| Website | Meals for Mutts |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Available from | Pet Circle |
Please note Meals for Mutts issued an official recall alert in October 2023. The recall specified numerous batches due to issues with mould. Details of affected batches may be found here.
If you have any concerns, alternative suggestions may be found here.
Meals for Mutts is an Australian pet food company. It’s a great name, and over the years they’ve established a loyal following. A change of manufacturer circa 2018 lead to a few product changes, but the product still holds it’s own compared to other brands.
For our Meals for Mutts grain free dog food review we’ll take a look at the Single Protein Chicken formula, labelled as hypoallergenic, grain free, and gluten free.
Meals for Mutts Grain Free dog food review
What the marketing says
Meals for Mutts is labelled hypoallergenic and gluten free, which would make this a good option for allergy-prone dogs. Over time this has evidently been the case and I’m aware of numerous dogs who have recovered from allergies or itchy skin from cereal/cereal by-product based dog foods.
On the Meals for Mutts website they claim the food is nutrient rich, high protein, hypoallergenic, highly digestible, with a blend of probiotics to support immune system. Most of these are loose terms but they do appear to be somewhat the case. The claim to being “high protein” is thankfully true, with a 28% protein constituent being above average for a kibble.
What the labelling really says
There are three main ingredients, a combination of chicken meat, sweet potato, and seasonal vegetables. There’s some ambiguity here, especially with the vegetables – it would be nice to know what they are. We could assume peas or something similar which are common in grain free foods. The natural fats and oils are somewhat ambiguous, but they state on the website this is derived from the main protein source, which is chicken.
The protein percentage is a respectable 28%, as is the fat content of 16%. This would suggest a lower than average percentage of carbs, which is a definite plus. The protein will be a combination of meat and plant proteins, which also suggests the likes of peas as seasonal vegetables.
There’s some really nice inclusions in the food. Alfalfa is a wonderful ingredient that’s become more prominent in pet foods over recent years, and is classed as a “super food”. Combined with coconut oil, anti-cancer turmeric, parsley, kelp, and added pre & probiotics should really boost your dog’s immune system and well-being.
The ingredients stack up, and it’s a food worth adding to a rotation. Pricewise it’s more affordable than some other highly-rated brands, so if you don’t have cash coming out of your ears this could be a good choice.
If you feed Meals for Mutts (or Meals for Meows for that matter), then let us know in the comments section below! Oh, and please tell your friends if our reviews have been useful!!
Where to buy Meals for Mutts Grain Free
Meals for Mutts Grain Free Ingredients
The ingredients of Meals for Mutts grain free dry dog food (as of June 2021) is as follows:
Chicken meat, sweet potato, seasonal vegetables, alfalfa, natural fats and oils, omega 3, 6 & 9, coconut oil, turmeric, parsley, pre & probiotic, kelp, vitamins A, C, D3, E, K, B1, B2, B6, B12, Niacin, pantothenic acid, folacin, biotin, and naturally preserved using vitamin E and rosemary extract.
Meals for Mutts Grain Free Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis of Meals for Mutts grain free dry dog food (as of June 2021) is as follows:
| Protein | (min) 28% |
| Fat | (min) 16% |
| Crude Fibre | (max) 5% |
| Carbohydrates * | Estimated 41% |
MFM GrainFree Duck and Turkey is one of the few kibbles my two 3&4yo standard poodles will actually eat.
The foil pack is a great idea. I tried the lamb and sardine and whilst it didn’t smell bad, it didn’t smell all that great or meaty. The kibble was very dry and didn’t seem to have much oil in.
Not sure i’ll buy it again unless I’m in a pinch.
Hi I have been feeling my 10 month old blue staffy the meals for mutts sardine salmon and turkey for puppies and have found it to suit her very well. She is a very healthy strong girl with awesome muscle tone. No itching or skin issues thus far. I couldn’t get it when I needed it so I purchased a natural grain free bag of something from the pet shop to get me by and in two days she was scratching.
I have also been feeding my 18 week old the same food and last night I noticed her ears were quite moist inside and had an odour so when I went to the vet today for her vaccination I asked about the ears and they said it’s a yeast thing and to not feed her dry food. I know even children that are siblings can be allergic to different things to each other so I know dogs would be the same but the meals for mutts I give them is grain free only grain listed is brown rice.
They don’t fart and they look healthy so I’m at a loss which way to go now.
Hi Michele, it could be your new pup has a slight intolerance to something in the food. As Meals for Mutts is hypoallergenic I rarely hear about problems such as this, but it could be there’s a slight intolerance to something in the food. It may also be something environmental or their immune system developing.
If it’s a food intolerance then your best way forward is to try a different food, or like your vet has suggested perhaps move away from dry altogether for a few weeks to see if it helps – some good “raw” food options here.
I think the FOIL pack is a really good idea for freshness, all dog food should be in foil, NO SMELL.
Some of MFM formulas are very low in protein & fat which is strange
Which is why I feel it’s very veggie based because if it had a lot of meat that would boost the protein the highest, I mean it’s possible to have 38% protein with mostly veggies as I’ve seen it, but yeah.
I liked their old formulas feeding guide 180g for a 30kg dog was really good for a friend of mine, that I know of none of the new formulas have the 180g except maybe the high energy one, but the price is unfortunately out of my friends reach now that she’s had a baby. Which is unfortunate because M4M would I think still be cheaper in the long run for her because 260g isn’t that bad. I don’t really know actually I’d have to go read up on the food she’s giving now and it’s feeding guide.
Does anyone know if there has been a change of recipe? My dogs used to LOOOOVE the Grain free salmon but for some reason this last bag they haven’t really liked
They changed the formulas in April, if your bag looks like the updated design then chances are you have one of the new formulas. Old and new bag designs for reference…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/55655622b765ae525fbcefe6a4d8b72057cf037eeac89876c88ff9fdb32ff860.jpg
If they only changed 3 things and that’s adding two new ingredients and removing one there wouldn’t be so many problems with it, I’m wondering if they changed more then just that and just decided not to tell anyone.
Ah yes the “Blackhawk effect”, where the ingredients don’t appear to have changed but something has very obviously changed. These dog food guys are sooo sneaky.
Very sneaky indeed. I wonder what actually changed that their not talking about. If peas were such a small % of the food then a change this big wouldn’t have happened and adding coconut and turmeric doesn’t change things either.
I haven’t had an issue with the new MFM formula… I wonder why so many dogs are going off of it. I’ve had a look at both the new and old formula and from what I can see the peas, coconut and turmeric ar the only things that have changed. Strange that such a small change has made a huge impact. Next time I see the rep I’m going to go into some serious grilling. He better be prepared for my questions
That would be good, we can hope they will answer your questions with full honesty, because we know how much people love to lie, after all their trying to sell their product not scare people off it. If some other brands like Mars went full honesty about their Pedigree I’d imagine they would loose at least 90% of their followers, same with Purina and it’s moist and meaty range.
Hi PetFoodReviews – pls have a look at MfM Facebook page where they’ve posted about their new formula, which was released now in April 2018, that does not contain any peas.
Attention all breeders!
As of April 2018 MfM will be the only Australian made super premium all natural kibble for dogs that does not contain peas in any of it’s formulas.
Peas were in our original formulas as a great source of both fibre and protein, however they are also a naturally low source of phytoestrogens which may concern some breeders and their dogs hormonal health.
Regarding this potential concern – it’s important to note that it is the concentration of phytoestrogens in the total diet and not just of one ingredient. Much higher plant sources of phytoestrogens include both Flaxseed and soy and MfM has NEVER included them in any of our formulas.
Accordingly, we have taken a number of steps to ensure phytoestrogens do not pose any potential risk to your beloved pets. Although peas are very low in phytoestrogen, we have decided to remove them from all of our diets.
Breeders can now feed with confidence and be rest assured that they can trust in MfM, an Aussie brand that does not use ingredients that are known phytoestrogen containing foods such as flaxseed, soybeans and peas.
Team MfM
I wonder who got angry at the post? maybe the ones whose dogs suddenly got sick from the change, because truth be told getting rid of the peas is actually a good change, some people’s dogs can’t have peas and finding them in every food was a disaster. There was like almost no choices in dry.
I have to wonder what it is about the CN formulas that gives them such a high price tag? they added coconut oil and yeast cell extract but those don’t equal a $30 increase over their grain free formulas and a gigantic $70 increase of their normal flavours.
Since I use small bags it doesn’t matter much to me, but my friend isn’t looking to spend much more then $120, which only leaves her with two interchangeable formulas.
I was wondering where you were getting such large price differences but I guess it varies depending on where you go. There really isn’t that much of a difference around my area. $130 for gluten free $145 for grain free and $180 for CN range. I understand though that it’s not in everyones price range but that is for the big 20kg bags. The 9kg bags have a more reasonable price gap and it does depend on flavours. When my dogs were on it they actually only went crazy for one of the flavours. They hated the fish 🙂
I was using pet circle $117 up to $179 for the 20kg bags.
The $117 is within her price range, but the rest is unlikely, she’s just moved into a new house with her boyfriend and she’s expecting a baby, so yeah she can’t spend too much on her dog.
I figure that MfM is her best choice because for her pup it’s only about 165g per day, compared to the other brands I checked through the years that were 260g-320g at best.
With a price tag of $90 I think these days maybe even more, so she’s better off buying the MfM since it’s a very small price difference and it’ll last longer.
I’d say it’s to do with the single protein and possibly the quinoa. Although there might be a difference in the amount of vitamins and minerals the food offers. I know the CN Cool has both glucosamine and chondroitin in the formula to help with joint support. I can not comment on the CN Vital as I don’t have a bag handy to check against the regular formulas.
I was also thinking because it’s like a naturaler lol my iPad says that’s a word but I dunno haha, anyways a more natural vet diet and they feel it should cost a vet diet amount. I mean everyone is still at the end of the day in it for the money, because without a reasonable amount of it, you can’t live very comfortably or very happily.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin do cost a lot however, well the dog variety does the human ones which they would likely use cost a little less or at least based on checking prices in stores it does.
But maybe those are cheap and not very human grade, a cheap junk source lol.
The vitamins wouldn’t add much to it their relatively cheap, quinoa is however pricy? hmm I knew all of these at some point but I’ve since forgotten a great deal.
I know MFM prides itself on being human grade so I can’t see them really using cheap fillers and junk to pad out a food they already have a good reputation for. I think it’s more likely your first point. They’re probably trying to compare it to vet brands and therefore charging close to veterinary costs. I do know it is more expensive to buy than their grain free recipes and they’re both more expensive than their gluten free recipes. The main supplier of them is a large company that deals with a lot of veterinary stock such as shampoos, ear cleaners, medications, supplements as well as flea products. I also know the supplier puts outrageous markup on what they buy it for and their prices fluctuate frequently.
Yeah that’s probably the reason and your right with how nutrient dense their foods are they couldn’t possibly be using cheap fillers, I don’t think that any food currently available comes even close to the nutrient density that is MfM.
Basing it on feeding guides.
Hello. I’ve put my two greyhounds on Meals for Mutts Grain Free. I was attracted to it because my male was getting extremely sick on the regular food I had him on, and he was put on a prescription diet. Having done my research (after paying the big ticket price for the prescription diet) I found out that Meals for Mutts is made for dogs with sensitivities, and eliminates all possible allergens in the grain free version. Needless to say, I bought it, and my dogs LOVE it. They are both super excited for breakfast and dinner, and my super picky female is eating all her biscuits. My male is doing exceptionally well. His stools are firm again, and he’s a generally happier dog, and not a grouch with a sore tummy. Their stools are also so much smaller, and don’t smell in the slightest. The best thing I ever did for my dogs was put them on this food! Highly recommend.
Hi Eliza, how are they now? if you don’t mind me asking, I’ve had a lot of trouble with my greyhound, her stomach, number 2s, 2 prescription diets later n not helping, my grey has blood, poo tests, all come back normal. I feel every time I go to the vets, n it’s a store vets they just want to sell me the prescription diets. Thanks advance.
It’s too bad that the court case for lowering the price was dismissed because they really truly do cost too much, they are making an insane profit.
Good to hear Eliza!
I’d be interested in knowing the previous food which made them sick, if you’re willing to disclose it.
Supercoat made them both ill, but more so my male.
i’m very upset with Meals for Mutts. I contacted them directly as I have a dog that most likely is looking at this stage to have a malabsorption or deficiency issue. I am wanting to find the best possible dry food that has the highest mineral bioavailability and asked MfM directly what form the minerals are in if they were chelated or a mix of chelated and sulphides or oxides and to what ratio of chelated to any other form. They finally answered and it was very evasive, they wouldn’t state what form they were in. This was the response. Can anyone recommend a high quality Australian brand that are more transparent with what they actually use in the ingredients especially the bioavailability of the mineral forms?
Hi Kylee,
Thank you for your enquiry,
The minerals provided from a variety of sources, with the actual levels being calculated using bio-availability data. The mineral levels are further manipulated across the range of products relative to the required nutrient balance in any particular food.
Regards
Team MfM
Well it’s not *quite* Australian but Ziwipeak (dry) products are fortified with chelated minerals but may also be helpful in terms of their unique texture. I haven’t seen any solid peer-reviewed data I could point to, but have read a number of anectdotal accounts which seem to suggest that the dried texture is friendlier to a canine digestive tract than kibble, and more fully absorbed, particularly in those dogs with the bad habit of not drinking enough water to complement the dry kibble. The lack of grains and roughage probably contributes to this absorbtion effect too. Jeez it’s a bit pricey though.. ouch!
Thanks for the info Alan, I’ll look into the brand you have suggested further.
Hi Kylee, vitamin and mineral “packs” aren’t produced in Australia so are always sourced from overseas and added to the food. This is why many foods list “vitamins and minerals” without offering a breakdown.
As Alan has said, ZiwiPeak products contain chelated minerals which is great food if you can afford it. Black Hawk and Natural Balance also state chelated minerals, or otherwise supplements could be well worth considering – your vet can advise.
Thanks for the info and advice it has been very helpful and informative.
Hi, I’m looking for recommendations for a good quality diet/lite food, preferably grain free. I wanted to try MfM but noticed that their lite variety is not grain free. I’ve also tried Applaws grain free diet and it’s been OK but I would prefer a more high-quality option. I’m also considering Ivory Coat lite and Earthborn weight control. Do you have any other recommendations?
I like Ivory Coat, I’ve only ever had the ocean fish but I really liked the quality and results I got from it, I haven’t tried Earthborn yet because it hasn’t arrived at the post office yet, I could imagine it will be really good though.
I liked the benefits of Artemis osopure range, they have a weight management formula, just looked it up but the protein is really low and I don’t think it’s worth it at all, your dog will eventually loose all his muscle mass together with his weight. Kind of wonder whose brilliantly fail idea it was to reduce the protein so much.
Canidae is loved by many and seems to have a good analysis for their weight product, nice protein level.
Also Wellness Core has a good weight food and from the higher star brands I think that’s it for the kibble.
Hey, thanks so much! Yeah I really like Ivory Coat too, I haven’t tried the fish one but my dog loves the duck and turkey and I have the venison and the lamb and kangaroo bags in reserve waiting to open. Kind of wishing I had bought the diet variety instead of at least one of those, but I can’t take them back now, since I ordered online!
Also really like Eartborn. I’ve only tried the Primitive Natural, but it’s a bit pricey when there’s no special on.
Artemis I’ve never tried or really heard much about, same with Wellness Core. Canidae was one I was considering but the only weight control variety I could find of theirs wasn’t grain free.
In the end I found a good deal on the Meals for Mutts diet formula, and ordered a bag of that, since I’ve heard good things about that brand and wanted to give it a try anyway. Will probably mix it up with the Ivory Coat and Earthborn food we’re working on at the moment as well as the usual raw and homecooked diet. I shall report back, but I think I’m going to hold off buying dogfood for a while now, currently have 4 unopened 2 kg bags in reserve and now another one in the mail, as well as 4 more open ones all of which are almost finished. And bear in mind I own 1 small dog only! Hahaha.
Your crazier than me than, I thought my 2 bags were a lot as it usually takes me around 6-12 months to use the entire bag, but he’ll you’ve taken it to a whole other level.
Yeah, I only buy small 2 or 3 kg bags so that I can finish them in about 4 months before they might go stale (and I keep the open bags in a sealed bin from which I refill a plastic storage container for daily use, so I’m not constantly opening them) and the new unopened bags all have useby dates in 2018 and are stored in a cool dry cupboard so that will be ok. I like to have about 2 bags open at the same time, but somehow at the moment I have 4 different ones going!
I don’t know which Earthborn variety you chose, I got the Primitive Natural. Yes, the kibble is smaller than some others, but my small dog doesn’t mind that and it seems to smell pleasant if not overly strong. This one has turkey meal, chicken meal, whitefish meal and dried egg all listed within the first 6 ingredients (along with potato and chicken fat) so that’s 4 different sources of quality animal protein as the main ingredients, and at 38% the overall protein % is one of the highest I’ve seen in any dry food. Other Earthborn varieties may be different, I don’t know. Certainly I’d expect the diet one to be less protein-dense, in order to have lower calories.
I chose the weight loss one, because we can’t seem to drop Rusty’s weight, he’s just sitting there at 5.6kg for the last few years, I will admit I give him a lot of food as treats but I’ve done that before and he actually lost weight so I don’t know what changed really.
Based on his anti gulp bowl he eats from 3 of the compartments and there’s 4, the food is also not filled the rim, it’s about halfway up.
I did do a weight test with his food one time, when the amount my mum gave looked a little drastic and it was at 86g for one meal, based on the back of any kibble or dried food it says he should eat 60 something grams a day not per meal, 172g per day is for like a 20kg dog or something…
Low protein generally isn’t good at all though, dogs naturally mentions the complications among other websites, saying stuff like weight foods are filled with filler fibres to keep your dog from eating too much, lowered protein that doesn’t help with weight loss and some other mentions as well.
Because your dog will loose muscle mass, he’ll inadvertently loose weight, but not in the way he should, as it should be the fat his loosing not the muscle.
I initially bought a bag of Roo and Lamb to see if it helped a dog we had recently adopted with skin issues, it did. In addition all three of my dogs have virtually stopped shedding and my skinny pup is putting on muscle mass.
I was dubious about what this food could do but after one bag I’m hooked.
To me organic in general is a bit of a wank because organic does not guarantee better nutrition. If you don’t have balanced soil with a decent range of minerals neither will your veggies. “Organic” is more about the way the veggies are grown and do not guarantee veggies with a higher Brix level. So if they sneak in a few non “organic” veggies it doesn’t bother me.
I wonder why MFM use yeast in their kibble is it a hidden preservative?
I was wondering. Is this the only potato free, grain free dry food in Australia? Does not have to be Australian made. Thanks
Hi Carol, Holistic Select has just brought out their new “Rabbit & Lamb meal” its potato free & there’s their “Turkey & Lentils” potato free both sold at Pet Barn stores….
Hi Carol, tricky question. Are you after a grain free food without potato AND sweet potato? Most grain free foods have one, the other, or both.
Hi all,
I recently was looking into the Wellness grain free range for my two dogs – greyhound and a huntaway who is having some joint problems.
A shop assistant advised me to look into MFM. I need to find out the quantities of omega 3, 6, glucosamine and chondroitin, etc. Sadly, the packaging and website do not stipulate this but I have made on online enquiry so hopefully I will get a response asap.
A user mentioned that their dog’s poo and breath smelled very bad after feeding them MFM. Has anyone else experienced this?
Does anyone use the MFM grain free range for their dogs to assist with joint care?
Golden Paste (turmeric, cracked black pepper and coconut oil) is fantastic for joint care as it can reduce inflammation and is a cheap and easy to make. http://turmericlife.com.au/turmeric-for-dogs/how-to-feed-turmeric-for-dogs/
Hi,
Just a note here on tumeric. My Border has autoimmune and resulted in Collie nose (Canine discoid lupis) where the black on his nose goes and the skin ulcerates and is very sore. He also has extreme dirrhea if he eats canned food or any animal fat. So I read about tumeric paste and have been giving him it with his food. His nose after a period of 8 weeks has remarkably healed – ulceration has cleared, hair growing back. He is so much happier too. Tumeric is a cure all and I highly recommend it! They are also finding that it does the same for humans. (although scientific tests are still being conducted)
That’s great to hear. Yup, definitely good for humans as well (I take it too).
It’s very good provided you don’t react badly to it like I do after taking it for a week, I make a turmeric latte with coconut milk and oil on top so same thing, just tastier.
Anyways it helps my joints makes me feel better overall but after a week my joints hurt severely I can barely walk my legs are so weak and it causes mayhem on my nerve problem as well no idea why, I’ve looked up reasons on google but no one appears to have sore joints after taking turmeric for a week so I’m clueless as to why I do.
Hi Jacqui
Sorry to hear about your MASSIVE amounts of partly digested food, and your experience is certainly not what we would typically expect! Unfortunately, the interaction between nutrients, their ingredient sources and sensitive stomachs is a complex one, and can be difficult to isolate. The problem could be as simple as an intolerance to one particular ingredient.
This is one of the reasons we manufacture a range of foods using alternative protein sources, but in doing so we still have to target the food to the majority sector of the dog population. If you would like to contact me directly by email at bill@mealsformutts.com.au we can discuss the issue with the view to finding a quality solution to the problem. I would need to know a range of details such as age, sex, breed and weight of your dog, past foods used, contents and quantities of the stew, current food being fed and so on.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Bill,
Nutritionist – Meals for Mutts.
I started feeding my dog ( who has a sensitive tummy) MfM about 2 weeks ago. I wanted to use an Australian brand. The thing I noticed straight away was the amount by of poo he is passing. Like MASSIVE amounts ! This didn’t happen on Science Diet. My vet has advised not to use it any more as my dog is clearly not able to processs it. He is constantly hungry as well. Has anyone else had this problem ? He is also fed a home made human grade stew each night.
Note – most vets get very little training on dog nutrition and the little they get is provided by …. HILLS so please do NOT get advice from them about what to feed your dog. They get kick backs for selling you certain brands & have no idea what they’re talking about (unless you find one who took extra training. It can take a while for their bodies to adapt to new food especially if they go from extremely bad for them to extremely good. I hope you stuck with it
Science diet
is a terrible food. We gave this to our dog for about 6 months after our vet recommended (& sold us). Check out the review on this website. Our dog did really well on black hawk grain free chicken all his problems ceased but I am nearly down to our last bag of the old packaging and as ingredients have now changed with black hawk, I am trying to decide what to feed next. I thought MFM grain free duck & turkey sounded like similar ingredients to the old black hawk.
Hi Jacqui, it’s a common occurrence for a change in diet to cause such issues. As Bill has said, it might be an intolerance to an ingredient your dog isn’t used to (which could well be the case if you’ve been feeding Science Diet for a long period of time). You’re definitely on the right track switching to a better food.
I started feeding my puppy Meals for Pups a week and a half ago as I was looking for a more natural product and I got recommended this at the pet store.
Unfortunately this product has caused her to have large, very smelly and sloppy poo, lots of smelly gas and a ‘gurgley’ tummy – often after eating if she’s sitting on my lap, I hear and feel her tummy making lots of sounds followed by the smelly gas.
I have almost a full bag of this, but I have no choice but to go back to the previous food as I don’t think its a good sign for a puppy to have an upset tummy all the time!
Hi Laura My active working breed dog was losing a lot of weight although eating sufficient amount of food. Thought I would try mfm dry food Turkey for athlete dogs. Only fed it to him the last 2 nights, and have just booked him into our vet as he is seems unwell and has terrible sloppy poos also. I am now thinking it is just mfm dry food. I will take him off it for a few nights and see what happens.
Karen
Hi Karen, this is a common problem when transitioning from one food to another. It can take a couple of weeks, and is no reflection on the food itself.
Hi Laura and Jacqui
I have never actually used MfMs as I make food for my sensitive Bichon girl but I am wondering if you just changed their food from one feed to the next rather than transitioning. This is something that my vet recommended and I need to do for my girl even if I only change the protein from say fish to lamb
I found this on the net, you can follow the below link to read more or watch a video but I did cut and paste the “how to” 🙂 Cheers Sharon
http://www.hillspet.com.au/dog-care/how-do-i-switch-or-transition-foods-for-my-dog.html
It is important that your dog switch dog food gradually from his current dog food to avoid digestive upset or tummy trouble.
To transition, mix your dog’s current food with his new food. Over 7 days, gradually decrease the amount of the current dog food while increasing the amount of new dog food.
To help you with the switch and dog food transition, refer to the 7-Day Transition Schedule below or view this video.
Been selling M4Ms for 2 1/2 years now from a Pet Food supply shop in SE suburb of Melb. I can hold my hand over my heart and state that I have been recommending this product constantly. and have rarely ( if ever) heard a bad word about it. Not once have I heard of stomach upsets, skin conditions. ear infections etc etc occurring from M4M. What i do hear however is customers constantly thanking me for recommending M4M to them as its cleared up so many health issues. We also make sure we have plenty on the shelves as we have Breeders and Vets recomending it to their clients all the time. I might also add that the staff, including myself have been feeding our dogs this product since we’ve been stocking it. Considering we have a choice of the many Dry foods we sell, we use what we know works well through the constant positive feed-back received from our customers.
P.S. Ive also worked in the food industry long enough not to be “absolutely shocked” to find they’re substituting non organic veggies for organic when organic cant be sourced. Thats pretty stock standard practice.
RE: Ear infections. My staffy is prone to them, manageable on MFM then bought Blackhawlk on sale. Three weeks later he’s got a particularly nasty bacteria in his ear. Maybe it’s dogfood related, maybe not but I’m back to MFM.
Was it one of the Black Hawk grain recipes? Grain allergies are very common with Staffies, leading to itchy ears and skin.
Yup, we have two staffies and one American bulldog cross so I have to be fairly proactive in our humid wet tropical summers.
No, it was Fish and Potato. I’ve bounced around on different Meals for Mutts and found I didn’t need to go grain free to keep allergies down.
It certainly could be a coincidence but I’m not game to risk another $175 in microscope swabs and mometamax.
As Lisa said MfM deleted my post on fb when I politely asked them to check their spam as I hadn’t received a response to ques I’d emailed despite sending multiple follow up emails. I thought it was a fb glitch given there was absolutely nothing in my post that would warrant deletion so I posted again. They deleted it immediately then blocked me without sending me a PM or email to explain. Their response to my email asking why was to ask me to call despite being aware I can’t as I can’t hear properly due to an ear infection I’ve had for a month (as I kept saying in my follow up emails otherwise I’d have rung them). I can’t understand why they couldn’t simply email the reason they deleted my posts/blocked me.
They kept claiming my emails went to spam but I noticed they’d respond when a follow up email also included something they had to deal with: like my email re the faulty zip lock on the 9kg bag I bought needing to be replaced received a response; and in that they also finally answered one of my ques: the calorie content of the grain free duck/turkey (neglected to advise calories of turkey HP I also asked for) but ignored every other ques without explanation leaving me once again sending follow up emails that were ignored. Lisa forwarded emails for me as we doubted all her emails would go to spam too, so she’s seen every exchange between MfM and I. I also messaged her asking if she could see my 2nd fb post on their page when I posted it and she saw them delete it also. Luckily she was able to copy my post as she hadn’t closed the page when I messaged her saying they’d just deleted it so I can prove to all it was perfectly polite.
I sent 5 ques 6 weeks ago: are their meats certified organic or just organic; requested calories for 2 products; amount of vitamins and minerals in 2 products (just as Ziwipeak, Eukanuba, Royal Canin for example provide); asked if protein is mainly animal or plant derived; and if it was possible to tell me % of duck compared to turkey in the grain free as I was worried my dog can’t tolerate much duck due to his health issues… but I specifically said I understood their recipe may be a secret and understood if they couldn’t tell me some of the info… so if they didn’t want to answer some of my ques they could’ve immediately said so not just ignore me for weeks and waste my time sending follow up emails when they obviously never intended answering any ques.
I spoke to Marcello 6 weeks ago before ordering and asked for the nutritional analysis i.e. amount of vitamins and minerals and he said legally companies don’t have to provide that, but after I pointed out other companies happily provide it so it would be strange if they didn’t, and that I like to add ingredients to dry food but need to know the vitamins/mineral content of a serve so I can work out if anything I add has too much of any vitamin/mineral that would unbalance the meal (I told him how I’d been making my dogs’ food so know how to nutritionally balance a meal), he welcomed me emailing in that ques and others. So I’m frustrated that I decided to buy the food on the expectation at least some of my ques would be answered, but mainly because I saw MfM welcomes ques and I now know that’s not true: says on their website “we understand that pet owners need valid information in order to make that important decision to switch their pets to Meals for Mutts” and “We encourage all current and future customers to contact us directly with your questions and feedback regarding our company and the products that we proudly produce. All of us here at Meals for Mutts understand the care and concern that you as pet parents have for your beloved animals. We are committed to helping you elevate the health, wellbeing and happiness of each and every one of your family companions”. This was exactly what I was looking for in a dogfood company: but in the end not only did they totally ignore my ques and treat me in an extremely insulting manner; they proved they certainly don’t give a hoot about my boy with health issues who they could’ve helped by advising re the duck content; and I’ve been reluctant to add anything to the MfM due to not having amounts vitamins/minerals. I like to add organic eggs but they’re very high in selenium which is toxic if overdosed even slightly, and MfM proudly claims they “exceed any standards set by AAFCO nutrient profiles” so if they’ve already added more than enough selenium I’d cause problems adding eggs… so my dogs have been missing out when they could’ve been enjoying these healthy additions if only MfM cared enough to tell me how much selenium is in their food.
I was recommended MfM by people who told me it was ALL organic; when I saw MfM’s advertising claims “all natural and organic” I didn’t doubt it was all organic: every last ingredient. I’ve asked others and they too thought the same; their claim “all natural and organic” should be “all natural and/or organic”. In fact what does “natural” even mean? I thought it referred to the fact organic ingredients are obviously natural i.e. derived from nature like a meat or veggie, and I noticed they claim to use organic chelated minerals; but now see they use ingredients like sodium selenite which I now know is a chemical: not natural at all as I assumed purely because I thought they only added “natural” ingredients, and some say sodium selenite is actually harmful which is a worry. So their claim “all natural and organic” is meaningless and I believe quite deceptive. In my excitement at finding what I thought was an affordable organic Australian made food I overlooked the fact they don’t include “(organic)” after the meats when listed on their website as they do with the veggies/other ingredients and that was my mistake; BUT I excitedly told Marcello I was so happy to find his food because I found buying organic meats to make my dogs’ food so expensive, but could afford his food and it had great quality organic meats. I even told him I didn’t know you could get organic duck. Not once did he mention the fact the meats aren’t organic. I just don’t know how he thinks I was never going to find that out then be angry he didn’t correct my mistaken belief, and that I wouldn’t then share this with others who would also be shocked by his deceptive behaviour.
I apologise for explaining my experience so thoroughly so this is extremely long; but to accuse a company of such extremely unsatisfactory customer service and lying I believe I have to provide as much detail possible and have asked anyone sharing my experience to explain it thoroughly also: to ensure there’s no mistaking the fact MfM acted entirely unreasonably and I did nothing to cause their insulting treatment of me and that my ques were reasonable. I can also prove everything I say with copies of all email exchanges, the first proving I discussed the organic meats with Marcello for example; and the copy of my deleted post Lisa took; and am happy to do so for this reviewer (sorry don’t know your name) so you can be assured everything I say is true. This review site is very reputable and I respect that and believe you’re owed assurance you’re not enabling people to post anything so accusatory if it’s untrue. Please email me if you’d like any documentation of events.
When MfM blocked me I was furious, to have never had a response to my ques after 6 weeks and all my time and effort following up is also infuriating. To see their comment on their fb page yesterday in response to this reviewer’s ques asking them about those very issues, and MfM claiming they respond to every ques when they know they’ve still never responded to me after 6 weeks is further infuriating and simply astounding. More astounding is that they deleted Lisa’s comment then blocked her after clearly trying to claim in their comment they would never do that saying this reviewer must have them confused with another company. But they’ve left their original comment claiming that, making them appear ‘innocent’, after knowingly doing exactly what the reviewer is saying he’s heard they do: delete posts/block people. Did they honestly not think the reviewer, and others, would not be told of this and how astounded many would be to see MfM trying to intentionally deceive the reviewer and the public? But that comment will sit there, people will read it and think no one has commented that’s happened to them so yes MfM must’ve been mistaken for another company not realising MfM is obviously going to delete any negative comment anyone makes and block them. I wonder what would happen if this reviewer commented that in fact you know they deleted a comment and blocked someone shortly after responding to you: would they delete your comment/block you too? Frankly I believe they only allowed the post because they knew they could claim innocence then delete anyone saying otherwise.
To discover the veggies are not always organic and they’ve lied about this everywhere is absolutely shocking and I’m furious as I never expected that. Unfortunately even though they admit it there is no regulatory body that’s going to make them change their deceitful labelling and advertising so they will continue to fool (some) customers. Not being a member of PFIAA is also very disappointing: they present themselves as having so much integrity and being so proud of their product so I can’t understand why they wouldn’t prove to customers their commitment to quality manufacturing by being a member of the only regulatory organisation we have. I believed MfM really cared due to all their marketing claims and use of quality ingredients but now I doubt every last ingredient as they’ve proved to be complete liars. I now believe they care for profit more than the health of their customers’ dogs because they refuse to answer ques that could help an owner choose the right product in their range for their dog and what ingredients they could add to the meals for example.
I’d like to believe MfM is really not much worse than most of the ‘better’ dog foods despite this company’s rude and deceitful behaviour. I’ve heard some dogs do really well on MfM but also heard other dogs don’t do well: poor coat mentioned especially. Some say it’s ‘miraculous’ because their dog stopped itching on it; further investigation reveals MfM is the 1st grain free food ever fed so another grain free product would most likely have produced similar ‘miraculous’ results. Then there’s the placebo effect: a lady at my local dog park started feeding MfM few months ago and was boasting to everyone about finding an “all organic holistic” food. Pretty soon she was proudly pointing out to all how remarkably different her dog looked… except he didn’t: his coat was the same, his energy the same, I couldn’t see the ‘magical’ sparkle in his eyes she could, yet she was convinced he was a “different” dog due to her feeding all organic ingredients that cost 3 x more than her last brand. I’ve not been to the dog park due to being sick and my ear infection, when I do I’m not sure how I’m going to tell her MfM lied about the veggies always being organic, the meats aren’t organic etc.
When I recently had to choose a commercial dog food due to not being able to make my dogs’ meals myself now I didn’t buy MfM because I thought it was the ‘miraculous’ food the company and some users claim it is, just their grain free products had the right blend of ingredients to suit my boy and his health issues; and the fact I believed all the ingredients were organic obviously gave peace of mind it was a ‘quality’ product: I figured who’d use ALL organic ingredients (yes mistaken belief I now know) then not ensure everything else about the food was absolute ‘quality’ also? I’ve been feeding it 5 weeks and my girl is developing very bad yeast problems so some ingredient is obviously not right for her and my boy is doing OK although his coat has lost some shine: probably because he’s no longer getting the eggs as I mentioned and apparently MfM doesn’t have great quality oils to replace what the eggs provided; and occasionally his stools are a little sloppy which he never had on my home made diet. If MfM is working for a person’s dog I don’t think they should stop feeding it purely because MfM is deceitful/has shockingly rude customer service, I just want people to know all the facts as I’ve outlined here as then they can choose whether or not they’re willing to trust MfM products for themselves. I hope others who’ve had bad experiences take the time and effort to report them here though I worry many wouldn’t think of coming here to ‘report’ issues as I used this site when I was looking at MfM but never thought to come back here and outline my negative experiences. Thanks to my internet dog group friends who contacted me about this reviewer’s post on MfM’s fb but of course I couldn’t comment there as they blocked me, but I can comment here. Thank you Pet Food Reviews.
Hi MH, I didn’t read all of your comment however it came up in my google seach for ‘meals for mutts broken zip’. I too bought a 9kg bag with the zip broken on the third day. Perhaps it may be better if they find another method for resealing the bags. I’m going to put the food in a storage container and hope it lasts.
Hi Pet Food Reviews.
Thanks for the discussion on our products, but I would like to clear up a misconception in the above review. Meat provides 5 times the amount of protein in the Duck & Turkey grain free product than the largest source of vegetable protein. Meat protein also makes up nearly 2/3rds of the total protein sources in the food, so your assumption that peas and lentils make up the majority of the protein is incorrect.
You also posted a query on our Facebook page regarding access to information, and I can honestly declare that I have responded to every single enquiry I have received. My usual method of response is by email and due to the complex nature of the science of nutrition, some of these exchanges have spawned up to 9 or 10 email exchanges. In fairness, I must also add that our Facebook page is designed and moderated by outside assistance, and the moderators job (rightly or wrongly) is to maintain the page as a friendly place for us to share and exchange views, news and the achievements of our wide family of dogs (and their owners of course), as well as being a notice board for product developments and new releases. The Facebook page was never established, nor should it be used, as a forum…. that is the domain of other sites, whilst email remains the vehicle by which we disseminate technical issues.
Should any of your readers require additional information regarding any of the MfM products, please feel free to email me at bill@mealsformutts.com.au.
Regards,
Bill Wiadrowski
Senior Nutritionist – Integrity Pet Products Pty Ltd
Hi Bill,
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I’ve been speaking with a number of consumers and read some excellent responses from yourself to a number of queries. I have to say I’m very impressed with the depth of your emails – it’s unusual for a pet food manufacturer to put in such effort.
Obviously it took considerable time for me to type out the comment I’ve just left, and in the meantime this comment from Bill has appeared. Thank you for responding to some of the issues raised Bill. Can you please help me understand why my initial email with ques then multiple follow up emails begging for a response have never been responded to for the last 6 weeks?
And why if someone leaves a perfectly polite post on MfM’s fb page simply asking for someone to contact them, which they’ve been forced to do due to their emails being ignored so making contact via fb seems the next reasonable contact option, has to be deleted to keep it a “friendly place”? My 1st post then 2nd repeat of that post in no way made the place less “friendly”, just politely asked for contact and I’ve seen many others request the same thing and MfM simply comments to please email them. So why was my post not answered in a similar manner, just deleted and then no contact made with me whatsoever to explain why, even when I emailed requesting such explanation?
Furthermore why did the decision to delete my posts for whatever reason it was result in me being blocked so I can never comment/post again; this is the sort of ‘punishment’ usually reserved for people who are offensive, rude, critical without proof etc not a person simply trying to follow up what they believe is their emails going to MfM spam and that’s the reason they’ve not received a response to their ques yet?
And most importantly why did my deleted posts not finally generate a response to my ques as requested: they were made June 5th so almost a month ago, then I sent a follow up email specifically marked attention of Marcello 18th June as I believed perhaps there was a problem with the admin staff not doing the right thing with emails, and took the time and effort to reiterate all issues in that email to Marcello and again requesting a response via email; yet have never received a response?
I’d also appreciate an explanation as to why when whoever it was that replied to this reviewer’s post on MfM fb they didn’t clarify that yes indeed they do delete some people’s posts and then block them – even when they’ve done nothing ‘wrong’ as in my case?
You haven’t addressed the issue of the deceptive advertising claim all the veggies are organic then the surprising comment on the fb page they’re not, perhaps that (and other ques I’ve asked you) is not your responsibility within the company and if so could you ask whoever’s job it is to deal with these issues and respond here?
I would also like Marcello to finally explain why he never corrected me when I told him I was so excited to find his product with organic meats, only to now realise they’re not organic. Can you ask him to do that because he’s refused to respond to my email? Thank you Bill.
Troll. Some people just get stuck on a topic and can’t get off it. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it again. Easy. MH – I recently spent a year off my socials and forums. At first it was torture. But then I realised that without being bombarded by constant data, and negative commenting, I had a lot more life to live. Maybe you should try, just to gather some perspective!
I think it’s a great food, all of our dogs love it, we have raised a litter of ANKC registered show puppies on it, and even cleared up two of our dogs skin issues. Their coats shine beautifully, their skin is pink and clear, and they like it!!! The high protein level overall did concern me, but it has failed to negatively impact the dogs.
I’ve just been blocked from meals for mutts facebook site tonight for responding to this page ‘Pet Food Reviews’ post there asking about the issue Cheryl raises IE deleting people’s posts, blocking them, and not responding to emailed questions. My friend had two posts deleted and was blocked for simply trying to follow up an email with some questions meals for mutts ignored for over a month and that’s what I commented on, because their response to ‘Pet Food Reviews’ post was “we are at a loss as to the source of your rumour. We reply to every query received, with some replies being extensive and ongoing by private email. Are you sure you have the right company?” This is an absolute joke as I personally know they have treated my friend with the utmost disrespect (I’ve contacted her and she said she will be commenting here tomorrow to verify this).
I’ve also discovered meals for mutts lie about using all organic ingredients, here’s a comment from their facebook site: “…we only use organic & non organic green vegetables that are in season…” Like • 1 • June 26 at 8:54pm
So then why does all their advertising and wesbite say the vegetables are “all organic”? That is incredibly deceitful to customers who pay a premium for the food believing at least the vegetables are always organic. Another problem my friend had was she believed due to them advertising the ingredients are “all natural and organic” that meant the meat was organic too, and she told Marcello the director that was a main reason for using the food and he never corrected her. But it appears the meat isn’t organic at all now I look at the website so why didn’t he say something and correct her? One of the questions she sent him was whether the meat is ‘certified’ organic or just organic and marcello trusts the people supplying the meat but marcello refuses to answer the question for over a month now. She also asked about the majority of protein coming from the vegetables or meat as ‘Pet Food Reviews’ raises as a potential concern here in this review on this page. Marcello refuses to respond so I guess it’s the vegetables not the meat folks, noone wants to ‘guess’ anything but if meals for mutts refuses to answer the question its fairly obvious that’s the case or they’d clearly state otherwise (they clearly state on their website “dogs & cats thrive when a large proportion of their diet is derived from animal protein”, so if in fact they provide this in their foods why wouldn’t they comment and provide proof that’s the case?). ‘Pet Food Reviews’ maybe you could ask them the question directly and see whether they give you a response?
There is something very suspicious about meals for mutts behavior refusing to respond to emails with valid questions (even if all they do is say sorry we can’t answer that question, but to just avoid all questions totally is very strange, and rude). And this lying about all organic vegetables makes it hard to now believe anything they say about their foods. I personally refuse to buy their food now, it’s a shame others are too scared to make comments (I know because they’ve told me) about their poor customer service, being blocked etc because they can’t find another grain free white potato free product here in Australia with as (apparently) quality ingredients. I find it very distressing to see people bullied into not mentioning bad experiences because they’re scared of being blocked and not being able to even order food directly from meals for mutts due to that (which you have to do as not all stores stock all their products in certain sizes so you can only order through meals for mutts).
‘Pet Food Reviews’ did you also realise meals for mutts have chosen not to be part of the Pet Food Industry of Australia Association, the only form of regulation we have in Australia for dog food manufacturing, labelling etc? Why would they refuse to be part of that, what have they got to hide? Hope you can ask them to respond to that question also.
We have been discussing Australian Dog Food Products in our Nutrition group and a few of us are feeding our dogs the Meals for Mutts product.
I know personally my dogs are doing well on it, though they have only been
on it about 6-8 weeks now.
There have been a few comments about their customer service as far as them not answering enquiries from emails or comments on the FB page and apparently even deleting comments on the FB page and blocking the people asking questions about the products. I believe the questions relate to vitamin and mineral % and looking for more indepth ingredient analysis breakdown, etc.
I thought I would touch base here to see if anyone else has had any problems with contacting the company.
I haven’t had any contact with the company personally, so this is only going on third hand information.
Hi Cheryl,
I sent them a inquiry via their website and got no reply, but then I sent them a message via their Facebook page and got a reply within half an hour 🙂
They are even sending me out a free sample package of their new High Performance Formula, so assuming it turns up, I was happy with their response. The initial lack of reply to their website form was disappointing though.
Lisa.
Hi. Im just wondering now what to feed our dog that has yeast issues. We tried Black Hawk Fish and Potato for about 4 monthes but it made no differance at all the smell and itchy skin etc. I read that they shouldnt have grains or starch. Help !! He doesnt like raw meat either.
Hi Marion, some dogs do seem to react to Black Hawk (see the comments here). Perhaps try one of these grain free foods and see how you go.
I was sold meals for pups when I went in store to purchase Canidae. Salesman pointing out that the product was Australian made and more reasonably priced. My Ridgeback pup woofs it down like there is no tomorrow. I have noticed that the daily intake allowance is much higher than the other brands. Almost double for pups sitting at around 400grams per day. As much as I would like to try Ivory coat, I can’t see how my pup would cope with me cutting back his food portion by almost half. He looks a good weight at present but I do hope that the daily intake recommendations for Meals for pups is not too high and I am running the risk of overfeeding him. Should I be purchasing a food that is dedicated to large breed dogs?
Hi Wendy, larger dogs do have different nutritional requirements, mainly for joint health (so more oils or fats for omega fatty acids). But saying that a high quality food will likely meet these requirements as well. When it comes to daily feeding allowances they can be open to interpretation. With a high quality food a dog will reach his daily nutrition requirements by eating less food, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll get fat by eating more than the suggested guidelines. A dog that eats a large amount of high quality food is far less likely to get fat compared to eating the same large quantity of a cheaper food that contains filler grains and cheap ingredients.
hi there! i’ve noticed that garlic is included in the ingredient list which i find a bit questionable given that it’s advised not to feed dogs garlic…what’s your opinion on this?
thanks!
Hi K, garlic has a number of nutritional and health benefits, and in a dry formula such as this it’s in a very minor quantity and doesn’t pose a very big risk. If you’re concerned about feeding garlic day in day out then I’d recommend feeding a variety of foods to ensure a well rounded diet. Many ingredients can be toxic if fed in high quantities over a sustained period of time.
Our dogs enjoyed this food and it seemed to agree with their bellies. They held condition and improved their coats but goodness! It made their poop and breath smell so bad!!! We’ve changed them to another brand this time (we’re trying to find a new food for them after Black Hawk started causing issues), seems to have fixed the problem. Just amazed!
Hi there,
Can you please tell me what the other brand was you changed to? We have a staffer with intestinal problems and I would be keen to know what else worked better.
Cheers
Leanne
Hi Leanne have you tried the “Meals For Mutts” Salmon & Sardine Brown Rice & Veggies, I have a staffy with IBD & Skin Problems & tried most of the vet diets, the Eukanuba Intestinal fixed Patches diarrhea, the Eukanuba Intestinal is a low residue kibble, we kept Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal prescription vet food for about 5-6 months to let his stomach & bowel rest & heal, then I tried Nutro Natural choice Chicken & Rice & it gave Patch bad acid reflux, the fat was 13% min so max fat would of been about 15% tooo high, then I tried the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal only sold at Pet Barn that was very expensive & Patches poos were bigger & 3 poos a day, so we tried the MfM Salmon & Sardines & Brown rice, his poos were great & only 2 poos a day, his coat is beautiful & shinny, the fat is 10% with 4%-fiber or there’s their Kangaroo & Lamb brown rice & Veggies with 11%-fat 6%-Fiber ur dog may need more fiber or less fiber…. MfM is money back guaranteed, MfM also send out free samples, email them & explain your dogs health problems, MfM Nutritionist email me & told me how to help Patch….. http://www.mealsformutts.com.au/index.html
I’ve ordered a bag of Meals for Mutts, but in the meantime I’d like to query something in the review, please.
It makes the point that the meat has a high water content. However the second ingredient – sweet potato – would have a similar water content, so on a dry basis the meat would probably still be ahead of it. This is unlike the situation where meat is the first ingredient, followed by two or more grains or perhaps dried potato.
Do you think it possible/likely that the lentils would actually be the main ingredient on a dry basis?
I read once that too many wet ingredients “glugged up” the equipment, so I’m puzzled as to how they make this kibble when the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th & 6th ingredients have a high water content. Anyone know, or was that information wrong?
Hi Alan,
You pose a very good point regarding the water content of sweet potatoes. It’s quite possible the lentils are the dominant ingredient but it’s hard to say. We can certainly make the assumption a large percentage of the protein will come from the lentils (which are generally harvested at approx 15% water content (according to Google)).
Meals for Mutts has a very low ash percentage (5%) and an average moisture content (10%) which would suggest a less aggressive cooking process than most foods. The protein level of 30% is good, so we can also assume there’s a decent amount of meat protein despite there being a mix of meat and vegetable proteins.
You also pose a very interesting point about how they can produce a firm kibble given the ingredients…