Blog Barks

I enjoy preparing the majority of Kirby's meals using wholesome ingredients purchased at my local grocery store. It's not only fun to be creative, it's reassuring to know his body is absorbing the healthy stuff it needs to flourish as opposed to the many dangerous commercial brands I truly believe have such toxins and unsavory ingredients that can cause untimely death and disease.

There are times I'm in a hurry and have forgotten to take a prepared meal out of the freezer in time to thaw, or I know Kirby is craving some crunchy kibble (something I hope to one day figure out how to make). Those are the times I reach for the convenience of commercially prepared dog food.

Having said that, I want to clarify I am extremely particular about the commercial dog foods I feed him. There are many brands that don't meet my criteria and I usually have to order online to get the ones that do. I probably pay more for his food overall but the veterinary savings more than make up for it.

Kirby, at four years old, is always full of energy, has a keen sense of smell, and his expressive eyes are always bright. His coat is shiny, soft and doesn't shed, the itchy, flaky skin he had as a puppy is long gone, and even though he could stand to lose a pound or two, he always passes his yearly checkups with flying colors. Other than scheduled visits to his veterinarian for vaccines and nail clippings, the only illnesses he has suffered thus far are:

His first Thanksgiving when he was given some turkey and dressing loaded with onions which was before I knew better.
The time he was bitten by a large dog.
The time he showed signs of illness from some treats made in China.
The time we took precautions to have him tested when we discovered he may have been eating a Taste of The Wild product that was recalled (I didn't have the original bag to verify the recall info). The test results were enough to prompt his veterinarian to place him on a good antibiotic.
The time he ate several vienna sausages.
The time he ate some Hershey Kisses.

I firmly believe Kirby has a strong immune system, no skin or food allergies of any kind, and bounces back quickly from food induced illnesses because, along with a daily multi-vitamin, he eats a good rotation of healthy ingredients which keep his body in prime condition.

When choosing a good commercial brand, I always read the ingredients list and if I see something I don't like, I immediately pass. Next I like to run the product by Dog Food Advisor for their rating after an intense breakdown of the ingredients. Recently I've also begun using the Slim Doggy App which can be downloaded on the iphone and hopefully soon on the android phones. This app even gives the number of daily calories required depending on your dog's current weight. (I really must add the calorie and nutrition content to my recipes).

Once the product has passed these criteria, the final step is passing Kirby's gourmand taste buds which is not easy as there have been quite a few where he sniffed and walked away or took a bite only to drop it back out of his mouth. Let me tell you once a dog has acquired a taste for truly good food he will not settle for anything less!

You can check my list of the commercial brands I do, or will, feed Kirby HERE. Do you have any faves I haven't listed that I really must consider? Do you take your dog's food choices as seriously as I do?

As most people know by now I am extremely particular about anything Kirby ingests whether it be homemade or commercially prepared. There are very few commercial dog food manufacturers I endorse so I'm pleased to say I do approve By Nature Dog food.

Who is By Nature?

A small, family owned company located in Muscatine, Iowa who produce natural and organic pet foods for dogs and cats under the umbrella of the Kent Nutrition Group, Inc. at their plant in Arcade, New York. By Nature believes in pawing it forward so they donate dog food to NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) and are the exclusive pet food supplier of Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Wellington, Florida.

The Product Line

The natural line consists of eight dry kibbles, four canned dinners, four 95% meat dinners, and dog biscuits in five flavors. The organic line consists of one dry kibble and four canned dinners.

What are the ingredients?

First, let's start with the ingredients not found. No wheat, soy, or corn which are known to cause allergies in many dogs. I finally narrowed down my choice to the Natural Salmon, Ocean Fish & Yogurt Flavor kibble since Kirby is a fish monger. I very much liked the ingredients listed:

Ingredients: Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Ground Barley, Ground Oats, Ground Brown Rice, Herring Oil, Sunflower Oil, Yogurt, Flaxseed Meal, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavors, Alfalfa Meal, Salt, Yeast Culture, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Chicory Root, Raspberries, Turmeric, Niacin Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Selenium Yeast, Sodium Selenite, Rosemary Extract, Dried Yeast Fermentation Solubles.

What did Kirby think?

I believe dogs need foods with a lot of moisture so Kirby only gets a small handful of kibble in the morning before I go to work. To provide a proper review, he not only received a handful in the morning but also a small sprinkling as a topper on his evening meals. Each time he ate every last morsel so I have to conclude he liked the flavors. I know he appreciated the small size of the kibble which made it easier to chew.

I am also happy to report he hasn't experienced any upset stomach and his poop has remained firm with low odor.

Final Word

Dog Food Advisor highly recommends this above average kibble with a 4 star rating while Whole Dog Journal lists this dog food on their Approved Dry Dog Food List for 2013.

Disclosure: We received this product to review and were not compensated in any other way. Our opinions are solely based on our experience with the product which we approve.