ZenCat
10-02-2008, 03:16 PM
Since California Natural seems to have crept into every dog food thread in this section, and I have felt the need to correct, amend, disprove, etc. some of the claims being made about it by some people, I wanted to take the opportunity to set the record straight on my personal opinion of California Natural.
I think California Natural is a very important food. It is one of the only options remaining for those of us who choose to feed simple foods or those of us who have very sensitive dogs and have no other choice but to feed a limited ingredient diet. Especially those of us who want to try it when prescription diets may be too economically out of our reach.
Our options are dwindling in the Limited Ingredient Diet sector alarmingly. Especially for those of us who have dogs who's chronic ear infections are not relieved by grain-free foods (potatoes are included in the list of foods to avoid in yeast-starving diets, and I personally know dogs who found resolution of their chronic ear infections on rice-only foods but not on potato-based foods).
Furthermore, I have no problem with Natura. I think more harm is being done to Natura by claims from fans who use misinformation, omission, and scare tactics to push it as an alternative to other foods being discussed or considered on this board.
In fact, I've had the opportunity to discuss factually-erroneous claims about their foods made on this board, making sure they understood I have no personal prejudice against ANY of their brands but also that I was not one of their customers, and they were more than willing to straighten out fact from fiction, and thanked me for taking the time to do it, as I thanked them.
I have read about many dogs who do beautifully on California Natural. I have also read about many dogs who have done poorly on it.
Just like any other food.
In conclusion, I don't now and have never used California Natural, so I can't offer any first hand experience with it. And while that doesn't stop me from considering it a valuable tool for our dogs, or prevent me from recommending it, I think it's unfair to use it as the "Gold Standard" to which every other dog food available should be held, and any claims made about it should be confirmed with Natura themselves if they don't ring true.
Here's their phone number: (800) 532-7261
I think California Natural is a very important food. It is one of the only options remaining for those of us who choose to feed simple foods or those of us who have very sensitive dogs and have no other choice but to feed a limited ingredient diet. Especially those of us who want to try it when prescription diets may be too economically out of our reach.
Our options are dwindling in the Limited Ingredient Diet sector alarmingly. Especially for those of us who have dogs who's chronic ear infections are not relieved by grain-free foods (potatoes are included in the list of foods to avoid in yeast-starving diets, and I personally know dogs who found resolution of their chronic ear infections on rice-only foods but not on potato-based foods).
Furthermore, I have no problem with Natura. I think more harm is being done to Natura by claims from fans who use misinformation, omission, and scare tactics to push it as an alternative to other foods being discussed or considered on this board.
In fact, I've had the opportunity to discuss factually-erroneous claims about their foods made on this board, making sure they understood I have no personal prejudice against ANY of their brands but also that I was not one of their customers, and they were more than willing to straighten out fact from fiction, and thanked me for taking the time to do it, as I thanked them.
I have read about many dogs who do beautifully on California Natural. I have also read about many dogs who have done poorly on it.
Just like any other food.
In conclusion, I don't now and have never used California Natural, so I can't offer any first hand experience with it. And while that doesn't stop me from considering it a valuable tool for our dogs, or prevent me from recommending it, I think it's unfair to use it as the "Gold Standard" to which every other dog food available should be held, and any claims made about it should be confirmed with Natura themselves if they don't ring true.
Here's their phone number: (800) 532-7261