I and Love and You - Dog Food Thoughts?

[Shannon]

Does anybody here feed the kibble from the brand I and Love and You. We've been trying to find a reasonably priced food that my dogs digest well that they will willingly eat. We got several free samples and have been playing around with Orijen, Acana, Fromm, Horizon, and I and Love and You. My really picky eater dog seems to love the stuff but I'm not sure exactly what to look for to see if it is good. I usually check the recommended dog food list on this site but it's not in the good or bad list! Thoughts?

Here's a link to the type our pups love.

https://www.chewy.com/i-love-you-nude-food-red-meat-medley/dp/117010

Thank you!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We used to have I and Love and You on our recommended brands list, but it was removed for several reasons. There had been recent recalls on some of the products, and then I learned that they source ingredients from abroad and are not transparent about their suppliers. Digging a bit deeper revealed that they are owned by a private equity company and are selling stock. This is never a good sign for a pet food brand. 

Looking strictly at the nutritional information on the website, the food is fine, but I can't recommend any brand that may be cutting corners on their sourcing, or importing ingredients from Asia. 

Also, when "playing around" with different brands to find something your dog likes, keep in mind that each brand makes lots and lots of different formulas. Instead of changing brands, it's smarter to just change formulas. For example, Fromm makes about 20 different formulas. The Four Star line alone has 12 different formulas, all designed to be rotated with each bag to keep your dog interested. I'd be willing to bet you didn't try all 12, lol. Chances are that if your dog wasn't crazy about one, he/she might love a different one. Acana also has several different lines, and each line has several different formulas. So instead of changing to a completely different brand, it makes more sense to try a different formula in the same brand, especially when it's one that you trust. 

[Shannon]

Makes sense. By playing around, I meant using them as treats or in kibble balls and seeing if my dogs ate them after the initial excitement went away, not switching around their primary kibble! :) Thanks for your help!