino acid chelate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, potassium iodide, pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid]

      They put lentils which are unhealthy for dogs. Lentils are cheap so including ingredients like lentils allows a company to increase profit margins. There are tons of other ingredients they could have chosen that are beneficial, but they chose an ingredient that has no benefits and is unhealthy and not what dogs are biologically designed to digest and use. They should have at least one other type of organ meat. Organ meat should come directly after the first ingredient which is supposed to be the muscle meat.

      They include sweet potato so far up on the list. That is not necessary – especially to have such a high placement of starch. I don’t like starch in dog diets. It is not necessary. Starch converts to sugars. Starch is inflammatory. Sweet potato is the lesser of the evil, but they could have put in a better ingredient.

      For a complete everything in one recipe it should contain fruit. This one has nothing.

      I really do not like all the synthetic vitamins and minerals they add. My limit as far as adding vitamins and minerals is 7. Any more than 7 and you are buying a recipe that requires many additives because it is unlikely the food itself is not providing sufficient nutrition.

      If it is so well made, why would they need synthetic vitamins. Quite often, vitamin premixes are imported from China – in fact more often than not. I don’t know about this one though. Just because a food is manufactured in the USA doesn’t mean the ingredients are sourced in the USA. They state that their meat is USDA meat, but makes not mention of whether or not it is rejected USDA. Yes – it comes from a USDA facility, but those facilities inspect the meat and decide which are rejects. It is not as if they are getting the meat directly from farms.

      I have looked at many products and I don’t like most of them for one reason or another. I have my favorite for beginners that contains everything in one diet. It is Barfworld. Their food contains a wide range of real whole food ingredients that provides plentiful nutrients. That is why I chose to affiliate myself with them. There are plenty of opportunities for me to affiliate myself with brands that are of less quality, but I choose to share the best with my readers.

      I am a fan

        1. I just don’t like them for the specific reasons I listed. I carefully and thoroughly explained the reasons why. Those are the reasons why I don’t recommend them (despite the fact that I would make a lot more money if I affiliated myself with other companies that don’t meet up to my standards. Many manufacturers have cropped up and have put ingredients that are not so great into their foods. I like Barfworld because they have been around a long time and they produce a superior product. If you notice the grievances I have with other products are not representative in the Barfworld product.

            1. As I wrote down all the things I didn’t like about them I explained each reason carefully. Please refer to my responses and you will see each point that I carefully explained in detail.

  7. I don’t think raw food will be good for my dog. Since he’s a puppy and I’m scared that the food might have salmonella contamination

    1. Many people are afraid of salmonella. In general, not all meat is contaminated, but even if it were, dogs are much less likely to have issues with it than people. The reason why salmonella in dog food is alarming is not because of dogs ingesting it. It is to protect people who handle dog food without washing their hands afterwards. Just as you would cook a chicken and wash your hands after, that is what you should do when handling any raw animal meat.

      Dogs have very short digestive tracts are very short compared to the very long ones humans have so food (and toxins) go through faster than humans. Dogs have different saliva than we do. Their saliva kills lots of bacteria. The acids in their stomachs are far stronger than humans so more harmful bacteria gets killed there. This is why dogs can eat poop and garbage, cartilage and small pieces of bone (not shards as they can be dangerous). Those things break down. Dogs in the wild are able to eat what they are designed to eat for optimal health.

      It appears that kibble is more likely to be contaminated than raw if you look at the numbers and percentage of kibble that are recalled for salmonella.

      Here are some interesting articles you might want to check out. I am sure they will surprise you.



      There is no need to be afraid of

    1. Thank you for your inquiries. I appreciate that you are trying to do your best for your dog’s health. I’m sorry, but I cannot provide you with reviews for any other products. I have taken a great deal of time to respond and to give you very specific details on several products already. I now ask you to please review all my responses and apply that information to other products you wish to look into.

      I’m sure that when you look back you will see all the work and time I have put into answering your questions about other companies.

      The best and most comprehensive diet for beginners who want all ingredients in one (as opposed to adding several fruits, veggies, and natural supplements) is by far Barfworld.

    1. It looks like a much better product than the others you asked about, but I still stick by Barfworld. I like them best and trust their product. I love that Barfworld also includes fruits as fruits provide additional nutrients.

      1. I actually think I’m going to put my puppy on Bones & Co. It’s low in carbs and has a good amount of protein and fat. I think it’s the perfect one 🙂

        1. You might want to add berries and other fruit. That’s why I love Barfworld. It has EVERYTHING so you don’t need to add any food. Fruit isn’t a major must, but it has important nutrients and is great for dogs as dogs eat some fruits in the wild.

          1. I checked the indigents and found alfalfa in it and what’s alfalfa a legume. There’s also monocalcium dicalcium in it which is a calcium supplement and research has shown it causes kidney stones!

            1. The legumes to watch out for include bean-type legumes. Some of examples include pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, garbanzo beans, green beans, butter beans, lima beans, and lentils. Alfalfa is fine and contains great nutrients. MonoCalcium & DiCalcium Phosphate maintain the calcium levels. Dogs need a proper calcium-phosphorus ratio in their nutrition. MonoCalcium & DiCalcium Phosphate do not cause kidney stones. Kidney stones are made up of those things – not caused by them. Where did you get that information from?

              1. I’m telling you. The Barfworld food is by far the best I have come across for people who want everything all prepared into one product.

  8. I don’t like it when pet food companies or brands claim their products as “Complete” or “Balanced” its the same with other claims like “Holistic” etc. I might as well make my own food for my dog to not get tricked by pet food comercial tricks.

    1. Dogs need the proper nutrients in the proper ratios. If a dog food is not properly balanced you can wind up with health issues. You can make it on your own, but personally, I choose not to because it can get complicated and very time consuming. To each is own. The words “complete and balanced” doesn’t take quality and processing into account. That’s the sad thing about what dogs are consuming. As for “holistic” and “natural,” there are no legal definitions in the pet food world for those specific terms. They mean nothing.

  9. I feed my 2 lab mixes a combination of Open Farm Beef kibble and Wild Earth vegan kibble. After reading through all your responses, you definitely don’t recommend kibble. I want to give my dogs the best food possible, but I want the food they eat to be ethically sourced. Is Barf ethically sourced meat??

    1. Hi Tracey!

      Thank you so much for visiting my website. I’m sorry, but I don’t know the answer to that.

      I suggest you give them a call. They are very helpful and the will take the time to discuss their sourcing.

      They are available M-F 9-5 CST.

      I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance. Thank you again for your question and for visiting my website.

      Warmly,
      Janie

      I strongly suggest you avoid vegan food for your dogs. Vegan food contains ingredients that dogs are not designed to metabolize. The put such ingredients into grain-free kibble.
      https://essentiallydogs.com/beware-of-the-grain-free-kibble-trend

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