Well, about two weeks ago, we switched (gradually) our entire crew (the 3 cats AND the 2 dogs) over to Innova EVO. The kitties were previously being fed Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care, and the dogs were on Nutro Natural Choice Lite for Large Breeds.
The switch went over well, and all animals are enjoying the taste...Ripley has turned her nose up completely to the wet EVO, which is not like her...she usually would take canned food over kibble any day, but she nibbles on the dry. Captain Steuben and Fergus love the canned and dry EVO.
Just a couple of comments, as it's been hard to gauge so far how both kitties and doggies are doing on the new food.
*The COST!!! Dear me, is this stuff pricey! But considering it's all protein (meat-based), and no grains, I understand why. And, each of my kitties only need 1/3 cup twice a day, and each of the dogs are only being fed 1 cup twice a day (two cups total), so a bag truly does last a bit longer.
*Farts!!! I picked up little Captain Steuben last night, and he let one rip...I nearly died. I haven't noticed this with any regularity, but I've also never smelled such a rotten bum in my life. I experienced this with the two dogs the first week as well, but not so much now.
*I haven't noticed much of a difference in the litter boxes...no loose stools, decreased volume of stools, etc. Now, Melvin (the golden retriever), went for a walk the other night, and apparently had a NASTY poop along the way.
*Fur quality...I was seriously hoping that the EVO would help with Ripley's dandruff problem. She's a torti, and has really kind of oily fur, and seriously dry skin, with some flakiness. It's not a huge problem, but she is more of a shedder than Fergus or Ripley, and has a poorer coat and skin quality than my boys. So far, the EVO has made no difference. She did throw up three times last week in the morning, and was fine for the rest of the day, and has been fine ever since. Also, Puppy (our lab/chow/rottie mix), is still itching and having trouble with her skin. She seems to have very dry skin, and tends to get hot spots. The past two days, both she and Melvin have been laying around, depressed-acting. The dogs do really like this food, and have been eating it with great gusto, and both she and Melvin have dropped a couple of pounds between them, which is great, as they are both too chubby.
So, for those of you that feed EVO, how long were you feeding it to your pets before noticing a difference in energy levels, coats, skin troubles, weight, etc.? Perhaps I'm not giving it a fair day in court, but I've noticed some changes in my pets...some good, some not so good. I do realize that EVO is not for every cat and dog...they tend to either do really well on it, or they have trouble on it. I also realize there have been a lot of threads already created about EVO, I just wanted to share my experience so far...
I appreciate any input you have...
The switch went over well, and all animals are enjoying the taste...Ripley has turned her nose up completely to the wet EVO, which is not like her...she usually would take canned food over kibble any day, but she nibbles on the dry. Captain Steuben and Fergus love the canned and dry EVO.
Just a couple of comments, as it's been hard to gauge so far how both kitties and doggies are doing on the new food.
*The COST!!! Dear me, is this stuff pricey! But considering it's all protein (meat-based), and no grains, I understand why. And, each of my kitties only need 1/3 cup twice a day, and each of the dogs are only being fed 1 cup twice a day (two cups total), so a bag truly does last a bit longer.
*Farts!!! I picked up little Captain Steuben last night, and he let one rip...I nearly died. I haven't noticed this with any regularity, but I've also never smelled such a rotten bum in my life. I experienced this with the two dogs the first week as well, but not so much now.
*I haven't noticed much of a difference in the litter boxes...no loose stools, decreased volume of stools, etc. Now, Melvin (the golden retriever), went for a walk the other night, and apparently had a NASTY poop along the way.
*Fur quality...I was seriously hoping that the EVO would help with Ripley's dandruff problem. She's a torti, and has really kind of oily fur, and seriously dry skin, with some flakiness. It's not a huge problem, but she is more of a shedder than Fergus or Ripley, and has a poorer coat and skin quality than my boys. So far, the EVO has made no difference. She did throw up three times last week in the morning, and was fine for the rest of the day, and has been fine ever since. Also, Puppy (our lab/chow/rottie mix), is still itching and having trouble with her skin. She seems to have very dry skin, and tends to get hot spots. The past two days, both she and Melvin have been laying around, depressed-acting. The dogs do really like this food, and have been eating it with great gusto, and both she and Melvin have dropped a couple of pounds between them, which is great, as they are both too chubby.
So, for those of you that feed EVO, how long were you feeding it to your pets before noticing a difference in energy levels, coats, skin troubles, weight, etc.? Perhaps I'm not giving it a fair day in court, but I've noticed some changes in my pets...some good, some not so good. I do realize that EVO is not for every cat and dog...they tend to either do really well on it, or they have trouble on it. I also realize there have been a lot of threads already created about EVO, I just wanted to share my experience so far...
I appreciate any input you have...
