Why we choose to feed our Fuzzy Kids 4Health

    What people choose to feed their Dog, like many other things, cam illicit strong feelings and opinions from Dog owners. Thankfully there is a lot of information available nowadays to help us make an educated decision. In this write-up I hope to get past some misconceptions and stigmas, and explain why we feel 4Health brand Dog food best fits our family.

AAFCO

    The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets nutritional standards for Dog food, as well as establishing guidelines for ingredient definitions, labeling, analyzing and testing of Dog food. Step one in your food search should be finding one that has been tested and found to meet or exceed these AAFCO standards and guidelines.

Kibble -vs- Fresh

    With all things being equal, Fresh mixed foods could be a better choice than Kibble, however there are a couple considerations that make them not equal.

First the biggest difference – Cost. Cost of fresh food is considerably more than Kibble. Here is  where the strong feelings and opinions can show up and start pulling us away from a common love of Dogs and the happiness they bring into our families. Yes we should all strive to do as much as we can to raise healthy and happy dogs, but a 'cost is no issue' mentality does not realistically fit into everyone's lives. This is also where you can find one of the misconceptions regarding Dog food. More expensive does not automatically mean the manufacturer uses higher quality ingredients or provides a superior food.      
 

Second difference – storage stability. Fresh food options will most likely require refrigeration. For my family that would be difficult when we are camping in the north country for 2 weeks every summer, or for any of the road trips we take. It also will not keep as long making more frequent store runs or deliveries necessary. So for us Kibble was the better choice, and if it is for you, then you shouldn't feel     bad. There are good options available. On the other hand if you go the fresh route because its a better fit, that's great too!

So why 4Health

    When I first started my research to find a food that fit our family, I had a couple key criteria in mind. I wanted it to meet AAFCO standards, use high quality ingredients, and be something I could easily acquire. This last item isn't simply for my convenience, as swapping foods can negatively impact a dogs digestive system. Their digestive systems become adapted to what they are eating, so if a change is not done gradually, they have issues breaking down new ingredients. If the food is only carried at one local store, or isn't made in large enough quantity to keep shelves stocked, having to suddenly switch foods because you cannot find your dogs current brand/formulation is far from ideal.

    For the other 2 criteria I found one website that proved invaluable in comparing what is out there. DogFoodAdvisor.com provides general food and treat information as well as detailed breakdowns and reviews of just about any food that was available to me in my area. These breakdowns call out what they call 'controversial' ingredients, meaning something that some people see as problematic. They also have great information about recalls or FDA alerts about possible health issues associated with foods or ingredients. I highly recommend spending some time looking around on their site. They do a great job of consolidating a lot of important information into a clear, concise and easily digestible format. (Sorry, I just couldn't resist.)

    After a lot of time looking I finally landed on 4Health. Yes it is Tractor Supply's 'store brand', but if we drop the stigma some might have with buying a store brand, and just review it from a fact based standpoint, you can see how it hit all my criteria. AAFCO certified, quality ingredients and sold at a very popular chain supply store. The fact that it is their store brand, just increases the likelihood that I will be able to provide it for my Dogs without interruption The most amazing part for me was realizing it did all this at a price point that is extremely manageable. When compared to some foods that cost 2 to almost 3 times as much, it was at worst equal to the more expensive brands, and some cases was actually better than what I was comparing it to.

    Thank you for visiting our site. If you have any questions or comments, please feel to contact us.