Everyone knows that I love my two Shetland Sheepdogs, Bailey and Toby. In fact, people know that I love them so much that when they hear that I want to sell my house and move to New York City, the first thing they ask is, "Will you be able to take your dogs?" No one asks about the cats, but of course, they're cats and are indifferent to the oversight. Bailey and Toby are now 6 and 5 years old, respectively, and while they do have a very long lifespan compared to some other breeds of dog (15-18 years!), I know that it is important to take care of them even while they're young so that they live long, healthy lives and actually stick around that long! I began switching the furry loves of my life to the CANIDAE® Grain Free Pure line of dog food last month as part of a sponsored campaign because our new veterinarian recommended that I feed them a grain free diet during our last visit - it was perfect timing!
One of the reasons I fell in love with the Shetland Sheepdog breed is their big, fluffy coats. I just love snuggling up with my dogs, but the thing about dogs with heavy coats, especially ones with an undercoat as well, is that they require a lot of maintenance...and that's not just in the brushing and bathing - they also need a high-quality diet to keep that luster and sheen. Our old veterinarian told me several times over the years that a low-quality dog food would actually be evident in a dog's coat, as it would lack shine and the dog's hair could even fall out! Of course I don't want that happening to my precious babies. Can you imagine what kind of effect a low quality diet would have on a dog's actual HEALTH, if their hair is actually falling out? Yikes!
CANIDAE® is an independent, family-owned company that has been around since 1996, and twenty years later, they're still going strong with the same core values they held in the beginning. You can check out the CANIDAE® True Story to follow the journey that the brand has taken over years. It's quite fascinating how CANIDAE® went from being a small company that delivered their dog food to people out of their pick up trucks to being sold in stores nationwide!
The CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE line of dog food for adults comes in several varieties that specialize in an element and ingredient. For instance, The "Sea" version includes a fish, the "Land" version includes a type of game, the "Sky" includes a type of bird. Pretty cool, isn't it?
A few examples of the varieties of CANIDAE® Grain Gree Pure dog food available:
- CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Elements Adult Dog Formula Made With Fresh Lamb
- CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Sea Adult Dog Formula Made With Fresh Salmon
- CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Land Adult Dog Formula Made With Fresh Bison
- CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Sky Adult Dog Formula Made With Fresh Duck
- CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Fields Small Breed Dog Formula Made With Fresh Chicken
My shelties can be pretty picky eaters, so we've had several trial and errors with other dog food brands. When I saw the little bites of CANIDAE®, I was hopeful that even Bailey would like it, as he's more partial to small bites of food. What can I say? I told you he was a picky eater!
A special note here, if you are going to try to switch your dog's food, you need to do so gradually so that their digestive system adjusts to the new food and it doesn't cause any "issues." Both Bailey and Toby use pee-pee pads indoors when they don't want to go outside, so it's especially important to me that they don't have any tummy aches...a dog with an upset stomach means that I have to spend most of the day with a mop and bleach, and that isn't a happy day for ANYONE involved!
To transition your dog to a new food, begin with giving them ¾ of their normal serving of their old food, and ¼ of their normal serving of the new. Each day, reduce the old food by a bit add a little bit more of the new food, until you are feeding them only their new food towards the end of the week. If you feed your dogs more than once a day (I feed Bailey and Toby small portions in the morning and in the afternoon), make sure to use the same formula each day - don't jump ahead in their second feeding of the day.
So, "What's so special about this grain free dog food?" you might ask? Well, this dog food is a simple food with only 7 to 10 ingredients, which means that you don't have to worry about junky fillers that do absolutely nothing for the health of your dog. Each variety has no chicken by-product meal, no corn, wheat, or soy - all of those things that don't add any real nutritional value to the food. They use only fresh meat and fish in their recipes, and there are HealthPLUS Solutions In Every Bite®! That means that there are probiotics added to every kibble after cooking to help support healthy digestion, antioxidants to help support a healthy immune system, and omega 6&3 fatty acids to help support beautiful skin and coat. It's no wonder my dogs loved CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE, it's full of tasty stuff!
Back when Foxy was just starting to age, she began having issues with her hips, and our veterinarian at the time (yes, with 4 dogs and 5 cats, we used to spend a lot of time at the vet's office!) told me that a grain-free diet could help reduce inflammation in her joints - as well as help return her coat to a luxurious sheen. I did some research on the benefits of switching our pets to a grain-free diet and decided that it was worth the small price difference to make the switch, and it really did help her. Unfortunately, we lost Foxy to cancer last year, but she lived a long and happy life until then - falling just two years shy of her expected life span. So Bailey and Toby have been on a grain-free diet for a few years now, but to be honest...they weren't too crazy about the last brand we tried. Toby is a little piggy and used to gobble down his food, but lately he's been leaving some in his bowl and only eating when he was hungry. Knowing that your dog doesn't like their dog food? It's not a good feeling! So I was relieved to find that he and Bailey both loved the CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Land dog food when I began transitioning them to it a few weeks ago!
They're coats are healthy and shiny, and they just couldn't be any happier. And I love that I can find CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE varieties in my neighborhood pet stores!
Try CANIDAE® for yourself and SAVE with this coupon! I'd love to hear what your dogs think and what you think about the switch!
This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.
Scott
We had such a hard time finding anything grain-free around here. Finally found one place that had some and our dogs loved it. So much better for them!
Christine
You just brought back so many memories of my childhood Shetlands. My Lady and Middie! If only we had more information like this way back when. Their coats were definitely a challenge to maintain. Thank you for sharing your beautiful furbabies.
Barb Webb
Beautiful dogs! We are very invested in giving our canine family members the best possible foods, too, to ensure they are happy and healthy.
Jacqui Odell
I haven't heard of this brand before, but I bet my dog would love it. Sounds like it's better for her!
Dee @ Cocktails with Mom
I've been hearing that grain free is so much better for your dogs. It might be worth looking in to.