Switching to Grain Free Pet Food for Dogs and Cats
This post about switching to a grain free pet food for dogs and cats is sponsored by UNTAMED™ by 4health® – a new line of grain free pet food specifically formulated to satisfy the primal hunger of cats and dogs. Now, most pets today are rather spoiled (I’m pointing that finger at myself, my friends) but even in the games we play with our spoiled furry family members, those primal hungers and instincts make appearances. Those primal instincts and needs still need to be met!
Wild, ferocious, absolutely spoiled animals.
The joy of the hunt, the scents of the prey, are things that we pet owners can do to help to meet those primal needs- via toys, games, and their foods. Finding a food for my pets that’s got ingredients that fill those primal hungers AND is grain free makes this mama very happy.
Brownie doesn’t run loose often because we don’t want something happening to her, we also live in a heavily wooded area and larger animals could easily prey on her which is also part of why Rosie is an indoor cat. The local dog park is a great place for her to run and play and feel that freedom SAFELY. There she can run “wild” to her heart’s content, interact with other dogs, and feel free! She’s happy, I’m happy she’s had a fun hour or so, and we can go home and she can have some good food to fill her belly afterwards.
In recent months, both Brownie and our cat Rosabeth (Rosie) have had some belly issues. The incidences weren’t at the same time, it just happened that they both had some belly issues. They are indeed part of our family, and it was quite worrisome when Rosie started to vomit frequently and again a few months later when Brownie was vomiting as well. There weren’t changes in anything here at home for either of our furry family members, so we looked into changing foods for them. After speaking with our vet about switching foods for both of them, we looked into various options. We decided that we’d like to find some pet food with the same wholesome, flavorful nutrition as we put on the table for ourselves. We specifically decided that we’d like to omit grains from both their diets to see how their bellies responded. We found a great limited-ingredient pet food that offered varieties for both our dog and our cat in 4health® UNTAMED™.
She LOVES the smell of her Untamed!
Now, you may or may not remember, but when we adopted our Brownie, she’d been in a foster home for many, many weeks recovering from a tough start in life. Brownie and her littermates were dumped in the woods in Georgia and left to die. They survived on whatever they found, which included rocks, feces, sticks, pinecones, etc. Having her start up with belly issues again was concerning and we wanted to take quick steps to keep our girl healthy and strong. Rosie’s early days may not have been as tough as Brownie’s, but as an indoor kitty, we want to make sure she’s got what she needs nutritionally and also help to find ways to satisfy her natural urges (ie hunting).
We can do toys and games for the hunting part, but how cool is it that we can find pet food available at a local store that helps to satisfy that primal hunger of hers? Yep. You can find 4health® UNTAMED™ dog food and cat food exclusively at Tractor Supply Co. and TractorSupply.com. While I love to shop online, we’re at TSC frequently for chicken feeds, so it’s nice to be able to grab food for the other pets while I’m there and save myself a separate trip to another store.
About the 4health premium pet food brand:
Real meat is the #1 ingredient, complemented by whole vegetables, but never any corn, soy or wheat. Just premium, tasty ingredients you can trust, the nutrients they need, and a price you’re sure to love. Providing optimal nutrition for optimal health. There’s no corn, no wheat, no soy in any of the formulas. There are, however, antioxidants and omega fatty acids for skin, coat and overall health of your pet.
Anyway, we all know the biggest test of a pet food, regardless of how much WE like it as a product, the biggest question of all…will our pets eat it? It’s all well and good to try a premium pet food but if your dog hates the taste…well, it’s just not going to be a good fit, right? Well, you can see for yourself below, but both Brownie and Rosie LOVED the UNTAMED foods they tried. They still do- we’ve already purchased again to replenish their supply! The animals and our family are all happy to have found a great brand that we can find easily at Tractor Supply.
The funny part of this clip is that Rosie doesn’t actually like me very much. I never see her when it’s just me home during the day, unless someone forgot to feed her and she’s hungry. I think she smelled the trout flavors in Brownie’s new food bag and couldn’t contain herself! She’s SUPER picky about her food, and has been known to leave certain flavors in her dish when eating. Brownie will eat just about anything!
Ask your veterinarian about how to switch your pet’s food. Please note, we did switch to grain free food for our dog and our cat after discussing with our vet, and made sure that we followed their recommendations. We added the new food in gradually, increasing the amount of the new food every few days and decreasing the existing food they were on.
#UntamedPets, #TractorSupply, and #4health
Athena says
We prefer grain free pet foods also. Our dogs just seem to act less “crazy” when they are on grain free nutrition.
Diane says
we are a doggie family and I will be looking into this – thanks SO much for sharing all the wonderful info!!
Vaheh Hartunian says
Definitely a good idea to switch it up in increments. We tried a cold turkey switch with out dogs a year ago – didn’t go too well.
Julia Groves says
We dont currently have any pets but if we did, we would want to make sure they got the best care and food.
Adrienne says
I don’t have any pets, but I could definitely see how they could have food allergies. It’s great that there are products out there to help them to eat well and feel better.
Terri Beavers says
My mom switched to grain free pet food and her dogs really love it. I think I’m going to have to because my dog starts itching and has to have a shot when he does. I was told it could be the grains in his food on his last vet trips. I will check this brand out
Khushboo says
I don’t have any pets but I am glad that you are making such great choices for your pets! Your pets look lovely 🙂
Ada says
These sound great! I’ll have to check them out.
Bernadette Callahan says
I have been researching a few different brands to switch up with we use now. Have not heard too much about this brand but will be looking into it. We really need to change what our pets get.
Shell says
This looks like a wonderful and healthy food for our furry friends. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Marissa Zurfluh says
We made the switch not long ago. Loving the healthier look of their coats, that’s for sure!
Hannah Marie says
We recently made the switch to grain free and could tell a difference in a matter of days. My dog didn’t seem to have near as much gas and intestinal discomfort!
Nancy at Whispered Inspirations says
It really is very important that we are feeding our pets healthy diets. We need to make sure we are reading and understanding the ingredients.
Joanna says
I didn’t know there was such a difference in food. I have two cats but they are both on a strict diet because of their kidney problems so I can’t switch their food. I sometimes wonder how do they eat the same thing every day and don’t get bored, as there are only about 3 flavors of their diet dry food.
Nicole Anderson says
Great article. I think we should feed our pets nutritious and healthy foods that are designed for them. They are also family members..
Amy says
I’ve been looking for a Grain free pet food that Tach would like. The vet thinks that he may have a slight grain allergy .
tara pittman says
The wrong food is not good for anyone. I am glad the the vet recommended a good food.
Aci Girl says
Cutey furry babies! I have a kitten and will give this a try.
Soonjoo says
Our puppy also switched to grain free dog food. And he loves it! We never tried 4health brand. Our puppy would love to try!
Dina Demarest says
This looks very interesting! I shared this with my friends.
Chubskulit Rose says
Our dogs love everything but their dog food. We keep switching them trying to find that they like, they seem to like Racheal Ray’s dog foods.
Marysa says
That’s great you found such a good pet food. We recently adopted two cats that had been dumped at a barn. The foster said that she has seen so many issues with cats based on their diet, so she recommended a grain free diet. I will have to check this out – we have a Tractor Supply right around the corner from us!
Jen Temcio says
It is so frightening when our pets get sick and we cant ask them what is wrong. Glad that you found a food that sits well with them and that they like.
Alli Smith says
It’s so important to feed our pets the best food possible. I personally think that grain-free pet food is the way to go. I’ll have to look into this brand for my dog, Max.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
We don’t have any pets but my friend has 3 dogs. I will share this post with her. I think she’d love to explore this option. SHe has been having issues her dogs’ diets.
Bonnie G says
This sounds like some really great pet food for dogs and cats. I don’t have any pets but I will share this info with my friends that do.
Pam Wattenbarger says
Our cats only eat 4Health brand food. Once TSC was out so I had to buy a different brand, and they refused it.
Amber Myers says
I need to try this out for our kitties. We have two of them, and I need them to be around for a long time! Your pets are precious!
Anita Anderson says
I do not have pets But will share this with my sister who has both a cat and a dog.
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
My Mom has been madly in love with Tractor Supply for years. I just learned that we finally have one within a semi-reasonable driving distance from us. I hope they are feeling better now!
Tomi C says
Our pets are an important part of our family and we make sure to take care of them. It’s good that you noticed your doggy was having tummy issues and discovered her food may be causing some of those issues.
Ashley says
We switched to grain-free for the animals and I have definitely noticed a difference. They seem healthier and happier.
Anosa says
Brownie is such a cutie pie, I don’t have pets but I agree its important to check with your Vet first before changing your pets food.
Denise Seegobin says
Thank you so much for this information. I am always worried about what to feed my pet. He is part of the family and I want to make sure he gets the best. I appreciate this post especially during the holidays.
Candy says
We should want only the best food for our animals. Reading the ingredients is so important.