# Great Life Dog Food



## Sherry2 (Mar 1, 2010)

I second Michelle's request for "someone" to review Great Life Dog Food. Because of my dog's severe allergies, I need specifics with regards to ingredients and the above listed protein percentage seems a little high.

Thanks!


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## mary5 (Mar 4, 2010)

I just purchased this. I will let you know what my picky pom thinks of it. She has allergies also.


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## Kristina (Mar 9, 2010)

I have been feeding this to my Male Siberian Husky who has been having some serious issues with his skin. He is around 65lbs and only needs 2 1/2 cups of this food a day. Despite the small feeding size, there are NOT that many places that sell this food. For a 25lb bag, it's over $75.

I have seen an improvement in his skin and fur, be we also use a lot of other supplements.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

If it's grain free that your looking for their are some other brands that might be cheaper-if you can get them in your area-I have found it's usually more expensive to order online.Some good Grain free products-Orijen-Acana-Before Grain is around 40 dollars for the 25lb bag(at the store)Evo-I'm not sure on the other prices though.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Hey Michelle, Eric, Antonino or whoever else wants to take a peek. This is what I supplement my dogs diet with, I still use the Puppy Vitys.

http://www.holisticpetcenter.com/catalog.htm#anchor155849


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Seems like a pretty good food but this place sells it way cheaper.

http://www.doctorsfinest.com/Premium_Dog_Food_Natural_Pet_Dog_Foods_Grain_Free_Food_s/1.htm


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Jess,

I read over the breakdown.

Here are my only questions. Why does it include calcium and phosphorus? This means you are adding even more calcium and phosphorus to your kibble that is already at its peak.

The other is that the EPA and DHA (fatty acids) are such a low dosage that they would have no significance at those milligrams. To have a decent effect you would need around 120 to 150 mg of EPA and around 80mg of DHA.

Can't seem to remember where I read before about copper in a dogs diet. I'll have to look that one up.

I'm not saying don't supplement with this, these are my only questions after reading the breakdown is all.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Ohhhhhh, Great Life is that kibble with the raw coating. Haven't read to much about this or every spoke to anyone who's ever used it.


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## Shelly2 (Mar 12, 2010)

I've used this food with my dogs. I like that the first ingredient is real meat instead of a meat meal, that it doesn't have a bunch of starchy white potatoes like most other grain-free foods and the ingredients show that the manufacturer understands nutrition as they try to cover all the bases with regards to the latest recommendations on nutrition (fatty acids, probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, etc). The downside is that there are so many ingredients that when one of my dogs eyes got weepy eyes from it, I really had no idea what the cause was. She's always eaten fresh foods and we hadn't run into a problem with allergies in the past.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

I just did a little research on Great Life dog food-Here's what I found out-Great life advertises "Potato Free"-But when I took a closer look at their ingredient list this is what I saw- in the kibble section of the ingredients-Buffalo Grain and Potato Free lists-Yams and Sweet Potatoes.And the Open range chicken lists Yams.-When you get on the page you have to scroll down to Great Life- http://www.doctorsfinest.com/Premium_Dog_Food_Natural_Pet_Dog_Foods_Grain_Free_Food_s/1.htm Also since they haven't reviewed it on this website you can check it out on DFA-they give it a 4 star rating-just scroll down it's the 4 th one down. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php/cat/4/page/8


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

I guess we would need a better definition of the type of Yams used in their product. North America refers to the Sweet Potato as a type of Yam. But other regions around the world refer to a type of Root as a Yam, so it's a bit unclear I wish the site was a little more definitive myself.


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## Moose2 (Mar 20, 2010)

I've been using this food for the past two years for my English Mastiff and Lab. It has been wonderful, our vet recommended switching to a different protein source and grain free food due to my Mastiff having severe food allergies and this food has been a God send. We use the Buffalo formula and my Mastiff has maintained her weight, stopped shedding like mad and actually eats much less than before. The only draw-back is that it's not easy to find in my area and quite pricy but well worth it in my opinion.


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## Hugh1 (Mar 21, 2010)

The 'raw' coating idea sounds good but the only way to truly feed your dog raw is to feed your dog raw. Don't get me wrong, this is a high-quality food and grain-free is a wonderful way to go, but I think one would be better off - and the dog would be better off - by either going completely raw or by feeding a hybrid diet: raw at one meal and a high-quality, high-protein kibble at the second feeding. I've had wonderful success feeding my rescue pup that way using Evo and Raw Health.


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## THor (Apr 10, 2010)

I feed my Belgian Tervuren the Buffalo grain/potato free and he loves it and does very well on it. 

We tried Orijen but he was allergic to it- had very bad stools- went back to Great life and immediately improved.

I was a little skeptical of the "raw" food bio-coating as it seems a bit hokey and more of a marketing device...but the results are great. 

BTW- Yams and Sweet "potatoes" are not potatoes


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## Tammy2 (Apr 22, 2010)

I switched to Great Life for my new Golden Retriever. She is 3 and came to us with some dermis issues. I'd used Iams for all of my previous goldens however they all ended up with cancer and weight issues. I first heard of this food via the guide dog school we support. I figure they would know best. Our golden eats 2.5 cups a day and has diminished skin issues, her coat is red and shiny and her stools are firm and minimal. No weight issues, she a healthy streamline 67 pounds. She is on the range free chicken, it costs $57 at Noahs Ark in San Diego.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Good girl Tammy, Liams is really a bad dog food. I looked at the ingredients and this seems like a pretty good dog food. I started giggling when you mentioned the diminished skin issues. They are due to the corn and Sorghum along with by-product meal. Liams uses corn as their #1 ingredient and is really really bad for dogs. Dogs can not digest corn and it causes all kinds of problems in dogs, especially with their coats, skin, eyes and ears. Check out your dogs eyes now I bet she has a lot less goo and they are much clearer, correct?


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## Brad_D. (May 10, 2010)

I have 3 small breed dogs on this food and they love it! I have tried several premium dog foods and this is my favorite by far. Yes, the price is high but to me its worth the money. If you have problems finding the food call Doctors Finest and they will assist you or if you want to purchase offline there are some great deals with free shipping. They have tried all flavors but love the wild salmon and buffalo the best. I have a chinese crested and her skin looks great plus my min pin used to shed alot and now we do not have that problem.I know people talk alot about the high protein levels in dog food but I have not had any problems with the protein level in great life.(there are higher protein levels out there) My opinion is that is doesnt get better than this. Try it! I promise you and your babies will be happy.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

I am so glad to see other people who care about their dogs as much as I do. After months of studying ingredients and reading articles on what is in dog food, I like the ingredients in great life and I question what is in Orijen and the other so called healthy and holistic dog foods. I don’t like to see selenium, sodium selenite, fish meal, citric acid or natural flavors in dog food. There is a safer more expensive alternative for sodium selenite called selenium yeast and other organic selenium. Or better still why don't they leave that stuff out of dog food? Also instead of citric acid they can use a more safer natural preservative like rosemary, tocopherols (vit E) and ascorbic acid (vit C). Note: citric acid which if the food is mixed with water or dogs drink water after eating it it could increases the risk of bloat. They use fish meal which is preserved with ethoxyquin unless it is stated on the package that they use ethoxyquin free fish meal. Note: they do have no ethoxyquin on the front of their package but they don’t state if they personally don’t use it or if the fish meal they get from their supplier is ethoxyquin free. I was confused by this so I e-mailed the company a week ago and I am waiting for a response back from them. With the expensive price on this food and other organic and holistic foods I wish they would use more healthier alternatives. I am having a hard time trying to find a dog food that doesn’t uses sodium selenine, selenium, fish meal, citric acid and no natural flavors or chicken fat etc. I tried the really healthy freeze dried like Only Natural, Honest Kitchen, Dr Harvey, and Sojos. But my dogs refuse to eat them. I just ordered Happy dog and I will see if they like that. Also please note that even some expensive so called healthy can dog foods have sodium selenite. This shocked me when I looked at some of my can dog foods. BTW I threw them all out. Example Evanger's Braised Beef has sodium selenite as does Blue Buffalo. I got Halo wholesome beef (only wholesome beef) because of the excellent reviews. I will not buy the dry because I don’t like the ingredients. BTW, my dogs don’t like Halo. I tried Party Animal can food only because it has selenium yeast but my dog refused to eat it. Note: I will not buy Party Animal dry because I don’t like the ingredients (citric acid and sodium selenite and not enough meat. I also e-mailed the company a few months ago and asked them what the natural flavors were in their dry and they never responded. Bottom line I refuse to feed my dogs anything with sodium selenite, citric acid, natural flavors and fish meal unless ethoxyquin free fish meal is used. Note: By just stating no ethoxyquin on bag doesn’t tell me if the fish meal they get uses ethoxyquin. Remember they only have to state if they use it not if their supplier uses it. Sorry for the long post but that is how frustrated I am to find something good and healthy for my dogs. Right now I am cooking for them and adding Dr Harveys vit etc. If anyone knows of a can and dry grain free dog food on the market that doesn’t have these and other nasty ingredients please let me know. Nan PS I think all the info above is correct but if I am wrong on some of the ingredients please let me know.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I emailed every company I was interested in about their use of ethoyquin and found very few companies who had fish meal, that did not have it in it. The ones off the top of my head were Champion, Horizon, Wellness(they have a special permit), Natures Variety and the makers of Go and Now. 
Your points are vaild and that is why I like California Natural. It does not have enough meat for me, so I just supplament his diet with some meat. I buy bulk meat at costco. Both for him and me. I fill small snack baggies for 2 days worth for him (not that much) and the 3rd day he gets a cooked egg. I cut the meat up pretty small and give it to him as a treat after both meals and maybe once more through out the day.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Jess thank you so much for getting right back to me and also for all the helpful information. I just received an e-mail from Orijen saying they also don't use ethoxyquin and they are working to get rid of selenium and go with a safer alternative. I really appreciate you caring enough to help me. All the best to you and your fur friend.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

I wrote a review above that I wasn't sure about the ingredients in Orijen but they wrote back to me. As soon as they get rid of the selenium and hopefully the citric acid I will feel better about feeding my dogs this product. Here is their e-mail to me. BTW, they are the only company who cared enough to get back to me.


we are currently reviewing the removal of selenium from our products. Please check back with us in a couple of months and we will have more information regarding this.

Our fish meals are not persevered with ethoxyquin. We work directly with our fish suppliers and pay them a premium to have the fish meals preserved naturally with Vitamin E and Rosemary extract instead of the commonly used ethoxyquin preservative.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I feed Tony Orijen at night, I feel I feed my dog the best that I can afford. The stew meat I buy is around 12 bucks and that makes about 30-36 days worth for him and a big meaty stew for me(2 days of stew). In my rotation I also feed TOTW wetlands (not much) Horizon Leacy and Fromm's duck. He really loves the wetlands and Fromm's duck and I feel good about feeding these. I know some people frown on TOTW because diamond makes it for them, but I feel OK with the amount I feed him.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, when I was making the stew I was using baby carrots and was putting them in towards the end.I dropped one and Tony grapped it and ran out of the kitchen like he had just scored a big chunk of meat. He layed down and chewed that carrot up then came begging for more. He downed that second one in a heartbeat. I had no idea dogs loved carrots that much.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Darm it! I was just told by an owner of a pet store web site that Great Life can dog food has sodium selenite and do I still want to order it. Of course my answer was no.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Orijen and Acana in my opinion are the best dry foods you can give your dogs. Party Animal is also good but when I wrote to the company and asked what the natural flavor was in their dry they never got back to me. Natural flavor, from sites I have read is manure. I like the ingredients in their can food. They use the organic selenium.


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## Leslie1 (Jun 7, 2010)

I adopted a Rottweiler from a kill shelter who had diarrhea for the first two months. I tried so many different brands of dog food (Science Diet, Nutro, Blue Buffalo) and nothing worked. The vet provided probiotics and still, my dog had loose stools. I was at the vet, weekly and the bills continued to grow while they tried to find the problem. The vet wanted to run all these tests for diseases I had never heard of and I was just worrying about the bills. 

I talked to a friend who told be about a dog store, Dogone Natural. I went there and talked to the owners. I explained the problem and they recommended the Great Life brand. She said I wouldn't have to mix it with his other food since he had diarrhea anyway. They also provided a natural probiotic and within 24 hours, my dog's stools formed and became firm. The store also recommended treats and snacks for him since he has a sensitive stomach. 

He enjoys the food, it doesn't cost more than the Blue Buffalo and I haven't had any problems at all. I purchase dog biscuits, treats, and toys from there. I compared the prices with Petco and they are about the same. 

Great Life is the best food for my dog and I will not change it to anything else. I would highly recommend anyone who has a dog or cat with stomach issues to talk to the people at the store who sells Great Life and they will recommend what you should try (cookies, biscuits, treats) and buy for your dog.

If your dog has stomach issues, allergies, or any other type of sensitivities, I would highly recommend Great Life dog food. It comes in Buffalo, Lamb, and Chicken flavors. Let your pet enjoy.

Leslie
Ashburn, Va


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## Courtney4 (Jun 8, 2010)

Leslie, I'm so glad you mentioned Doggone Natural! Our young back lab has severe hip dysplasia. The rescue agency we adopted her from fed her Costco-brand dog food. We went to Doggone Natural on a whim one night and got to talking with the owners. The wife is a pet nutritionist and explained about the unhealthy levels of carbs in "regular" dog food. She recommended The Great Life and within a few days of switching our dog's food, she was walking easier with less limping. It was like a miracle! We moved an hour away from this store, but still travel up there to get this food. Yes, it's pricey, and yes, it's a far drive to purchase, but it's so worth it to us. Our dog uses less pain medication than before, which has to be a good thing!


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## Leslie1 (Jun 7, 2010)

I was just in Doggone Natural for my Rottie. I needed something for him to teethe on and he just doesn't enjoy the regular rawhide bones. Besides buying cookies, I was told not only to give him a bullystick, but also antlers which can last for months. My dog took right to the antler, so I'm glad; I got tired of him trying to teethe on my arm!!

Leslie


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

For some reason my dog kept bleeding when chewing on antlers.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Hi Leslie:
Since you feed your dog Great Life, I am sure you have a bag in front of you. My question is when I looked online at doctorsfinest, Great Life showed selenium in the ingredients but when the guy at the online store I buy my food from looked at his bag it showed sodium selenite. I don't want to feed my dogs any food with sodium selenite, I go with the more safer selenium yeast or organic selenium. Would you be so kind to look at your bag and see if sodium selenite is listed. Thanks, Nan


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## Canthespam (Mar 29, 2010)

Nan - I just looked at my bag of grain free buffalo kibble and sure enough at the bottom of the ingredients ... sodium selenite was listed,

I have been feeding my 12 pound Shih Tzu this food for almost two weeks, including one week for the switch over period. He loves it and it his stools were almost immediately improved by maybe 75%.

He was on Primal raw duck for 3 years and thrived on it. Then a few months ago he had a dramatic weight loss and suddenly he started vomiting and refused to eat. Blood tests showed that his liver enzymes were out of the ball park - way over the norm. Other things tested negative too.

The vet gave him meds and put him on EN Purina for sensitive stomachs for about 3 months until his numbers were back to normal. She had no idea what caused the hepatitis, maybe something from the raw food or something he picked up on the street, although we watch him very closely, he is low to the ground and very fast.

His stools were very very loose, sometimes boarding on diarrhea. I was so glad to get him off of that awful junk. We switched to Natural Balance Duck and Potato canned for a month or so and then to the Great Life Buffalo no grain kibble on the recommendation of a friend.

Now, I am upset set to realize that it has sodium selenite. His water intake as gone from practically nothing, maybe 1/4 of a cup while on the raw duck and the canned foods, to close to a cup a day. I attributed it to the fact that the moisture content in his food had decreased from aprox. 78% to 10% with the dry.

I'd hate to switch kibbles again so soon, especially since he gobbles down and I think the other ingredients are good...

What kind of harm can it cause in small amounts and what should I be looking for?

Thanks, Nina


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## Canthespam (Mar 29, 2010)

I'm sure that you realize that I am talking about Great Life, I forgot to mention it by name.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I really don't see the big issue with sodium slenite.
Benefits of Sodium Selenite

Selenium is used for the treatment of premature aging, cardiac-vascular disease, sexual dysfunction, and menopausal problems. Skin disorders are also treated with Sodium Selenite - Selenium which is a powerful chemo- preventative agent.

This means that it might fight some cancers. According to the American Medical Association journal, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers were reduced by about 50% in humans over a ten year time frame. There are other important benefits for those taking Selenium (sodium selenite).

Further Benefits of Sodium Selenite

These benefits include improved immune system strength, which will enable the body to fight off diseases, a reduction in the occurrence of heart disease, and the maintenance of healthy blood vessels. It also is a strong cancer fighter. While it has many benefits there is reason to exercise some caution.


http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Health-Benefits-of-Sodium-Selenite&id=387571


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

About Sodium Selenite,check this out- http://www.petpac.net/news/headlines/a_close_look_at_a_tiny_pet_food_ingredient_selenium/


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## Canthespam (Mar 29, 2010)

What to do, what to do... which grain free kibbles are sodium selenite free? I am going to call Great Life and see if they admit that it is in their product. I spoke to them several times before I switched and this will be a 'test', as is definitely on my bag. I want to hear their rational for using it. I'll report back.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Not many !! Orijen, Acana and California Natural don't, but I have not looked at many others, just the ones I feed. Since I feed many brands I don't have an issue like you do if one has it in it.

You better start calling all the manufactures because MOST have it in it and MOST have it way down on the ingredient list so that means their isn't much in their product. GOOD LUCK!!!


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Dear Nina:
Thanks for checking your package of Great Life for me. The guy at my online Pet Store told me it had sodium selenite but when I looked on Great Life's website it didn't list it. Wonder Why? I just found out my little chihuahua also has a high liver enzyme count and I now have him on Party Animal can which uses selenium yeast and Party Animal dry which has selenium proteinate. I also feed him Orijen dry. When I get home to my other house I am going to see my Vet and ask him about the Orijen to make sure the protein isn't too high for Frankie. I feel the best dry foods are Orijen, Acana and Party Animal. The best can food in my opinion is Party Animal. I have read how sodium selenite can be toxic to dogs and can cause tumors. I'm not taking the chance of losing another dog to cancer. And if it wasn't so bad why are dog food companies switching to the more healthier organic selenium? Just like BHT, they thought that wasn't bad either. Now they are going with a more natural preservative like tocopherol. If only they will do that with our cereal. Nina try Party Animal can and dry or Orijen. First check with your Vet about Orijen to see what they think of the protein level. I hope your fur baby gets better. Nan


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## richard1 (Jun 29, 2010)

my dog has been eating the food and no improvementin skin.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

I forgot to tell you that Honest Kitchen, Dr. Harvey, Sojo, Happy Dog are all great foods. Sometimes when I don't have time to cook I will add one of these products in boiled chicken or beef. Grandma Lucy, Bravo, Primal are more great foods.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Does anyone know where Great Life is actually manufactured?????? They won't release the information, they claim it's a confidential. The other food that won't release where it is actually manufactured is Halo. This sounds off alarms for me. The bag claims Nevada, however the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau in Nevada claim that they don't have a dog food manufacturer in the state. CURIOUS. Don't buy a food that won't tell you where it is manufactured!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Great life dog food is made in California http://peteducation.com/dogfoodreviews/great-life-dog-food/


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

But WHO is the manufacturer????? And where in California is it manufactured. They have an office in California but the food is manufactured by another company. My question is WHO??????


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

FYI if you go to Great Life website they list two addresses 420 E. Easy Street, Simi Valley, CA 93065 and 711 S. Carson, #4A, Carson City, NV 89701. Well, check it out yourself, 420 E. Easy Street is a storage facility on google maps and 711 S. Carson, #4A is an attorney who is a registered agent for the owners of Great Life. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I ask you again does anyone know where this food is manufactured??????????????????? I guess NO, because they wont' release that information. I wonder why.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Becky Hi you are right that is kinda weird,their are so many other good brands out there that I wouldn't waste my time worrying about this one,just choose something else...you are quite the detective though!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I am not a big fan of this product or any other de-hydrated foods, because every product I have looked at, always recomends adding more ingredients. These guys recomend adding more ingredients, "twice" on their site. Sure I add meat to my dogs diet but Champion foods and Natura pet foods don't state on their website that they recomend adding other ingredients. Not saying I wouldn't feed it, but it just seems strange they say that. I am staying put with kibble and some added meat for his treats.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Natura pet foods recently sold to Proctor & Gamble. It will only be a matter of time before the quality is decreased and the price is increase to allow for a larger profit margin. Champion pet food is by far the one of the BEST products on the market today. I feed it to my dogs and their coats have improved big time. I wouldn't change foods at this point. I was looking into Great Life for a friend of mine and was amazed that so many people think it is such a great product. I compared the ingredients with Orijen and there is no way Great Life is as good a product. Also, as I've mentioned several times, they won't say where their food is manufactured, that should tell everyone what they need to know about Great Life.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Also, just wondering why if they're actually manufactured in California, they say they're manufactured in Nevada? What's the truth?


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## Sherry2 (Mar 1, 2010)

THIS IS SCARY!!! 

A great resource to check out pet food manufacturers is:

http://thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg1.htm

Listed Under "Great Life", it states "They do not manufacture their own food. Name of manufacturer is confidential." 

I would NEVER purchase anything from a company who can't disclose the name and location of their products' manufacturing source. "Confidential", to me, means there's something to "hide". I liken this to purchasing a box of cereal that lists all of the ingredients, unfortunately, no company label/name is visible other than the word "anonymous". Would you trust that this cereal is safe for your children to eat? 

Because I love my dog so much, I wouldn't put his health/life in danger by feeding him from a can/bag whereby the source is "unknown".


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## Sherry2 (Mar 1, 2010)

I checked with the FDA guidelines for labeling pet foods and below is the criteria:

Pet Food Labels - General
Updated March 2010

Pet food labeling is regulated at two levels. The federal regulations, enforced by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), establish standards applicable for all animal feeds: proper identification of product, net quantity statement, manufacturer's name and address, and proper listing of ingredients. Some states also enforce their own labeling regulations. Many states have adopted the model pet food regulations established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). These regulations are more specific in nature, covering aspects of labeling such as the product name, the guaranteed analysis, the nutritional adequacy statement, feeding directions, and calorie statements.

Manufacturer's Name and Address

The "manufactured by..." statement identifies the party responsible for the quality and safety of the product and its location. If the label says "manufactured for..." or "distributed by...," the food was manufactured by an outside manufacturer, but the name on the label still designates the responsible party. Not all labels include a street address along with the city, state, and zip code, but by law, it should be listed in either a city directory or a telephone directory. Many manufacturers also voluntarily include a toll-free number on the label for consumer inquiries. If a consumer has a question or complaint about the product, he or she should not hesitate to use this information to contact the responsible party.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Thanks for the info. I called a couple of stores that carry Great Life and they said it was manufactured in Nevada. Well, I know that's not true. I have to agree with you, why would they not state where they produce the food? Doesn't sound good to me.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Hi Becky: 
Thank's for doing all that research and sharing it with us. I didn't know that about Great Life or Halo. I just got a response back from Great Life because on their website they don't list sodium selenite but on the bag it does. In their e-mail to me they said they are now using selenium but the bags still have the old info. So it makes me wonder what is going on and what are they hiding? Below is their response and below that is my e-mail to them.

It has already been done- the new labels will not have sodium selenite but will have selenium


From: Nan
Subject: Customer Feedback for doctorsfinest.com
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2010, 7:20 AM


Hi:
Do you have any plans to remove sodium selenite from your can and dry food and go with a more organic selenium like selenium yeast? Thanks, Nan


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Becky is right here is a website that tells you all about dog food:

http://thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg1.htm


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Maybe they are manufactured by Diamond or Menu foods??? Why else would they be so secretive??


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Well caulk one up for Nan!! It really is disappointing when you think you've found a good dog food and then they are so sensitive about who makes it. That is one BIG red flag in my book. Any time a dog food manufacture tries to "hid" something they can never be trusted again as far as I am concerned. It is totally the reason I won't feed Artemis. It's as bad as adaby and their obvious website lies.

Eric must be pulling his hair out, because he liked this food.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I forgot to mention Horizon Legacy, because they just flat out lied about their formula change. The thing with them is they still had a good product and did not need to lie. But since they lied not only in e-mails to me, but here on this board, I well never buy their product again. Just something about lairs that really bugs me. LOL, I have to bet I am not alone. But abady is still the king of lairs in my book. Anyone who says their product solves hip-dysplasia is really nuts....


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

You're right Jess. Just when you think you found a good dog food. If they find anything wrong with Orijen, Acana or Party Animal I don't know what else to feed my guys. I guess it's back to cooking for them. I guess Honest Kitchen with boiled chicken is the way to go right now.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I still like quite few dog foods. It seems the guys who make their own product are the ones you can trust the most. But my dog flat out loves TOTW wetlands so he well still get a little of that. Lets see if I got this right

Champion foods (Orijen & Acana) I REALLY LIKE
Fromm,, I REALLY LIKE
Merrick, My dog didn't do good on this but is good.
Horizon Legacy, No comment
Petcurean, Go, Now & Summit.. I am looking close at these guys.
Natura Pet, Evo and the rest.Dry only.. Bummer P&G..
First Mate. This might take California Naturals place.
Precise, dry only. I do not know much about these guys.
Timber wolf ??? This is a good food light on meat.
Breeders Choice(Avoderm and Pinnacle), dry only..
Eagle Pack, dry only..
Evanders, The power deal, Hummmm.
Flint river ranch. I have never looked at this not in my area.
Holistic Blend ??? Hummm I have never seen this in my area.

All make their own food. I think that is a pretty good list to choose from. It gives you some options. I do like some other products BUUUUUT??
I think all dog owners should add meat quite often. It is good for them and they love it as treats.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

I looked into FROMM and I don't believe they use chelated minerals. I could be wrong, but that is what I recall. If the minerals are not chelated the body doesn't benefit from them. I'll check out their web-site.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Becky Hi-Yes Fromm does contain Chelated minerals.Chelated minerals are minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids,(Proteins)making them easier to digest.If you look at a dog food label and it lists-Iron Proteinate,Zinc Proteinate,Copper Proteinate,Maganese Proteinate,that's how you can tell that the minerals are Chelated.


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## Nan (Jul 13, 2010)

Jess try this website http://hubpages.com/profile/AskSusanPeters
when you get to the website go down to ask susan peters - pet care on left.
Next go down to dog food reviews. Note: It's right after Pet Food Recall Info.
Next click on review
Next click on dog food review
This brings you to a list of all dog food ratings.
Click on the first letter of the dog food you are interested in.
Or a simplier way is to go to google search and type in the name of the dog food you want to research example Orijen dog food review hubpages and it will come up in the search.
Hope this helps with your list of dog food. BTW: That is way I stopped buying Evanger's dog food because if they can cheat the electric and gas company what are they hiding from us. Also they had a run in with FDA.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I can't stand her.I think she is a moron, I give zero credit about anything she has to say. Now this lady I like.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I also like DFA. But I really do my own research on dog food and I have a pretty good idea of what I like in a dog food and what I don't like. I sure don't know everything but I am trying.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

This is one of her statements about Orijen. So she is saying fresh deboned salmon is bad for dogs. LOL, she is an idiot....Mercury, that's like saying everything in the ocean is bad for you.


Fresh deboned pacific salmon (Minus 1 point): A source of protein and fatty acids which can add mercury to the diet.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Nan- SERIOUSLY??? SUSAN PETERS???? LOL,that lady doesn't know what she is talking about...she is a dog groomer-not a nutritionist. She has 2 totally different reviews for Orijen 1 good 1 bad. You do realize that she generates money by writing her stupid hubs...I think that Susan Peters is completely IDIOTIC,she has NO IDEA what she is talking about!!!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Oh yeah one other thing about Susan Peters,did you ever notice that the food that she says is TOXIC and will kill our pets is offered FOR SALE on her hub pages....HOW DUMB....a child can see thru her stupidity...


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hey Nan check this out,it is a consumer complaint page about Hub pages,disregard the first one.Look at the second one by Lynn of Weare,NH. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/hubpages.html


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## brad1 (Jul 14, 2010)

I USED to like this dog food until I called the owner, who by the way answers his own companies phone, he was such an overt A.. H... that I e-mailed him after our "conversation", and told him that. What I wanted to know was how was this food preserved? I was told by Mr. A-wad that I had only better ask only ONE question because that was all he was going to answer! so his response to me was Vit. E, I said, I wonder why that information is not on the ingredients list on the bag? he hung up on me, so I will go on to another food thank you very much, I believe that he is getting this food made at one of the Diamond plants. Please check out the NOW grain-free dry dog food , this is what I did for my dogs, one who itches like crazy from the Great life recipe, which makes me think that there is something strange and dishonest going on with this company!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Nan I have seen some of your posts and I noticed that you like foods that use Selenium Yeast instead of Sodium Selenite.Anyway I have been looking into Timberwolf and I noticed that Their Gaea ALS formula contains Selenium Yeast so I thought I'd give you a heads up incase you haven't checked them out yet... http://www.timberwolforganics.com/gaea.html btw they DON"T use ethoxyquin bha or bht either...it looks like a pretty decent food to me.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Hi Brad, sounds like you had an interesting conversation with the owner of the company. I wonder why he is such a social person??? I think I'll call them and ask them why they don't let people know where their food is manufactured. Sounds like they may be ashamed of the facility. Acana and Orijen are great foods and I'm also looking into Honest Kitchen. There are alot of great foods out there, but I wouldn't buy one that has been involved in a recall in the last five years and I wouldn't buy one that one tell you where it is made. I'll let you know how my phone call goes.


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## Duece (Apr 9, 2011)

Good Becky, call and see what 'DR. HARVEY', says to you, what an arrogant creep, another product not to waste your money on is the product the Great Life co. makes called, Kruncheros, it smelled like plastic and was a very expensive lesson that i learned, I threw it over our fence to see if the ants would eat it but 3 months later it is still there in the same form!


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## DogRescue (Jul 17, 2010)

I just got an email suggesting I look at this food. I went to the website and couldn't find a list of ingredients. Also, like others have mentioned here, I want to know where the food is made.
On another note...what do you think of Praire by Nature's Variety? I haven't seen anything on here good or bad. Thanks.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Prairie, is Nature’s Varieties lower grade dog food, but is a pretty good dog food just the same. Instinct is their top of the line dog food (kibble) and it is an excellent dog food.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Brad: I finally called Great Life Dog Food phone number, I spoke to a young lady that said that she believes the food is manufactured in the Midwest, possibly Chicago. I also asked her what kind of Dr. was Elliott Harvey. Apparently, he is a doctor of mastering herbal remedies, thus the "MH" at the end of his name. I don't know about you, I believe that Great Life dog food and the company are built on a foundation of misconception and misinformation. Until solid information about the manufacturing of this food is available, I suggest you use another high quality dog food that is honest and forthright. By for now Dr. Becky


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

Hello,
Lastnight I went into a local dog store, Dog Gone Natual - Ashburn, VA, and my wife and I were getting ready to buy a bag of Orijen then the sales lady insisted us that Great Life would be better to digest than Orijen (Red Meat). Seemed like she was was pushing us to get the Great Life. As if she was sponsered by them or something. When I was doing my research I never came across Great Life in any of my readings.

We have a 8 year old Jack Russell who is not your regular active/hyper/crazy Jack Russell and also we recently rescured a lab/australian shepard puppy (15 weeks old). Our Jack Russell is on Canidae Lamb & Rice and we started to notice that her stool had been getting soft. I learned that they had recently changed their formula. So we want to get her on a new food. Also, the puppy is on Kirkland brand food now (I know I know, she was on that before we rescured her) and now we are looking to get her on another food for her. Our Jack Russell has a sensitive stomach and after doing further research on Orijen it doesn't seem like it will be a good fit for small, non-active dogs. Now we are leaning towards Great Life but I just cant' seem to find enough info on how other people are doing on this. 
The lady also said that this will do fine for both puppy's and adults.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Great Life is a good dog food. Now I would not feed it, for 2 reasons,, 1. They won't say who or where it is made and that is scary to me. 2. They say 2 times on their website that it would be best to add other food to your dogs diet. What is that all about? Nope I'll stay with Orijen, TOTW, Go-free, Fromm or California Natural for now.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Andy,Hi I would not trust Great life,they are shady -they wont tell where this food is made,which is a big red flag to me...I think you are mis-informed about Orijen it is a great food for all breeds-sizes of dogs,don't let that pet store person push you into great life,they even spell "Holistic" wrong their is no W in Holistic...I trust the ones that are family owned and make all of their own foods.Your puppy needs to be on a Large breed puppy food.The two best ones are Orijen lbp and Orijen 6 fish,they will be good for your other dog tother manufacturers I trust are Fromm family foods,Merrick pet care,Horizon legacy.But whatever food you choose,make sure you get Large breed puppy formula for your pup.In my opinion Orijen is the best...


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Andy: I am not familiar with Dog Gone Natural, but I do know that they are the distributor in the State of Virginia for Great Life. Acana and Orijen are much better foods than Great Life and they manufacture their own food. Don't buy a food that won't make public where they manufacture. A friend of mine gets her Acana in Ashburn at a pet shop in the Broadlands, they have a buyer program, when you buy 12 you get the next bag Free. Plus I think they may have lower prices. Check it out. There are way too many good foods on the market to buy a food that doesn't reveal their manufacturer.


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

I'm more concerned about my 8 year old Jack Russell. She has a sensitive stomach and since Orijen has more protein than others PLUS she's not a hyper Jack Russell it makes me worry that she might not digest the food that well causing problems in the long run. Our vet recommends feeding her dog food that has Lamb since it's easy on the stomach. By my research Orjin is not recommended for small non active dogs. Does this sound right? If not, please explain.


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

I should also add that my Jack Russell (Pinky is her name) stool has been soft ever since Canidae had changed their formula. My wife keeps on thinking that her stool is soft "because Pinky's food is all natual"... I've been telling her that it's not normal.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Andy: First, if Pinky has always been on a lamb formula, then by all means if you do try something else, it should be a very gradual, slow process when introducing another food and particularly another protein, i.e. chicken, turkey, beef, venison, etc. Dogs have the intestinal tract to support meat, not corn, wheat gluten, brewers rice, or any of the other fillers that many of the sub-standard companies use. Just a suggestion, If you haven't tried Acana or Orijen yet, try small amounts and see if Pinky likes the food, then you can do the 25/75, 50/50, 75/25 of the new food with her existing food. Once she is on the new food, you can then determine how the food is being digested. I also give my dogs a tablespoon of vanilla yogurt daily, just a tablespoon, it's good for the tummy. 
As other folks have mentioned in previous posts, we should always be able to find out where a food is manufactured. Great Life keeps this a secret for a reason. Good Luck. My suggestion is, "Try it, you'll like it".


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

I think I will go with Acana Lamb for Pinky and Orijen Large Breed Puppy for Sophie. Thank you all for you help! I will let you know how this goes.


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

PS:
The two Acana food I'm looking at is:

1) Grasslands which is 60% protein, 40% fruits & veggies, and 0% grain

2) Lamb & Apple formula which is 40% protien, 30% fruit/veggies and 30% grain which consist of Oats. 
Should I be worried about the Oats???


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Andy: Grasslands (which contians free-range lamb)is actually 32% protein, see the ingredients panel on the back of the back or at the Champion Dog Food website. The front of the bag reads 60% premium animal ingredients, but the actual protein level is 32% minimum. I'm not sure what you're second selection is, it maybe large breed puppy? But, there again, check the ingredients at their website, that gives you the actual protein level. As I said before, "try it you'll like it". Let me know how Pinky likes it. My Parsons Terrier, Suzy, loves it. Good luck!


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

The Lamb & Apple one is not in the USA yet. Sorry, I didn't know that.


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## Angie1 (Aug 6, 2010)

Hello all,

Andy, I have my chihuahaus on Orijin 6 Fish. My smallest one is 2.5lbs, not active at all, and he has truly flourished under Orijin. I was concerned about the high protein level as well, as he has an incredibly sensitive stomach, but I switched it slowly off of Wellness Small Breed and he's doing very well. He gained a little bit of muscle, but he needed it! I recommend Orijin to all my friends. It's truly a great food.


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## Karen4 (Aug 10, 2010)

Andy, Where are you buying the Acana? I also use Dog Gone Natural for Great Life but didn't realize all these issues (dumb I know). The sales guy there really talks up this Great Life product. My 5 month old doberman has been on Great Life since we brought him home at 10 weeks, although the breeder pleaded with me to stay with Nature's Variety Prairie. The Dog Gone guy told me Nature's Variety is awful (made in China) and full of recalls and to stay away from them. What to do?!! I want what's best for my dobie.


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

I went to Wylie Wagg for Pets in Fairfax Corner. They are moving to a new location. There's also another store in Ashburn that sells Acana as well, Whole Pet Central. The Dog Gone Natural people were pushing really hard to sell me Great Life. I asked them if they were sponsored by Great Life and they said no, but they are distributors for the East coast reigion for them...which is another way of saying that they get some $$$$ from Great Life. 

http://www.wyliewagg.com/

I've been feeding Pinky the Acana Grassland and the transition so far has been good. She is now completely off of her old food and she seems to really like the Acana. HOWEVER, we recently went to the vet over the weekend to get her and our new pup shots. They took blood samples from Pinky for her checkup and said that her "liver levels" were a little high. She's on meds now and we will see if the meds helped in a few weeks. Not sure if this had anything to do with the food switch. I mentioned that to the vet but they said it shouldn't have anything to do with it since we just switched food.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Karen, IF YOU WANT THE BEST THAT WOULD BE ORIJEN. Orijen is made by Champion dog food who also makes Acana. Both are very good dog foods. Remember you should also add some meat to your dogs diet no matter what you feed. I add raw beef or cooked chicken or 2 cooked eggs every might, I give them to my dogs as treats. I don't give him a lot and I buy the meat from Costco then freeze it in small snack baggies. The chicken comes already in baggies so I give that to him when I want a chicken dinner myself. Do not spice dogs food.


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## Angie1 (Aug 6, 2010)

Another place in Ashburn, VA is Fins & Feathers, they have a plan where you buy 12 you get the 13th free. Their prices are lower than DGN & WPC.


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

Wylie Wagg does the same thing as well. I think it's a promo from Orijen since the card that you have to fill out is from Orijen.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Karen: I am curious, if the store you went into told you that Natures Variety was such poor qualtiy, you should have asked them why they sell the product and why do they have it in their store????? 

Great Life is overpriced, middle of the road food that doesn't want people to know where it is manufactured. Don't be sold a bill of goods at the yuppy dog food store. Do your own research, compare the ingredient panel with other products. The edge that other dog foods have over Great Life is their honesty and integrity.


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

After a week of feeding my 8 year old JR Pinky Acana, she poops once a day now. Before she use to poop AT LEAST twice maybe three time a day. But now, it's once. Is that normal from anyone elses experiance?


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Andy: WELCOME to the world of good/great dog foods. The less fillers, the less poop. Your dogs body expels everything that it doesn't or can't absorb. This is a common statement when people get their companions on good food. I read that Pinky had some blood work done, any idea what caused the high liver levels? 
Congratulations on doing research and finding the best food for your dogs.


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## Andy4 (Aug 5, 2010)

Not sure yet, but we are giving her meds for two more weeks and will bring her back to the vet for re-test of her blood work. I think it's the stress from bringing a new dog into our house


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Andy: I found this on a VETS website that had a short essay on elevated liver chemistry in canines. I believe the most important part is to provide a source for the essential amino acides. This can only be provided by meat not vegetables. Let me know who Pinky makes out! Dietary management: Extremely important. The goal is to provide all the necessary nutrients which may be lost due to failure of liver processing without overtaxing the liver with regards to processing of dietary intake. High levels of top quality protein to provide the essential amino acids in an easily digestible carrier which will not produce high levels of ammonia during digestion. Cottage cheese is good, meat tends to produce high levels of ammonia. High level carbohydrates to drive the metabolism of the body, essential fatty acids not less than 6% of the daily intake, and a good mineral and vitamin supplement. Force feeding may be necessary.

4. Control of ascites and water retention. Reduce sodium intake. Diuretics will help in resistant cases.


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## thehealthyhound1 (Aug 16, 2010)

Lets clear something up here. The only product Natures Variety sources from China is rabbit -everything else is US or New Zealand sourced. They use no ethoxyquin in thier fishmeal source. The only recall they had was a voluntary recall on raw due to salmonella (i got news for you -- have someone test the raw food you cook for your family - its more likely to be there than in raw for your dog) -- which was more of a safety precaution for "at risk" consumers and not dogs. AND Prairie is not their "lower quality food" as someone previsously said - it's thier holistic brand that is made from wholesome grains. Instinct is thier grain free brand. 

Great Life -Dog Gone Natural down plays all the other foods because he is the distributor (a retailer that is distributing - not a real distributor) for Great Life (website says it is made in Midland, TX). Rumor has it Phillips is distributing Great Life now which has Dog Gone Natural a little upset since they werent letting anyone but one store in Maryland or DC. Actually its more than rumor because Great Life had a booth at Phillips buying show this month and from what i hear, Great Life is available to all stores in MD and DC now. 

I guess if you want to be absolutelty 100% sure that what you are getting is what you are getting -- then find a local farmer that grass feeds his livestock and practices certified humane slaughtering practices, get your meat from him - add your own veggies, bones and USA only sourced vitamins and then sleep easy at night. Otherwise - -do you really know? For that matter - do you really know what you are putting in your own mouth?

You can try hard to get the best but at the end of the day -- it's all about the mighty buck for almost all pet food manufactures. And if its made by man then there is always room for error.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Well healthy their is nothing more concerning to me than when a company well not say who or where their food is made. THAT IS JUST A HUGE RED FLAG. Then take a little look at the website, they state twice about pet owners adding other foods, another HUGE RED FLAG. Another issue is half the time their website is down like right now.


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## thehealthyhound1 (Aug 16, 2010)

the website is www.doctorsfinest.com --and i had no problem accessing it.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Healthy Hound: Well said! I would like to add that Natures Variety Instinct is a very good food and more reasonably priced than Great Life.


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## papillonpups (Aug 23, 2010)

Hey,

I feed a variety of food to my 3 small dogs. I switch around with the foods quite a bit from: Orijen, Acana, Great life, Taste of the wild, Go, Now, and a few others I had WONDERFUL results will all of these foods and more. One thing though is I always mix one of these brands with another brand called; ZiwiPeak which I found to be my dogs favorite food that they do the best on. I'd say it's best for small dogs due to the price but most dogs I know love it. It's certainly a food to look into, especially if you dog has a sensitive stomach! (but right now my dogs are on Great life mixed with ZiwiPeak)


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## becky1 (Aug 24, 2010)

papillionpups: sounds like you have a great blend of great dog foods. However, I believe that ZiwiPeak has a pretty high fat content. I wouldn't recommend it for all dogs.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Sounds like a great feeding program, however, I believe that ZiwiPeak has a high fat content. Might not be ideal for all dogs.


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## Sandy6 (Aug 28, 2010)

Hello, I was just looking at your site for the first time and was checking out Great Life Dog Food which is a really great dog food. I wanted to see comments for negative so i clicked on the down thumb but that registered a no vote for me. I had no idea I was voting...Please change my vote to a YES!
Great food but not sold anywhere near my home.


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## Lucid (Sep 1, 2010)

Hello.. 

Becky and Nan... We have just recently taken on a rescue APBT, and she is the sweetest thing ever!! However I knew that the grains which make up the majority of most commercial dog foods is not good nutrition for dogs! So I went looking for some brands that are grain-free. I stumbled upon Great Life and it seemed like a good product until I read the comments in this forum. 

I thought I had settled on the the Orijen line of foods.. However while doing my research I have a read a few opinions that believe that Potatoes are also not good, and when reading through the ingredients in the Orijen foods I discovered they have Potato. It seems some poeple feel there is some sort of carcinogen in Potato that is potentially harmful. 

What is your opinion on this? Also, I found that Natures Variety Instinct is potato and grain free (and is sold in my area).. What is peoples opinion of this line of food?

Thanks in advance (from our little Bernadette as well)!


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

I hear that Great Life will be sold at many more stores in Virginia, Maryland, & D.C.


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## Lucid (Sep 1, 2010)

Arghh... Now I read that apparently the Nature's Variety foods have Sodium Selenite in them!

This is getting a little frustrating... So far, just going by the ingredients, Great Life seems to meet all my requirements, but now I don't know if I can trust the company. 

Hopefully someone can help me because I need to buy her some more food, and would hate to have to change brands again....


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Lucid, Sodium Selenite is just salt. Dog food does need a little salt although when you see a company going overboard then the salt is just for taste like most human food. But in this case I'm sure it probably serves a nutritional purpose, most likely helping to maintain bodily fluid levels


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## Lucid (Sep 1, 2010)

Antonio - 

While Sodium is a "salt", the chemical compound Sodium Selenite is not just "salt" and is toxic in higher doses.. I believe manufacturers add Sodium Selenite as a a source of Selenium which has numerous beneficial qualities.. 

The gist of the problem with Sodium Selenite is that it is a non-organic (mineral) form of Selenium and not as safe as organic forms... 

I guess it's not the big of a deal, but I would rather not have to worry about the possible affects down the line.. 

I do know that cancer has become a serious problem with pets, and I believe it is all the "crap" that gets put into commercial dog foods. 

Potatos are probably not much of a problem either since they are only dangerous if not peeled, or are raw or have "sprouts"... But why take the chance?

I would love to be able to simply cook for her, but neither my Fiance nor I have the time to do so presently.. I guess it looks like I will have to "pick my poison" as the saying goes....


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Lucid, 

I understand both those concerns completely. I've recently switched my dogs to California Natural Grain Free Chicken and I'm having 0 problems out of that transition so far.


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## Lucid (Sep 1, 2010)

Here is a quote from another website that talks about the problems with potatoes.. It is basically what I have been reading about potatoes in general.. However it appears there are multiple problems with potatoes besides the toxin that can be found in the skins and spouts (which contain Solanine) it would seem the flesh also contains a carcinogen called Acrylamide.. 

"The latest trend in pet foods is the addition of potatoes. Potatoes contain a carcinogen- *acrylamide- As a daily maintenance food, potatoes are not a health food! They may actually be a part of the cancer epidemic in pets! The August 14, 2002 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reported presence of high levels of acrylamide in carbohydrate rich foods like potatoes.

*Acrylamide induces gene mutations and has been found in animal tests to cause malignant stomach tumors. It is also known to cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system.
Source(s):
http://www.thewholedog.org/rubicon.html"


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## tracey2 (Sep 4, 2010)

I switched to Great Life after learning that California Natural/Natura Pet has sold out to Proctor and Gamble. While P&G has assured distributors that it will not change the formula, it would be hard to believe from a company who has been known to do animal testing. I have not had any problems with Great Life and just read on their website that they have their own manufacturing facility in Texas.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

I copied this directly from Champion Pet foods web page. They also have a "White Page" that has thorough informaiton abut their products. You go to their webpage and click on "white Page"

learn more. 
Back to Top 
Q | POTATOES - Are potatoes night shade vegetables? Are they healthy? A | Potato is a healthy alternative to the grains in most of today’s processed pet foods. Our potatoes are processed at low temperature (90c) and do not contain skins or leafs. 

If still in doubt, call them or e-mail them, they are pretty good about addressing all concerns and questions.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

I found a little more information about potato in dog food. The key is peel them and make sure there is no green on the spud. 

Read for yourself:

It depends on the potato. 
Chocolate is never good for a dog, but some chocolate is worse than others. One of my dogs ate half a bag of Hershy's kisses, including the foil, in the time I walked to the kitchen and back. She suffered no ill effects because the concentration of cocoa was low. Some chocolate bars cantain as much as 70% cocoa, and eating one of those would likely be deadly. 



With potatoes, it seems to depend on the quantity and also whether they are peeled and cooked. A dog could eat a serving of McDonalds french fries without becoming ill, but eating a green potato could make your dog sick. 



Potato poisonings among people and dogs have occurred. Solanum alkaloids can be found in green sprouts and green potato skins, which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. The relatively rare occurrence of actual poisoning is due to several factors: solanine is poorly absorbed; it is mostly hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the metabolites are quickly eliminated. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

From this site: http://www.envtox.ucdavis.edu/cehs/TOXINS/dogs.htm


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Actually potatoes offer very little to a dog and for that matter human beings. I would like to point out that potatoes contain Protein and in a dogs case the WRONG kind of protein. The majority of a potatoes nutrients are store in the skin of a potatoes. 


It's quite amazing what an unassuming tuber can contain. Within its red, yellow, white or brown protective exterior, a potato can provide much of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of a number of vitamins and minerals.

For example, potatoes have about 620 mg of potassium-that's more than a banana. Potassium is essential to the body because of its role in attaining optimal muscle performance and improving the nerves' response to stimulation. Iron, essential in helping the body convert food to energy as well as resist infection, is also present.

One would ""expect"" potatoes to have minerals, as they spend their life underground. But potatoes are also a great source of vitamins, even supplying vitamin C, which is essential to help maintain healthy connective tissue and heal wounds. The many varieties of Washington potatoes are also good sources of B vitamins, helping the body make healthy red blood cells and amino acids.

Potatoes contain no fat or cholesterol and minimal sodium. What they do have is natural fiber in the skins, all those vitamins and minerals and great flavor. And a six-ounce potato contains 2 grams of highly digestible protein, almost as much as half a glass of milk, making it a great foundation for a whole meal.

Because of the variety of potato colors, shapes, sizes and textures and their versatility as recipe ingredients, you can have potatoes for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or all three) and support the daily fruit and vegetable servings recommended for good health and nutrition.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Tracey: I was curious about your post, so I got on the Great Life website. Here is what it says: "Great Life is delighted to announce the purchase of its own pet food production line from a private pet food manufacturing facility by Midland, TX." It doesn't say that they own their own manufacturing facility, it states, "the purchase of its own pet food production LINE from a private pet food manufacturing facility by Midland, Tx. FYI: There are no dog food manufacturers in Midland, Tx. OOOPS, they said BY Midland, Tx. Let's get the story right. MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ALREADY! Be forthright and tell people what they want to know. WHERE is the food made?? Never mind by, near, or around. Just tell people where the food is made.


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## thehealthyhound1 (Aug 16, 2010)

I don't understand how Great Life can get the protein levels that it says it does. There is no meat meal in the food - only natuarl meat -- which once the moisture is removed will lower it on the ingredient deck. It's an awful big price tag for a food that has little meat in it. Is this food approved by the Whole Dog Journal? Why won't they tell anyone where it is made? This food is hard to find too -- there is one store in VA who has it and won't let anyone else buy it -- I think the same thing in MD too. Why aren't there more stores picking up this food if it's so wonderful? Maybe they want answers too.....


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Great Life is a middle of the road in quality dog food. It is not approved by the Whole Dog Journal, because it won't divulge where exactly it is manufactured. You can buy it many more places now, because it is being distributed by a company out of PA. Before it was just distributed by Dog Gone Natural in Ashburn. Many stores won't carry it until they can be told where the food is manufactured. There are so many other great foods on the market, choose one that is a higher quality and doesn't keep secret where the food is made.


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## Kim9 (Oct 14, 2010)

Becky...Before you post inaccurate information you should get your facts straight. Doggone Natural in Ashburn does not distribute Great Life. 

Thank you,

Kim
Owner of Doggone Natural


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Oh, I must be mistaken??? I went to the Chantilly Pet Expo(March of this year) and spoke to a man there that said he was the distributor for Great Life and that he owned Doggone Natural. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, who do think the impersonator was????? Frankly, I don't care who the distributor is,was, or will be, I'm just stating what was told to me by a person standing in a Great Life display booth at the Chantilly Pet Expo. Maybe you should track him down and find out why he was giving out incorrect information.


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## Terri2 (Oct 16, 2010)

The Journal of American College of Nutrition reports not much was known about which selenium compounds to approve for use in animal feeds when the decisions were made back in the 1970’s. “At the time the regulatory action was taken, only the inorganic selenium salts (sodium selenite and sodium selenate) were available at a cost permitting their use in animal feed.” http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/20/1/1 Science has since learned that these inorganic selenium sources (sodium selenite most commonly used in pet foods) can be toxic in high doses; effecting an animal’s blood, liver, and muscles.

Why are plants and animals consuming varying amounts of sodium selenite a potential problem to pet food? • Common grains used in pet foods can have varying levels of sodium selenite depending on the soil in different areas of the U.S. A batch of pet food using grain grown in Western States can have a much higher level of sodium selenite than grains grown in Eastern States. Pet owners have no knowledge of how much sodium selenite is included with each grain ingredient in their pet’s food. • Depending on the sodium selenite levels of grains fed to meat producing animals (or by-product producing animals), and furthermore, depending on added sodium selenite levels of commercial feeds provided to these meat or by-product producing animals, every meat ingredient and by-product ingredient can vary to levels of sodium selenite. • Add in to the potential toxic build up, the actual sodium selenite supplement added directly into your pet’s food.


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## Kimberlee1 (Nov 12, 2010)

Great life is the best dog food out their on the market! The only dog food my dog will eat willingly (very picky) and is by far the best quality i can find for her. Her coat is amazingly soft and at 8 years old she still acts like a puppy


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## clifford_kornfield (Nov 15, 2010)

we have a 2 year old min pin resque dog we have tried several different brands of dog food
shw would not eat them great life is the only food she will eat.
her coat is shiney and silky soft


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## Karen6 (Nov 20, 2010)

I have purchased Great Life from Doggone Natural in Ashburn. In fact I was planning to go back and get more today because I ran out. Before I went back to the store, I wanted to see what was said about the product. I bought the buffalo one without grains and potatoes. I am not sure if it has had any ill affects on my dogs. I have two jack russells and one itches a lot and I have been trying to find a food that eliminates the itching if it is caused by the food. Not sure it is though...I also feed them Orijen and B4Grain. Prior to alternating between Great Life, Orijen and B4Grains one of my jacks had to be coaxed to eat. Not any more. Not sure if its the variety or the pleasure over one or the other. 

Anyway, my main reason for replying here is to say, that Doggone Natural in Ashburn definitely sells Great Life!


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

I have asked several individuals why Great Life dog food won't acknowledge where their food is manufactured and there are a couple schools of thought. One, that the plant where it is manufactured has had several recalls in the past, or two, that if they state where the food is manufactured it would be easier to find out if the product is everything that they claim it to be. Such as a raw freeze dried coating being applied. This may be a good food, but until they are willing to state where exactly their food is manufactured it is not something I would use. Just an opinion.

We all know that Doggone Natural sells Great Life, they are a distributor for the product and refuse to sell to other stores in the Ashburn area. One of the stores in Ashburn got the product from another Distributor and the owner of Doggone Natural demanded that the store not sell Great Life so he had to pack the product up and send it back. That is one way to eliminate the competition!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

becky, I would never feed this product or any other one that won't say where it is made. Annnnd I would never feed a product that recommends adding other ingredients to your dogs diet. If it was so good they wouldn't recommend adding other ingredients to it. All these hydrated dog foods are over rated in my book AND WAY over priced. It would cost me a fortune to feed my dog. I figured it out one time and I could feed my dog TOTW wild and a big cheap steak every night for the cost of this stuff.


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## Joann1 (Jan 17, 2011)

I just bought Great Life dry dog food (chicken) from Doggone Natural in Ashburn for my 3 month old puppy after a pet store sold me 2 bags of INFESTED Purina One Puppy food. My puppy seems to love the Great Life! But, is it good for him? Either way, I'm thinking it's a huge step up from the Purina with webs and bugs in it (which was promtly returned to the store with a complaint). But, we want to make sure we're feeding him well and there's so many mixed opinions its confusing. Had I read this first I would have asked at Doggone Natural about where it's manufactured when I purchased and will if I purchase it again. Looks like from her comment above that the owner reads these posts and probably knows a great deal about the food since they're the only store carrying it... maybe she can fill us all in??

either way, can someone clear up whether I'm safe feeding my puppy Great Life as long as he likes it?


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Joann: Great Life has for quite sometime refused to reveal where it is manufactured. This is a RED flag for alot of folks. However, on the other side of the coin, some people just don't care where the food is made as look as their dog likes it. (go figure) I personally won't use a food unless I know where it is made. I believe that there are some great foods out there, if you read blogs and do a little research on your own, you will find out that there is alot of information to digest. If your dog has fur you might want to consider a kibble that is all fish, this will reduce shedding. However, keep in mind that ACANA & ORIJEN have fish in all of their formulas. I think GL is over priced for what you get. I am sorry to hear that you got an infested bag of Purina and am glad you took it bag. Purina is really a terrible food. CONGRATS on moving off of Purina. Doggone Natural is the distributor of Great Life in Virginia and decides who gets to sell the product. I too saw that the co-owner Kim viewed this blog and said they were not a distributor, but if you call the main headquarters for Great Life they tell you to contact their distributor in Virginia. Great Life was available for about 2 weeks in Northern Virgina from Phillips Distributor out of Pa. However, when Dog Gone Natural found out that other stores in Loudoun County were getting the product from Phillips they demanded that the product be picked up. And so it was.


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## Bill_Batleman (Feb 1, 2011)

Wow lots here...so lets take it up a notch from a breeders knowledge. #1 Purina spend more money on research than any other company out there. Purina puupy chow is excellent puppy food. Sodium Selinate is a mineral that is heart healthy that why it's in the food and it's good for you too!

There are many designer foods out there. If they are Certified then use it. High protein foods 30% soluble are for working dogs, you don't need hight protein for house dogs or older dogs they will do fine on 24%.

Just use what you like and go from there. Results may be different for each dog. Most of the designer foods are made by and for those that own the specific mix/ingredients. I could thrown food at you that you didn't even know existed long before all the different brands exploded on the market. Potatoes are not unhealthy for dogs but they must be cooked...otherwise its just another form of starch and protein other than corn.. Plain and simple. Great life is actually a very good food indeed. The key is as a dog ages his/her nutritional needs change just like people. No different......but please be careful what you read on the internet. I read sonething the other day that Purina uses a know carcinogen in their foods that could not be anything more than a pure lie....in fact it nothing short of slander. 

Sop you understand extrusion in the process of making dog foods wet or dry.....they mix the ingredients as a powder first and mix from there. If you think actual Whole Buffalo, Salmon, Chicken, Mutton (its not Lamb)is being processed, your wrong....it is reduced to a powder and that is how they manage the soluble protein levels. Back to the Sodium Selinate commonly found in the milky mountain waters wher people live well beyond 100yrs, folks its not the Yogurt.....it's the sodium selinate and other minerals......same for dogs. I do recommend that everyone use NU-Vet Vitams for all your pets cats or dogs.....your dogs will live longer, have less health problems with the foods you choose and these vitamins you need nothing else...you can use my breeder code 66941 this is the only way they will ship them to an individual. Good luck to all of you and I hope this helps all of you.


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## Moose3 (Feb 5, 2011)

So... does anyone have the latest information on Great Life, with respect to where it is manufactured, who and where are the distributors and why is Great Life unwilling to provide such simple information about their product? 

I also really want to know about "freeze dried raw food coating" - what is it? Isn't the raw food craze over? Years ago when I was investigating it, I couldn't find a single vet who thought it was a good idea. 

Any answers and further info would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## Trish3 (Feb 5, 2011)

You couldn't find a single vet to back up a raw diet because vets receive less than 10 hours of education regarding canine nutrition. The little education they do receive is sponsored by Hill's, Science Diet, Purina - etc. the makers of the prescription diets. You know, the giant bag of corn & by-products they sell you for $100? These companies provide HUGE incentives to the vets who sell them -- they pay for schooling for veterinarians and veterinary technicians, they also pay for them to go on vacation seminars, the list goes on and on. 

A Veterinarian is NOT a canine nutritionist, there are some holistic vets that are canine nutritionists but I have yet to find a traditional vet that knows ANYTHING about canine nutrition. 

My aunt has fed Eukanuba for 15 years and guess what? Every single one of her dogs died before the age of 10 due to CANCER.

I've always fed "premium" foods. I have not bought Great Life, but was interested in reading reviews about it. I feed Taste of the Wild, Orijen, and Acana. My dogs are extremely healthy.


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## JB (Feb 9, 2011)

I started my dogs on this dog food because it was one of the few kibble brands I found to be grain and potato free. They were eating Premium Edge and Now previously.

The reason I opted for a grain and potato free food in the first place was to combat a chronic yeast infection on the paws of my 3 yr old lab mix. He's been on this food for a month and his condition has improved significantly. Both dogs have less gas, better stools and are more energetic. 

I also supplement this kibble with raw green tripe (highly recommended) and raw bones.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Great Life states on their bags that they are manufactured in Reno, NV (at least the last bag I read). This is not true. They state on their website that the food is manufactured near Midland, Tx. There is no dog food manufacturer in Midland but Pied Piper manufactures dog food in Texas. What's the truth? Who knows. Personally, I can't imagine why they don't want their customers to know the truth about their "wonderful food" but I guess it's a secret. I was talking to a friend tonight that has been feeding Great Life for the past year. I told him many times that he should do some research on the food. He told me that his dog has been sick for about a week and he took her to the vet. The vet told him his dog was over weight and suggested that what ever he was feeding her was not agreeing with her. He is not switching his "girl" to Acana.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

CORRECTION: "He is now switching his girl to Acana.


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## Gloria1 (Feb 23, 2011)

For the record, yesterday (Feb.21st 2011) I went to DogGone Natural, Ashburn, Va to purchase vitamins and they gave me samples of "Great Life Buffalo and Lamb". I've been doing some research on Great Life and after reading these reviews along with many others, I will continue to use Acana. My Boston (8 mon) is doing wonderful on Acana, I fed her Orijen until she was 6 mon, then switched to Acana. Thank you very much!


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## Donna5 (Feb 23, 2011)

I have been going to DogGone Natural for a couple years now and purchasing Great Life and while it is pricey I continue to buy it for my dog who does well on it. However, after reading the blogs here, I am going to have reconsider a different brand. Whether DogGone Natural "distributes" Great Life or not, they do sell it and recommend it. Because they seem to care about healthy foods and treats for pets, I thought they might know where the products they sell come from, etc. In addition, over the past year, DogGone Natural doesn't really seem to care about customer service much any more, the owners used to be very friendly, greet and talk with its customers. I frequent the store at least 2x a month and drop an easy $100 per visit. I think its time to patronize another "pet-friendly" and customer friendly pet health food store that really appreciates your business.


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## John12 (Feb 23, 2011)

Seems to be a lot of curiosity regarding Great Life Dog Food. I switched my Lab to Great Life about 4 months ago (switched from Acana) and he loves this food much more and he's healthier than ever. I spoke with a Great Life representative and the food is made at Pied Piper in Texas. Their accounting office is in NV. Hope this helps and I rate this food a 10 out of 10.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Pied Piper is one of, if not, the worst manufacturing plants producing dog food today. UGH !!


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

I assumed it was manufactured at Pied Piper, but could never get anyone to admit it. This confirms my assumption. Jess, has Pied Piper been involved in many recalls???? I will start looking for infor, but I figured you would know. 

Donna, there are two other stores in Ashburn that sell dog food, Whole Pet and Fins & Feathers. You should find friendly folks at both stores. Let me know where you go and what you think.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

To be honest I think Pied Piper makes all the de-hydrated food. No one will say where or who makes their food. I really know nothing about them, just that they are in the same league as Menu foods. 2 really sorry companies who I really would never trust. I like this site below (link)great for getting quick info about who makes what. The HUGE recall was Menu foods.


http://thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg1.htm


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## Donna5 (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks John for info - good to know. My pet does well on Great Life too but very concerned over the talk of manufacturer. Will keep with due diligence. 

Thanks Becky for referrals! It's great to have choices.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

John: FYI, the address in Nevada is an attorney's office, who is their registered agent in the state. You can research it on-line using the white pages. Just be careful!


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Donna: if you are gonna keep you "dog pal(s)" on Great Life, Dog Gone Natural is the only store in Loudoun that carries it. Good Luck!


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## Peggy2 (Feb 26, 2011)

I have had my dogs on greatlife for the last 2 years. my lab who had skin issues has not had any since we put him on the grain free formula. I just rescued a 10 month old shepherd elkhound mix and was introduced to natures select. any one know about them? it looks like a much lower quality food to me, but now have 2 large dogs, the cost are getting to me. any ideas? I live in california and order greatlife on line, so I pay shipping as well.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Peggy, there are vast numbers of dog food that would improve your dogs health. Jess has taken the time to list the tiers of dog food (that may be on the Acana dog food reviews). There really is no reason to be locked into Great Life. Sure it's an ok food, but i believe it is over priced and if you're paying shipping, look for another food. Jess gives good reviews to TOTW (Taste of the Wild), I personally am hooked on Acana. In our area when you purchase 12 bags from your retail store you get the 13th bag for free. LOOK around, I can guarantee that you will find a great replacement. I also want to know where the protien source comes from and where the food is manufactured. No surprises for me.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Peggy, the best thing for you would be to feed 2 different kinds of dog food, which I do because of dollar issues. I feed TOTW-wetlands (great price) in the AM and then I feed Orijen in the PM (great food but spendy). If I were you I would google pet stores in your area, then call around and shop. I have found dog food is like buying a car, some pet stores just have better prices.
Here is a list of some better dog foods for a low price.

1.	Taste of the Wild - About 43 bucks for 30 lbs.*****
2.	Kirkland (Costco) - About 25 bucks for 40 lbs.*****
3.	Whole Earth Farms - About 35 bucks for 30 lbs.*****
4.	4Heath - About 30 bucks for 30 lbs.
5.	Natures Domain(Costco) - About 35 bucks for 30 lbs.
6.	ByNatural – About 40 bucks for 30 lbs.
7.	Nutri Source - About 45 bucks for 30 lbs.
8.	Healthwise – About 39 bucks for 30 lbs. 
9. Diamonds Premium Edge/Naturals – About 35 bucks for 35 lbs.
10.	Eagle pack
11.	Chicken soup
12.	Fromm
I want to point out that I do not like the Diamond Brand products and so it must be one of these two. The last 3 are here because they seem to go on sale quite often.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Jess, YTM!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

I agree with Becky, Jess,you are the man!!!!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, you girls are funny. LOL, I have posted some new pictures of Tony stealing my bed and pillows. Click on my name.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Great Pics! Beautiful dog. Looks like you both enjoy the beach. Years ago I had a great dane that loved running through the waves. He was a great dog. Thanks, for sharing your photos.


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## Syd (Apr 6, 2011)

We have a puppy with a very sensitive stomach. We tried the grain free buffalo and he was itching worse than ever after only 1 day. 
I would try the buffalo that comes without potato and sweet potato, but it only comes in 25 pound bags, and would be too expensive to buy 2 bags a month.


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## Andrea5 (Apr 9, 2011)

Hello,

Can anyone give me suggestions on food to keep a chihuahua's weight down? I think his current food does not have enough protein and more filler so he has gotten quite chunky. It doesn't help living here in Wisconsin over the winter .


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Andrea, although this is a Great Life blog, I personally would recommend Orijen. My daughter-in-law has four chihuahuas ranging in weight of 2.50 to 4.50lbs. and she swears by Orijen. She feeds them chicken/fish or all fish and they do GREAT on it. Hope this was helpful.


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## cynthia1 (Apr 30, 2011)

I rescued a Chinese Shar Pei used for breeding with so many issues-allergies, yeast infections, ear infections, scratching, and loss of hair. After trying many diffrent foods and Vet visits I finally found Great Life Food, Greek Yogurt and Depro Medrol shots every 8 weeks. Wow-what a difference. She is so happy smelling everything, shiny coat, no more ear/yeast infections.

Great Life is a one source food with no potatoes grainfree. The issue was all other dog foods are binded with potatoes which are carbs which turn to sugar and create yeast/ear infections & scratching.

My shar pei loves the salmon & chicken from Great Life.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Cynthia, I would have been impressed if you had stated that just Great Life & Greek Yogurt improved your girls allergies! But after doing some reading about Depro Medrol, it seems that would/should have cleared up all of her problems (you might want to do some reading on this treatment). Actually, I know many people that have changed foods and have had dramatic improvements without the medications. It may be that you girls condition was so severe the vet felt he had no choice. Most of the really bad food reactions occur when the food is filled with corn, corn meal, corn gluten, wheat, wheat gluten, rice gluten, etc. Most of the "junk" manufacturers add all of the crap to fill in. That's when the ear infections, scratching, and licking the paws occurs. As always, until Great Life steps up to the plate (on location of manufacturer) this old lady will stay clear!


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## easty50 (Nov 1, 2011)

Becky

It would appear that have not done your research very well. I don't use Great Life, however I went to their website and discovered that their food is made at a private plant in Hamlin, TX. So I googled Hamlin, Tx and found that Pied Piper is the only pet food mfg. listed in that area.

ps
I also called Great Life and the girl that answered the phone told me that it was made at Pied Piper. Don't understand why you keep making up stories about this company. Starting to discredit this website and your advise on food purchases.


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## Becky3 (Dec 14, 2010)

Paul, your comments are interesting to say the least. I have personally checked the Great Life Dog Food website and in the last year and half the dialogue has changed at least 3x and when I called I was told two different stories. If they have actually changed it again, ooooops, my bad! Pied Piper is one of the worst manufacturing plants in the country. I certainly make mistakes, omg did I really say that???? Stories.......really, I believe if you took the time to check "old posts" on this blog you will see for yourself how many different people got different stories from Great Life when they called or checked into the company. The first time they changed their website they stated it was made near Midland, Tx. Oh, well, believe what you may I know for a fact that many people know the truth and have experienced first hand the misinformation on Great Life. Have a great weekend!


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## Rudy (Jun 13, 2011)

I have a six month old Golden Retriever. She is a bundle of fun, but we have tried several different foods, she is fussy. And she either eventually goes off most, and often has loose stool. As she is hard to satisfy, I feed a wet dog food morning and night, and two small meals of dry food a day, Approx. total food about equivalent to 6 cups. She is about 50 lbs, apparently on track weight wise according to the vet. She looks good and has a nice coat. But I am wondering if anyone has recommendations for a high quality wet food. She seems to like Blue Buffalo Stew. Comments? Recommendations?
Thanks,Rudy


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## Nan2 (Jul 15, 2011)

I've been using Great Life for years and I swear it keeps my dogs healthier longer. I just switch proteins periodically and go 4-5 months on each. For example, I feed them the Great Life Salmon during summer, Buffalo during the winter and the Chicken during the spring or fall.

You also should use Great Life's Enzymes Pro+. I star them off as puppies on it. They never get fleas and their skin and coats are gorgeous.

You might also want to try Honest Kitchen's dehydrated raw. I started using a tablespoon mixed with their Great Life kibble for breakfast and dinner and their coats look like they've been polished.

None have ever had skin or coat problems.

By the way, I also tried Orijen for awhile with one of my older dogs who had a genetic thyroid problem, but it really didn't do anything.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Nan, What facility manufactures Great Life? I didn't realize they have been out for such a long time. I've been using a brand named Victors and have had pretty dang good results w/o using any additives or supplements on my dogs and the coats are super slick and shiny.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

To file your claim online:

Claim Number: 1480702

Password: *ryrQSz$

If you purchased Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Mother Nature, or
Karma dog or cat food you could get a payment from a class action settlement.

A $2,150,000 settlement has been reached with Natura Pet Products, Inc., Natura Pet Food, Inc., Natura Manufacturing and Peter Atkins ("Defendants" or "Natura") in a class action lawsuit about the advertising of Natura brand dog and cat food. Natura denies all of the claims in the lawsuit, but has agreed to the settlement to avoid the cost and burden of a trial. 

Who is included? If you received this by email or mail, you are probably included. Generally, the settlement includes anyone in the U.S. who purchased Natura brand dog or cat food products anytime between March 20, 2005 and July 8, 2011. Together these people are called a "Class" or "Class Members." 

What does the settlement provide? The maximum payment you can get is $200. A $2,150,000 settlement fund will be created by Natura. After paying attorneys fees of up to 35% of the fund and costs and expenses of up to $60,000 to the lawyers representing the Class; the costs associated with administering the settlement of up to $400,000; and up to $20,000 to the Class Representative (Judy Ko), payments will be made to Class Members who submit valid claim forms.

How do you ask for a payment? Submit a claim online, at www.petproductsSettlement.com, using the claim number and password information above or by mail by calling 1-888-768-2047. The deadline to submit or mail your proof of claim form is January 8, 2012.

What are your options? You have a choice about whether to stay in the Class or not. If you submit a claim form or do nothing, you are choosing to stay in the Class. This means you will be legally bound by all orders and judgments of the Court, and you will not be able to sue or continue to sue Natura about the legal claims resolved by this settlement. If you stay in the Class you may object to the settlement. You or your own lawyer may also ask to appear and speak at the hearing, at your own cost, but you don't have to. The deadline to submit objections and requests to appear is December 28, 2011. If you do not want to stay in the Class, you must submit a request for exclusion by December 28, 2011. If you exclude yourself, you cannot get a payment from this settlement, but you will keep any rights to sue Natura for the same claims in a different lawsuit. The detailed notice explains how to exclude yourself, object and request to appear.

The court's fairness hearing. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California will hold a hearing in this case (Ko v. Natura Pet Products, Inc., No. 5:09cv2619), on February 17, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve: the settlement; attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses; and the payment to the Class Representative. If the settlement is approved, it will release the Defendants from all claims in the Settlement Agreement.

HOW DO YOU GET MORE INFORMATION? To get a copy of the detailed notice or settlement agreement or to learn more, visit www.PetProductsSettlement.com or call 1-888-768-2047.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California has ordered that this email notice be sent. If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from future email messages from the Claims Administrator with regard to this settlement, please click here.


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## jane2 (Aug 19, 2011)

I have been using Great Life for a while but I find alot of what is in the cans are greasy thick goo and I do not know what it is . I was told that Evangers cooks the food and cans it . I am not to happy with it anymore and have to find something else or start cooking


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## Jack_Jones (Feb 26, 2012)

Hi 

I am a long time buyer of Great Life dog food. I just recently found out that Great Life has been lying on their labels. Great Life lists a meat as the first ingredient on all of their dry foods eg:
Buffalo
Salmon
Lamb etc.

In reality they use dehydrated meats in all or their foods eg:
Dehydrated Buffalo
Dehydrated Salmon
Dehydrated Lamb etc.

This was exposed on another review site, Dog Food Advisor under the Great Life Grain Free (Dry) review.

Great Life is trying to cover this up and every time I ask about it on their Facebook page they delete my question.

For me this is about trust. I had trusted Great Life to list the ingredients in their foods accurately on their labels. For whatever reason they have been lying on their labels for at least as long as Pied Piper Pet & Wildlife has been making their foods. 

Pied Piper has no refrigeration at their dry food plant and only uses dried meats in ALL of their foods. Pied Piper cannot produce a dry food with fresh or frozen meats.

Thank you,
Jack Jones


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## Kristie2 (Mar 25, 2012)

I was feeding my dog Great Life Chicken Dry Dog Food, and decided to give him a treat by getting some of the Buffalo. He ended up so constipated that he didn't have a stool for a week. I had to take him to the vet who gave him 2 enemas on 2 separate visits to unplug him. He was close to going in for surgery. I am not sure what happened, but the x rays showed his large intestine distended and blocked. The vet said this is very unusual to get blocked in the large intestine. I am changing dog foods, but what do I change to? Calif Natural claims to conduct all these quality control tests, but now I see they are in a class action suit.


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## John_Cartwya (Nov 12, 2012)

I have been feeding Great Life buffalo to my two Boston Terriers. They love the stuff. The last two bags of food I bought had a very strong rancid smell. The company replaced the first one and I exchanged the second one. The company said it eas a manufacturing problem--bags were accidentally punctured. If this problem reoccurs, I will need to change to a different product.


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## chergui (Feb 21, 2012)

We recently changed our 8.5 yr old labradoodle, Otto, to Great Life Grain Free Buffalo for several reasons: terrible skin breakouts due to allergies leading to skin yeast infections and itching, weight gain, lethargy, arthritis, occasional vomiting. Otto has probably been on at least 5-7 different types of kibble since birth. The last kibble has been Natural Balance Limited Ingredients Buffalo or Venison with Sweet Potato with just about a tablespoon of Grandma Lucy's Buffalo. This past year his above symptoms have increased significantly, and it was affecting his activities and life style. Otto has been allergy tested 2x, and he is allergic to so many foods. I began researching a buffalo or venison food without grains, rice, or potatoes (he's allergic to rice and grains, and potato is so starchy and increases the skin yeast infections). Well, I finally found the Great Life Grain Free Buffalo. I bought it at a high-end pet boutique in Denver. The product was very fresh as it flies off the shelves in this particular store. OMG!!! This was the first kibble EVER that Otto eats that he doesn't need coaxing with organic vegetable broth or grilled buffalo. He loves the taste of it. So far, no vomiting! In one month's time, he has lost 5 pounds...YAY!!! He's running up and down the steps. He's begging to play fetch. So, his exercise tolerance is way up, his weight is way down, he's more active in general,his skin is sooooo much better and clearing to the point of no scaley patches or itching, and his digestion is much improved. We just got another labradoodle puppy (Ziggy, 3 months old). I'm in the process of changing him from Canidae (breeder's choice) to the Great Life Grain Free Chicken. He seems to love it too. The breeder told us that he wouldn't eat the Canidae without adding some wet Canidae to it. Ha! I've been slowly adding the Great Life; I started with a teaspoon in each feeding; Ziggy gobbles it down. No wet food needed. According to Dogfoodadvisor.com, this brand is rated very highly. You can go there to read why. And you can go to doctorsfinest.com to read all about Great Life Grain Free products (ingredients and guaranteed analysis).


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## Julie12 (May 10, 2017)

Only Great Life for my dog. I'm so satisfied with it, Stacy loves the salmon recipe. No complaints! Thanks to a friend who recommended it to me.


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## Jenny8 (May 16, 2017)

I continue to try other brands but I always seem to come back to Great Life. They are never fussy eating this food like the other brands. Chicken is their new fave!


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## Maurice_Frazier (Aug 30, 2018)

This is a best buy for a big dog who needs a little dietary control. I don't like Gustav to be overweight. Healthy wise, this product has no GMO's, potatoes and fillers. Perfect for all stages!


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## Matthew_Burns (Sep 3, 2018)

I had a hard time finding a dry dog food that my dogs would like until they tried this brand. They gobble it up in seconds. Great Product!


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## Belinda_Meyer (Sep 7, 2018)

Have purchased this food now for over a month with better results than many other foods labeled for sensitive stomachs and foods that are more pricey.


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## Miss_Kate (Sep 10, 2018)

I wasn't confident that my dog would like it but to my surprise he loves it! The ingredients are okay, and the result after switching to this brand is awesome.


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## Justin_Webb (Sep 11, 2018)

I am feeding my allergy prone English Bulldog the grain free Buffalo for several months now. The fur loss is gone!


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## Karen_Johanssen (Sep 11, 2018)

My dog loves her food so much. She looks very sleek and glossy, and eats this food with no tummy problems.


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## Cristina_Woodbridge (Sep 11, 2018)

My Bichon Frise Puppy absolutely loves this! He devours it like there's no tomorrow! Great product!


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## Stephanie_Miller (Sep 11, 2018)

Since we switched to Great Life, her coat became luxurious and shiny, plus her vet is very impressed with her overall health. It's the only food she has to eat.


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## Aidan_Lee (Sep 12, 2018)

My dog Abby absolutely loves it. He has had a great adjustment to it with no stomach issues and we are so glad to switch him over to this.


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## Belinda_Meyer (Sep 7, 2018)

Grade A! My dogs love it!! I will surely buy a bigger bag again.


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## Victoria_Anderson (Sep 12, 2018)

The only food for my dogs. They love it! It has a great history and is made in the USA!


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## Martin_Thompson (Sep 13, 2018)

We usually buy the whitefish food for our dogs...They both like the it and they never experience any digestive problems.


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## Stacey_Cooper (Sep 13, 2018)

Just recently switched my dogs to Great Life and was afraid they wouldn't like it as well. But no problems! They scarf it down like I've never seen.


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## Andrea_White (Sep 14, 2018)

This is the only product my very picky and spoiled dog, Rosey eats! She's a happy dog begging me to fill her bowl


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## Emily_Clark (Sep 14, 2018)

My dog LOVES this brand and it's the only one that helps with Lovie's sensitive tummy!!


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## Ross_Sanders (Sep 17, 2018)

Great food for dogs, especially those with grain allergies. My babies love it!


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## Arthur_West (Sep 18, 2018)

My Belgian Malinois loves this stuff. He even do tricks for one when I use it for treats. I'm so happy.


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## Bryan_Griffin (Sep 19, 2018)

Found out my dog is allergic to grains. Glad to know this brand is grain free.


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## Aira_Mendez (Sep 19, 2018)

Great product! Highly recommended for sensitive Boarder Collie.


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## Sara_Jones (Sep 19, 2018)

My dogs like it. Maggie's coat became very soft when she started using this brand.


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## Janine_Stewart (Sep 20, 2018)

Great food! It is the only food my dog eats. Must be tasty!


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## Carol_Ricks (Sep 20, 2018)

Once we started him on Great Life, she hasn't had one issue. She now has normal bowel movements, which is a big thing for her and me as well.


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## Samantha_Murphy (Sep 21, 2018)

Good buy for the price! My dog likes it so that's a winner!


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## Nathan_Coleman (Sep 24, 2018)

My dogs can hardly wait for me to put their bowls in front of them at feeding time. They like this food so much.


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## Isabella_Green (Sep 24, 2018)

My dogs love Great Life. There is no issues of vomiting nor diarrhea at all.


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