[Bag of Opals]

I’m calling her Opal, and will be bringing her home this weekend. She’s a toy breed mix and the cutest little thing. Opal is going to be fed raw during the day and some Ivory Coat (an Australian dry food) at night. I’ve read about rotation feeding and agree this is a good idea. However, there’s already going to be a lot of variety in the food, so should I leave everything as is or still try to find something new to swap in every now and then? This is what I am seeking suggestions on. I’ve lived with pups, but not actually raised one myself.

The raw food is possible thanks to my parents. They make it for their Sheltie and Irish Wolfhound (the latter managed to steal a chicken wing last night!) with some extra to give to me, so I’m not exactly in a position to dictate what ingredients go into the mix. It’s ground up and contains:

-Lamb mince, liver and heart
-Pork tongue
-Sardines
-Chicken wings
-Crushed eggshell
-Peas and carrots

Very nice, but is there still a risk of developing food sensitivities because these proteins are all being fed at once? I’ve considered purchasing something like the Ziwipeak beef and venison canned formulas, but they’re not cheap and I’d like to avoid that expense if it’s not necessary.

As for Ivory Coat, their puppy formula is chicken-based. I plan to rotate among the other formulas in the brand when Opal’s grown up. I know a lot of folks here advocate rotating between brands as well as flavours, but I want to support an Aussie company, plus this seems to be the only dry food here with a protein % in the 30s. That’s not to say we don’t have good imported choices, but they just don’t compare.

Reactions to chicken are probably as common as they are because so many puppy foods use it… The only non-chicken food specifically for puppies that I know of and is available over here is TOTW Pacific Stream. Diamond, gah. Opal should be fine with just Ivory Coat, but I’m a paranoid lady and want the best for her.

[Susan W]

Contact VeRus for some suggestions/samples. I was looking for an alternative to homemade food (I got tired of the mess/smell) and found them on a list of 15 foods with no recalls. I used the contact form on their website & had a nice conversation with someone there who asked useful questions and gave suggestions. They then sent me several sample bags (free!) and I have fed VeRus ever since. It’s FANTASTIC! It doesn’t stink, it isn’t sticky or gross, and their food is produced/packaged/sourced here in the US. (Except for a New Zealand lamb formula) Do a web search using the name VeRUS.

[Susan W]

BTW – on the surface, VeRus doesn’t appear to be inexpensive but my dogs use it very efficiently so I end up feeding less than I expected and we get a lot less waste. On the whole, it’s very cost-effective.

[Susan]

Hi, from another aussie, love her name Opal……We have a few Australian made foods, there’s “Meals For Mutts” & “Stay Loyal” both Australian made premium kibbles…..Stay Loyal only makes the 1 kibble & doesn’t sell thru on line pet stores or thru Pet Shops you have to buy from the Stay Loyal site, I think their kibble is an All Life Stages formula, you’d have to email Stay Loyal & ask….
“Meals For Mutts” is Gluten, Dairy, Sugar & Potato FREE, excellent for dogs with food sensitivities & skin problems & they have excellent treats with no added ingredients like Ivory Coats treats have….MfM treats are all natural, MfM also make, Omega 3 6 & 9 Oil, Probiotic & a new Tripe powder has just come out, you add to your raw or cooked food, follow MfM on their Face Book page to keep up to date, they are always bringing out new things..
here’s their site http://www.mealsformutts.com.au/index.html

Also try the Ziwi Peak air dried raw you can use as treats for training, Ziwi Peak rung me yesterday, I have just got a 5 month old kitten from RSPCA & I sent Ziwi Peak an email asking is their cat Air Dried food an all life stages formula & can it be fed to kittens, the man that rung said, yes it can, the cat Air Dried can be feed to my kitten & they will have a freshly made samples next week & he’ll be sending me out some samples, send them an email & tell them about your new pup & ask for some samples to see which flavour she prefers of all their Air Dried formulas my boy loves the Venison & Fish, also send MfM an email they also will send you out some samples, so Opal will have a heaps of healthy training treats…. http://www.ziwipeak.com

[Bag of Opals]

US Susan: I appreciate the suggestion on what looks like a nice product range, but it’s a bit difficult to obtain something only sold on the opposite side of the world to which one lives.

AU Susan: Stay Loyal looks like an excellent food, but as a single, unemployed, mentally ill and neurologically disabled person, it costs more than I really want to pay. Meals for Mutts looks like it could work, though. I’d passed up that brand earlier, I think because I’d misread the protein amount. Their other products are certainly worth considering.

Ziwipeak definitely isn’t something I can afford to buy regularly, so it doesn’t really feel right to ask for samples. I’m glad your pack is doing well, though! I love cats, but decided a dog better suited what I’m looking for-a companion to share company and love with.

EDIT: How do I post pictures here? It’s been a long time since I’ve fiddled directly with html.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Bag of Opals.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Bag of Opals.

[Susan]

Hi Bags Of Opal, how are you buying the Ivory Coat if you live on the other side of the world?? also Ivory Coat is dearer then Meals For Mutts & Ziwi Peak, I don’t understand if you cant afford Ziwi Peak but you can afford Ivory Coat…..

[Bag of Opals]

The other Susan was talking about a different brand. Unless I’ve not looked in the right place, Verus isn’t available in Australia. I need to brush up on my html so I can organise things better.

And true, you do get a bit more for your money with MfM than IC, but could you please explain how Ziwipeak works out to be better value? Maths is… not exactly my strong point.

[Susan W]

Opals – you are correct. I apologize. I didn’t realize you were in Australia. Be sure to check BarkPost’s list of 15 foods without a recall. That might help.

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