It's a pretty basic formula, nothing flashy really, it's not even grain free but I figured I'd give it a shot regardless. Another reason I wanted to try it was because with summer heat, the dogs haven't been able to exercise as much, so Uno especially put on 2-3 lbs over the summer, so I thin lower calorie food would be beneficial to him.
Anyways, here's the ingredient list for First Mate:
Chicken meal, pearled barley, oat meal, brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), herring meal, fish oil, potato flour, tomato pomace, dicalcium phosphate, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, calcium propionate, calcium propionate, sage extract, rosemary extract, garlic oil, minerals (zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt, selenium), vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, d-pantothenic acid, thiamine, vitamin A, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3), glucosamine
It's 26% protein, 15% fat and 540 cal per cup (which is surprisingly high for this type of food)
http://www.firstmate.com/dog_food.aspx?guid=61D-0ADDA4075CE7
So we will start this food in about a week, gradually mixing with horizon and go from there.
Second food I'm trying out is Back to Basics, it's a relatively new brand of grain free food that is gluten/potato and grain free, making it a good choice for those seeking a low glycemic food. My main reservation about the food is the cost, it's pretty expensive ranging from $57 - $75 depending on protein source. Since I had a $10 off coupon to a new Pet Supplies Plus store, I used that to get a large bag of turkey formula which ended up being $55.
Overall I'm impressed with the ingredient list and the inclusion of organs. It could do without the chicken flavor and I prefer to see ground flaxseed instead of whole, but otherwise it looks good on paper. I'll be a while before we get to this food, so I'll keep you updated.
http://www.backtobasicspetfood.com/instinctively-better
