Canidae formula change

[Barb E]

I would guess their Email box is over flowing, but I would prefer an auto email with something about that and then a real answer. I too have always gotten great responses from them; I would be disappointed as well.

I didn't realize that about the Barley and Millet being in short supply as well - Millet is in the Nature's Logic I'm switching too.

[Liesje]

I've been thinking of switching to Natural Balance. Coke has a sensitive stomach, no major allergy in particular, but anytime we try certain foods or use treats other than dog food and NB food roll, he gets diarrhea. Do you guys think Natural Balance would be something logical to try? Probably the Lamb and Rice, since Coke has been good on Canidae Lamb and Rice and previously did OK on Nature's Variety Prairie Lamb or Chicken and Rice formulas (but they are so expensive).

[luanne]

I just switched Hunter over to NB from Canidae. He had some serious rear end licking going on with Canidae. That has gone away now that we made the switch. I might try Gracie on it next. She's my real sensitive stomach pooch.

Lu

[3K9Mom]

Lies, I like NB's foods overall, esp the single-protein formulas (the original formula is much the same as a lot of other stuff out there, so I've always liked Canidae better for that sort of option). The only thing about NB foods is that the protein is on the low side (21% for the L&R), and the fat is quite low, (12% for the L&R). For Camper, I used to add meat (that I was positive that he wasn't allergic to) to get him more protein, but especially fat.

Coke is pretty active, isn't he? You'll need to watch his weight and energy level. If you see either dip, then I think you'll want to think about supplementing. It's kind of a hassle, but the nice thing about the NB single protein/single carb kibbles is that you have a clearer idea of what you're feeding. It's easy to weed out what your dog is sensitive or allergic to, and supplement if necessary. Some people don't agree with this approach. But my guy is super sensitive to everything. When I was feeding kibble, it was the only way I could feed him.

And despite all the warnings about ruining the "balance" of proteins and such, I never had any problems that way, even with a growing pup. He grew fine, healthy, with healthy bones and joints. So, that's my experience.

(I've always been skeptical about the warnings of supplementing kibbles. Seems to me that it's the manufacturer's way of ensuring we just feed their kibble, and only their kibble. So that's my two cents on that, for whatever it's worth! )

[Liesje]

Thanks for the input. I'll give it a try but watch his weight. He was real thin when we got him and I slowly put weight on, but now I think he's good, could maybe lose a few lbs (he is a very tall, leggy dog, needs to be kept quite lean to avoid joint problems).

My other choice was California Natural, since it's so simple, but if Coke ends up having problems for life, I'd rather save that for later on, as a last resort.

Both dogs did well on NV Prairie but it's so expensive, I'd like to try some other things first before going back to that.

Both dogs like NB food roll as treats, and it doesn't give Coke diarrhea like when I use other stuff.

[Wildtim]

Originally Posted By: 3K9MomThis was the response I got to my email:

http://www.canidae.com/new-formulas.html

That's it. No "Thanks for writing. We'll let marketing/research know your concerns." No "We'll keep your comments in our files for future reference." Nothing.

I've always received personal responses from Canidae til this time. Just a link? That's it? Either they're getting a lot of mail, or they're less interested in customer feedback then they used to be. Kind of disappointing.

Grain-free foods aren't for every dog. Canidae has always filled a great niche in the market. To me, it makes sense to raise the cost of a bag of food a dollar or two than add ingredients that makes it more like all the other stuff. Millet (a major food source in Africa)and barley are also in short supply internationally. It's not just rice, so I'm not sure I buy the "save the rice for poor people" statement.

Oh well. Back to researching and reading ingredients labels...

I'll just bet they are getting a ton of response to this.

In response to "raise the cost of the food a dollar or two per bag" They already did that. Over the last six months the wholesale price of their food has gone up over $5 per bag. This is according to the owner of the feed mill here in town and confirmed by the distributer. The formula change is more in order to give them more play to regulate the price in the future with regards to the price of the available commodities than any change they want to make. Its my understanding that the price of brown rice has skyrocketed even more so than the cost of meat, they finally reached the point where it was either adapt or go under because if they reach the next higher price bracket with their food they are no longer competitive ingredient wise.

[StGeorgeK9]

I think its a real shame, I dont feed Canidae but have always thought it was a good food. I wish there was something else they could have done. I wonder how long before this starts impacting other makers. I've seen pet food prices rise so much recently.

[angelaw]

I've watched prices rise on numerous items from my distributor this year. Upcoming increases (just fyi, oh midwest crates went up last month) but others:

ark naturals 7/1
four paws 7/1
nature's variety 7/1
diamond 7/7 (taste of the wild is a diamond product remember, also just did an increase not too long ago, went up almost $2 a bag last time)
coastal pet products 7/11
petrapport 7/28
swheatscoop 8/1
kibbles n bits 8/4
everclean cat litter 8/4
ethical pet- fashion pet 8/15

just a few upcoming as listed on my monthly newsletter.

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted By: LiesjeI've been thinking of switching to Natural Balance. Coke has a sensitive stomach, no major allergy in particular, but anytime we try certain foods or use treats other than dog food and NB food roll, he gets diarrhea. Do you guys think Natural Balance would be something logical to try? Probably the Lamb and Rice, since Coke has been good on Canidae Lamb and Rice and previously did OK on Nature's Variety Prairie Lamb or Chicken and Rice formulas (but they are so expensive).

Have you tried these treats? They have a lot less "stuff" in them than a lot of treats. My dogs like the Turkey, Oatmeal, and Cranberry and the Bison, Barley and Blueberry. But they LOVE the Potato and Duck. Haven't opened the Sweet Potato and Fish one yet.

Natural Balance Treats.

[selzer]

What a total bummer. I thought only the lamb formula was affected.

Errrgh!!!!

I have to check the bags I currently have. I know I got a new bag of the lamb and Dubya's stool was mushy and soggy for a couple of weeks, not days. Finally, I quit feeding it to him.

I am feeding him the four meat source stuff, and he has firmed up a bit. But I do not KNOW if they have changed that formula yet.

With ten dogs on this food, switching becomes a major issue. I sure hope Cujo doesn't have problems with it.