Love that this product does not contain corn, soy, peas or meat by products. Bought this for my large breed puppy. She doesn't seem to like the kibble by itself, but she has been spoiled by me putting a tiny amount of canned cat food in the bowl, mixing it with water and then adding the kibble. I feed her this food for breakfast and lunch. (Have read the cat food is more nutritious than dog food as cats required more nutrition. We have cats and our dogs love cat food.) Have read that kibble is cooked at very high temperatures which destroys flavor and nutrients, so after the cooked kibble is extruded, it is sprayed with vitamins/minerals and fat to give both flavor and nutrients to the processed kibble.
For dinner I feed the puppy the same home-made food as my 6 year-old large dog. I cook ground turkey, brown rice, cauliflower/carrots/broccoli, water and chicken broth in a crockpot and then store it in the refrigerator. Am going to feed this puppy kibble until the puppy is at least one year old to ensure she is getting all the nutrients needed during her first year. I have vitamin/mineral supplements I give to the 6year old dog.
Because many people have become aware of the problems with corn and grain-based dog food, most manufacturers are now substituting peas for dog food fillers so they can advertise "grain-free" as a selling point. Unfortunately, peas are not easily digested by dogs and are even worse for the dogs. Had a smart German Shepard mix that would eat left over stew but spit out the peas. Thought it was funny that her bowl would be empty with a small pile of peas left in the bowl. Had an Irish Setter 30 years ago that developed a skin allergy due to dog food. He lost most of his hair and had itchy red bumps all over his skin. Had I known what I now know, we could have cured his skin allergy by changing his diet. Also had a female dog who had repeated ear infections. The vet used antibiotics to clear up the infection but told me to expect the ear infections to continue due to allergies, but she didn't offer any solution or acknowledgement that the allergies were food related.
I read that ear infections are common with food allergies. Started making and giving my dogs home made dog food (cooked ground turkey, brown rice, chicken broth/water, cauliflower/broccoli/carrots) and the dog no longer had ear infections. When I took her back to the vet a few months later for her rabies vaccination, the vet commented on how healthy she looked and how shiny her fur was. The other benefit to homemade dog food is that the dogs don't get fat like they do on commercial dog food. This spayed female dog was still active and not overweight at 11 years old.
Also, with the price of dog food sky rocketing, home made dog food is not any more expensive than commercial dog food. I buy a 3 lb package of ground turkey at WalMart for the best price. The other ingredients are fairly inexpensive. I make a double batch of dog food, divide it into portion sizes, vacuum seal the portions and freeze them since the puppy only eats a small amount. This allows me to go a number of days before having to make more dog food and also ensures the dog food is fresh for each feeding.
As far as commercial kibble is concerned, this dog food seems to be one of the better dog foods available. Highly recommend for large breed dog owners, especially if you don't have the time or desire to make your own dog food.
Chicken, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Salt, Fish Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Citric Acid (preservative), Mixed Tocopherols (preservative), Dicalcium Phosphate, Chia Seed, Dried Coconut, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Egg Product, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Kale, Dried Spinach, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract
