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Tag: dog food

Fresh Cooked Food on Subscription by The Grateful Dog | Dog Food Review

It’s time to shake up Donna dog’s diet with new cooked food recipes!

Fresh Cooked Food on Subscription by The Grateful Dog | Dog Food Review. Homemade dog food recipes online Singapore delivery

SPONSORED This review includes a giveaway for 1-week’s worth of cooked food from The Grateful Dog, so be sure to scroll down to the end to find it and enter!

Donna gets two meals a day. Dry food for breakfast and cooked food that is meat combined with a commercial pre-mix for dinner.

We feed dry food or kibble especially if we are rushing in the morning. But dry food is also highly processed, and like any other person who loves their dog, I still want Donna to be able to enjoy quality, nutritious food. 

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nekojam singapore freeze dried raw dog food

Easy raw dog food review – Primal, Northwest, Stewart & more freeze-dried brands

In 2015, I wrote an introduction to Commercial Raw Dog Food. At that time, there were limited brands of commercial freeze dried dog food – only 2. It has been slightly more than a year and a half, and the good news is we have more choices today than before! Let’s take a look at five freeze dried commercial raw dog food brands that you can find on the shelves today! :)

The five brands are Stella & Chewy’s, Northwest Naturals, Stewart Raw Naturals, Primal Freeze Dried Nuggets and K9 Natural.

Here’s Donna’s review of them :P

Now that you’ve seen Donna’s review, we’ll go on to the human’s review of the food. ;) In this post, we will review the food along the following themes:

  • Budget-wise
    What is the Cost per day? How long does each pack last?
  • Quality-nutrition
    What is the quality of the ingredients that go into the bag
  • Food safety
    Which brand has recalled their food before? What food safety programs have they put in place to protect our pets and family members?

Singapore dog raw food freezedried primal, k9 Natural, Stella & Chewy's, Northwest Naturals and Stewart pet food nekojam coupon code

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Can dogs eat cat food? Wysong Epigen food review

can-dog-eat-cat-food“Yes,” said Robert Walterhouse, Technical Trainer at PLB International Inc which produces Pronature Holistic pet food, “In fact, they will love it.”

Cat food, he explained, is richer, more high in fat and protein than dog food. And therefore, it will taste delicious! And more so than dog food. Weight management, can however be a problem because often city dogs and weekend warrior dogs don’t get enough exercise to burn off those calories.

In this article, find out more about Wysong Epigen pet food. A new pet food for the Singapore market that is suitable for both cats and dogs.  

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Let’s explore Commercial Raw Food for Dogs

primal pet food raw food for dogsCommercial raw food for dogs is a new category in the market in Singapore. So I’m pretty happy to find out more about it.

And because Earnest Mutts Online Store very, very, very generously sent Donna a box of goodies recently, I’m happy to mention them in this post here.

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When dog canned food is a good idea

Dog wet food or dog canned foodIn this post, I share with you 7 everyday uses of canned food for Donna here in the flat. Click on to see what canned food Donna is eating, and how it is served to her.

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How to Test if your Dog is Allergic to Chicken & other Food – Dog Health series

dog allergy

Let’s dispel some food and allergy myths
I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Simon Quek BSc. BVMS MRCVS. at the Pet Expo recently. He was there to give a talk on Environmental and Food Allergies for Dogs. I am also privileged to be able to consult with Dr Joanna Paul, a small animal veterinarian in Melbourne, Australia. She runs the blog – Creature Clinic. ;)
This post is a result of talking to both of them :) 

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Choose dog dry food with logic

Choose dog dry food with logicDog dry food. Probably the first food that any new pet parent will be giving to your new dog. I know, because that’s what I gave Donna right at the start. A gift pack of dog kibble from the shelter we adopted her from.
It’s convenient and affordable and it promises to fulfil your dog’s complete nutritional needs. But with so many brands on the market, how do you choose?  

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Ready-made fresh food for dog at Wagging Rights

[Media invite event] Donna and I were invited to Wagging Rights’ official launch and media party to check out Wagging Rights’ Daycare, Grooming and Gourmet food products for dogs. I thought it’s  a good time to share some of the things we have considered when it comes to feeding Donna over the last two years ;) Opinions are my own. We are not paid but Donna gets to try out Wagging Rights’ products and services for free. 


What diet do you feed your dog?

So many diets for dogs out there – dry, canned, dehydrated, raw and for some even vegan or vegetarian.

No judgement here over at weliveinaflat.com. There are actually some dogs that cannot take high protein diets and some dogs with the strangest allergies, like have you heard about this dog who is actually allergic to humans? So it’s really up to the individual pet parent to figure out what works best for their dog. And for their lifestyle.

In my case, over the last two years I have read my fair share of what’s good and bad about each of these different types of commercial or home-made dog food out there. There is no perfect diet because there are just too many variables involved in the production process for both commercial and home-made food. I don’t let people tell me otherwise, haha :P

 

I would love to feed Donna fresh food, but I’m not confident about raw

I did and am still updating myself extensively on raw diets. Like did you know feeding chicken necks too regularly can possibly increase the chances of a dog developing hyperthyroidism even if it is a rare condition among dogs?

And that even though raw feeders enthuse about feeding raw bones to their dog for teeth cleaning benefits, etc, a raw bone can cause internal injuries to a dog like in Mort’s case over here.

Of course, that doesn’t mean a raw diet is a bad choice. Many would say it’s a good choice for their dogs. It just means that a balanced raw diet that comprise boneless cuts with raw ground bones will make me feel so much safer when it comes to feeding Donna.

And there we have another problem. When we were at Wagging Rights – dog daycare, grooming and gourmet food – for their opening launch, owner Luyi Ong said in her presentation that when they started sourcing fresh food for their gourmet dog food products, they could not find a supplier for raw ground bone in Singapore.

Honestly, I’m not the only one hesitant about starting Donna on a home-made raw diet over here because of the perceived challenges. Commercial raw diets are costly and since I’m not a dog nutritionist, I wouldn’t trust myself making home-made raw or cooked food for my dog. (Yes, even after spending much time reading up on the topic! Haha!).

wagging rights food demo
Sam Forest Loo Lim can’t wait for Wagging Rights owner Lu-Yi Ong to start with the food demonstration at the media party! :P

So when we heard that Wagging Rights sells fresh food for dogs, I was of course interested to find out more.

wagging rights gourmet food ingredients

The meals prepared at Wagging Rights comprise human-grade meat (60% for regular recipes and 75% in the grain-free and raw versions). Fresh fruit and vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, peas, Chinese cabbage, courgettes, cantaloupe, pear and blueberries on top of supplements such as calcium phosphate, vitamin D, zinc are being added to the meat and then frozen – sans any preservative.
– Wagging Rights press release

Sounds good in writing, but how do I really know that besides the high protein content, it does supply all the necessary nutrients and minerals, etc that Donna needs?

I asked and was definitely pleased to learn from Wagging Rights that their “recipes are derived from recipes created by a Nutritionist with strict adherence to quantities and quality.  We are also in the process of getting batch samples to labs for analysis.”

So exactly what recipes are these?

 On the menu are four appetite-whetting recipes: Chicken Terrine, Posh Pulled Pork, Sunday Roast Beef and Shepherd’s Lamb Stew—all of which come in grain-free formulas.

wagging rights food shots

 

There is Grain Free and there is Grain Free

Now the thing about the grain-free label on the commercial dog  food that we buy, if you were to study this table by slimdoggy.com who analysed the food in his dog food database is that they aren’t exactly low in carbohydrates.

slim doggy grain free food chart
Slimdoggy’s database covers over 3000 pet food and treats, including some common brands that we can find in Singapore. 

“…dog and cat owners are becoming more aware that their pet’s bodies were meant to digest foods high in protein and fat,” says Slimdoggy in his article Worst Reasons to Choose a Dog Food: Grain Free, “The mistake they are making is equating grain free with low carb… It turns out that while grain free foods are slightly lower in carbs (and higher in protein and fat) than non-grain free foods, the difference is not very large. The average grain free dog food still contains a higher carb content than protein content. That seems counter intuitive.”

So you can see why I would appreciate Wagging Rights’ recipes which they report as comprising 60-75% meat (protein and fat). Even the non-grain free versions at 60% meat appear to possibly comprise higher percentages of protein and fat compared to the average commercial grain free dog food based on slimdoggy’s chart. :P (note: this is a very simplified comparison considering Wagging Rights’ food are pending lab analysis so bear with me :P heehee. )

…we buy whole meat pieces. We mince the meat ourselves to ensure quality and fat content. Raw food is prepared in extremely small quantities and is only available with prior notice of 3 days. This ensures that we never keep meat in unhealthy temperatures to allow bacteria growth. The small quantities also allow us to freeze quicker and thus reduce rate of bacteria growth. Of course, all raw food is handled with gloved hands and stainless steel utensils. Equipment is always disinfected after use regardless of whether the meat is for cooked or raw.
– email response from Wagging Rights about food

 

Theory aside, how does Wagging Rights’ food fare tastewise?

During the food demo, we were given the choice of meat as well as 2-3 toppings such as pumpkin, carrot, with Wagging Rights’ powdered supplement to ensure it is complete and balanced.

Lu-Yi cooked it and then we put Donna to the test!

wagging rights cooked food
Donna ate so fast her face is a blur. LOL. Passed!

 

Donna’s diet follows the rotation feeding model

Donna doesn’t have any known food allergies. That makes it easy for us to rotate the brands Donna gets for her dry food and canned food. We also feed her different types and cuts of boiled, dehydrated meat regularly, especially when we are training. Rotating foods from different brands and different sources ensures that Donna gets a variety of nutrients and a more complete and balanced diet in the long term.

Rotation feeding is really all about variety. It’s a holistic and nutritional philosophy that offers your pet a dietary alternative — varying both food proteins (chicken, beef, lamb, etc.) and food forms (raw, frozen, wet, dry, etc)…

Many pet foods on the market are designed to be complete and balanced. However, food ingredients each have a unique nutritional profile. Components such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids can be found in different quantities, depending on the type of food. By combining specific complete diets, rotation feeding allows your pet to experience the benefits of two or more foods.

Rotation feeding for pets | related: Diet rotation for dogs

And given Donna likes the food at Wagging Rights, it’s probably easy for us to slip their 200 gram food portions into the rotation.

wagging rights food pamphlet
A sample of the ingredients list on Wagging Rights’ pamphlet. I do like how the first three ingredients are lamb and lamb organs followed by vegetables and fruits. The carbohydrate, in this case brown rice is towards the end of the list.

The food is sold in 5kg bags which are then split into 200gm portions for easier feeding. The food comes frozen and it is our recommendation that it is not heated in order to maintain optimum probiotic quality. You are meant to thaw the food in the fridge before serving. Kept frozen the food can be kept in the freezer for 2 months. Once thawed it should be consumed within 2-3 days.
– response via email by Wagging rights

That makes 25 portions of food in each 5kg bag. Wagging Rights said food prices differ by recipe but it starts at $60 for the Regular Recipe Chicken Terrine. Grain Free recipes start at $85 for 5 kg.

That makes it rather comparable to the price of canned food which can range from $4.90 – $6.50 for each can of around 360g, depending on brand.

donna dog outside wagging rights
Donna looks at a ribbon in the air as she sits in front of Wagging Rights’ signature blue storefront. Actually, she just wants to go back in there for more food, haha!

Considering Wagging Rights’ very pleasant interior decor, I asked if we may bring Donna over for a meal sometimes. :P

Unfortuntely, Wagging Rights says they have no plan for a cafe for now. They don’t cook at the shop. You need to order with at least three days notice for the food to be prepared if you have specific requests. Customers can call or go to the shop to purchase, but Wagging Rights will also deliver for purchases above $75.

You can also try out this free Duck confit recipe from Wagging Rights on esquiresingapore.com.

Wagging Rights can be found at:
Address| 337 Joo Chiat Road [map]
Tel| 6447 0335.
Operating hours| 9am-6pm
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See also All other posts on Dog Food by weliveinaflat ;)


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Food and celebration

This is not really where you would typically find them but red eggs are usually served during a celebration held after baby has been born for a month. Only the shell is dyed red, the egg remains white with a yellow yolk although sometimes the red dye may find its way in through cracks in the shell.

Anyway, I took this picture because I told Donna to “leave it” when she sniffed them out downstairs and she did.

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