Choosing a Quality Canned Dog Food with Nature's Logic

I use canned food as part of the Ginger Sisters' rotation diet, and we were already fans of this post's sponsor, Nature's Logic, with their commitment to whole, natural foods. I was happy to spread the word about their food while discussing the benefits of a high quality canned diet. Ruby and Boca enjoyed Nature's Logic Canine Venison Feast for breakfast for the past month, and not only did they both love it, but I'm confident through my research that it is an absolutely top-notch food.

While I feed several different formats, canned dog food has some great benefits:

• high meat content
• the canning process eliminates the need for artificial preservatives
• more moisture in the diet
• can be fed alone, as a topper, or frozen in Kongs

Nature's Logic canned food is grain-free, 100% natural and contains over 90% animal ingredients, all things I keep an eye out for in choosing a canned food. It is a complete and balanced food, meaning it meets AAFCO standards and could be fed exclusively. I can say without hesitation that the Venison Feast was one of picky Ruby's favorite foods she has ever had. She spun in excited circles of anticipation at breakfast-time and licked her bowl clean. 

In looking over the ingredients in Nature's Logic canned food, I am happy with what I see:

Venison, Venison Broth, Venison Liver, Dried Egg Product, Porcine Plasma, Montmorillonite Clay, Herring Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Apple, Dried Apricot, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Artichoke, Dried Blueberry, Dried Broccoli, Dried Carrot, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Cranberry, Dried Kelp, Dried Parsley, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Rosemary, Dried Spinach, Dried Tomato, Rosemary Extract.

That's it! Everything is completely natural, recognizable, with nothing I don't understand or can't pronounce, and none of the thickeners (xanthan gum and carageenan) that are found in many canned foods and which I tend to avoid. My one very minor complaint about the food is that once refrigerated, it can be hard to get out of the can due to its very dry, dense texture. It just makes The Ginger Sisters' mouths water a little longer as they wait for breakfast to be served!

Overall, Nature's Logic has everything I look for in a canned food for my girls: meat as the first ingredient, no grains or fillers (while they are not on a strictly grain free diet, I expect their canned food to have a high protein concentrate) and preferably no gums or binders. I always like to check any food I'm considering on Dog Food Advisor, which gives Nature's Logic a five star rating. I think Boca and Ruby especially will be delighted to have the Venison Feast included in their regular rotation diet. 

This post is sponsored by Nature's Logic. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Nature's Logic pet food, but Rubicon Days only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Nature's Logic is not responsible for the content of this article.

The Honest Kitchen Bone Broth is Comfort Food for Dogs

I love to liven up The Ginger Sisters' kibble dinner, and am already a fan of turmeric for dogs so I was excited to try The Honest Kitchen's new Bone Broth with Turmeric, especially now that we are having some cold weather. I think the girls appreciate something warm and soothing when we come in from a wintry walk. 

Consistent with their other products, the bone broth is made from simple, wholesome ingredients. Just four, in fact: beef bone broth, parsley, pumpkin, turmeric extract. It's easy to mix up with hot water and can be fed on its own or mixed with kibble or dehydrated food. Boca was grumpy with me for making her model with the cannister before the taste test!

We tried the limited edition Winter Warmers last year and I think they like the new bone broth even better. Ruby and Boca both eagerly cleaned their plates and it made me feel good to give them something healthy and delicious.

Boca loves her dinner with @honestkitchen Bone Broth! #yum #dogs #bonebroth #turmeric #healthyfoodfordogs

A video posted by Lara Elizabeth (@2gingerdogs) on Dec 14, 2015 at 6:52am PST

Disclaimer: I was provided The Honest Kitchen Bone Broth in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and I only publish reviews for products I feel comfortable using in the day to day life of my pets.

Ruby Reviews: The Bear & The Rat Yogurt Treats + Giveaway

The Ginger Sisters are happy to try out any kind of new treats, and because we do so much training I prefer the treats to be healthy and beneficial. I was delighted to sample the latest product from local Denver, Colorado company The Bear & The Rat (you may have seen them on Shark Tank!). 

Fro-Yo To Go are freeze dried yogurt treats loaded with helpful probiotics. They come in two flavors: Bacon and Sweet Potato & Carrot, with over 150 yogurt bites in a bag. The girls were very excited to try the Bacon flavor. 

The treats are made in the USA and are corn, soy, wheat, gluten and grain free. The treats smell really good, with a creamy tang that smells like a frozen yogurt shop. They are about the size of a dime and I think they must melt in the dogs' mouths, the way they licked their lips and were ready for more. 

I have only two minor complaints about the freeze-dried yogurt treats: they are very delicate and got pretty broken up in the bag. This isn't a big deal since I like smaller training treats, anyway. They also make your hands a little sticky. I told you - minor complaints. The Ginger Sisters loved them, I love the ingredients, and I am happy to support a local company. 

The Ginger Sisters Ruby did some tricks to earn some more frozen yogurt treats. She waved "bye bye" while Boca laughed because "down" is one of the only tricks she knows.

We are giving away two packages of Fro-Yo To Go to one lucky winner - must be a U.S. resident and respond to the notification email within 72 hours.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The Bear & The Rat provided the giveaway treats and a sample for review in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions expressed are my own and I only publish reviews for products I feel comfortable using in the day to day life of my pets.

Defeating Dog Dish Slime with YoMo Essentials

In my early dog guardian days it didn't occur to me to wash my pets' bowls regularly, but then I realized how gross that was. Now that I feed a partially dehydrated and frozen raw diet, it's an absolute must. 

I don't like to use harsh chemicals on dishes my dogs eat and drink out of, but there is always that yucky slimy residue left no matter how hot the water or how much I scrub and not all of my pets' bowls are dishwasher safe. 

For this reason I was happy to try out an all natural pet bowl cleaner by YoMo Essentials. No More Slymees is a spray-on cleaner made from great-smelling essential oils, safe enough to use on your own dishes. 

After their meals, I spray No More Slymees in The Ginger Sisters' bowls, enjoying the pleasant minty fragrance while it cuts through the nasty gunk. With a simple hot water rinse, the bowls are sparkling clean and slime free! 

YoMo Essentials also offers grooming spray, calming spray and insect repellant and I'm happy to support a small company that is dedicated to safe, all-natural products that tackle problems unique to pet parents. I'll be keeping a bottle of No More Slymees next to my sink from now on! 

Disclaimer: I received a sample from YoMo Essentials in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions expressed are my own and I only publish reviews for products I feel comfortable using in the day to day life of my pets.

Ruby Reviews: Dressed to the K9s Custom Leash + Giveaway

Little did I know that when I admired my blogger friend Lia's leash in a Facebook picture that she had made it herself and was starting her own business, Dressed to the K9s. I was beyond thrilled when she offered to make one for Boca and one for a lucky reader! Not only does Lia craft gorgeous custom macrame leashes, but she also hand beads stunning collars that are seriously works of art. I've been a fan of her blog Identity V + E for a while now, in awe of her dedication to her beautiful Elli and her challenging new Malinois, Riko, and am so happy to support the grand opening of her business.

Dressed to the K9s' leashes are unique in that they are woven by hand and fully customizable. You can choose up to four colors of cord and add a bag-carrier loop. I got to see some pictures of the progress on Boca's leash on the Dressed to the K9s Facebook page, and was so tickled by the name she gave it: Bahamian Rhapsody! I was still unprepared for how beautiful it would be in person, and I literally squealed and jumped around like a little kid when I opened the package. The colors were so bright and reminded me of a seaside carnival. 

The 6 foot leash is as functional as it is beautiful - I can see it lasting forever, the hardware and handle are sturdy, and one of my favorite things about the leash is how comfortable it is to hold at any point. Although Boca already has an enviable collection of collars, I couldn't help ordering a Dia de los Muertos collar for her to match her folkloric new leash!

One lucky blog reader will win a Dressed to the K9s leash of their own, in the lovely Sandalwood color scheme. Even though I chose the tropically technicolor leash for Boca, I'm just a little jealous of whoever wins the other one, too. Entrants must be U.S. residents and reply to the winner notification email within 72 hours to claim their prize:

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Disclaimer: Dressed to the K9s provided the giveaway leash and one for review in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions expressed are my own and I only publish reviews for products I feel comfortable using in the day to day life of my pets.

Reasons We Love Rotation Feeding with Open Farm Dog Food

This post is sponsored by Open Farm. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Open Farm's ethically produced pet food, but Rubicon Days only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Open Farm is not responsible for the content of this article.  

Previously, I introduced Open Farm dry dog food with its dedication to humane treatment of farm animals and support of small, local farms and discussed why it was a great choice for me as someone concerned about animal welfare and who chooses to reduce the amount of meat in her own diet. Today I want to highlight why my dogs are on a rotation diet, and how Open Farm fits perfectly into that plan.

I don't want to eat the same thing every day - why should my dogs? Before adopting Ruby it had never occurred to me to change dog food brands or even formulas once I found something that worked. If it isn't broken, don't fix it, right? Between having a picky eater, educating myself about canine nutrition and shopping at local stores that carried higher quality foods, I started to change the way I looked at my dogs' diet. The Ginger Sisters have been on a varied rotation diet for as long as I've had them. We humans ascribe a great deal of meaning to meals, and feeding our pets is one of the most concrete ways we can show them affection. I change brands, recipes and formats regularly so that they eat a little bit of everything. If I have squash or broccoli for dinner I steam some unseasoned for them and set it aside to add through the week. Simply put, it makes me feel good to feed my dogs what they enjoy and what I believe to be good for them. I see their eyes light up when they try something new or get a special treat mixed in with their breakfast or dinner. We have been feeding Open Farm's Pork and Root Vegetable formula for about three weeks now and I seldom see them clean their plates so quickly. Its first five ingredients are humanely raised pork, garbanzo beans, ocean-caught whitefish meal, field peas and green lentils. I'm extremely comfortable with the rest of the ingredients (things like sweet potato, pumpkin and salmon oil) and the girls have been gobbling it up with relish. Even eating out of puzzle bowls, they are sure to hunt down every last morsel. With no food sensitivities, I love that they are getting a variety of proteins and Open Farm uses only fish meal prepared in small batches using seasonal and sustainable fish harvests. I most often feed chicken or turkey for breakfast so I make sure their evening meal contains something different.  

Rotation feeding allows me to make improvements and try new things for my dogs. If not for rotational feeding I would not be continually researching dog food brands and wouldn't know when fantastic new options like Open Farm appear on the market. Right now it is the only Certified Humane brand of kibble available in the U.S. It received a four-and-a-half star rating on Dog Food Advisor. It still has somewhat limited availability, but I'm betting that will change as I know I'm not the only one concerned with feeding locally sourced ingredients and thoughtfully formulated food which also makes an effort to improve conditions for farm animals and encourage family farms. While Open Farm's protein is partially plant derived, this is going to be the case for most dry dog foods, and since I supplement with freeze-dried raw I believe my darling carnivores are getting plenty of meat in their diets. One of the things that is so great about this model of feeding is that it allows me to provide them with higher quality foods than I might be able to feed if I was feeding one thing exclusively. If you are just starting out with the rotation diet it's recommended that you make changes gradually; however, Ruby and Boca are well-accustomed to a diverse diet and I rotate by the box or bag with no issues whatsoever. If I think of it I might pour the last of a bag into the top of a new bag, but generally I make the switch cold turkey (or cold pork or cold venison as might be the case...). Even if you want to stick to one brand, you can rotate between proteins to keep things interesting, such as Open Farm's three recipes: Farmer's Market Pork & Root Vegetable, Homestead Turkey & Chicken and Catch of the Day Whitefish & Green Lentil.

 

Rotation feeding gives me flexibility in my dogs' routine. Because the girls eat dehydrated raw food for breakfast, their evening kibble meal gives me more options for how I feed. They may eat out of their puzzle bowls, with the kibble mixed with leftover veggies, supplemental oils or goat milk,  or I may take the opportunity to feed their kibble portion as rewards in a training session. They especially loved our first samples of Open Farm's three recipes as training treats, and I know that Kimberly at Keep the Tail Wagging uses it the same way even though she is a raw feeder. If the weather is bad and our walk has been abbreviated so that I feel they need a little extra enrichment, I'll break out the frozen Kongs stuffed with canned food. When we travel, I can take sample packs of a new flavor, or a familiar favorite to make eating in an unfamiliar environment a little more enticing. Rotation feeding allows me to mix up not only what I feed, but how I feed.

Rotation feeding is budget-friendly and lets me take advantage of sales. I am a self-proclaimed dog food nerd (there's a support group for that) and I'm also a recovering shopaholic who loves a bargain. Where I used to spend money on bags and shoes I would now much rather fill the dogs' pantry. Seriously, my dad even built me extra shelves in the downstairs coat closet for this purpose. Goodbye, storage for more coats than one person needs - hello, storage for everything The Ginger Sisters need! I love opening the door and gazing at the lovely, organized rows of food, treats and toys. Since I feed a variety of brands, I can stock up when something I use is on sale or try something for the first time. I subscribe to local retailer's email lists and keep tabs on online discount codes. I join loyalty programs and pick up coupons at pet fairs. When an online pet food store offers a flat discount on an order I will pounce on brands I might not be able to get locally, such as Open Farm. As much as The Ginger Sisters love this food, I will be looking for every opportunity to keep it in our lineup. (Already between my first post and now there are two more Colorado stores that have popped up on Open Farm's "Find Retailers" map!) 

Open Farm is most assuredly going to be a part of The Ginger Sister's regular rotation from now on. I am excited for more people to know about this ethically sourced dog food and to see it on more stores' shelves. You can visit Open Farm at their website, on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.