Review & Giveaway: Taste of the Wild Dog Food

Recently I was contacted and asked if I would be interested in reviewing Taste of the Wild brand dog food.


As long term readers may remember, back in October Captain had a pretty wicked bacteria infection where we almost lost him. The poor little guy on top of that the following week had surgery to remove half of his teeth. :( We immediately went on a homemade diet. It works for us since I am usually in the kitchen anyways. (It's not any harder than making baby food, in fact it's even easier since it doesn't have to be pureed) Not being very happy after all those pet food recalls a few years ago, and since they couldn't quite figure out why he had that infection, homemade was the path of least resistance - especially because he was considered anorexic. I had been fighting a battle to get him to eat since we brought the little guy home. Steak? Chicken? Veggies? Gobbled. The food argument was solved, and he's gained several pounds since then.

So at this point you're probably going "Storm? What's your point? Why are you telling us this?"

I know, I know. I ramble on.

A lot. ;)

Anyways, when I read the email, DH was still home so I told him about it. We had actually been discussing food in an emergency situation for the dogs a few days earlier. I'm sure after Hurricane Katrina, the whole world learned that 99.9% of emergency shelters will not allow pets of any kind in. (Hence why a lot of folks stayed behind) Now there are some shelters just for your pets in an emergency situation after what happened, but you have to have your pet secured in a crate, up to date with vaccinations and proof (this is why I suggest a copy of your last vet visit paperwork taped to all pet crates in a waterproof folder/envelope!), and most importantly, food for the pet(s) while they are at the shelter.

You can't exactly stop by the shelter with a crock pot full of beef stew in a situation like that, can you? And in an emergency situation, you can't really stop at Petsmart to come up something you think your pet might eat. We really need to have on hand a 3 day supply of food Captain would eat. (The Grumpy Princess will eat just about anything nailed down. She's no problem, lol)

So to get back to Taste of the Wild, I was happy to see that their products are completely grain free. A lot of allergies can be caused by grains and I knew this was an ingredient I wanted to avoid. I also wanted a good quality pet food. I don't really want to be knocking grocery store pet foods, but it goes back to the whole allergen situation. I wanted any food that we would try to have the first ingredients to be meat, more meat, and even more meat. (Hey, dogs are carnivores!) Some brands, I look at the ingredient list and just cringe. I know money plays a factor in food choices by owners sometimes, but still. Taste of the Wild also has fruits and vegetables in their ingredient list. (It's a lot more digestible than "fillers" like corn is.) You can purchase it at small pet boutiques and feed stores (local folks - you can purchase it at once of the corgi's FAVORITE stores - The Posh Paw over in Gig Harbor (I can't recommend those folks enough!!!), as well as over at Del's Feed Store over here in Port Orchard) You can also order online from lots of great stores.

Also, Taste of the Wild also is good for dogs in all life stages - you don't have to buy a different kind once they outgrow the puppy stage, or if they are starting to get a little older. It comes in dry kibble, or if you're in a situation like me, canned with an easy pop top. (Perfect for emergency situations!)

We were sent several cans of each variety, as well as some sample bags of the dry kibble. We decided to try out the Pacific Stream Canine Formula With Smoked Salmon. This is a 13.2 ounce can, so depending on your feeding schedule and your dogs weight, you may need less than one can or more than one. My two eat twice a day, so I split this between the two of them for breakfast:


I was a little hesitant to feed it to them. It looked alright, and I could clearly see even potatoes. I was just worried Captain would snub it. I actually didn't have anything to worry about, because he inhaled it faster than a speeding bullet:


Whew.

I waited another 24 hours to make sure neither of them were having any ill effects (*coughs* rear end issues), and went on to try the Wetlands Canine Formula in Gravy. They gobbled it up just as quickly, and no problems. They also tried the High Prairie Canine Formula in Gravy (made with bison, venison and lamb, as well as peas and potatoes) and they enjoyed it as well - no arguments about eating it!

So we'll be adding a 3 day supply of Taste of the Wild to our emergency supplies for the corgis. (They have their own backpack with everything they need for 3 days away from home, so we can just grab it and go.) The cans run around $2 each for a 13.2 ounce can, a 15 pound bag of dry kibble runs about $25 - average for pet food store prices.

BTW, just in case someone thinks I'm selling out for a free product: I still recommend homemade food. However, Taste of the Wild is a good choice if you're not ready to make that step, and definitely great for emergency situations like what I was talking about above if you already do. While I do homemade, I'm not 100% strict - my dogs still get commercial dog treats from time to time and their beloved "boneys" (those rawhide and busy bones) - well, Captain just drools on them, but they still get them. LOL

Win it! One lucky reader will a great prize pack that includes: three cans of Taste of the Wild, three samples of Taste of the Wild dry food, a $30 gift card to PetFoodDirect.com, a sample of Bright Bites, a Bright Bite collar and the book, "101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog” (I'm jealous! That's a great prize pack!) To enter, just tell me all about your dog. :) Are you familiar with this brand?

As always, if you have completed the first entry above, you can also receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or include @psychotichouse)

That's up to four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends April 10th, 2010 at 11:59 PST. US Only, sorry. :( Please leave your email address in your comment, or have it available in your profile so I can contact you if you've won. Winners drawn via Random.org.

I received samples of this product. All opinions are my own, yours may differ. If you are considering switching brands of dog food from your usual, please be careful, and do the switch slowly. If your dog doesn't want to eat it, don't force them. Many good pet food stores will take back an open pet food for in store credit if your pet doesn't like it!