# Farmina



## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

I'd like to know why you think it's a good food to feed your dog. Is it the ingredients, why? Does your dog, or you, just like it?


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

I have 2 main reasons. I decided to try it because of how the ingredients are listed, giving percentages of each ingredients; and I liked the ingredients. After getting a free sample which my pups went nuts for, even to the point of accepting it as treats, I decided to buy it. They still love this kibble. The Picky Prince will scarf down this kibble and look for more. The best part is that His Royal Highness' tail doesn't get bald spots, if he's feed this kibble (solely and for more than 2 weeks). Generally, if he doesn't get at least a meat meal every other day or added fat, midway down his tail he gets tiny bald patches. Almost looks like "wear spots" from sitting on it.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

What is your 2nd reason for liking this product? And what is it that makes you like the ingredient list?


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

Oops, how much my pups liked it and do well on it was the second. I liked the fact that it has a dehydrated meat as its second ingredients and that the ingredients are not split up. That's one of the most insulting thing,imo, that is done on ingredient list. I wished that the American panel listed the percentages like most of the others do.


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## LProf (Nov 12, 2013)

I also feed Farmina, the Ancestral Grain, rotating among the Cod, Lamb and Chicken, changing after each bag. In addition to the reasons set forth by Celt, I like the fairly lower Protein level and the nutrient panel, especially the lower Calcium and Phosphorus. For a food that has a Protein level of around 30%, to have that low calcium and phosphorus, to me, reflects that they are using quality protein. Also, I like that it is GMO free, and has no flaxseed since my Pug is intolerant to flaxseed. I found it hard to find a quality kibble that was free of flaxseed.


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## A&W (Apr 26, 2014)

I have been through about twenty five, 26lb bags of the grain free chicken and I really like the results on the food. Great stools, great coats and they never fail to eat, even in the summer when they used to skip meals.

I feed much less too. This food is the only food on the market that lists the "as fed" animal protein in the guaranteed analysis. If anyone has issues with the food it is probably overfeeding, which sadly is very common.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

My reasons for liking it is I like the ingredients, like the ease of having questions answered and the dogs like it.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I feel Farmina to my cat. And, it has cleared up her bladder UTI's and crystals. Because of the low phosphorus and calcium. She was on an expensive, so called 5 star food before that, it was the only food she would eat, I spent a fortune trying to find another kibble, plus she had constant trouble and vet bills. So, to say I was suprised when I got my sample bags of Farmina and she actually wolfed it down immediately, was an understatement. 
I love the fact that it has dehydrated meat instead of named protein meals, as I've found that there are very different qualities of meals and it's very hard to know how good they are unless the company divulges the phosphorous, ash and calcium levels, which none of them seem to willingly do. Which makes me think they are hiding something. I'm also a bit of tree hugger I guess, so the fact there are no GMO's rates very highly with me. No splitting of ingredients. Plus, you can contact the company and ask any question and get an answer straight away. But, I'm just spouting what others have already said now.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

Thanks for all of your responses. It's sort of what I was expecting, not a lot of reviews elsewhere to go on it seems. So I broke down and bought a bag of the Ancestral Lamb for one of my dogs. She's skinny so I think the grains might be good for her. As a mostly raw feeder, with a little Orijen kibble, this goes against what I would normally feed. But I am hoping it proves me wrong and works for my anorexic dog. I tried a modified version of Satin Balls on my girl and saw some improvement in her weight so am hoping the Farmina helps her fill out more.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

and never a recall.


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## AngelaPrimanti (Feb 24, 2014)

Great food, Highly Recommend


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

I'm thinking about trying a bag does anyone know the kcals/per cup or how to calculate?


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## A&W (Apr 26, 2014)

DDBsR4Me said:


> I'm thinking about trying a bag does anyone know the kcals/per cup or how to calculate?


The nutritional information is the US website, Farmina Pet Foods - Happy pet. Happy You. | Happy pet. Happy you.

The calories will be largely the same as any food with a similar GA, but Farmina kibble is much larger so a cup is much lighter because fewer pieces fit in a cup. The flipside is that there are many more cups in the bag because of this.

If you are interested in calories you need to do an apple to apples comparison of calories by weight of the food, but even then it won't matter too much. 

I feed 25% less of this food and on paper has lower calories than the food I used before.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

One thing I learned yesterday is to make sure you translate to American English on their website, not (British) English. The ingredients are different in Europe. Peas are in the European Farmina, but not in the American Farmina. A rep told a person on another group I'm a member of that they're working on removing peas from all their kibble eventually.


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

A&W said:


> The nutritional information is the US website, Farmina Pet Foods - Happy pet. Happy You. | Happy pet. Happy you.
> 
> The calories will be largely the same as any food with a similar GA, but Farmina kibble is much larger so a cup is much lighter because fewer pieces fit in a cup. The flipside is that there are many more cups in the bag because of this.
> 
> ...





Thanks for the link! I was going to the wrong site that only showed kcals/kg. I am a lil disappointed in the kcals in the grain inclusive formulas esp compared to Orijen (what I currently feed),which I know is apples to oranges but my senior could use a little weight and he doesn't like to eat a lot- he's good at about 4 cups a day, if I'm lucky I can get him to eat 5. He gets canned food, meat scraps, and sometime anchovy/sardine oil. He's not skinny per se just a little leaner than I'd like. He could use 5-7lbs. I'll have to check out the grain free.


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## A&W (Apr 26, 2014)

DDBsR4Me said:


> Thanks for the link! I was going to the wrong site that only showed kcals/kg. I am a lil disappointed in the kcals in the grain inclusive formulas esp compared to Orijen (what I currently feed),which I know is apples to oranges but my senior could use a little weight and he doesn't like to eat a lot- he's good at about 4 cups a day, if I'm lucky I can get him to eat 5. He gets canned food, meat scraps, and sometime anchovy/sardine oil. He's not skinny per se just a little leaner than I'd like. He could use 5-7lbs. I'll have to check out the grain free.


"Calories" are a paper calculation with no regard to ingredient quality, digestibility or how a food is made. If you think the calorie count is a highly scientific measure you would be wrong. Under the method used on pet food bags something completely indigestible would count as a calorie. Everything technically has a calorie value but not everything is digestible. 

The ratio of protein to fat and carbohydrates will dictate how a food does with weight gain not so much the calories.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

Read the facebook page. Sal will answer all queatuons


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks! 

Guess that shows what I know lol I just assumed calories and fat were what would cause weight gain. How it all correlates seems confusing!


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## A&W (Apr 26, 2014)

DDBsR4Me said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Guess that shows what I know lol I just assumed calories and fat were what would cause weight gain. How it all correlates seems confusing!


Partly correct. Fat is the least entropic, Carbohydrates a bit more and Protein by far the most.

What that means is when protein is converted to energy more calories are lost, about 30%. So the higher the proportion of protein calories, the fewer actual calories are actually usable after the conversion to energy. Fat and carbohydrates are easier and more efficient to convert to energy.

So, for a heavy dog, more protein helps the animal to slim down. For a thin dog, more carbs and fat stick to the ribs.

This applies to people as well.


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

Well I ordered a bag tonight, I'll see how my guys like it when it gets here. If they like it I'll try it a while and see how they do on it.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

Update-I am not thrilled with the Lamb Ancestral Grain. My girl has not gained weight in the last few weeks and tonight she has some stinky gas! Thankfully, I only bought a 5 lb bag so I'll finish it and switch back to Orijen I guess. Satin balls (with minimal ingredients) actually worked better for weight gain than the Farmina.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Guess it depends on the animal, I've had to cut back on the amount of Farmina my cat gets, shes been putting on a bit of beef lately. What is in satin balls?


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

MollyWoppy said:


> Guess it depends on the animal, I've had to cut back on the amount of Farmina my cat gets, shes been putting on a bit of beef lately. What is in satin balls?


For the satin balls I use a lb of 80/20 ground beef, 1 1/2 cup oatmeal and half a jar of Teddy unsalted peanut butter. Roll them into 1/4 cup balls and freeze. There are a lot of other recipes out there with junk in them but I limited mine to what I know my dog can eat. 

As for the Farmina disappointment, this one dog I have is pretty sensitive, which is why she eats 85% raw. I just can't seem to get her to gain weight on it though. Guess I'll go back to adding oatmeal to her food with the occasional satin ball.


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

Well I got the grain inclusive chicken and my two are not impressed, debating whether I should try one of the grain free formulas or just forget it and leave them on Orijen.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

My two kibble fed labs thrive on the cod.and vangie,due to high eosinophil count, needs her food switched just about every month, along with a weekly small dose of pred.

I'm recall phobic so our choices are very limited.


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## AngelaPrimanti (Feb 24, 2014)

DDBsR4Me said:


> Well I got the grain inclusive chicken and my two are not impressed, debating whether I should try one of the grain free formulas or just forget it and leave them on Orijen.


Mine were confused by it when I first opened the bag. The kibble is much bigger and the smell is quite strong. I put a few pieces in their mouths and after that they would not eat the old food when I was mixing. A dog that doesn't like Farmina is very rare.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

I am sure there are many dogs that don't like, or do well, on Farmina. I have not been able to find a lot of reviews on the product and since my dog is not gaining weight on it I will switch back to Orijen. Now I am sure someone will pipe in that Farmina is a far superior food, but please don't if you don't have exact reasons why. I think the best food is the one that works for your dog.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

not every food works for every dog, no matter how wonderful it seems to be.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

A food may 'work' for your dog, but you have to do your due diligence with the company too. How many recalls? Why were there recalls? Were they forced recalls or did the company voluntarily recall the food? How many dogs/cats suffered or died before the food was recalled? Where does the company source their meals from? What is the ash content of their food and how forthcoming are they in disclosing this information? Where do they source every tiny ingredient in their foods, even if they state the food is manufactured in the US or Canada? How quickly do they reply to your enquiries?


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## A&W (Apr 26, 2014)

Kritter said:


> I am sure there are many dogs that don't like, or do well, on Farmina. I have not been able to find a lot of reviews on the product and since my dog is not gaining weight on it I will switch back to Orijen. Now I am sure someone will pipe in that Farmina is a far superior food, but please don't if you don't have exact reasons why. I think the best food is the one that works for your dog.


If your dog is at a low unhealthy weight you may want to try a few things. 1) Worm the dog. Most owners don't but I do every six months and 2) Check the dog's thyroid for hyperthyroidism. 

Or, maybe your dog is at a good weight and just has a high metabolism.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

A&W said:


> If your dog is at a low unhealthy weight you may want to try a few things. 1) Worm the dog. Most owners don't but I do every six months and 2) Check the dog's thyroid for hyperthyroidism.
> 
> Or, maybe your dog is at a good weight and just has a high metabolism.


Thank you for the suggestions. She is not at an unhealthy weight, she is just thin and her high energy makes it hard to put or keep weight on her. I thought supplementing raw with a grain based kibble might work and Farmina is the only one I have been willing to try. I will just go back to adding oatmeal to her food with the occasional round of satin balls until she calms down and fills out a bit.


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## A&W (Apr 26, 2014)

Kritter said:


> Thank you for the suggestions. She is not at an unhealthy weight, she is just thin and her high energy makes it hard to put or keep weight on her. I thought supplementing raw with a grain based kibble might work and Farmina is the only one I have been willing to try. I will just go back to adding oatmeal to her food with the occasional round of satin balls until she calms down and fills out a bit.


Instead of oatmeal, buy a good quality whole ground corn meal and make polenta. Let it cool on a jelly roll pan and cut it into squares and keep them in freezer. You can also add some olive oil to the polenta mix.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

A&W said:


> Instead of oatmeal, buy a good quality whole ground corn meal and make polenta. Let it cool on a jelly roll pan and cut it into squares and keep them in freezer. You can also add some olive oil to the polenta mix.


May I ask why corn meal instead of oatmeal?


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

So even though I am a raw feeder I have a slight obsession with kibble because I have to rely on it when traveling. The gas issue with the Farmina seems to have been a one time thing so I am wondering if it was something else. I am thinking of continuing with the Farmina Ancestral Grain for one dog and possibly switching my other dog to the grain free version. My biggest concern now is thinking, how long does this food sit in non-climate controlled containers before it gets to the US? Has anyone else considered this? Or have any information on it?


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## A&W (Apr 26, 2014)

Kritter said:


> So even though I am a raw feeder I have a slight obsession with kibble because I have to rely on it when traveling. The gas issue with the Farmina seems to have been a one time thing so I am wondering if it was something else. I am thinking of continuing with the Farmina Ancestral Grain for one dog and possibly switching my other dog to the grain free version. My biggest concern now is thinking, how long does this food sit in non-climate controlled containers before it gets to the US? Has anyone else considered this? Or have any information on it?


I asked about that very thing. The trip from Italy to the east coast is 15 - 17 days and food goes directly to the distributor warehouse.

Other foods are trucked over land where it is much warmer and go from warehouse to warehouse before getting to your store. Are any of these warehouses climate controlled and how hot does the inside of a tractor trailer get? I would guess trucks get very hot.

Even in the summer, the temperature over the ocean is much cooler than on land.

I thought about this too but came away thinking the food was in a better position not being trucked over land and not going to warehouses along the way.

If you have a questions ask the guy on Facebook.


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm not on Facebook though.


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

AngelaPrimanti said:


> Mine were confused by it when I first opened the bag. The kibble is much bigger and the smell is quite strong. I put a few pieces in their mouths and after that they would not eat the old food when I was mixing. A dog that doesn't like Farmina is very rare.


I've tried your,suggestion and they seem to be coming around... both of them have not been eating well recently (they go through phases) and I think that was a part of it. I can't say they are ecstatic about it as of yet but they have started eating it, now that the no eating phase seems to be ending. The other issue is the kibble size, my senior is not a big fan of large kibble, though it doesn't seem super hard for him to chew. Do any of their other formulas have smaller kibble?


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 25, 2014)

DDBsR4Me said:


> I've tried your,suggestion and they seem to be coming around... both of them have not been eating well recently (they go through phases) and I think that was a part of it. I can't say they are ecstatic about it as of yet but they have started eating it, now that the no eating phase seems to be ending. The other issue is the kibble size, my senior is not a big fan of large kibble, though it doesn't seem super hard for him to chew. Do any of their other formulas have smaller kibble?


All of their formula come in a mini bite kibble. I use this for my Chihuahua. I know Chewy.com now has all of the mini kibbles. I think they only come in 5.5lb bags.

Also about the freshness worries, just to add to what others have already said, I've noticed my Farmina bags have an expiration date of about 1 year away. Most brands I've used usually expire in a few months. That leads me to believe the Farmina bags are pretty freshly made.


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