Is Natures Recipe Made In The United States
The Natures Recipe brand was only acquired by Big Heart Pet Brands, part of the J.M. Smucker Company, in 2015. According to a spokesperson for the Natures Variety brand, all of their dry dog food and dog treats are produced in U.S. facilities. While most of their wet food products are also made in the United States, some of their grain-free canned foods are made in Thailand.
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Natures Recipe Dog Treats
In addition to an assortment of dry food and wet food options, Natures Recipe also offers a collection of dog treats. Here is a list of Natures Recipe dog treats:
Treats:
- Soft Bites Made with Real Beef & Cheese
- Soft Bites Made with Real Chicken & Cheese
- Soft Minis Made with Real Bacon
- Soft Minis Made with Real Chicken
- Soft Minis Made with Real Beef
- Soft Sticks Made with Real Bacon & Cheese
- Soft Sticks Made with Real Peanut Butter
- Grain-Free Biscuits Salmon & Potato Recipe
- Grain-Free Biscuits Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe
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No Whole Meats/low Protein Content: Potential Issue
Except for their Prime Blends recipes, Natures Recipe doesnt contain any whole meats. Meat meals technically have more protein, but whole meats are still vital for complete nutrition. A lack of whole meat is a sign of low protein content, so keep that in mind when shopping for your dogs diet. For dogs that need more protein, we recommend trying other dog food brands.
Is Natures Recipe Dog Food Safe For Seniors
Many Natures Recipe formulas that contain quality protein levels and are below average in calorie and fat content can be considered safe for seniors provided they meet AAFCO nutrient standards for adult maintenance. Natures Recipe Senior Lamb Meal and Rice Recipe can make a healthy option for older animals. View The Advisors best senior dog foods here.
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What Other Users Are Saying
Natures Recipe has been around long enough to have been reviewed by customers and professionals alike. Here are some of the things being said:
HerePup above average kibble that is healthy and doesnt have many unnecessary ingredients.
Dog Food Guru Natures Recipe has many different formulas, and you can probably find one perfectly suited to your dogs size, age, and special needs.
Amazon As pet owners, we always double-check with Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here.
What Dog Foods Are Killing Dogs
A pet food recall is widening after the Food and Drug Administration announced that more than two dozen dogs died after eating Sportmix brand dry kibble. The statement issued on Monday said that the suspect is aflatoxin, a byproduct of a corn mold Aspergillus flavus, which at high levels can kill pets.
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How To Store Reheat And Freeze
This homemade dog food will last 5-7 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. We usually make a weeks worth of food at a time and store it in the refrigerator. We store all of the meals in simple Tupperware containers and we ALWAYS save our plastic take-out containers and re-use them for Rascals Dog Food.
When eating time rolls around, simply nuke it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and cool slightly before serving.
For freezing, I recommend freezer-safe containers or freezer zip-top bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge before feeding and reheat as directed.
Preparation Of Our Homemade Diet
All of the information above might seem intimidating, but I assure you that making the actual meals for our dogs takes no more than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.
First, we cook our complex carbs, whether theyre grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables.
While that pot is simmering on the stove, we cook the meat in a separate pan in coconut oil and ground turmeric. After its cooled a bit, we add chunks of meat to our food processor and pulse until theyre broken down into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.
Then, we gather whatever vegetables or fruits we have in the kitchen , chop them up as needed, and toss them into the food processor.
We also add a few clean, crushed eggshells to the mix. A few pulses turns all this food into smaller pieces, making them more digestible for our dogs.
Finally, we add the cooled, cooked carbs to the food processor and do a couple more pulses to combine. Everything should have a finely crumbled texture by this point.
Since dogs have short digestive tracts, its crucial that you break down the food to increase its bioavailability that is, making all the nutrients in those wholesome ingredients more digestible in a dogs system.
I prepare enough food to last my two pugs an entire week. Its unbelievably easy, and I like knowing exactly what goes into their food. Friends will watch us feed our pugs and remark that it looks good enough for them to eat!
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Natures Recipe Canned Products
Many of the same recipes that are available in dry food form also come in canned food. Natures Recipe offers an assortment of life stages, special needs, and grain-free options for wet food including several limited-ingredient recipes. Here is a list of Natures Recipe canned dog food recipes:
Life Stages Dry Food Recipes:
- Chicken Recipe in Broth
- Chicken & Wild Salmon Recipe in Broth
- Chicken & Turkey Recipe in Broth
- Adult Lamb & Rice Recipe Cuts in Gravy
- Senior Lamb & Rice Recipe Cuts in Gravy
Special Needs Dry Food Recipes:
- Easy to Digest Chicken, Rice & Barley Cuts in Gravy
- Easy to Digest Chicken, Rice & Barley Homestyle Ground
- Easy to Digest Lamb, Rice & Barley Cuts in Gravy
- Easy to Digest Lamb, Rice & Barley Homestyle Ground
- Grain-Free Easy to Digest Chicken & Duck Recipe in Broth
- Grain-Free Easy to Digest Chicken & Venison Recipe in Broth
- Healthy Skin Vegetarian Recipe Cuts in Gravy
Grain-Free Dry Food Recipes:
- Grain-Free Chicken Recipe in Broth
- Grain-Free Ocean Fish & Tuna Recipe in Broth
Pure Essentials Dry Food Recipes:
- Grain-Free Lamb Recipe in Broth
- Grain-Free Salmon Recipe in Broth
- Grain-Free Chicken Recipe in Broth
- Venison Recipe in Broth
- Duck Recipe in Broth
Review Of Grain Free Natures Recipe Chicken Chicken Meal And Potato
Ingredients in Natures Recipe Chicken, Chicken Meal, and Potato
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potato Flour, Pea Protein, Peas, Sweet Potato, Poultry fat , Apples, Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Tapioca Starch, Tomato Pomace, Salt, Canola Oil , Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamins , Inositol, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Beta-carotene, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals , Lactic acid, Citric Acid , L-carnitine, Yucca Shidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract.
As advertised, the food has no grains, so if your dog is allergic to corn, wheat, , this food should appeal to you. There are also no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavorings. It also doesnt have any beef or dairy, which can also be problematic for some dogs.
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A General Guideline For Preparing Homemade Dog Food
My DIY dog food recipe is more of a general guideline, rather than an exact meal plan that I follow each week. My dogs diet changes the same way ours does, depending on what we do and what we buy or grow.
However, we almost always stay with this basic formula:
- 50 percent cooked protein
- 25 percent cooked complex carbohydrates
- Fats and supplements
- Eggshells
Protein is always meat and usually chicken, though weve also used turkey, pork, and beef. We feed any and all parts of the animals, but most commonly, we saute chicken breasts or chicken thighs in coconut oil and ground turmeric.
Coconut oil has a host of health benefits for dogs, such as improving the skin and coat, increasing energy, aiding digestion, reducing allergic reactions, promoting wound healing, preventing yeast and fungal infections, and supporting arthritis or ligament problems.
Turmeric has long been studied for its powerful medicinal properties, including its use as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
We add it to the coconut oil since it is fat-soluble, and use it to support our pugs joint health.
Speaking of dark meat, we feed thighs and breasts interchangeably. While well remove the skin from poultry and trim off excessive fat from red meat, we dont worry about buying the leanest meat possible for our dogs.
A little fat is necessary for a well-rounded diet.
They tend to be the leftovers in our produce bin, so we never have to buy, say, a whole head of cauliflower just for the dogs.
First 5 Ingredients Breakdown
The top 5 ingredients included in this Natures Recipe Large Breed Easy to Digest Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe Dog Food are: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potato Flour, Pea Protein, and Peas. Below you will find a brief explanation of each of these ingredients:
Chicken This is fresh chicken meat that still contains its moisture. Its a good ingredient and provides good nutrients that are easily digestible by most dogs but you should keep in mind that if the moisture is removed it would be lower on the list. Chicken is a good source of animal protein and it is rich in essential amino acids.
Chicken Meal Unlike fresh meat, meat meals like chicken meal have been cooked down to a moisture level around 10% this means that they are a much more highly concentrated source of protein.
Potato Flour Potato flour is a grain-free and gluten-free source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is also considered to be highly digestible for dogs, though it may not be high in other nutrients.
Pea Protein Pea fiber can make peas hard for dogs to digest and this is supposed to be a food that is easy to digest. The pea protein may be easier for dogs to digest , but the peas may cause some problems. The purpose of pea fiber when it is included is to provide dietary fiber which is important for good health but some dogs seem to have problems with it.
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Which Types Of Dogs Might Do Better With A Different Brand
If you own an active or working dog, we recommend finding a dog food with higher protein content. Look for brands that have at least 22% protein content that can support your active canine, such as Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Dry Dog Food.
Natures Recipe is hard to digest for some dogs as weve mentioned above, even with their own sensitive stomach formula. We recommend asking your veterinarian for recommendations of dog food if your dog struggles with stomach and digestive issues.
The Results From Feeding Our Diy Dog Food
Back to the story of Bug
After only a couple of weeks of feeding her a homemade diet, the hubby and I were blown away by how much her mental and physical health improved. And we wholeheartedly believe she was able to bounce back because of her new food.
She went from an ailing, exhausted, incontinent, tail-down dog to a happy, energetic, curious, communicative pup. While she isnt miraculously walking again, her hip dysplasia also hasnt progressed or caused her any pain.
Weve learned to watch for signs that she needs to relieve herself as weve realized she knows when she has to go, she just cant get there without our help.
We feed both of our pugs the same food, with the hope that we can stave off any potential health problems for our older one.
When we travel, well bring their homemade food on the road in a cooler. On occasion, weve even ordered their dinner from a restaurant when we ran out of food .
If were camping, well usually just feed them whatever were cooking in camp they love corn on the cob, hobo packs , and the whole assortment of tri-tip, sausages, and ribs that weve usually got going on.
As you might imagine they lovecamping trips!
Homemade dog food gives us the flexibility to fine-tune their diet as needed. Im forever grateful for the extra time we were given with our beloved Bug as a result of the food we chose to feed her.
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Company Recall And Quality Control History
At the time of the 2007 pet food recalls Del Monte was the second largest pet food concern but there have been several mergers and changes in other pet food companies since that time. In addition to Natures Recipe, Meow Mix, and Milk-Bone, Del Monte also makes Kibbles n Bits, Milos Kitchen, Pup-Peroni,Gravy Train, 9Lives, and other pet food brands which have been subject to recalls.
Natures Recipe in particular has a good reputation with their food and manufacturing practices. They have had one voluntary recall, in October 2012, of some treats due to the possibility of Salmonella. Otherwise they have never had any recalls even during the melamine crisis of 2007.
What Kind Of Food Do Dogs Prefer Best
Studies show that the average dog prefers beef and pork over chicken and lamb. They also like warm, moist food over cold, dry foods. Like humans, these preferences can come from what they ate growing up. Dogs like a variety in their diet, and if they have to eat the same thing every day, they could get sick of it.
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Is Nature’s Recipe On The Recall List
All that we know for sure is that Nature’s Recipe has only been recalled once. Here are the details of that recall: In October 2012, the Nature’s Recipe company issued a voluntary recall for 19-ounce pouches of Nature’s Recipe Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken due to potential salmonella contamination.
Natures Recipe Dry Products
The Natures Recipe brand of dog food offers a wide variety of different product choices for dry dog food. There are two product lines for Natures Recipe dry food, though their products can really be divided into numerous categories.
The classic lineup includes life stages, special needs, and grain-free formulas. The Pure Essentials product line includes limited ingredient recipes that are grain-free. Here is a list of Natures Recipe dry dog food recipes:
Life Stages Dry Food Recipes:
- Puppy Lamb Meal & Rice Recipe
- Puppy Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe
- Small Bites Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe
- Large Breed Puppy Recipe
- Adult Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe
- Adult Lamb Meal & Rice Recipe
- Small Bites Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe
- Large Breed Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe
- Senior Lamb Meal & Rice Recipe
Special Needs Dry Food Recipes:
- Healthy Skin Venison Meal & Rice Recipe
- Healthy Skin Vegetarian Recipe
- Easy to Digest Chicken Meal, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Easy to Digest Fish Meal & Potato Recipe
- Terrier Breed Chicken, Rice & Barley Recipe
- Toy Breed Chicken, Barley & Rice Recipe
- Healthy Weight Chicken Meal, Rice & Barley Recipe
- High Protein Chicken Meal & Lamb Meal Recipe
- Joint Health Fish Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe
Grain-Free Dry Food Recipes:
- Grain-Free Puppy Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Small Breed Grain-Free Easy to Digest Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
- Large Breed Grain-Free Easy to Digest Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe
Pure Essentials Dry Food Recipes:
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Recipe Variations: What Natural Foods Can I Feed My Dog
Home-cooked dog food diets can be one of the best ways to keep your best friend happy and healthy. As always, check with your vet before testing a new dog diet, but here are some of my best recommendations:
- Protein: Rascal digests ground turkey really well but you can try ground beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and Rascals personal favorite: venison. If you dont have a meat grinder, you can ask your butcher to grind it for you or cut it up super fine before cooking.
- Vegetables: Spinach, butternut squash, cranberries, cauliflower, apples, green beans. Here is an entire list of AKC approved fruits and vegetables you can give your dog.
- Grains & Carbs: Rice, quinoa, barley, whole grain pasta, and potatoes can be great options. If you can believe it, Rascal is actually allergic to rice. I wish I were kidding.
Are Sweet Potatoes And Peas Bad For Dogs
From the UC Davis School of Medicine: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued an alert about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. But can dogs eat sweet potatoes? Yes, they can.
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