Food Friday: Drs. Foster and Smith Everyday Wellness Canned Dog Food

Drs. Foster and Smith Everyday Wellness Canned Dog Food is a new brand of dog food that just popped up at Petco recently. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Drs. Foster and Smith have been sending out catalogs in the mail for almost all of eternity. Their new line of pet foods are grain-free, and the product range includes dietary supplements and dental chews.

Drs. Foster and Smith

Way back when I was an internetless child, mail order catalogs were the best thing ever. It was like fantasy shopping, without having to go to a store! So many things to look at! Of course pet supply catalogs were the best of the best, and I used to spend hours pouring over the pages of the Drs. Foster and Smith catalogs, because I was a giant nerd even as a small child. They've been sending those things out since 1983, so they were a household name before the internet gave us a whole new option for shopping in our underwear. 

In 1993, DFS launched their own brand, and in 2002 they started making dog food. I hadn't paid attention to them in years because the last time I considered buying something, there was a flat rate for shipping. Great if you're buying a fair amount of stuff, not so great if you're looking to buy one very small item.

The Food

I'm not sure about the new food line, but I believe that the original Drs. Foster and Smith kibble is co packed by CJ Foods. There is no indication that DFS owns any kind of production facility, so this is actually a pet food marketing company, and someone else makes the product. I'm not sure who currently makes their canned foods, but it's almost certainly one of a handful of major co packers.

This is a grain-free food with chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver as the first ingredients. It also contains potatoes, peas, green beans, red peppers, and eggs. The inclusion of egg as a second protein source means this isn't an allergy-friendly food, but none of the foods in this line are intended to be limited-ingredient except the healthy skin and coat kibble. That one is pea-based and uses hydrolyzed salmon, and actually looks like a food I'd recommend for an elimination diet.

Though not as appealing as last week's can of PureVita, the DFS wet food isn't bad. I can see the peas, potatoes, carrots, and red peppers. Admittedly, the red peppers are an unusual addition. I'm not used to seeing those on ingredient lists and I'm curious why they were included. Nutrition-wise, this isn't the best food, at 8% protein and 5.5% fat it's got to have a lot of carbs. Dog Food Advisor has not reviewed this food yet, but I'm guessing it would rate 4 out of 5 stars.

The Verdict

Ru's willingness to eat a given wet food seems to be closely correlated with how appetizing I find it as a human. He likes this one a lot, and eats it willingly. The availability of it at Petco also makes it a convenient choice, as their hours are conducive to forgetting to buy another can of chihuahua food until the last possible minute. The uncertainty about who really produces the food would make me hesitant to feed this exclusively, but I am definitely going to add it to Ru's canned food rotation. It's Finicky Chihuahua Approved!