Hi everyone!

I'm a big fan of dehydrated food, aside from raw, if you're into that.

My 2 1/2 year Multi-poo (Mila) has been on Ziwi Peak (Venison) for about 2 years... she loved it and did very well on it. Venison is one of the leaner meats. Her stools are small and firm but I've been noticing she hasn't been all that regular for quite some time now- almost as though it's "too" constipating for her. She drinks lots of water and gets hours of walking and running every day. We all know how bad long-term constipation can be sooo I decided to try N-R-G. Btw, before I go onto NRG, I have a dog walking/doggy daycare business and many of clients who have dogs with upset tummy's, allergies, runny stools, etc., switched to Ziwi and their dog has never been healthier and all have small/firm stools. After taking Mila off kibble as a puppy and onto Ziwi, she too has never been healthier- shiny coat, lots of energy & never been to the vet besides a check-up! I do however add Sea Meal and an oil supplement to her food every day. Oh right, the second reason I decided to try another food was she always seemed to be hungry. I know... dogs are always hungry, but Ziwi does lack in Fibre. The more I fed her, even the smallest increase, she would put on weight, despite the hours of walking she got, and she still seemed to fall short mid-day / late afternoon. Poor girl!!

She is now on NRG (Salmon), twice a day and goes crazy for it! Literally circles the hallway into the kitchen after coming in from our first outing. Because it has fibre (one being Oats, which is not classified as a grain, I know as I have Celiac Disease) and from the veggies & fruits (I believe dogs should get veggies in their diet, you'll see it in most raw food diets as well), it's keeping her satisfied until her next meal, so it seems, but best of all her energy levels have spiked significantly, without that mid-day slump. Yes, her stools are a little bigger and a little softer, but as long as a dogs stool stays intact and you can pick it up without it falling apart, it's all good! She's also having regular bowel movements so I feel much better (I'm sure she does too teehee!). I still add sea meal (her wonder powder!) and oil supplement. I also give her Brewer's Yeast, in tablet form, another great product. It also prevents fleas (flea's hate Brewer's Yeast so they'll avoid your dog and jump to the next- literally lol). Now I don't have to give her that powerful toxic flea treatment anymore, that made her feel so crappy.

I do not feed her anything, treats included, with- grains/wheat/gluten/soy/corn/fillers/preservatives/by-products/meat meal... they're all toxic in my mind.

Regarding the Maxim NRG, it's my understanding this is for "large breeds" so you might want to double check on that. "Vitality" is for smaller breeds.

Kibble is a no-no in my books and from all my research and asking around, so I would NOT add dehydrated food to kibble. You could use Ziwi (as a topper) alongside NRG, being the main source of food if you want to add another protein to your dog’s diet. Or NRG on top of raw.

Remember, if your dog has a sensitive tummy, you should try a new food out for at least a month or two to truly see if it's the one or not. Ideally you should introduce a new food "slowly", mixed in with the old food, eventually removing the old food all together. Mila was fine switching right away, but she's never had a problem with this so I figured she would adjust well.

Hope this helps Fire away if you have any others questions.

Tanya & Mila
Yaletown Puppy Love