As a professional pet sitter, I see all kinds of canine diets. I've fed raw, I've fed kibble, I've fed kibble with some chicken or other delight mixed in, and I've fed canned. I have to be honest. I've always been a bit of a snob when it comes to pet food. I believe in preventative health, and I think one of the–if not the–most important part of health is our diet, whether we are human or canine. I try not to judge what people feed their pets, but, secretly in my head, I do. Another confession: I've always looked down on canned dog food.
This post is sponsored by Only Natural Pet® and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the NEW Canine PowerStew™, but Well Minded only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Only Natural Pet is not responsible for the content of this article.
N.A.S.H.A. tries Only Natural Pet's® NEW Canine PowerStew™
my impressions of canned dog food
I have never fed N.A.S.H.A. (or any other dog who has owned me) canned dog food. Ever.
Why?
My impression was that canned dog food is always of poor quality and less-than-stellar ingredients. I thought that a canine diet including large quantities of canned food is unhealthy for a dog's dental health since he should have something crunchy to help exercise and clean his teeth. I assumed there are always lots of artificial everything and not a lot of natural anything in canned food. A la canned green beans vs. fresh. Big diff.
enter Only Natural Pet™ Canine Powerstew™
When Only Natural Pet™ sent us their brand new Canine PowerStew™ to try, I was a bit nervous. I felt like the first time I gave my human kid something with sugar in it. I made sure to read the label before I fed it to N.A.S.H.A. "Only Natural Pet" sounds all well and good, but, then again, so does "Beneful," and we all know where that stands. The ingredient list doesn't lie.
Only Natural Pet Canine PowerStew comes in three varieties: Chicken & Liver Feast, Turkey & Duck Feast, and Beef & Lamb Feast, which we tried, initially. After reading the label, my whole impression of canned food changed. What did I see?
• high-quality, protein-rich meat as the first ingredient
• grain-free
• carrageenan-free
• healthy, real veggies for bioavailable, wholesome nutrition
• holistically-formulated, biologically-appropriate diet
• made in the USA from premium ingredients for a complete and balanced meal
• highly palatable ingredients, chunky stew style, and hydrating broth for optimal balance of health and flavor
• allergy-friendly
• it can be mixed in to your dog's regular diet or fed as a stand-alone meal
Only Natural Pet. The road to my heart is paved with paw prints, naturally.
I love learning about a new natural pet food from a company that has a holistic approach to pet health, so after setting aside my judgement and bias in favor of the facts, I decided to give it a go. I would not recommend a food if I hadn't first tried it on my own guinea pig...er...dog. We frequently rotate N.A.S.H.A.'s food, so I wasn't too concerned about upsetting her tummy by trying something new.
trying Only Natural Pet PowerStew
When I opened the can, I saw chunks of real beef, green beans, and carrots. It looked so good! It didn't give off a nasty odor, as I expected (another one of my biases comes out of the woodwork), so I stuck my nose right in there and gave it a good whiff. It smelled like something I would like to eat, myself!
This stuff actually looks and smells pretty darn good!
I decided to mix the food into N.A.S.H.A.'s usual dinner, which consists of whatever dry dog food is on rotation, apple cider vinegar, and turmeric. As I prepared her meal, she sat by eagerly. I guess she thought it smelled pretty good, too! I let her take a whiff out of the can as I did, and she looked up at me and wagged her tail. I was sort-of surprised that she didn't take a sample out of the can, but then I realized that she's never seen a can before and probably didn't know what to make of it.
N.A.S.H.A. gives it a sniff, but isn't sure about the can.
The PowerStew blended in nicely with N.A.S.H.A.'s food. I love how you can see the herbs in the food...the real deal.
I set down her dish, and her odd-little "I like it" feeding ritual began. She does this with her food every night no matter what, but it intensifies if it's something new that she likes. If she doesn't like it, she'll immediately turn up her nose and leave it. If it's a favorable review, she'll take out a few bits of food, place some on the floor, and place some on her "kitchen throne," a pillow she likes to lay on under our kitchen table. Boy, when you try to explain this to people, it really sounds crazy (both me and the dog). In any case, she's "hiding" it in plain site, doing her little courting dance. Oh...never mind the explanation...just see for yourself (and please excuse my daughter's interruptions)...
Healthy and she likes it. And it's in a can? Who knew? I'm impressed. And what's more exciting? This is a BRAND NEW quality food that will be available for you to order mid-July, so you won't have to wait long. It is the latest addition to Only Natural Pet's line of over 200 natural and holistic pet foods, supplements, and products.
I love mixing things up for N.A.S.H.A., because who wants to eat the same thing every single day? I think PowerStew is an excellent way for us to introduce a healthy new food into her diet. I hate to admit it, but I'm a changed pet parent. I now know that healthy canned dog food exists, and I would encourage other pooch parents to give it a shot.
Only Natural Pet products are not sold in stores. Please check them out online to order. The PowerStew varieties are on sale as they are released to the public, so be sure to order soon to take advantage. They offer a special trial package and 15% off your first order. They offer other discounts, as well, and convenient discounted auto-delivery. Sweet.
The PowerStew Blurry Waggy Happy Tail. It's official.
