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Great Life Dog Food

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#121 ·
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.
 
#122 ·
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.
 
#123 ·
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
 
#125 ·
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!
 
#126 ·
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!
 
#127 ·
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.
 
#128 ·
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?
 
#129 ·
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.
 
#130 ·
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.
 
#131 ·
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!
 
#132 ·
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.
 
#133 ·
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.
 
#134 ·
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.
 
#136 ·
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!
 
#137 ·
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.
 
#138 ·
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.
 
#140 ·
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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