The Clean Label Project

[Divyangna and Chai]

We have had Chai on Fromm 4 star kibble and sometimes add their wet food formula in it. She is not really food motivated so has been 'meh' about it. Over time though, she has been skipping meals and is just not interested in eating anything.

Anyhow, we watched Pet fooled on Netflix and started researching food options including a raw diet when I came across this Non-Profit called the Clean Label Project. 

http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/#top-ten

It seems they test all brands for toxins and to my surprise, Orijen etc. were in the bottom few! Fromm doesn't have a good rating either! 

Would love to know your thoughts on this as it has left us even more confused than before. 

It says Sojos is one of the best foods so would love to know if anyone has been feeding their doodle Sojos and how they are doing on it!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Divyangna, we had a recent discussion here about this Clean label Project and their ratings. Please read through it.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/new-stu...

From the research I was able to do and the information available, I personally don't feel there is any reason to be concerned about any of the foods on our recommended list. This particular non-profit seems to have an agenda that is really not related to pet nutrition and they admit on their FB page that they did not take nutritional factors into account. That's pretty obvious when you consider that they gave garbage like Pedigree high ratings, lol. They also did not test for any contaminants other than minerals, and many of the foods that they rated highly contain artificial colorings and preservatives that have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and are banned from use in many other countries. So I would not base decisions on what to feed on their ratings. 

That said, if you want to try feeding raw,  Sojos is on our recommended list and is a good quality food. You should also look at the other commercial raw brands on our recommended list. Be aware that your feeding costs will most likely more than double if you use a raw formula for your dog's main diet. 

[Divyangna and Chai]

Thank you so much, Karen. I dont know how I missed that discussion. Appreciate your response. At this point, I want to feed her whatever she will eat with interest. We have been through multiple flavors in Fromm and she turns her nose up to all of them!

I think I will give Sojos a shot and see her reaction to it. It is more expensive but we are throwing out so much food right now that I think we are wasting about the same amount and its not even going into her! We saw these frozen raw patties by Stella and Chewy's which looked great too. Do you think a combination of the patties and Sojos would be a good idea?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's fine if you want to do that. Sojo's is a dehydrated product that has to be mixed with water and left to soak for 15 minutes, so it's not as convenient to feed. Stella & Chewy's is "ready to eat". Personally, if I had a small dog, I would consider feeding S & C exclusively, but that's just not feasible if your dog weighs more than 30 lbs, lol. 

Another option to consider is to use a base mix like Honest Kitchen's  (Sojo's may make one too) and then add your own chicken, beef, etc. 

[Divyangna and Chai]

Just looked it up and Sojos has a pre-mix. I think I will try that and see how it works. Thank you so much for the info. I know I can always count on your advice!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm glad to help. :) 

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

Whether this is true or not, I feel even more strongly about feeding raw. I've been feeding raw for about a year and a half. My dogs are in perfect health and they always love their food. Before eating raw one of them was quite picky.
Stella and Chewys as well as Small Batch are on my regular feeding schedule, plus fresh meat and organs from the grocery store.
At first it was scary to start with the raw, but with good reading material it's actually pretty easy.

[Divyangna and Chai]

Thanks Helga, Yes it does seem like a little more work but I guess its worth it! I read about coops for raw food. Do you have any experience with that, or has the grocery store worked well? 

Here's a link for local raw coops: http://keepthetailwagging.com/shop-through-a-raw-food-co-op-to-save...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think if the conversation is going to turn to the topic of a homemade prey model raw diet, it would be more appropriate in the Raw Feeders Group. 

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

I tried the green tripe with a big order through a local group. My doodles loved it but I wanted to barf every time I fed them. So that didn't work for us. I just stick with the Stella and Chewys and Small Batch. Some places deliver too. I think even Chewys does?

[Divyangna and Chai]

Great! So Stella and Chewy's it is! Chewy does deliver both freeze dried and frozen. I think we will have to buy a little freezer just for Chai's food now! 

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

We have a large freezer anyway, but I have a small fridge in the laundry room for just dog food. It's where I thaw the frozen food for the next day, and keep fresh raw meat like chicken drumsticks etc.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I don't know if Chai has weight or health issues or not, but if not, the more you change food and try to cater to a dog turning up her nose at food, the more likely you will create a picky eater.  The rule to follow is that if the vet thinks weight and activity levels are appropriate i.e. a healthy dog; the less you should keep changing brands.  A healthy dog will not starve itself.