Food Friday: Artemis OsoPure Salmon and Garbanzo Bean Formula

I picked up this sample of Artemis OsoPure Salmon and Garbanzo Bean Formula kibble at the little feed store around the corner from my house. I had been aware of the Artemis brand of food since around 2010, but at the time the only product line available in my area was their Fresh Mix line. Those are all chicken-based, so I had mentally filed Artemis under "nifty foods my dog can't eat". I was pleased to find that they had extended their product range and that three of the foods in their OsoPure line were egg-free and poultry-free.

Sweet Potatoes, Always Sweet Potatoes

After I picked up this sample, but before I used it, I got back the results of Brisbane's major allergy test. He is allergic to sweet potatoes, among other things. The vast majority of grain-free dog food contains sweet potatoes, including all of the Artemis OsoPure kibbles. Oh well. Fortunately I have Sisci to sample the many non-Briz-safe foods we encounter.

The Company

The Artemis company was founded in 1998 in Carson, California, so they are at least local to my state. This is basically a marketing company, as their food is actually produced by Diamond Pet Foods. Diamond makes a ton of foods, including Wellness, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Taste of the Wild, and Canidae. The Diamond pet food plant has been involved in at least one major recall that spanned multiple brands, so these are not my preferred brands of food.

The Food

As grain-free dog foods go, this one is merely ok. It Is made from salmon meal, followed by garbanzo beans, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, and peas. That's a lot of carb sources, so many that Dog Food Advisor only rates it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Sisci isn't food-crazy or indestructible like Brisbane, but she ate it willingly and the sample didn't upset her stomach at all. This is not a food I would choose to feed my dogs long-term, and probably not something I would include in their regular rotation because there are a lot of better options available. Still, it's better than pretty much anything I can find at the grocery store and definitely not something I would feel bad about feeding if it was the best option available.