What's for Dinner, Part 2: We love Acana!

So last time we left off, I was lamenting the fact that Maizy was not really into her Acana dog food anymore. She would eat it, eventually, but I was tired of seeing the food sitting her bowl for hours on end. I know she'll never be like a garbage truck- er, like a lab, but some interest in her food would be nice.

So I took to Twitter and said Maizy wasn't finding her Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear very palatable anymore. I wasn't expecting a response, but I did get one - they offered me simple, but very helpful advice. As a result, we're sticking with Acana.

The new game plan is to mix up her food between the different types of Acana Singles. This will be super easy to implement as switching between the foods if quite easy. The usual long drawn out transition period is much shorter, taking only a few days to allow the dog to adjust to the new protein source.

Acana has three versions of their "Singles" formula.

Now I'll admit, I have yet to actually implement this plan but I'm quite certain it will work well for Maizy. Mostly, I'm just happy I don't have to switch from Acana because I love their food. As I noted it "What's For Dinner, Part 1" I get a little bit crazy when it comes to selecting dog food.

Why Acana?

So why did I choose Acana for my dog, after hours of research and whining to my friends about how I couldn't find the right food. Well...

• Made in Canada. This is hugely important to me, both because I like to support the Canadian economy and because it helps me sleep at night. Dog food regulations are stricter in North American then in a country like China.
• "Biologically appropriate". Sounds fancy right? In the professional world, I (sadly) don't get to play with doggies all day - I'm in marketing, and one of the things I look at most is how a product is described. The right descriptors are what really snags the customer, but often times these claims, while never outright lies, don't tell the whole picture. I approached the term "biologically appropriate" with a bit of apprehension, but I'm pleased to say Acana has made me a believer. Quite simply, they use fresh meats with high protein. 
• No "extras". Their ingredients are fresh, with no added preservatives and delivered daily. They look for meat suppliers that are humane and that promote sustainability. 
• Grain Free. Okay, I'm not sure I actually buy into the whole grain free movement. I do believe you can have a good quality dog food that has grains. However, I want the best for Maizy, so at this point we are on the grain free bandwagon.
• A detailed website. I didn't have to hunt for the information I wanted. Ingredients, nutritional info, and feeding rates were all right there.
• No fish. This is a personal thing for my dog - she gets a bit stinky when foods have a lot of fish. However, fish is a great source of Omega 3 and overall, is a good dog food ingredient.