About The Author: Sally Jones
Sally has been a writer and copy editor for Canine Journal for many years. She has 25+ years of professional writing and editing experience. She also has years of experience in public relations, marketing, and fundraising communications, specializing in health care communications. Her past work history and major freelance clients include the UVA Health System, the VCU Health System, the MCV Foundation, and various local and regional publications.
Sally holds a BA in English from James Madison University and began her writing career as a graduate student at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism & Mass Communications. Shes been researching and writing about dogs for Canine Journal since 2015, specializing in dog health articles. But she also has written extensively about dog accessories, pet insurance, training, and many other dog subjects. Her work has appeared in several notable media outlets, including The Washington Post, Entrepreneur, People, Forbes, Huffington Post, and more.
Sally has never lived in a home without pets. Now, she and her two daughters, who live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, are proud pet parents of all rescued pets . If they had room, there would be many more! They cant imagine life without a home full of their fun and loving furry companions.
What We Cover
How We Chose The Best Dog Food
Dog Food quality is a complicated discussion, but we try to stay consistent with our choices. Factor such as ingredient quality, nutritional ratios , Recall History, Animal Testing, Price, and Country of Origin all play a part in our selections.
We recommend you check out our Dog Food Guide for more information on the overall topic of dog food.
You can also check out our Reviews page for a list of all the brands weve researched and analyzed.
Are Open Farm Recipes Good For Dogs With Allergies
There are two types of allergies that we typically see in dogs that can be managed with food- one is food allergies, and the other is environmental allergies. Though both of these conditions can have similar clinical signs like yeast infections, itchy skin, and skin redness/irritation their management with food is different.
For dogs with seasonal allergies, we typically look for higher protein, higher fat diets that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and though all of the Open Farm Lightly Cooke recipes are high in protein and fat, the Open Farm Surf and Turf and the Open Farm Beef recipe both have a lower omega 3 to 6 ratio which can be more anti-inflammatory and help with skin disease, along with other inflammatory conditions.
For dogs with food allergies, we want to choose diets that they are not allergic to! This might sound simple, but it can be difficult if your dog is allergic to multiple proteins. Every dog is unique and dogs can be allergic to any food that contains proteins, however, the most common dog food allergens are chicken and beef. This means that out of the Open Farm Lightly Cooked recipes, the Turkey recipe may be the best choice for dogs with suspected food allergies.
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Are Open Farm Meals Good For Dogs With Loose Stools Or Diarrhea
Typically when we look for dog foods for pups that suffer from loose stools or diarrhea we want to reach for highly digestible, low-fat options. However, there are many different causes of loose stools in dogs, from food intolerances to fiber-responsive loose stools. As all of the gently cooked Open Farm recipes are high fat, low fiber, they may not be a good choice for dogs with sensitivities to fat or that need a high fiber diet. For dogs with food intolerances, the Open Farm Lightly Cooked Turkey Recipe may be a good choice, but this is highly dependant on your dog and their needs.
About the Author: Nikki is a Registered Veterinary Technician and Dog Mom with over a decade of experience with dogs and cats. Since graduation from college she has adopted two mixed breed dogs Ranger and Ash, and has focused her time learning about pet food and nutrition.
Nikki shares information on a range of dog nutrition topics: from how to create a homemade complete and balanced dog food recipes, to how to choose a dog food. Nikki strives to give dog parents the information they need in order to make the best nutrition decisions for their pup!
Transitioning To Homemade Dog Food
Most dogs dont have a problem making the switch to homemade food. If yours is prone to digestive issues, start slowly by mixing a little bit of the homemade food with the commercial food.
Over the course of a week or two, gradually increase the amount of homemade food while decreasing the commercial food.
If your dog vomits or has diarrhea, try introducing only a couple of new ingredients at a time until their systems are well adjusted to the fresh diet.
For dogs with health issues, please consult with a veterinarian if you arent sure what kind of supplements are needed. Use your best judgment, the way you would when feeding yourself or your family.
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Recommended Serving Amounts For Homemade Dog Food
As a general rule, dogs will eat around 2 to 3 percent of their ideal body weight in fresh food daily. Larger breeds may need as little as 1 1/2 percent, and smaller breeds may need as much as 4 percent.
This works out to be approximately:
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
There is much variation in what the ideal amount should be as it depends on how much your dog weighs and how active she is.
I feel that the best approach is to feed and watch if your dog is losing weight, give more, and if your dog is gaining weight, give less.
For our pugs, we feed a scoop each in the morning and a scoop each in the evening, plus all their supplements.
We have an easy system for this: homemade food is refrigerated in a sealed container with a measuring cup , and all the supplements are lined up together in a cupboard in the kitchen. Keeping your ingredients organized and accessible will make feeding time fast and smooth.
Compared to feeding commercial food, where you might scoop out kibbles or open up a can, feeding homemade food with all the supplements takes maybe 10 seconds more. And even if it took 10 minutes more, fresh wholesome food for our furbabies is worth it.
Open Farm Dog Food Review: Our Personal Experience
Every dog is an individual, and my specific experience with Remy and Open Farm probably dont mean a lot for your dog in the grand scheme of things.
However, anecdotally, I will note that Remy really enjoyed his Open Farm food. Previously I had been feeding him Taste of the Wild and he was notably not pleased with it.When I filled Remys Kong Wobbler with Taste of the Wild kibble, he would go over to the toy, sniff it, and then look back at me as if to say I dont like this. Hed even go back to his bed and wait a few minutes, hoping for an alternative, before finally begrudgingly eating the food .
After switching to Open Farm, Remy appeared a lot more interested in his food, running over to his Bob-A-Lot the moment I put it on the floor, as Id expect him to.
I was also happy to see that the foods small, round kibble size allows it to work really well with puzzle toys. The round kibble balls were easy to pour into our Bob-A-Lot and did not require a ton of shaking on my part.
This probably isnt a huge deal for most folks, but when you feed your dog via a puzzle feeder every meal, having a kibble that pairs with your chosen puzzle toy easily can be a pretty nice benefit.
On top of that, I did notice better formed, smaller poops from Remy on Open Farm compared to when he was eating Taste of the Wild. Your mileage may vary, but Remy seemed to do really well on Open Farm.
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Where To Buy Open Farm Fresh Dog Food
Open Farms lightly cooked recipes can be either purchased online through their website or found in select quality dog food stores within the USA and Canada. You can access their full menu of recipes and set up a meal plan fairly easily online with delivery to your home, and if you set up re-occurring delivery you will receive a discount on your subscription.
Is Sweet Potato Good For Dogs
When feeding your dog a sweet potato, make sure its cooked and that the skin is removed leaving the skin on makes it harder for your dog to digest. You should never feed your dog a raw sweet potato. Not only are they difficult to chew, but they can upset your dogs stomach and potentially cause intestinal blockage.
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Is Open Farm Information
Open Farm is a family-owned sustainable pet food company with the mission to make the worlds best and safest foods for pets. Our approach to sustainability starts by honoring our animals with responsible practices on farms & ranches. They source from over 300 family-owned farms in America where their meat ingredients are raised humanely without antibiotics or added hormones, as well as farmed seafood that meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch standards. As of 2017, we have many freeze-dried dogs foods available, including beef, chicken, salmon, duck & turkey patties plus protein-rich grain-free kibble made from just four simple ingredients . We also have whole meat dinner patties made with nutritious ingredients like pumpkin seeds and veggies.
Now lets see how to open farm dog food compared to other popular brands in several categories, which will help determine if this is a good option for your dog.
Ingredients Quality Check
No information on the company website or any third-party sources about their ingredient sourcing practices. They claim they source from family-owned farms but fail to provide more specific details. There is no indication of whether these animals are given antibiotics or growth hormones during farming. Also, it may be difficult for pet parents to identify where most of their meat comes from because protein ingredients are sourced from different regions throughout the US.
Meat content-check quality
Where their foods are sourced from N/A
Open Farm Fresh Dog Food
With this new funding, Open Farm will home in on expanding its brand reach, product innovation and sustainability initiatives. Today’s pet.
Open Farm Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, Humanely Raised Meat Recipe w. SUSTAINABLY CAUGHT FISH: Our quality Pacific salmon recipe is made with real fish that is wild-caught using the recommended sustainable fishing practices that are 100% Ocean Wise certified, so you can feel good about the food in your dogâ s bowl.
Healthy pet food that is ethically raised and sourced. Open Farm is a family-run business where we know that the best ingredients are grown and raised by.
Dog Food Direct is an online pet store with a full line of pet supplies for dogs, cats, birds, horses and more. Our pet supply store can help you get everything you need for all of your pets. 1-800-743-5124
We have the best dog food selection for your pet. These have been selected from top companies who use quality ingredients in their pet foods.
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Open Farm Harvest Chicken Gently Cooked Recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for maintenance. Keep frozen until ready to serve Thaw the day before mealtime
When users open.
The 2021 fall pumpkin festival and haunted farm.
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If Your Dog Has Allergies
New Zealand Venison Dry Dog Food, 4.5 Pounds
For the pup with allergies or sensitivities, look no further than this dry dog food. The main ingredient is pasture-raised venison, which is free from antibiotics and hormones, but it also includes non-GMO pumpkin, apple and coconut oil. Since it skips the corn, wheat and soy, one reviewer whose dog is allergic to most proteins writes, I am very pleased and highly recommend this product.
Where Is Open Farm Manufactured
We are a Canadian company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. All of the work to develop, formulate and distribute our recipes happens here in Canada. Our manufacturing facility, located in Minnesota in the United States, to facilitate our local vegetable program and access to our audited and certified partner farms.
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Firstmate Wild Pacific Caught Fish & Oats Formula Review
FirstMate is another family-owned Canadian brand, and its recipes are produced in Surrey, British Columbia. FirstMate employs a Veterinarian and Pet Nutritionist, which is becoming an increasingly important trait for a pet food brand to ensure their foods are best suited for pets needs.
First Mate has a broad mix of grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes to appeal to both sides of the spectrum. They also produce canned recipes and limited ingredient formulas for those with severe allergies or sensitivities.
The above recipe is one of their recipes that is grain-inclusive. It uses a mix of Oatmeal and Brown Rice. These two grain-ingredients are considered to be some of the best that can be used in dog food. This favoritism is as they can offer additional nutrition in the form of fiber and micronutrients that other grains lack.
However, these arent the recipes primary ingredients, but thankfully, fish is. There is an impressive portion of Ocean Fish Meal found in this recipe.
While Ocean Fish Meal sounds somewhat vague, it is a mix of ocean-caught fish which are then processed once onshore. This ingredient is a dense source of protein and fat and should not be feared.
Nutrience is a longstanding Canadian dog food brand that has been in operation for over 30 years. Nutrience recipes are made in British Columbia, Canada, and are produced in small batches, which is unusual for a brand as large as them.
The Open Farm Difference
The Open Farm commitment to nutritious pet food products makes them stand out amidst a world of pet fast food, which is focused on profit over your dog or cats well-being. And theyre willing to prove it.
Open Farms transparency and accountability allow pet owners to see where their pet food comes from, giving them peace of mind that their pet is eating only top-quality, naturally sourced ingredients.
Open Farm is one of the rare companies that practice what they preach, and are willing to stand up and prove it to you. Whether your biggest commitment is to the health of your pet, or the health of our planet, Open Farms dedication to animals, and their transparency on how they act on that dedication, is a relief.
In a world where everything is billed as healthy and sustainable, the peace of mind that transparency can bring is priceless.
A commitment to animals means a commitment not only to your pet but to farm animals as well. Buying Open Farm Dog Treats, Dog Food, and Cat Food is consistent with that commitment its a purchase you can feel comfortable with and proud of.
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Preparation Of Our Homemade Diet
All of the information above might seem intimidating, but I assure you that making the actual meals for our dogs takes no more than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.
First, we cook our complex carbs, whether theyre grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables.
While that pot is simmering on the stove, we cook the meat in a separate pan in coconut oil and ground turmeric. After its cooled a bit, we add chunks of meat to our food processor and pulse until theyre broken down into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.
Then, we gather whatever vegetables or fruits we have in the kitchen , chop them up as needed, and toss them into the food processor.
We also add a few clean, crushed eggshells to the mix. A few pulses turns all this food into smaller pieces, making them more digestible for our dogs.
Finally, we add the cooled, cooked carbs to the food processor and do a couple more pulses to combine. Everything should have a finely crumbled texture by this point.
Since dogs have short digestive tracts, its crucial that you break down the food to increase its bioavailability that is, making all the nutrients in those wholesome ingredients more digestible in a dogs system.
I prepare enough food to last my two pugs an entire week. Its unbelievably easy, and I like knowing exactly what goes into their food. Friends will watch us feed our pugs and remark that it looks good enough for them to eat!
Open Farm: Things We Like
- Open Farms transparency. From the brands efforts to make it easy for pet parents to trace the ingredients used in its food, to open sharing of its sustainability initiatives and the progress it has made/is making as a corporation, we love Open Farms willingness to be transparent with prospective customers.
- A real commitment to ethically sourced ingredients and sustainability. From what we can tell in our research, Open Farm doesnt just say that it sources responsibly or has partner organizations lend their stamp of approvalit actually does these things.
- The product portfolio is expansive. We love the variety that Open Farm offers its customers. No matter whether you have a puppy, a middle-aged pet, or a senior cat or dog, Open Farms products offer a viable solution to your animals nutritional needs.
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