Mom sent a Christmas gift for Riley and me four days ago, and it just arrived today.
“Go Riley, Go!”
“What’s inside, Riley?”
“Ooo, kibbles!”
These are the kibbles from Canadian Naturals Tod is currently on. He goes through a small sample bag once a month. Eating too little? Well, he’s a fourteen-years old forty-five pounds Shiba Inu who is 18″ or 19″ inches tall at the whither. Do the math, he’s not overweight.
Here are the ingredients:
Ingredients
Fresh turkey, turkey meal, brown rice, oatmeal, potato, dehulled barley, chicken fat(stabilized with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of vitamin E), salmon meal, sweet potato, tomato pomace, natural flavour, flaxseed, whole dried egg, brewer’s yeast, canola oil, alfalfa, spinach, broccoli, apple, blueberries, pears, bananas, lecithin, dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, salt, choline chloride, DL-methionine, L-lysine, L-carnitine, yucca schidigera extract, probiotics (lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, enterococcus faecium, bifidobacterium thermophilum), vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, inositol, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, beta carotene, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin K, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), glucosamine hydrochloride, DL-methionine, L-lysine, L-carnitine, yucca schidigera extract, rosemary, garlic, cinnamon, paprika, capsicum, chamomile, turmeric, dandelion.
Nutritional values
Weight (lb)
4.5 – 11
11 – 33
33 – 55
55 – 77
77 – 110Cups/day*
1/2 – 1
1 – 1 1/2
1 1/2 – 2
2 – 2 3/4
2 3/4 – 3 1/2Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 25% Min
Crude Fat 15% Min
Crude Fibre 4% Max
Moisture 10% Max
Omega 6 2.8% Min
Omega 3 0.45% Min
Glucosamine 400 ppm Min…
* For gestation and lactation, feed as much as 3 times the amount indicated in 3 feedings per day.
I will do an analysis to see how it lines up with NRC later on. For now, all I can say judging from the ingredients, it’s no good for a hypercarnivore like Rousseau; it’s not necessarily bad for hypocarnivores like dogs and Argentine tegus though. Not that I would feed kibbles to lizards. So I will mix the Canadian Naturals in Riley’s kibbles.
“Treat bags! Three of them!”
I used to feed a mix of EVO, Innova and Orijen for Rou; but when Procter & Gamble, owner of Iams and Eukanuba, acquired Natura Pets Products, I dropped EVO and Innova from the shopping list. California Naturals is one of Natura Pets Products’ lines.
Here are the ingredients and nutritional values:
Ingredients
Lamb meal, Brown Rice, Rice, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Taurine, Rosemary Extract
Nutritional Values
Crude Protein (Min) 21.0%
Crude Fat (Min) 11.0%
Crude Fiber (Max) 2.0%
Moisture (Max) 10.0%
Vitamin E (Min) 300 UI/kg
Taurine* (Min) 0.1%*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles
Calorie Content:
3,990 kcal/kg (108 g = 1 cup)
430 kcal/cup (3.8 ounces = 1 cup)
Again, not ideal for a ferret or a cat. I will mix this one in with Riley’s kibbles. Also, it pays to check the ingredients since apparently Natura Pet Products changed the ingredients since last year.
“A new tug-of-war toy for you!”
A good replacement for his rubber chicken which he destroyed after two weeks. I will have to see if this stands up to the mighty fangs of the ferret who weasel into the toy box. Now, I am not a fan of rope toys since Tod would dismantle them for fun. However Riley seems to be more interested in playing tug-of-war than chewing on it, so I think it should be okay as long I keep the rope in the toy box. I would prefer a better alternative though.
“Rawr!”
“You guys would have a blast with this one.”
A Kong Wobbler. I had to teach him how to use it by batting it around for about twenty minutes, then I put him the crate for about an hour and a half, let him out again and lo and behold he was trying to figure how to get the treats to fall out. Except it didn’t take him long to figure out how to get treats out with minimal effort, all he had to do was knock it in a way the Wobbler would lay down, then he would spin it like a top. The way he did it reminds me of Homer Simpson running around in a circle on the ground. It seems bomb-proof, think this one of these toys I can leave unsupervised with the dog and the ferret. I am sure Daggit would get a kick out of it too once he’s out of hibernation.
“Mmmm… more bull penises!”
An assortment of chew toys: bull pizzles, a lamb ear, a raw hide roll and a dental bone. I know dental bones and rawhides are bad. Yes, I know all about the chemicals used to treat them, and I am well aware of the choking hazards. It’s the thought that counts.
In all fairness, this is one of Tod’s rawhides. He refuses to touch any reeks of chemicals and treatments, so this is one of the types he will touch. Well, since Tod lost interest in chewing, mom forwarded this to me.
A set of dental care for me. How thoughtful. Isn’t that’s what mothers are for? Oh, she got Riley a toothbrush too!
“Sweet, you got your own toothbrush now, Riley.”
“What the hell is this?”
Odd contraption. How are you suppose to use this anyway? How does the design work in in our benefit?
“Mmmm. Leeeeeentils.”
Thoughtful mom strikes again. I didn’t like beans until I had a vegetarian roommate, so I decided to be considerate of her diet since we were sharing the same fridge and stove at the time. Turned out roommate would rather eat processed meat substitutes that tastes like junk rather than eat the nummy all-natural stuff. Either way, I took a liking to beans and lentils after that experience.
“Strong Bad? Reminds me of a Pokemon.”
And finally, this. The large Bad Other Cuz not ferret-proof. I can tell it’s not safe for ferrets by the feet and the horns. In addition, there’s a hardened silicone hole in the back where Rou can easily nip into and pull out. Riley likes rolling it around though.
Mom’s friend, Agnes, recommended the JW Pet brand since it’s what she used for her German Shepherd. Looking at it, I am skeptical of it being good for chewers who can nip away at the smaller pieces. However since Riley likes rolling it around, I will keep it in the toy box.
I am glad mom sent these, even if they’re less than ideal for the others. I am sure Riley would love to play with these.
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