# Just one person's experience with Taste of the Wild



## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Our Goldens are also eating Taste of the Wild now. The only thing I notice is that they smell different...kind of weird, actually. They've been on the High Prairie (Bison and Venison) formula, but as of today, we're mixing in the Wild Fowl one (don't remember the name). 

So far so good...except for Ray. I didn't mix his first dose of the fowl one last night (he got it straight) and he had explosive diarrhea. BUT....three others were fine. He's got a very very delicate digestive system anyway. So we've always got to be careful with him.

Our Newfs are on Orijen...and are also doing great on it.

One thing my Vet said when I explained about the high protein, low carb, moderate fat.... "Sounds like the Adkins diet! Sounds like it's a great way to lose weight and get in shape".

I never thought of it that way until right then. He's right. And I guess your crew bears that out Monomer.


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

Taste of the Wild is that much cheaper than Core? How did I miss that?


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Getting straight to the point: I have been trying to switch my two over to TOTW, but I'm not too sure about it at this point.


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## LOVEisGOLDEN (Jan 4, 2008)

our girls are on TOTW High Prairie & are doing great. it has been almost 2 months since the switch and we are thrilled. Blush's ear/skin problems have completely cleared up & her coat is growing rapidly. I have also noticed her nails are growing faster...?

Layla is also noticeably more muscular, she is having more zoomies now than 5 months ago (when she was 6 months old). We have been working on dumbbell training & I get tired of it before she does!


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

Priska,actually lost 8 pds on Innova Evo!.I just dropped the intake by 1/2 a cup which came to 2 cups and added a lot more swimming which made her very happy as she loves to swim!!.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I fed Taste of the Wild for about 3 or 4 months. I was really excited because it is grain free. It was okay for my dogs, but it didn't work nearly as well for them as California Natural. All three had drier, springier coats on TOTW. I switched them back to CA Natural, and their soft coats came back about 1 month into it.

I still will recommend it in my list of recommended foods because I do think it is a good food. I also believe that if it were supplemented with some sort of oil, it might have been really good for them for the long term.


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## Packleader (Nov 27, 2007)

Thank you Monomer for detailed info. on TOTW. I just recently switched from Canidae(new) to TOTW. I have 3 on it now. When I saw the topic I thought oh no something's wrong with this food too. Phew....what a relief! We love it. And now I'm late for work, but reading your blog was well worth it. I will just explain to the dogs I groom the reason I am late! They are very understanding.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

marshab1 said:


> Taste of the Wild is that much cheaper than Core? How did I miss that?


Taste of the Wild is not cheap food to begin with (at least not to me) and that alone may keep others from even considering it... but I think Core is in another league. At first the pricing doesn't seem too much more expensive until you notice the reduced quantity... they under-size the bags so that a 26lbs bag sells for $55-$65... whereas TOTW usually sells for less than $40 for a 30 lbs bag. So the numbers chunk-out like this... Core @ $2.30/# vs TOTW @ $1.30/# vs Natural Choice @ $1.05/# vs Ol' Roy @ $.25/# ...I was stunned a couple of months ago when doing a search on various dog foods to find one that was selling for over $100 for a bag!!!! Why that's like a tankful of gas  Actually I feel a little guilty when complaining about the cost of feeding our dogs and limiting the expense alotted to feeding them... if we look at our own 'human' grocery/dining out tab, even on a per pound basis we shouldn't even baulk at $250/bag dog food... if it existed, and I'm now half afraid someone is going to tell me of a brand selling for that much.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

fostermom said:


> I fed Taste of the Wild for about 3 or 4 months. I was really excited because it is grain free. It was okay for my dogs, but it didn't work nearly as well for them as California Natural. All three had drier, springier coats on TOTW. I switched them back to CA Natural, and their soft coats came back about 1 month into it.
> 
> I still will recommend it in my list of recommended foods because I do think it is a good food. I also believe that if it were supplemented with some sort of oil, it might have been really good for them for the long term.


We have been supplimenting with salmon oil and safflower oil for years and finally quit a month ago as it doesn't seem necessary with these newer/pricier kibbles and so far (knock wood) their coats are looking and feeling good and no dandruff (Sidney's had some since puppyhood and off-and-on as an adult)... now we are left with a gallon jug of wild salmon oil sitting in the fridge. Thanks for the heads-up, we will keep tabs on their coat condition but so far it been really great.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Packleader said:


> Thank you Monomer for detailed info. on TOTW. I just recently switched from Canidae(new) to TOTW. I have 3 on it now. When I saw the topic I thought oh no something's wrong with this food too. Phew....what a relief! We love it. And now I'm late for work, but reading your blog was well worth it. I will just explain to the dogs I groom the reason I am late! They are very understanding.


Yeah, it seems every time someone starts a thread about an experience with a brand of kibble its bad news acoming... too many recalls anymore, its pretty scary. Sorry if I alarmed you... t'was not my intention. Its just I was so taken by how our dogs have changed after being on this food for a couple of months. Because of my sciatica I've been relegated to activities with the dogs that avoid me standing or walking for long, so my wife has taken over some of those duties, which leaves me to the biking and the beach. If you really want to see the conditioning of any long haired dog... short of feeling them and having to imagine the structure and proportions underneath the fur, watching them emerge from the water is about the best evaluation tool for us 'un-professionals'... and after watching Sid and Soph emerge from Lake Michigan 80-100 times, several days a weeks for months now, it was quite apparent to me there were some changes... however I do realize that kind of observation is subjective and therefore possibly biased but when it also comes from our vet (who has no idea we've done anything with the diet and still doesn't know) and his assistants after holding them for vax also make the same remarks, then I've got to believe there really is something to it. Also the increased energy levels and endurance is quite an objective measurement and therefore not subjected to unconscious biases. So lets see if you begin to notice similar results with your guys.

Either you have banker's hours or we are in different time zones... Yeah, my postings are often so long that if you try to read it all in one sitting you will surely wind up late for something


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm still not sure about this food. I'm hanging in there with it for a while. Does it concern you at all who manufacturers it?


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Is that an ethical question? If it were Al-Qaeda then yes I'd be concerned... but every other dog food manufacturer has had recalls in the past so I must choose by ingredient lists and judging the results it has on my dogs and unfortunately price.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

I switched Tia to TOTW wild fowl or whatever it's called. She's been on it only for 3 weeks or so, so it's early to say whether it will change her physique or not. But she likes it, and I like the fact that it's grain-free, given her history of ear infections. But it is quite expensive here -- $50 for a 30-pound bag.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

monomer said:


> Is that an ethical question? If it were Al-Qaeda then yes I'd be concerned... but every other dog food manufacturer has had recalls in the past so I must choose by ingredient lists and judging the results it has on my dogs and unfortunately price.


I thought it was a good question because I'm not quite sure if I'm going to leave my two on it when it runs out. Right now I'm still mixing it with the Canidae. I think they now uses the same manufacturer ~ Diamond? 

One other question came to mind when someone other than myself brought up the possiblity of ethoxyquin being used. I can't find an answer anywhere that makes me feel better or worse.


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## ShadowsParents (Feb 27, 2007)

That's a good question Kim but I don't know the answer. If you call them I'm sure they will be able to tell you. They will also send out free samples for your pups to try if you're interested. Their customer service folks are incredible.

I switched Shadow and Hunter to it a while back (from Innova large breed adult) and don't regret the switch one bit. It's actually a bit less expensive than Innova..... Shadow is allergic to wheat so I have put him on a grain free diet. He's a lean mean doggy machine.  Hunter is also on it, for convenience. He's always had weepy eyes that have miraculously cleared up on the TOTW... a pleasant side effect we weren't expecting. 

I also have to say they are both so excited about this food. On Innova, Hunter was a so-so eater..... on TOTW he DANCES. So cute.


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Perhaps you might consider enrolling your dog in a "freestyle" class!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm trying my two on the fish formula. Shadow is allergic to many proteins and I was trying to get them on the same food. I guess it could be a bigger problem with fish formulas because the fish is imported and is already been preserved.


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

monomer said:


> Taste of the Wild is not cheap food to begin with (at least not to me) and that alone may keep others from even considering it... but I think Core is in another league. At first the pricing doesn't seem too much more expensive until you notice the reduced quantity... they under-size the bags so that a 26lbs bag sells for $55-$65... whereas TOTW usually sells for less than $40 for a 30 lbs bag. So the numbers chunk-out like this... Core @ $2.30/# vs TOTW @ $1.30/# vs Natural Choice @ $1.05/# vs Ol' Roy @ $.25/# ...I was stunned a couple of months ago when doing a search on various dog foods to find one that was selling for over $100 for a bag!!!! Why that's like a tankful of gas  Actually I feel a little guilty when complaining about the cost of feeding our dogs and limiting the expense alotted to feeding them... if we look at our own 'human' grocery/dining out tab, even on a per pound basis we shouldn't even baulk at $250/bag dog food... if it existed, and I'm now half afraid someone is going to tell me of a brand selling for that much.


After my complaints to Wellness about my local store the store no longer seems to carry the big bag. So I just paid $30 for a 12# bag. that's $2.50 a pound. The large bags only cost me $2 a pound. And a pet store closer to me sels TOTW so we're going to try it.


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

Kimm said:


> I thought it was a good question because I'm not quite sure if I'm going to leave my two on it when it runs out. Right now I'm still mixing it with the Canidae. I think they now uses the same manufacturer ~ Diamond?
> 
> One other question came to mind when someone other than myself brought up the possiblity of ethoxyquin being used. I can't find an answer anywhere that makes me feel better or worse.


I wasn't sure about Diamond previously but with so many food problems in so many plants, I'm starting to think all we can do is pay attention to our dogs. Hopefuly they will alert us if there is a problem.

Not sure about the ethoxyquin though...


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Monomer....still supplement with the Salmon Oil. It's great for adding Omega 3's, which boost the Immune system. Doesn't hurt a bit. In fact, there was just a study posted on another forum about Salmon Oil and kidney health, although I think it was a human study. It was the Newf forum, of course. (The people there are manic about their dogs health and diet. If there's a study about anything we give our dogs...it'll show up there fast. LOL)

And...don't waste all the money you spent on it. That stuff isn't cheap!! LOL (Actually YOU should be using it too!!)

TOTW is $43 per 29 lb bag here. Wholesale cost (including shipping) is $33. Most dog foods (of the super premium type) are marked up $10-$13 per bag by your retailer. Some retailers sell for less because they PAY less. The larger the order from the distributor (Diamond uses distributors - it doesn't go from Manufacturer to stores), of all types of products they sell, the cheaper the price points. But, they can mark it up as much or as little as they want. (Just an aside...Orijen 6 Fish is $62 per 29 lb bag...and wholesale is $48. Different distributor, but the store is marking it up MUCH more because it's considered to be a higher grade food)

Kimm...there's ethoxyquin in MOST dog foods which contain fish. The manufacturer doesn't add it tho.....it's put in to preserve the fish at the fish processing plant. That's why the dog food manufacturer doesn't have to list it. They only have to list what they add.

You can always call the company...or write them, and ask. They'll tell you.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Thanks for the info... my wife was feeding them for awhile (we often 'take turns') and she just quit giving the salmon oil and the kelp prep. Since we (I) hadn't really noticed any difference we've just continued to eschew the oil and kelp. You're right its not cheap but I do get mine sent direct from the salmon processing plant and buy in bulk (gallon jugs that is) then I re-fill a quart squirt container as needed... so its probably cheaper for us than most. And yes, both the wife and I do take fish oil supps and I gotta tell ya, my fur is really soft and shiny 

Kimm... I thought you'd laugh at my joke, I kinda thought it was funny and actually chuckled to myself as I wrote it. No, I haven't actually researched who the parent company is nor if they contract out any of the manufacturing and if so to whom. Also I kinda thought ethoxyquin was a thing of the past after all the bad publicity it got in the 90's and the subsequent rise of all the boutique brands that touted "no ethoxyquin" in response... however I don't recall ever reading about any scientific study conducted in conjunction with dogs that proved it harmful. However, that doesn't matter in the public thinking... where the bottomline is: who wants to take the chance with their best friend, let the other guy experiment with his dog and you let me know. Manufacturers spend a lot of time and money trying to figure out what the public wants (whether its based upon solid scientific evidence or mere innuendo doesn't matter) and market it to them... we consumers ultimately will get what we want as long as we are willing to pay for it. It never occurred to me that the fish purchased might be preserved prior using ethoxyquin, however now that I think about it that sounds entirely possible... I'll have to try and find out more about this.

Thanks all...


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I guess there is nothing one can do to avoid it if feeding fish.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

Ardeagold said:


> TOTW is $43 per 29 lb bag here. *Wholesale cost (including shipping) is $33*. .


Ardeagold, are you able to get it wholesale and if you can, where do you order it from? From looking around on the internet it seems that it's around $10.00 extra dollars per bag (I usually buy 4 at a time) for shipping. I'm feeding Canidae right now and that is around $39.00 per 35 lb bag.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

gold'nchocolate said:


> Ardeagold, are you able to get it wholesale and if you can, where do you order it from? From looking around on the internet it seems that it's around $10.00 extra dollars per bag (I usually buy 4 at a time) for shipping. I'm feeding Canidae right now and that is around $39.00 per 35 lb bag.


AG probably buys in bulk!


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

Kimm said:


> I guess there is nothing one can do to avoid it if feeding fish.


Orijen gets their fish fresh ....their FAQ's are very informative. They would be one of the few foods whose fish I would feel comfortable feeding.....if I could forget the bone issue. http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/faq/#Ethoxyquin


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm not sure how my two would do on a food that is 44% protein. I didn't check the calories, but Tucker needs a lower calorie food. I'm going to try Wellness.


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