If you’re a fan of the Food Network, or even if you have a television, then you’re well aware of who Rachael Ray is and what she stands for. Rachael has made a career of creating delicious and healthy meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.
She’s taken her love of food and extended it to creating yummy food for your beloved dogs. Although her brand is expansive, we want to highlight Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food.
In this review, we are going to talk a little more about the ingredients found in the dog food, but we are also going to give you an overview of what people who have purchased the pet food had to say about how their dog’s reacted when they were given the food.
Then, we’re going to give you our recommendation on whether or not this dog food is something you should consider purchasing for your own four-legged best friend!
About The Product
If ever you had a chance to ask Rachael Ray about what made her decide to go into the dog food business, she’ll tell you that to her, food is love—regardless if you’re feeding people or your pets. She enjoys creating delicious meals for family and her friends, and she brings that passion to the dog food line.
The ingredients you’ll find in the dog food is high quality and features named protein sources like chicken, beef, and even seafood. Then, those proteins are combined with wholesome vegetables which results in a dog food that is rich with essential vitamins and minerals.
The main ingredients in this food include:
- Chicken – A quality product, though 80% of the water will be cooked out, thus greatly reducing the weight of the actual chicken product in the meat.
- Chicken Meal – This is a meat concentrate that contains almost 300% more protein than fresh chicken. A meat concentrate is the end product of rendering and there is no liquid left in the meat.
- Dried Peas – This ingredient is a great source of carbs and they are rich in dietary fiber. It should be noted that peas contain 27% protein, which should be in mind when considering the food’s protein content.
- Brown Rice – A complex carb that when it has been cooked, it is easy to digest. Although it is a good source of energy for your dog, it holds little nutritional value.
- Brewers Rice – This is a cereal grain by-product that is left over after whole rice has been milled. This ingredient only really offers caloric energy and not much else by way of nutritional value.
Something that we feel is worth mentioning about Rachael Ray dog food products is that a portion of the proceeds from each product in the Nutrish line is donated to her foundation, the Rachael Ray Foundation. This foundation helps animals in need through Rachael’s Rescue.
These funds are used to purchase food, medical treatment and supplies, and much more. So, when you buy a bag of this food, regardless of the size, some of that money is going to help an animal that truly needs help.
What Customers Say
When looking at the reviews for the product, 81% of customers left 4 or 5-star reviews. Of these reviews, customers said that they were able to give their picky eater dogs this food and they ate it up. Customers also have said this food is good to give pets with allergies, too.
A couple customers have said that once they started giving their pets this brand of food, their pets haven’t needed eye drops or other allergy medication, which was a relief to the pet owners. One customer said that their dog couldn’t gain weight, but when they started feeding them this dog food, they started filling out to a healthy size—never becoming overweight.
Of the remaining 19% of customers who left 3-star reviews or lower, the common complaint was that this dog food isn’t the best—“it’s just okay.” Just okay isn’t really an endorsement nor a complaint. With that said, there were some complaints regarding the food. Customers have said it cause their dog’s skin and fur to become dry and brittle.
Our Rating
Other customers have said that it caused their dog’s to have soft stool. Some customers have commented on the odor of the dog food. Some have said it smelled so bad, even their dog wouldn’t eat it. Customers want to point out that you have to read the feeding instructions so your dog gets the appropriate amount of food.
According to one customer, the instructions required her to feed her pet 3 cups of the food per day, whereas another leading brand only required two cups. As you can imagine, that extra cup per day will cause the food to run out a lot sooner than you’d expect.
Our Recommendation
We all want to make sure our pets are getting the best possible nutrition we can give them. For just under $30 for a 28 pound bag, you can rest assured in knowing that this food makes some hefty claims, which they can back up. The dog food uses natural products and have additional vitamins, minerals, and prebiotics that helps your dog’s digestion.
Do we feel that this is a good product? Yes and no. It is a good product and we like that part of the proceeds from a sale goes to helping other animals in need. You can give this dog food to your pet and know that they aren’t getting any poultry by-product meal, fillers, wheat, or wheat gluten.
If you’re someone who wants to make sure your dog eats food that features named protein sources and uses wholesome ingredients, then we feel the Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food is an excellent choice.
