Food is one of the most important things in a dog’s life, which means finding healthy dog food is a top priority at our house. Back when Mom was in college and then just starting out in the job world she had cats. She fed the cats whatever was cheap at the grocery store until one of her cats got extremely ill and had to go to the vet for expensive treatment. This was the first time Mom had ever heard about a difference in food quality. Pet food has come a long way over time and ever since Mom got her first dog, she has made a point to buy only “good quality” food. While it may cost more, in the long run it will keep us healthier, thus lowering costs at the vet.
What to feed a dog is a hot topic these days and I want to say that everyone has their own opinion to howl about and this post is about my opinion only. My sisters and I have absolutely no food allergies or health concerns at this time, so we are open to eating just about anything (and trust me Bailie does eat everything which is rather frightening). We recently switched to Innova by Natura and as luck would have it Peggy’s Pet Place had a giveaway and I won a free bag! At the time we needed more puppy chow, so I chose that for my free bag. Innova was right on the ball with the giveaway, contacted Mom and sent out the food within a week. Thank you to Peggy’s Pet Place and Innova for the bag of food!
Mom had been mulling over switching us to a different food for quite a while. Katie and I were fine with the food we were eating but it seemed like the quality wasn’t as good as it used to be and there was so much talk about raw, grain free, etc., she thought we should make a switch. Mom talked to our vet about what we needed, if grain free would be best or not, raw or not, we talked to several food reps at some functions we attended. We read blog posts from friends that were eating and trying different foods. It is just so overwhelming with so many choices.
In September, Bailie arrived and she needed puppy food, making it an ideal time for us to all switch to a new food. If possible we wanted to eat the same brand. We had ruled out raw leaving the only question to be grain free or not. Mom attended an open house where there were food reps from Natura. She was already leaning towards NOT going grain free (if you don’t have grain issues there are reasons to not go totally grain free, but that it way too much to write about today), and these guys confirmed that decision. On that day, she decided we would all switch to Innova by Natura. We love that the first ingredients are turkey and chicken, there are also plenty of veggies and other healthy items in the food. On line it usually gets four out of five stars which is good enough for us, no food is really perfect and 4 or 5 stars always varies by the place you read the review.
Bailie switched first and loved it, but since she eats anything that isn’t saying much. Katie was next and she loved it too. Even I, Emma the picky eater, loved it. It is more expensive than our previous food, but we think it is healthier and worth the extra cost. We are all happy with our new food and look forward to eating many more bags of Innova.
Currently, I eat the Adult, Katie eats Large Breed Senior, and Bailie eats Large Breed Puppy. We feed Bailie large breed because it typically keeps puppies from growing too fast which can put strain on their joints. With our long backs we like to stay on the safe side.
If you are considering switching to a new food, my sisters and I highly recommend Innova!
Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this review, nor compensated for it. I simply wanted to share information about a product I love with my readers.
Since Innova is food, I’m joining the Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop fun sponsored by Kol’s Notes & Sugar the Golden Retriever
Looks Yummy, we don’t get that here but Mommy always buys the good stuff, even for the Furball BOL xxoxxx
Mollie and Alfie
I know, Mom wastes money on our cats too!
Feeding in your house must be difficult. How do you get each one to stay at their own bowl and not eat from one another’s?
We all just know we each have a bowl that is ours and no one is allowed to steal and we never try. Bailie and I do go around and lick out all the bowls when everyone is done. We all get fed at the same time and Mom has never thought about anyone stealing food from another bowl. Even food monster Bailie just waits for Katie and I to finish when she is done.
Looks like you found the perfect food for you guys. If it’s healthy and delicious, what more could you want?,
That is correct!
We used to eat Innova – as a matter of fact, we bought it for years and years…but we switched after the recall. It just really bothered us, even though we weren’t directly impacted, just the whole idea of it bothered us. Glad you guys like it – I’m sure they are much more diligent now than they were.
We never knew about the recall when we started looking for a new food. It seems like most foods have had recalls at some point. We just keep our eyes and ears open all the time and if we get wind of anything, we can always change again. Glad you weren’t harmed in the recall.
Lots of good information, Emma. My sister Maggie had some food intolerances. We are still eating her Evanger’s lamb stew on our dry food. It sure makes the blah dry food tasty! XOXO Panda the Boston
Oh, that does sound tasty! When the new puppy arrives she will need to get some good food to start with that she can eat her whole life. Food is important!
There really are so many options and so much information that I agree it can be seriously overwhelming. It took me a while to realize that there is no one “best” dog food, you just have to find the one that works best for your pets. What I really want to know though I how you feed those three without them all stealing from each other. That’s a serious feat in itself!
Finding the right food is confusing. You are the second one to mention that about us all stealing from each other, but Mom has never even thought of it. I guess Katie was alone and then I came along and had my bowl. Katie wasn’t big into food when I was a puppy and we each just ate our own food, then Bailie came along and she got her bowl. She never tried to steal either. We all eat together in the kitchen, Bailie finishes first and waits for Katie who is second and I finish last. Katie leaves and Bailie and I go through and lick out the bowls one more time. Never had a fight. Even guest dogs eat right along with us and have never had a problem.
I’m impressed, you guys have quite a natural harmony worked out. When Eko was a puppy he would try to steal some extra dinner from my mom’s dog. A couple well placed growls taught him to shape up though!
We have plenty of growls around here when it comes to stealing other things but our meals are quite orderly.
Looks like the perfect choice and we are pleased it is liked by all of you. Have a terrific Tuesday.
Best wishes Molly
It is good food and the bag is pretty too 😉
You are so right too many choices in dog foods! Mom thought she was giving me good quality food until my food allergies were diagnosed. So we had to go grain free which I hope you reconsider. Grains were never a part of a dog’s diet before they were domesticated and they aren’t necessary to maintain a dog’s health. Glad you are enjoying your new food! Love Dolly
your mom was right to change the food when the quality isn’t as good as it used to be. I’m glad you all like your food. For me it isn’t easy to find food what is healthy and what I like . Think that’s similar to humans, it reminds my mom of the “eatventures” of her childhood: “eat your carrots” “uuuh, they are disgusting” “but good for you” :o) Have a tasty tuesday!
I’m pretty picky myself but this stuff is pretty tasty!
Emma, you are so right when you say it can be overwhelming to choose the right dog food! As you know, we found out I was allergic to chicken and that made it so hard to find just the right food. When I switched to raw it was easier for us to eliminate everything chicken from my food…but we are always checking and double-checking labels on treats. Raw works for me but that doesn’t mean it works for every dog…I am a BIG believer of everyone choosing what is right for them. And yes…it seems like almost every dog food has had a recall in their lifetime. You just need to keep your eyes and ears open for future. I am so glad you all have found the RIGHT food FOR YOU!
*Cairn cuddles*
Oz
For now we are settled in, but it is constantly changing, so we have to keep up with all the new food and findings. A real job! I’m glad raw works for you, every dog has their own plan.
Finding a good dog food can be very confusing. I try not to switch up food too often but we like Iams and Hill’s Science diet. Cheap dog food gives us stomach issues.
We haven’t switched in a long time but felt that Hills just wasn’t what it used to be and there must be something better, so we switched. The cats still get Hills. Hills is a good food, we just wanted something a bit better 🙂
Hey! We won a bag, too! I’ll probably be blogging about it on Thursday. Our dogs were eating cheap food, so this is the perfect way to make the switch. I chose a senior dog chicken kibble. The dogs are still farting, though …
Hmmm…my sisters and I fart like twice a year and it always scares the bijeebees out of us! Mom thinks it is funny, we are scared of our own butts! Katie just eats the basic Large Breed Senior Dog Food, not grain free or anything else and no gas at our house!
You are right. It is a hot and touchy subject and one you must tackle as to what works best for you. We switched to raw to help Sampson and Delilah lose weight and it worked. Because we feed raw, we just keep their diet as grain free as possible.
It doesn’t work for everyone but then neither does anything. I’m glad you have a food you enjoy!
We do like it, even finicky me 🙂
Innova sounds pawesome!!!! There really are soooooo many choices out there, glad you are all happy with your new bities!!!!
We really like it and even the bags are pretty!
I switch it up and feed my dog a variety of dry foods and raw food. He seems to do OK with the variety, and personally I think a lot of variety has its benefits assuming the dog’s tummy can handle it. I don’t think I’ve ever fed him the regular Innova food, but I often buy Evo which I believe is made by Innova. I can’t keep them all straight, honestly.
I trust Innova because it’s sold at a natural pet food store owned by someone I know quite well. I trust that she only sells the highest-quality food for our pets, and Innova is one of the brands she carries.
You can’t get Innova at lots of stores which is fine by us. We really like it and are happy to go to a different store to get it. We don’t like to switch food much, so once we find one we stick with it.
Happy, health and good is a hard combination to find, yum!
Very true!
Finding a new food can be a pain. There is so much to choose from. We tried a lot of foods before we found one that worked for both Thunder and Storm. Unfortunately it did not work for Freighter. Our problem has always been keeping weight on the dogs. Thunder and Storm’s food was OK for Freighter, but barely and he had to eat a lot of it. By making the change to a different food, he is doing much better on it.
Now kitty cat eats crappy cheapy food and don’t even try to give too much of the healthy stuff…lol.
I am glad you were able to find a food you like. 🙂
Our kitties eat Hills which is good. Katie and I both ate puppy chow for a couple years because we weren’t big eaters and needed to keep weight on.
That sounds like a great food, Emma, and I’m glad you’re all happy with it. We are happy with Fromm’s right now, but would keep this one in mind if we ever needed to switch for any reason. It’s funny, but we used to have all the dogs on the same food, but once Sheba got her arthritis we realized she should be on large breed. Now everyone has a different food! It has made meal time a little more time consuming, but I do now realize it’s important everyone gets what is appropriate for them.
For a time Katie and I were on the same food, but now each is separate. Not a big deal really. Fromms was one of the three we narrowed our choices down too.
I have also found that feeding the best food we can afford saves tons on vet bills. I know I’ve made a good choice when my vet takes a look at Honey and says, “She looks terrific! What are you feeding her?”
My biggest problem has been evaluating foods. I’m not scientist and my eyes glaze over when I read ingredient lists. I’ve found sites like dog food advisor and the Slim Doggy ap to be so helpful in comparing the quality of foods.
Glad you’ve found a food that works for everyone. Once Bailie gets a little older, you’ll have one less product to buy.
It seems like Mom is always buying food because both cats have different foods and then the three of us, but we will get Bailie on adult some time in the summer which will eliminate one extra bag.
Interesting about “feeding large breed”. Yes so many food in the market. Since Sugar is a senior it is not recommended for her to change. She’s on grain free because of her allergies. She is still on soft food w/ grain and doing fine. Happy Tasty Tuesday
None of us has had soft food, but for Sugar and her tongue, that is understandable. Our vet in Germany told us about the reason for large breed puppy, it is more than just the size of the food pellets. Lots of large dogs will be taller in the back than in the front as puppies and the large breed should help prevent that or keep the difference minimal.
There are so many options and so hard to choose. I don’t think we’ve tried Innova, so maybe it’s time. =)
We are not food experts but we recommend it.
Great review! IMHO cheap pet food is false economy. These days there are so many choices of healthy food that it’s hard to choose. Looks like you found a good one for all of you.
We don’t switch often, but thought it was time and for now we are happy.
I didn’t know that about large breed puppy food. Interesting! I agree with everyone else, there are so many dog foods out there that it is hard to choose! Glad you like your new food!
That is what we were told by our vet friend, and it can’t hurt we figure.
Great stuff. My dogs have used it and i’ve recommended this to my friends and family.
Thanks. We all like it and it is pretty healthy from what we can tell.
Sounds like a tasty food! Glad you found one that’ll work for you. 🙂 It can be really hard to choose the right food. There are so many options out there.
It is really hard to figure out.
Mom is very afraid to change foods, but if she does, she says she will consider your recommendation, because you are very wise. – Lulu Belle
Thank you. We haven’t switched food in years, but although we were eating quality food, we just felt that times had changed and our food had not so we wanted to find something better. Hopefully we will stick with this for many years.
You are right, dog food is really a hot issue nowadays and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I on my part learned from my experience when my two french bulldogs endangered their life because I was feeding them commercialized dog food. I didn’t know before the harmful elements contained in every bag because of the chemicals and preservatives that have negative effects on our dogs. They refused to eat. A friend advised me to switch to home made dog food and I got really good results. They became very active and they gained back their appetite. Until now I am feeding them home made dog food and I continue to develop new healthy recipes.
I know a lot of people do cook for their dogs these days, but we just aren’t ready for that step right now. Thanks for stopping by.