Dog Food Saga

I will be the first to admit that when Kody and I first moved out, our lifestyle was not always the heathiest. Since the easy way out was generally a lot cheaper, we would eat take out and buy cheap food. These habits also extended to Pepper’s diet, albeit I still bought her a well-known brand of dog food. Lately, however, I have the urge to better myself by eating smarter and becoming a more conscious consumer. While I want to implement these plans in my household, they are much easier said than done. Frankly, I did not realize this task would be so daunting: the sheer amount of product options causes me to do more research than ever prior to actually buying something.

As previously mentioned, Pepper is my baby and I want to make the right choices when it comes to her health. Some of you may know this already, but Pepper is prone is bladder infections: for a while, she would get one almost every three months. So, of course I wanted her to get better and not have them as often, but I hated constantly putting her on medicine. For this reason, I decided to see if more natural products would help prevent her bladder infections and also help her to be as healthy as possible.

In the past, we fed Pepper Iams Senior dog food because that is what the animal shelter gave her. In my opinion, it is a decent dog food, but not the best because it contains some ingredients that are mostly sourced from China. Due to my discomfort, I began researching dog foods and eventually came across Merrick.

This brand drew me in as soon as I found it partly because their grain-free formula contains glucosamine. Pepper already takes this supplement in a pill to help relieve any arthritis pain from her joints. (Her pills are 600mg, and so is the food.) Merrick has a few different versions, each containing different dosages of glucosamine.

Likewise, I want to give Pepper a high-quality food, meaning no byproducts. So, I was relieved to see the first ingredient in this food is real meat. Plus, this line is also grain-free. Although there is a lot of debate on this matter, my personal research determined dogs do not need grain in their diets. In fact, I learned grain can actually be the cause of a lot of allergies in dogs. Since Pepper has pretty bad allergies, I am interested to see if eliminating grain from her diet helps with this issue.

Lastly, I also wanted to give this brand a try because it is made right here in the USA. As such, I do not have to worry about ingredients coming from China and what kind of standards they fall under.

In addition to her dog food, I also wanted to switch Pepper’s treats. We were feeding her Milk Bones and Beggin’ Strips: brands which seem to receive negative reviews because of their ingredients. When looking for more natural treat options, I wanted something that would be similar to what we were already giving her, except healthier. While searching, I stumbled upon Wet Noses and Spot Farms.

Wet Noses reminded me of the Milk Bones because they are like a cookie. These are wheat-free, made in the USA, organic and contain no GMOs. I like these because they are made with “limited ingredients,” so only the good stuff goes in rather than fillers. They also have a wide variety of different flavor options, but we only tried the pumpkin and peanut butter flavor so far. Amazingly, Pepper absolutely loves them.

The other treat we are currently trying is Spot Farms’ Hickory Smoked Bacon Recipe. These are like a jerky and have since replaced the Beggin’ Strips. I thought these were really cool because the package shows where all the ingredients come from. Ours is actually from Indiana. Neat, right? Also, these are made with human grade ingredients which is definitely a win!

Lastly, I bought some cranberry supplements for Pepper. Similarly to human health, cranberries really help with bladder problems. I give her one little supplement a day and, so far, these seem to help with her infections. The ingredients are also very natural, making this product a much better option compared to medication.

Overall, this transition has been a great journey for both of us: I feel so much better about what I feed Pepper, and she is so much healthier. Also, please note if you plan on making this switch, it is incredibly important to ease your dogs into the new food (and always consult with your vet). Otherwise, a sharp change can easily cause upset stomachs. Personally, I gave Pepper 10 days before she was fully integrated on all the new stuff.

I hope this post helps some of you looking to go all natural with your dog! Let me know if you are thinking about making the switch or if you have already done so and have any tips—I would love to hear your thoughts.

Molly

Credits//Author: Molly Adamczyk. Photography: Molly Adamczyk Copy Editor: Ashley Adamczyk