| Website | Taste of the Wild |
| Available from | Pet Circle VeryPet |
If you’ve come here looking for a decent dog food with a long standing reputation, but can’t afford the crazy price tag of other brands in the best rated list, then I think you’ve come to the right place. If you’re like me, with a dog who can eat a lot, then finding a good, reliable, and affordable dog food makes a big difference to the budget.
I’ve fed Taste of the Wild on and off for many years to my own dogs, and they’ve done really well on it. Usually I combine it with a fresh or dried raw food like Lyka or Frontier Pets – this helps add some top notch foods to their diet without me needing to up the mortgage on the house.
For the sake of the Taste of the Wild dog food review I’ll focus on the High Prairie formula. It’s the most popular formula and readily available at Pet Circle, , et al (prices below)!
Taste of the Wild dog food review
What the marketing says
Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond Pet Foods in the USA, a company with a strong focus on food safety. Their pet foods aim to mimic a natural diet rich in meat proteins, yet for an affordable price. That makes Taste of the Wild dog food a good option for those looking for a decent product, but can’t afford some of the more expensive dog foods highly rated on this website.
The Taste of the Wild website states “dogs and cats still share the DNA of the ancient canine or wild cat”, and accordingly the products are made using high quality meats as well as fresh vegetables and probiotics. It’s also nice to see they use chelated minerals, which are more readily absorbed and a sign of a quality pet food.
Let’s dig in to the ingredients of Taste of the Wild High Prairie dog food to see what it really tells us about the food…
What the labelling really says
Taste of the Wild dog food has an emphasis on a primitive canine diet, and the high protein (32%) and fat (18%) content is testament to that. Based on the guaranteed analysis we can guesstimate around 30% carbs which is great to see for a dry dog food. Taste of the Wild really stands out compared to many other dog foods, especially against those you find in the supermarkets which are much less protein, much less fat, and much higher carbs (sugars).
We find three meat ingredients at the top of the list, a combo of bison, lamb meal, and chicken meal. This packs a punch, but we’re also told bison is 12% of the product. It’s possible the first six ingredients are also 12%, making the food 24% potato (sweet & regular), and 12% peas.
In addition to the top three meats we also find beef, venison, eggs, and fish meal, so this should really push the animal constituents in the food to above 50%. That’s really good.
The main carb source in the food is sweet potatoes, an excellent low GI option and a better alternative to many grains or even potatoes.
As a whole the ingredients feel balanced and there aren’t any nasties. It’s preserved naturally rather than with chemicals. All in all it really stacks up as a good formula with high protein, high fat, low carbs. Recommended.
If our Taste of the Wild dog food review has helped, or you have experience feeding this brand, then please let us know in the comments below.
Where to buy Taste of the Wild
Buy directly from the VeryPet website.
Taste of the Wild products
The Taste of the Wild dog food review covers the following products:
- Taste of the Wild High Prairie (Bison & Venison) including Puppy.
- Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream (Smoked Salmon) including Puppy.
- Taste of the Wild Wetlands (Roasted Fowl)
- Taste of the Wild Mountain (Roasted Lamb)
- Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon (Wild Boar)
- Taste of the Wild Pine Forest (Venison)
- Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain (Salmon)
Taste of the Wild also offer a limited ingredient PREY range of dog foods.
Taste of the Wild Commitment to Safety
This video highlights the commitment to safety undertaken by Taste of the Wild manufacturer Diamond, and is certainly worth watching:
Taste of the Wild Ingredients
The ingredients of Taste of the Wild dry dog food (as of March 2021) is as follows:
Bison (12%), lamb meat meal, chicken Meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), egg products, beef, roasted venison (4%), tomato pomace, potato protein, pea protein, ocean fish meal, minerals, dried chicory roots, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract.
Taste of the Wild Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis of Taste of the Wild dry dog food (as of March 2021) is as follows:
| Protein | 32% |
| Fat | 18% |
| Crude Fibre | (max) 3% |
| Carbohydrates * | Estimated 30.8% |
I’ve read articles stating that if legumes, peas and potato/sweet potato are high on the ingredient list, the food should be avoided.
I’ve been considering Taste of the Wild for my 11-month old standard schnauzer when I transition her to adult food shortly.
They seem to be high on the ingredient list for this brand, but is that counter-balanced by the high level of animal protein? Thanks very much.
Hi Karen, a lot of this stems from an investigation by the FDA a number of years ago which suggested legumes could lead to a rare heart condition (DCM) in dogs. The origins of the investigation came from a veterinarian on the payroll of multiple pet food manufacturers (so a dubious conflict of interest), was a mere hypothesis, and was later dropped by the FDA due to insignificant evidence. Sadly the FDA had been quick to slander many more boutique pet food brands who suffered greatly, with one of the more major brands later being acquired by Mars as one of the most significant players in global pet food.
To offer my opinion, it is always better to view our dogs as carnivorous animals who should always have a diet mostly of animal ingredients. Most kibbles have less meat than we often think, which is why I personally supplement a kibble diet (which is always convenient) with lots of raw meat, organs, raw meaty bones, eggs, and appropriate table scraps (or commercial raw dog foods).
With the price increase of Taste of the Wild I’ve been looking at Diamond Pet Foods other options and Petbarn are now selling Diamond Naturals which seems to have similar ingredients to TOTW. Wondering if you could do a review on Diamond Naturals at some stage 🙂
Hi Maddi, here you go – https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/diamond-naturals-dog-food-review/
I’ve started on lyka (no afterpay), then fur fresh (dogs wont eat the half bag of veg).. Orijen (cant find it anywhere) then settled with Taste of the wild. With the occasional raw meal a few times a week.
My pups have all got the best coat that I cam see my reflection in..
With the price of living and my affordability on a sliding scale, I’ve recently started mixing diamond and I haven’t seen a difference in my dogs. Other then they do pick out the totw first.
My only peef is they are on the thinner side. Not skinny. But thin and in the middle of winter I’d love for them to have alittle fat.. ♀️ that and they act like pedigree food is the best thing on earth when they go over to my friends house.. the audasity to act like i dont feed them
I have read there was lawsuits against this brand due to toxins and lead poisioning
Hi Sandy, you’ll find pretty much every US brand has lawsuits against it. I suspect many of which have been instigated by competitor brands. It seems to be more a cultural thing.
Hi Amanda, I expect you know I’m not a fan of Pedigree based on the ingredients.
All I can say is kids will happily gobble up McDonalds if it’s on offer at a friend’s house. I’m sure fine in moderation, but would you feed kids such a diet all the time? 😉
We love this kibble so much! It has helped our fur baby with his stomach issues! We previously bought from budget pet online. But they stopped stocking it and now have resorted to our local Petbarn. But the food formula seems to have changed ? It’s lighter on colour and our boy has been having a little reflux again.
I really wanted to like this product based on the reviews on this website regarding good ingredients and the affordability – but my 5 month old moodle does not like this at all (we got him the venison flavour for puppies). We have tried mixing it with wet food, but he just eats the wet food and leaves all the TOTW kibble. He had previously loved eating a cheaper, more popular kibble brand – but had bad reviews on this website so we decided to try this one.
Hi Mark, I’m sorry to hear your dog won’t eat Taste of the Wild, although you may have luck if you persist.
Sometimes dogs become “addicted” to additives in dog foods, particularly cheaper brands. To give an example which springs to mind – my young daughter has recently been through a phase of demanding cake, sugar, and lollies, and refusing to eat the healthier foods she would happily eat previously.
We have a border collie /springer Spaniel cross who was shedding hair by the handful when a friend suggested we change his food to ATOTW He has been on this for over a year now and his coat is soft and shiny . Question…is changing flavours of ATOTW a good idea, or changing brands ??
Hi Graeme, I’m a big fan of feeding my pets a variety, and it’s not as if we eat the same food every day. When it comes to human nutrition it’s definitely not recommended to eat the same food every day.
Changing formulas, brands, and feeding styles I see as a good idea, although vets (and pet food companies) will tend to say otherwise.
Taste of the Wild makes a really good base diet – it’s reputable and well made – but that doesn’t mean you can’t feed other foods as well.
We have fed TOTW for over a year and it’s going really well. We swapped from a lower quality kibble so be very gradual when changing it over as it can be a shock to the system to go from a bad diet to a high quality food diet. It’s quite affordable (would love Ziwi but too expensive) and we feed a wet food as well as TOTW kibble. Really happy with it. Our dog is in good shape and healthy. On the old food our dog used to fart real room cleaners but now he doesn’t smell at all.
I really wanted to love this, and from what I’ve researched is still a great choice for many, however unfortunately led to skin issues in my dog. We tried the high prairie bison, and on completing an elimination diet the reintroduction of TOTW confirmed the skin issues again.
The parent company of this is a very large American company named called Schell & Kampeter Inc. Might be something to keep in mind if you don’t want to support large manufacturers or trust large facilities. I know the products from this company have been recalled in the past.
I try to take brands based on a variety of factors – ingredients, composition as one, but also consumer feedback, recalls, and other factors. Taste of the Wild has surprisingly good consumer feedback considering how big the brand is globally. There are pros and cons to both small and large manufacturers.
Is lentils in the pacific stream formula a problem?
Hi Janelle, I wouldn’t consider them a problem, no, and they’re in moderation in Pacific Stream. That said I would always recommend varying foods which in many aspects avoids intolerances or issues building up with any ingredient.
There is a class action against TOTW, please google it before choosing to buy for your pets.
Unfortunately this is standard practice in the United States and you’ll find almost all pet foods have a class action of some sort, possibly even instigated by competitor brands.
Hi I want my dog to try taste of the wild as your review seems like it is a good product for him. Should I be concerned about the recall and class action against them. Are they a sage company to use? Thank you for any advice.
Hi Nathan, I find nearly all American pet food brands have some kind of class action or lawsuit lodged against them. It seems pretty standard for American companies. In the case of Taste of the Wild there hasn’t been any clear evidence or proof of anything, which is something you find when you dig a little under the surface.
I feed this brand to my Keeshond and German Spitz due to difficulty I found in buying stock of Canidae kibble where I am. Usually rotate between Sierra mountain lamb and Pacific stream salmon and can highly recommend. It’s highly palatable, dogs are glowing and poops are great. Pity our Aussie made kibbles aren’t nearly as good and we have to go for foreign ones to get high quality.
I think Cherish is high quality, it’s also not a dense kibble, it’s on the softer side. Compared to like Pure Life, that kibble is hard as a rock. So is Vetalogica Biologically Appropriate. My dogs are super shiny and soft on this, it contains a lot of oils.
By the way it’s still a solid food, not soft, it just shatters very easily when bitten into.
I buy it without issue from Budget Pet. But there are other shops you can get it from, just not Pet House, they sell expired bags.
Thank you for the advice on Cherish. I will check it out.
Our Gsp has done really great on TOTW , have purchased the 12kg bags of the High prairie and the Wetlands ( roasted fowl) several times and cannot complain about anything or any issues from him eating it.. I’ll add beef or kangaroo mince 3x weekly with the kibble and nothing is left in the bowl after each meal . Vet stated his condition was great at a recent check-up ,soft glossy coat plus consistent poops.Have seen the water test on YouTube and it also does quite well when matched against other premium kibbles .. Was looking at pet circle recently and noticed the Diamond Naturals range 18kg bags is now being sold and was thinking of trying it since Diamond make TOTW, has anyone used the natural range from diamond?
Thanks
I’ve been using TOTW for a few years now with my Westie’s and am really impressed with their condition, coat and skin. I mainly feed the Pacific Stream but also occasionally the lamb. My daughters 2 Rottweilers do amazing on TOTW, amazing condition and super shiny coats.
A colleague was feeding his 6mth Rottweiler puppy another well known brand but she was having tummy troubles, I suggested he try TOTW puppy, no more tummy problems and he too said her condition and coat shine has improved dramatically. Would recommended it for any breed, adult or puppy, mine love it.
Ever since getting our Samoyed puppy home, we have been feeding her Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream puppy formula and both our vet and ourselves have been impressed with her energy, growth and development. She very much looks forward to her meals!
What do you think of the ingredient Brewers yeast in the taste of the wild boar? I am unsure of this ingredient and would of thought it wouldn’t have much nutritional value. Thanks
Hi, Edanna is correct. BE is rich in B Vitamins & antioxidants. It’s also known to promote healthy hair/skin & liver function.
Based on the research I’ve done over the years on mostly ingredient lists and what ingredients do what in a food, I read that brewer’s yeast was high in B vitamins, but that selenium yeast is better and there was another even better one but I forgot the name.
I have a fussy mini dachshund and he loves this dry food as usually he turns his nose up at dry kibble. Good job. He only started on it because I read this blog. Thanks again
Hi Waruna,
can you import other American brands into Australia??
Dick Van Pattens, “Natural Balance” LID, (limited ingredient) formula’s Potato & Duck, Sweet Potato & Venison, Sweet Potato & Bison & their LID Treats, one online shop wants $70 for NB LID Treats free delivery.
I’ve seen NB formula’s on Ebay for AU, but the postage is thru the roof, a small bag of NB only cost $26 BUT the postage cost $53….
We DO not have any LID Dog foods that have just 1 meat protein & 1 carb LID dog foods except Hills vet diet have just brought out their Potato & Venison vet diet formula which is always sold old online pet stores but cause its for more Skin problems then Stomach problems the fat% is high for the skin, where the Natural Balance LID kibbles the fat is low at 10% min & protein is 21% alot of these new grain free foods have Chickpeas & Lentils & protein is very high over 30% a lot of dogs with stomach/bowel problems cant handle high protein/fat & chickpeas & lentils…
I really think NB will take off in Australia especially dogs with intestinal problems, some of NB LID formula’s have NO Peas, No Chickpeas, NO Lentils & are grain free….
Hi Waruna, many thanks for your input. I’ll feature the comment so it appears at the top of the comments section.
Thank you Admin, much appreciated 🙂
Is TOTW irradiated when it arrives in Australia?
Hi John, no it is not. Please see my comments below.
NO, no foods are Irradiated NO more after what happened with Orijen champion cat dry kibble, when it killed all those poor cats, if anything is irradiated it will have a warning on the packaging you will no but Im pretty sure they dont iradiate no more…
TOTW is good it one of the grain free kibbles that doesn’t put chickpeas in all their formula’s, I feed my boy who has IBD the Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it has a bit less fat-15% & protein-25% & has only lamb as protein source, he’s doing really well on TOTW, beautiful shinny coat & firm poos…
The reason I asked was because from what I read, only cats were affected (vitamin deficiency), but because dogs are able to synthesise some of their vitamins, this did not apply to dog food, and although the information was quite dated (~2009), it said that only cat food was exempt from the gamma radiation in Australia and that as a result, imported dog food which was imported and irradiated apparently had a warning on the package stating that it must not be fed to cats. I could not find any information regarding a ban in Australia specifically on dog food irradiation.
I have written an email to the relevant Australian government authority asking to confirm or deny the above, but it said that replies take up to two weeks and there is no guarantee they will provide the relevant information in their response.
Hi here’s “Artemis” site for Australia about Gamma Irradiation…You’ll be surprise with what Artemis writes, http://www.artemispetfood.com.au/
Pet Food review man knows all about this subject you can msg him on Face Book page “Pet Food Review Australia” You’ll probably get a quicker reply then on here.. https://www.facebook.com/PetFoodReviewsAustralia/
Thanks for the helpful reply Susan. The Artemis article certainly sounds promising, but I’m not sure who you are referring to in the Facebook link as I don’t use Facebook and am unfamiliar with its weird and wonderful ways.
You should start then, I recently made an account having used my mums rarely before and now I’m on it daily, reading articles from Dr Becker, Rodney, Pet Warehouse comments section you name it! best decision ever and once you get used to it you realise just how easy it is to use.
There was a point in my life where you could say I wouldn’t be caught dead with a Facebook account, but I grew up lol and decided that my internet usage could do with a little spunk.
Makes me smile and laugh more often than not so it was worth it definitely.
I remember either asking them this or someone asking them it was also written on their Aussie website and the answer was “no”.
The devil is in the detail Veronika. I read TOTW’s response to this in their on-line FAQ, and from what I recall, it said >WE< do not irradiate our food products. The problem is, that the irradiation was performed by Australian authorities after the products had entered our country, so TOTW's claim still holds true under these circumstances. I also read that pet food is allowed to be irradiated at substantially higher levels than human food, which adds to the problem.
It’s also on their main page with the pictures that move from side to side, I would hope they would be true to their word as lots of people are indeed using their foods and Susan’s Patch is doing wonderfully on it compared to other kibbles which weren’t so great for him.
There’s one more reason to love TOTW
The Australian formula of their dog biscuits does not contain ‘natural flovours r ulralian dsutay have
Hi, all the TOTW formula’s have “Natural Flavours” in all their formula’s, I have the TOTW book in front of me…..I can’t understand yor post letter are missing
Natural flavours aren’t listed for any of the foods on the TOTW Australian website. They may have different formulas overseas or may have changed the formula.
Hi TOTW have shorten the Australan TOTW ingredient list contact the Australian TOTW on bottom of the Australain TOTW link & ask can they send you out the Australian TOTW book that has all their formula’s, maybe they’ll throw in a few samples bags, if you ask for the formula’s you want to try…they did for me 1-2 yrs ago…
The “Natural Flavour” comes after the 9th ingredient depending which formula your looking at, some formula’s differ… or look at the American TOTW site & their site has all the ingredients we have canola oil America has salmon oil as well as the conala oil in some formula’s & they have Garbanzo beans, we dont have the Garbanzo beans in the Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula, a few of us emailed TOTW USA & beg them to leave out te Garbanzo beans in the Pacific stream smoked salmon formula back in 2015 The UK had too many dogs react when they got the new Pacific Stream formula with Garbanzo beans, we only found out cause people were whinging on a EPI Face Book group ……
Chickpeas & lentils are the new fillers in grain free foods, not easy to digest can cause wind pain & farts & sloppy poos…
I found their canned food interesting it’s all chunky with bits of potato and peas, it is however a little too cooked for me, I prefer Rusty on a more raw canned food like K9 and Ziwi, he also does better poop wise on raw foods.
Oh I also have to cut the canned food up because he swallows the bricks whole… so its time consuming as well.
My Pet Warehouse have TOTW wet tin formulas now & My Pet Warehouse has Canidae’s new grainfree formula’s….
Last year my Golden Retriever became very sick from eating TOTW dry dog food. Within 3 days he started vomiting then diarrhea as well. After about a week of this, he refused to eat it at all, yet thrived on a cheap and nasty brand.
I didn’t mention this in my last post as it’s too much to write, about 4 weeks ago my Patch woke up 2am & 4am & had sloppy poos then diarrhea on our 7am walk, it went away as quick as it came, then again about 1 week later he vomited & same was up 2am & 4am with sloppy poos, first I blamed my grandson giving Patch food when he came over, then it happened again 3 times now, I started to think maybe it was the TOTW kibble he’s eating one bag had finished & I had just ordered a new 6kg bag that he’s still eating now, so I emailed TOTW USA site & asked them have they changed their Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula, have they changed the ingredients or probiotics? TOTW sent me a email back within 24hrs, saying they are forwarding my email to their vets, then they wanted the batch nb on my bag, it was hard to read as the Batch nb crossed over the bar code, I emailed batch nbs back & 2 different TOTW vets replied to my email, my god, the information these vets sent back to me was in believable, I wish I kept their emails so I could post them know but I accidently deleted them, my batch nb told them what day, time & when the meat, sweet potatoes were cooked & tested, when probiotics were added & tested & other big words that were tested & done, then something about the ash being tested & clean, everything came back 100% good with that batch of Sierra Mountain roasted Lamb, one vet did say BUT after the pallets of kibbles leave their plant in the USA & travel they can come into environment factors humidity, heat, where kibbles are stored etc,
Finally I worked it out, it was either the Yakult probiotic drink or the new lean pork mince I was cooking for him?? I share my Yakult probiotic drink with Patch some days I forget to take it & then there’s days I take it & give Patch some, I don’t measure Patches dose sometimes I give him 1/4 of the drink & then I give him too much 1/2 of the Yakult drink & that’s when he was up 2am doing sloppy poos, when I remember I was taken & giving him the probiotic Yakult around 11am in between meals is the best time to take a probiotic, when your stomach acids are low, I was giving him too much some days that was causing the sloppy poo & diarrhea, I’ve stopped the Yakult & Patch is doing really well & I’ve stopped his lean pork rissoles cause he stopped eating them, I had changed where I buy his lean pork mince from I was buying Coles lean pork then I changed to Woolworths lean pork to make his rissoles, so maybe this caused his vomiting cause the fat was too high in the Woolworths lean pork???, he does get mild Pancreatitis & has IBD… but after reading those emails from TOTW now I know why my boy does the best when eating TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula, TOTW vet also said when I asked about trying their Pine Forrest Formula, the TOTW vet said NO it has a 2 different proteins & he didn’t advise I feed a dog with IBD a kibble with more then 1 protein….now I know why he doesn’t do real well on other brand kibbles, their quality control may not be up to scratch like TOTW is, after going through what Diamond has been through, they must protect themselves now from law suits & make sure every single ingredient is tested before being released ….. I wonder if Australian made kibbles have all this technology like TOTW has & if Australian kibbles have good quality control like TOTW has?? .
Hiya Susan, I give TOTW sierra mountain roasted lamb to Ace for the first time and Ace loveeee it! Returned SavourLife pack that he don’t do well with that. Thanks
NEVER give a dog human probiotics, they have a different intestinal flora, our probiotics can cause an infection.
My vet & Patches Naturopath have both recommended human grade probiotic’s as they have better quality ingredients & have live cultures, they’re stored in the fridge where the dog probiotic’s sold in Pet Shops aren’t stored in the fridge….My boy has IBD & has never caught any infection in his bowel after taking a human probiotic.. Patches naturopath recommends BioCeuticals UltraBiotic 45 capsules that are sold at chemist & stored in the fridge, Patch was fine while he was on the UltraBiotic 45 capsules, while eating a Raw Diet, the UltaBiotic 45 became very expensive at $60 for only 30 capsules, the Yakult drink works out cheaper & he loves drinking it …
The Yakult drink wasn’t the problem with Patch it was the change of pork mince, the new mince was higher in fat, my vet said never buy mince, always grind the lean meat up yourself this way you know how much fat is in the mince, different stores say lean 5 stars mince but the fat varies ….
Our probiotics are also healthier in the fact they contain only the strains and no added msg’s or digests eww, completely unecessary additions to be honest, I guess if you have kibble fed dogs who don’t know what real food is that “digest” added probiotics may be the only way to get them to eat it.
I either never thought about it or literally saw this post for the first time just now, no idea.
They did a test of several Yakult like products to find the one that truly helps out and only found 1 in the UK that actually makes it to where it’s supposed to go, the others died long before they arrived in your gut and thus were of no help whatsoever.
I eat yogurt, take the 50 billion pills from time to time and eat living sauerkraut, there’s just no better way in my opinion.
Yacon Syrup has also helped in the past, it’s good to eat it after eating any sugar item, I never got itchy doing it that way.
However it costs $30 and it’s been off quiet a lot lately so I’ve stopped buying it for now.
Frankly Yakult never fixed anything for me good bacteria wise it always caused the exact opposite, increasing my bad bacteria due to the sugar content and the good bacteria never ever reaching their intended base.
Hi John,
Firstly, as you pointed out in your email the recent consumer complaints for Taste of the Wild since late last year are concerning – https://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/taste-of-the-wild.html
These complaints indicate a possible issue with manufacturing perhaps related to specific batch numbers.
There are other factors worth considering. A dog can develop underlying problems when fed any food for a long period of time, especially those largely formulated on cheaper problematic grains like wheat and sorghum. More often than not these problems won’t show until their diet is changed. Diarrhea and reactions caused by food intolerances are very common when a singular food has been fed for an extended period, which is why I highly recommend rotations.
Given the information you’ve provided I’d be inclined to think you’ve been victim of a “bad batch” of Taste of the Wild, but I wouldn’t neglect the possibility your dog may have an underlying medical problem. Given the switch from a wheat and by-product food to a higher fat food, I wouldn’t discount pancreatitis as a possibility worth monitoring.
Hi are you sure your dog doesn’t have an underlying health problem? or the TOTW formula you bought was too high in protein & fat %….My boy has IBD & Skin Allergies & the only kibble that he does the best on is TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb it has the lowest fat & protein, all the other TOTW formulas are too high in fat in protein & have triple proteins not good for dogs with Intestinal problems…Why he probably does better on the cheap & nasty foods the fat & protein is low, so look at a foods like “Black Hawk” Chicken & Rice or “Holistic Select” kibbles the ingredients are better then the supermarket kibbles & their fat & protein is like the supermarket kibbles…
Does anyone know if there is an Australian website for Taste of the Wild,
I would like samples , don’t know where to look.
Thanks
Hi Caroline, try http://www.tasteofthewild.com.au/
Thanks for trying, they said no, don’t have any at this time.
To be honest I wasn’t a fan of dealing with them for samples, they asked for my mobile so they could speak to me in person and thought that I was just out to steal their samples and do god knows what with them lol.
Either way after a lengthy amount of back and forth talking via email they decided to send me the samples, but truthfully the way they wrote seemed like it was the hardest thing to do and they really didn’t want to do it.
When I asked for another sample of their duck formula because no one I’ve ever brought from allowed me to return the bag unless I walked into their shops 12 hours drive away … They were shocked that I would even ask such a thing.
Hi Susan, which comment from Dianne W? On this page?
Hi, the post is gone?? how do you remove ur own post?? My post that was posted 3 days ago should be removed as well since Dianne W post is gone now…..
Indeed. People pulling “facts” from some bodily orifice and embellishing them with bizarre logic, are completely unhelpful on a site dedicated to getting past BS to the truth of the matter. That’s what Facebook is for.
Yes, it’s a good food, but it’s IRRADIATED and therefore I won’t use it!
I feel it would be a good idea for PFR to put up in the heading of each food “Country of Origin” so readers can tell at a glance whether or not a food has been irradiated (i.e. anything coming into Australia that’s not from New Zealand).
It would also be great if PFR made up tips sections i.e. foods that are NOT suitable for puppies, for example giant breeds ideal protein being between 22-26 only, fat 12-16 etc etc, otherwise they could be setting up their dogs for disaster later on, especially when many may think, “Oh great high protein, I’ll grab that”.
First item on the FAQ page of their Australian website. Right up the top in large easy-to-read print:
Q. Is Taste of the Wild irradiated?
A. Food irradiation is a process in which foods are exposed to
radiant energy, including gamma rays, electron beams, and x-rays to
eliminate food-borne pathogens.
We do not irradiate Taste of the Wild for a number of reasons, the
most important of which is that it is not guaranteed to kill 100% of
pathogens present. Irradiation also has the possibility to accelerate
the oxidation of the fat in the food and make it spoil faster. If
misapplied, irradiation has proven to be hostile toward vitamin
activity, especially B1 (thiamine). A thiamine deficiency in cats can
cause numerous health concerns, including neurological disorders.
I do my research first before I feed any pet foods & I emailed pet food companies when I want to know any information about a certain formula & no Pet Foods are Irradiated any more, one pet food company told me the containers are sprayed so spiders & bugs don’t live in the containers & hitch a ride to Australia but that’s as far as it goes… “Sunday Pets” told me they insulate their containers to keep them cooler & keep their pet food fresher…..
Dianne you shouldn’t post a post until you have emailed the pet food companies & confirmed the information your about to post is true, that’s how rumors start & give certain pet food companies a bad name……I feed “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, all Stages formula, it has limited ingredients & is excellent for dogs with stomach & bowel problems, food, sensitives, EPI & IBD….
Without going into detail, I’ve had a vast amount of experience for 2+ decades with all Depts. involved with all imports including irradiation, direct poison application, fumigation etc. I’m pleased to hear some/most dog food doesn’t undergo irradiation these days, but what if pallet/s should have a number of different brands on it, hmmm? The company doing the irradiation is privately owned and they’re jolly good mates with many in “the system”. Their income is derived from imports and is beyond phenomenal ie $325 for 1 x privately imported 8″ seat USA child’s show saddle, whereas companies are charged by cubic metre.
The green irradiation logo isn’t required to be put on bags destined for the Aussie market last time I checked, and I’ll bet London to a brick that much more than we would ever know about, or any re-seller would ever own up to, goes through that process. It’s so very easy for anyone to say, “No, no irradiation yada yada yada”, proving it without all importation documentation pertaining to any particular (entire) shipment is impossible. In my experience with importing, consistency is grossly lacking, much
happens on individual Officer’s whims & oversights, very little
can be taken as gospel, full disclosure if often lacking (even from manufacturers) and the list goes on.
An unrelated example, there’s literally many 100’s, if not 1,000’s, of live ornamental fish that are on the “prohibited list” for entry into Oz, but every week, week in week out, many 1k’s get/got through for decades, right under their noses via certain business importers. That may not still be happening now, IF they ever got around to the “sacrificial testing %” of every they were trying to get passed. If it didn’t get passed, then rest assured it would still be a huge market that is missed.
Yes, you could say my trust factor in this whole importation arena is a big, fat ZERO, and I take no-one’s word for anything when it comes to foodstuff, be that human and animals alike!
Hi Dianne, not many foods are irradiated these days, especially main brands such as TOTW.
It’s illegal to irradiate cat foods on import. With dog foods the manufacturing facility has to be checked for compliance, or this can be overlooked by having food irradiated. With TOTW (made by Diamond who make a range of foods) the facility will be compliant.
I started adding a Country of Origin to the reviews but didn’t finish. It’s a good point, I’ll work on it. We have a section for puppy foods, but I’ll look into adding life stage information to the reviews – good idea! Thanks!
Taste of the Wild has officially fallen off the top rated food brands on Petcircle haha, it used to be up there with a few others now it’s all changed, greenies are up there now and Ivory Coat instead of Totw I guess, whenever I’ve been on Petcircle Blackhawk and Ivory Coat were the ones I saw bought the most. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2724e59bd0d2cbabff01f125d1bc8091a74889616b4a94ecadf077d49af319b2.jpg
We use Blackhawk or Applaws but would prefer Ivorycoat. As we are greynomads ivorcoast has been harder to find. Might look for K9 and Taste of the wild to see how available they are
Depends where you live, Pet Quarters stock Ivory Coat & Meals For Mutts & Pet Shop Boyz stock Taste Of The Wild, Meals For Mutts & Canidae, Pet Stock has Canidae & Earthborn Holistic & Holistic Select kibbles here at Newcastle….email the kibbles companies & ask what Pet shops in your area stock their kibble or its cheaper to shop online, free delivery when you spend over $49…. I went to bank & got a Debit Card & you put your own money in the Debit Visa Card & it works like a Credit card & you can shop online, the people at Pet Circle place orders over the phone….I’m pretty sure My Pet Warehouse gives the 11th bag of kibble free as long as you buy the same size bags, you cant buy a 2.5kg kibble then a 12kg kibble, they must be the same size & brand I think???….
Pet warehouse and pet circle continue to stock it as I have seen, I wouldn’t personally know via shops as I’ve never seen it anywhere.
Sure people are still feeding their poor dogs crappy foods like Advance, Greenies, Royal Canin, Science Diet & Nutro….. don’t people read the ingredient list on the kibbles they buy?? It’s 2016 you’d think people would do a little research to what they feed their pets…. very sad for all the dogs & cats. 🙂 at least Ivory Coat is up there..
Sadly the year doesn’t matter in this case, maybe we think it should but clearly that’s not the case.
The best we can do is wait for the people to write a comment on dfa or pet food and help them out there, if they want help in the end.
This is available at Mega Pet Warehouse stores.
I love the way this kibble smells! Haha
Had to say it! as I opened it up today to add to Anja’s plate again and yeah really really love the smell.
By the way the ingredients of the high prairie is different than the one here just slightly.
Bison 12%, lamb meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, egg product, beef, roasted venison 4%, tomato pomace, potato protein, pea protein, ocean fish meal, minerals, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca.
Apparently due to my hand shaking holding the iPad sidewards to take an upright picture, it came out blurry so you need to click on it to unblur it.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/64d1dea1d1bfcf6873824a2c0222f664465269267f13f9ecd008f0243dda2bee.jpg
Yes the American TOTW formula’s have Salmon oil the Australian & Europe TOTW formula’s have to be changed to be imported into Australia & Europe, we have canola oil instead of the salmon oil, fish oils & salmon oils go rancid quicker.. I prefer canola oil my boy gets acid reflux from salmon/fish oils…
Rodney Habib recommends to give your dog a fish oil or Krill oil capsule daily or add a few small sardines in spring water/olive oil to 1 of the dogs meals a day cause kibble oils go off quickly & the dog isn’t getting enough omega 3 fatty acids…
Hello Susan & Veronika, US domestic and International (AUS/countries outside of the USA) formulas are slightly different. TOTW is in 126 countries, which means TOTW needs to meet strict standards of about 100 regulatory authorities :). From what i know, one of very few brands out there ever to undergo such scrutiny.
As you may know, the EU & AUS have very strict import/quarantine standards, the international formula meet these very strict standards.
My Patch has IBD, Food Sensitivities & skin allergies, TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb was the only dry kibble that firmed his poos up & stopped his red paws & itchy smelly skin but December 2017 Patch decided to stop eating the TOTW Roasted Lamb formula, since then I havent found a dog food that agree’s with him & doesnt cause bad acid reflux at the moment he’s eating Wellness Core Large Breed formula it has Chicken in it & is causing his red paws & smelly yeasty skin again, he is sensitive to chicken.. I havent tried the Nutragold kibble cause it has Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) I think he can’t eat chickpeas I know he cant eat lentils, he gets bad farts & very very sloppy poo’s..do you have any Samples of the Nutra Gold Grain free kibble to see if Patch can eat it? I think there’s a Duck, Whitefish & Turkey formula..
How come no one imports the “Natural Balance” LTD kibble & wet can food to Australia?, the Sweet Potato & Bison formula & the Sweet Potato & Fish or the Potato & Duck formula, these 3 formula’s have no peas, chickpeas or lentils. Natural Balance has very limited ingredients,1 carb & 1 meat protein very good for dogs with IBD… I’ve seen Natural Balance LTD on Ebay I think it was or Amazon & my god the delivery fee was double the price of the kibble, now who has the money to pay $70-80$ for a 2kg bag of LTD dog food..
Hi Susan, I’m sorry to hear Patch isn’t eating Sierra Mtn formula. Do you feed anything else apart from dry food?
Currently we do not have any NutraGold samples in stock. However, we offer a palatability guarantee on our food, you can always returned the unused portion to the store.
At this stage, we do not have any plans to bring in Natural Balance.
As far as i know, you need a Quarantine permit to import pet food into Aus, customs may seize your products.
My bag arrived of high prairie it also doesn’t ziplock so I’ll be buying a container for it today.
Most of my K9 cans are dented, likely while been transported as the box looked pretty battered.
The bully stick looks smaller than the last one also, but it happens with natural treats quiet often.
Going to try to get warehouse to stock the cans, they sound delish and I’d love to try them, along with the K9 ones in the future.
You guys are great! Thank you so much. I had no idea about the process of irradiation until just recently. My sausages have started eating dirt. I’m not sure if it’s because it may be mixed with fertiliser (horse poo)?! or if they are missing something in their diet. They are fed Kirkland Signature dry, Blackhawk wet, and twice a week, they have sardines (From Canada, not Asia) Anyway, I’m looking to change their dry food, and debating between TOTW and Canidae Pure. They are older so not puppies and don’t need a lot of protein. Good weights, healthy, happy. Want to keep them that way!
Is TOTW irradiated when it comes into Australia?
I believe not. Not many imported foods are irradiated these days, and it’s illegal for cat foods to be irradiated.
A manufacturer has two options -> have a food irradiated on import, or have their facility checked for compliance. Reputable manufacturers/importers will opt for the latter, but smaller manufacturers may take the easier route.
I looked it up for you and everyone is saying no it’s not.
I know Blackhawk is and likely there’s others, but Totw isn’t, I was recently on Artemis website, they don’t do it either, not sure about the other kibble I use but I somehow doubt it.
Black Hawk and Ivory Coat are made in Australia so aren’t irradiated, it’s only relevant to imported dog foods (cat foods can’t be irradiated)
Thanks for clarification- I was wondering…..thinking, isn’t Black Hawk local?
I guess I know what to ask them if I ever go to buy anything from them, as currently I get everything online, I can’t get Anja’s raw online however as frozen foods usually can’t be shipped, only a handful of companies do that and I’ve only ever seen it done in the US.
Well shows what petstock knows lol
I am a little confussed on where the TOTW is made? With big difference between food standards in differnt countries I would be hesitant on buying anything form overseas for my pets. I read that this is made in Australia as well as America? is this right? And if so, how do we know which store to buy the Australian made one from?
Great information, thanks 🙂
Although the info is indeed on the website like the link links to I never knew it even existed that section anyways, putting it up here will make it easy for people to read and find info about and that’s what’s important.
And yeah no problem!
I think a certain someone on dog food advisor wants me to not even think about adding this food to our dogs regime 😛
She’s now saying that Totw are very slow when it comes to announcing recalls, if one is to happen that is, they seem to be doing well so far and I still can’t let go of the fact that this was the puppies favourite kibble after natures gift chicken and veges.
I can’t find this ingredient list anywhere? I think it may have been changed, I did a check of all their formulas earlier as I was giving an example to someone and this one doesn’t exist quiet like this.
Edit: It appears to be the one from Tasmania as I was asked to contact Arnhem one for mainland Australia products, so we all appear to have different ingredients… Unless the website just hasn’t been updated and their wrong no idea.
Hi Pet Food Reviews,
I’ve been a recent fan of your site and have found it it really insightful and helpful. I came across an article about (Costco/Diamond Pet Foods which owns) Taste of the Wild causing salmonella deaths in pets. Can you please review your rating further? I’ll list the article below. Cheers thanks, Catherine.
http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/5779-diamond-pet-food-costco-pay-settlement-in-salmonella-cases?utm_source=KnowledgeMarketing&utm_medium=Enewsletter%20Groups&utm_term=Top%205%20pet%20food%20trends%20from%20Petfood%20Forum%202016&utm_content=16_4_26_PetENews&utm_campaign=Pet%20ENews&eid=111148327&bid=1386654
Hi Catherine, the article refers to problems Diamond had with their South Carolina plant circa 2012. They completely stripped the plant and started again because of it, and I’m not aware of any issues since.
What plant do we use?
For future reference I guess, as I’ll be buying Totw in the future in place of the rock hard Ivory Coat lol.
They have 4 or 5 manufacturing facilities in the US. South Carolina, a couple in California, Missouri, and possibly another.
So in short, unless I ask them personally I won’t know which exact plant the food is from and to be on the safe side I’d have to just sign up for recalls because that would be the wise thing to do.
It’s been 4 years since they had any problems though, maybe I’m just being paranoid.
Hi, I have a 3 year old border collie, he’s currently at an optimal weight of 22kgs. Average activity level contrary to his breed. We’ve only had him for a few months so we’ve been playing with what’s best to feed him. He has no major skin issues etc. but his poos have always been very yellow and very stinky since we’ve had him. He’s currently on a cup of super coat (I know it’s terrible), 200grams or barf with veges and a greenies dental chew every night, we’re happy with the other aspects of his feeding except the dry kibble. I’m basically just wanting the best possible for him to swap to, can you reccomend totw? And if so, which flavour or any other suggestions? Thankyou 🙂
Hi Georgia, if your dog’s poop problems haven’t cleared up, it sounds as if he actually has a bacterial or parasitic infection in his poop. I have had this problem with my dogs in the past when they had access to rabbit poop. Hope this helps.
Hi Georgia, any of the TOTW recipes would suit, and you can mix and match recipes and brands. You could also use boiled chicken or mince, raw chicken necks, meaty bones etc as a better nutritional treat alternative to Greenies (made from wheat flour).
We’ve just bought a 8 week old schnoodle puppy and are looking into the best foods for her. We were thinking Taste of the Wild, Ivory Coat, Canidae, Complete Mix Grain/Gluten Free (http://www.vetsallnatural.com.au/complete-mix-graingluten-free/) (also considering the puppy version it does contain grains) or K9 Natural. While I realise all of these foods are great in which order do they rank. Especially for puppy food but also for adult. Thanks
Hi Laura, they’re all very good foods and we try not to be biased to one food or another. K9 is arguably the most natural diet out of the above but it’s freeze dried meat and not a kibble.
How does the Complete mix Grain which is mixed with raw meat compare?
Feeding fresh meat will always be better for your dog, and Complete Mix will offer a balanced diet with all necessary vitamins and minerals. You sacrifice convenience and it will work out more costly, but you’re offering your dog a healthier alternative.
I was on their website this morning getting some samples as their the only ones I never took a sample from and they list the % of meat used now and it appears very similar to nutra gold in terms of how much meat it has, which is honestly not all that much it seems.
I wonder how our dogs will like it, taste wise I’m very curious.
hi
golden retriever puppy..four months old
is taste of the wild puppy food sufficient for him or does he need a Large Breed Puppy Food
Yes, the puppy formulas should be suitable for a Golden Retriever
Hi I am looking for a dog food that is grain free and has no rosemary as I have been recommended as my dog has just developed seizures. Do you know if they are rosemary free, Thanks Carol
Hi Carol, there’s no rosemary in this food, but that may or may not be the cause of seizures. What food was your dog being fed when the seizures occurred? You can contact me directly here if you like – https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/contact/
Thank you so much for your advice, After a discussion with Pet Circle they recommended the Lamb it’s not the puppy formula, should I change to this? Daisy is 6 months old this week. May I ask how long they are classified as puppies? She is extremely active, healthy coat, great weight and seems to be slowly getting over her teething. Thanks again Jane
Hi, hoping for some advice. We have slowly introduced Taste of the Wild – Lamb to our just over 5 month old Labradoodle. Now that it’s not mixed with the old food she doesn’t instantly tuck in and it takes quite awhile to finish it. Should I try another flavour or keep trying, it’s been over 3 weeks. Thank you for any help. Jane
Hi Jane, is that the High Prairie puppy formula? I believe the puppy is a smaller-sized kibble so would be easier to eat. Puppies go through phases of eating a lot then not eating much at all, and if she’s teething then she’ll be more reluctant to eat as much. Is she otherwise healthy, active, and a good weight?
You have many options – add something to the food to entice her, like chicken broth, some wet food, or try another brand to see if she eats more of it.
My dog (2 yr old labradoodle) has a suspected protein allergy so the vet has put him on RC sensitivity control. I was hoping to find a better product but the vet is unclear as to what protein is causing allergies, but thought venison, kangaroo and other game meats would be ok. I’m concerned that this food has chicken and lamb meal. Any suggestions?
Hi Rachelle, what are the symptoms? I find most allergies are grain related, lesser so a meat such as chicken or lamb. There are many quality grain free foods available, but finding one without chicken is much harder. Taste of the Wild is a grain free option without chicken, Canidae PURE Sea is a great option without grains and only fish as a meat protein.
So as my toy cross poodle is allergic to chicken, then these 2 meals would be good for her. She is a toy and needs small size kibble and all foods need to be easyily digestible as she has digestive problems. Also has very itchy skin if that comes into the equation at all.she is 3 years old and weighs 3 kilo. I’ve been trying to find the right foods for her in wet and dry all her little life. She gets bad belly pains for 12 hours at a time if she eats the wrong thing. I havnt worked out what the wrong thing is yet.
Thankyou.
Does she get the belly pains on grain-based food? Feeding a grain free like Taste of the Wild is worth trying. As for small kibble foods, out of the foods we rate highly have a look at Applaws, Artemis, and Earthborn as they offer foods for small dogs.
ril 5, 2016 at 6:10 am
I dont give her grain based foods at least not in the kibble. I was giving her my dog in the canned food but won’t be anymore after reading your review. The vet told me it was one of the better ones if I didn’t use their foods. What is your opinion on zd hd science diet and all the stuff vets try to get you to buy?
Also all the foods you give a good rateing, some of which I already use, are they all easily digested as this is very important?
Thank you again you are a gem. Happy I found you.
I dont give her grain based foods at least not in the kibble. I was giving her my dog in the canned food but won’t be anymore after reading your review. The vet told me it was one of the better ones if I didn’t use their foods. What is your opinion on zd hd science diet and all the stuff vets try to get you to buy?
Also all the foods you give a good rateing, some of which I already use, are they all easily digested as this is very important?
Thank you again you are a gem. Happy I found you.
Rosie
Hi Pet Food Reviews (Australia)!
I have a 5yro GSD.
I heard that dog biscuits from America contains Hormones,and or steroids to build muscular mass… is that true?
Daniela
Hi Daniela, that’s not something I’ve heard, and there are many US brands. Is this something you’ve heard specifically for Taste of the Wild?
Hello
I have a 5year old Golden Retriever and he is at the large end of the size scale for his breed and weighing in at nearly 47kg and needs to lose some weight. I currently have him on Black Hawk but considering changing to TOTW as I am wondering whether it would be a better food, but the vet recommended a lite dry food instead?
I also have an 11kg mixed breed poodle so wondering if I could use the same food for them?
thanks
Belinda
Hi Belinda, weight loss is as much about lifestyle and exercise as it is about diet. Taste of the Wild is a good food so worth feeding to both your dogs, or alternatively Ivory Coat do a great low fat turkey recipe. Be careful with commercial brand or vet recommended low fat diets as they tend to reduce fat by substituting meat with cheap fillers – that’s not the best way for a dog to lose weight.
Hi, I have a one year old boxer and over the past year we have gone from black hawk biscuits as his poos and farts where oh so stinky, to royal canin boxer junior where it got worse to barf which he was good on, but found it expensive to euka pup and advance too, his poos have always stayed runny since we stopped barf, now I’m looking at either holistic select or taste of the wild??
Hi Emma, it’s hard to say. Perhaps his stools will settle down given time on a new food or perhaps he has a slight intolerance to a grain or meat ingredient. Try changing to a grain free food of a different meat source for a while to see if that helps.
I have a seven year old, skinny, active standard poodle who shows little interest in food. I’ve so far tried giving him Black Hawk, Holistic Select, and Artemis Pro, but none of these are really adding any weight to him and he eats it as though it’s a chore.
Do you think Taste of the Wild would help him to gain weight, or would it just increase his inclination to eat?
Hi Francesca, it depends on many factors – is he otherwise healthy, has he always shown a lack of interest in food, will he eat wet food, are his teeth and gums ok? Taste of the Wild is a good food, but whether your dog eats it or not you’ll have to try it and see.
He’s in perfect health otherwise, amazing teeth and gums, never had any previous health issues, runs around like a lunatic…
I think it’s just the dry food that doesn’t interest him, things like cheese and mince are his favourite, so comparatively dry food doesn’t seem very appetising to him. Of course, I can’t just give him cheese and mince, as much as he would like that. Although, grating cheese and cracking an egg into the Artemis Pro was just about the only way I could get him to eat it.
I think I will try the Taste of the Wild, hopefully he’ll recognise the higher meat content and actually show some enthusiasm.
Back again with an update: A month and a half on TOTW High Prairie and I can’t say that it’s had any effect on my standard poodle whatsoever. He’s still at 28kg and fairly ribby, he’s also experiencing some itchy and flaky skin. He also shows no enthusiasm for it; he’ll eat it if I don’t give him anything else, but he’s not excited to get it.
I’m kind of at a loss as to what I should do, I’ve consulted multiple veterinarians and none of them had any ideas either. I may just switch back to Black Hawk and try feeding him satin balls.
Hi,
You should definitely either try Ziwi Peak, or even better Foodie Pooch from Melbourne.
Your poodle will loooove it!
Cheers,
Alex
Hi Francesca, a friend of mine has a poodle with itchy and flaky skin, she started putting turmeric (an anti-inflammatory) in his food and it has cured him. Nothing else worked Maybe worth your while to investigate the benefits of turmeric. Just sayin’.
I have noticed in your review you have not listed salt as an ingredient. I have looked through the Taste of the Wild products on the pet circle website and all flavours include salt as an ingredient. Some have salt listed in the first 10 ingredients. Is it best to stick away from biscuits containing salt?
Hi Skye, salt may be present in a food whether it’s listed in the ingredients or not. It may be present from another ingredient. Usually the amount of salt is listed as a %, but if it’s not and we find salt added high in the ingredients then it could be cause for concern. It can be added to entice a dog into eating a food where other flavour is lacking.
Have been feeding TOtW to my Rotties for 10 months, coats are still dull and their poos are volumous. Struggling to keep the weight on them, having to feed more than when they were on Black Hawk or Performadog. (Coats weren’t brilliant on either product and reliable availability also issues). They are wormed regularly. They are also eating mud and grass like it’s going out of style. Any advice?
Hi Rose, some dogs eat grass, or certain grasses, because they like the taste. If they’re eating bouts of grass in an attempt to be sick then that’s an issue. The same with mud, but less common.
If you’re struggling to keep weight on then perhaps try another food on the best rated list. Are they otherwise healthy?
They are energetic. Just coats are crap, and struggling to keep the weight on them with TOTW. Wondering if it is the Tassie clay they just find tasty 🙁 and if they have indigestion so eating the grass, but they don’t throw up. Vets don’t know either. Am looking at trying Stay Loyal. There is a lot on Fb about Flaxseed causing infertility, finding it is a common ingredient in dog food. There doesn’t appear to be a review on Performadog, are you considering doing one? We tried that for 6 months, kept the weight on but coats were awful. The only dog that has a good coat is the one on daily fish oil, cucurmin and Wagner Joint formula. She is arthritic and the combo has her jumping out of her skin and coat like a mirror. Have started the rest on the fish oil but when buying premium biscuits, really shouldn’t have to add extra supplements! I like that your site makes it easy to assess one product against another, because of course they all say they are the best! Thanks for running this site, negotiating dog food brands is a nightmare!
Hi Rose, I was just reading all the reviews & saw your review, sounds like your boys may have acid reflux the fat% may be tooo high for them..You don’t say what flavours they are eating cause some of Taste of the Wild flavours are 18% min fat so max% would be around 20% fat that’s high….
I’m waiting for a reply from TOTW about the fat % what is the max% in the Pacific Stream & Sierra Mountain the min fat is 15% min….After reading your comment I might give TOTW a miss, my boy has IBD Stomach he gets acid reflux…. for a beautiful shiny coat buy the Aldi Sardines In Spring Water 69c give about 2 sardines a day as treats or on top of kibble…..Sardines are very healthy..
Have a look at “Meals For Mutts” kibble It’s high in omega 3 6 & 9 gluten, dairy, sugar & potato FREE…..you’ll start to see a big difference in your dogs within 2 weeks, coats will shine, poos are smaller & firm, Patch had more energy, he was like a different dog he was eating a vet diet before Meals For Mutts..
Meals For Mutts has their grain free kibbles or the brown rice kibbles they have lower fat % around 10% fat I started on the Salmon & Sardine Brown Rice & Vegetables kibble Patch is 18kg only needed 2& 1/2 cups a day…he has problems gaining weight cause of his IBD, he gained 1 kg in 2 weeks eating the Meals For Mutts, his Skin cleared up, his vet was very happy with the big improvement with Patch we had tried about 4 vet diets she now feeds her girl Meals For Mutts..
http://www.mealsformutts.com.au/index.html
om.au/index.html
I am comparing “taste of the wild” with “black hawk” for dog which is a small adult, and not super active. Could you give me some insight on which one would be more suitable for a small breed?
Cheers,
Isaac
Isaac, TOTW might be better as your dog is not active. I have Rotts and can’t keep the weight on with TOTW. Their poos are huge though, and when they burp…… Blech!
Hi Rose, I have the opposite, I have a Staffy with IBD & he has just started the Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon…. While introducing the new TOTW Pacific Stream after 3 days I had fully introduced the new Pacific Stream, Patch didn’t want his old kibble that was mixed with the new TOTW kibble & Patches poos are smaller & his burping has stopped AND his acid reflux has also stopped, I cant believe this I’ve been trying every kibble on the market & finally we have found a grain free kibble TOTW Pacific Stream & it’s the only Grain Free kibble in Australia without PEAS LENTILS CHICKPEAS & GARBANZO BEANS…
Rose maybe give the Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon & the Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb a try, the fat is lower at 15% & the protein is a bit lower at 25%, the other formulas are 32%-protein & 17-18 %-fat that can be too high for some dogs especially Rotti’s they suffer with sensitive/bowels, IBS….
Hi Isaac, I try not to recommend specific brands, and it depends on the dog, your budget, availability, etc. you could always try both or rotate between the two. It’s also worth reading the comments from other people.
Hi, I’m looking at starting my dog on either mfm or totw, witch one do you think would be better? (7 months old malinois)
cheers ben
Hi Ben, both are good foods worth trying. Meals for Mutts have a formula specific to pups, called Meals for Pups.
ok , thanks im now also looking into canidea .,
Hi, I have a 5 1/2 year old American Bulldog. She is currently 46.5kg and the vet has said her ideal weight is 42kg. Over the past 5 weeks we have been walking 5km 5days a week. I am looking for a dry grain free biscuit to go with her kangaroo mince and veggies. I like the look of the taste of the wild, however she is a large breed so just want to know if it is the best option for her. Thanks.
Hi Sally, what was she eating previously as that could be the reason she’s currently overweight? It’s great she’s getting a lot of exercise, and kangaroo is a fantastic lean meat. On a decent any decent biscuit she should lean out over time to an “optimal” weight for her. It’s the cheaper supermarket foods that need to be avoided as the filler grains are huge culprits for weight gain, so any foods on the best rated list should help, it doesn’t necessarily need to be grain free.
I don’t usually review products – Unless I think they are worthy of 5 stars. Hands down this food is amazing. We put our large mixed breed wolfhound on the TOTW High Prairie but have since changed to South West Canyon as the analysis suited out dog better. It’s worth every penny. Our dogs brother (different owner) is on a supermarket food and his coat is nowhere near as glossy and smooth (both in touch and look) to our dogs and I FULLY credit this food as the difference. Highly recommend the investment!
Are any of there foods good for a giant breed puppy?
i.e
◾3500 to 4000 calories (kcal) per kilogram of food
◾No more than 3 grams of calcium per 1000 calories of food
◾A calcium-to-phosphorus ratio between 1.1:1 and 1.5:1
Hi Sam, take a look at Canidae, Earthborn, Artemis – all of which offer formulas specific to large/giant breed puppies.
Hi, I have a 2 and 3 year old miniture Schnauzers and I am always worried about fat content vs. health benefits.This product doesn’t state its fat content. Is it too high for a miniture schnauzer?
Hi Susannah, weight control is more about feeding the right diet (combined with feeding quantity, lifestyle, and activity levels). Your dogs would need less of this food to be healthy compared to a cheaper, filler-based food. TOTW is a decent food so worth a try, and monitor weight as you go.
hi,
Im weighing up between TOTW and Stayloyal…
I have 4month mini aussie bulldog and would like to introduce a dry food slowly into his diet. I cant seem to find a deciding factor between these two, what would you recommend and why??
Thank you
Hi Georgie, with your bulldog being 4 months old it might be worth feeding a puppy formula for now. Have a read of our recommended puppy foods page – https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/puppy-foods/
Hi, I have a 8mth old Bullmastiff, would the Pacific Stream be ok for him, I don’t want to give him to much protein as he’s such a large dog.
Thanks
Hi Karen, yes, I see no issue with that.
Hi – what do you think about the salmon version? is it as good? thx – luv this website and your reviews 🙂
Hi Rea, Pacific Stream is very good. All Taste of the Wild recipes are deserving of 5 stars.
Im trying to find someone that can supply me call of the wild cat food? is there different flavours etc I am after someone in adelaide preferred
thank you Sandy
Hi Sandy, you can buy Taste of the Wild Feline on PetCircle, or otherwise the Natural Pet Store in NSW might deliver to Adelaide. There’s two formulas – Venison & Smoked Salmon and Trout & Smoked Salmon.
Have been a customer of Natural Pet Store for many years – great service, great prices and they deliver – no gimmicks!
How would you rate this compared to ZiwiPeak. I currently feed ZiwiPeak & am very happy with it, however I am looking for something of equal, or better quality to switch to, due to the cost of ZiwiPeak rising & rising. Thank you.
Hi Jacqui, ZiwiPeak is expensive because it’s a high quality fresh mix, so more expensive to produce than dry food.
That being said, TOTW is a great quality kibble and many rave about it in the U.S. and here in Australia.
Perhaps you could feed a mix of TOTW and ZiwiPeak? There’s no harm in feeding a variety, and this would cut costs.