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print this pageDogs give four paws up to raw/canned delicacies
by Leslie Mann
Like a coke addict poised to snort a line, Mike eyed his target, his ears alert. Instead of a rolled-up dollar bill, though, Mike aimed his tongue. Then I released his leash.
Down the line of dog-food samples he went, driven by centuries of Corgi confidence, scarfing every bit. Then, he snatched the paper plate with the only canned sample (Organix/Turkey), dragged it away and ate it.
And so began my search for healthful and tasty food for my dogs. Although I buy a top-rated kibble, I believe I can do better, especially as I see the growing list of diseases dogs contract. While I was growing up, our dogs died of old age. But in the last 20 years, I've had dogs with Addison's disease, premature arthritis, cancer and allergies. Where did these come from?
I pledged to give my dogs' diet the same due diligence I have given my kids'.
I asked retailers for samples of healthful brands. Then I staged a taste-test with my dogs, Mike and Delilah, and a friend's, Buster.
As I predicted, "Eat it now and taste it later" Mike downed every sample. An easy keeper he is, but lousy taste-tester.
But as testers we still had Delilah, a picky retriver with the credo "mom won't let me starve." And in Sycamore we had Buster, a Labrador-poodle. The "only grandchild" of Mary-Glynn Boies', he is a discriminating diner.
"I feed my family organic food from farmers' markets and a co-op but haven't figured out what to feed Buster," Boies said. "I've read labels, but they all say something different."
Most preferred by both were raw/canned: Organix canned, Force/Chicken, the only "raw" food in the test.
That said, here's what they liked among the dry food, in order:
Delilah
Paws Up (liked)
Fromm/Duck & Sweet Potato, Pinnacle/Chicken, Wellness Core/Original Formula, The Goodlife Recipe/Beef, Nature'sVariety/Raw Instinct, TimberWolf/Black Forest Venison, Oven-Baked Tradition/Chicken, Oven- Baked Tradition/Fish. She reluctantly ate TimberWolf/Wildernness Elk & Salmon and Organix/Chicken.
Paws down (refused): Pinnacle/Trout, TimberWolf/Dakota Bison, TimberWolf/Southwest Chicken & Herbs, TimberWolf/Lamb With Apples, TimberWolf/Ocean Blue, Nature's Variety/Lamb Meal, TimberWolf/Wild & Natural and Nature's Variety/New Zealand Venison.
Buster
Paws Up: Nature's Variety/Lamb Meal. The rest he ate according to proximity.
Paws down: Organix/Chicken and The Goodlife Recipe/Beef.
Dessert
Delilah
Best to last: Wellness/WellBars, The Goodlife Recipe/Wholesome Biscuits, Wysong Daily Dream Treats/All Pheasant, Buddy Biscuits/Roasted Chicken, Buddy Biscuits/Peanut Butter, Wellness/Just for Puppy Treats, Wellness/WellBites Lamb & Salmon, Organix/Chicken and Wellness Pure Rewards/Venison Jerky.
Buster
The Goodlife Recipe/Wholesome Biscuits, Organix/Chicken, Wysong Daily Dream Treats/All Pheasant, Wellness Pure Rewards/Venison Jerk, Wellness WellBites/Lamb & Salmon, Wellness/Just for Puppy Treats,Wellness/WellBars, Buddy Biscuits/Roasted Chicken and Wellness/Peanut Butter.
Mike gave paws-up to all of them. Surprise, surprise.
