Taste Of The Wild?

[Erin]

Any body like this stuff?  I've been feeding Hershey different variety of Wellness, including the grain-free.  TOTW is on sale at right now :o)  Looks good to me, and the ingredients are good.  Flavor preferences?  The last fishy food she was on (salmon) made her snout and beard and breath smell like fish :oP

[Holly Doodle]

I was just about to start this same discussion! We are going to switch Holly to a grain free food, but I couldn't really find any available around my area. I just found out that they carry TOTW at a local tractor supply store, random I know. Anyways I'm interested in hearing feedback too!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A year or so ago, TOTW was one of our favorite and most highly recommended foods. Then the ethoxyquin issue came up. TOTW uses imported fish meal, and imported fish meal is preserved with ethoxyquin, which is in large amounts can cause cancer. The amounts in TOTW and other foods which use imported fish meal are miniscule, well below the levels known to be harmful, but some of us did not want to take a chance.
I will find the old discussion about this and post a link here.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, here's the link. It's a lot of information, but I think it should be read in its entirety so that you can make an informed decision. Of note is also the fact that TOTW is made by Diamond Foods, a major player in the 2007 and one known to import ingredients from third world countries through food brokers.
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/i-have-...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Info on ethoxyquin from The Dog Food Project:

"Originally developed by Monsanto as a stabilizer for rubber, Ethoxyquin has also been used as a pesticide for fruit and a color preservative for spices, and later for animal feed. The original FDA permit for use as stabilizer in animal feed limited use to two years and did not include pet food, but it falls under the same legal category. It has never been proven to be safe for the lifespan of a companion animal.It has been linked to thyroid, kidney, reproductive and immune related illnesses as well as cancer, but so far no conclusive, reliable research results either for the safety of this product or against it have not been obtained. Monsanto conducted research years ago, but results were so inconclusive due to unprofessional conduct and documentation that the FDA demanded another study. There are currently several studies underway to determine whether Ethoxyquin is safe or not, and until those studies are completed, pet food suppliers may continue to use Ethoxyquin. This is how things stand after about 6 years, and no new details have emerged so far."

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Further information on ethoxyquin:
There has been some speculation that ethoxyquin in pet foods might be responsible for multiple health problems. To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only found a verifiable connection between ethoxyquin and buildup of protoporphyrin IX in the liver, as well as elevations in liver-related enzymes in some animals, but there are no known health consequences from these effects.[2] Until further evidence is reported, the FDA has asked pet food manufacturers to voluntarily limit ethoxyquin levels to 75 ppm.[2] However, most pet foods that contain ethoxyquin have never exceeded this amount.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethoxyquin

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It is also worth noting that the use of ethoxyquin in pet foods or any other food is banned in Europe.
Orijen and Acana make grain-free foods that do not contain ethoxyquin, and there are others out there.

[Frannie & Callie]

I feed Callie Orijen because of the Ethoxyquin issue. For me, it goes under the heading of "why chance it". Orijen is a little bit more expensive, but you can also feed your pet less of it (I was investigating switching to TOTW before I read about the ethoxyquin and while bag-for-bag it's cheaper, I would have to feed Callie 1.5 cups more of it a day so if you break it down by the meal, it was not so much more expensive to go with the Orijen). The owner of the place I get my dog food from (Inman Park Pet Works) feels strongly about the ethoxyquin also, and has stopped displaying TOTW in her store. She does have a few bags in the back for customers who have told her that they wish to continue to feed that to their pets. I find it very telling that she's willing to not actively sell a food that is very popular in Atlanta, potentially reducing her revenues because she feels that it may not be a healthy option.

[Kelly Gallagher]

I feed TOTW Pacific Stream (salmon and sweet potato). Maddy has been on it since she was 5 months old and has done extremely well on it. She is now 15 months old...does not have "fish breath" and has a beautiful shiny coat and good stools One of the reasons we switched to this is that she had VERY frequent stools (5-7 a day!!!) and they were loose. I am aware of the issue with the ethoxyquin but have decided to continue to feed as the amounts used are so small. I totally understand that others feel differently..this is just what we have chosen to do. It's a high quality food as far as the other ingredients so we are hopeful that the good ingredients outweigh the possible issue with the ethoxyquin. Good luck whatever you decide.
Kelly

[Lynne B]

I recently switched from TOTW to Costo's grain free Salmon & Sweet potato "Nature's domain" the formulation is very close to TOTW, and it's about $27 for 35 pounds.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The question is, who makes it and where do they get the ingredients? If their fish meal is imported, which it almost certainly is, it contains ethoxyquin, too, so there's no benefit to switching from TOTW. It's my understanding that many of the Costco brands are made by Diamond Foods, as mentioned in the link I provided above.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I just found the Nature's Domain website. It is made by Diamond Foods.

Where is Nature's Domain™ Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Dog Food made?
Nature's Domain™ is made by Diamond Pet Foods in three company owned manufacturing facilities, all in the United States. One is located in California, one in Missouri and one in South Carolina.

Where do the ingredients come from?
Most of the ingredients originate in the United States. There are critical ingredients that are not available domestically in an adequate supply and with as much quality as our international supply. We do purchase some ingredients from foreign suppliers such as potato protein from Germany and dried chicory root from Belgium.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I also just looked at the nutritional analysis for ND, and I would have to feed Jack twice as much of this food as he now gets on Orijen, according to their feeding guidelines. It's really low in protein & calories for a grainfree food, probably because of all the pea & potato protein, which is basically filler.