Nature's Domaine

[Diane Margetts]

Anyone know anything about Nsture's Domaine from Costco? My doodle, Dakota, has been itching like crazy for a couple of months now. He has been getting Advantix monthly and I just did another flea check and couldn't find anything. I'm tghinking it's some sort of an allergy. Nothing in his environment has changes so there is a possibility that the formula in his kibble has changed or he is just developing a sensitivity to his food. He has been on Kirkland Lamb and Rice for years and has seemed to do well on it. I'm thinking about ctrying a different just in case that's the problem. I say at Costco today that they are now carrying Nature's Domaine eith salmon or turkey. It sounds pretty healthy--with no grain--but I was hoping that someone knows something about it before I try it . . . Anyone???

[Bonne Bouche]

lol, my pronouns were vague. I meant: would Nature's Domain be a step higher than the "regular Kirland's" brand, though obviously the wording made it seem like I meant TOTW.

 

I realize TOTW is clearly superior. Currently TOTW goes for about $47 a bag for 30 lbs, ND is selling for $35 for 35lbs. Its a pretty big difference.... I'd really like to find something a bit more affordable for the long-term...

[Bonne Bouche]

TOTW goes for $40 at Tractor Supply. We'll stick with that for now. ;-]

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You also have to feed more of the ND than the TOTW, depending on what formula you use. So you go through the food faster, and therefore the ND is not as big a savings as it appears.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nature's Domain Grain-Free Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Dog Food

Ingredients
Salmon meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, potato protein, potato fiber, natural flavor, flaxseed, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

CALORIE CONTENT
3,590 kcals/kg (336 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 24.0% minimum
Crude Fat 14.0% minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% maximum
Moisture 10.0% maximum
Zinc 150 mg/kg
minimum
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg
minimum
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 2.4% minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% minimum

TOTW Pacific Stream
Protein: 25% Fat: 15%
Calcium: 1.9%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.1%, as-fed
Calories: 3,600 kcal/kg (360 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Available in 5lb, 15lb and 30lb bags.

Ingredients
Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canola oil, salmon meal, smoked salmon, potato fiber, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 25.0% Minimum
Crude Fat 15.0% Minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% Maximum
Moisture 10.0% Maximum
Zinc 150 mg/kg Minimum
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg Minimum
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg Minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids * 2.4% Minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids * 0.3% Minimum
Calorie Content: 3,600 kcal/kg (360 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy.

Nutritionally, they are very similar, in terms of the numbers. But if you look at the total amount of animal protein, TOTW has way more. Much of that 24% crude protein content in the ND formula is made up of pea and potato protein, which counts as protein under checmical analysis but is not complete protein in that it does not contain all of the essential amino acids which dogs (and people) cannot make themselves and must obtain from food.

Ingredients are listed by weight or volume, so the first 5 are the most important. The ND contains only one animal protein source in the first five ingredients, salmon meal. Further down the list, we also find ocean fish meal. (Meals are actually preferable to whole meat sources as the water is removed, so there is actually more protein by weight.)
The TOTW formula contains two animal protein sources in the first 5 ingredients, the first two, which means animal protein is the most abundant ingredient in this formula, again by weight. Then further down (in fact, 6th and 7th on the list) we have two more sources of animal protein. No peas, which are added to the ND food solely to boost protein content, and no potato protein.

I have to mention that I am quite disappointed in the Omega 6:3 ratio for both these foods. An 8:1 ratio is below what is considered sufficient for dogs, so if I were feeding either of these foods, I'd be supplementing with fish oil .

The lowest acceptable ratio would be 7:1, and you really want something closer to 3:1.

 

Regarding cost, since animal proteins are the most expensive items in any diet, it's easy to see why the TOTW costs more than the ND, too. Plant proteins are inexpensive.

[Tracey Birling]

Thank you so much Karen for taking the time to reply and explain! I will definitely look for and keep the plant protein boosters in mind when comparing food. Thank you as well for the Omega ratio explanation. This will be good to keep in mind as well. I am a pretty big health/nutrition nut as well (human wise!) and I figure I should try to do the same for our doodle baby! Someday I might experiment more w/ homecooked feeding, however w/ 4 kiddos ages 3 to 9 it would be a bit overwhelming at the moment. We'll take it one step at a time! My husband is also a type 1 diabetic so nutrition is of constant importance in our household. So glad to find some doodle owners who feel the same way!

[Diane Margetts]

This was a very interesting discussion. We switched Dakota from the Kirkland Lamb and Rice to TODW a few months back. Just yeaterday my husband and I were at Costco and he looked at the Natures Domain and asked me why we were paying so much more for TOTW when this food looked to be very comparable . . . sigh . . . my husband loves Dakota with all his heart AND he would drop $40 on a useless, unneeded item without thinking twice--I don't know why he gets hung up on dog food prices other than the way he was raised (rurally with hunting dogs), doge were fed table scraps period.

I will explain the protein differences to him. The Omega 3 discussion was interesting. I supplement Dakota's food with a daily 1000mg fish oil supplement and a glucosamine chondroitin with MSM supplement. He also gets chicken breast and brown rice added to the TOTW . . . interestingly, my husband is the one that cooks the chicken and brown rice and adds whatever fresh veggies we have available!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dakota lucked out in his choice of dads and moms!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I noticed this food in Costco the other day and I knew we would have info here. Too bad it's not a bit better and even if it cost more it would still be a bargain. I guess we stick with the Acana since it's good and we have no problems.