Confused Again? Checking out CaniSource.

[Chelsea and Bailey]

 

So I get our dog food from this really great pet boutique nearby.  They are SO knowledgeable about their food, and only feed the highest rated quality brands.  Their views on feeding is that we need to switch up the food so that our dogs become more tolerant of different brands, many of the staff there feed their animals 3 different types of food at once. So I have always tried to switch up brands and flavours since bringing Bailey home.  We have so far tried Honest Kitchen (love it), Taste of the Wild (all flavours), Orijen (did not tolerate- ++ vomiting/hated it) and now we are on to CaniSource.  The Boutique HIGHLY reccommends this as it is a dehydrated "fit for human consumption" dog food. Well Bailey goes bonkers for it, she practically runs to eat it!!

 

So, I am happy about that... however I went to look up reviews and I found that they are actually quite hard to find.  I did find this one on http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/canisource-dog-food/ that rated it 4/5 stars. My question is, would this food fit as a recommended brand? What do you think about the food content?

 

This is what I got off the site:

 

CaniSource

Benefits All ingredients are approved for human consumption Improved oral health No wheat, soy, corn, or by-products - these ingredients often cause allergies in pets Proper Omega 3 and Omega 6 ratio - for healthy skin and a silky coat Low Temperature Dehydration rather than extrusion  - preserves a greater amount of natural nutrients and proteins Balanced protein/fat ratio - better weight control

Ingredients in CaniSource

Ingredients

CaniSource uses only ingredients that are "Approved for Human Consumption" - this means that every ingredient that goes into our food is the same quality and freshness as what you would get at your local grocery store.  There are no meals, by-products, or other questionable ingredients and we use no wheat, soy, corn or other allergy causing ingredients. The basic breakdown of CaniSource is 70% fresh meat (Pork & Beef muscle meat - no organs), 15% grains (rice, oats, & barley combined); and 15% fruits & vegetable. Our ingredients speak for themselves!   Fresh Pork & Beef: an excellent source of high quality protein to properly maintain muscle structure and is highly digestible. Only fresh muscle meat is used - while organ meat can be a good source of nutrients and is also a much cheaper source of meat, it also tends to have the highest levels of toxins and therefore we choose not to use this questionable source. White Rice:  easier to digest than brown rice, it aids in proper bowel functions. Whole Barley: a good source of carbohydrates and rich in fibre. Only whole barley is used which adds more protein, barley oil, bran, and vitamins & minerals to the diet. Rolled Oats: an excellent source of carbohydrates and fibre. Helps stabilize blood sugar levels making it beneficial for dogs suffering from diabetes. Fresh Apples: an excellent source of fibre (mainly soluble), Vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium and boron. Using whole apples insures proper consumption of all these important nutrients. Fresh Carrots: rich in beta carotene and high in fibre. Promotes healthy bowel functions. Fresh Eggs: an excellent source of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals, and a healthy source of fat. Ground Flax Seed: provide essential Omega 3 fatty acids that help maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat. Also promotes healthy bowel functions. Herbs Mix: a combination of natural herbs helps preserve the food while adding excellent taste. Garlic: rich in antioxidant properties and adds excellent flavour. Vitamins & Minerals: A complete supplement of vitamins and minerals is added to ensure all the necessary nutrients are received.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein	27% min
Crude Fat	16% min
Crude Fibre	3% max
Moisture	8% max
Ash	2% max
Calcium	1.8%
Phosphorus	1.2%
Omega 6	2%
Omega 3	.6%
Vitamin A	24 kIU/kg
Vitamin E	250 IU/kg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I realize it is not grain free... What are thoughts? Should I continue with it? I feed half of what I would normally feed with kibble, so it is appealing to me.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's hard for me to tell from this, because there isn't an actual list of the ingredients as it appears on the label. I would definitely not be switching a dog back and forth from grain-free foods to food containing grains, though.

 I'm also not a big believer in taking advice from salesclearks about nutritional issues. When you say they are "knowledgable" about food, what credentials do they have that back that up, in terms of education on animal nutrition? Is the source of their knowledge what the sales reps tell them about the products, or articles they read in magazines, or do they have some fornal training in pet nutrition?

There is also always the possibility that the store or the salesperson gets a rebate or larger commission for selling certain products, so always take their advice with a grain of salt.

The nutritional analysis for this food looks okay, and it does have a good Omega 6:3 ratio.  I'd like to see the actual ingredient information, though. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I did a little digging and see that this food is only sold in Canada. The company that makes it looks pretty reputable, they also manufacture or distribute the Himalayan Chews. All good news.

[Chelsea and Bailey]

Karen, this is the ingredient list.

 

Fresh pork & beef, white rice, whole barley, rolled oats, fresh apples, fresh carrots, fresh eggs, ground flax seeds, herbs mix, garlis, vitamins and minerals ( calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, magnesium, copper, marganese, zinc, iodine, selenium, vitamine E, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxin, folic acid, choline)

 

May I ask why you do not recommend switching from grain to grain free? So far she has not shown any allergies (except to the Orijen- which is weird)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Grain-free isn't only about allergies to grains, it can also be about protein levels, fat levels, nutrient density, allergies to storage mites, intolerance to grains (very different from allergies), or a belief in a "species-appropriate" diet. Some of us just don't feed grains because our dogs don't do well with them, or they have a storage mite allergy like Jack, or we want less fillers, etc.

That said, there's no real reason not to switch back and forth if it works for your dog, but I'm surprised it does. There are usually poop issues when switching between foods with or without grains. Than again, Fromm's Four-star line has two formulas that are grain-free, and I think a number of FG members do alternate between the various formulas. So if it works for you, why not?

Bailey's reaction to Orijen is not indicative of an allergy, and in fact, it would not really be possible to be allergic to a brand of food. Allergies are a disease of the immune system, and involved a reaction on the part of the immune system to the proteins in one or more specific ingredients, most often wheat, corn, beef, chicken or soy. The symptoms are almost always some kind of itching, not vomiting or gastrointestinal issues, and the dog has to have had repeated exposures to the substance in question to develop an allergy to it. So you can be pretty sure that she isn't allergic to Orijen. Bailey may have had an intolerance to something in the Orijen, but it's more likely that the particular formula didn't agree with her or she needed more time to adjust to the higher calories and protein content.

Looking at the ingredient list for Canisource, I would say it looks a little low in animal protein compared to some of the other premium foods. Otherwise, it's fine.

[Stella]

We feed Acana and regularly switch between grains and grain-free formulas without a problem with either dog.  I guess we just got lucky!!