do i remember right that potato is out? if so a couple of their grain free has potato. just fyi
Earthborn Holistic trial, the results are in.
- Thread starter bullmama
- Start date
earthborn has great protein 1 has like 38 and 2 are 32 i think and then one is 25 or something. long as you stay away from primative natural you should be fine. tell me what that other food was you were feeding with the peas i need to look at it again.
anatess
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- Jul 26, 2011
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Here are some stuff I gathered from a little bit of research. I only go grain-free so I didn't look up the other Earthborn formulas.
Earthborn has 4 grain-free flavors. Meadow Feast is a new flavor, so you might not have it in your store yet. I usually rotate flavors with my dogs. Blue Wilderness has the same protein/fat/carb content on all 3 flavors they offer so I can just switch flavors easily without changing feed amount. But for Earthborn, each flavor have different nutritional content so you'll need to check before switching flavors within the same formula because you might have to feed lesser or more as you rotate.
My philosophy:
I consider a dog food good food if it seems to contain a lot of quality meat (not byproducts or generic animal meals) as the protein source instead of plant matter. Meat proteins are more more readily biologically available to dogs than plant proteins.
Another measure is if it is low in carbs - the lower the better, with any carb content above 50% automatically a bad dog food.
I also like dog food with high animal fat content. Yes, it is not good for humans to have high animal fat, but it is good for dogs because it is their main source of essential fatty acids that is needed to sustain energy (yes, Bullys need energy too - so they can carry all that muscle they tend to have a lot of). I like fats within the 15-20% range if they seem to come from quality meat.
I also like to just read the ingredients list and avoid questionable ingredients. I don't like grains in dog food, especially corn, because dogs lack salivary amylase to process all that carbs before it hits the stomach so it tends to cause allergies to digestive sensitive dogs like Bullys. Corn is very hard to digest for dogs. Of course, you can't make a kibble without carbs - you need the starch to create the dough that makes the meat stick together into a kibble. Usually, though, grain-free kibble use vegetable carbs - usually potatoes or peas - and these carbs are less likely to cause allergies in most dogs.
I also like food with probiotics and chelated minerals. Probiotics help in boosting the immune and digestive systems. Chelated minerals are used to coat the proteins to help in making the proteins more absorbable. This is why it is easy for Fromm and Blue Wilderness to switch flavors within the brand and possibly easier to switch foods altogether to Fromm/BW because Fromm and BW has probiotics and chelated minerals.
All Earthborn Grain-Free flavors meet my guidelines of a good dog food. Good amount of quality meat, high fat, low carb, excellent ingredients with probiotics and chelated minerals. But... I'm trying to decide whether to switch from one good food - Blue Wilderness - to another good food - Earthborn. So... onwards with the comparison...
Meadow Feast (I consider this their limited ingredient grain-free version):
Lamb Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Pea Protein, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries, Salt
* Canola Oil is a good source of Omega-3 but it is not as readily absorbable to dogs as fish-based oil.
Protein - 26%
Peas contain lots of protein, so with only peas and lamb being the main protein sources, there is lesser meat on this than Blue Wilderness.
Fat - 15%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 5%
Estimated Carbs - 41%
I use my own calc for carbs since this is not provided in the label - I calculated as 100% minus (Protein+Fat+Moisture+Ash). I estimate ash as 8% for high quality foods).
Feeding Guide - 41 to 60lbs (Bullys are ideally between 45 and 55 lbs) - 2 to 3 cups.
Great Plains Feast:
Bison Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca, Dried Egg Product, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Flaxseed, Lamb Meal, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavors, Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries
Protein - 34%
You got Bison and Peas as the first 3 ingredients. Lamb Meal is quite far down the line. Still lesser meat than Blue Wilderness.
Fat - 18%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 4%
Estimated Carbs - 30%
Feeding Guide - 35 to 50lbs - 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups
- 50 to 60lbs - 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups
(note: This is high protein food, so feed less than Meadow Feast).
Coastal Catch:
Herring Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Pea Protein, Tapioca, Pea Fiber, Dried Egg Product, Sweet Potatoes, Salmon Meal, Whitefish Meal, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries
Protein - 32%
- Besides the first ingredient, the meats are still further down the line. Still doesn't match Blue Wilderness.
Fat - 18%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 4%
Estimated Carbs - 32%
Feeding Guide - 35 to 50lbs - 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups
- 50 to 60lbs - 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups
Primitive Natural:
Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Peas, Spinach, Garlic, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Taurine, Cottage Cheese
*Now we're talking! I love this one. Meat, Meat, Meat, Plant, Meat. THAT's what a dog food should look like! That's what I like about Blue Wilderness! And this is even BETTER than Blue Wilderness!
Protein - 38%
Fat - 20%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 2.5%
Estimated Carbs - 24%
Feeding Guide - 35 to 50lbs - 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups
- 50 to 60lbs - 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups
(This is really high protein food. I'd go with the lower end of that feeding guide when feeding Bullys).
So... conclusion. I don't think I'm going to switch. There is only 1 flavor here that I find is comparable to Blue Wilderness. And the Primitive Natural is priced higher than the other flavors so it's not much savings for me.
DISCLAIMER: My dogs are healthy dogs without special medical considerations. All my research is geared towards that. Special needs dogs - for example, dogs with kidney/liver problems should not be on high-protein food - and those with specific dog allergies will probably not benefit much from this research.
Hope this helps!
Earthborn has 4 grain-free flavors. Meadow Feast is a new flavor, so you might not have it in your store yet. I usually rotate flavors with my dogs. Blue Wilderness has the same protein/fat/carb content on all 3 flavors they offer so I can just switch flavors easily without changing feed amount. But for Earthborn, each flavor have different nutritional content so you'll need to check before switching flavors within the same formula because you might have to feed lesser or more as you rotate.
My philosophy:
I consider a dog food good food if it seems to contain a lot of quality meat (not byproducts or generic animal meals) as the protein source instead of plant matter. Meat proteins are more more readily biologically available to dogs than plant proteins.
Another measure is if it is low in carbs - the lower the better, with any carb content above 50% automatically a bad dog food.
I also like dog food with high animal fat content. Yes, it is not good for humans to have high animal fat, but it is good for dogs because it is their main source of essential fatty acids that is needed to sustain energy (yes, Bullys need energy too - so they can carry all that muscle they tend to have a lot of). I like fats within the 15-20% range if they seem to come from quality meat.
I also like to just read the ingredients list and avoid questionable ingredients. I don't like grains in dog food, especially corn, because dogs lack salivary amylase to process all that carbs before it hits the stomach so it tends to cause allergies to digestive sensitive dogs like Bullys. Corn is very hard to digest for dogs. Of course, you can't make a kibble without carbs - you need the starch to create the dough that makes the meat stick together into a kibble. Usually, though, grain-free kibble use vegetable carbs - usually potatoes or peas - and these carbs are less likely to cause allergies in most dogs.
I also like food with probiotics and chelated minerals. Probiotics help in boosting the immune and digestive systems. Chelated minerals are used to coat the proteins to help in making the proteins more absorbable. This is why it is easy for Fromm and Blue Wilderness to switch flavors within the brand and possibly easier to switch foods altogether to Fromm/BW because Fromm and BW has probiotics and chelated minerals.
All Earthborn Grain-Free flavors meet my guidelines of a good dog food. Good amount of quality meat, high fat, low carb, excellent ingredients with probiotics and chelated minerals. But... I'm trying to decide whether to switch from one good food - Blue Wilderness - to another good food - Earthborn. So... onwards with the comparison...
Meadow Feast (I consider this their limited ingredient grain-free version):
Lamb Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Pea Protein, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries, Salt
* Canola Oil is a good source of Omega-3 but it is not as readily absorbable to dogs as fish-based oil.
Protein - 26%
Peas contain lots of protein, so with only peas and lamb being the main protein sources, there is lesser meat on this than Blue Wilderness.
Fat - 15%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 5%
Estimated Carbs - 41%
I use my own calc for carbs since this is not provided in the label - I calculated as 100% minus (Protein+Fat+Moisture+Ash). I estimate ash as 8% for high quality foods).
Feeding Guide - 41 to 60lbs (Bullys are ideally between 45 and 55 lbs) - 2 to 3 cups.
Great Plains Feast:
Bison Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca, Dried Egg Product, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Flaxseed, Lamb Meal, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavors, Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries
Protein - 34%
You got Bison and Peas as the first 3 ingredients. Lamb Meal is quite far down the line. Still lesser meat than Blue Wilderness.
Fat - 18%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 4%
Estimated Carbs - 30%
Feeding Guide - 35 to 50lbs - 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups
- 50 to 60lbs - 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups
(note: This is high protein food, so feed less than Meadow Feast).
Coastal Catch:
Herring Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Pea Protein, Tapioca, Pea Fiber, Dried Egg Product, Sweet Potatoes, Salmon Meal, Whitefish Meal, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries
Protein - 32%
- Besides the first ingredient, the meats are still further down the line. Still doesn't match Blue Wilderness.
Fat - 18%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 4%
Estimated Carbs - 32%
Feeding Guide - 35 to 50lbs - 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups
- 50 to 60lbs - 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups
Primitive Natural:
Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Peas, Spinach, Garlic, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Taurine, Cottage Cheese
*Now we're talking! I love this one. Meat, Meat, Meat, Plant, Meat. THAT's what a dog food should look like! That's what I like about Blue Wilderness! And this is even BETTER than Blue Wilderness!
Protein - 38%
Fat - 20%
Moisture - 10%
Fiber - 2.5%
Estimated Carbs - 24%
Feeding Guide - 35 to 50lbs - 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups
- 50 to 60lbs - 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups
(This is really high protein food. I'd go with the lower end of that feeding guide when feeding Bullys).
So... conclusion. I don't think I'm going to switch. There is only 1 flavor here that I find is comparable to Blue Wilderness. And the Primitive Natural is priced higher than the other flavors so it's not much savings for me.
DISCLAIMER: My dogs are healthy dogs without special medical considerations. All my research is geared towards that. Special needs dogs - for example, dogs with kidney/liver problems should not be on high-protein food - and those with specific dog allergies will probably not benefit much from this research.
Hope this helps!
Last edited:
BruceP
..........
- Aug 12, 2010
- 0
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- Bulldog(s) Names
- HRH Princess Gracie, aka: HRH; Princess Amelia Pond, aka: Amy
I am a huge Fromm fan because of what it has done for HRH. So why am I even considering a change? HRH is kind of stuck with Fromm Beef Frittata because of her allergies. The down side of that is that it is always good to rotate protein sources if possible because serving the same source all the time can actually make the dog allergic to that source. So, if HRH does well on Earthborn she would have choices to rotate to. I just wish Fromm had more Grain Free that was also chicken and salmon free so we wouldn't have to go thru the transition when we decide to change protein sources. Fromm has an excellent line of food for those that don't have the issues Princess Gracie has. You can freely switch back and forth between all of Fromms foods without transitioning. That last statement comes directly from a conversation I had recently with Fromm.
cali~jenn
..........
I love this topic. I just asked petflow to start carrying the 2 new versions of the fromm grain free, so hoping they will have it when I order next. My boys are doing WONDERFUL on fromm. No tear stains whatsoever which as we all know is hard to say with a bully. Miila has none either but she does have allergies. I really couldnt be sure if it is from the dog food or the kids food she insists on stealing tho so changing foods may or may not be a great idea. BUT I like the idea of saving money cuz with these 3 here my gawd I feel like I am feeding an army. hahaha
cali~jenn
..........
Wow, pricewise it is a HUGE diff. $15 a bag. I ordered my next fromm and a bag of this to try next month. It has lamb tho which used to make Cutty very pink so we will see how that does for his pretty white face.
JAKEISGREAT
.................
@BruceP ...this is exactly why I had to switch to a new food! I was sooo hoping one of their new formulas was also chicken and salmon free. My Dena dog was actually starting to turn her nose up at the beef...I put a bit of canned food over it to pacify her. Jake eats cardboard..so that wasn't his problem. I do wish we could rotate flavors with the Earthborne..but with what Anatess is saying that's a 
!!!
!!!
anatess
Well-known member
- Jul 26, 2011
- 1,758
- 398
- Country
- US
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Bullie (RIP) & Angus (RIP)
@BruceP ...this is exactly why I had to switch to a new food! I was sooo hoping one of their new formulas was also chicken and salmon free. My Dena dog was actually starting to turn her nose up at the beef...I put a bit of canned food over it to pacify her. Jake eats cardboard..so that wasn't his problem. I do wish we could rotate flavors with the Earthborne..but with what Anatess is saying that's a
My post got cut-off at the knees... I had to edit it and re-write the rest in so now it is as long as you expect it. LOL. So, if you read the unfinished one, see if you'd like to skim through the complete post. In my opinion, you can rotate flavors with the Earthborne (the magic formula is those that contain probiotics and chelated minerals should work like Fromm - interchangeable flavors within the same formula). BUT, because each flavor has different protein content, you'll need to adjust the feeding amount to maintain the same caloric intake. My dogs will not mind it - they basically eat what is put infront of them - they'll keep eating until the food is gone or they pass out. LOL! No, I haven't really tried just putting more and more and more food until they pass out. LOL...
JAKEISGREAT
.................
was wondering what happened to your usual 5 pages! 
That's what the rep told [MENTION=1034]BruceP[/MENTION]...great news actually.
- Jul 28, 2011
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- Chelios (Frenchie), Cubby (Frenchie) Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
See why I LOVE you! thx.... Great Plains and Meadow (something or other).
[MENTION=2092]JAKEISGREAT[/MENTION] -- I am thinking, even though it is not on her allergy list, Banks has issue with Salmon. I got that free bag of Fromm (tunalini - i think it is called) and I gave her a 1/4 in a treat ball -- within two hours her face was bright red and her belly had a rash. Thank God it was free
Last edited:
sheshistory
Moderator
I just got the Earthborn Holistic Grain-Free Great Plains (it's grain, gluten, AND potato free) formula today and started transitioning the bullies at dinner time. I agree with @desertskybulldog assessment - it smells good and the kibbles are a nice size (no wasted kibble or inhaling it without chewing). It was also $18 less per bag than NVI LID.
Of course the true test is how well the dogs do on it so I will keep everyone apprised of my findings as well!
Of course the true test is how well the dogs do on it so I will keep everyone apprised of my findings as well!
I couldn't find this brand anywhere in Charleston so I bought some on petflow. I am gonna try it too. Still want some improvement on the pink face and tear stains that Watson still gets on Fromm beef. Also looking for firmer poo. I hope this does the trick.
JAKEISGREAT
.................
What one did you order? You might want to add the canned pumpkin, like the sales rep suggested, as you transition. He says it helps the
!!!
What one did you order? You might want to add the canned pumpkin, like the sales rep suggested, as you transition. He says it helps the
I ordered the great plains feast. Watson is allergic to chicken. He breaks out in hives and hotspots. Thanks for the pumpkin tip. I have a can here ready to go.
Last edited:
JAKEISGREAT
.................
Yup..Jake is bad with chicken too..and I suspect salmon too! I hope Watson does as well as Jake has.
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