[Patricia A]

I put in a suggestion for this food to be reviewed. Anyone feed this? My one Chihuahua eats her Stella’s kibble topped with Primal or Stella’s freeze dried. My other is hit and miss.. She does eat the Stella’s topped with Bixbi Rawablle. However, my plan is too give very little kibble and mostly freeze dried. Bixbi is way too expensive to do that. My plan was Bixbi as just treats. So I saw this Open Farm freeze dried at my Pet supply store and was less costly then the Bixbi and I like the ingredients. Anyone have experience with this food?

[Eve F]

I have been feeding Open Farm to two of my dogs, a Havanese and a Maltese. Both do very well on this food! I wet it with water first. The other 4 dogs sometimes get a piece and like it too. If you are using it with your Chihuahua, it wouldn’t be too costly. I feed treats in the form of Rocco & Roxie pure beef treats that I cut into tiny slices for the dogs (-:

Good luck.
Eve

[Patricia A]

Thank you Eve for reply. Going to buy some before i run out of the Bixbi so I can introduce it gradually. Hoping she likes it and I can give my other Chi this also.

[InkedMarie]

Open Farm food *has* been reviewed.

[Patricia A]

Open Farm dry was reviewed. I subscribe to Susan Thixton’s (Truth About Pet Food) 2019 list . Can’t get any better information what your feeding your dog then her. Among her VERY few approved is Open Farms freeze dried. Happy Primal was there also. I hope Dr. Mike reviews and approves for his 2019 Editors Choice List.

[anonymous]

I hope you don’t mind another opinion regarding Susan Thixton.

Who’s Behind the The Truth About Pet Cancer?

(excerpt from article below)

Susan Thixton
Ms. Thixton is a vehement activist at war with the pet food industry, government regulators, and anyone who doesn’t share her views about pet nutrition. She blames the death of one of her dogs on a preservative in pet food and identifies this experience as the genesis of her crusade.
Unfortunately, her passion is not matched by a respect for science or evidence or a very sophisticated understanding of epidemiology, nor does she have any apparent willingness to consider she might be mistaken or others might know more than she does about such issues.
Ms. Thixton is one of these “experts” whose expertise consists of all the information she can find that supports what she is determined to believe no matter what. She has served as a public member of AAFCO, the group that generates much animal feed regulation, but was dismissed in 2017 for personal attacks against other board members. She expresses deep contempt for science and for anyone who doesn’t see the industry/government conspiracy poisoning our pets that she warns about, and her participation in this series illustrates the degree to which it is ideologically driven.

[Eve F]

Patricia, when I recommended Open Farms, I should have said that I use only the Freeze Dried food. My dogs didn’t care much for the dry kibble but love the freeze dried.

Eve

[Patricia A]

Anon I subscribe to Susan Thixtons list because she supplies alll the information I am looking for in choosing a food that meets my standard of nutrition for my dog. I’m grateful that someone is doing the hard work of finding Pet food companies that are transparent and supply information of proof of the many conditions required to make her trusted dog food brand list.
She does not endorse or condemn any food. Below is her standard requirements necessary to make her recommended trusted dog food company list:

Human Grade: it means: all ingredients including supplements are human edible, the food is manufactured in a licensed human food facility, and ingredients and final product transported and warehoused to human food safety standards. Unfortunately, most pet foods are “feed grade”. Feed grade means ingredients and supplements are not required to be human edible, and they are not required to be manufactured per human food safety standards. Worse yet, pet foods are not required to disclose feed grade quality on the label. Not all pet foods on the List meet the full requirement of a Human grade pet food, most are ONLY missing the requirement of human food manufacturing.
Manufactured
Under this category, the List explains if the food is manufactured in a human food or pet food facility. When a pet food is manufactured in a licensed human food facility, it is held by regulation to particular safety standards. When a pet food is manufactured in a pet food facility, regulation does not require the same safety standards as human foods. Most of the pet foods on the List have plant established safety standards the same as human food.

Ingredient Quality
Human Grade ingredient quality is priority for me in a pet food. Most pet foods utilize “feed grade” ingredients which means they are allowed by FDA to use extremely inferior quality of ingredients. As example, any food (human or animal) would be considered adulterated/illegal if it contains meat from a diseased or non-slaughtered animal. But the FDA allows exception to this law for feed grade pet foods. Directly stated on the FDA website: “Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter, which is in violation of 402(a)(5) will not ordinarily be actionable, if it is not otherwise in violation of the law. It will be considered fit for animal consumption.” Pet foods on the List utilize ONLY human edible food ingredients (with one small exception from Open Farm kibble) and provide verification documents to us to assure this quality.

Country of Origin
Country of origin of ingredients is significant information to disclose to the pet owner. Often large manufacturers will not disclose the COO of each ingredient or they give consumers vague responses such as ‘all our ingredients are tested in the US’. The pet foods on the List provided full disclosure to country of origin.

Ingredient Quality
Human Grade ingredient quality is priority for me in a pet food. Most pet foods utilize “feed grade” ingredients which means they are allowed by FDA to use extremely inferior quality of ingredients. As example, any food (human or animal) would be considered adulterated/illegal if it contains meat from a diseased or non-slaughtered animal. But the FDA allows exception to this law for feed grade pet foods. Directly stated on the FDA website: “Pet food consisting of material from diseased animals or animals which have died otherwise than by slaughter, which is in violation of 402(a)(5) will not ordinarily be actionable, if it is not otherwise in violation of the law. It will be considered fit for animal consumption.” Pet foods on the List utilize ONLY human edible food ingredients (with one small exception from Open Farm kibble) and provide verification documents to us to assure this quality.

BPA
BPA is a chemical found in the protective lining of some canned foods and/or found in some pet food packaging. BPA is an “endocrine disruptor chemical”; Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects.
HPP, Bacteriophages

HPP stands for High Pressure Processing is a method used to control common bacteria of raw meat. Bacteriophages are a virus used in raw meat products to control the common bacteria of raw meat. Both processes are deemed safe by FDA, they are mentioned In the List for informational purposes.

Testing
Proper monitoring of pet food ingredients, nutrients, and potential risks are part of how a pet food keeps your pet safe.

Verification
The pet food companies in the List provided documentation to verify their claims of human grade ingredients, human food manufacturing, and/or humanely raised. Each company did not hesitate to provide a wealth of verification documents. The seal below indicates that each pet food ingredients were verified to be human grade quality.

At the end of the day it’s what you feel good about feeding your furbabies, if they enjoy eating it and how their energy and health is with the brand your feeding.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Forgot to add that I also like to look at reviews Dr. Mike supplies us. He supplies information on fat/protein, calories etc. So I use that as a guide also. I just use Thixton/adisor as a starting point in deciding their diets.

[anonymous]

Glad you have found some sites on the internet helpful.

BTW:: Dr Mike is a dentist. (for humans). Susan Thixton? Can’t find her credentials anywhere.

[Susan]

@anon
you wrote

“BTW:: Dr Mike is a dentist. (for humans). Susan Thixton? Can’t find her credentials anywhere”.

You act like you know everything & think you’re a vet….
Where’s your credentials???

Why do you bother coming onto DFA when your always putting DFA down?

You write Susan Thixton,

Susan Thixton
Ms. Thixton is a vehement activist at war with the pet food industry, government regulators, and anyone who doesn’t share her views about pet nutrition. She blames the death of one of her dogs on a preservative in pet food and identifies this experience as the genesis of her crusade.

You do the exact same thing, when someone doesn’t share the same views as you about pet nutrition, pet anything…
that’s when Skepvet posts start rolling out, then you start fighting with them, arguing till the persons post gets shut down cause you keep posting & fighting with the poor person you digagree with…

[crazy4cats]

Patricia A-
Not one of either Susan Thixton’s or Dr. Mike’s requirements for rating dog food involves who actually formulates the recipes or if there are any feeding trials done. Not having a full time expert who has a Ph.D. In animal nutrition formulating the recipes is a real problem for me.

Having the best safest ingredients does no good if they are not working together properly to provide all the nutrition our dogs need to be healthy. Such as in the case of the recent findings by Dr. Stern.

[Patricia A]

Crazy4ctats even us humans have guidelines for good health constantly changing. Eggs are bad for cholesterol now there not. Probiotics are great. New study shows probiotics can cause…. Farm raised Salmon bad..now good. ect. My breast surgeon insists on yearly MRI with dye for high risk after having surgery for atypical cells. Now studies finding contrast dye is retaining in brain long after and no one knows what health problems this can cause in the future. Who can we trust for our health when one day a vitamin or diet is great to stay healthy and then the next day its doing us harm?
The industry has it down what dogs/cats need in the way of appropriate amount of minerals/vitamins etc. added to their food.I think they got that down a long time ago or our pets would have been suffering deficiencies and all dying very young. So all companies follow suit with the basics of sustaining life. But look at all the recalls hurting our pets when a company is careless. Some are repeat offenders. So it’s a no brainer to not feed my dogs that brand. I also look at advisor reviews for anything lit up in red that was studied to POSSIBLY be detrimental to their health. So again why take a chance. Want also first ingredients to be meat .These are all the things I learned to take in to account from this site when finding a good food .Before this I didn’t even read the ingredients on the bag. As long as I didn’t by food at the grocery store I thought it was a good food. I try not to get to obsessed . I have to admit I do give a little kibble with my freeze dried . They really like the crunch. Don’t tell Susan Thixton. lol
I would love to have a site where 500 PH.d’s in dog food nutrition came out with a recipe for THE PERFECT DOG FOOD. Then hope that they will eat it enthusiastically AND live years longer in better health because of it. Until then I’ll do my best with using advice from people that have definitely more knowledge then I do..

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia- Yes, science is ever changing. However, the sources you are choosing to follow as far as I know, have no background or education in the science of veterinary nutrition. Susan Thixton is an activist and has done some good work as far as safety in the pet food industry. Which, lord knows we need! However, she has no credentials to rate dog food.

There are brands that employ many PhD’s in veterinary nutrition and do research and testing on their foods to make sure they are digestible and providing all the nutrition our dogs need. Their ingredients just may not look as appealing as some of these new boutique foods that are all the rage now.

Like it or not, the big companies are employing experts, do research, testing, and own their own manufacturing facilities. And, most importantly, do not have any dogs so far with diet related cardiomyopathy.

Check out this article by Dr. Lisa Weeth, a board certified veterinary nutritionist:

The Importance of Peer-Review, or How to Spot a Huckster.  

[Patricia A]

Crazy4cats how do I find out which brands supply the nutritional experts?? Is it listed on label?
” Current research (not yet published) has identified a link between grain-free dogs foods that include peas and legumes and taurine deficiency that can lead to DCM. On the Taurine Deficiency page, the most commonly reported foods from owners of dogs with DCM are: Nutrisource, Acana (particularly pork and butternut squash), 4Health, Zignature, Taste of the Wild, Earthborn Holistic.”
Wouldn’t some of the above be considered big brand companies such as Taste of the Wild(Diamond)? Earthborn Holistic was founded in 1926 etc. Don’t know if they imploy Ph.D’s. I hope not because they missed something with this DCM problem.
I have the Chihuahuas’ so not one of the breeds that would most likely be affected by low Taurine and DCM. But still concerned they get their protein from meat . Don’t know why it just can’t be broken down on the bag of food of how much of the protein is actually coming from meat.
I’m finally on a good feeding regime with food I feel good feeding them and my dogs are doing very well. Primal, Bixbi and just one protein occasionally of Stella’s venison. PLEASE don’t tell me that THESE are all the new boutique foods your referring to. It can’t be because they DO NOT look appealing once dehydrated. lol Not liked some canned that has big pieces of potatoes and carrots and shredded chicken. lol But THAT is what i’m trying to stay away from. I can only hope that by going by reviews they are getting brands that have more meat protein then plant protein . Less starches and carbs . They get little anyway with sweet potatoes and string beans when we have this for dinner. And my salmon and a little steak when they get lucky. Watermelon is their favorite. All in moderation. Again I can hope that essentia vitamins/minerals and anything else they need is in their dog food. Yearly blood tests tell me they are not deficient . MY blood work isn’t even as good as theirs lol I’m doing something right. My one Doxie lived to 17 1/2. My oldest Chi is 16 1/2 and going strong.
I’ll go NUTS if I have to change again so humor me. lol

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[joanne l]

Hey does anyone know if the Nutrisource lamb and rice and chicken and rice is okay?? I know Nutrisource and Zignature are 2 of the ones on a list, but I think it is the grain free ones. So if anyone else knows if Nutrisource grain in ones are okay please let me know what you find or found. I know the Nutrisource grain in ones were around for a long while and their grain free were not around for awhile. So I think it is just the grain free. So need to know what you guys think. Because I want to try the Nutrisource lamb and rice.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Joanne-
Why would you want to feed a brand that produces suspect food? If they can’t get their grain free recipes right, what makes you think their foods with grain are formulated correctly. Both Zignature and Nutrisource are manufactured by Tuffy’s. It’s not just grain free foods causing heart issues. Feed Purina, Hills, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Iams or Farmina! Good luck!

[Hav mom]

I am curious about the Human Grade and Feed Grade food. I requested the same question from the maker of the food I feed my Dog. I wanted to know if they are using “feed grade”
meats as Ms. Thixton called this brand of Pet Food only because it is not processed in a Human Grade Facility, but she did give it 4 stars.. Here is the reply I received and I quote:
“. We do not use any by-products in our foods, which is what you may be referring to. We never use the “4-D” products (dead, dying, disabled, or diseased). Our food is human grade until it enters the manufacturing facility (meaning, human food is not produced there). Our dehydrated raw is the highest quality product we offer, actually.

The meat and poultry in the “I and love and you” dehydrated foods has no added hormones, is antibiotic-free, and is cage-free, free-range, and grass-fed.
“I and love and you” makes super-premium pet food and treats that contain everything pets need to be happy and healthy, and none of what they don’t. Our first ingredient is always real meat and we never use fillers like white potatoes, corn, wheat, or soy. Our pets are members of our family and we take our mission very seriously.

When you feed your pet “I and love and you,” you can trust that you are feeding them the very best ingredients from only the highest-quality sources. ILY consults with highly regarded pet nutritionists who have doctorate degrees in animal nutrition along with years of experience in pet food formulation and research. Additionally our pet nutritionists maintain professional membership with the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition, American Society for Nutrition, and The American Society of Animal Science. All of our dog and cat recipes are carefully formulated to meet the most current AAFCO requirements and recommendations.
I gather from the above, it is not “feed grade” or is it (?) because it is not processed in a
facility that also made human food….Well, some of the facilities that make human food
are not so sanitary either,regardless of inspections. I just find the two words confusing – one human grade and one feed grade because it is not processed in a facility where human food is also made. I thought that feed grade was
from the 4 D group…. What is that group of food called when used for dog food?????? Am I missing something here? Just asking, no argument here. We all love and want the
best we can afford for all our pets so they can be healthy. If any member knows of additional information about this brand please advise, I would be happy to know more.

[Patricia A]

Hav mom I found from Susan Thixton. She explains it well. I hope I’m allowed to post this link here https://truthaboutpetfood.com/the-difference-between-human-grade-and-feed-grade/
I didn’t ever see though Thixton giving ratings. Just her list that comes out every year.
Hope the link helps Hav.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

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