Quality of TOTW dog food?

I picked up a small bag of taste of the wild while at TSC today. I’m trying to convince my parents to put their dogs on a grain free diet. I think it will help with the chronic ear infections and skin issues of both dogs.

Just wondering what the quality is of TOTW? It’s only a 5 lb bag, just to see if they’ll eat it, so I’m not stuck with the food. If TOTW isn’t very good, what brands would you recommend? I’m pretty sure I can get practically any type of food, I have petcos/petsmarts galore around here, plus some independently owned pet shops, a specialty store that carries only “premium” brands, and a TSC.

I got the bison kind of TOTW if that matters.

Not something I would feed, but I’m a bit of a stickler. It’s made by Diamond, which has a less than stellar history of recalls.

Here’s a recent thread: http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341260

I like Before Grain, Pinnacle, Instinct, Orijen…

I won’t feed it ever again! It seems like to me their protein sourcing is questionable. The vet said that they get lots of dogs coming in sick from that food. He said it’s probably one of the main ones that he has seen as a problem food.

I usually feed Nature’s Variety Instinct but I have also fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness. My vet recommended I switch to Core Wellness Super 5 for the time being.

I used to feed it. Two times the bags were “off” and the dogs refused to eat it. One is a lab. He’s a canine septic tank that believes anything in his bowl is fit to eat. Except TOTW on two separate occasions. I now feed 4Health and have never had a problem.

[QUOTE=LauraKY;6137425]
One is a lab. He’s a canine septic tank that believes anything in his bowl is fit to eat. .[/QUOTE]

My dog is a Lab too. We call him the garbage disposal.

I have had good luck with it, although not thrilled that Diamond makes it. But any of the other brands that are decent and available around here are a little spendy for me. I will feed it until I have an issue. I currently have three dogs on it.

I use it on occasion. Not on a regular basis. I think for the price point it is a good food…Certainly better than your grocery store feeds. Is it as good as Nature’s Variety, Nature’s Logic, Orijen, etc…Absolutely not. But it is a decent mid grade food.

I know our local Pet Store is very picky about what they will carry…they do carry this as their “lower grade” grain free choice.

I know many people who feed it and really like it.

Why do you think it’s of lesser quality than Orijen etc? I’ve been feeding ToTW for about 2 years and have been really happy with it, but I’ve heard a few people mention that it’s not super high quality so I’m starting to think about switching over to something else. My dog has a fairly sensitive stomach, so I’m a little reluctant to ‘rock the boat’ much, but I would like to make sure he’s getting good quality food.

Because it has less meat than the others and Diamond has a poor record with recalls.

Take a look at the ingredient list and the protein levels of the foods mentioned–you’ll see the difference.

You may find this link useful and informative:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php/cat/1

It will give you their rating and reasons, as well as ingredients of the food (so you can use your own thinking, if you see it different from reviewers.)

I’ve been feeeding it for about 5 yrs and never had a problem with it with any of my 3 dogs. They eat the high Prairie or pacific salmon formula.

I looked into two dog food rating sites, one site gave TOTW 5 out of 5 stars, the other gave it 6 out of 6 stars. So according to these sites it’s about as high quality as you can get? :confused:

[QUOTE=Simkie;6137703]
Because it has less meat than the others and Diamond has a poor record with recalls.

Take a look at the ingredient list and the protein levels of the foods mentioned–you’ll see the difference.[/QUOTE]

Thank you. It is a good mid grade food but certainly not the same quality as the others I mentioned

My dog with a sensitive stomach was having acid with it, so we switched. Now he gets Acana Ranchlands–so far so good.

[QUOTE=SAcres;6137936]
I looked into two dog food rating sites, one site gave TOTW 5 out of 5 stars, the other gave it 6 out of 6 stars. So according to these sites it’s about as high quality as you can get? :confused:[/QUOTE]

That’s where I got confused too. On the Dog Food Analysis site they do mention in the review that it’s borderline between being a 5* and 6* food.

That’s why I don’t use these websites as the absolute truth. They may both be 5 out of 5 stars, but one is a higher five. Just like if you were ever in band and played at MPA or State Contest…Grade 6 music is not all the same…there is easy grade 6 and then there are harder grade 6 pieces (sorry, I a music major and this is my best analogy :lol: ) To each his own, I’m not saying TOTW is a bad food, I’m simply saying, it is not in the same catagory as your higher end grain free kibbles such as NV, NL, or O.

Taste of the Wild Lamb

[COLOR=“black”]Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.6%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.0%, as-fed
Calories: 3,611 kcal/kg (338 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Available in 5lb, 15lb and 30lb bags.

Ingredients
Lamb, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, canola oil, pea protein, roasted lamb, tomato pomace, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative and source of vitamin E), dried chicory root, taurine, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.[/COLOR]

Nature’s Variety Instinct Lamb/Beef

Sizes Available
4.4 lb, 13.2 lb, and 25.3 lb
Ingredients
Beef Meal, Lamb Meal, Turkey Meal, Tapioca, Beef Fat, Pea Starch, Beef Liver, Beef Plasma, Natural Lamb Flavor, Coconut Oil, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Tomato Pomace, Montmorillonite Clay, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Carotene, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Sea Salt, Dried Kelp, Direct-Fed Microorganisms (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast Culture, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract), Taurine, Carrots, Garlic, Apples, Pumpkin, Inulin, Mixed Tocopherols with Citric Acid (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract, Freeze Dried Beef, Freeze Dried Beef Heart, Freeze Dried Beef Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Ground Beef Bone, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Chicken Eggs, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Salmon Oil, Olive Oil, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Rosemary, Sage, Clove. Visit the Ingredient Glossary to learn about each ingredient.
Complete & Balanced for All Life Stages
Nature’s Variety Instinct Beef Meal & Lamb Meal Formula for dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Calories
494 per cup

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min): 37.0%
Crude Fat (min): 20.0%
Crude Fiber (max): 3.5%
Moisture (max): 10.0%

It depends on which protein you want to base your diet off of. TOTW is the ONLY food that has worked with my hyperactive Weimareiner. She was getting 5 very generous cups of food a day before on other high quality foods. Now, on TOTW she is getting 3 level cups and she LOVES it. Less dietary issues and her coat is amazing. We feed the Bison based one. My parents switched their dogs over to it as well and they love it. Their puppy is on the Bison Puppy formula and the older dog is on the Lamb formula. Both also LOVE it!

As for the recalls- the recalls were on their ‘lower’ grade dog foods. look for TOTW specific recalls. www.dogfoodadvisor.com is my favorite. I spent 2 hours in my pet store when I was getting ready to make the switch. I wrote down all the proteins/fats/fibers and price per size as well as protein types of all their higher quality/grain free foods. I then used that website to rate them in a chart!

I feed it to my “Lollypop Special” (the local name for a dog of unknown breeding adopted from the humane society, Lollypop Farm). She’s probably a boarder collie/lab/maybe white shepherd mix, about 50 lbs.

She put on weight easily with one 1/2 scoop for breakfast and one for dinner. We are supplementing with fish oil this winter, as she suddenly got very itchy in January, but just a squirt of fish oil once a day has solved that problem!

We love our dog dearly, and want to send her to all the best colleges money can buy, but we are both full-time students, part time workers, and I board 2 horses (and we have a cat and degus). We can’t afford to buy the A++ food right now for any of them- it’s the best compromise for us of cost and quality.