Brent's favorite pet foods
Keep in mind as you read that there is no one best food that will be best for every animal. Animals are just like people - every single one is different! I'm sure you know someone who has the world's greatest diet and still has health problems but then you probably know someone else who could survive on beer, pizza, and candy. The same is true of dogs. They might be ok on the grocery store diets for a while but in the long run they will cause more health problems and trips to the vet. I have created this list and will try to keep it updated as different foods come on the market that look interesting. If you are looking for some great quality food this is a great place to look no matter what your price range.
Please keep in mind that these are just 3 brands in 3 price ranges. While the first is what I believe to be the highest quality food available the others are not necessarily the best foods available but rather the best values in their price ranges. There are lots of good brands out there but I wrote this for people looking for a place to start or for a new food to try.
I have extensive experience with each of these companies and have personally spent time on the phone with them. They are open and honest in their answers and don't hide behind marketing tricks like other companies I have seen. -Brent
Please keep in mind that these are just 3 brands in 3 price ranges. While the first is what I believe to be the highest quality food available the others are not necessarily the best foods available but rather the best values in their price ranges. There are lots of good brands out there but I wrote this for people looking for a place to start or for a new food to try.
I have extensive experience with each of these companies and have personally spent time on the phone with them. They are open and honest in their answers and don't hide behind marketing tricks like other companies I have seen. -Brent
1 - Nature's Logic
This is the one food that I will say is my favorite food. Of the 90+ brands I use it is the one I feed my dog. I have met the owner and I have great confidence that they are more then marketing hype and actually provide a great quality product. But before we get into the 3 reasons I love this brand I would like to give you a little background on the company.
Nature's Logic was founded a man named Scott Freeman. Scott has been a leader in the pet food industry since the early 90's. He is also the co-founder and developed the formulas for a called Nature's Variety perhaps you have heard of their brands "Instinct" and "Prairie." In 2005 he left Nature's Variety and started Nature's Logic. I was lucky enough to meet Scott at a pet industry conference in Las Vegas in July of 2013 and he seems to genuinely care about giving pets the best he possible can.
There are 3 reasons I put Nature's Logic on top of my list.
- 60% animal ingredients - Most Nature's Logic recipes come in at about 36% protein which I consider moderate to high. It is 15% fat which is moderate. The meat is surplus meat intended for grocery store distribution. There are very few manufactures who can claim this quality.
- Millet as the carb/binder - Dogs struggle to regulate their blood sugar more then humans do. In fact there is an ever growing link between things like potatoes and diabetes in dogs. Millet contains zero sugar and adds fiber to aid in digestion.
- 100% natural vitamins & minerals - Nature's Logic is the only food that does not use synthetic vitamins and minerals. Here is why that is significant. (sorry this may get a bit technical) Synthetic vitamins and minerals are created in a lab and are salt based. These salt based inorganic compounds are bound to a soy protein to create a chelated compound. The by-product of this process is MSG. Personally I might eat something with MSG in it once or twice a month, but I would never eat MSG every meal of every day for years. The effects that these have on our pets are largely undocumented because there has been no natural alternative to test against until now. When AAFCO (the governing body over pet food) saw this concept they were skeptical at best and required feeding trials and blood work to be done. When they were completed they were the best results AAFCO had ever seen. I have a customer who is a vet lab tech who uses this food and does her own blood work and urinary analysis and was very very pleased with the results after having her "problem dog" on this food for only a month. And she was using great quality foods previously.
A 26.8lb bag runs between $60 and $71 depending on the formula.
Nature's Logic was founded a man named Scott Freeman. Scott has been a leader in the pet food industry since the early 90's. He is also the co-founder and developed the formulas for a called Nature's Variety perhaps you have heard of their brands "Instinct" and "Prairie." In 2005 he left Nature's Variety and started Nature's Logic. I was lucky enough to meet Scott at a pet industry conference in Las Vegas in July of 2013 and he seems to genuinely care about giving pets the best he possible can.
There are 3 reasons I put Nature's Logic on top of my list.
- 60% animal ingredients - Most Nature's Logic recipes come in at about 36% protein which I consider moderate to high. It is 15% fat which is moderate. The meat is surplus meat intended for grocery store distribution. There are very few manufactures who can claim this quality.
- Millet as the carb/binder - Dogs struggle to regulate their blood sugar more then humans do. In fact there is an ever growing link between things like potatoes and diabetes in dogs. Millet contains zero sugar and adds fiber to aid in digestion.
- 100% natural vitamins & minerals - Nature's Logic is the only food that does not use synthetic vitamins and minerals. Here is why that is significant. (sorry this may get a bit technical) Synthetic vitamins and minerals are created in a lab and are salt based. These salt based inorganic compounds are bound to a soy protein to create a chelated compound. The by-product of this process is MSG. Personally I might eat something with MSG in it once or twice a month, but I would never eat MSG every meal of every day for years. The effects that these have on our pets are largely undocumented because there has been no natural alternative to test against until now. When AAFCO (the governing body over pet food) saw this concept they were skeptical at best and required feeding trials and blood work to be done. When they were completed they were the best results AAFCO had ever seen. I have a customer who is a vet lab tech who uses this food and does her own blood work and urinary analysis and was very very pleased with the results after having her "problem dog" on this food for only a month. And she was using great quality foods previously.
A 26.8lb bag runs between $60 and $71 depending on the formula.
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free
Earthborn Holistic is a U.S. company that owns their own manufacturing facility so they have complete control over all ingredient sourcing and they choose to source from within the United States. This grain free line contains a high
meat content and is low carb. Their poultry formula is under 20% carbohydrates. I have one customer who switched to this
food who called to excitedly tell me her groomer noticed a difference
in dogs dogs coats. Consider this a solid grain free, low allergen
food that is great for rotation feeding with their four formulas
(poultry, fish, bison, and lamb). This is a great alternative to
Firstmate and Natural Balance which have more potato then meat and
give dogs all sorts of issues when it comes to regulating blood
sugar. (diabetes anyone?) A 28lb bag in any of the 4 flavors runs $53.99.
Fromm Family's Gold line
Fromm is a family owned company that owns their own facility in Wisconsin. This food is a great value. When comparing quality and value I would choose this food over Wellness Super5, Nature's Variety Prairie, Blue Buffalo, AvoDerm, Canidae, Evangers, Firstmate, Iams, Halo, Merrick, Mulligan Stew, Natural Balance, Purina, Precise, and Royal Canin. (I have the ability to sell all of these brands as well). Fromm is the only brand I know of that has a hold and ship policy. Which means they don't ship the food until it is tested for all sorts of contaminates. Most companies ship “at risk” before they get these results back. Because of this policy, the chances of Fromm having a recall are much lower. The only down side is their Gold line only comes in chicken. So it might not be best for dogs with sensitive stomachs. However for a couple dollars more we can jump to their 4star line without chicken and an even higher quality product. A 33lb bag runs $46.99.
While these are a great starting point they are not for every dog. If you have specific questions feel free to use the contact form to ask questions about your dog. Thanks! - Brent
While these are a great starting point they are not for every dog. If you have specific questions feel free to use the contact form to ask questions about your dog. Thanks! - Brent
