For many years, I have researched dog food: what’s in it, what should or shouldn’t be and which was the best food for my dogs. I even researched different feeding methods (raw/BARF and homecooked), aside from kibble.  My researched lead me to decide that a kibble was definitely the best for our family and that there were many really good foods on the market and choosing one was the biggest problem to overcome.
Because of my more remote location, without easy access to high-end pet stores that sell super premium specialty foods, I chose to feed Flint River, which is delivered to my door.  I did this for a number of years.  My research also lead me to believe that rotating between 2, or possibly 3, foods would ensure a well rounded nutritional balance for the dogs and that there would be no nutritional gaps. So I alternated between Flint River and Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. I did this for many years and my dogs did well.
Then there were the times that I would get really low on dog food and forget to order the Flint River. So I noticed I was feeding more Chicken Soup than Flint River. Not a huge deal. Until the day I was nearly out of Chicken Soup and none of the stores near me had any. None. I was told the local distributor was saying they may not carry it any more. This was a problem. A big one.
So I went to a newer feed store in a nearby town that’s really more of a feed/pet specialty store (think really small Petsmart), to see what they had that might be suitable to feed my dogs. I was desperate, yet not willing to compromise on my dog food snobbery standards. 
I was pleasantly surprised to discover Taste of the Wild pet food, made by the same manufacturers as Chicken Soup (Diamonds). This is a grain-free food and rated 6 stars on the Dog Food Analysis web site.  Excellent! So I get a 20 lb bag to bring home and give it a try.
OH MY GOODNESS! My dogs went nuts! Now mind you, my dogs ate Flint River and Chicken Soup foods just fine. I could put down their food and they would eat. They might not eat all that I put down right that minute, they would eat some; leave some and maybe come back later and eat the rest. But they didn’t turn their nose up and never not eat any. They did eat it. But with this food – they wolf it down. I mean, it’s less than a minute and it’s gone and they are jumping (literally jumping!) when they hear me scooping their food. They are that excited! Such a difference in their reaction.
We weren’t having any skin, coat or stool issues before – so nothing to overcome in those areas; and changing foods hasn’t caused any issues either. If anything, I’d say I see improvement where I didn’t realize there was any needed!
Taste of the Wild gets two paws up from my crew.Â
Mar 03, 2008 | | Dog Food and Treats
I posted yesterday a notice posted on my distributor login page (and also on the Flint River web site for the general public to see) regarding the recent pet food recall. Today, I received an email directly from Flint River with an updated response to the further recalls to include dry kibble:
April 4, 2007
Dear Flint River Ranch Distributors,
We appreciate everyone’s concern about the current recall and its unsettling recent expansion to include some dry foods beyond the canned formulas initially recalled. I know that you are all recieving inquiries from your customers and have questions of your own.
Flint River Ranch would like to reaffirm that all of our formulas and ingredients are safe. We purchase all of our ingredients from major US suppliers, and our ingredients are subjected to USDA testing. Our lamb is from free-range ranchs located in New Zealand.
Flint River Ranch foods do NOT contain wheat gluten. Wheat is used in some formulas; however, that wheat is acquired from a USDA-certified provider. The wheat used in FRR formulas is safe, does not come from China, and is always tested and certified.
Despite what various reports you read or see on TV may indicate, wheat – and wheat gluten – is truly NOT the source of the problem. The presence of a chemical(s) within a specific batch of wheat gluten from one Chinese company used by the Menu company is the issue. This is not to trivalize the problem, but to clarify the issue and assure you that this recall does not involve Flint River Ranch products or any ingredients.
Some imported wheat gluten from China is being recalled by ChemNutra, Inc. as a result of recent questions and findings surrounding this recall. From what we can find, only a particular lot from one of three Chinese suppliers of wheat gluten to ChemNutra is suspect. Please go to www.fda.gov for more information about the recall of imported wheat gluten from China.
As always, Flint River Ranch follows and exceeds guidelines as set forth by AAFCO – American Association of Feed Control Officials. Flint River Ranch foods are made using our own fixed formulas under our direction in Southern California. We do not “piggy-back” onto lines of mass-produced foods.
Let your customers know that if they are still concerned about wheat in their pet’s diet despite this information and would like to feed a wheat-free food, Flint River Ranch offers two excellent formulas that are 100% wheat-free. Lamb Meal, Millet & Rice (code LMR) and “Fish N’ Chips” – Trout and Sweet Potato (code FNC) both offer fully balanced nutrition for dogs, and are available in 10 and 20 pound bags. I have fed my dogs our Fish N’ Chips formula for many years now and continue to be impressed with their health, energy and appearance.
As I find out more information, I will be sure to pass it on. I know that this is a trying time for us all. but I want you to be assured that Flint River Ranch is properly staged to handle the additional demands on our system with minimal challenges. Our use of company and logistical warehouses enables us to spread the demand when necessary and ship product as needed. We have already increased our production in the plant to reflect this increase in demand and I am hiring even more CSR’s to assist in our daily orders. I am not thrilled with the reasoning behind this surge in interest in FRR, but I am very happy to report that many customers are reinvigorated about Flint River Ranch, our formulas and message of all-natural pet foods. I encourage you to stay as focused on the details of this issue and how FRR can help your current and new customer base…accurate information without hype will greatly assist to calm peoples fears of any problems with FRR products. I welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Jay P.
If you have any questions about Flint River Ranch pet food, please contact me. If you would like to order Flint River for your pet, you may do so via my web site.
Apr 04, 2007 | | Dog Food and Treats, General Comments
The news is buzzing lately of the latest pet food recalls due to rat poison found within some very well known brand of pet foods. Originally it was canned food, but has now moved on to some dry kibble as well. Last year there was another pet food recall for certain Diamonds brand food made in a specific location.
However, this latest recall involved a huge number of popular pet foods and has pet owners very concerned about what is safe to feed their pet. This whole issue has once again, made me very thankful that I feed Flint River Ranch (FRR). FRR uses human-grade ingredients in their food, it is bought from human food producers – so it goes through the same testing and standards for the food we humans eat. Below is a quote from the note on my Flint River Ranch distributor login site:
Dear FRR Customers & Distributors:
I know that the news of yet another pet food recall and the scale of this recall is disconcerting to us all. No one likes to see this kind of thing happen, not even to a competitor. We are all aware that somewhere down in this story…families have lost their beloved pets. It saddens us to think of their unexpected & shocking loss of a pet, friend, companion…just by feeding these tainted products.
I wanted everyone to be aware of the following:
Flint River Ranch does not buy from the supplier of the suspect ingredient(s) in Canada around this problem. You’ll have to take our word on that as I don’t even know who they are exactly, but we don’t buy from anyone in Canada and as of yet do not provide canned or pouched wet products, so this doesn’t affect us.
One of the reasons that we have never had and probably will never have a problem like this is that we don’t buy not from small independent suppliers, jumping around to get the best price. Every ingredient is tested before we use it and buying from major producers’ means that we get a better, safer product. Additionally, all of our formulas are tested every 15 minutes for standards as cooked and samples kept for 6 months. All ingredients used are bought from known producers with many years of a strong relationship between us. Chicken and grains from nationally known human-food producers equals human-grade rating and USDA protocol testing of those ingredients we buy. Some manufactures may like to shop around and go for the best pricing…sometimes that will land you in trouble. Better to stay assured on the quality and vitality of ingredients that you’re consistently using.
It is our bond and pledge to our customers that Flint River Ranch will produce the finest quality of canine & feline products we can, for you to provide to your beloved pets. Our professional associations are only with companies who produce or provide products at the same level as we do. I have no idea as to what has occurred with this recall, but I know that Flint River Ranch is only affected in the positive by it. It will help us to our customers of the love & care that we put into all our products.
Thank you for your support and concern on this issue and for being a part of the Flint River Ranch family!
Jay P. Margedant
I’m proud to be a distributor of Flint River Ranch, and if you are looking for a new, safe food to feed your pets – please consider Flint River Ranch. Email me if you have any questions, or order some now via my company web site. They ship the food right to your door – it doesn’t get any easier than that!
Apr 03, 2007 | | Dog Food and Treats, General Comments