[InkedMarie]

I’m kind of surprised that no one has made a forum post outside of Mike! Anyway, glad to get this list. I was happy to see Annamaet, Dr Tim’s and The Honest Kitchen on the list. I’ve only fed Annamaet once but had planned to use it again; now i definitely will. Ive used Dr Tims a few bags and Ive been feeding THK for over 8 years.

I expected to see Weruva on the list; surprised that it’s not.

Comments?

[InkedMarie]

I forgot to say that I appreciate the website and contact info being listed. That’s a big help.

[Cyndi]

I’m curious to know why, where you click on “Edit your membership”, why is the start date of the membership Sept. 27, 2013. So, the price I paid for a year membership, will expire in 6 months? Just curious why it back dated like that…

[InkedMarie]

ooh, I hope not Cyndi!

[Cyndi]

Marie, I emailed Dr. Mike about that and I’ll keep you posted on what he says.

[DogFoodie]

I bet that had something to do with the original launch date Cyndi. Dr. Mike will be glad that you pointed it out so soon.

[Cyndi]

I kind of figured it might be something like that. Not that it really matters all that much. For the amount of work he did on all this and the wealth of info we get out of it $15 is a steal! Lol! Don’t tell Dr. Mike I said that though, lol!

[InkedMarie]

Thanks Cyndi, now it’ll be a low price of $29.99 next year <G>

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Marie –

If you feel there’s a brand that deserves to be included in EC you may nominate them in the “Nominate a Brand” forum.

[InkedMarie]

I was looking at more canned for Gemma and wow, some of the ones in the editors choice are more costly than I expected! The Fromm Four Stars are $46.99 on Chewy. Yikes!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Cyndi –

Thanks for pointing this out. I’ll bring it to Dr. Mike’s attention.

[InkedMarie]

HDM, I have no idea if Weruva passed muster, so to speak, I just expected it to be there. Just something in my head. You guys have done your homework and I trust that if it should be there right now, it would be.

[Cyndi]

Thanks HDM! 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Cyndi –

September 27, 2013 is the date that your free membership started. This means you’ve been a member since September. Your subscription information for your paid subscription can be found in the subscription area at the bottom of the Edit Membership page

[Cyndi]

HDM, that’s where I found that info. When I click on Edit your membership, at the bottom it says Subscription start date is Sept. 27, 2013. I just signed up today. Someplace else I read that I have been a member since April 2013, or something like that, which is when I signed up on DFA.

Can anyone else check their subscription start date and see when it says?

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Cyndi,

I see where that can be confusing. The “Member Since” date is the date you became a free forum member. Your subscription to Editor’s Choice dates from the date you subscribed and is not affected. So, your subscription will last a full year from today.

By the way, I’ve now removed that date to prevent others from being confused also. Thanks for calling it to my attention.

[Jackie B]

I’m very excited that EC is finally out! I have been waiting a long time for it 🙂

[aimee]

It was interesting to see what companies Dr. Mike chose for his list. There are some I agree with and others that I wouldn’t have included.

For example I looked at Grandma Lucy’s as a potential diet for Jack. I contacted them about the phos level in their venison diet and asked for them to provide it as a grams/1000 kcals format. From their website: Ca min 1%, phos max .45% ( As a side note This exceeds AAFCO max 2:1 ratio and since they are reporting Ca as a min and phos as a max it can only go up from there.) Using their max phos .45% and their caloric information I calculate a max phos of 1.08 grams/1000kcals. AAFCO min for maint profile is 1.4 grams/1000kcals. This is why I called them.

It took them days to get back to me and the number given to me was very very low… way below AAFCO min. for maintenance. I questioned that value as the AAFCO statement said it meets AAFCO nutritional profile for all life stages. When I questioned it, it again took several days for them to get back to me and they insisted they gave me the correct value. If I remember right they said it was .8 grams/1000 kcals. AAFCO min for ALS is 2.28 grams/1000 kcals. The Customer Service person didn’t have any explanation and was only able to repeat what she was told.

I also asked about the caloric information as it didn’t make sense either. They couldn’t answer the discrepancy, and said someone would contact me to explain it. But after e mailing repeatedly and never hearing back I gave up. They report 4144 kcal/kg, 17 cups/3 lbs and 470 cal/cup. If I calculate calories in a 3 lb bag by converting lbs to kg, 1.36 kg x 4144kcals/kg gives me 5650 kcal/3 lb bag. BUT if you use their figure of 17 cups/3 lb bag and multiply by their given 470 calories /cup 17 X 470 = 7990kcals in a 3 lb bag. Huge difference!

These discrepancies that the company was unable to explain led me to pass on this diet.

[DogFoodie]

The thing that concerns me about Weruva is that Evanger’s is the co-packer for some of their formulas. Maybe that’s why it was passed over.

[Mary Lou]

I, too, thought Weruva would make the list.

[Mike Sagman]

Editor’s Choice was designed to be an evolutionary project. Although this list will (for the most part) remain stable, there will almost certainly be additions (and subtractions, too).

The current list is only a starting point. That’s all. Many of the comments I read here and elsewhere are surely valid. And some will have a considerable influence on the future development of this list.

That’s why we created this special forum area. Your help and observations are truly appreciated. Please feel free to post your comments and suggestions.

They will each help us develop a more valuable list. Thanks for all your help!

[moxie]

I like Weruva also, but if you try Simply Nourish canned stews you will get the same amount of protein for less money. I think it looks even better than Weruva.

[Naturella]

Just want to throw it in there that this is probably one of the best $14.99 ever spent! I am so happy to have access to this beautiful resource! I love it! Thank you, Dr. Mike! 🙂

[DogFoodie]

Ditto Naturella!

Hey, Dr. Mike, remember when we had the option to upvote posts in the forum? It seems like it was only for a short time in the very beginning, but I’d love to have that option again.

[InkedMarie]

Betsy,
See, I forgot about that. I really need to make a list of who makes whist.

[DogFoodie]

I’m curious… how do you guys feel about Merrick? I had a bag and returned it unopened when lots of others were talking about GI symptoms for their dogs that had previously done well on it. I believe I recall Jan saying that she had decided to discontinue Merrick as a result. I’ve looked at their products plenty of times, but think Sam couldn’t handle most of them due to his intolerances. But, I am still curious.

So, for actual users of the product, I’d love your input.

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve only had a few dogs not do well on Merrick. They’ve moved on to other foster homes or have been adopted out. But the remaining dogs have done fine with it. Both lines are high in protein so I have to adjust it for the fosters but my personal dogs have not had a problem with it. The 14 yr old here is still eating Merrick.

[Dori]

On the question of why didn’t Weruva made the cut, I don’t know, maybe it’s because they can no longer say that their cans do not contain bha?

I’m thrilled that THK and Primal are on Dr. Mike’s list. Primal is my most favorite of the commercial raws. I wasn’t surprised to see Ziwipeak on it. It’s always gotten good reviews everywhere especially their canned food that is bha free. I looked into it once because I thought it would be nice to have something different on hand other than THK as a change from their raw diets but it is incredibly expensive. One of my dogs can’t have THK because of the alfalfa.

I was surprised though that Answers did not make the list. Also Darwin’s didn’t make the list. That kind of shocked me as I was sure it would be.

I’m so thrilled that the Editor’s Choice is up and running. Truly excited.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[theBCnut]

Darwin’s doesn’t meet the widely available requirement.

Did anyone read that their subscription would be automatically renewed unless they cancelled it? It’s in the FAQs, but I certainly didn’t see that before I signed up.

[Dori]

It was there when I signed up, they also told me about it when I called them to place my first order. It’s an auto subscription only type deal. If you don’t want to keep getting email letting you know of your next delivery you have to actual cancel altogether. As you know they email you before your next order and you can change how often you get your delivery, change the foods, change amounts of food delivered.

[Shawna]

Betsy,

I’ve used the Pork Merrick kibble in my rotation and none of the three that eat kibble have had any issues with it the couple times it’s been rotated in. I’m not fond of the smell but no digestive issues from the dogs.

[theBCnut]

Hi Dori
I know Darwin’s is autoship. I was talking about signing up for EC, but I sure didn’t make that clear, did I.

[theBCnut]

And I’m not special. My subscription was $19.99. I never saw an opportunity to sign up for $14.99.

[Dori]

You are very special theBCnut. You just didn’t check in early enough. 14.99, 19.99 I still think it’s a huge bargain. I’d pay twice as much. There is so much that goes into all they do here. I honestly was expecting to have the yearly be more expensive. Uh Oh! Mike, this is not for your ears.

Patty, what is EC in relationship to Darwin. A lot of these initials I’m always have to look up. You guys are all so much younger than I and up on all the initials. I told try to figure them out then I get tired and ask. Silly me. I should just ask to begin with.

[theBCnut]

Yikes!! I screwed that up. I wasn’t talking about Darwin’s at all in that second paragraph. I was saying that in the Editor’s Choice FAQs it says that renewal will be automatic each year if you don’t specifically cancel your membership. I didn’t see that mentioned anywhere before I signed up. It doesn’t matter, except that I never would have known if I hadn’t read the FAQs and I like knowing things like that before I sign up for things.

[InkedMarie]

I’m a little lost but in saw that it’s auto renewal next year and I paid $14.99. It said you have half an hour to sign up, there was a clock running down on top and said if you leave & come back, it was $19.99.

[theBCnut]

I never saw a clock.

[Dori]

OH, thank God Patty! Life is crazy hecktic here and I swear to you I thought I’d finally lost it. In the mist of FINALLY having a contract on our old house that we’ve been carrying since we moved (other buyer’s mortgage fell through), insurance issues that I’ve been dealing with, had a bad fall a few months ago and still deal with the aftermath, my autoimmune illness that I’ve needed to have the chest port removed surgically can’t get scheduled because of the sinus fracture and multiple orbital fracture — anesthesiologist and surgeon won’t sign off (breathing tube issues) so I thought I was also losing my cognitive skills. YIKES!!!!! So happy we were talking cross purposes. Seriously, YIKES!!!! Been having a few really rough days here. TMI? I’m so sure but also too tired to figure out what I’ve typed that maybe I shouldn’t have and am just gonna send it.

[Dori]

Funny Patty, we were having two entirely different conversations. I hope you are like me. I like conversations that I have with myself. Sometimes I’m the only one that understands me. LOL! Eventually I do come to my senses and figure it all out, not necessarily in anyone else’s time frame. But that’s ok as far as I’m concerned. I do my best for me and the gals anyway. Hee Hee!

[Mom2Cavs]

While I’ve used Annamaet and Dr. Tim’s…I actually like Victor better for my dogs than both of them. Out of those two I like Annamaet best for mine

[theBCnut]

Yes Dori, I’m definitely like you. Including being a little crazy now and then with life piling on to make it worse. I hope things get saner for you real quick.

[crazy4cats]

Patty-
Don’t feel bad. I did not see a $14.99 offer either. Nor was I informed of the automatic renewal or see a video. It also shows my renewal in September? While I’m not real worried about it as I would like to compensate for the hard work and research involved in this entire site, not just the editor’s choice section. But, I wonder what I did wrong?

[Naturella]

I just checked too, and it says my Editor’s Choice Membership started Oct. 27th, 2013, when in fact it started today – I saw the video, saw the special offer of $14.99, and got it today… I guess Oct. 27th was when I joined this forum as a free member, but it clearly says “Editor’s Choice Subscription” next to the start date…

[aimee]

Guess we are all in good company! Yesterday am I saw a comment Dr. Mike left that Editors Choice was to be launched in a few hours. All day long I was monitoring to see how to join and late last night after clicking through several screens found a way to sign up. When I did it was $19.99. I just figured Dr. Mike decided to make the cost 19.99 instead of 14.99.

Now I’m reading about a video and a clock and 30 min sign up window. I saw nothing like that!

My renewal showed Sept. too when I checked it. Shrug

[DogFoodie]

Darn it, I looked through every single Merrick dry product and every last one of them contains fish or fish oil. Many of them also contains lots of fruits and veggies, which Sam also doesn’t seem to do well on. There are so many things I’d like Bella to try, but I can’t justify buying more while she still has Sam’s hand me downs. It would be so much more fun to have two dogs that can eat almost anything like Bella. Poor Sam.

[Mike Sagman]

To theBCnut and Any Else That Had a Problem with Our Signup Process,

I’m truly sorry you’ve had problems with the signup process. I really wanted this to go smoother than it did for you. Please don’t worry about the renewal. You’ll receive an email reminder from DFA about 15 days before your subscription expires. So, you can login and cancel your membership at any time.

In addition, I’m also sorry about the glitch on being able to get the lower price. If you paid the full regular fee, please click the link below to reply to Member Support with your name and email address.

That way, we can adjust your subscription to the lower 14.99 price and refund your credit card for the full 5.00 overcharge.

/support/

Hope this helps make up for the rocky start.

Mike

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Corey T]

I just wanted to say I’m happy to support this site after all the years of great dog food advice it’s been giving me. Without this site, who knows what my dogs would have been eating? Haha, Beneful or some nonsense! Right now my guys are on Nature’s Variety Instinct with the raw boost, and Merrick canned foods, but I’ll definitely go with an editor’s choice when we switch dry foods. Maybe a feature you could do in the future is why some of the 5-star foods don’t make it into the editor’s choice. Thanks!

[theBCnut]

Hi Dr Mike

I’m not worried by the auto-renewal at all and I definitely won’t be cancelling my membership, I was just surprised that I didn’t see anything about it before signing on the dotted line. The start of the EC section may not have been as smooth as you hoped, but we are just grateful that it’s finally here.

[Mary M]

I am very happy to see this section finally published…thank you for all the hard work. I was happy to see my choice of dog food (Acana!) on the list, and appreciate the extra information about the company in this section. I was confused about the lengthy video that plays before you’re allowed to register for this. I’m afraid it might deter people who are new to the site…I know I got impatient waiting for it to complete. Any reason for this long intro and the inability to register until a portion has played?

[Dori]

As for me, I actually appreciated the video that came before the sign up. Again, Mike, I’ve said it often but I’d like to say it again, I so much appreciate all the work you and your associates do creating this site and keeping it up to date. My dogs appreciate the site even more which shows in so many healthy changes that have taken place with all three of them since I’ve been “lurking” and posting on your site. You and the other knowledgeable posters have changed the lives of so many dogs and their guardians. You’ve also given us a place that we can come to help each other and pose questions when something is amiss with our dogs and know that we will get everyone that has had similar experiences jump on board with knowledge, compassion and heart.

Hannah, Katie, Lola and I thank you.

[Author]

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