Reagan has reminded me why I love feeding raw food...........the poop! 1 cup of kibble in and 2 cups out. The volume is unbelievable, but it is normal and firm. So much more foul also (Stephen and my sister, Denise, are probably tired of hearing about Reagan's poopies by now although good friend, Helen, is always nice to ask :-).
I switched Reagan's kibble to Acana Grasslands about a week ago. The Blue Buffalo Lamb and Rice seemed to cause problems as soon as I was trying to feed her more than 2 cups of food per day (which she needs). I searched the Internet for another option. I found this website very helpful in comparing different brands of food - Dog Food Analysis. Use the search button to see how your brand stacks up.
The problem I faced is that many foods sneak in chicken fat and we are trying to avoid anything "bird" at this time (except eggs). Chicken fat alone crossed many high quality brands off my list.
I also was trying to avoid foods that contain too many kinds of meat. For example, Evo Red Meat would be an excellent choice for Reagan, but it contains beef, lamb, venison, AND buffalo. Throwing all of my red meat options into one food did not sit well with me. If there are any protein allergy problems in the future, I would like to still have venison and buffalo as an option.
I was planning on buying something else, but found the Acana Grasslands while browsing the shelves of the boutique pet food store. It is lamb based, clearly states "no poultry", no by-products, and is grain-free (something else I was happy about).
Reagan is doing very well on the Acana Grasslands. I am able to feed her 3 - 4 cups with no problems. We are closing in one month and she has not had any major digestive blow outs (not even on the Blue Buffalo). Now that she is eating a suitable amount of food, I hope to see her gain a few pounds over the next couple of weeks. Her skin is no longer flaky. Reagan's coat seems brighter and softer. Time will tell if the thin areas are filling in, but I am believing that they are. This picture was taken last weekend.
I wish I had a picture of Reagan dated today. I think she has gained the weight I wanted in just the last few days and her color is so much brighter! I think we are on the right track.
