Making Healthy Changes with Natural Dog Food #PawNatural

This post is sponsored by Only Natural Pet and the BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the new Canine PowerFoodTM, but Rubicon Days only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Only Natural Pet is not responsible for the content of this article.

Recently I asked Rubicon Days' Facebook followers what was important to them in selecting a dog food. Some of the responses were "no allergens" "made in USA," "grain-free," and "natural ingredients."

I'm not proud of some of the food that I bought for my previous dogs, but I think there has been a revolution in the pet food industry in the last several years, inspiring us to be more educated and make healthier choices for our companions. By reading labels, researching ingredients, and buying the highest-quality foods our budgets allow, we can help our dogs reach their nourished, healthful potential. Lasya and Freya lived long lives and did not always eat top-shelf dog food, but I am determined to do better with the Ginger Sisters' diet.  I was therefore thrilled to partner with local Boulder, Colorado-based company Only Natural Pet for the launch of their new natural Canine PowerFoodTM  which was developed by a holistic veterinarian and is allergy-friendly, grain-free, and made in the USA.

We selected the limited-ingredient Just Fish Recipe of Only Natural Pet Canine PowerfoodTM  and I was very pleased with what I saw on the label. The food is made in the USA, and de-boned whitefish is the first listed ingredient, followed by vegetables, fruits and other nutrients. Two of the more interesting ingredients are green lipped mussels and sea cucumber, which are included in the PowerBoostTM Blend, a freeze-dried coating. Both of these oceanic ingredients are indicated for joint health. The coating also includes pumpkin, digestive enzymes and probiotics, all things I feel are beneficial to my dogs. 

On the first day, I fed 1/4 new food and 3/4 old food in our Slo Bowls

Ruby and Boca are already on a high quality rotation diet which I've talked about quite a bit here. They eat freeze-dried or dehydrated raw for breakfast and kibble for dinner. I am always open to adding new brands to our pantry as I believe variety is good for them. We generally switch dog food brands and/or varieties by the bag or box. The Ginger Sisters have never had any trouble changing foods on their rotation diet, but for the purposes of this food trial we followed the gradual transitioning guidelines provided by Only Natural Pet. Some dogs are sensitive to change, especially if they have been eating the same food for their whole lives. When introducing a new dog food, begin by incrementally increasing the ratio of new food to old food over the course of at least ten days.

Both dogs (even picky Ruby!) ate the Just Fish Feast enthusiastically and are now fully transitioned to it, with the addition of camelina oil, which I rotate seasonally with salmon oil and coconut oil. Although neither of my girls have allergies, I prefer to avoid grains and particularly corn, and Only Natural Pet Canine PowerfoodTM is free of corn, wheat, oats and soy. My dogs are at ideal weights with shiny coats, white teeth and no digestive issues and they have maintained this condition through the transition. I feel I can put my trust in a company that maintains a list of unacceptable ingredients for the products it manufactures and carries and I feel confident about adding this new natural dog food to our regular rotation. In addition to the fish variety, Only Natural Pet will also release a poultry and a red meat blend on October 6th, and the kibble is available for pre-order here.  You can also visit Only Natural Pet on Facebook and Twitter.