Food Friday: Grandma Mae's Country Naturals

I was given a sample bag of Grain Free Venison Meal Recipe kibble at the Grandma Mae's Country Naturals booth at SuperZoo. This is an allergy-friendly food with a limited ingredient list. IT is specifically recommended for picky eaters and sensitive stomachs. Developed by a group of independent pet store owners looking for a brand that wouldn't sell out to a giant faceless corporation, Grandma Mae's is all about genuine high-quality ingredients.

Grandma Mae's Country Naturals

This pet food company is unique because it is owner by independent pet store retailers. The company was started by a group of pet store owners that kept having the same issues with their favorite brands selling out to large corporations. This happens like clockwork, a rally good family-owned food company will sell their brand to a giant faceless corporation. The new owners claim that nothing will change, but after a while the bags get smaller, the price goes up, and a lot of pets that formerly did well on the food start to have issues. 

Bringing in a new brand is tough for a retailer. Not everyone cheerfully embraces the new and unknown like I do, and many people don't even notice the other products when they get their usual bran off the self. Properly introducing a product to existing customers so that it sells well, and training staff to be able to answer questions about that product, takes time. It sucks to have to start that whole process over when an old fahvorite sells out, so Grandma Mae's Country Naturals was formed. It's owner by the retailers, who are committed to making a good food that will never be in danger of becoming a business conquest.

At least, that's what the Grandma Mae's website claims. It's a little thin on names, places, and other identifying information. I would think that if I was one of the store owners involved in developing this brand, I would want my name plastered all over the website. Instead we get a nice little story with zero indicators that it is actually about real people. That's just my thoughts on it.

Venison Meal Recipe

This is a food that Brisbane would have been able to eat, with his many allergies. They've skipped the fresh meats that make the ingredient list sound good without adding much substance, so the first ingredient is actually venison meal. It also contains peas, lentils, chickpeas, and tapioca. Sunflower oil, fish oil, and some pork meal are really all that's in there aside from some veggies. 

I like the size and shape of this kibble, it consists of tiny squares. This makes it toy-breed-friendly. Like most high-end foods, it contains probiotics and prebiotics and chelated minerals. The Dog Food Advisor website rates this food 4.5 out of 5 stars. This is a 25/13.5 protein/fat food, so it's a bit lower-energy than Godzilla and Zip need. However, it may be a good choice for an older dog that can't handle the outrageous amount of protein in some super high quality foods.

The Verdict

All three dogs ate this food happily and without hesitation. This is a little unusual for Ru. The protein and fat ratio isn't too bad for His Tinyness. Unfortunately, nobody in my state currently carries Grandma Mae's Country Naturals.