[ebk]

Hound Dog Mom,

Do you have any info on Wellness Pets canned dog food? I use their grain free Beef and Lamb. I sent a message to them a few weeks ago asking about sourcing and if they still outsource their production and, if so, to whom. I read somewhere that they said they no longer outsource to Diamon. The dogs seem to enjoy it and it smells good. BTW, you and InkedMarie were spot on re Evangers. I opened one of the cans and YUCK!

Thanks,

ebk

[ebk]

Western medicine typically focuses on the symptoms vs the root cause of the problem. They also tend to deal with organs and systems within the body separately, which is just nonsense. The body going into hyper mode overreacting to many foods, to me smells like there is another problem that needs to be addressed. See if the holistic vet thinks a liver function test would be in order. That’s where I would start.

[ebk]

Sorry, Little Pea. I am not familiar with the hardcore allergy foods. Sounds like you have a lot of ingredient issues to deal with. I am sure someone can give you some knowledgeable advice. You might also look at making it at home. I am sure there are directions and recipes out there to be had. Also, severe allergies are a symptom of some environmental or internal issue. For example, if the liver is not doing it’s job, you are more likely to have allergy problems. You might want to try and find a holistic vet who can connect all of the dots and get to the root of the problem. Good luck and perhaps you will get more detailed feedback from other members.

Good for you, Pattyvaughn, for getting the kids involved and doing it in a responsible way. My brood consists of the following: 14 yo daughter (who can’t be seen with her parents right now, because we couldn’t possibly understand what she’s going through, as if we never went through adolescence. My daughter and son are 11 yo twins, and of course, my two 6 or 7 yo furry children, Angel (Black Lab/Husky mix) and Princess (Malamute) They rarely leave my side and they treat my children like they are their own.

[ebk]

Thanks as well, Inked Marie! The Evanger’s story goes into the “incredible but true” category.

[ebk]

Holy felony, Batman! Wow and thank you, Hound Dog Mom! They sound like some really nice honest folks. Thanks for sharing before I gave the food to my dogs. I will take that one off my list. Great websites, btw. Also, thanks for your thoughts on Natura. Do you think that have gotten past their issues? Salmonella has been a know risk with pet food for some time. This why I have never let my kids touch it. Perhaps it’s the tip of the iceberg and the FDA will ultimately effect change throughout the industry. Thanks again!

[ebk]

So, here’s where I am on my EVO replacement journey. Interesting that, if you go to their web site, they do a great job of identifying where their ingredients are sourced from. It’s actually quite impressive. However, the fact remains that a number of pet owners have noted observed differences between their old EVO and new EVO foods, in addition to the reactions from their pets. If it comes back, great. If not, many of us have already found alternatives. I’ve tried the Merrick Texas beef variety. Seemed like a very good food, but the kibble was small. So small, that my dogs would only be able to chew a small percentage of the kibbles and then just swallow the rest. I tried the Now Fresh Large Breed Adult dry food. Nice sized kibble, even bigger than EVO’s large kibble, and the dogs seem to enjoy it and what comes out the other end is well formed.

To complicate matters, my Malamute is a very picky eater. Her food tends to sit until she gets around to it or until my Lab eats it. The Malamute actually lost 15 lbs on her last visit to the vet, coming down to 110. The Lab is the alpha of the two and thinks all the food belongs to her. So, I have started to use canned food to add to the dry to stimulate the appetite of the Malamute, in order for her to get a full meal and keep my lab from getting heavier than she already is.

I have purchased a variety of canned foods: Fromm. Evanger’s Against the Grain, Merrick beef, Wellness Beef, Wellness Lamb. They seem to be enthusiastic about all of them so far (haven’t tried the Evanger’s yet). Interesting that you seem to have to dig a little harder to get to the bottom line on the canned foods. Some of them, dry foods as well, are outsourced to other suppliers. The companies don’t reveal who makes it for them. We tend to only find out when there is a recall, e.g., Diamond. I sent a message to Wellness, who used Diamond at one time, asking them if they outsource any of their food production to them. I also asked where their canned food ingredients came from. It’s been 1 1/2 weeks with no response.

So, with very loose controls over the pet food industry, the bottom line is caveat emptor. It is in forums like this that we can share with one another and get to the facts. Hopefully, with enough public pressure, the pet food industry will become more transparent and we won’t have to dig so much. Unfortunately, there are many people (majority?) in the world only do the right thing when they must. For those who do the right thing, only because it is the right thing to do, I salute them.

Sorry for the babbling and TMI. Thanks again for all of your help and advice!

[ebk]

Who’s the moderator of the forum? This example is pretty blatant.

[ebk]

Yes, reading all of the replies from the two id’s, I can see it very clearly and now understand your response re spamming. Looks like a clear infringement of the forum’s Terms of Use.

[ebk]

This is not spam. I had asked for help with brands and varieties, since I am actively trying to find a replacement for Evo dry dog food.

Thanks everyone for your comments, suggestions but more importantly for extending yourselves to help me. I really appreciate it.

I will look into some of the brands and varieties that you have suggested. I tried the Merrick, very small Kibble. Dogs liked it and ate it, or should I say, swallowed it. Because of the kibble size, most of it was consumed whole. I also reached out to a number of other companies asking about their kibble sizes. I guess most don’t feel the need for a large kibble. I am currently trying NOW Grain Free Large Breed Adult dry food. Very large kibble and the dogs seem to like it. I haven’t had a chance to see what out on the other end, which is really the acid test.

I will keep poking around on my replacement quest. Thanks for everyone’s help!

[Author]

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