Food Friday: Alternative Protein Roundup, Venison Edition

Brisbane's Bark Blog is approaching its second birthday, and we're taking a look back at some of the unique and interesting goodies we've found for dogs with food allergies. Brisbane himself is allergic to poultry and eggs, and was recently diagnosed with corn, barley, and sweet potato allergies as well. Finding foods, treats, and chews for him is an ongoing project, and I'm always looking for new things to try.

Venison is a popular protein found in quite a few limited ingredient diets intended for dogs with food allergies. I assume it's also somewhat easy to get in places where people hunt. Here on the coast of southern California, nobody hunts. Well maybe a few people do, but nobody talks about it. Saying you go out and kill animals for sport sort of feels antisocial, unless those animals are fish. Guns aren't common either, and the people who do have them tend to keep them in lockers at shooting ranges. I have seen a number of raw feeders recommend asking friends that hunt for their freezerburned deer meat, which seems downright foreign when I know so many people that have never even tasted venison.

Photo by Erin Koski

Anyway, venison is a nice flavorful game meat that my dogs absolutely love. Like rabbit, it is a common alternative protein that does not seem to be a common allergen yet.

Venison Food

Stella & Chewy's makes both freeze-dried and frozen Simply Venison raw dog food. Primal also offer a frozen raw singe-protein venison food in their Primal Nuggets product line.  

In the non-raw food department, Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Sweet Potato and Venison food was a common sight around my house until I figured out that Brisbane was allergic to sweet potatoes. We also tried the canned version back when the place I worked still carried it. Wysong gave me a coupon for free shipping, so I bought a bag of Epigen Venison, but Ru didn't like it. I'm not sure I would buy it again because it contained powdered barley grass and Briz has a barley allergy. Likewise, we'll be skipping the Party Animal Heavenly Venison canned food from now on because it contains sweet potatoes. 

So far, I think our favorite venison-based single-protein dog food has been the Canine Caviar Wilderness dog food. The canned version also went over well here. It's awfully high in calories for Brisbane, though. At the moment, we're working our way through the big bag of Pure Vita Venison and Red Lentils that the company handed out when my employers started carrying their products. Free dog food is my favorite kind of dog food. Ziwi Peak makes an air-dried venison, but it costs way more than their beef dog food so I've not been able to bring myself to buy it yet. I bet it smells horrible yet wonderful.

Venison Treats

So far I think our absolute favorite treat has been the Superior Farms Venison Crepe. It was basically a soft, delicious rawhide chew, but made out of a deer instead. We've had numerous Etta Says Deer Chews show up in our monthly subscription boxes, and they never last long. Less exciting are Natural Balance's LID Sweet Potato and Venison cookies. One of our favorite training treats so far has been the Merrick Venison Holiday Stew sausages.

What other deer-based, elk-based, or moose-based products are out there that we haven't tried yet?

Food Friday: Alternative Protein Roundup, Rabbit Edition

Brisbane's Bark Blog has been around for close to two years now, and in that time we've reviewed a lot of food and treats that use allergy-friendly alternative proteins like rabbit. Since Brisbane is allergic to poultry, I don't normally consider turkey and duck to be alternative proteins. I also know that beef is a common allergen, and that buffalo and bison may not be different enough for dogs with beef allergies. Lamb was considered alternative a couple of decades ago but has become increasingly more common since then. For the purpose of this blog post, I'm going to stick with the more exotic choices.

Rabbit is a high-protein, lean meat that, frankly, should be cheaper and easier to find in the grocery store. Those little buggers are everywhere, on the trail one even leaped into Brisbane's mouth. I bet giant bunny feedlots in the middle of California would smell way better than the legions of cows currently occupying that space.

This picture has nothing to do with this post.
Photo by Erin Koski

Rabbit Food

I think our favorite rabbit-based food is Stella & Chewy's Absolutely Rabbit, freeze-dried is always a winner around here. Wysong Archetype was also a winner until Brisbane's allergy test revealed his barley allergy. Raw is also quite popular, and Brisbane and Sisci both loved the Primal Nuggets we tried. The place where I work used to carry Wild Calling Hoppy's canned dog food, and that was what we tempted picky dogs with until our vendor stopped offering it. Instinct also offers a rabbit-based canned food. Our least favorite was Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Potato and Rabbit, which is high in carbs while being low in protein and fat. Mostly it's just widely available and worth trying if you're not sure what your dog is allergic to and can't get something like Wysong Anergen 2 instead.

Rabbit Treats

In addition to rabbit-based diets, we've found a bunch of bunnymeat treats. Some are made almost entirely from rabbit meat, like Wysong's Dream Treats and Barkworthy's Rabbit BonBons. Others have some additional ingredients, like the Etta Says Crunchy Rabbit Chews that also contain rawhide. Zukes offers a couple of different rabbit-based versions of their semi-moist treats. Their Lil' Links Rabbit and Apple Recipe are still safe for Brisbane's ever-growing list of allergies, but their Mini Naturals are full of barley so those are now off the menu for us.

Have you found a rabbit-based product we haven't tried yet? Please share in the comments!

The September Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

Our September BarkBox finally arrived yesterday! Unlike all our previous boxes, this month's did not include a card detailing the contents. Instead, the card directed me to visit BarkBox.com/MyBarkBox for a rundown of all our goodies. Many of our boxes have included corrections of the printed cards, and I know there is a lot of variety sent out each month so it's probably tough to keep track. Makes sense to put the same card on everything.

This month didn't particularly have a theme, and that's ok. We're expecting a whole bunch of winter and autumn-themed everything over the next few months even though it's projected to be 80+ degrees and oppressively humid here till January. Not that I'm bitter.

I would not have been happy to see the PetMate JW Pet Squeaky Barbel before Sisci joined us, but she is determined to play with All The Toys and started carrying it around and gnawing on it right away.

Sisci also happily adopted the BarkMade Shooting Star stuffy. It's not as cute as our P.L.A.Y. star stuffy, but it's not terrible.

We got a tasty EttaSays Rabbit Chew which I'm sure Brisbane will devour as soon as I hand it over.

The Lamb and Kale soft treats are BarkBox exclusives made in the USA by Delca. They look like they'll be good for training.

Those Chamomile, Honey, and Duck biscuits by Organicfuls look delightfully soothing. Sadly, Brisbane can't have them because he is allergic to duck and poultry. These will probably go to a coworker's dog.

The August Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

Our August Allergy-Friendly BarkBox arrived on Friday right before we left town. Summer is clearly the theme this month, and I am pleased with our box. Having Sisci around definitely makes me appreciate what might otherwise be mundane toys.

Normally I'm not a fan of superfluous faces on everything, but this Simply Fido Hot Dog toy is awfully cute. There is a rope running all the way through it, so it can be used for games of tug without immediately shredding.

There is an Etta Says Deer Chew that I'm certain Brisbane will enjoy. These are a favorite around here.

Brisbane appreciates the Wagatha's Maple Bacon Dog Biscuits. Ru and Sisci need a bit more convincing.

The Treat Planet Apple Cobbler Snicky Snacks have egg in them, so I will be passing them along to someone else. Brisbane is allergic to eggs, and the other two aren't terribly reliable about eating their cookies. Whilst looking up links for this post I discovered that Treat Planet also owns Etta Says and Hare of the Dog, all brands we have received in our BarkBoxes.

The Delca Corporation Watermelon stuffy is probably the most popular toy we got this month. Brisbane gave it a few squeaks before Sisci stole it. She spent at least ten minutes laying on the couch squeaking it.

What did you get in your subscription boxes this month?

The May Not-Actually-Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

Our May BarkBox arrived on Wednesday, and it was filled with disappointment. Seriously, they could have sent an empty box and I'd have felt about the same when I opened it. Brisbane knows that BarkBoxes contain all sorts of wonders, so this box was a huge disappointment for him as well. "What's in here for you, Briz? It's...nothing. Actually there's nothing in here for you. Sorry. Nevermind."

The allergy-friendly BarkBox is not supposed to contain any chicken, turkey, beef, gluten, wheat, corn, or soy. Brisbane is allergic to chicken, turkey, duck, and eggs. Sometimes we get a food item with duck or eggs, but mostly we get treats with rabbit, venison, lamb, peanut butter, or fish. I can either swap out the allergen-containing treats using the Scout's Honor program, or I can swap out an awful crinkly toy instead. Brisbane and Ru really don't like toys that make crinkling noises, especially not loud ones.

Our BarkBox this month contained a bag of Nootie No Grainers Jerky BBQ Chicken treats. Wtf?

We also got an Etta Says turkey stick. Did BarkBox send us the wrong box? Did they stop offering allergy-friendly boxes without telling me so I could cancel my subscription?

There is a West Paw Designs Bumi tug toy, which looks cool and is very sturdy. Too bad Briz doesn't care for it. He had a Hurley toy by the same company when he was a pup, and I could  never convince him that it was any fun either.

The last thing in here is a R2P Pets Silly Bums bee butt. I am familiar with the Silly Bums toys, and frankly I think they're kind of stupid. They're not cute, they're not silly, they're just half a stuffy. All the ones I've seen before were just regular crinkly stuffies this, this one is something else entirely. It is majorly crinkly, the loudest crinkle toy I think I've ever seen. It also has a whole lot of plastic on it, the wings and the stripes are sewn-on vinyl. I'm not convinced that's safe, and am not completely convinced this is actually a toy intended for dogs. The number of accessible seams on it make it incredibly vulnerable to being shredded, it's just begging to be ripped apart.

So this is literally an entire box of stuff I will have to give away. I emailed BarkBox to ask why we got a box of poultry, with the plan to cancel my subscription and ask for a refund for this month if they discontinued the allergy-friendly boxes without telling me. I noticed on their Facebook page that quite a few people with 'special' boxes got regular boxes instead. Apparently there is an extra toy option for multi-dog households, and a tough toys only option for destructo-dogs. The flood of complaints appears to be limited to this month, and our box was sent out a day late so I'm pretty sure something unusual happened at BarkBox this month.

Last year I emailed them in order to cancel my subscription after receiving nothing but chicken-based treats for three months in a row. Our June 2014 box contained chicken treats and lame toys and I decided then that I was done. This time around the response I received was that there was a mistake with the treats for the allergy boxes and that I would receive an email today about how they were going to fix things. As of 9pm Thursday I have received no such email and am seriously considering canceling my subscription. Pretty much nothing they do is going to result in us getting anything for a few weeks, so the response might as well be "Oh well, better luck next month." Not cool, BarkBox. Not cool at all.

The January Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

The theme of January's Allergy-Friendly BarkBox is the Ice Age. Living on the coast of central California, we're pretty sure snow is a story made up by Canadians to scare chihuahuas. Still, this is a particularly good box and has some things we love already.

That Delca Corp Adorable Snowman was a hit. Brisbane immediately ran off with it, and later Ru dragged it up on the bed and spent a long time shaking it ferociously.

The Dex & Penny Squeaky Icicle was less impressive. I couldn't get either of the boys interested, but it's always possible that Brisbane will suddenly fall in love when someone is making an important phone call.

We got an Etta Says Deer Chew, those don't last long around here, but they are certainly well-loved.

The Aussie Naturals Salmon Skins reek. Seriously, I could smell them before I opened the box. Brisbane couldn't keep his nose off them. I'm sure he'll love them, I'm not going to love getting the smell off my hands. Gross/awesome.

The Max & Ruffy's Blizzard Bites, on the other hand, smell like delicious cookies. Those are definitely the sort of thing I will be able to toss to the dogs on my way out the door without having to wash my hands after.

Treat Tuesday: Etta Says Crunchy Rabbit Chew and Barkworthies Rabbit Bon Bons

Rabbit rabbit is our theme this Treat Tuesday, with Etta Says Crunchy Rabbit Chews and Barkworthies Rabbit Bon Bons. Mmm, rabbit.

The Etta Says Crunchy Rabbit Chew arrived in our December BarkBox and was a quick snack rather than a gnawing project. This is a mixture of ground rawhide and rabbit meat, so it should be digestible but also a little tougher than just plain jerky.

Good For: A nice treat for a special occasion, or when I am walking out the door and wish to stave off separation anxiety by keeping Brisbane busy for a few minutes.

Not Good For: Dogs with beef allergies, since it contains rawhide. Keeping dogs busy for a long time.

How Much We Like It: One of our local independent pet stores just started carrying these, and they are sold individually so I might as well grab a couple whenever we're there.

The Barkworthies All Natural Rabbit Bon Bons came from that same pet store. Barkworthies makes a wide variety of goodies, from bully sticks to antlers and jerky. They did have a recall a couple of weeks ago, for chicken jerky treats potentially contaminated with salmonella. That seems to be an ongoing issue with chicken jerky in general, but at least Barkworthies chicken jerky is made in the USA and not China. These rabbit bon bons, however, are a product of Australia, where the surplus of rabbits is infinite.

Good For: Stuffing in size large and bigger Kongs. Treating dogs with allergies, since rabbit is the sole ingredient.

Not Good For: Training treats, though tasty they're also huge.

How Much We Like Them: They just fit so perfectly through the hole of the Kongs, like they were made to go there. "This is my hole! It was made for me!"

Our December Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

Our Allergy-Friendly BarkBox finally arrived, and it was a long wait! The boxes usually ship out from Connecticut on the 15th, and sometimes it takes a week or more for ours to make it all the way over here to the other coast. This box is Christmas-themed, and much more festive than our 75-degree bone-dry weather.

I was absolutely delighted to find a Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Bulb
toy. I've been meaning to get one of these for years, and here it is. This is a durable, stuffable chew toy, and I've loved all of our other Planet Dog Orbee toys.

We got a SafeMade Holiday tartan bandana with Christmas trees and reindeers. It is just the right amount of Christmassy without being tacky.

When I first saw the Etta Says rabbit chew, I thought it was a duck chew like the one in our September BarkBox. Happily it is a rabbit chew, so Brisbane can enjoy it. These things are kind of like bully sticks, but are odorless and won't stain rugs.

The card in the box says it contains some Dogs Love Kale treats, but instead we have some Bixbi Essentials Pork Jerky treats. These are what I wished we had gotten back in our July box 'o'chicken. I'm sure everyone here will appreciate them.

The last thing in our box is a Simply Fido Penguin, which I don't love. It's kind of cute, but my dogs just aren't into crinkly things at all.