Instinct Raw Boost Healthy Weight Grain Free Recipe with Real Chicken Natural Dry Dog Food by Nature's Variety, 20 lb. Bag

Very frustrated that I will not be able to buy this food anymore. I try to take great care of my two nine year old terrier brothers, and this food seems to be something that they like, and has helped me manage a serious grain allergy for one of them, along with slight weight issues for both of them. However, I have found maggots in the food on several occasions now. I was first buying at a local petco, and found a couple of bags to be fairly plentiful with maggots. At first I thought it might be the plastic container that I transfer the food to upon bringing it home. But then when I went back to the petco, I noticed some maggot larvae on the outside of several bags. Then I thought it might have been that specific petco. I’m stupid, and shouldn’t have been looking for so many excuses for the company. I switched to Amazon and continued buying it, checking each bag like a hawk. I didn’t see anything for a handful of 20 pound bag orders, but this current batch is nastily overrun with maggots. I ran the contents through a strainer over my kitchen sink and was appalled to see the number of them in the food. They seem to be feasting on the “raw” component of the food, and as this freeze-dried raw piece is exactly the same color as the maggots, I imagine many people have glanced over them and were not able to see them. My girlfriend’s dogs come to visit quite frequently, and we keep a container of their food here for them, and although the container is the same as mine and exposed to the same surroundings as mine, her food (different brand) is fine, and mine is overrun with maggots. I’m not thinking this is an Amazon issue, I firmly believe the issue to be with the manufacturer. Take caution when feeding this to your pups, look it over very carefully, as the maggots can be quite difficult to see without enlisting a very keen eye. Myiasis is a serious thing that can be acquired from ingesting maggots, and it is not something you want to happen inside of your beloved furry family member. For $70 bucks a bag, bought twice a month, I expect a higher level of quality and peace of mind from the product. I hope the manufacturer takes heed of concerns like this (I’ve contacted them as well) and takes steps to alleviate as much of this contamination as is possible. An occasional blip issue is one thing, the level that I’ve experienced (and no doubt others have experienced without knowing) is completely unacceptable.

I love how this dog food has been for my dogs with flavor and helping their weight. My oldest dog truly has a grain allergy and this has helped her tremendously with itching. They enjoy eating it. Unfortunately I was told by my vet that I have to use a different brand because she has symptoms of heart failure. This brand of food is on the FDA list stating cases of heart failure have been reported with no direct link. I did not know coughing was a sign of heart failure for dogs. Please watch for this if you plan to use it still and check with your vet. Apparently Nature's variety in general may lack taurine which causes the heart muscle to be weak and heart failure happens. It is the low level of taurine in this product that is the danger. Examples of food that contain taurine are dark meats such a chicken hearts and thighs. The food I am switching them to is Purina Pro Plan sensitive skin and stomach. Other brands recommended by my vet are: Hills Derm Defense or Royal Canine Sensitive Skin or Sensitive Digestive Adult.

I have a German Shepherd who is essentially allergic to life. He had terrible, debilitating conditions when he was on other "premium" dog foods; we had him tested and the allergen panel came back to basically read "all of the above". Chicken is his most tolerated protein. Flaxseed is essentially kryptonite to him. Unfortunately virtually all dog foods contain flaxseed, as it is a cheap source of essential fatty oils. This particular type of dog food uses salmon oil to obtain the same nutrients. Much more expensive, but much better results for our little guy. There are also no potatoes or other cheap fillers. Organ meat is used to provide small trace essential nutrients rather than using a variety of plant material. Essentially this food is much closer to what a dog has actually evolved to eat than most other dry dog foods out there. On the flip side, I noticed several review mentioning insect infestations. Although I have not experienced this problem, I can see how it could easily happen given the ingredients (I mean, imagine the insects from leaving a whole dead rabbit out, and that's a perfect dog food!). Anyway, I dump the food out of the bag and into an airtight container when I receive it, so as long as the food doesn't pick up anything nasty in a warehouse I am hoping this is a problem I won't have to contend with.Overall this food is crazy expensive, but the difference has been worth it. Our dog used to have nearly bald patches, his skin was bright red, covered in welts, and obviously itchy like crazy. His ears were horrific, and needed near constant-medication. Now his problems are gone, and he has perfect fur. There are other foods he can tolerate, but the list is very short. If you have a dog with even mild conditions, it's worth switching foods just to see if it makes a difference.

My pup likes the little dried protein bites from this brand so I have been feeding him their kibble for over a year. I even subscribed to their big bags every month. Unfortunately, the last bag I received was toxic. I noticed there were moths flying around the house and thought maybe I left the door opened for the pup. But then I realized there were moths being created INSIDE the kibble container. GROSS! My pup was sick for a week with non stop puking and diarrhea. This is unacceptable! I was too grossed out and tossed away the entire container, being worried that my house would be even more infested hence no photo of the gross infestation. Please double check the safety of your product. Unsubscribing for goods!

This is a 5 star product, however the price is outrageous. Ive been feeding my dogs this food for a couple years and they keep raising the price. Now i have to look for another brand ONLY because of the price, its too much most people cant afford paying 75 after taxes every 2 weeks. Please reduce the price so I can continue to use this brand.. otherwise now I have to find a more affordable one :( which sucks because I love this food for my dogs. The product is great, the price is bad