Stella & Chewy’s Freeze Dried Raw Dinner Patties – Grain Free Dog Food, Protein Rich Surf ‘N Turf Salmon & Beef Recipe – 25 oz Bag

$6,000 in vet bills and my dog almost died. 2/13/18: My two dogs love, I repeat, LOVE Stella & Chewy’s (all flavors). In fact, they love it so much that I can no longer get them to eat anything else. They were previously eating Orijen and Honest Kitchen (both high quality dog foods, as far as my research tells me) but now they turn their noses up at both. I almost wish I hadn’t introduced them to this because it’s pretty expensive, especially for two dogs….8/31/18 UPDATE: I exclusively fed my dogs Stella & Chewy’s for about 6-9 months. They love this food. I mean really, really love it (see prior review from February above). I purchased the first bag at a local pet store and intended to give it as an occasional treat but it quickly became the only thing they wanted. Given the cost, the joke was on me. Anyway, two weeks ago one of my dogs became VERY sick with pancreatitis and cholangiohepatitis. I mean sick as in she almost died. She was treated inpatient at a prestigious animal hospital in NYC and multiple doctors on the internal medicine service stated that although there is no way to prove it 100%, they felt extremely confident that my dog became ill as a result of infection from her raw diet, the very high fat content of the food, or more than likely a combination of both. This was devastating to me, as I had been paying an arm and a leg for what I thought was the best possible food for my dogs. These reputable, expert veterinarians who treat thousands of animals each year told me that since the raw food craze has taken over they have seen a huge spike in infections resulting in the deaths of many beloved pets. It honestly sort of pains me to write this review, as I think that overall Stella & Chewy’s creates good products and as a company I do not doubt their good intentions. However, apparently the risks of feeding our pets a raw diet are many and this is not information that I want to keep to myself. If you are not worried about infection (because yes I know, this is a chance you take buying ANY commercial pet food), please also pay attention to the high fat content of these patties compared to that of many other types of dog foods. Understand that like humans, dogs are at risk for things like pancreatitis when they are eating food that is too high in fat. I was most recently feeding my dogs the Duck Duck Goose formula and in retrospect realize that the fat content was probably way too high. I feel like a moron for not paying closer attention to this. It is suspected that my dog had a low grade, chronic pancreatitis for many months from the higher fat diet which then became exacerbated by an infection from the raw food (this assessment from the veterinarians was backed up by many expensive tests but I will not bore you with those details). In summary, I suppose this review is not specifically for Stella & Chewy’s but applies to all raw pet food or any pet food with very high fat content. I wish that I had known some of the negative experiences of pet owners before me so that I could have made a better choice for my dogs. I don’t doubt that millions of pets are eating raw without any issues, but I trust that the animal hospital was not lying when they told me of this epidemic of sorts that they have been seeing with the recent rise in raw food popularity. Many people who read this will continue to buy raw, but having read my review at least they can consider themselves warned. After much research and debate my dogs are back to eating Honest Kitchen Base Mix topped with home-cooked lean meats.

My Siberian Husky’s favorite. This is a top quality food product & worth every penny. My finicky pup loves this as a treat (given whole) or broken up & mixed in with her food.

Nice and healthy food product for my dogs. Nice and healthy food product for my dogs!

Even finicky or sick dogs seem to love the Dandy Lamb patties. Too expensive for long-term use, but I have used the Stella and Chewy patties with three dogs and they loved their Dandy Lamb. Examples: Dog #1. My Airedale terrier, almost 12 years old, was coming to the end of a life marred by severe inflammatory bowel disease. It was hard to get her to eat, even with appetite boosters. But she would eat the Dandy Lamb patties.Dog #2. I babysat for a young Havanese when his owner was dealing with her daughter’s hospitalization. I noticed that he was vomiting frequently, on the chicken -based food his owner was using. I asked her if I could change his food, as I suspected a chicken senstivity — it seems to be more common than many people realize. The dog loved the Dandy Lamb, and the vomiting stopped. I suggested that the owner switch her dog to a lamb-based food, or even to another protein, like salmon.Dog #3, a miniature poodle, was just past puppyhood when I cared for her last time. A frequent visitor, she was healthy and showing no signs of homesickness. But she refused to eat the kibble her owner sent, even when I tried to hand feed her. No dog gets sick on my watch, so I quickly ordered Dandy Lamb. She became a happy, eager eater. I advised her owner to mix it in with her usual food to transition her back to it.All in all, I find lamb-based foods more digestible and well-tolerated for most dogs, but some dogs seem to find other lamb foods, like Canidae, too bland. The Stella and Chewy Dandy Lamb products seem to have a good taste, yet do not irritate sensitive tummies. Unless you thoroughly soak the patties in water before serving them, make sure that your dog drinks more water, because some dogs become a bit constipated otherwise. And remember that lamb will change the color of your dog’s stools, often to a bit yellowish, so don’t be alarmed.

My dog LOVES this food. He gets so excited for dinner time. Very good ingredients. With the organic fruits and vegetables I’m pretty sure my dog eats better than I do. I break the patties up and add water. It’s expensive but it’s not cost prohibitive for my small 10 lb dog because he doesn’t eat very much. He still has free range access to kibble and he gets one daily special meal with 2 patties at dinner time. I’m pretty sure my dog would be devastated if I stopped buying it for him.