Primal Pet Foods Freeze-Dried Canine Turkey and Sardine Formula, 14 Oz

Break these freeze dried biscuit up and add a little warm water. My dog (yorkie) loves this food.

Dogs like it mixed with other food.

Perhaps I shouldn’t write a review so soon after Boo Boo first meal, but he LOVED it. I had my doubts about turkey and sardines, as he’s finicky about omega-3. I dehydrated two bricks and pierced a capsule of Omega-3 and little guy chowed down. Now he’s looking for leftovers on his paws! Boo recently began chemotherapy for canine lymphoma so diet has become especially critical. There were way too many recipes and too much conflicting advice online about how to make my own. There are so many enzymes a dog’s digestive track needs that it doesn’t get from simply cooking meat on the stove. If you can swing it, more power to you but it would be way too easy for me to overlook something critical. I winnowed my list of critically good and bad ingredients and began the search for store bought food; but my focus had been on Boo Boo’s treatment and then managing side effects (side note: most websites note the majority of dogs don’t experience them but its taken a lot out of my poor guy. Nothing acute, thanks be to God, but just zonked), so I chose to find a blogger who had been in my shoes and done the work. I found one at www.somepets.com that recommended this food as it’s what she fed her dog, Ty, when he successfully went through the CHOP protocol. A few pointers after countless hours of research on canine cancer diets, if you’re in my shoes: carbohydrates/most grains convert to sugar in the body. Cancer cells love sugar. Stay away from them in food and treats. Boo Boo has always been on a grain free diet, which meant one less change. Definitely a win. A truly raw diet may be great for healthy dogs, but too risky for a dog undergoing treatment due to their weakened immune systems and higher potential for infection. Raw beef is the least risky as it has the fewest microbes of other meat options, but raw isn’t anything I’d feel comfortable with giving Boo Boo during treatment. Many wonderful diets for healthy dogs are filled with fruits and vegetables. You need to be careful here due to the carbohydrate information shared above. For instance, when I tried making my own dog food, I added carrots and peas thinking they’d be good (and it’s what I had in the refrigerator) but they’re too carbohydrate heavy. This is what made me decide that my efforts to cook may do more harm than good. Cancer cells are less responsive to fat cells. Protein, protein, protein. Just as in the human market, the veterinary world touts tons of supplements with very little, if any, scientifically backed evidence. What’s worse is when your dog is in chemotherapy/radiation, many of these supplements can potentially impact treatment. Be sure to show your vet everything you’re adding. I showed my vet oncologist Boo Boo’s probiotic and she said it wouldn’t hurt (read: it might not help either). The only supplements with scientifically supported studies and clinical evidence for improving outcomes for canine lymphoma was integrating Omega-3. For that reason, I love the sardines in this food and probably makes the Omega 3 oil I sprinkle on taste a little better than in Boo’s beef meals! I’ll come back and edit this if Boo’s enthusiastic reception changes.

My dogs love this formula! Not always available….

My Dog used to LOVE these, when she got older & had trouble eating I felt good giving her these as a treat because they are very nutritious. She liked them dry but also soaked in water. My cats actually love them too & since my dog has passed the kitties still get these as a treat, I just break off a little chunk for them. They have tried the cat version but prefer the dog version since they are softer.