Ever since Open Farm Pet Food popped on my rader, I've been intrigued.
It is one of the first "humane" dog food around and on top of that, it's Canadian. So, when I recently won a contest, I asked if they could send me a snack so Leo can sample and I can write about it.
Here it is!
Okay, Leo is obsessed with this treat and he will lead you to where it's placed on the counter. Not many words can describe how intensely he enjoys it.
New Zealand company, really high-quality pet food. Leo licks the bowl clean when he eats this. Smells really good, high percentage of meat. Super nutritional and I love that it has Green Lipped Mussel, really great for joint health.
Hi! So sorry this is a long overdue update, I've been settling in for school (only a little over a month left?! no way!)
Because Leo is not the biggest fan of sugary foods (phew) his teeth is usually not forming cavities. However, when I do give him sticky foods such as a little bit of cooked rice, or yams, I do make sure he gets some healthy gums afterwards.
He loves the flavour of healthy gums and, I have realized applying it on my fingers first then wiping that on his gums is a much better way of administering this product. Also please watch out, if you do drop if on your white shirt, wash it immediately.
Here's more information on Healthy Gums:
Periodontal health is something every dog owner needs to be aware of once a canine reaches age 2 to 3. Multiple factors determine oral health status and these will become more critical as your pet ages. In particular, consider the type of diet your pet eats (including treats) and anything else your pet chews.
Early and advanced stages of gingivitis are both reversible.
I do really like this product and would recommend it.
4.75/5 [Has Rosemary. There has been some kind of connection between Rosemary and dog seizures. If your dog is prone to Seizures, I would not recommend this.]
This may be one of his favourite foods ever. He licks the bowl clean when this is given. I don't really buy into the "Holistic" stuff but it doesn't mean anything holistic is bad. This is advertised as such, and it is fantastic food. The beef is free range, the zucchini is definitely there. He does really well on it despite the fact that there's potato in this and he usually gets yeasty when potatoes are eaten.
Also the food smells great from a human perspective as well!
So as Autumn is in full swing, dogs like Leo who don't have a lot of winter fur and is used to Mexican weather is starting to want to stay indoors more often. I try to get him out of the house but he just shivers at our front door. That's okay!! We just jacket him then he feels a little better.
I'm still putting Agile Joints into his food every morning, for joint health and arthritis prevention. When he is out and playing, he seems as energetic as ever. I still try to run stairs once a week and he still beats me everytime!
I do recommend this awesome product, especially for middle to senior aged dogs like Leo.
So Leo is still doing really well with the SPARK supplement, He still devours it with his food as per usual. I put a little water with the powder since I am afraid he might get the powder in his nose. it helps his digestion and keeps his fur super super soft. People always compliment on how soft he is (which I wish he understood!)
Spark also gives the pets healthy bones, better nutrient absorption, and stronger immune system! So all around a great product.
(This is from Pet Wellbeing and I think it's great info)
Healthy Gums is a potent infused herbal product with added nutrients for gum and oral health: Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin C and Zinc. It does not contain alcohol or harsh ingredients that can cause further irritation of the gums!
I've been trying a new tactic because even though he is a small dog, and it's not that hard to force his mouth open, he hates it. So I've been dripping it on my fingers and swiping his gums with it. It works pretty well since he really likes the bacon flavor of it. His breath also smells great! Please click here for more information on Healthy Gums
Every morning I give him 3 to 5 drops of this stuff and he always LOVES it. He runs around like a little rascal when I walk him and of course, I want him to be as healthy and happy like this, always. This product is really solid, made of good, natural ingredients.
Of course, the most important thing to prevent arthritis for human AND pets is keeping a really healthy weight. Once you've got that down, you can take things to the next level, do some conditioning with Agile Joints.
People don't usually associate Gum health and Heart/ cardiovascular health
(I understand, they aren't exactly the closest thing on the body)
But they are closely linked due to blood vessels.
Essentially when you have plaque on your gums, it goes into the bloodstream and just like cholesterol, it blocks the arteries.
And of course, this does not only happen to humans. Dogs and cats also have hearts, and they can also have heart diseases.
Thankfully, Leo doesn't like to eat sweets. However, the fruit and vegetables we give him still has a significant amount of sugar.
This is why I use healthy gums for his health and his breathe. When we went to the vet, she told us that his teeth is okay for now, but we need to be diligent about brushing it. I try to brush it once ever few days (it's not ideal but I'll improve)
But the gum drops only take about 1 min (if he behaves) and I find that his gums do look cleaner as well as immediately fresher breathe. Healthy gums is also completely natural with really clean ingredients so I'm really happy with it. His breath smells super nice and fresh and,
you know what, when he smiles (which he does when he is taking nap usually), it looks bright!
Leo's taking a small break before going out for more exercising!
So sorry for the late update, I'm actually overseas for school and traveling this summer. But reports from my family members who are taking care of Leo says he is doing super well and his fur is as soft as ever. He is also energetic and soooo happy to just hangout and do lots of outdoor activities!
Agile joints is a fantastic supplement that is natural. Not to mention he enjoys the taste of it! I just asked my family to put 3 drops on his food in the morning and he eats it happily. Although he is senior, he can still climb stairs with more agility than me even! With this supplement, I hope to climb stairs with him for many many years to come.
Please click here for more information, this is one of my favorite companies for Pet products and not only do they have great customer service, but they also truly care about pets!
A little update on SPARK, his fur has never felt so incredibly soft! It looks shiny and feels almost velvety. His appetite is great as is his energy levels. I just put a little bit in every morning, and he loves the taste as well!
I have purchased a couple open range products in the past and had loved them. So it wasn't long until I got this bully "spring" in which I felt that it was easier to chew for leo (not necessarily a good thing if I want him to use it as a dental stick) but nevertheless he likes it as well.
This one is made of muscle, so I wouldn't really consider it an authentic bully stick but works about the same way. Is not as smelly as Bully sticks.
After me dicing it up and putting some water with it. Looked a little like canned food.
As mentioned before, I love freeze dried stuff. This food just looked and smelled really good. It was quite light but substantial. Leo had it for dinner one night and he devoured it. Looking at the ingredients, I thought that it was definitely a top notch choice.
I'm also a sucker for gorgeous packaging.
Because it is got an impressive ingredient list, it is quite a pricey food. However, I do trust and believe it is a fantastic product. So if your budget allows, I would recommend this food. They also have food for cats as well.
After accidentally feeding him puppy food, we thought that the results were surprisingly not bad despite it was pretty high in fat and protein. So I decided to try the adult version with the same main meats. There are many meats at the front of the ingredient list, which I'm happy about.
Leo has always enjoyed Petcurean food despite his potato sensitivity (he gets yeasty/ shakes head a lot). This one has a significant lower percentage of potatoes than the Now! line which I stay away from now. He maintained his healthy weight on this kibble and it smelled pretty amazing.
Personally, I am still questioning the importance of grain free, as I feed my dog oatmeal occasionally and it just.. works with his body. But it's good to know the option to go grain free is out there.
I would recommend this food if your dog does not have potato problems.
Hello readers! Happy sunday, you know what time it is!! It's time for another update!
Healthy gums and overall good dental health promotes
Good resistance to oral infections
Less plaque build up
More pleasant breath
Soothing of the gums
Prevention of problems that result from gum inflammation
Although Leo is still fidgety when I apply this to his gums, He does also lick it up afterwards (which means that he likes the taste!) I may have found a solution.
What this product does is give him AMAZING breath. Truly a good breath refresher after those delicious salmon treats.
I like to read through ingredient lists and found this one to be full of natural and herbal stuff, which I love. And did I mention it smells amazing? (I did. :P)
The woman who either baked them / works for the company is inCREDIBLY friendly and approachable. I had such a good time talking to her. She also loved Leo. This is 100% salmon skin. which is the only ingredient, which I like. Leo ADORES this (as you can see in the video)
They look and smell really phenomenal. Crispy goodness.
Has it been another week already? Time is flying by these days!
I just wanted to update on SPARK and let you know that Leo is still doing very well on it!
Now that we have run out of yougurt for now, I have simply been mixing this all in one supplement with a little water and then putting his breakfast into the water! One thing about adding water to kibble though - Please read the ingredients and watch out for citric acid - If there is citric acid, there is a high chance of BLOAT for especially large dogs if you add water to it. Bloat is a painful condition in which dogs will need to go to the emergency since their stomachs can twist.
Leo still loves this, and his poop and fur all look really nice. He has lots of energy and can take super long walks with me. He also sleeps very well.
Here are just some of the benefits of SPARK
Healthy bones, teeth and coat
Good digestion and nutrient absorption
Joint and muscle health
Immune system and normal recovery
Healthy hormone levels
Fighting free radical damage (anti-oxidant)
Important vitamins & minerals for growth, aging and normal cell repair
Okay perhaps this is for a 4 pound dog because my 9 pound dog does not chew on these because they are so tiny. They smelled really good though.
My review 3/5/ Leo's review, 4/5
Aside from potatoes, I love all the ingredients in this food - omega 3 and 6, coconut oil, etc.
While I've heard other dogs do super well on this formula, mine was not the best.
NOW FRESH is Petcurean's "fresher" line. When I was trying this out I noticed that Leo was shaking his head a lot (1 sign of yeast overgrowth) and he was also smelling like yeast. Then I noticed that this line is heavy in potatoes. However, this could also be from other reasons but this is the biggest suspect as of now. I switched him to a less potato-y food and he's definitely shaking his head less.
Although it is suitable for more older dogs, I felt that their GO! line is still an superior product. And look at the kibble! He was swallowing them whole. I wish it was the same design just twice as big.
Even for a chihuahua, I felt that the kibbles were a little bit too tiny.
Overall, I trust Petcurean as a company and they have a fantastic company that always donates food to shelters.
