Recent Comments
- Pamela on Eureka Dog Food Review: “LOVE this product. My 2yr old mini Bordoodle is fed Eureka mainly used as a search game (hidden around and he has to search for them) or training treats and have found it fantastic for this as it can be broken into tiny pieces making it a very cheap training treat. Recently he has become extremely fussy with his meals – if we throw food at him he will catch and eat it but if we pop it in his bowl he ignores it usually til the next day! Weird. But we know he is getting what he needs and can always increase his intake of Eureka. At the dog park I seem to attract everyone elses dogs – they can smell the Eureka in my dog pack and come scrounging lol. The team at Eureka supply us with a pack of treats with each online order and these have proved very popular too.” Oct 3, 07:50
- on Balanced Life Dog Food Review: “Sad to see, and I expect the result of growing competition with air-dried or kibble/dried dog foods in general.” Sep 24, 20:39
- on What’s the best dog food (in Australia)?: “Hi Liz, there are quite a few options for low fat dog foods which should help, and reducing kibble in favour of wet/raw/dried should generally help. Low fat kibble can often be higher in carbohydrates which is arguably worse, which is why an emphasis on feeding high quality protein and fat can have better results. Lifewise and Lyka are good options, and it may be worth looking at something like Prime100 SPD low fat, or even Eureka or Ziwi Peak formulas which although not low fat per-se can still be a good addition as part of the diet as they’re species appropriate. Or you can look at supplementing a commercial food with fresh food, such as low fat meats, some organs, raw meaty bones etc. In terms of kibble you could also look at Wellness CORE reduced fat or Canidae PURE healthy weight formulas amongst others.” Sep 24, 20:38
- on Pedigree Dog Food Review: “Hi again David, I think it’s fair to say cheap products are often far worse quality than expensive products as a general rule. Real questions are whether a high end pet food is worth the premium price/markup you pay, such as compared to homemade/raw, once you weigh in convenience and whatnot. Or whether a cheap pet food made of inappropriate ingredients will be worth the savings if your pet starts showing signs of organ disease in middle age which can incur huge vets bills if you’re not insured.” Sep 24, 20:28
- on Stockman & Paddock Dog Food Review: “Hi David, I don’t mind comments which are critical of myself and the reviews – most of the time I welcome them. Most reviews aim to offer more information on the pet food based on what we can determine from the ingredients and analysis, or how standards relate to them, but it’s not just that. I use consumer feedback a great deal, both direct to me, on other websites such as APOG on Product Review, or from experience and interactions with a manufacturer or various retailers. For yourself as a reader you’re welcome to use that information as you wish – it’s free information which hopefully helps, but it’s fine if you feel it doesn’t. Many pet owners over the years have stated they feed one of the poorly rated brands and their pets have lived to a respectable age, whereas I may not recommend those brands based on being a significant amount of grains, food colours, or generally inappropriate for a cat as a carnivore or a dog as pretty much a facultative carnivore.” Sep 24, 20:25
- on Be Frank Dog Food Review: “Hi Max, generally ingredients inappropriate for your dog (such as wheat/cereals/colours/additives) which are found in a surprising amount of dog foods, or specific proteins which your dog may react to (such as chicken or beef). Have a read of the page on hypoallergenic dog food which should give you all the info you need assuming it’s diet related and not environmental etc.” Sep 24, 20:20
- on Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Dog Food Review: “Hi Alison, dietary sensitivities are very common with French Bulldogs, and paws are often affected. Take a look at what’s in your current (or previous?) dog food, and if there’s anything like grains (particularly wheat), colourings, or other additives then this is likely the cause. Simply cutting out this stuff (which your dog doesn’t need anyway) will likely solve his paw issue in no time, and also improve his health in ways which aren’t obviously symptomatic. Have a read of the page on hypoallergenic dog foods for more info, and you’ll be all set to help improve your dog’s condition!” Sep 24, 20:17
- on Are pet treats healthy?: “We’re often lured into buying products when it can be far simpler and far healthier to make our own. In that respect, cost of a dehydrator aside, it’s a very good idea. It’s the same with what we eat. I find far too often a commercial product is far less healthy than what we could make at home with a few simple ingredients.” Sep 24, 20:14
- on What’s the best cat food (in Australia)?: “Hi Richard, yes, fresh meat, organs, and bones – can often be cheaper than a above-the-bar commercial cat food, especially if you find a reputable meat supplier.” Sep 24, 20:12
- on Hill’s Science Diet Cat Food Review: “Hi Chris, generally chicken is used based on availability and price. But when it comes to Hills I often find they’re based mostly on non-meat ingredients rather than meat…!” Sep 24, 20:11
- on Prime100 Dog Food Rolls Review: “Hi Renata, well I’m glad you got there in the end! (And sorry the other recommendations didn’t work!!)” Sep 24, 20:09
- on Cat food for urinary care – what you should really consider for the health of your cat: “Hi Ori, my first question would be whether Mercy continues to suffer urinary stones having switched from the prescription diet to a more fresh/raw diet? If the urinary stones have ceased then that’s a good sign the change in diet is working – usually I see dry cat foods, even prescription diets, a fallacy when it comes to urinary issues. An excess of calcium can cause urinary stones (particularly calcium oxalate stones), so if the egg shells are in excess then it’s worth reducing them or reducing how often you feed them in the mix. Personally when it comes to ratios and balance many people attempt to meet these needs in each and every meal, but I find it’s often better to spread out a balance over a period of days/week. Bone broth is always a good idea, and even in terms of hydration should help your cat avoid urinary issues.” Sep 24, 19:39
- on Farmers Market Cat Food Review: “Hi Ben, have you considered feeding raw meats, organs, or bones (like chicken necks or wings) as a way to keep costs down? Sometimes this works very well, especially if you can pick up reduced meats at the supermarket, and in some cases it’s likely healthier than some cat foods – just be careful of moderation as cats do need a range of nutrients.” Sep 24, 19:29
- on Ivory Coat Cat Food Review: “Hi Lis, firstly I’m glad your cats have recovered – I’ve found the issues with Ivory Coat have continued for many years without any accountability, and it’s always sad to hear how our pets are continuously affected. I strongly urge you to add a report on the APOG website with whatever information you can – https://www.apog.com.au/recall-issue-log/ivory-coat/” Sep 24, 19:27
- on What’s the best dog food (in Australia)?: “Hi Daryl, Stay Loyal has been on the recommended list at times and a good choice. I tend to keep the best rated list short with options based on availability and price as well as formula etc. Hypro Premium can be a good affordable option, but also have a read of the affordable dog food page, which although aren’t the cheapest are probably a good starting point for quality vs affordability.” Sep 24, 19:25
- on What’s the best cat food (in Australia)?: “Hi Sandy, Personally I don’t see “too much raw” an issue for carnivorous cats, but the issue is more about balance or our lack of understanding on what our cats need – i.e. all parts of prey, like flesh, organs, bone etc. I’m not one for the complex spreadsheets used by die hard raw feeders (and it’s not as if I use complex spreadsheets for my own diet), and consider the below far simpler options: 1. Continue to feed commercial foods as most of the diet as these should have all nutrients in balance (although how they achieve that balance is up for scrutiny, especially with cheaper cat foods made mostly of grain or plant matter). Then feed 20% raw without being too concerned of that raw being balanced. This could simply be chicken necks or wings, or may include some organs as well, or eggs. 2. With a little more confidence and understanding of balance, such as 80% flesh, 10% organs (not overdoing liver), and 10% appropriate raw bones, then increase that 20% to more of their diet – whatever you feel comfortable with. Drumsticks are fine, but you’ll probably find your cat will eat the flesh and won’t chew on the bone and just leave it. You can stick it in the fridge and let them have another go later, but I suppose that can be a faff. Unless you have a dog who finishes it off!” Sep 24, 18:28
- on Instinctive Bite Dog Food Review: “Hi Adrienne, I assume by accidents you mean diarrhea? Generally if a dog has been fed a single brand of food for a long period of time then reactions to a new food can be common. The cause may not necessarily be the new food, but the result of an intolerance which has built up from a generally unvaried diet. The same applies to us – if we restrict our diets for a long period of time, such as cutting out milk or dairy, then if we reintroduce such foods we suffer an upset stomach. So it’s worth considering if your dog has become intolerant to ingredients in Instinctive Bite which aren’t found in Eukanuba. All that said, we should also keep in mind a dog food may be the cause of problems, so I won’t discount Instinctive Bite as the cause.” Sep 24, 17:50
- on Big Dog Dog Food Review: “Thanks for your positive feedback Genevieve, and also thanks for your comment on the pet insurance guide. When it comes to brands like Lyka, or Big Dog for that matter, they’re all more expensive compared to many dog food brands made of… well, cheaper, unhealthier, and inappropriate ingredients. Usually a variety can help keep the cost down on average (and I see variety as a good thing), and you can also look at fresh food feeding or supplementing with raw meats, organs, bones, eggs, and other species appropriate foods. Sometimes it’s actually cheaper to supplement a dog’s diet with fresh human-grade foods than feeding a “premium” pet food.” Sep 24, 17:42
- on SuperVite Dog Food Review: “Hi Robyn, I would strongly urge you read the other consumer reports on the APOG website – https://www.apog.com.au/recall-issue-log/supervite/ I would also encourage to add a report of your own…” Sep 24, 17:31
- on What’s the best working dog food in Australia?: “Hi Jimmy, you’re exactly right, and it’s a reason we should be cautious and mindful with any pet food product. Most of my reviews analyse the ingredients to shed light on how much of each ingredient is used in the formula, and although this can never be exact will hopefully give a better understanding of where protein (or other constituents) is coming from. When it comes to something like chicken feathers, these shouldn’t be part of an ingredient such as “Chicken”, or “Chicken By-Products”, but I’ve found often in the past traces of chicken feathers in numerous brands. Also, when it comes to an ingredient like “Chicken” (or any ingredient really), we really don’t know what parts of the chicken that is, and therefore whether it’s more flesh or bone content. For vegetables, such as potato, we also don’t know if it’s the whole potato, or just the skins.” Sep 24, 17:29