Grandpa Glenn's Turkey Heart Treats Review

While at one of my local groceries I found these natural freeze dried turkey heart treats. I was pretty happy to find a locally made one protein source dog treat. Granted, I have never heard of Grandpa Glenn's, but definitely wanted to give them a try. My grocery offered the turkey hearts, beef liver, beef heart, pork heart and chicken hearts. 

I was definitely happy with the packaging. The label is not stuck on very well, but the package was air and moisture proof with tear places to make opening very easy. 

The hearts had the fat removed prior to being freeze dried. The slices are great sizes and can also be broken up into smaller pieces for smaller dogs or for use as training treats. The package mentions that you can reconstitute them if desired. I prefer to keep them dry. For 3.5oz I believe you receive quite a few treats and they are very easy to handle and do not crumble when holding or removing from the package.

I of course had an audience while opening and taking photos. Linc will eat raw turkey hearts, but will sometimes refuse, so that was a concern. He ate his treat almost instantly, so that is awesome!














Linc wanted more after I placed the bag of treats in a quart size ziplock. I do suggest keeping these treats in a dry and cool location so they do not reconstitute and cause other issues.

I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary.

Orijen Freeze Dried Adult Dog Food Review

Unfortunately, my dad suffered a transient ischemic attack Thursday (3/3/16) and had to be rushed to the emergency department and then admitted for the night.  We thought we would have to have our pet sitter feed our animals. So, after we left him because they were conducting tests.  I headed to one of our local specialty pet stores.  I tried to figure out something that would be fast and easy for out pet sitter that Linc would hopefully eat.  I grabbed two 6 ounce bags of Orijen's Biologically Appropriate Freeze Dried Dog Food in their chicken flavor.

Instead, my mom and I were home to feed the animals.  Linc ate his rabbit legs, but wouldn't touch his organic chicken gizzards.  So, I decided to mix up some of the freeze dried Orijen.

The Orijen patties break up much easier than Stella & Chewy's and seem more fragile.  But, they do not rehydrate as quickly. I added a lukewarm water to the food and stirred it around.  Then I gave it to Linc.

 Linc dove right in and seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. He didn't really walk away from it and basically finished all of it.  What I like about this style freeze dried compared to Sojos or IandLoveandYou is that there aren't large chunks of fruits and vegetables.  Those never seem to digest properly and almost always come out in the stools in full form.  Linc also seems to prefer this style to the others.

Obviously he enjoyed it. This for me is not a sustainable diet due to cost, but could be very useful for:

• If I have to move, this will definitely help during that time I
• If I am traveling 
• If I forgot to take something out the night before to thaw.
• Feed you kibble, but want to try raw
• Have a small animal where this would financially work out fine

I would suggest this as an add on for a fresh raw diet or to add to a kibble diet once or twice a week to add the benefits of raw.

FRESH REGIONAL INGREDIENTS

Chicken (ground with bone)*, turkey (ground with bone)*, whole herring*, chicken liver*, chicken heart*, whole eggs*, spinach greens*, pea fiber, turkey liver*, turkey heart*, whole flounder*, ground sunflower seeds, pumpkin*, Butternut Squash*, Imperator carrots*,  cranberries*, blackberries*, blueberries*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, Red Heart plums*, Tilton apricots*, brown kelp*, mixed tocopherols, chicory root, dandelion root, summer savory, peppermint leaf*, ginger root*.

* FRESH AND PRESERVATIVE-FREE

SUPPLEMENTS

Zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate.


Orijen is a high quality freeze dried food that is available through various sources. It is produced in Canada. I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary. 

Plato's Hundur Crunch Fish Treats for Dogs Review

I went to a local feed store yesterday and saw these. I decided to give them a try. These treats are Plato Pet Treats Hundur's Crunch Fish Treats for Dogs "Jerky Minis." I am always on the look out for new one protein treats for the boys. They retail for $9.00 - 4.99 for 3.5oz.










On the bag:
Nutritional Benefits:

• Single source protein: 100% Icelandic Fish
• 100% Natural
• Zero additives or colors
• Natural source of omega 3 & 6
• Grain Free
• Great for healthy skin and coat
• Helps remove tartar
• Responsibly sourced

Ingredients:Cod skin, golden redfish skin

The boys had to wait both times I gave them each one. I love that both of my boys have great self control and leave its.

Calorie 309.84 C/100 g and Sodium 786.75 mg/100 g

Crude Protein: 75% Min
Crude Fat: 3.7% Min
Crude Fiber: 0.5% Min
Moisture: 13% Max
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: 1% Min*
Omega 6 Fatty Acids: 0.12% Min

I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary. 

Stella & Chewy's Super Beef Dinner Patties & Meal Mixers Review

Linc is currently in one of his hormonal phases where I believe there is an intact bitch in heat within two miles of us. As you know, Linc had a vasectomy, so he is still intact. This happens every couple of months or so and Linc goes off his food and humps my parents' lab, Indie. These periods can be very stressful because Linc is a young and active male and when he goes off his food, it causes me to worry that he will lose too much weight. So, during these times, I am willing to try different things (non kibble) to get him to eat. 

This evening, we tried a mix of Stella & Chewy's Super Beef Dinner Patties and their Savory Salmon & Cod Meal Mixer. Linc is already a pickier eater than I would like, so every new thing is a risk. Granted, Mac will eat anything.

As you can see, I mixed about 5 of the beef patties with about 2 scoops of the meal mixer. You can definitely tell the difference between the two. The fish meal mixer did have a smell, but it wasn't very strong, while the beef really didn't have an odor at all.












I added about 1 cup of warm water to the mixer and used a spatula to begin mixing and breaking down the patties so they could absorb the water faster.  It may be easier to break the patties up before adding the water. It took about five minutes to achieve the consistency below. I was surprised how quickly the water was absorbed.

Linc was definitely eager! He watched the entire process.

 He dove right in. He did walk away a few times between eating. Linc is a very slow eater and a self regulator. To be honest, having a self regulating male is very foreign to me. I am so used to our previous male dogs, including Mac and Indie, who would dive in and not stop until every last morsel was gone. Linc is definitely different in that aspect.













I do believe he enjoyed it. The consistency was that of a very finely ground oatmeal. Easy to lap up and probably very good if you are raising a litter of puppies. I believe the fact that I used warm water also enticed him to eat it and increased the odor that was released.














 While he didn't lick the bowl completely clean, I am happy with how much he ate. As I mentioned earlier, Linc self regulates, so this is a compliment to Stella & Chewy's.

From Stella & Chewy's website:
ONLY THE GOOD STUFF!

• Raw, grass-fed beef
• 95% beef, nutrient-rich organs & bone
• Organic fruits & vegetables
• Fortified with added vitamins & minerals
• Enhanced with probiotics & antioxidants
• 100% complete & balanced dinner

Stella's Super Beef Freeze Dried Dinner Patties Product Analysis:

Stella's Super Beef Freeze Dried Dinner Patties Ingredients:

Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Heart, Beef Tripe, Beef Bone, Pumpkin Seed, Potassium Chloride, Organic Cranberries, Organic Spinach, Organic Broccoli, Organic Beets, Sodium Phosphate Monobasic, Organic Carrots, Organic Squash, Organic Apples, Organic Blueberries, Choline Chloride, Dried Pediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Taurine, Tocopherols (Preservative), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement

Savory Salmon & Cod Meal Mixer Product Analysis:

Savory Salmon & Cod Meal Mixer Ingredients:

Ground Salmon with Bones, Ground Cod with Bones, Cod Liver Oil, Pumpkin Seed, Potassium Chloride, Organic Cranberries, Organic Spinach, Organic Broccoli, Organic Beets, Sodium Phosphate Monobasic, Organic Carrots, Organic Squash, Organic Apples, Organic Blueberries, Choline Chloride, Dried Pediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Taurine, Tocopherols (Preservative), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement

Stella & Chewy's is a high quality freeze dried food that is available through various sources. It is produced in Wisconsin. I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary. 

Stella & Chewy's Carnivore Crunch Review

I tried these treats a while ago and forgot to write a review.  These are freeze dried dog/cat treats from Stella & Chewy's. I tried both the Salmon & Cod and Duck recipes. They are available in 3.25oz bags. These treats retail between $9.00 - 14.99 per bag depending on where you purchase them and depending on protein source. They were an instant hit.

Here is a size comparison. The treats are rather fragile to be honest. They can easily be squashed. The treats are extremely similar to their Meal Mixers. You could easily add these on top of a meal like the meal mixers or add water to make a whole meal. While I don't suggest this, the two are extremely similar in size and texture.

Ingredients:

Salmon & Cod:

Salmon (ground with bone), Cod (ground with bone), Cod Liver Oil, Tocopherols (preservative)

Duck Recipe:

Duck with Ground Bone, Turkey, Turkey Liver, Goose, Turkey Gizzard, Tocopherols (preservative)

Key Benefits

• Grain and gluten-free treats

• Made with raw, freeze-dried, naturally raised meat

• No antibiotics, hormones or fillers

• No artificial preservatives, colorings, sugar or salt

• Made in the USA!

Product Analysis Salmon & Cod Recipe

Product Analysis Duck Recipe

These are definitely awesome treats, they don't smell at all, they were an instant hit and you can easily break them in half to split between pets. I would definitely give these a try!

I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary.

Sojos Complete Raw Turkey Recipe Review

As I have mentioned, I don't use premade raws often.  But, while in Iowa, we picked up an 8lb bag of Sojos' Turkey Recipe.  Having a freeze dried raw on hand can be very useful in multiple different situations.  

• If I have to move, this will definitely help during that time I
• If I am traveling 
• If I forgot to take something out the night before to thaw.
• Feed kibble, but want to try raw

The ingredients list is quite short:

Turkey, sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, celery, apples, whole egg, cranberries, tricalcium phosphate, flax meal, parsley leaf, carob powder, dried kelp, dried alfalfa, ginger root, garlic, sunflower oil, vitamin D3

 This is what the food looks like in the bag. I will say that compared to I and Love and You's freeze dried raw foods, the Sojos is much more meat heavy. That is a huge plus in my opinion.

It says to allow the food to soak for 15 minutes before feeding, I personally prefer to allow it to soak for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Below is after soaking overnight. Obviously there is still water that didn't soak up, it doesn't really make a gravy either. While this food does have vegetables and starches added, the food is a very mono tonal and brown.

After soaking overnight

The guaranteed analysis is very similar to that of a grain free kibble. 

Guaranteed Analysis

Mac as usual, dove right into the food and ate every last bite. Linc is pickier and ate a majority of the food. He went after the water first and then ate a majority of the food. Mac was given 1 1/4 cups of dry Sojos, while Linc was given 2 cups of dry. I based the amounts on their weight and activity levels. Linc is obviously more active and larger than Mac. 

I will say that the price is up there, we paid $72.21 for the 8lb bag. But, we did purchase it from a brick and mortar store. Online it ranges between $58-73 for the 8lb bag. Obviously you can purchase smaller sizes as a trial before investing in the larger bag.

Sojos is a high quality freeze dried food that is available through various sources. I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary. 

Northwest Naturals Review

I have used Northwest Naturals multiple times in the last four years.  It is very convenient whenever I travel or go out of town with the dogs.  Gwen, Indie and Mac did very well on it.  I have used all four of the available proteins.  The prices do vary between the protein sources.  Lamb is the most expensive and chicken and turkey are less expensive.

 This is what it looks like out of the chub.  It isn't the most appetizing in looks, but all but Linc tucked right into it.  Linc can be a picky eater and self regulates, so I'm not too worried about his reaction.  It is very finely ground, so ideal for young puppies.  It is great for when I am in a crunch and is a go to for premade raws for my dogs.  I would suggest this food to anyone who has a smaller dog they want to feed a premade food.  I consider this food very high quality. The chubs when I buy them (2lbs) are around $7.00-9.00 depending on the protein source.

I would try one chub and see how the dog reacts to it.  I buy the 2lb chubs from a local feed store and have never had any problems with quality or the chubs being underweight. This food is also available in a freeze dried form.  I have never tried that version of their food or their treats.  

From their website:

Meat is raised in the USA without antibiotics or added hormones.  Proteins are USDA inspected and passed.  Produce comes with certificates of guarantee.  Recipes are grain and gluten free - Corn, wheat and soy free.  We include human grade proteinated vitamins and minerals for better absorption.   Complete and balanced diets.  Nuggets and Bars are quick thaw and ready to serve.

All recipes contain 10% raw ground bone.

TURKEY  RECIPE Ingredients:

 Turkey, Ground Turkey Bone, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Apples, Carrots, Romaine Lettuce, Watermelon, Egg, Ground Flaxseed, Fish Oil*, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blueberry, Cranberry, Inulin, Dried Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Ginger, Parsley, Garlic, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (as preservative), Vitamin D Supplement.

80% Meat - 18.75% Produce - 1.25% Supplements

CHICKEN  RECIPE Ingredients:

Chicken  Ground Chicken Bone, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Broccoli, Romaine Lettuce, Egg, Ground Flaxseed, Fish Oil*, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blueberry, Cranberry, Inulin, Dried Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Ginger, Parsley, Garlic, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (as preservative), Vitamin D Supplement.

80% Meat - 18.75% Produce - 1.25% Supplements

 LAMB RECIPE Ingredients:

Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Ground Lamb Bone, Broccoli, Apples, Carrots, Cantaloupe, Egg, Ground Flaxseed, Fish Oil*, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blueberry, Cranberry, Inulin, Dried Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Ginger, Parsley, Garlic, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (as preservative), Vitamin D Supplement   

80% Meat - 18.75% Produce - 1.25% Supplements

 BEEF RECIPE Ingredients:

Beef, Beef Heart, Beef Liver, Ground Beef Bone, Broccoli, Carrots, Beef Kidney, Romaine Lettuce, Apples, Ground Flaxseed, Fish Oil*, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blueberry, Cranberry, Inulin, Dried Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Ginger, Parsley, Garlic, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (as preservative), Vitamin D Supplement. 

80% Meat - 18.75% Produce - 1.5% Supplements 

I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary.

I and Love and You Freeze Dried Raw Review

As you have probably noticed from reading my blog, I don't normally use premade raws. I personally find them too expensive for the amount you receive, but it is useful in certain situations. Thankfully, I and Love and You sent me two bags of their freeze dried raw to try. This is a review of the raw raw beef boom ba If you have a smaller dog, it may be more cost effective for you, but for my boys, it isn't cost effective.  But it is very useful for some individuals. 

Follow the directions based on your dogs weight. Measure out the amount of food required.For Lincoln, I used 51-75lbs and for Mac I used up to 50lbs. Always base the amount you feed on your dog's size and activity level. While Linc is larger than Mac, he is also more active and younger so he requires more food.

Then measure out the amount of water required for the amount of dry. It says to leave for at least 15 minutes. I prefer to allow it to reconstitute over night or over several hours. Both of my boys enjoy the I and Love and You freeze dried raw. Linc is not a huge fan of freeze dried raws with chunks of meat and vegetables, but he took to this very well. I was impressed. The chunks of vegetables did come out in their stools basically intact, which seems to happen with similar freeze dried raws. It would be nice if they made a product similar to Stella & Chewy's where the dogs can't differentiate the meat from the vegetables. The meat vs vegetable ratio was also quite even, which is nice. I hate when freeze dried raws seem to vary lot from lot. 

I have noticed that the beef has larger chunks of meat than the poultry version.  I have yet to try the other kinds. But it you are traveling and feed raw, this may be a good option for you.  I will definitely keep this product in mind if I ever need it. Cost wise, I can't feed it all the time, but in emergencies or other situations, it is definitely useful.

Ingredients

Beef, yellow split peas, sweet potato, cabbage, carrots, whole egg, flaxseed meal, banana, tricalcium-phosphate, almond meal, spinach, alfalfa, kelp, ginger root, salt, zinc sulfate, iron (ferrous sulfate), vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)

I am in no way connected to the company. This review is voluntary.