Tag Archives: quinoa

Chicken lickin good

What is better than a chicken dinner? Baked or fried, roasted or drowning in gravy, side of mashed potatoes and biscuits, chicken dinner is yummy comfort food for humans and also dogs.

The good folks at Spring Naturals asked Cici to do a taste test on their Chicken dinner, kibble for dogs. They sent us a one pound bag and Cici scarfed it up with zest. She is a little fussy about her food sometimes. But I’d say that she gave this food four paws up.

What I like about the food is that it has chicken as the first ingredient and other good ingredients (flax seed, quinoa) that you don’t normally find in dog food. (see the complete list below).  I also like that there are no ingredients from China and that the food is made in the USA and there are no fillers such as corn or soy or wheat.

Spring Naturals prides itself on using only the highest quality ingredients from select suppliers located in the USA, Canada and Western Europe (vitamin/mineral mixes), and New Zealand (lamb). Each Spring Naturals product is made in the USA without any ingredients from China, to give pet parents complete confidence they’re feeding their pet the best possible diet.

The nation’s leading pet nutritionists have developed each of Spring Naturals’ recipes, and only real meat, poultry or fish is used as the #1 ingredient. Unlike other pet foods on the market, Spring Naturals does not contain meat, poultry or fish meals of any kind. Meaning, each Spring Naturals recipe is formulated without high glycemic ingredients like corn, wheat, soy, potato starch or rice.

The Spring Naturals’ line includes dry and canned dinners for dogs in Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb and Salmon. Look for their recipes available in Whole Grain and Grain Free varieties, with an Organic line, too.

Fans of Spring Naturals can follow them at www.facebook.com/springnaturals or on Twitter @springnaturals. To learn more about Spring Naturals and their growing line of dinners and treats visit their website at www.SpringNaturals.com.

Ingredients

Chicken, chickpeas, peas, dried eggs, barley, oats, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dicalcium phosphate, quinoa, sun-cured alfalfa, flaxseed, natural flavors, calcium carbonate, salt, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomato pomace, potassium chloride, choline chloride, blueberries, cranberries, apricots, carrots, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, dandelion greens, chicory root extract, mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract.

DRY DINNERS
– Whole Grain Dry Dinners range from 4lb bags (beginning at $10.49, depending on recipe) to 26lb bags (beginning at $59.49, depending on recipe)
– Grain Free Dry Dinners range from 4lb bags (beginning at $10.99, depending on recipe) to 26lb bags (beginning at $63.99, depending on recipe)
– Organic Dry Dinners are coming soon and will range from 4lb bags (beginning at $28.99, depending on recipe) to 12lb bags (beginning at $79.99, depending on recipe)
CANNED DINNERS
– Whole Grain Canned Dinners come in 13oz cans and retail for $2.29 each
– Grain Free Canned Dinners come in 13oz cans and retail for $2.59 – $2.99 each, depending on recipe
– Organic Canned Dinners are coming soon and will be available in 13oz cans and retail for $2.59 – $2.99 each, depending on recipe
TREATS
– Whole Grain treats come in 6oz pouches and retail for $7.99 each
– Grain Free treats come in 6oz pouches and retail for $8.99 each
– Organic  treats are coming soon and will be avaialble in 6oz pouches and retail for $9.99 each
Retailers: 
(you can also purchase online at www.PetFoodDirect.com and www.PSCPets.com)

http://www.springnaturals.com/products/wholesome_grains/dry_dinners/chicken/8/

Cici relished eating it and so will your pooches.

Leave a comment

Filed under chickens, dogs, healthy dog food, product review, Uncategorized

5 tips on helping a dog heal …

there are so very many good things to say about the Stanford Inn… the pet friendly zen-like inn, the superb vegan cuisine, and organic gardens show a rare commitment to sustainability, healing and animals…   Jeff and Joan Stanford have created an authentic healing haven retreat where stress and hectic lives are quickly left behind.

each room has a fireplace, phone, internet access, complimentary breakfast and afternoon tea with goodies in the lobby, this is the pet friendliest inn with llamas, cats, dogs, raccoons, ducks and other animals… and the wonderful conducive to healing environment, includes a sauna and pool with 24 hour access… ahhhh…

when you check in with dogs, you are given pet bowls, sweet potato treats, and pet sheets…

to make the treats: they slice jumbo sweet potatoes, cook them briefly to soften, then dehydrate them for 16-22 hours… the benefits of sweet potatoes , Okinawans who have the world’s highest proportion of people over 100 consume a diet very high in sweet potatoes…

there is a Stanford cookbook available in the gift shop for purchase with enticing and delectable vegan recipes.

The food is incredible.  Finally, had a huckleberry muffin… the eggs are organic, everything is fresh, I don’t even like veggies that much, but the food is soooo very tasty… the Raven’s Florentine with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce was amazing.  I don’t even like hashed brown potatoes or scones, but they have the BEST scones on the planet, plus the hash browns are not greasy and they are also made with sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. Plus,  at 4 pm, there was a knock at the door, and I was given two warm fresh from the oven chocolate cookies, with another dog treat and a handwritten note from Joan and Jeff… now, that is class and superb customer service !

cici enjoyed meeting other dogs, cats and other animals… and it was really easy to walk her around the property and fun to meet so many other dog friendly visitors such as the family with two rescued greyhound dogs and these two furry black and white terriers named Willie and Ziggy (zig zag)….

our room was in the Forest area not far from the duck pond and lobby.

the very real and moving tale about Jeff Stanford’s 12 year old dog named Gypsy also speaks volumes to the Stanford’s commitment to their animals… recently, Gypsy was diagnosed with cancer and is now recovering … much of the ordeal and recovery is outlined at Jeff’s blog… basically, Gypsy was given a very bad prognosis two months ago from the doctors. He is now doing well on a vegan diet with supplements, nori rolls and lots of tlc.  Jeff also had a ‘miracle’ horse who was diagnosed with cancer in 1988 and lived until 2004 because of a leg injury.  His dogs Murphy (black lab shown above) and Gypsy have been on a vegan diet for four years now.

http://www.stanfordinn.com/blog/

Jeff gave me some tips for other pet owners facing a grim prognosis for their dogs.  He says:

1. do what the doctors tell you to do

2. Find a trusted healer, holistic vet and create a healing environment; be calm and present with the dog

3. put the dog on a whole foods diet. (Jeff feeds his dogs Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance veg. food)  Dogs are omnivores, read the China Study by Colin Campbell

4. get rid of the toxins

Nori contains porphyran which has been shown to cause the death of cancer cells. (Nori is a red seaweed. Red seaweeds are the source of carrageenen and agar agar.) Algae are also an important emergency food. Spirulina contains compounds which help the body extract toxins (similar to brown seaweed) and in a variety of ways assists in killing cancer cells.

5. supplement the diet

BioPreparation for pets from Optimum Choices, check our their web site at BioPreparation_for_animals The founder of the company believes that the anti-cancer properties are due to realignment and re-balancing of the body through the metabolism of the algae.

Jeff is feeding Gypsy Nori rolls with BioPreparation supplements

Nori rolls recipe:

avocado

carrot

almond butter

tofu

nori

Jeff also suggests that the grain quinoa is good for dogs… boil for 15 minutes, cool and feed with veggies.

1 Comment

Filed under California, dog friendly, dogs, four paws up, K9 approved, pet care