Dog Food Review: Open Farm

Just as the human population seeks healthy food alternatives for our style of living, more and more, pet owners are starting to seek the same quality of food for their pets. The vast majority of us eat protein-rich foods, healthy fruits and vegetables, and try to cut out any foods that would be hazardous to our health.

The $26 billion pet food industry has been questionable for decades. Many pet foods on the market are loaded with cornstarch, animal bi-product, fillers, and artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives. Does that sound like a meal you'd like to eat? No, didn't think so. So why do we allow it for our pets?

Discovering Open Farm has become such a breath of fresh air. By reading through their ingredient lists, you can see just how much they genuinely care about the well-being of animals, and not just the ones they are feeding; their meats are 'certified humane.' Open Farm's honesty and ethics are shaping the industry for the better and making pet owners aware that we need to put more consideration into what we feed our pets. The quality of their product is challenging those brands who are producing pet food solely for the money. Well done Open Farm!

Open Farm is a family business based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; founded in 2013.

They pride themselves on the quality of meats and ingredients they use to produce their brand of dog food. Open Farm cares about the treatment of animals being farmed and align their company with those who feel the same. They set the bar on the quality of protein used, as well as fruits and vegetables, which are all locally farmed.

Another positive aspect of this company is their concern for the environment. 95% of dog food bags are not recyclable, but Open Farm has created a free recycling program for Open Farm pet food packaging. They have partnered with TerraCycle to provide free recycling services for your bag of food. The bags are converted into brand new products as opposed to burying them in a landfill. Click below for more information on how to help the planet one bag of food at a time: 

Unbeatable. This is a top-notch dog food that will completely change the shape of the industry and the health of your pet. They use:

•  Humanely treated animals that are raised naturally on a vegetarian diet without any antibiotics or growth hormones.
• The food is 100% grain free, and they make sure to stay away from unhealthy fillers.
• Animal byproducts are prohibited.
• The fish is ocean caught, never farmed, and seasonally sourced from Seafood Watch and Ocean Wise approved fisheries.
• The foods are incredibly nutritious and vitamin-rich.
• Their recipes include generous portions of nutritious coconut and fish oils and are free of artificial preservatives, flavours, and colours.
• Formulated for all life stages.

And the health benefits don't end there. To view the full list of benefits, be sure to check out their website by clicking below:

Many pet owners feed their dogs rotationally. Rotational feeding is a dietary alternative that gives your pet a variety of food options but also keeps their immune and digestive system healthy. It's a way to incorporate different proteins and nutrients into their system and can even help ward off allergies or food intolerance's caused by consuming the same food daily. By setting a quality standard for their brand and having a healthy macronutrient ratio of roughly 30% protein and 14% fats in each bag of kibble, Open Farm is safe on a dogs stomach, making rotational feeding a breeze. 

Humane farming is the protection and well-being of farmed animals from birth to slaughter. If a product is "Certified Humane," you'll know it meets the following standards:

• No cages or crates.
• Animals Receive adequate sleep.
• Debeaking and tail snipping is prohibited.
• Hormones and antibiotics to promote faster growth is forbidden.
• Animals are fed a natural and healthy diet.
• Animals are offered well-ventilated shelter that protects from unpredictable weather.
• Animals live a healthy and stress-free life.

And much more...

For a more in depth guideline of Humanely Certified Meats, click below:

How cool is it that you can take the lot code on the back of your bag and look up where each specific ingredient in your batch of food came from?! Am I the only one geeking out about this?

Open Farm certainly has nothing to hide! Now that's what I call being proud of your brand! A true and honest company if I do say so myself! 

Take a look at the screenshots below to see where the ingredients of Rocky's bag came from:

You can purchase Open Farm pet food and treats directly from their website and in many local retailers.

• Open Farm offers an auto-ship system that will deliver food to your door as per your standards. All you need to do is select your bag size, recipe preference, shipping frequency, and voila!
• They also offer a frequent buyer program. For every 12 bags you purchase, you will receive one free!
• Open Farm offers dehydrated treats made with the same quality standard as their food.

This product has it all! Appealing packaging and marketing to back up the top-notch product they put on the shelves. I am so overwhelmingly satisfied giving my dog this brand of food. Since making the switch to Open Farm, Rocky has been having regular stools, his coat is fuller, breath is better, he has more energy, his appetite is satisfied longer, he is not vomiting (as explained below), and overall, he seems healthier. I have since purchased a bag of each flavor and have begun rotational feeding.

** 2020  Update ** After being diagnosed with pancreatitis, Rocky has been switched to a gently cooked, low fat diet that has done wonders for his health. We still stand by the quality of Open Farm and the transparency this company offers. Now that they offer gently cooked meals, perhaps they will eventually incorporate special blends for dogs with GI issues. Fingers crossed!! 

Rocky has been on a medicated diet (Z/D by Hills) for the past five years. He was put on that specific diet due to digestive upset which lead to chronic vomiting. I was never fond of his food, and in fact, wanted to switch his diet many times. But, his Gastroenterologist recommended this food and it seemed to be helping with his stomach issues so I let it be. However, the ingredient list was always a deep concern of mine: "Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Oil" being the first four ingredients on the packaging. The ingredients as a whole were off-putting, but who am I to question a veterinary specialist? After all, his condition was getting better and the vomiting stopped.

Sources: Open Farm & Certified Humane.