This post is sponsored by Nature’s Recipe and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Nature’s Recipe available at PetSmart but Keenly Kristin only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Nature’s Recipe and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article.
Being a doggy parent comes with certain responsibilities. There’s a lot to pay attention to, such as exercise, play, grooming, diet, medical care, health concerns — the list is seemingly endless.
When we talk about diet, though, what does that mean exactly? Paying attention to your dog’s diet means more than making sure they’re not eating out of the trash, or getting into chocolate or grapes, or not eating poop. (Although those are all important, too!) What we actually feed to our dogs is important.
I have to admit, I’ve been guilty of feeding my dog any old (cheap) dog food, and leaving it at that. I had no idea what was even in the dog food. I just figured, if it’s made by a well-known brand, it must be good, right? And, if my dog is healthy, then the food must be good enough, right? And just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s not good, right?
But is all that actually right? No, not right, not at all. In fact, I probably only tried to convince myself of those things because it made me feel better about my choice.
One thing I didn’t do was look at the ingredients of dog food. Ever. Why? Because I probably couldn’t justify my dog food choice if I did so. Irresponsible doggy parent? Um, yes. I’d have to admit that, if I’m being honest.
Because, as it turns out, good nutrition can actually mean better health for your dog. There’s definitely something to be said — obviously — for natural dog food vs. run-of-the-mill, processed dog food.
When it comes to natural dog food, Nature’s Recipe® at PetSmart is an obvious (and responsible) choice. The folks at Nature’s Recipe have been providing pets with ideal nutrition, creating recipes for pets where every ingredient counts.
Ingredients like…chicken. And oatmeal, and chicken meal, and barley, and brown rice. Those are the first five ingredients of our Nature’s Recipe dog food. The “other” dog food I was feeding my dog? Whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, animal fat, and soybean meal.
When it comes to dog food recipes, Nature’s Recipe creates recipes for real life, which help provide dogs with specific benefits (either nutritional or functional).
Plus, Nature’s Recipe dog food is grain free, and it contains no artificial colors or preservatives!
For my dog’s needs, I selected Nature’s Recipe Large Breed Puppy Food (Frankie is a German Shepherd, after all), which is specially formulated as it focuses on the needs of large breed puppies: Energy, muscle development, controlled weight gain, and good digestion.
This is a pretty common behavior for Frankie (pawing at her bowl) both before and after feeding Nature’s Recipe. Before, she is anxious to get fed and After, she wants MORE. When I fed her the “other” (inferior) dog food, it wasn’t uncommon for her to ignore her food bowl for hours until she finally got around to eating. What dog does that?
The Large Breed Puppy recipe contains chicken (an excellent protein for muscle development), oatmeal (a great carbohydrate source for energy), and chicory root (a soluble fiber that helps keep their digestive tract running smoothly). That sounds precisely like the food — and the delicious nutrition — Frankie needs, am I right?
Not only is Nature’s Recipe natural dog food good for Frankie, but it’s delicious nutrition as well. Frankie loves this dog food, which, believe it or not, isn’t always a guarantee with her!
Keep in mind, providing good nutrition for your dog doesn’t automatically mean you have to buy expensive dog food. In fact, you will find Nature’s Choice dog food at PetSmart at prices comparable to the supermarket. See for yourself!
Choosing Nature’s Choice means I can choose all-natural food with added vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and it means I can do so without breaking my budget. It’s really just a matter of making a responsible choice for my pet, which is all we really want to do, right? Right.
Be sure to keep up with Nature’s Recipe on Instagram!
Our first German Shepherd had horrible ear infections for a year until we got her off cheap dog food. Now, I know better and I am an avid ingredient reader. Your pup is gorgeous!
diane recently posted..Easy Overnight Oats Recipe with Strawberries, Almonds and Dark Chocolate
Thanks so much, Diane! I really hadn’t given the dog food a thought previously…but now that I think about it, she is prone to awful digestive issues from time to time, and we’ve been unable to figure out the cause! I wonder if it’s her food?
This sounds like great food for dogs. I love that they make a healthy food for pups so affordable.
Growing up we used to feed our pets the normal awful dog food in grocery stores. As an adult and doing more research I learned why they are so awful and now we are so cautious of what we buy! I love Nature’s Recipe for our pets
Twitter: eatsnsweets
I love when brands treat your dogs like a part of the family. Making healthy versions is important — especially to me.
Sounds like a nice healthy option. That is wonderful that you have done your research to find the best food for your pooch!