FreshPet: Roxie's favorite new dog food

Roxie and I were recenlty introduced to Freshpet, a new dog food brand on the market that touts it's freshness and natural goodness.

In the wake of the pet food recalls, Roxie and I decided to give Freshpet a try. I fed Roxie this food over the course of several weeks, observing her behavior and speed of eating. Our results are below.


It was love at first sight for Roxie. She seemed to be able to smell the Chicken and Veggies before I could even open the package. I was pleased to see that it was meaty chunks in asealed pouch versus a can full of gloppy, gelatinous goop. I was also happy to see it looked like real food, I think I even saw fresh herbs! Talk about mouth-watering!

Roxie and I both couldn't wait to see what this food was all about and it was feeding time, so I spooned out the correct portion of Freshpet for her size into a bowl on the floor. Roxie is trained to wait for my hand signal before she can eat and this time she just couldn't help herself, she dove right into her bowl of chicken and vegetable and ate it with gusto!

I was so surpised by Roxie's reaction that I called my husband over to see her in action. Within minutes, the food was gone and she was begging me for more. Roxie gave it 2 paws up!

I was impressed, but decided to feed her Freshpet for 2 more weeks to be sure she didn't have loose stool or develop any allergies. So far, so good! Roxie is still enjoying Freshpet and doesn't even look twice at her former kibble of choice.

Where can you get Freshpet? Gristedes in Manhattan and Brooklyn for starters. Click here to find a store in your area.

I'd definitely try this brand again if they were in a grocery store closer to my home. Gristedes isn't a great grocery store and their chain has been shrinking over the past year. I do hope that I will be able to find Freshpet at my local Pathmark, Petco, PetSmart or even via FreshDirect.

DOWNLOAD COUPONS FOR FRESHPET

Got a dog-related product or service you'd like us to try and review? Let us know! Click here to reach me via e-mail.

Warm woofs,
Roxie and her mum

What's up with Roxie?

A few readers have asked what my pup Roxie is up to, so I thought I'd share briefly...you'll see her schedule is quite full! :-)

During the week, she's getting belly rubs and scratches from mommy and daddy. It's a must!

And when she's not modeling (see photo above), she is flinging herself into anything dirty, smelly, or just plain disgusting. Ahhh, the joys of bathtime!



On weekends, she visits nana and grampa in Long Island for some super off leash fun.

And finally, she's working on writing a review as soon as she can get her paws on my laptop. I have to admit, I've been hogging the blog lately. So much news, so little time!

Please stay tuned for Roxie's review of a fantastic pet food company with an emphasis on natural and freshly prepared foods!!

Warm woofs,
Roxie and her mama

Roxie's favorite: Benny's Brownie Bites

On special occasions, I like to give my pup Roxie something yummy and fun to eat as a reward -- Benny's Brownie Bites!

Yes, these brownies sure are a hit among the four-legged kids.

They are made by The Dog's Business (www.thedogsbusiness.com). This small upstart is the brainchild of Jennifer and her Schnauzer Benny. She bakes her 'paw lickin' treats out of her home in Brooklyn and Benny is the official taste tester.

Jennifer uses natural ingredients and also takes special requests, such as doggie birthday cakes, cupcakes, and more.

Roxie went stir crazy the first time she bit into one of those brownie bites. I was amazed at the response, so much so, I took a bite out of the treat myself! Not bad at all...haha! What the heck? They're all natural!

Amid the pet food scare, many owners are having a hard time finding suitable snacks for their dogs. I highly recommend The Dog's Business! As her Web site says, "your dog will love you for it!"


Here's a limited-time offer from The Dog's Business:

Hey Guys!

With all this hoopla about so many dog foods and treats being contaminated with poison, I would like to offer 10% off your total order on my Web site.

I make carob dipped banana chips, mini bones covered in either yogurt, carob or peanut butter with colorful sprinkles, dog brownie bites (a best seller) and other items.

If you would like to place an order please go to www.thedogsbusiness.com and when you get to check out under coupon code put in YUMMO.

I also can do special requests if your dog has allergies or if there is anything special you would like have done for your pup. Just let me know!

Jennifer & Benny
The Dog's Business

Warning: Pet Food Recall

A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 million containers of wet pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.

An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, Menu Foods said in announcing the North American recall. Product testing has not revealed a link explaining the reported cases of illness and death, the company said.

"At this juncture, we're not 100 percent sure what's happened," said Paul Henderson, the company's president and chief executive officer. However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.

The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches between Dec. 3 and March 6 throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Company, Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others, Henderson said.

Menu Foods said a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall would be posted on its Web site - www.menufoods.com/recall. You may also call this hotline for recall information 1-866-895-2708.

News source: AP (3/16/07)

Here's a list of some of the brands in the recall:
* popular NYC brands are bolded

1. Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
2. Authority
3. Award
4. Best Choice
5. Big Bet
6. Big Red
7. Bloom
8. Wegmans Bruiser
9. Cadillac
10. Companion
11. Demoulas Market Basket
12. Eukanuba
13. Food Lion
14. Giant Companion
15. Great Choice
16. Hannaford
17. Hill Country Fare
18. Hy-Vee
19. Iams
20. Laura Lynn
21. Loving Meals
22. Meijers Main Choice
23. Mighty Dog Pouch
24. Mixables
25. Nutriplan
26. Nutro Max
27. Nutro Natural Choice
28. Nutro Ultra
29. Nutro
30. Ol'Roy Canada
31. Ol'Roy US
32. Paws
33. Pet Essentials
34. Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
35. Presidents Choice
36. Price Chopper
37. Priority Canada
38. Priority US
39. Publix
40. Roche Brothers
41. Save-A-Lot
42. Schnucks
43. Shep Dog
44. Springsfield Prize
45. Sprout
46. Stater Brothers
47. Weis Total Pet
48. Western Family US
49. White Rose
50. Winn Dixie
51. Your Pet

The list keeps growing, so please keep checking the Menu Foods Web site for more details on recalled pet foods.