[cindy q]

Someone on here suggested Big Dog Natural freeze dried food and I am so glad they did, my dogs love it! They are normally picky eaters who don’t finish their food or take their time finishing it they are now eating right away and licking their bowls clean. Does anyone else on here feed it? If you do are you adding anything to the food (vitamins)? Thanks!

[theBCnut]

Sandy uses it, but she uses a lot of different foods.

[pugmomsandy]

The majority of the time I add some greens/joint powder and other supplements but I add those with any wet food topper I use, whether it’s BDN or other canned food. If I’m in a hurry, I don’t add anything. I have one super picky obese pug (sounds odd, right?) right now that will only eat BDN and ZiwiPeak, sheesh!!! I need to find something to transition him to, maybe the Freshpet soft kibble C4C mentioned on another thread.

[Dori]

I’ve recently started incorporating BDN in rotation and have had no issues at all and the dogs love it. When you add water it actually smells like real food that maybe needs more spices. Like when your cooking grounds meats, adding spices for say, like making Lasagna or something for a meat sauce. Like Sandy I rotate foods constantly (with every meal) so none are really an issue.

[Zach M]

Sandy what green supplements do you use? And I have a slightly overweight lab/whippet who is also very pick lol.

[pugmomsandy]

Currently, I’m using Springtime Inc’s Longevity, but have also used Dr Harvey’s and want to use B-Naturals next.

[Zach M]

Thanks!

[Kristin C]

I would be careful about using this as your primary food source. It looks like a dehydrated product to me, although I am waiting to hear back about their reconstituted analysis. If you feed a variety I am sure it’s fine.

[Dori]

Kristin C. I feed rotation raw foods to all my dogs as I mentioned above but I was wondering what your concerns are about this food. Also would you please post here when you do hear back re reconstituted analysis? Thank you. This food will be fine for rotation feeding but it’s important for people that feed one food for long periods of time, which I’m totally against, to have as much info as possible, but we all do what we’re comfortable doing. Thanks.

[cindy q]

Dori, I have 2 very picky eaters so I have been feeding all different foods trying to find something they will eat. We have tried Blue Buffalo, Merrick, Orijen,Primal, Fresh pet, honest kitchen, Now Fresh, Go! The only ones they seemed to like somewhat were Primal, Now Fresh & Go! They love BDN, they eat it right away and lick their bowls clean they have never done this before. I was always wasting food before throwing away what they didn’t eat. For me don’t you think it would make sense to stick with what they will eat?

[Kristin C]

I heard back from BDN and they did not provide the reconstituted nutritional analysis nor did they answering whether they’ve through feeding trials. I was mostly wondering if this is really a raw product but I think it’s dehydrated based upon their pricing. I agree that it should be used rotationally. I may try it but can anyone tell me if it reconstitutes to a mushy substance or are there chunks and hard pieces (like Sojo’s). I tried Orijen freeze dried which I like but it’s too expensive to feed on a regular basis. I am looking for options when I travel because I feed mostly raw.

[cindy q]

It stays chunky, I was told by them that you don’t even have to add water if your dog is drinking enough water(I do add water, but not the amount they say to add) it looks like ground beef, thats the consistency it has. My dogs didn’t like Honest Kitchen, I think they didnt like how it was mushy. BDN is not like that at all. BDN is air dried, I’m not sure if that is the same as dehydrated?

[DogFoodie]

Take a look at the pictures Sandy posted a while back of Big Dog Natural before and after reconstituting: /forums/topic/big-dog-natural/

[cindy q]

Kristin how is BDN pricing compared to Sojo’s?

[Dori]

Kristin C. As others have posted, the food is air dryer which would be a dehydrated food. It’s different than any dehydrated food. When rehydrated, as others have said, it looks and smells like ground meat. Also as cindy q. said, you do need to add water, but I also don’t add as much as they say. This is basically a personal decision as to how much water to add. Depends on how your dog likes his food. Some like real mush and don’t want to have to chew anything at all, lol, and others like a more substantial chunky food. As I’ve mentioned before I food rotational so the GA and analysis don’t really make a difference to me and my dogs. I rotate with every meal.

Cindy q. The trick with THK is to either not add as much water as stated on the box (I never do) or make up a batch that will last two or three days and put in the fridge. At meal time scoop out as much as you need for the meal. If your dog doesn’t like cold food then just leave it out on the counter until room temperature. I do it both ways but overnight works best. Also Cindy q. before spending money on actual size bags or boxes of the foods you’re trying out ask for samples at your local small pet stores, they always have samples or email or call manufacturer of food. They’ll pretty much always send you out samples for either a very nominal fee or others just have you pay for the shipping which is also a small fee. You’re going to go through way to much money buying the actual boxes or bags of the food. Also, if you rotate your foods you should try to buy the smallest size so that the individual foods won’t go bad. I realize the small bags/boxes will cost you a little more but you’ll be sure to be able to rotate and not have the bottom of bags or boxes go bad before you get to the end. That’s important with rotating foods that are not frozen and kept in freezer. Also BDN is less expensive than Sojo’s. I don’t particularly care for Sojo’s so I don’t feed it. The only foods I presently feed other than commercial raw foods are THK, BDN and in a pinch if I won’t be home or dogs left with someone else who refuses to feed raw (jeesh) I use Nature’s Logic dry. Excellent as kibbles go. They also have a good canned food but the canned foods all contain something or other that my allergy/intolerant maltipoo, Katie, cannot tolerate. It’s the only kibble they do well on and that I don’t feel awful feeding them.

[Kristin C]

Thanks for the picture 4FF. Looks dehydrated to me so I probably won’t try it. Sojo’s dehydrated comes out like it goes in which I don’t like at all, doesn’t digest well. A 2 lb bag of Sojo’s Complete is 14.99 but that’s with no meat. So as Dori said BDN would be less expensive. I keep coming back to making my own raw food and adding a supplement that meets AAFCO standards. But that doesn’t work too well on a 2 week vacation.

[cindy q]

Kristin what supplement do you add?

[Kristin C]

Haven’t tried it yet but I have a bag of See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix I’m going to use next time I make raw food.

[cindy q]

those that use BDN do you feel it is nutritionally complete or do you think it needs a supplement added to it?

[Dori]

cindy q. I don’t add any supplements to is but as I have mentioned previously, I feed a rotational diet so it is not necessary in my case or anyone else that feeds rotational with great frequency (every meal and/or every other day). Keep in mind that each and every meal (I feed twice a day) you feed your dog does not have to be complete and balanced. Complete and balanced needs to be met over time but not each and every meal.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Dori.

[cindy q]

thanks Dori!

[pugmomsandy]

I wouldn’t feed BDN as a sole diet without supplements long term without receiving a full nutrient analysis (I’m sure those tests are expensive too). Even the recipes in “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” comes with a vitamin mix recipe and a nutrient analysis for the different recipes. There are some folks (maybe hardcore BARFers) that only feed whole prey and nothing else. Depends on which school of thought you go with and your comfort level. Back in the day dogs grew up on table scraps. Sometimes we make it more difficult than it is.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Martha S]

Ok everyone, please help me to read/decipher what these numbers mean and roughly what star rating this product would get. I’ve read the earlier posts about why there isn’t a review of BDN, but my dog really loves this product (in our rotation) and frankly, I just need to know.

Am I right in thinking the formula is about 48% fat to protein? Or do the numbers need to be
converted into some other form? Also, how to I calculate the carbohydrate amount?

TRIPE SUPREME
Wholesome air dried, green beef tripe, liver, naturally fermented vegetables (sweet potato, carrot, collard greens, kale, broccoli, freeze dried potato, mango, apple, coconut flakes, blueberry, spinach, kelp, parsley.

Crude Protein (min):31% Crude Fat (min):15% Crude Fiber (max):2.5% Moisture (max):12% Ca/P 1.75:1

[theBCnut]

Yes, the fat to protein would be about 48%. If it weren’t for the issues, it would be a 5 star food, I believe.

[Martha S]

Thank you BC! Normally, we feed frozen raw but that is too difficult when traveling, so I was really hoping BDN would officially be our go to food on long car trips. We have tried THK….the pup will eat it, but without much enthusiasm and sometimes leaves leftovers. With it being $60 per small box, it can’t justify the leftovers.

I really wish BDN would just resolve whatever issue is blocking them from being completely forthcoming. I feel they are missing out on potentially having a large customer following if they would just be more transparent.

[cindy q]

I agree Martha, they seem like a great company and it is the only food my dogs seem to love. What frozen raw do you feed?

[cindy q]

What happened with the review of BDN?

[Martha S]

Hi Cindy!
Right now we are doing about 50% Darwins, and the rest a rotation/combination of Reel Raw, Tuckers, Primal Turkey/Sardine., and Genesis. Sometimes I’ll add a Salmon grain free roll from Freshpet ( the one thing that isn’t raw) or a couple cans of sardines in water. As a treat, he will get Answers unpasteurized goat milk every once in a while.

We tried BDN tripe and it was a big hit with the pup, so I was really hoping to try and inform myself as much as possible as to the protein/fat/carb percentages. It really is a mystery to me why a company wouldn’t share their nutritional percentages. I kind of makes my mind wander…..is there something bad going on? I really want to like this food…sigh…why all the secrecy BDN?

[theBCnut]

Hi cindy q

Dr Mike started to review their food, and it looked really good. But on further review it became apparent to everyone that some of the info on the government regulated guaranteed analysis was missing and the company wouldn’t answer questions, saying it was proprietary information. My opinion only, but I think that’s why Dr Mike pulled the review. That info is required by law and cannot be considered proprietary. If the company hadn’t acted so shady, I wanted to try and like this food, it really sounds great, but I have a hard time dealing with people/companies that I find to be shady.

[cindy q]

Thanks everyone! I wish I could find something my dogs love as much as BDN.

[theBCnut]

I really think it is a good food for adult dogs, I’m just not sure it is a good food for large and giant breed puppies, since that’s the info that they wouldn’t give. The owners need to come to understand that the type of clients they should want for their business are the ones that want questions answered. Good, informed pet owners are the ones willing to spend tons of money on the perfect food. Nobody was asking them to answer anything that should be proprietary, just simple straight forward required stuff.

[Nancy C]

I just went to the BDN site to order more food. I saw listed there the Ca and Phos ratios for Chicken formula is 1:56:1, for Turkey is 1:63:1 and for the Tripe formula is 1:75:1. Now, my Q is: Is this acceptable? Interestingly the HOmeopathic vet I have been working with here in NC (he has practiced Homeopathic V M for 30 yrs and allopathic for the first 10 yrs) His name is Charles Loops, DVM and he has a good website. Treats a lot of dogs w cancer. He told me again last week that this food is excellent – that he has Great Danes among his 6 dogs and feeds it to them. Also Darwins. And he feeds other things that he puts tog himself. I mentioned the problem DFA has with them and he stood by BDN 100% and is definitely NOT connected in any way with the food company. So all this remains a mystery to me.
My Golden transitioned to it without one HINT of a problem. Cold turkey. My neighbor’s 3 dogs went cold turkey from kibble also with the same result. The Homeopath says the GSD will be fine on it – cold turkey. I will start him with Chicken/ Turkey and later move to Tripe and Beef. The Golden loves both. Are those bad ratios for Calcium and Phos?

[cindy q]

Nancy do you only feed BDN? My dogs also went cold turkey with no problem.

[Nancy C]

Idea: BCNUT – why don’t YOU call them? Chris is very nice and easy to talk to. She told me something like that it was “unfortunate” that the DFA was dissatisfied with their responses (I do not know what they were of course) but that they have moved on and the Food will sell itself. Said that people are LIKING the food and sales continue to increase. Not many work there it seems to me. It feels like Chris herself works in the factory yet is an owner. It’s very hands on among what seems to be just a few people. They seem to work hard but when I talked to her it was clear to me that she cares, and she definitely wants to be helpful to callers.

I’ve said before that when the food arrives the shipping box is ALL TAPED UP to protect the food so no bugs can get into it. Chris told me they do that purposefully. The small packages of food inside the shipping box help preserve freshness. That impresses me. But you know far more about dog food than I do.

I’m starting the Darwins in the morning w the Golden Retriever… mixing it with the BDNatural, 2 oz at breakfast and 2 oz at supper, for 2 days. (That’s my 8 oz patty). Then I will increase from there. I Hope it Works well!

[theBCnut]

They are a bit high for a large breed puppy, but there is more to it than the ratios. You also have to look at the amount of calcium per 1000 kcals. I think they were all right there, though. Did you notice that there is no calcium info for beef?

I’ve already tried talking to them to get answers. They will answer with all kinds of things you didn’t ask about, but when you try to nail them down on what you really want to know, they start claiming it’s proprietary information. How can the calcium level on the beef formula be proprietary info.

As I’ve said, I do believe that they make a good dog food, but I wouldn’t want to feed solely it due to not feeling confident in the mineral levels. And I don’t like dealing with companies that behave that way.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by theBCnut.

[Nancy C]

One other thought: I suspect the homeopathic vet knows more details about the food than might be revealed to the public. Perhaps they have told him more information. He was VERY re-assuring to me last week in our consult when I asked him AGAIN if he was SURE this is a good food. He answered, “YES INDEED,” immediately – saying he would not feed it to his dogs otherwise.

What a mystery!

[theBCnut]

Yikes!! We’re posting at the same time and I edited my last post while you were replying to it.

[cindy q]

BCnut, what food do you feed?

[Nancy C]

Cindy: YES, my golden has eaten it now for a month. breakfast and supper. She LOVES EVERY FLAVOR! and licks the bowl for more. I will add 2oz of Darwins chicken tomorrow, as I said, just to get her on several foods.

Whoever mentioned THK food: It did not go over as well at this house as BDN. However, I added it to kibble and the golden ate the kibble more readily. But I have never seen her so happy over food as she is the BDN.

Maybe we all need to call the company and talk to Chris…. ??

My plan now is to do BDN, Darwins, Answers and OCRaw. I have talked to the owners at Answers and OC Raw and also Vital Essentials. Hopefully can rotate all those. Also want to be able to run to Whole Foods and get some organic chicken some days.

[Nancy C]

BCNUT: I hear you!

I think I will call back the Homeopath and ask his assistant about this. I will ask her if SHE will talk to the doc and see if she learns anything more about the food. This vet is very careful…. I am working w him now bec my GSD’s titer for Parvo came back last week negative, but the distemper was strong. My regular vet wants to REVACCINATE using a COMBO Parvo/ Distemper. (Her Vet Group does not offer singles!) I am NOT going to Revaccinate for distemper when he is immune to it! The Homeopath was adamant about that also and went into details about protecting my dog. So on the other hand I cannot believe he would recommend BDN and DARWINS as his two choice raw foods if he did not know they are nutritionally sound.

Maybe we can get to the bottom of this, bec my dog surely loves the food and it would be a sad day for her if I stopped it.

[theBCnut]

I feed half kibble due to the need to have something that the squeamish people in my house can feed. For raw, I used Darwin’s until just recently(allergy to flax stopped that), now I’m using grinds from Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore and other home raised meats. I add whatever my dogs need to those. For the last 3 days, they have been working on eating a whole turkey. Ocassionally, I use commercial raws, but 2 of my dogs have multiple food allergies, so there isn’t a whole lot I can use. I rotate everything I feed.

[theBCnut]

Nancy

Your dog is grown, isn’t it?? Why even sweat this? Calcium levels are a puppy problem. As I said, I do believe they have a good food…

[cindy q]

What age are you considering a puppy? I have a standard poodle who just turned a year old.

[theBCnut]

Puppy would be under 85% of their adult weight, still in a fast growing stage. You should be past that with your poodle, not filled out all the way, but essentially grown.

[Nancy C]

Cindy: What breed are your dogs?
I am a little worried about my GSD bec his digestive tract might be sensitive. I am giving him PERFECT FORM from THK which I think is very good. I decreased the suggested amount a little. Dr Loops said it would probably help him when we transition to BDN so he does not get diarrhea. I plan to transition him in the next week or so after we solve this Parvo Titer situation. he is getting RE-titered tomorrow by a homeopath vet here in this town who I do not know but who was recommended by Dr Loops the homeopath I have been having phone consults with. He says there are only 2 labs (in the US) he trusts for titers. Jean Dodd’s is one of them. Also said, (FYI), that sometimes a dog just has low titer numbers but it does NOT mean they are not immune to the disease. Said a small percentage of dogs do this way and you could vaccinate repeatedly and they would still show low numbers. The homeopath who is doing the REtitering tomorrow operates in a MOBILE UNIT. She told me Friday that if the GSD was vaccinated at 16 weeks and at 9 months then he does NOT need another vaccine! (Interesting). Google “Dogs Naturally Revaccination and Dogs” and read that article. You will learn a LOT! Great short article.

[cindy q]

Thanks!

[cindy q]

Nancy, I have a standard poodle that just turned 1 and a toy poodle that is 9 years old. Neither one had a problem switching cold turkey to BDN.

[Nancy C]

BCNUT : YES. He is 2 yrs old now. Thank you! Well I am glad I have one less thing to sweat.
it’s this Parvo thing now that’s got me hung up now.

[Nancy C]

Do you have any experience w Answers?

[theBCnut]

There is a place about 1 1/2 hours from me that sells Answers and when I’m in that area I get some. It is one of my favorites. I love to give my dogs their raw goats milk!!

As for your titer results, a low number may only mean that he has not come into contact with the virus, so his immune system is not producing antibodies to fight it off. Low numbers can mean that there has been no challenge. Must be nice, parvo is in the soil here. There is pretty much no time when dogs immune systems are not being challenged down here.

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