Does anyone use Dr. Harvey's?

[LuvTaycieGirl]

I have a friend who told me about Dr. Harvey's and I was wondering if anyone uses it here? What are your thoughts?

[ArmaniMan]

I use some of their treats- I did try the food once and the dogs thought I was INSANE- they were not touching that stuff- lol! They don't seem to be a big fan of things that we rehydrate though. But the sweet potato chews and the cod treats are big hits here.

[Ellie May]

I've read a thing or two about it on the internet and wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. It has been a couple years since that stuff was written though.

I doubt think it meets AAFCO even after mixing it.

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I doubt think it meets AAFCO even after mixing it.

It is a lot more work to get it balanced then they make it out to be- a nutritionist recommended it to me and she gave me this whole recipe- I had to add so many things to the mix- oils, meats, vitamins, etc. It was a ton of work, there was no way I was putting that much effort into something the dogs didn't even want to eat.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

They say its completly balanced online.. wonder why? It has awesome reviews from what I have read.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

I did find this online...

You will NEVER find a pre-mix that says it is nutritionally complete. If the food does not already contain the protein it cannot be labeled as nutritionally complete. It will be labeled for supplemental feeding only.

Which makes sense.. I know off the top of my head The Honest Kitchen Preference is also not AFFCO certified..

Hmmmm... interesting

[Ellie May]

The review I had read was not at all good. It was on a private group (liver shunt, I think).

Anyway, I don't see where they guarantee that it's balanced if you add meat and oil. Looks like you add 1 tbls of oil? Doesn't sound right. Also, they say add some cottage cheese if feeding to a pup and all is well. Really, homecooking is pretty risky for a pup unless talking to a nutritionist about it.

If I was going to do all they say needs to be done to the food and the result would still probably be an unbalanced food, I'd just homecook instead.

Good reviews are nice to see, but most people have no idea what to look for to know if their dog is healthy. And so many dogs don't see a vet regularly. So if exams aren't done on these dogs lately (where the owners are giving good reviews), then they may not mean much.

[Ellie May]

They should be able to say if you add xyz, then this would meet AAFCO guidelines, but correct, it couldn't say AAFCO approved on the label.

Ellie's homemade recipes weren't not AAFCO approved, but they met AAFCO guidelines for her lifestage.