Dog Food Advisor Forums Marionne H

Marionne H

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • in reply to: Acana to be Manufactured in Kentucky #85152 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Thanks much, that’s great news. Everything I’m reading so far sounds good about the steps Champion is taking to preserve the quality of their foods with their move of manufacturing to Kentucky. It looks like they are making some similar changes to their Canadian-produced line as well. Good luck and I hope all continues to go well for you! I wish my dog liked the Acana, but no dice. I even bought a small bag of Grasslands (I tried the Wild Prairie with her before) just in case a different flavor would tempt her. No interest at all…and she really does prefer a small kibble.

    in reply to: Wet/Dry Dog Food Saga #85033 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Your numbers do look correct…I have a 22 pound dog with a recommended daily calorie intake of about 620 calories, and RC low fat is lower in calories than a lot of canned varieties. Quality canned food is pricey no matter what you serve and a lower cal food is just going to increase the quantity you need to feed. What specific food requirements does your dog have?

    in reply to: Acana to be Manufactured in Kentucky #84991 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Hi texasniteowl,

    I am no expert, but here’s what I know so far. The manufacturing of Acana for US markets is transitioning/has transitioned to Kentucky. The primary reason stated by the company for this move is increasing shipping costs and the expansion of the popularity of the foods in the US market. Champion is being very open about the move to Kentucky, and is proud of their new facility which has been constructed. Lots of data on the new kitchens is available on the acana.com website. The manufacturing of Orijen for US markets will also be moving to Kentucky.

    They have changed their formulas. Given the new location and their focus on local sourcing of ingredients, some of the changes will be driven by the fact that they will be sourcing from Kentucky farms and surrounding areas. For some formulas (like the regional formulas), they are increasing the amount of meat in comparison with the old formulas, with more fresh and raw inclusions. This will explain changes in the ingredient list like deboned lamb now being the first ingredient instead of lamb meal in the formula you mentioned. In order to keep protein levels high with more fresh meat ingredients, we may see a higher level and different mix of legumes, so this may explain some of the other changes in the ingredient list. Not sure about the other ingredient changes like more produce, seeds, botanicals, etc…but it seems to be following the current trend to include a broader spectrum of ingredients.
    It does seem that Champion is committed to making a good line of foods in Kentucky, using local sourcing and addressing the US market. After much pondering myself, I decided that it sounds like Acana is continuing to head in the right direction, and that time will tell as with any change (we’ll just have to watch vigilantly). So, I bought a bag, deciding that Acana will be in my dog’s rotation.
    She didn’t like it. The kibbles were too big and she didn’t seem to care for the taste. So much for all that research!

    in reply to: Food Advice, switching from Beneful #84610 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Have you tried the Merrick canned foods? My last dog seemed to think they were the bomb, they were like stews. Different recipes, so she won’t get bored. You might also want to look at Weruva. Expensive, but it has a “brothy” consistency she might like and there are a number of varieties. Once you find a wet food she likes you can mix in the dry.

    in reply to: Kibble for Small Breed #84602 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Dog Pack Mom, what kinds of dogs do you have? I’m truly hoping to be able to trust EVO again and will be interested in hearing how successful it is for your pups. I’m working on figuring out what will work well for my girl and will be setting up a rotation as well.Thanks.

    in reply to: Kibble for Small Breed #84551 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Hi Dog Pack Mom,

    I’m less concerned with the potential for quality issues with EVO now that Mars owns Natura instead of P&G. There were a number of issues with the Natura brands after P&G acquired them, and I don’t trust P&G at all after the Iams and Eukanuba disasters. I do see Mars as being a more trustworthy company than P&G and I believe they will leave more of the decision making and the responsibility for the product in the hands of the Natura folks. That said, Mars is a big company concerned about the bottom line with products like Pedigree and Cesar in their portfolio. I don’t completely trust that the quality of EVO will remain unchanged, although I don’t think we’ll see anything like the mess P&G has made in the past. So I will watch. But in the meantime, I think I’ll feed something else until Mars proves they will be a good steward for the Natura brands.

    in reply to: Kibble for Small Breed #84314 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Thanks! I did a raw frozen premix for a time with my last dog, but have always been unsure about feeding raw whole/parts. It’s certainly the most natural way to feed them, but I’ve worried about the mess. Of course it’s too cold here much of the year to want to eat outside! Your pugs look very happy with their natural raw food items!

    in reply to: Kibble for Small Breed #84311 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Thanks Pugmomsandy. Isn’t feeding raw whole parts really messy?

    in reply to: Kibble for Small Breed #84308 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Pugmomsandy, do you top dress, or feed kibble plain/water?

    in reply to: Kibble for Small Breed #84304 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Thanks JeffreyT! I was so excited to try Acana, it sounded like a very good choice for kibble. But I knew as soon as I saw the size of the kibbles that it was not going to work. We’ll take a look at the two Wellness products. Not sure I’ve seen the Real Meat Food Co product in my area, I’ll have to look for it online. Thanks again!

    in reply to: Kibble for Small Breed #84299 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Thanks pugmomsandy! I’ll have to give some of those kibbles a try! Always great to have recommendations! I’m not familiar with Pro Pac or Nutrisource, I’ll have to look them up.(My last dog was larger so kibble size was not an issue)

    And thanks to the other poster as well. My little girl isn’t a senior, she’s about 3, but she’s a Chihuahua x Dachshund and has a smaller mouth. She just did not care at all for the typical sized Acana kibble, too big to eat easily and didn’t seem too excited about the flavor either. I’ve had to use some form of top dressing with my other dogs too, but hoping to find a kibble she’s interested in…and we’ll add broth or top dressing as we need to.

    Thanks much!

    in reply to: Does not like to eat #84283 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    I would consult a vet. Your dog might have a medical issue or a dental problem. I had a dog with a stomach ulcer several years who could not eat kibble; it was too processed for him and apparently upset his stomach. We tried a number of kibbles then realized there was something more to it…every time he would excitedly eat the new kibble for a few days then stop eating it. He was always willing to try something new…but it still made him feel bad. 🙁 We ended up putting him on an acid reducer to help with his ulcer and I home cooked as he felt better but still could not eat the kibble consistently. If I had to do it again I would have tried a raw diet for him. I’d consult a vet to confirm whether there is anything physically wrong, then consider trying a raw diet (the prepared mixes are expensive but more convenient than making your own). Kibble might be too processed for him.

    in reply to: Acana to be Manufactured in Kentucky #84178 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Thanks zcRiley – good point about how the smallest change can throw everything out of balance. Looks like the Acana will certainly be changing as they change local sourcing from Canada to Kentucky. So it’s going to change no matter what. I just hope it’s as good and they maintain the same standards of quality. I may have to give Zignature another look; I tried it with my previous dog and it was not the solution for him but seemed like an excellent food. Thanks again.

    in reply to: Acana to be Manufactured in Kentucky #84170 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Thanks Deb B, that’s a good idea. We’ll have to watch carefully, but maybe things will be OK, at least for now. I’m also rather picky, and just want to make sure nothing is going to change with the quality of the ingredients or product as they move to Kentucky. Actually, I tend to believe that the new products that have been released are in part driven by the ingredient sources they are going to be able to obtain locally at the new Kentucky facility. Thanks again.

    in reply to: Acana to be Manufactured in Kentucky #84167 Report Abuse
    Marionne H
    Member

    Hi Deb B,

    Yes, the change is majorly featured on the Acana website. The fact that they are being open about it and are promoting the change is a good sign, but it still makes me nervous. We’ve seen too many changes in the dog food industry that are not for the better. You can find the info here:
    http://acana.com/dogstar-kitchens/?lang=usa

    Acana intended for the US markets will be manufactured in the new Kentucky kitchens. I believe that Orijen intended for the US market will also be manufactured in Kentucky over time. There is a mention of Orijen being produced in Kentucky on this site, and I am still researching that.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)