# Looking for a grain free food



## Bentley's Mom (May 19, 2011)

Natural Balance is limited ingredient and has grain free choices and wet and dry Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Allergy Formulas for Dogs

Taste of the Wild is grain free and has wet and dry. I think the Pacific Stream is the lowest protein choice they have. Taste of the Wild : Products 

Taste of the wild usually has free samples available if you write to them and sometimes in the stores where they sell it. Petco sells Natural Balance and will take back open bags of dry dog food if your dog doesn't like it or doesn't tolerate it.

That might be a place to start??


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## klke (Apr 24, 2009)

We switched our puppy to grain free because of diarrhea. I tried Natural Balance and didn't care for it. We fed the fish version and it made our puppy smelly fishy. After checking forums and talking to our local feed store, we switched to Taste of the Wild. We are very happy. We also added a probiotic everyday. It is a powder we put on her food every morning. I emailed Taste of the Wild asking a few questions and they sent me 4 sample bags of their puppy formulas within a week. Good luck with your decision.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

We are having good luck with Born Free! I think it is made in WI, I get it from our local feed store.

Born Free Pet Food


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

The change of foods could be causing his problem. If you really want grain free and have a Costco nearby, they carry a food called Natures Domain which is made by Diamond, who also makes TOTW. It's very reasonably priced at just under $35 for 35 lbs. Just take the change very slowly and allow at least 6 weeks for him to totally adjust. Good luck!


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## Googs (Feb 18, 2012)

I failed to mention that my golden will be starting a lose dose of chemotherapy to treat a type of cancer (another reason to switch to grain free) and will be on it indefinitely so a heavy food might not be good for him


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain formual with roasted lamb has the lowest protein contend of the TOTW diets.
So sorry to hear about your furbabies sickness. Good luck and my best get well wishes!


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## Amberbark (Oct 5, 2011)

Bentley's Mom said:


> Natural Balance is limited ingredient and has grain free choices and wet and dry Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Allergy Formulas for Dogs
> 
> Taste of the Wild is grain free and has wet and dry. I think the Pacific Stream is the lowest protein choice they have. Taste of the Wild : Products
> 
> ...


I agree. We feed Natural Balance Duck and Potato LID. :wavey:


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

Googs said:


> I failed to mention that my golden will be starting a lose dose of chemotherapy to treat a type of cancer (another reason to switch to grain free) and will be on it indefinitely so a heavy food might not be good for him


I had a dog that went through chemo and studied about the nutritional needs for cancer dogs quite a bit.

It's not just the absence of grains that you should be looking for in a food. You want a food with low carbohydrates and the only way to get that is with kibble that has high protein and high fat. Having not less than 20% fat in a cancer diet is really important.

Here are some suggestions that fall into or close to that profile:

EVO Turkey & Chicken: 42/22 protein/fat
EVO Herring & Salmon: 42/18 protein/fat
Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken: 42/22 protein/fat
Nature's Variety Instinct Duck Meal & Turkey: 35/22 protein/fat

All these formulas are also very calorically dense; so on days when your dog may not feel well enough to eat a lot, he will still get a lot of nutrition.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Did you decide on a food?

I'd suggest Fromm's grain-free varieties or Taste of the Wild Lamb or Salmon!


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## Sammy&Cooper (Dec 28, 2011)

wellness CORE is a good grain free food.
Wellness® CORE® Original Recipe


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

MeggiesMom (Meggie had T-Cell lymphoma and survived 2 1/2 years .. quite the feat) switched to Honest Kitchen. We've ordered it for our Andy, who has B-Cell lymphoma. Dehydrated, add water. Has all the nutrients and no preservatives.

Here's her amazing story of Meggie's survival from what is usually a very short prognosis:

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/cancer-information-golden-retrievers/28984-lymphoma.html

Well worth the read. It was suggested to us when Andy was diagnosed with lymphoma and we found this site (by a miracle). Very helpful and encouraging.


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## ataylor (Dec 28, 2008)

Googs said:


> I am looking to switch my 10 year old golden to a grain free food and am so very overwhelmed about the "best" food. I've searched this forum and again am overwhelmed. My dog is currently on Blue Buffalo large breed senior and he has had diarrhea off and on for the past month. I've done the chicken, rice, and pumpkin route and it seem it clear up (at least until he's back to 100% of his dog food). He also has a sensitive stomach so maybe a limited ingredient food might be best??
> 
> Before the Blue Buffalo, he was on Wellness Just for Seniors and did fine on it. I switched him to Blue Buffalo (a bag or 2 ago) after purchasing a BAD bag of Wellness. Although I place blame on the pet store that I bought the food from, I can't seem to go back to buying that food.
> 
> ...


I have my 8 year old girl on NOW! Senior & Weight Management. It is grain-free and she loves it. 

You could try that or Nature's Variety Instinct.


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## obgyndoc (Jan 23, 2012)

All of those foods mentioned are very good. Another choice could be Canidae. They have great grain free food and is affordable.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

Nutro has a Grain Free with 1 novel protein (Lamb, Whitefish, Venison, or Turkey) and 1 novel carb (potato). It is a Limited Ingredient Diet and has a lot of antioxidant protection. It is the *only* GF, or pet food period, that guarantees to improve the skin and coat. Nutro solves another concern by being company owned for over 80+ years. The company values are Pets First...Natural Ingredients...Powerful Solutions...No Compromises. I really believe they live those values. I have switched one to the Venison myself. It was like overnight that she became soft and shiny even though it should take 7 weeks for a whole coat cycle. She was having a really hard time with lamb and I worried venison was kinda like lamb but it turns out...none of the same issues. She is as happy as I am about it. Oh yeah...the crude protein is 21% and fat 12% if that fits your criteria. Let me know what you think.


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## Tailer'sFolks (Feb 27, 2007)

Compare Pet Foods : Dog & Cat Food Ratings

This helped me decide. We just switched Tailer to Evo Herring n Salmon. He seems to be doing fine with it. Good Luck!


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## elly (Nov 21, 2010)

I niw use Royal Canine Sensitivity duck and tapioca and it has given us great results, taste of the wild venison was good too.


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## WasChampionFan (Mar 31, 2012)

Annamaet Salcha, Manitok or Aqualuk nothing compares.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Canine caviar has a great line of grain free with moderate protein amounts, as does Annamaet. Both are smaller companies with high quality. Mulligan Stew has great grain inclusive kibbles and, I think, the best canned. You can google all of them. I just ordered some Canine Caviar from Mr Chewys ( free shipping), and you can order direct from Mulligan Stew.


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

We feed our dogs Acana Grasslands a moderate protein, grain free, lamb and fish kibble. They are doing great on this food.


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## rbrooks (Oct 23, 2011)

We are feeding Jackson Taste of the Wild Puppy.


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## WasChampionFan (Mar 31, 2012)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Canine caviar has a great line of grain free with moderate protein amounts, as does Annamaet. Both are smaller companies with high quality. Mulligan Stew has great grain inclusive kibbles and, I think, the best canned. You can google all of them. I just ordered some Canine Caviar from Mr Chewys ( free shipping), and you can order direct from Mulligan Stew.


Just keep in mind Canine Caviar is not made at the excellent facility where it used to be made, rather one that was plagued with recall issues a few years back.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

WasChampionFan said:


> Just keep in mind Canine Caviar is not made at the excellent facility where it used to be made, rather one that was plagued with recall issues a few years back.


 
Ohio Pet is no longer making Canine Caviar?


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## WasChampionFan (Mar 31, 2012)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Ohio Pet is no longer making Canine Caviar?


Nope. PM if you want more details.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Ohio Pet is no longer making Canine Caviar?


Chenango Valley started making Canine Cavier last fall. About 5 years ago Chenango Valley had a number of quality control problems. They manufacture a variety of kibble brands. I'm not sure what changes they may have made recently.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Thanks. I appreciate you updating me. Of course 5 years ago, many manufacturers were having major issues. Very few are immune unfortunately..... certainly not Diamond that has been mentioned in another recent thread. We'll cycle thru this batch and then move on. Ugh.


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## WasChampionFan (Mar 31, 2012)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Thanks. I appreciate you updating me. Of course 5 years ago, many manufacturers were having major issues. Very few are immune unfortunately..... certainly not Diamond that has been mentioned in another recent thread. We'll cycle thru this batch and then move on. Ugh.


LOL sorry that I said something....

I have a hard time using something not made by Ohio Pet. The companies that use that plant plus the people that run it ensure quality is always maintained. 

Precise is a good company too.

As for CC, I have a hard time with that gentleman's claims...not my cup of tea. He does market well that is for sure.

Annamaet or Dr. Tim's for me.....I am partial to food companies with strong roots in competition..So Pro Plan & Euk as well.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I've used Canine Caviar before... I pay little attention to the claims. It's fed out well for our crew in the past. Hope it does now too. I have our old aussie and our immune compromised springer on Annamaet Option and they've done well on it also.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Thanks. I appreciate you updating me. Of course 5 years ago, many manufacturers were having major issues. Very few are immune unfortunately..... certainly not Diamond that has been mentioned in another recent thread. We'll cycle thru this batch and then move on. Ugh.


I have fed TOTW and I now feed Natures Domain, both produced by Diamond. It worried me at first until I realized that the issues that happened were several years ago. 

Now if I could just get past Natura selling to P&G. I really liked CA Natural until the kibble totally changed in color and size after P&G took over. I would love to feed it again because they had done so well on it in the past.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

MyBentley said:


> Having not less than 20% fat in a cancer diet is really important.


Does anybody have any good hard science sources on the merits of low carbs in cancer diets? The only thing I can even find when I do research is a study on breast cancer in humans that linked high carbs to bad outcomes, but their findings couldn't be replicated in other studies. It's certainly a very common thing that people do, but I honestly can't find any hard science whatsoever showing better outcomes low carb cancer diets in humans, much less dogs.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

tippykayak said:


> Does anybody have any good hard science sources on the merits of low carbs in cancer diets? The only thing I can even find when I do research is a study on breast cancer in humans that linked high carbs to bad outcomes, but their findings couldn't be replicated in other studies. It's certainly a very common thing that people do, but I honestly can't find any hard science whatsoever showing better outcomes low carb cancer diets in humans, much less dogs.


I had a dog that died from lymphoma five years ago. He received treatment from one of two oncology vets in the state of Oregon. She recommended a high protein / high fat diet. At the time, I remember doing quite a bit of reading and research on the subject of cancer diets for dogs.

I did not catalogue my findings; but I certainly didn't find anything that refuted the recommendation of moderate to high protein and high fat as a general approach for dogs with cancer. I did find many sources that made the same recommendations as the oncology vet. I wouldn't think that a diet approach for human cancer patients would be particularly applicable for canines.


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## JazzSkye (Aug 1, 2011)

Hi,

My two are on Orijen and are doing great so far. Here's a link to a dog food review site I find useful, as it breaks down each food by ingredient and then gives an overall rating:
Dry Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Advisor


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

MyBentley said:


> I had a dog that died from lymphoma five years ago. He received treatment from one of two oncology vets in the state of Oregon. She recommended a high protein / high fat diet. At the time, I remember doing quite a bit of reading and research on the subject of cancer diets for dogs.


This is the answer that I usually hear, that this or that vet recommended it. I just have never seen any actual veterinary study on it, and I'm really curious to understand whether there's any peer-reviewed proof that it helps and, if so, how it's theorized to work.



MyBentley said:


> I wouldn't think that a diet approach for human cancer patients would be particularly applicable for canines.


Not necessarily, but if there were solid findings that it was helpful in humans, this emphasis on doing it for dogs would make more sense to me.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

tippykayak said:


> This is the answer that I usually hear, that this or that vet recommended it. I just have never seen any actual veterinary study on it, and I'm really curious to understand whether there's any peer-reviewed proof that it helps and, if so, how it's theorized to work.
> 
> 
> 
> Not necessarily, but if there were solid findings that it was helpful in humans, this emphasis on doing it for dogs would make more sense to me.


As I said in my other post, I found nothing that suggested any other approach to canine cancer diets; and nothing that refuted the approach of high fat and moderate to high protein. I don't have access to all veterinary scientific literature and doubt that any of us do. And I wouldn't necessarily refer to an oncology vet four years out of advanced training as "this or that vet".


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

MyBentley said:


> As I said in my other post, I found nothing that suggested any other approach to canine cancer diets; and nothing that refuted the approach of high fat and moderate to high protein.


I'm not trying to suggest it's a bad approach—far from it. I just want to read more hard science on what makes people choose it over, say, staying with the food their dog is already on. 



MyBentley said:


> I don't have access to all veterinary scientific literature and doubt that any of us do. And I wouldn't necessarily refer to an oncology vet four years out of advanced training as "this or that vet".


I said "this or that vet" as in "an individual vet." I didn't intend it as "any old vet." And the credentials of the vet in question weren't provided (i.e., whether any of that oncology speciality had anything to do with nutrition rather than with traditional treatment). My oncology vet, for example, told us _not_ to switch foods. In the absence of any other evidence, which vet are we to trust?

You are offering extremely specific advice:



MyBentley said:


> It's not just the absence of grains that you should be looking for in a food. You want a food with low carbohydrates and the only way to get that is with kibble that has high protein and high fat. Having not less than 20% fat in a cancer diet is really important.


I would like to know if those statements have any basis in peer reviewed literature, if they're drawn from unsourced dog food blogs, or if those are specific instructions given by a specialist vet.

I do have concerns about people switching dogs to rich foods right when the dog is also starting chemo. There's a potential to _reduce_ the dog's quality of life when owners start pursuing a "cancer diet," so advice based on assumption rather than science could end up making things worse for the dog. I'd like to know if there's any evidence whatsoever (and it doesn't appear that there is) that any of these typical dietary recommendations have a significant influence on outcomes.

I'm not specifically referring to your advice. If you're saying that your oncology vet gave you that specific advice, I think that's a worthwhile thing to share. I have been looking into the "cancer diet" issue for years, and all I can find are things that people on dog boards, blogs, and e-mail lists share with each other around and around until they're treated as fact. So I'm always on the lookout for the hard science behind it when somebody sounds like they know what they're talking about.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

tippykayak said:


> I'm not trying to suggest it's a bad approach—far from it. I just want to read more hard science on what makes people choose it over, say, staying with the food their dog is already on.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I doubt that members of this forum are really interested in reading the curriculum vitae of my oncology vet. Suffice it to say, that as in all of medicine, there are differing approaches.

While anecdotal information on blogs and forums is interesting, I don't report it as a recommendation - never have.

When my oncology vet made her dietary recommendations, I did not ask her to provide peer reviewed scientific articles to back it up.

Just pulled off my shelf a book I haven't looked at much since my dog had cancer. it's called: The Goldesteins' Wellness & Longevity Program by Robert Goldstein V.M.D. Chapter 9 is on cancer and he cites his sources if you care to locate it. He actually recommends 30% fat for canine cancer diet.

We would all like to have iron-clad answers backed up by a long list of scientific studies for the best treatment for our dogs with cancer. I don't think that exists at this point.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

MyBentley said:


> I doubt that members of this forum are really interested in reading the curriculum vitae of my oncology vet.


When the person is cited as an authority, the credentials are relevant.



MyBentley said:


> Just pulled off my shelf a book I haven't looked at much since my dog had cancer. it's called: The Goldesteins' Wellness & Longevity Program by Robert Goldstein V.M.D. Chapter 9 is on cancer and he cites his sources if you care to locate it. He actually recommends 30% fat for canine cancer diet.


Thanks for the source.



MyBentley said:


> We would all like to have iron-clad answers backed up by a long list of scientific studies for the best treatment for our dogs with cancer. I don't think that exists at this point.


Cancer is the kind of thing that makes us wish for hard answers. It's also the kind of thing that makes people grasp at straws, and I worry that sometimes the recommendations that come out of that process do more harm than good.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

tippykayak said:


> *When the person is cited as an authority, the credentials are relevant.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well, that would be a new one to me. I have been a member of a few dog forums for a number of years. Many times people will post what advice their vet gave them on a specific issue. Never have I seen a member post or be asked to post the credentials of their vet. 

I shared information from a professional in animal oncology - I did not state that they were a preeminent authority in the field of canine caner nutrition.

As far as "grasping at straws": people could take their dog to three different vets and get three different approaches to treat a cancer. Then, they could attempt to read everything available thing written about the subject. They would not find an iron-clad answer. Medicine does not work that way - there often are suspected benefits from specific courses of action prior to future (if ever) consensus.


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## kmt (Jun 28, 2011)

Sorry to hear that your sweet pup is having a hard time finding a food that agrees with him! It can be so frustrating finding the right fit. 
I recently switched mine over to Taste of the Wild because it is grain free. I immediately noticed a change in Sawyer's coat and overall health. They offer wet and dry products, and the largest bag they offer is 30 pounds. He is on the venison and bison formula; however, I believe they also offer limited ingredient formulas. Also, the price is slightly cheaper than some of the other grain free products on the market, but in my opinion, the quality is just as great. I would go to a local natural pet food store, and they should have samples to give you! Hope this helps.

~Kira


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

MyBentley said:


> Well, that would be a new one to me. I have been a member of a few dog forums for a number of years. Many times people will post what advice their vet gave them on a specific issue. Never have I seen a member post or be asked to post the credentials of their vet.


Discussions of vets on this board constantly reference their specialities. Take, for example, the numerous discussions of clearances in which many members (and the GRCA) insist that the heart clearance vet is a board-certified cardiac specialist. There have also been literally dozens of threads in which the veterinary behaviorist speciality was discussed when a vet gave behavioral advice.

Nutritional credentials are asked for frequently in dog food threads as well, and I've read the claim in those threads many times that most vets have little or no nutritional training.



MyBentley said:


> I shared information from a professional in animal oncology - I did not state that they were a preeminent authority in the field of canine caner nutrition.


You didn't state a source at all until I asked. You just put the 20% number out there. You said " You want a food with low carbohydrates and the only way to get that is with kibble that has high protein and high fat. Having not less than 20% fat in a cancer diet is really important." It's a totally legitimate, pertinent question and not an attack to ask where that highly specific advice came from. 

All I wanted was the source of your claim or any other reading folks could suggest on the issue. If it's an oncology vet and the book that you referenced earlier, that answers my question.



MyBentley said:


> As far as "grasping at straws": people could take their dog to three different vets and get three different approaches to treat a cancer. Then, they could attempt to read everything available thing written about the subject. They would not find an iron-clad answer. Medicine does not work that way - there often are suspected benefits from specific courses of action prior to future (if ever) consensus.


And I'm wondering why people suspect that grain free or a certain fat percentage has a benefit. I'm not saying it doesn't have a benefit or that it's a bad idea, just asking why people think it works, how they think it works, and if they have any hard science whatsoever that I could read to help me evaluate the claim.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

Tippykayak: I think you might find some satisfaction from contacting or visiting veterinary schools for the very specific and sourced information you are looking for. Perhaps you could do a search to identify experts in the field of canine cancer nutrition; contact them and share with us any information you get.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

MyBentley said:


> Tippykayak: I think you might find some satisfaction from contacting or visiting veterinary schools for the very specific and sourced information you are looking for. Perhaps you could do a search to identify experts in the field of canine cancer nutrition; contact them and share with us any information you get.


I've been reading veterinary journal articles when I have the opportunity. I haven't yet run across anything, as I've said, that supports these cancer diets, but as soon as I do, I will surely share it.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

WasChampionFan said:


> Just keep in mind Canine Caviar is not made at the excellent facility where it used to be made, rather one that was plagued with recall issues a few years back.


Isn't Canine Caviar made by Ohio Pet the same people that make Annamaet which you love?

Whole Dog Journal - Approved Dry Dog Foods


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## PrincessDaisy (Dec 20, 2011)

Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Natural Chicken has been available in my area for a month, and the paw licking behaviour that Daisy has had since we adopted her last Memorial Day has stopped dead in its tracks. This is great stuff. Highly recommend.


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## SterlingValleyGoldens (Jun 13, 2011)

We were using kirkland's brand, and recently switched to blue buffalo. It caused skin issues in my dog, so we've switched to taste of the wild salmon and high prairie blends. She's doing much better on it. For what it's worth, she did just fine on the kirkland's grain free, but since she has a litter she's on puppy food and kirklands doesn't make a grain-free puppy food that i know of.


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## PrincessDaisy (Dec 20, 2011)

The Blue Freedom is a very new product.

I hate to post the following, as I don't have reams of research material to back up what I did. But it may be of use to some of you non-engineer types.

We got a diagnosis in April 2009 of advanced Mast cell. Our Ivory was given 4 to 6 months. I changed her diet from Purina 1 to near raw (blanched 30 sec) chicken fortified with coconut oil and unsweetened coconut flakes, astrogalas, tumeric, vitamines A, D, and E. Then as directed by Dr. Lauren Hillman, DVM, and our local oncoligist one Benedryl and Pepsid per day. With periwinkle extract chemo treatments she lasted 25 months. I sent my Ivory to The Bridge on April 26, 2011. The suppliments and the nutrients in the near raw chicken were intended to boost her immune system, and to actually help fight the cancer. Vitamine D and coconut are being recognized as very useful in fighting cancer. Do a dogpile search on the internet. Good luck to you and your dog.


Max


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

MikaTallulah said:


> Isn't Canine Caviar made by Ohio Pet the same people that make Annamaet which you love?
> 
> Whole Dog Journal - Approved Dry Dog Foods


Sometime last year Canine Caviar switched away from Ohio Pet and went to Chenango Valley for manufacturing the food. This info was from the president of Canine Caviar.


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