Stella and Chewy Raw Food

[olliesmommy]

Hi Everyone,

So I was thinking of switching over to raw, and the gal at the store told me that Stella and Chewy is a great product. Has anyone had good or bad experiences with this product? I'm thinking about the beef and lamb varieties because they are lower in protein and my baby needs a low protein diet because of liver problems.

Speaking of protein, I though that wet foods were higher in protein than stated because of all of the extra moisture. Wasn't there a calculator that converted the values? If this is the case, perhaps I need to reconsider. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I'm so confused!

Here's the info on the foods I'm thinking about.

Beef:

Farm-Fresh Ingredients
USDA-inspected beef, beef liver, beef kidney, beef heart, beef tripe, ground beef bone, organic cranberries, apple cider vinegar, whole chicken egg, organic broccoli, calcium carbonate, red potatoes, organic spinach, organic seaweed, organic beets, organic butternut squash, organic apples, organic blueberries, whole flaxseed, brewer’s yeast, organic carrots, and sage.

Fortified with vitamins and minerals. Rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and probiotics.

Vitamins & Minerals
Zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, cobalt sulfate, choline chloride, vitamin E (di-alpha tocopherol acetate), niacin, calcium pantothenate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mono nitrate, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin.

Guaranteed Analysis
crude protein min 15%
crude fat min 9%
crude fiber max 2%
moisture max 68%


Lamb:

Farm Fresh Ingredients
Lamb, ground lamb bone, lamb liver, lamb hearts, lamb kidney, organic cranberries, apple cider vinegar, whole chicken egg, organic broccoli, calcium carbonate, red potatoes, organic spinach, organic seaweed, organic beets, organic butternut squash, organic apples, organic blueberries, whole flaxseed, brewer’s yeast, organic carrots, and sage. Fortified with vitamins and minerals. Rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and probiotics.

Guaranteed Analysis
crude protein min 14%
crude fat min 6%
crude fiber max 2%
moisture max 68%

Thanks!

[Ellie May]

There are some nutritionists that think it is okay to feed a liver compromised dog raw food. That may or may not be true (I personally would not) but if you decide to do it, please do it under the direction of a nutritionist (preferrably veterinary nutritionist).

That said, the beef is about 47% protein on a dry matter basis if my calculations are correct. That is way too high. Is your baby showing any neurologic symptoms?

Red meat has the most toxins in it and should be avoided in my opinion, so I would not feed beef or lamb. Organ meats (like liver) are hard on the liver (which this food is full of) and probably shouldn't be given.

Homecooking is a great option for liver compromised dogs if you want to put the time and money into having a nutritionist create you a recipe and cooking 1-2 times a month.

[tumismom]

i use stella and chewy and i think they are excellent food. I actually rotate between three brands which are stella and chewy, Natures Variety, and Primal.

[olliesmommy]

Thanks so much! He isn't having any symptoms, the vet recommended low protein as a preventative measure after he had some blood work done a while back. He's having six teeth pulled on Monday, so we'll see what the labs say then (hopefully they are looking better)! Thanks for all of your help!

[KellyV]

My kids seem to like it. It's one of the brands I use in my rotations....
It's a creamier texture than say, Nature's Variety. Not at all chunky.