Stella & Chewy's Freeze Dried Dinners

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

I crumble a patty on each meal for my dogs (they love S&C) but I noticed some bags are easier to crumble than others (or maybe its just the flavors that differ).  Has anyone noticed this?  I want them all to crumble easily.  Could it be a freshness issue? 

 

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

I do the same and yes I have noticed the same. We always use the duck flavor. Sometimes they are almost moist, most times not. I always check the exp. date and do a little "squeeze test" on the bag. I would assume since they are freeze dried that the moist ones are not actually the norm, even though I prefer those.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unfortunately, the bowls are manufactured in China, and the glazes may not be safe. They may contain leachable lead. The metallic paint used for the bone design adds to my concern. We have had some discussions about this before here on DK. If you use ceramic dog dishes, it's recommended that you only use those that are made in North America, such as Fiestaware.

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

Karen - I saw that and hesitated to post but then wondered what harm China could do to ceramic - now I know!  Thank you!  I should revise my posting...(if I can figure out how).  THANKS SO MUCH!! 

 

You get what you pay for...sigh!

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

FYI - doggiefood.com has them for $23.99 a bag right now. I bought enough to use the 25% off code so paid $18 a bag this week.  I'm stocked up!  HTH!

Here are the codes to use based upon the dollar amount spent:

doggie15 (over $75)

doggie20 (over $100)

doggie25 (over $200)

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I looked into Fiesta Ware's dog bowls, and would have gotten one but the size wouldn't fit my fridge's water dispenser, so I looked around online. I got a great deal on ceramic bowls from Vitacost and when they arrived they looked great. They were made in China, so I went to my local Sherwin Williams and picked up a lead test kit to test them for lead. Both bowls tested highly positive. I contacted Vitacost and they gave me a spiel about how they weren't the manufacturers and therefore weren't responsible but said they'd would look into the matter. They still have the bowls on their website. I did get a refund but did not return the bowls. Instead we busted them so no other animal could ever eat or drink from them. In the end, I found another ceramic bowl locally that fit my water dispenser and it didn't test positive for lead (it was also made in China). The manufacturer was Pet Rageous Designs (the same manufacturer of the ceramic bowl pictured on the Food Group's site). If you do decide to go with a ceramic bowl made from China (even Pet Rageous Designs) I'd highly advise you to invest in a lead test kit and test every color of the bowl - and test it for a good 2 minutes rather than the 30 seconds that's written on the test's instructions. Its a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

I just returned from Home Depot with the lead kit.  Rubbed for a full 2 minutes and no indication of lead.  I still want to look at some Fiestaware.  Can never be too safe with our doodles.  :-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What concerns me is that the glaze may deteriorate with washing, so even if the dish tests out okay when it's new, after washing it, that might change. That's the problem with lead in paint, too. If it's undisturbed on the wall, it's fine, but if there are any cracks or chips, or the integrity of the surface is disturbed, you get dangerous lead exposure.

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

I love that you watch out for us.   The beauty of a great price is that I don't mind throwing the bowls in the garbage.  :-)   Thanks for your response!!  

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Good point. I'll keep an eye out for cracks and the like and retest for lead frequently.