Taste of the Wild -Review

Original article from http://www.fidosplace.wordpress.com Since the time of the recall I, like many other pet owners found myself on a quest for the perfect food. The closest thing I could find in a commercial kibble was a brand named 'Natures Way' or was it 'Natural Way' one of those :) Their product was actually endorsed by Lassie (which one I am not certain, I believe there were a few of them) Anyhoo, I had decided to go 'Raw' and used 'Nature's Whatever' as a base. The food was decent with much better ingredients than anything else on the shelves and I am including all of the TOP brand names in my comparison. I, much to the great dismay of Proctor and Gamble and all their evil competitors have learned to read, as well as decipher packaging labels!! Although I had done considerable research I was not entirely convinced that my dog was getting all the necessay vitamins and proteins etc. It seems there is an ongoing debate between scientists and experts as to feeding raw and the nutritional value of vegetables and the necessity or lack there of, of wheats,grains,barley etc..in a canine diet. Okay, getting to the point I was on a shopping trip to my local feed store (the best place to shop for pets!!) and as usual I was scanning all the top brand name dog foods for changes in their food ingredients. (Science, Eukanuba, Diamond, Purina O.N.E. etc) Personally i think these pet food companies think that enough of the population is completely oblivious, idiotic and apparently illiterate that they do not need to change their ingredients. I find this rather insulting on behalf of the American public!! Sorry I went off rambling again!! The owner of the store approached me when she heard me discussing the food ingredients with my fiance. They had just got in a brand new food that neither her or I had heard of. 'Taste of the wild' is grain free and the 1st listed ingredient is meat (actually 'Bison' in the formula I purchased- the high prairie formula) the second ingredient is meat (Venison-again -high prairie formula) the 3rd ingredient is lamb meal,the 4th is chicken meal. If you know anything about reading labels then you know where I am going with this. I had to try it. We are finishing up our first bag -the 30lb size. My pitbull's coat is shiny, shiny, and she is muscling up. We have seen no more signs of what I thought was mange it has completely cleared up. Her constant itching has left as well. I liked the results and I grabbed some consumer ratings from a site for you to see. Again I am not making anything off this (but hey if you guys at 'Taste of the wild' want to sponsor my site ....I am game :)) Five Stars *****so far I will keep you posted as we get through bag two. p.s.They also have cat food P.P.S Please excuse any typo's and grammar/spelling mistakes it is after 1:00a.m. and I am too sleepy to care!! Addendum: I had to add this as an afterthought...I feel I need to mention that a company can legally claim that they do not use rendered animals in their foods if they in fact 'purchase' their 'meal product' from another company...technically. But it is still in their product they just do not have to 'legally' state it. Ethically...there are no ethics here...it's all about MONEY!!!! Reviews for Taste of the Wild REVIEWER RATING & REVIEW HARLEYMIKE (0) 06/24/2008 FEED IT TO MY 3 BOSTON TERRIERS. THEY SEEM TO LIKE THE POULTRY MORE THAN THE VENISON AND BUFFALO.SO FAR SO GOOD ,HEALTHY DOGS & SMALL PILES. KIND OF EXPENSIVE THOUGH. (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - Email to a Friend kellybelly2007 (0) 06/13/2008 My dog pug is very happy with this food (high prairie formula) I used to fed her with purina puppy chow and she puked. I changed it into beneful and but she is shedding so bad,had a very bad breath, her eyes always got greenish liquid, she excreted rancid smelling liquid that came out from her butt, and she got severe ear infection that we spent a lot of money sending her to the vet ....it costs us $89.00 every visit plus the ear ointment and ear liqid cleaner that costs us $60.00. So i read a lot of stuff about dogs diet in the internet and changed her dogfood to taste of the wild and she really loves this new dogfood.After a week feeding her with taste of the wild all the health prolems she had are all gone. And she is now a happy and energetic pug. I recommended TOTW to my mother in law's chihuahua too. My mother in law was very worried because her chihuahua would just sleep and do nothing..she dont even play fetch anymore and she dont even guard her mama at night which she usually do before.....from science diet to TOTW after a few days she bacame the active dog and every night she would guard her mama like a tough cookie :) (1 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - shopgirl1 (0) 06/12/2008 The GMO comment below caught my attention because when I checked the bag, it did not say anything about genetically modified ingredients. I called the customer service line for Taste of the Wild and they assured me that NONE of their ingredients are genetically modified in any way, and that they firmly stand by the quality of all ingredients. If you have any further concerns, give them a call 800-977-8797. They are quite helpful! (1 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - Khaki (0) 06/02/2008 this food is great tasting, but is filled with GMO ingredients. I had to throw away a greatly loved food because GMO engineered foods aren't going to ruin our lives if I can help it. (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 2 comment(s) - mcn1197 (0) 05/31/2008 My Rottweiler liked this food, but, then again, he likes anything. Mainly, I fed him the High Plains formula, but his system never seemed to agree with him much. His body and coat prospered while he was eating TOTW, but his digestive system had trouble completely digesting it. He had a ton of gas, meaning that his stomach and small intestine were passing undigested components of the food to his colon. His stools were often very runny and inconsistent, as well.Overall, for the most part, the ingredients in TOTW are very good, but my Rottie didn't do well on it. So, we made a switch. For the money that we were paying for our Rottie to eat TOTW, it definitely didn't work for us. (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - bulldog07 (0) 05/05/2008 Seems to be a descent food, seems to be heavy on veggies. Also, it seems to have a lot of different kinds of meat in it, and if your dog develops a protein allergy, that will make it very difficult to find a protein the dog has not been exposed to. (1 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - kpusa78 (3) 05/03/2008 Ingredients are great and my girl loves the flavors...not the fish as much, but she'll still "wolf it down". : )She does great on this, her fur is super soft, her feces are smaller, and the shedding seems to have subsided a great deal. I love the concept of no grain, but some of the other brands just had too much protein and she didn't do so great digestively with those. She is thriving on this. This will be a new, permanent addition to her rotation. (1 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - dakotabarbay (2) 04/28/2008 This food has been amazing for my 11 month old German Shorthaired Pointer. She has been on it for about 6 weeks now. It was difficult to find a food that could support her through training, and hunting. She lost weight on Innova Puppy, but has been able to maintain good muscle mass, as well as has much less gas on the Taste of the Wild (Wetlands). She has always been a picky eater, but she gobbles this food down as soon as it hits the bowl. Her coat is beautiful also. I would recommend this food to anyone who has a high energy dog. (2 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - Cathleen2u (0) 04/28/2008 Before we bought our Chihuahua puppy, we researched the internet for over three weeks (20+ hours) on the health and well being of our new-to-be adopted family member. We wanted to make certain she had the best food with a high protein base as dogs are carnivores with meat eating teeth and intestinal tracts with no grains as they do not have the intestinal systems to break down these types of food. This diet would enable our new puppy to have a good foundation in life with regard to her bones, teeth, organs, skin and temperament. In addition, we wanted to try to keep vet visits to a minimum. After a truly exhaustive study and the blessing of meeting an amazing man at a Women's Show in Seattle whom happens to be a biology major (and can hold a candle to any Naturopathic Vet or Doctor) with an emphasis in nutrition and almost twenty years in the pet food industry, we made the decision to let our puppy test our top three choices in three bowls side by side: Taste of the Wild (Roasted Bison and Venison Blend), Innova EVO (chicken blend) and Innova Puppy Formula. She absolutely loves the Taste of the Wild and EVO close second. I believe she may like the type of meat better in the Taste of the Wild, so we will try the red meat blend of the EVO as the gentleman stated above raved about the human grade quality of meat in the EVO food and the fact that his dogs are on it. BTW, Wellness is a take off of this product, but not as high of quality meat or protein. She was weaned on Pedigree and when we tried to give her a sample a week later she wouldn't even go near it!!!Our puppy's health and disposition are amazing with her coat looking better and better each day and her droppings having less odor! We hope her breeder reads this website and makes a healthy change for their Moms and Pops, as well as their pups. I highly recommend both Taste of the Wild and EVO for the health and longevity of your pet - give your dog the test and your fears a rest!!! P.S. It is well worth the extra money to invest in a high quality pet food for your pet(s) and it may even save you money in vet bills and possibly the life of your pet. I have found that the local feed stores that appreciate and stock high quality pet foods are the most reasonably priced (ie. Issaquah Feed Store, Issaquah, WA. Best of luck!!! (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - susieesposito (0) 04/15/2008 I have 3 German lined working German Shepherd dogs,which they need the protein because of their working drives, my male has had an overly sensitive belly for his whole life he is now 1 year old...I have spent so much money on all types of foods trying to find one that was good for him and after 4 days of using the Bison/venison formula his bowel movements started to actually form which is something that NEVER happened. This food is great!!!! I am totally sold on it and the dogs Love it so much. They poop alot less too! Which is a good thing...because this means they are getting more protein and less junk. It is the cheapest non grain food I have found and used also. Do not hesitate on trying this food. 30 pounds for $47.00 ... and it is healthy and an excellent food....the dogs think it tastes great too. I go through a bag a week....with a 1 year old, 7 month old and a 12 week old GSD. (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - SusanH (0) 04/12/2008 My Lab had chronic diarrhea for 2-1/2 months - I tried all sorts of high end hollistic foods - e.g., Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, Natura EVO, Innova, Healthwise, California Natural, Eagle Pack Hollistic Select, Natural Balance Potato & Duck - plus all sorts of medications from the Vet and none of these helped. I finally tried TOTW Wetlands Foul and his stools ae totally normal! I am elated. All dogs are different and you have to find the right food for each individual dog. BTW, I am feeding TOTW with a top dressing of Natures Variety raw meat. (1 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - snowangelz (0) 04/06/2008 I just bought my first bag of totw The Bison and Venison formula. I don't know yet how well my 2 shepard/chow mix dogs will do yet but I do know they both wolfed the first bowls down and wanted more and I haven't seen that reaction to any food I've given them in a very long time. I have tried alot of the holistic and organic formulas and they will rather go hungry than eat them. I am excited to see them eat this food they way they do. I pray they do well on it. I will let you know how they are doing in a week or two. (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - JMZMSD (0) 03/27/2008 Leafy - check out this website for the meat content. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1286&cat=allMy dogs absolutely love this food, and my GSDs coat has begun to improve in as little as a few weeks. (3 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - petanarchist (8) 03/13/2008 I am really nervous about using this food in any heavy rotation. I have some trial bags and the 'kids' seem to like it just fine, but to be honest, I do not have a comfort level with this manufacturer. Leafy (below) made a couple of interesting observations.I'd love to think I could get a great bag of food at a great price - but my experience has taught me you 'don't get what you don't pay for.' I'm staying cautious and will keep reading reviews to see what mid-term results brings... (1 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 2 agree) 3 comment(s) - PETMAN (0) 03/12/2008 Best Grain Free on the Market!!!! The price is very affordable too!!! (2 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 1 agree) 0 comment(s) - ahorse33 (0) 03/09/2008 I have tried High Prairie and Wetlands Canine and my dog loves both of them. Just from looking at the indgredients on the back it looks like a pretty decent dog food. I think it is the best dog food available compared to some of the dog foods offered at the local pet stores in the community. Some of these other dog foods that are rated a little higher than this one are very hard to find and I have looked through many different stores. (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 1 agree) 0 comment(s) - deb371 (0) 03/02/2008 I feed 9 Bostons, 2 Yorkies and 3 Westies TOTW. I rotate with Evo, Wellness Core and Orijen. Rotated with the other grain free foods it give my dogs beautiful coats, good stools and energy. While it does have some fillers, it is an ok food. Not all dogs do good on grain free foods, but most do. When it comes to food for all my dogs, the price does not matter. But the quailty does. In my opinion a breeder should use the best food, no matter what it costs. Just this breeders opinion :) Update: TOTW did well with my dogs, but I did however notice their stools were huge for a grain free food. Changed to Natura. (2 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 1 agree) 0 comment(s) - Leafy (0) 02/28/2008 Does not disclose their meat content. A lot of pet food companies jumping on the 'grain free' bandwagon but the food doesn't mean anything if its more potatoes/tapicoca/etc than the meat itself. They're merely replacing the grains with poatoes. I emailed Diamond and all the vet could offer me when I asked about their meat content is 'proprietary information' ??? (3 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - sharnor (0) 02/27/2008 I have retired racing greyhounds and a pit bull--I tried "taste of the wild" and the dogs devoured it. I like to give them a plain kibble small meal morning and night and this is it--they beg for it. (0 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - snarfal (0) 02/26/2008 My dog loves the Pacific Stream/Salmon TOTW -- really loves it. He used to be on Timberwolf Ocean Blue and loved that too (he loves fish!). I will say that on Timberwolf his coat was shinier and softer... but his bowels movements are normal on TOTW, something only the Ocean Blue offered before. He has plenty of energy too. My only reservations are A) not organic and B) made by Diamond. However the price is right and there don't seem to have been any truly negative reports... I just bought my 2nd 30-lb bag. (1 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) 0 comment(s) - <