# Has anyone tried Rachel Ray's Nutrish?



## ninarasc (Aug 24, 2008)

I have been feeding my dog Ol'Roy (didn't realize it was so bad until seeing it online) and I want to switch her food. BUT I dont want to pay a ridiculous amount either. Can anyone recommend any good brands that are not super expensive? Ive heard mixed reviews on Rachel Ray's dog food "Nutrish"...I would definitely feel great getting it knowing the proceeds benefit animal rescue. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!


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## rogueslg71 (Dec 6, 2007)

if your dog is doing fine and in great health eating her food then i dont think you need to change it at all. 

if you want to change iti though you can look at some of the stickies up here about top rated foods and also look up on google list of dog food grades and go by that. i have tried the rachel ray treats but not the food. mine seem to not like the treats very much though and they are rather pricey.


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

Looking at Rachel Ray's food ingredients aren't so yummy as it appears to be check it out
Beef, Chicken Meal, *Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat* (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), *Corn Gluten Meal*, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Peas, Dried Tomatoes, Dried Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Olive Oil, Iron Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Dried Parsley, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, *Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K activity)*, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid

---
I'd go for Wellness Core, Kirkland, Eagle Pack Holistic Select, Orijen, Innova, California Natural, Nature's Variety, Honest Kitchen, Blue Wilderness, Artemis, Go Natural


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## Layladog (Sep 25, 2008)

See this explanation of Menadione in dog food: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione

Anecdotally, I know three older dogs that have been fed menadione-laden dog foods their whole lives. All of them that have been screened for liver function had issues. Not scientific, but it is what it is.

I personally would not feed Nutrish to my dog. You can get better foods for that price.

I rotate my dog's food. So far I have tried Blue Wilderness, Orijen, and Solid Gold. So far Solid Gold has given her the best coat (for whatever that's worth). Will be trying Wellness CORE ocean formula next. These foods all appear expensive, but actually since they have more calories per cup they tend to be about the same as a cheaper food in most cases.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

It's horribly expensive for the low quality. You could get a really good brand for that price. 

What stores do you have in the area? That would affect my recomendations.


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## Britt Caleb & Enzo (Mar 28, 2009)

Why must that woman put an "ish" on the end of everything? And this food doesn't look very nutritious, but I realize that is not her fault. This food is expensive, you could get a higher end kibble with much better ingredients for virtually the same price.


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## ninarasc (Aug 24, 2008)

Well I live in Northern Virginia so I have Petsmart, Petco although I like petsmart much better, walmart, target, etc.

I have heard a lot of good reviews on "Blue Buffalo" also. I had no clue that things like corn and soy are so bad for dogs. I have tried researching online what dog foods are best but it seems like some people are against certain foods without trying them, and maybe against walmart dog foods because they dont like walmart for political reasons. My dog is a mixed breed (pit mix) Katrina rescue and she doesn't really have any health or weight problems although she does shed A LOT and itch sometimes so the Ol'Roy could be contributing to that, im not sure.

Thanks for your help!


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## Layladog (Sep 25, 2008)

> I have heard a lot of good reviews on "Blue Buffalo" also.


They also sell it at PetSmart, which is nice. Solid Gold is also typically sold at PetCo. Most of the other foods mentioned here (Wellness CORE, Orijen, et al.) are only sold in specialty stores.


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## iSaidNoSprinkles (Apr 4, 2009)

Layladog said:


> They also sell it at PetSmart, which is nice. Solid Gold is also typically sold at PetCo. Most of the other foods mentioned here (Wellness CORE, Orijen, et al.) are only sold in specialty stores.


Is that Blue Buffalo worth the price? I want to phase my 10 week old pup off of his puppy chow, and that was one I was considering, but I heard it was kinda expensive. But if it's best for him, I'll manage.


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## CorgiKarma (Feb 10, 2009)

Blue Buffalo is a very good dog food. I used it for a long time and had great luck with it. It's a little more procy than Nutrishbut well worth it. Also, if you take the Blue Comparison test on their website they will send you a $5 off coupon.
I use Wellness now, and like this food also, although it is also more expensive than Nutrish, but again, also well worth it.
Natural Balance is the next food I want to try, and it is also very economical and available at PetCo I believe.
Taste of the Wild is another good food for the price and I don't think anyone mentioned it.


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## Layladog (Sep 25, 2008)

Blue Buffalo Wilderness has something like 580 calories a cup, so you really don't need to feed a lot of it. My 55lb dog eats about 1.5 cups per day along with some green tripe


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

OK, if you're stuck with Wal-Mart, Purina ONE or Maxximum would be your best bets. Regular Purina Dog Chow would be better than Ol' Roy, which is comparable quality to Pedigree. 
Target---you can get Purina ONE there also, and Super Targets have Drs Foster & Smith food, which is pretty good.
Petsmart---Blue Buffalo and Nutro Ultra are the only really decent brands they sell.
PetCo---this varies by store, but most have some very good brands. Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux, Wellness, are a few I can think of.
CostCo---their store brand, Kirkland, is very good and very affordable.
Sam's Club---they sell Purina ONE, and Exceed (their store brand) is about the same quality. 
Local independent feed stores/groomers/vets/boutiques, etc.----can be your best bet. Some good brands I can think of right off are Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Canidae, Diamond Naturals, Taste of the Wild, Prairie.....the list goes on. If you find a really good store, the employees can be a big help.


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## ninarasc (Aug 24, 2008)

I have heard good stuff about Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. Thanks for your help!


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

Layladog said:


> I rotate my dog's food. So far I have tried Blue Wilderness, Orijen, and Solid Gold. So far Solid Gold has given her the best coat (for whatever that's worth). Will be trying Wellness CORE ocean formula next. These foods all appear expensive, but actually since they have more calories per cup they tend to be about the same as a cheaper food in most cases.


i still want to know how people figure this to be fact....i have tried quite a few of the "higher quality" foods and my dogs ate more on each one, not less, of them compared to the Purina One they normally eat (and do much better on...their coats are better, less stools, more energy, etc)...and this was _all_ my dogs not just one or 2 of them...

of course, every dog is different....find a food that your dog does good on and that you both like and use it....not all dogs do well on the "high quality" or the "low quality" or even raw.....just remember, it can take a few mo to see if it is better for your dog...their bodies have to adjust to the foods....


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

ninarasc said:


> I have heard good stuff about Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. Thanks for your help!


Yeah, that's what my dogs eat most of the time. It's pretty good, and the price is pretty good, too!


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## Layladog (Sep 25, 2008)

> i still want to know how people figure this to be fact....i have tried quite a few of the "higher quality" foods and my dogs ate more on each one, not less, of them compared to the Purina One they normally eat (and do much better on...their coats are better, less stools, more energy, etc)...and this was all my dogs not just one or 2 of them...


I can't vouch for what other people figure, but I looked around online and found that my pup needs about 1000 calories a day. My vet confirmed this. I adjust how much a feed her depending on the calories in whatever food I am feeding her, and I've found that she needs less on the higher calorie food. 2 cups of the Blue Wilderness is too much for her, whereas two cups of ONE would not be enough. That's just been my experience.


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## flipgirl (Oct 5, 2007)

Personally, I wouldn't try this food just because it has Rachel Ray's name on it. However, I'm surprised that she would approve this food - I know celebrities often don't have the power to contribute to their products but c'mon, she's supposed to be this real person and to me, being real is being really concerned about what goes into the products you are endorsing. **** Van Patten and Paul Newman have better products. 

Sorry, that's my own beef toward RR but with respect to the food, it's not the best, it's not the worst. It's probably one of the okay ones if you only have certain stores available to you.


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

ninarasc said:


> Well I live in Northern Virginia so I have Petsmart, Petco although I like petsmart much better, walmart, target, etc.
> 
> I have heard a lot of good reviews on "Blue Buffalo" also. I had no clue that things like corn and soy are so bad for dogs. I have tried researching online what dog foods are best but it seems like some people are against certain foods without trying them, and maybe against walmart dog foods because they dont like walmart for political reasons. My dog is a mixed breed (pit mix) Katrina rescue and she doesn't really have any health or weight problems although she does shed A LOT and itch sometimes so the Ol'Roy could be contributing to that, im not sure.
> 
> Thanks for your help!



Hello fellow Northern Virginian!

What county are you in?......I have personally used Wellness and TOTW...but if your looking for something a little lower in price I have heard that Costco (kirkland) brand dog food is nice...also chicken soup has also come highly recommended......if you are close to Ashburn I know of a really wonderful little pet food shop that has tons of great brands...and the shop owner is really knowledgeable about all the brands he carries.


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## ninarasc (Aug 24, 2008)

I love the Ashburn area but im actually in Arlington. There is a small pet shop near my house but everything is so expensive in there, even the toys! I have heard positive things about Blue Buffalo so I think I will try that and see how it goes. They have it at PetsMart so it will be easy to get!

I have a choice between "chicken and brown rice" and "blue buffalo fish and sweet potato"...does anyone think one would be better then the other?


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## Donna5503 (Mar 13, 2009)

Hi....I haven't tried Rachel Ray's Nutrish ( I got a sample in the mail...put it in my dog's bowl & he wouldn't touch it --- after I re-read the ingredients I threw the $5.00 off Coupon I received out, along with the food my dog didn't eat)

I was feeding him Purina One & he liked it...but he had alot of gas -- and after doing some research...I found out why...so many fillers & that Gluten stuff!

So I did some more research & came up with Blue Buffalo --- he loves it & no more gas (well maybe a little when he eats his marrow bones) --- I've tried the Chicken & the Lamb --- I haven't tried the Fish. I also boil him chicken at night with some veggies. He is 54 lbs -- I give him 1 Cup in the late morning & 1/2 Cup at night along with his Boiled Chicken & Veggies 

I tried the canned food ( I thought maybe he would eat that once in awhile for a change ) but he wouldn't touch it.

Going to try Blue Wilderness next...it's also by Blue Buffalo.


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## caesarsgirl79 (May 7, 2008)

I got 2 samples of the Rachel Ray food. My dog really liked it. I gave the other sample to my neighbor and their love really liked it too. They claim their dog doesn't like dry food. 

My dog has been eating Chicken Soup for about a week 1/2 now. She seems to be liking it so far. 

I wouldn't do the Rachel Ray long term, but as far as taste the dogs seem to like it.


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## JoeRosco (Mar 22, 2009)

I feed my pup (by-nature) it' made without any corn, wheat or soy. The first five ingredients are: Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Chicken Fat (stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols) "What ever that means?" Lamb Meal and Chicken. Now like I said I have a pup so the adult formula I'm sure is a bit different but she is doing great with it. It has given her much more energy than her old food, and it costs $12 for a 6 lb bag but she dose not eat as much of it.


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